A diamond in the rough

One of the things that I love about this hobby is how it is possible to have fun with it without spending a fortune. While it is always a pleasure to acquire a really nice watch, the fact is that in these times a good deal counts for a lot. The watch you see above, an early to mid 1990's Vostok Komandirskie, perfectly illustrates the enjoy the hobby without breaking the bank theory.

(As an aside, if you want a full review of a Vostok Komandirskie, check out this review I did of another example. Pretty much everything I said then is still true).

While on my way home from work a few days back, I stopped in a local jeweler/junk shop. In a box at the back of the jewelers case, I spied this Vostok. The crystal was scratched and the case had some gunk on it but it fired right up when wound. After hemming and hawing with the proprietor for a few minutes, he agreed to let it go for the princely sum of $10. That seemed too good to pass up.

I probably should have taken a before picture of this one to illustrate its condition better. To make it simple, the crystal needed a good hour of polishing with Crystal Clear (which I highly recommend for removing scratches from acrylic crystals by the way) and the case needed a thorough going over with a damp toothbrush. The movement, however, looked perfect. There was no evidence of dirt or water damage at all.

I expected that this old watch would need at least some regulation but, as it turns out, it's nearly as accurate as most of the other mechanical watches I own (Seems to be gaining about 20 seconds a day. I can live with that). That pleasant surprise was the icing on the cake for me. The bottom line is that there are some good deals out there for us collectors if we are prepared to use our imagination and a little elbow grease. Not a bad way to keep a hobby going, even in rough times like these.

UZI Ballistic Tritium Watch Review

On an aftermarket Maratac Zulu.




On the stock rubber strap


The lume



Update- I just got back from a whitewater rafting trip on the Kennebec River in Maine. I wore the Ballistic for four days of serious "roughing it". I'm happy to say that the watch came through in far better shape than its owner. The water didn't bother the Ballistic at all. Additionally, a long game of beach volleyball, with a bunch of kids less than half my age-duh!, did no damage either despite repeated collisions with the ground so to speak. (To the watch that is. My back and knees are another story). I'm quite comfortable saying that the Ballistic is a very tough customer indeed.


I love getting a new watch as if you folks didn't already know that. From unboxing it to reading about its features to admiring it's looks to smashing it with a hammer, it's always great fun. (!!!...What! ... What did he say! A hammer?!) You read that last part right, I actually took a hammer to the crystal of this watch. More accurately, I put a 3/4" wide wooden dowel in a towel and then used it like a chisel on the crystal with a small jewelers mallet. As to why I would do something like this to a watch that I don't hate at all, read on.

Uzi is part of Campco, a company that specializes in products for law enforcement, camping and generally roughing it. The Uzi brand of watches is notable for its very affordable line of tritium tube watches. (See this review of the Uzi Protector) The model you see here, the Ballistic sits at the top of that line. (They also have an impressive line of stun guns, pepper spray, batons and handcuffs should the need arise.)

The Ballistic is a very impressive looking watch. My example uses what appears to be a IPB coated stainless steel case and a rubber diver's style band. The watch measures 44mm in width (not including the screw-down crown, 48mm with it), 15mm in thickness, 50mm lug to lug and has a 22mm band lug width. Water resistance is rated at 50 meters which is fine as this isn't a diver's watch (I have since learned from Uzi that all of the Ballistic models are actually rated at 200 meters water resistance. It seems that some of the early ones were labeled 50 meters incorrectly. Either number is deeper than I'll ever go.) The Ballistic's bezel rotates counter clockwise with a solid action. It would have been nice if there was a luminous marker set in the bezel but you can't have everything I guess. Internally, the Ballistic is powered by a Ronda Powertech quartz movement that can be hacked if that feature matters to you. Accuracy, as is to be expected with a quartz watch, is excellent. It is my understanding that Uzi has also put some work into reinforcing the hands and the movement to provide for superior shock resistance. That's definately appreciated given the abuse this one is meant to withstand.

So far, so good. The two features that really set the Ballistic apart from most watches though are the lume and the crystal. For night time visibility, the Ballistic is equipped with fourteen small glass vials containing luminous tritium. The vials are mounted at the twelve hour markers on the watch face and on the hour and minute hands. The second hand appears to use conventional superluminova. (Uzi now uses the MB Microtec brand of tritium tubes for its watches, the same system used by Luminox and Traser for their watches) . This system is in my opinion the very best for low light visibility and it doesn't disappoint. Visibility in the dark is truly superb. When your eyes adjust to the darkness, the Ballistic actually throws enough light to read by, at least up close.

(As an aside, radiation is not a concern with this technology. The tritium is sealed in glass tubes that are set behind the crystal. As tritium is not a strong radiation emitter to begin with, this level of protection effectively blocks any possible radiation from escaping. For what its worth, the US Government strictly regulates sources of radiation. The technology used by Uzi and others on watches is considered legal and safe.)

The other interesting feature of the Ballistic concerns that bit about the hammer earlier on. Most watches use either mineral glass, acrylic or synthetic sapphire for their crystal. These materials all have their advantages. That being said, they do share the same weakness, impact resistance. As some of us have found out the hard way, when you bang a watch crystal, it breaks. The folks at Uzi, however, have hit on an interesting solution to this problem. The Ballistic, you see, uses what is technically known as a polycarbonate crystal. That's bullet proof glass to the rest of us. Now I'm not suggesting that this watch can be used as body armor but there are some videos on the Uzi website of the ballistic getting hammered on and being used as a hockey puck without apparent damage. That's why I decided to give my example the hammer test. I did not put steel on glass like the folks in the video did. I don't have that much nerve I'm afraid. However, I'm pretty sure that the blow that I gave it would have broken most watch crystals. The Uzi suffered no apparent damage at all.

To sum this up, if you want a good looking watch with superb low light visibility that can honestly take a hammering, this is your watch. It is well worth its list price of $260 in my opinion. Like everything else though, it never hurts to shop around.

Note-I believe that Uzi also sells Maratac bands. This watch is a natural for one.

Swatch Irony Review (Struggler)

Since most of us are a bit poorer these days, I thought it made sense to explore one of the brands that is really equated with both value and quality, Swatch. Oddly, I have never owned a Swatch until now. But, when my local jeweler came into a number of NOS (new old stock) models at discounted prices, I decided to take the plunge. My initial thought was that a Swatch would make a terrific year end gift to a co-worker who had been wistfully eyeing some of my other toys. (I got him a "Wealthy Star" model chronograph if you are interested). What I wasn't expecting was to like it enough to want one for myself.

The model you see above is called the "Struggler". It dates from 2001 and is one of Swatch's Irony models. Being a NY Mets fan, the colors immediately appealed to me. (Come to think of it, the name makes sense too) Swatch, as most of us know, made its name in making fashionable plastic Swiss watches. The Irony takes this concept and extends it to stainless steel. The result is a solidly made man's wristwatch that frankly seems to be a relative bargain, even at today's list price. (The Swatch Group incidentally is the powerhouse in the Swiss watch industry. The story behind this company is a good read if you are interested. See here or here as well as this Wikipedia entry as well).

The watch itself measures 40mm in width not including the crown (Swatch says 39mm but my ruler says 40 so I'm going with that number), 14mm in thickness 47mm lug to lug and has a 22mm band lug width. Internally, it is powered by a 4 jewel ETA G10.711 quartz chronograph movement. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters and the lume, despite this example's age, is quite good. The bracelet on this Irony is especially worthy of praise. For what is marketed as a consumer/fashion watch, it is a heavy solid link design with a nicely made signed clasp. As watch bracelets go, it is better than many others I've encountered. Lastly, the watch case is also interesting with drilled lugs and a one-piece design with an access point only for the battery.

All told, there is really no downside to a Swatch Irony. It is affordable, even in these awful times, very well made and looks terrific (albeit by my eye). If you are looking for a good solid daily wearer or a nice gift, you really can't go wrong with a Swatch.

As an aside, I got this one at Watch Station located at the Third Avenue entrance to the Lexington Avenue/53rd street subway station in NYC. The shop is one flight down at the back of the news stand. Raphael, the owner has a number of these new old stock Swatch models available and I got the impression that the prices were negotiable. (He has some beautiful vintage pieces too by the way) It�s worth checking him out.

Suunto T1c Review

A few months ago I decided that it was time to start exercising to get back into shape. Like many folks these days, I had simply enjoyed stuffing myself too many times. Now the reason this introduction has some relevance to watches is because exercise works better if you keep track of your progress as you do it. And that brings me to the subject of this review, the Suunto T1c. You know the way those digital meters on an exercycle keep tabs on your pulse, time and calories burned, well, the T1c does that too.

A little background first, Suunto is a Finnish company that makes a series of digital watches that are all very advanced in their capabilities. Some have GPS capability, some can measure altitude, some can track the weather and some seem to be capable of doing just about everything. Overall, the company�s products are geared towards an active, outdoor lifestyle. If that describes you, these folks have something you'll appreciate.

On to the T1c. The watch is in many ways a typical digital watch. It gives you the time, the day and date, it has an alarm, a backlight and it can handle another time zone. So far, nothing special although the reverse contrast display and the sweeping seconds indicator (a digital dot that orbits the dial) are pretty cool. It measures 44mm in width (including the pushers) and 12mm in height. (Mind you, the T1c seems to wear smaller that its dimensions would suggest. I think it�s because of the integrated band.) The watch band is plastic and can be replaced when it wears out. The case is plastic as well with a stainless steel back. Water resistance is rated at 30 meters. All really quite conventional so far. Where things get interesting though is when you press the Mode button and unpack a curious accessory in the Suunto box.

Before you get started, there are a few preliminaries to take care of. The first thing you have to do (after setting the date and time) is to enter some information about yourself. The watch needs to know your age, weight, gender and approximately how active you are based on a scale (included in the manual and online). Don't be put off by this step by the way. The controls are intuitive and it only takes a minute to set up. You are now ready to put the T1c to work. Pressing the Mode button puts the watch into Training mode where it is now ready to start measuring you as you exercise. The accessory I mentioned gets used now too. In the box, you will see what looks very much like an elastic belt, which is exactly what it is. This belt contains a small wireless transmitter that, when worn across the chest, tells the watch how you are doing. The belt is thankfully soft and unobtrusive so wearing it for an hour or so is no problem. One caveat, there are two pads on the inside part of the belt that need to be moist to work. A little hand cream seems to do the job nicely. (The belt is washable if you are concerned btw). Suuunto does tell you to wet these pads but the importance of this step is great. The belt will not detect your pulse otherwise. (Suunto warns that people with pacemakers should not use this device by the way).

I wore the Suunto T1c while riding my recumbent exercise bike. The bike itself has a computerized digital display that measures calories burned among other things so I was able to gauge how accurate the T1c was. It did pretty well, coming in within 5 percent of the bicycle computer's reading. (For all I know it may be the more accurate of the two). That seems pretty good to my reckoning and more than informative enough to be used to track one�s workout. In addition to tracking an individual workout, the T1c also stores the results of your workouts for later reference should you want to check your progress over time. You can also set the watch to measure your progress as a function of your heart rate using the heart rate zones feature.

Overall, the T1c is a pretty slick piece of equipment. It really is an exercise computer that happens to have a watch on board. Mind you, the T1c would do fine as a daily wearer. It is comfortable and its timekeeping functions are excellent. Its utility as a workout tracker though is very helpful indeed if you are serious about getting into shape. Wearing the T1c (and its sensor belt) effectively puts an electronic monitor on any exercise routine you choose to do. That makes tracking both your heart rate and the all important �calories burned� very simple. I wasn�t sure if I would like using a watch like this while exercising but seeing those totals come up after a workout is addictive to me. If you are into exercise or thinking about starting an exercise routine, consider the T1c a recommended accessory.


P.S.-Before anyone asks, I have dropped 33 lbs in the last 7 months and now weigh 179lbs. Getting there :)

Adi Model 221 Diver Review

On a Modena rubber diver strap








The subject of this review, the Adi Model 221 is another one of the company�s watches that is marketed to the Israeli armed forces. (For those of you who feel like poking around in Adi�s website, model numbers 220 through 229 are purchased by the ministry of defense according to a company representative.) This one came to me by way of Israeli Products.Com. One detail to note if you are considering one of these is that the dial�s logo print has changed from the image on the seller�s website. The word �Adi� is now in a script font as opposed to the block letters in the website image. I like both styles so it doesn�t really matter to me.

This Adi measures 42 mm in width (not including the crown), 13 mm in height, 43 mm lug to lug and uses a 22mm band lug width. Unlike the previously reviewed Adi IDF watch, the lugs on this model are conventionally designed and switching bands is quite easy. They are also quite short in length and make the watch wear smaller than it actually measures. The watch shipped with a rubber diver�s band that has a wind velocity chart printed on it. (In some of the shots above, the watch is pictured with an aftermarket Maratac nylon military style band. I think it looks quite good.) The Model 221 is quartz driven by an otherwise unremarkable Miyota movement that can be hacked if that is important to you. The movement also includes day and date functions. Water resistance is rated at 200 meters which is more than sufficient. Interestingly, the 200 meter water resistance rating is achieved without using a screw-down crown. The lume on this diver is really very good. I would put it on the level of a Citizen automatic diver if you are familiar with them. It apparently uses superluminova paint that was both bright and long lasting in the dark. The crystal is mineral glass set flush with the bezel. Lastly, the bezel is a counter-rotating design with a very firm action.

Visually, the Model 221 has a sort of shrouded case style, that looks a bit like a Seiko Tuna can diver, albeit on a much smaller scale. The watch wears quite comfortably thanks to the short lugs. Accuracy, as is to be expected with a quartz watch, is excellent.

All in all, the Model 221 is an interesting military watch that would make for a good daily wearer/sports watch and should last a long time. It is apparently well made and its high water resistance should allow it to stand up to whatever most of us will encounter. At $85 from the previously mentioned vendor, it�s a good choice too in these budget conscious times.

Debaufre Nav-B Review (44mm version)

Debaufre makes many fine watches as those of you who read this site already know. The one model of their's that I personally think has generated the most interest from the collector's community is their pilot's watch, the Nav-B. This piece, really more than any other I can think of, has successfully re-introduced the classic flyer's watch back to the market in an attainable way. I've been wistfully looking at one of these for some time now. After all the positive comments I've heard about the Nav-B, I had to put in my own two cents. In a nutshell, if you know the feeling you get when you handle something that is really exceptionally well done then you will recognize it in the Nav-B. It's that sensation when nothing catches your eye as being out of whack somehow. I�ve played with some pretty fancy watches as a collector. They�ve got nothing on this beauty.

A little history first. The Nav-B is loosely based on a military aviator�s watch. The original Beobachtungs-Uhrens, (manufactured by IWC, Laco, Stowa, Wempe & Lange) were made for the German air force. They were enormous watches, more like clocks really, measuring 55mm in diameter and meant to be worn on the arm outside of a flight jacket. (see-here). The Debaufre Nav-B takes this concept and brings it down to a more manageable size, in this case 44mm. (They also make a bigger version at 48mm. That�s big to be sure but its looks are really stunning.) Like the early aviator watches it is based on, the Nav-B is designed to be simple and easy to read with excellent contrast on the dial. In this respect Debaufre succeeded admirably. As an aside, if you are interested in learning a bit more about the history of military timepieces, that a look at the links provided by the Watchuseek Pilot and Military Watches Forum

On to the watch itself. The Nav-B measures 44mm in width, not including the crown (it's a hair over 49mm with it). While this is billed as a smaller version of Debaufre�s earlier Nav-B model, don�t think for a minute that smaller means small. 44mm is hardly dainty by anyone�s standard. The watch is 14mm in thickness, a bit over 52mm lug to lug and has a 22mm band lug width. The watchband, in what is becoming a Debaufre trend, is a beautiful piece of leather that features a riveted design like early military watchbands. The thick buckle merits mention too. It isn't the usual piece of sheet metal. (Incidentally, if you are looking for a really nice replacement band, Debaufre has a good selection of these watchbands on their website. The Havana Old Vintage model, in particular, catches my eye.) The Nav-B uses Superluminova lume on its hands and face. The crystal is a domed sapphire model, with what I believe is an anti reflective coating, to effectively ward off scratches and further improve visibility. Water resistance is rated at 3atm which is fine as the Nav B makes no pretense at being a diver�s watch. (Take a look at the Ocean One if you plan to get wet) Lastly, the Nav-B Unitas models feature a see-through crystal caseback to show off the movement.

Internally, the Nav-B is powered by a 17 jewel Unitas 6497 hand wound movement. Originally developed by the firm of Auguste Reymond, and now made by ETA, the Unitas is an old and well regarded movement that has proven itself to be both rugged and accurate. For a history of the Unitas, see the Unitas Reference Site. (Lately, the supply of these movements and many others from ETA, the largest of the Swiss movement suppliers, has been shrinking. ETA has announced that they want to cease supplying movements to the rest of the watch industry. Service will not be a problem going forward as the parts are widely available but new watches with these movements may become harder to find).

The Nav-B is an undeniably handsome watch. The face is simple and easy to read but still interesting to the eye. The blued hands give the Nav-B an old fashoined elegance in my opinion. The large knurled onion style crown compliments that classic look perfectly. You might be concerned that a 44mm watch could be cumbersome on the wrist. However, despite its size, the Nav-B wears very comfortably indeed.

I have always appreciated the look of the early pilot's watches. They possess a classic simplicity that reflects the job they were made for. I had also pretty much resigned myself to never being able to own a well made example of one. Like most folks, an IWC pilot watch is simply out of the question price-wise. (There are whole airplanes that cost less than the IWC . That is not an exaggeration.) That Debaufre can sell a pilot�s watch that looks and feels as good as the Nav-B for what they are charging, is remarkable.

Buships Canteen Diver (quartz homage) Review

In the late forties the US Navy issued a new specification for a diver's watch for its underwater demolition teams. The watch was to be water resistant to a depth of 100 feet (how times have changed), employ a 17 jewel hand wound movement and a domed acrylic crystal. The most striking feature, however, was the large canteen crown. The original dimensions were tiny by today's standards, 32mm in width with a 16mm band lug width. Original models of this watch, made by Elgin, are hard to find these days and command premium prices. (For an excellent account of the history of this watch see this site)

The Buships diver you see above is a modern homage to that Elgin diver, albeit with a number of modifications to reflect changes in taste and technology. Initially, this version was enlarged somewhat. Realistically, a 32mm watch, like the original, is simply not going to appeal to folks today. The new version is 36mm in width and uses an 18mm band. Still not exactly big by today's standards but the canteen crown makes the overall package 44mm wide and thus reasonably large by today's standards. The other big change with this model is the movement. The new diver uses an ISA 1198 quartz movement in place of the original hand cranker (not as nice by far but much more affordable). The water resistance is the same as the old Elgin however, 100 ft (3 atm). Additionally, the new version uses what appears to be superluminova on the hands only. The crown on the re-issue is purely decorative incidentally; there is no seal in it that I can see. Lastly, the watch ships with a period style canvas military band that compliments the watch nicely.

All in all, the Buships is a pretty nice watch. It is both very distinctive looking and quite accurate (like most quartz watches). It is not a premium piece by any means but at well under $100, it's not going to break anyone's budget either. If you like the military look, and your wrist size is less than 7", the Buships is worth a look. I picked this one up here.