Marks and Spencer watch

[Loony]

Hello Watch Experts,

For at least 40 years I have had many watches. I had some durability
with the Omega watches but nothing like the one I was given by a
relative 4 years back.

The one that I have found outstanding was, and still is, an Autograph
brand. It has never lost a minute.

The information on the back of this watch is:

"Autograph

Marks & Spencer

2869/1818A
A05
377

Stainless Steel Back."

Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?

TIA

[Alex W.]

Post by Loony
Hello Watch Experts,
For at least 40 years I have had many watches. I had some durability
with the Omega watches but nothing like the one I was given by a
relative 4 years back.
The one that I have found outstanding was, and still is, an Autograph
brand. It has never lost a minute.
"Autograph
Marks & Spencer
2869/1818A
A05
377
Stainless Steel Back."
Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?
TIA

Encountered them, yes.
Bought one, no.

"Autograph" is the name given by Marks and Spencer (biggest
clothes retailer in the UK) to their most pricy range of apparel
and accessories. So your watch is not rare, nor is it made for
or sold by a specialist jeweller.

Not that it matters: if you like it, and if it keeps good time,
that's all that really matters.

[JD]

Post by Alex W.

Post by Loony
Hello Watch Experts,
For at least 40 years I have had many watches. I had some durability
with the Omega watches but nothing like the one I was given by a
relative 4 years back.
The one that I have found outstanding was, and still is, an Autograph
brand. It has never lost a minute.
"Autograph
Marks & Spencer
2869/1818A
A05
377
Stainless Steel Back."
Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?
TIA

Encountered them, yes.
Bought one, no.
"Autograph" is the name given by Marks and Spencer (biggest
clothes retailer in the UK) to their most pricy range of apparel
and accessories. So your watch is not rare, nor is it made for
or sold by a specialist jeweller.
Not that it matters: if you like it, and if it keeps good time,
that's all that really matters.

Thank you Alex W.

What I would like to know is, what company is making these Autographs?
Is the Omega still running?

Happy Timing :-)

[Alex W.]

Post by JD

Post by Alex W.

Post by Loony
Hello Watch Experts,
For at least 40 years I have had many watches. I had some durability
with the Omega watches but nothing like the one I was given by a
relative 4 years back.
The one that I have found outstanding was, and still is, an Autograph
brand. It has never lost a minute.
"Autograph
Marks & Spencer
2869/1818A
A05
377
Stainless Steel Back."
Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?
TIA

Encountered them, yes.
Bought one, no.
"Autograph" is the name given by Marks and Spencer (biggest
clothes retailer in the UK) to their most pricy range of apparel
and accessories. So your watch is not rare, nor is it made for
or sold by a specialist jeweller.
Not that it matters: if you like it, and if it keeps good time,
that's all that really matters.

Thank you Alex W.
What I would like to know is, what company is making these Autographs?
Is the Omega still running?
Happy Timing :-)

I have no idea who actually makes these watches, and you will
forgive me if I do not rush out to buy one and check for myself.
:-)

That said, most of these low-end watches are now made in China,
and given that the vast majority of the goods on offer by Marks
and Spencer are now fabricated in that country I would assume the
watch was made there as well.

[gpsman]

Post by Loony
Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?

A Timex electric I found in '73 kept amazing time for let's call it 7
years, enduring endless hours surfing and diving including waves of 30
and depths of ~100 feet. Replaced the power of course, the spring
bars were original as far as I know.

OTOH, it never endured any temperature outside of 59 and 90F.

I'd sync it with USNO 10 times a day (I know), it might be off a
second or three. When I got tired of that and checked once a week,
then a month, it still was never off 30 seconds, and always fast.

It was Omega-style, I spent a lot of time online looking for another
one, finally lost interest.

Set it along with my military-issued Hamilton that was never made on
the kitchen counter to be sure I wouldn't forget them.

Oh, you said watch "experts"... damn that Obama!
-----

- gpsman

[Alex W.]

Post by gpsman

Post by Loony
Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?

A Timex electric I found in '73 kept amazing time for let's call it 7
years, enduring endless hours surfing and diving including waves of 30
and depths of ~100 feet. Replaced the power of course, the spring
bars were original as far as I know.
OTOH, it never endured any temperature outside of 59 and 90F.
I'd sync it with USNO 10 times a day (I know), it might be off a
second or three. When I got tired of that and checked once a week,
then a month, it still was never off 30 seconds, and always fast.
It was Omega-style, I spent a lot of time online looking for another
one, finally lost interest.
Set it along with my military-issued Hamilton that was never made on
the kitchen counter to be sure I wouldn't forget them.
Oh, you said watch "experts"... damn that Obama!

I think most collectors have one such timepiece: cheap, cheerful
and well loved that by some freak of mechanics is as accurate and
reliable -- if not more so -- than other watches that cost orders
of magnitude more.

Mine's a German Dugena with a Miyota movement I bought for $200.
It was meant to be a cheap holiday travel piece so I didn't
expect much of it. Several months of non-stop wear later, after
exposure to sun, salt water, sand, horses and some fairly hard
off-road driving, it was only two seconds out.

Stories like these are an excellent lesson for those of us who
are still bedazzled by the watch industry marketing hype. Fact
is, the number of zeroes in the purchase price is no indicator
whatsoever as to quality, reliability or accuracy. A basic
workhorse caliber from Miyota or Unitas can be every bit as good
as a fancy Rolex or Patek Phillipe.

[J.B. Wood]

Post by gpsman

Post by Loony
Has anyonme else encountered such a watch?

A Timex electric I found in '73 kept amazing time for let's call it 7
years, enduring endless hours surfing and diving including waves of 30
and depths of ~100 feet. Replaced the power of course, the spring
bars were original as far as I know.
OTOH, it never endured any temperature outside of 59 and 90F.
I'd sync it with USNO 10 times a day (I know), it might be off a
second or three. When I got tired of that and checked once a week,
then a month, it still was never off 30 seconds, and always fast.
It was Omega-style, I spent a lot of time online looking for another
one, finally lost interest.
Set it along with my military-issued Hamilton that was never made on
the kitchen counter to be sure I wouldn't forget them.
Oh, you said watch "experts"... damn that Obama!
-----
- gpsman

Hello, and when I was back in the US Army many moons ago the supply
rooms in units I served in would get in many of those issue Hamilton
watches with the green webbed watchbands. I had one that worked long
after I left the service (but gave it to a girl friend). Hamilton made
some damn good wrist and pocket watches IMHO. I'm also from a
generation that remembers when you could buy Hopalong Cassidy Timex
watches in the department store and those John Cameron Swayze TV ads.
Sincerely,