oversized watches

[J. Spant]

Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

[Knot Important]

Post by J. Spant
Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

They tend to be easy to read for old foggy eyed men like me!

[J.B. Wood]

Post by Knot Important

Post by J. Spant
Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

They tend to be easy to read for old foggy eyed men like me!

Hello, and you can also get standard (not considered oversized) watches
with large numerals, though the ones I've seen are of the inexpensive
quartz variety. Sincerely,

[Alex W]

Post by J.B. Wood

Post by Knot Important

Post by J. Spant
Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

They tend to be easy to read for old foggy eyed men like me!

Hello, and you can also get standard (not considered oversized) watches
with large numerals, though the ones I've seen are of the inexpensive
quartz variety.

Numerals are not strictly necessary for telling the time, I
find. A diver's watch would therefore be a good
alternative, IMO: very clear dial layout is a must with this
type of watch.

[c***@webtv.net]

With no numerals/numbers on a clock, or wristwatch, it is still easy
enough to see the time by the position of the hands.
cuhulin

[dAz]

Post by c***@webtv.net
With no numerals/numbers on a clock, or wristwatch, it is still easy
enough to see the time by the position of the hands.
cuhulin

tell that to the young people that grew up on digital time, they have
trouble reading the time on a dial with marks ;)

I had a large moulded wall clock here the other week for a new movement,
the dial was just all random numbers fitted into each other, young mate
of mine could not work out the time because he was trying to read the
numbers and not looking at the hand positions

same as this one but in silver with silver hands
http://sweet-station.com/blog/2009/02/karlsson-mixed-numbers-red-clock/

[Alex W.]

Post by dAz

Post by c***@webtv.net
With no numerals/numbers on a clock, or wristwatch, it is still easy
enough to see the time by the position of the hands.
cuhulin

tell that to the young people that grew up on digital time, they have
trouble reading the time on a dial with marks ;)

OK, but then again, young people have trouble adding five plus
five without using the calculator app on their smartphone, let
alone finding their backside without Google Maps, so what do you
expect?
;-)

Post by dAz
I had a large moulded wall clock here the other week for a new movement,
the dial was just all random numbers fitted into each other, young mate
of mine could not work out the time because he was trying to read the
numbers and not looking at the hand positions

I predict really low chances for his reproduction....
:-)

Am I simply turning into a grumpy old fuddy-duddy or is it
depressing and not a little scary that six centuries of cultural
knowledge (analog circular time display) can be wiped out in one
generation of high-tech savagery?

Post by dAz
same as this one but in silver with silver hands
http://sweet-station.com/blog/2009/02/karlsson-mixed-numbers-red-clock/

Stylish.

Actually, your description made me think of a clock I saw in a
shop once where the dial was simple metal and the numerals were
fridge-magnet type numbers that could be placed and swapped at
will.

[shiva das]

Post by Alex W.

Post by dAz

Post by c***@webtv.net
With no numerals/numbers on a clock, or wristwatch, it is still easy
enough to see the time by the position of the hands.
cuhulin

tell that to the young people that grew up on digital time, they have
trouble reading the time on a dial with marks ;)

OK, but then again, young people have trouble adding five plus
five without using the calculator app on their smartphone, let
alone finding their backside without Google Maps, so what do you
expect?
;-)

Well, I'm no youngster, partial proof being that my poor brain can't
equate "10:38" on a digital clock/watch with approximately 240° of
rotation on the minute hand.

However, I do need something with a little more dial info that this:

<http://www.movado.com/movado-collections/all-collections/museum.html>

[Frank Adam]

Post by shiva das

Post by Alex W.

Post by dAz

Post by c***@webtv.net
With no numerals/numbers on a clock, or wristwatch, it is still easy
enough to see the time by the position of the hands.
cuhulin

tell that to the young people that grew up on digital time, they have
trouble reading the time on a dial with marks ;)

OK, but then again, young people have trouble adding five plus
five without using the calculator app on their smartphone, let
alone finding their backside without Google Maps, so what do you
expect?
;-)

Well, I'm no youngster, partial proof being that my poor brain can't
equate "10:38" on a digital clock/watch with approximately 240° of
rotation on the minute hand.
<http://www.movado.com/movado-collections/all-collections/museum.html>

LOL, yeah. Imagine if the Apollo 13 crew had this instead of the Moon
watch. "We'll just swing around and fire the rockets exactly at
roundabout some time for a duration of some ticks of the minute
hand... :)

Those Movados are nice watches though. Not so much for us watchmakers
swearing our arses off, trying to eliminate every speck from under the
glass after a service, but still.. :)

[dAz]

Post by Frank Adam

Post by shiva das
<http://www.movado.com/movado-collections/all-collections/museum.html>

LOL, yeah. Imagine if the Apollo 13 crew had this instead of the Moon
watch. "We'll just swing around and fire the rockets exactly at
roundabout some time for a duration of some ticks of the minute
hand... :)

heh!, I just want a watch to show morning, lunch, afternoon, beer, sleep ;)

Post by Frank Adam
Those Movados are nice watches though. Not so much for us watchmakers
swearing our arses off, trying to eliminate every speck from under the
glass after a service, but still.. :)

tell me about it, the air compressor has been a big help for me for
that, dialled in on about 15psi soon takes care of the dust in the case,
and held about a foot away from the dial so I don't blow the hands off
removes the last of dust motes, of course you have to be extra careful
not to leave a finger mark on those black dials.

like a polished black car, 5mins later you can see the dust grrr!

[dAz]

Post by shiva das
Well, I'm no youngster, partial proof being that my poor brain can't
equate "10:38" on a digital clock/watch with approximately 240° of
rotation on the minute hand.

well thats the thing the digital users miss or not understand, the
analogue dial shows current time, past time and future time all at once
without having to calculate it, so if you wanted to meet someone in
45mins, all you have to do is visualise the minute hand 3/4 around the
dial from its current position and then once you know the time you
arranged you have a visual indication of the time remaining, no count
down timers, no trying to calculate the silly bloody numbers etc.

Post by shiva das
<http://www.movado.com/movado-collections/all-collections/museum.html>

nah, unless you need to know the seconds you don't need the numbers :)

I don't think people read the acutal numbers anyway, I had a old wall
clock for many years in the shop I used to be in, only one person picked
out the dial had two 7s on the dial, roman numerals and the dial painter
left off the extra stroke on the 8, large dial too,

[shiva das]

Post by dAz

Post by shiva das
Well, I'm no youngster, partial proof being that my poor brain can't
equate "10:38" on a digital clock/watch with approximately 240° of
rotation on the minute hand.

well thats the thing the digital users miss or not understand, the
analogue dial shows current time, past time and future time all at once
without having to calculate it, so if you wanted to meet someone in
45mins, all you have to do is visualise the minute hand 3/4 around the
dial from its current position and then once you know the time you
arranged you have a visual indication of the time remaining, no count
down timers, no trying to calculate the silly bloody numbers etc.

Post by shiva das
<http://www.movado.com/movado-collections/all-collections/museum.html>

nah, unless you need to know the seconds you don't need the numbers :)
I don't think people read the acutal numbers anyway, I had a old wall
clock for many years in the shop I used to be in, only one person picked
out the dial had two 7s on the dial, roman numerals and the dial painter
left off the extra stroke on the 8, large dial too,

I don't need numbers -- I just need marks on the dial to help navigate.
Very few of my wrist watches have numbers (but almost all of my pocket
watches do).

Back in the 1970s I used to think a digital alarm clock would be better
than analog because then I'd have to be awake enough to translate the
numbers into hand positions. Unfortunately it was just too complex a
thought process for that early in the morning, so I usually ended up
back asleep :-)

[dAz]

Post by shiva das

Post by dAz

Post by shiva das
Well, I'm no youngster, partial proof being that my poor brain can't
equate "10:38" on a digital clock/watch with approximately 240° of
rotation on the minute hand.

well thats the thing the digital users miss or not understand, the
analogue dial shows current time, past time and future time all at once
without having to calculate it, so if you wanted to meet someone in
45mins, all you have to do is visualise the minute hand 3/4 around the
dial from its current position and then once you know the time you
arranged you have a visual indication of the time remaining, no count
down timers, no trying to calculate the silly bloody numbers etc.

Post by shiva das
<http://www.movado.com/movado-collections/all-collections/museum.html>

nah, unless you need to know the seconds you don't need the numbers :)
I don't think people read the acutal numbers anyway, I had a old wall
clock for many years in the shop I used to be in, only one person picked
out the dial had two 7s on the dial, roman numerals and the dial painter
left off the extra stroke on the 8, large dial too,

I don't need numbers -- I just need marks on the dial to help navigate.
Very few of my wrist watches have numbers (but almost all of my pocket
watches do).

you really don't need the marks, so long as you can differentiate the
hands, that why I prefer the older style of clock and watch hands, like
say spade hands where the hour hand is a spade shape and the minute is
straight or slightly swelled unlike the modern practice of having spades
on both hands.

Post by shiva das
Back in the 1970s I used to think a digital alarm clock would be better
than analog because then I'd have to be awake enough to translate the
numbers into hand positions. Unfortunately it was just too complex a
thought process for that early in the morning, so I usually ended up
back asleep :-)

that's what snooze is for ;)

[c***@webtv.net]

I don't know, but I reckon I think physical clock/watch hands moving
around a circular dial sort of kind of imitate the Sun rising and
setting and the Moon too.Maybe it has something to do with our 'body
clock'.I much prefer analog, physical hands moving around.
cuhulin

[dAz]

Post by J. Spant
Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

easier to read the time, no squinting, feels like you are wearing your
Dad's watch when you were a kid.

I bought a couple of those chinese 6497 movement equipped oversized
watches just for the heck of it.

one I have been wearing for several months now I find is quite good, the
stainless steel case is black PVD coated, so far has not scratched off
as I expected, appears to be quite tough, the case is 44mm dia excluding
crown and 9mm thick on leather strap, this is B-uhr aviators style watch

the 6497/98 movements are reasonable timekeepers, manual wind only
52hour power reserve.

the other watch is a monster which I hand on the wall for a clock ;)

the stainless steel case is 50mm dia x 16mm thick and 155grams, you know
when you have that on.

another watch I saw is owned by young woman, was 55mm dia, 18mm thick on
a stainless steel band,divers style but she is a large southern european
girl and with all the other masses of bangles and jewellery she was
wearing it didn't look out of place on her.

[Frank Adam]

Post by dAz

Post by J. Spant
Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

easier to read the time, no squinting, feels like you are wearing your
Dad's watch when you were a kid.
I bought a couple of those chinese 6497 movement equipped oversized
watches just for the heck of it.
one I have been wearing for several months now I find is quite good, the
stainless steel case is black PVD coated, so far has not scratched off
as I expected, appears to be quite tough, the case is 44mm dia excluding
crown and 9mm thick on leather strap, this is B-uhr aviators style watch
the 6497/98 movements are reasonable timekeepers, manual wind only
52hour power reserve.
the other watch is a monster which I hand on the wall for a clock ;)
the stainless steel case is 50mm dia x 16mm thick and 155grams, you know
when you have that on.
another watch I saw is owned by young woman, was 55mm dia, 18mm thick on
a stainless steel band,divers style but she is a large southern european
girl and with all the other masses of bangles and jewellery she was
wearing it didn't look out of place on her.

Mr "T" is married ? :)
I have a U-boat watch here that takes a 446 port hole, i mean crystal.
I can't even get that form the usual suppliers, has to come from the
Perth agent, who no doubt own a glass factory..

[c***@webtv.net]

Do you remember those big giant size fad/novelty digital wristwatches?
Some people would hang them on a wall.I think they date back to the
1970s or 1980s.I have one that I bought at Goodwill a bunch of years
ago.
cuhulin

[Norman Schwartz]

Post by dAz

Post by J. Spant
Is there any advantage? I'm thinking about to buy one.

easier to read the time, no squinting, feels like you are wearing your
Dad's watch when you were a kid.

Posting about Dad's watches reminded me of what a salesman at a watch store
I've used was wearing (on his wrist): a pocket watch having lugs soldered to
it.

[c***@webtv.net]

The first wristwatches were pocket watches adapted to be worn on the
wrist.Or so I once read at http://www.retrothing.com
cuhulin, the retrothing

[dAz]

Post by c***@webtv.net
The first wristwatches were pocket watches adapted to be worn on the
wrist.Or so I once read at http://www.retrothing.com
cuhulin, the retrothing

correct, the very first wrist watches were ladies fob watches either
with lugs attached or placed in a leather cuff band with a pocket for
the case.

the modern use of the Unitas 6497 and 6498 movements and the chinese
clones in oversized watches are actually 16.5ligne fob watch movements
that date from the 50s and date further back to the 30s for the layouts.

the 6497 has the sub-seconds dial at the 9 o'clock on a wristwatch which
in normal use is for a open faced pocket watch case where the
sub-seconds is at the 6 o'clock

and the 6498 has the sub-seconds at the 6 o'clock on the wristwatch is
made for a hunter cased pocket watch case with the front lid, so when
held in the right hand to press the crown to open the lid the dial has
the same layout as a a wristwatch.

[Norman Schwartz]

Post by c***@webtv.net
The first wristwatches were pocket watches adapted to be worn on the
wrist.Or so I once read at http://www.retrothing.com
cuhulin, the retrothing

Thanks, but following the link wasn't useful. The pocket watch modified to
attach to that man's wrist was one such as this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/WALTHAM-17J-GF-MD88-BEAUTIFUL-GOLD-ACCENTS-NICE-/260750321725?pt=Pocket_Watches&hash=item3cb5ee283d#ht_775wt_882
(This is not my item! however I do have one very much like it, inherited
from Dad and not for sale.)

He didn't go into any detail as to why he chose to wear it, it's likely it
had some sentimental value. He was working in a watch store selling high-end
Swiss wtaches.

[dAz]

Post by Norman Schwartz

Post by c***@webtv.net
The first wristwatches were pocket watches adapted to be worn on the
wrist.Or so I once read at http://www.retrothing.com
cuhulin, the retrothing

Thanks, but following the link wasn't useful. The pocket watch modified to
http://cgi.ebay.com/WALTHAM-17J-GF-MD88-BEAUTIFUL-GOLD-ACCENTS-NICE-/260750321725?pt=Pocket_Watches&hash=item3cb5ee283d#ht_775wt_882
(This is not my item! however I do have one very much like it, inherited
from Dad and not for sale.)
He didn't go into any detail as to why he chose to wear it, it's likely it
had some sentimental value. He was working in a watch store selling high-end
Swiss wtaches.

here is an old photo taken in 1920 of a window display full of those
watches, these would be converted ladies fob watches, in silver cases
with probably swiss cylinder or lever movements.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/8131?size=_original

[Norman Schwartz]

Post by dAz

Post by Norman Schwartz

Post by c***@webtv.net
The first wristwatches were pocket watches adapted to be worn on the
wrist.Or so I once read at http://www.retrothing.com
cuhulin, the retrothing

Thanks, but following the link wasn't useful. The pocket watch
http://cgi.ebay.com/WALTHAM-17J-GF-MD88-BEAUTIFUL-GOLD-ACCENTS-NICE-/260750321725?pt=Pocket_Watches&hash=item3cb5ee283d#ht_775wt_882
(This is not my item! however I do have one very much like it,
inherited from Dad and not for sale.)
He didn't go into any detail as to why he chose to wear it, it's
likely it had some sentimental value. He was working in a watch
store selling high-end Swiss wtaches.

here is an old photo taken in 1920 of a window display full of those
watches, these would be converted ladies fob watches, in silver cases
with probably swiss cylinder or lever movements.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8131?size=_original

Silly old me, I thought it was something original!

[c***@webtv.net]

One of my 'pocket watches' overall diameter about 7 1/4'' dialface
diameter about 5 1/2'' Electric plug it in a wall outlet.Spartus brand
name.Made in Louisville,Mississippi.I guess it dates back to the
1960's.It works good too.
cuhulin

[Alex W.]

Post by Norman Schwartz

Post by dAz

Post by Norman Schwartz

Post by c***@webtv.net
The first wristwatches were pocket watches adapted to be worn on the
wrist.Or so I once read at http://www.retrothing.com
cuhulin, the retrothing

Thanks, but following the link wasn't useful. The pocket watch
http://cgi.ebay.com/WALTHAM-17J-GF-MD88-BEAUTIFUL-GOLD-ACCENTS-NICE-/260750321725?pt=Pocket_Watches&hash=item3cb5ee283d#ht_775wt_882
(This is not my item! however I do have one very much like it,
inherited from Dad and not for sale.)
He didn't go into any detail as to why he chose to wear it, it's
likely it had some sentimental value. He was working in a watch
store selling high-end Swiss wtaches.

here is an old photo taken in 1920 of a window display full of those
watches, these would be converted ladies fob watches, in silver cases
with probably swiss cylinder or lever movements.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8131?size=_original

Silly old me, I thought it was something original!

If you search on Ebay (or google) for "trench watch", you should
find any number of examples. Conversion of small-diameter
ladies' fob watches was the simplest way of manufacturing
wrist-watches until production of dedicated models could be
ramped up.

THe drawback from the horophile's point of view is that ladies
fob watches -- and therefore these conversion jobs -- tended to
have pretty faces and dials but decidedly low-quality movements,
mostly cylinder or pin-pallet. Genuinely high-quality movements
with 20+ jewels or desirable complications are exceedingly rare.