[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

My friends call them "uncle watches".

LOL; your friends are much kinder than my colleagues @ work. They call it the "gubbaarey waali watch"; & then break into long discussions on how these watches were available "back in the day" for 100 bucks @ chandni chowk.

Silly rabbits.

[Raccoon]

^^^Lol! The quality is far removed from that kind of street side stuff, for those who can see. Here is a quick snap of this old warhorse I'v had since I was l'il. As mentioned before, this one must be around 15 years old or maybe more. Still looks like new. No scratches or fading/wearing. Original battery and strap needed changing only last year. Don't know where to get an original strap or if they are even available, so had to fix a Maxima strap.

[WindRide]

Got myself the casio F91W. Love it. Just what i need.
Next in line - HMT Pilot and Janata. Does anyone know where HMT watches are available in bangalore? Dealers?

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by WindRide

where HMT watches are available in bangalore? Dealers?

After Shell petrol pump on Bellary road near Mekhri circle. Im also planning to get the same two watches.

JVH sir by mechanical movement do you mean one has to manually wind the watch to keep it functioning? Do pilot and janta have this hand winding mechanism? Are the models being sold at dealers now same as the ones on ebay?

[gotzuk]

Chase Durer | Special Forces UDT



Tissot PRS 516

[JVH]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Next in line - HMT Pilot and Janata. Does anyone know where HMT watches are available in bangalore? Dealers?

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

After Shell petrol pump on Bellary road near Mekhri circle. Im also planning to get the same two watches.

BHPian Voodoochild did not have any luck finding the Pilot and Janata at HMT Bhavan. They are out of stock there. He did buy them from Unity building, MG Road. I don't recall the shop name but he should be able to fill in the details.

There are a lot of shops in Gandhinagar/Majestic area but unless you are familiar with the area, it will be difficult to locate the exact shops. There's one on BVK Iyengar road and another on Avenue road to start with.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

by mechanical movement do you mean one has to manually wind the watch to keep it functioning? Do pilot and janta have this hand winding mechanism? Are the models being sold at dealers now same as the ones on ebay?

Yes, that's right. After a full wind, the watch functions for about 30~36 hours before it stops. So normally you have to wind it everyday. Apart frpm Pilot and Janata below are some more hand winds from HMT

Akash
Kohinoor
Rajat
Sona
Jhalak
Amitabh
Kanchan
Jubilee (not found easily)
....and some more I don't recall now.

You can find the list from HMT website.

The watches found on ebay are mostly vintage with their service history being a suspect. You will of course get new models also but at a slightly higher price than the dealers. In India, no need to buy from ebay when the stocks are more or less available from prominent stores.

[zipkill]

[quote="WindRide".Next in line - HMT Pilot and Janata. Does anyone know where HMT watches are available in bangalore? Dealers?[/QUOTE]

Got myself a HMT pilot at their Jalahalli outlet, next to Kamat Nandanavana about a month ago. They were available in stock then. They also had the Janata in stock as well.

Go there during weekdays and you should be able to get them. That store claims that people buy in bulk and advertise on eBay and other sites and make a huge profit.

For your info, the price I paid was Rs.935 - 15% discount for the pilot. Hope this helps.

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by JVH

BHPian Voodoochild did not have any luck finding the Pilot and Janata at HMT Bhavan.

Yes I've seen a few HMT shops around Majestic area. One needs to scour the place to find a good shop.
I live close to HMT bhavan area. Shall visit them also in a few days.

Yes, that's right. After a full wind, the watch functions for about 30~36 hours before it stops. So normally you have to wind it everyday.

Wow . I Have always wanted a mechanical watch. How much life can we expect from these watches i mean in terms of durability? Is the quality same as it was 20years back? And can they be serviced by regular watch shops or only HMT?

The watches found on ebay are mostly vintage with their service history being a suspect. .

Thanks for this tip sir. I wish some online sites like watchkart, flipkart start selling HMT watches.

[JVH]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

I Have always wanted a mechanical watch. How much life can we expect from these watches i mean in terms of durability? Is the quality same as it was 20years back? And can they be serviced by regular watch shops or only HMT?

They are pretty durable, no issues with that since the movements are still the same which were used when they started long ago, with some tweaks. I give mine to a neghbourhood Titan service center whose owner knows someone near Yelahanka and gets the service done. They aren't accurate like quartz watches though. They usually run faster. So, when you wind you will need to refer to quartz watches or your Casio to adjust the time. Most of us prefer mechanical for the inhouse movements and the sheer brilliance of engineering which is packed into a small size which is unbelievably compact and good looking ( nerdy ). For instance, just look into the back case of a quartz watch and hand wind/self wind watch and compare the complication involved.

[srikanthns]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Yes I've seen a few HMT shops around Majestic area. One needs to scour the place to find a good shop.
I live close to HMT bhavan area. Shall visit them also in a few days.

Wow . I Have always wanted a mechanical watch. How much life can we expect from these watches i mean in terms of durability? Is the quality same as it was 20years back? And can they be serviced by regular watch shops or only HMT?

I am having a Mechanical watch gifted to me in 1979. It is still in good condition. Okay this primarily depends on the material of the springs used which were / are available indigenously, the qulaity / durability is expected to be same. And yes, neighbourhood watch shops can service, but probably you can give it to an older person in the repair shop

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by JVH

They are pretty durable, no issues with that since the movements are still the same which were used when they started long ago, with some tweaks. I give mine to a neghbourhood Titan service center whose owner knows someone near Yelahanka and gets the service

Why not serviced by the HMT dealers or HMT bhavan? How much would the service costs be?

aren't accurate like quartz watches though. They usually run faster. So, when you wind you will need to refer to quartz watches or your Casio to adjust the time

By running faster do you mean over a day, they would show ten past one when it is One p.m? After winding how many times would I need to correct the standard error?

.

of us prefer mechanical for the inhouse movements and the sheer brilliance of engineering which is packed into a small size which is unbelievably compact and good looking ( nerdy ). For instance, just look into the back case of a quartz watch and hand wind/self wind watch and compare the complication involved.

Haha i know what you are talking about. Im just floored by mechanical watches. Yes maybe its nerdy to some, but I love that. What puzzles me is how does HMT manage to produce these watches at reasonable rates and durability, whereas the other companies keep their mechanical watches at the higher end of the price band??

Also im in search of the Seiko 5 series watch, which Rudra sir has. Not able to find it in the shops. They only have white dials and blue dials.

One more question sir. I prefer watches with glow in the dark dials. But I've always made a mistake while buying them. In the showroom they glow in the dark but not when I'm wearing it in theatres and other dark places. If i come in from brighter surroundings, the dial glows, but after a period of time it stops glowing thus rendering the watch useless. I hope you're able to understand my predicament. Especially during boring movies hoping for it to end.

So my question is, how do i know which watch glows in the dark on its own or which depends on some light to become luminescent? I hope I'm able to out forward my problem clearly. Also are any of the HMT watches having glow in the dark dials?

Originally Posted by srikanthns

I am having a Mechanical watch gifted to me in 1979. It is still in good condition. but probably you can give it to an older person in the repair shop

That speaks loads about the quality in the olden days. But how is their durability these days?
If HMT people service it, then I shouldn't be having a problem. Its quite close to my residence.


Thanks for the advice to my queries.

Regards.

[JVH]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Why not serviced by the HMT dealers or HMT bhavan? How much would the service costs be?

My guy does the job adequately for HMT watches so I never felt like giving to someone else. I have never paid anything beyond a few hundred bucks IIRC.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

By running faster do you mean over a day, they would show ten past one when it is One p.m? After winding how many times would I need to correct the standard error?

Not that fast. They were more than 10 secs faster per day and sometimes upto 20 secs when I used to check about a year ago. Doesn't matter if you adjust time before winding or after winding.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Also im in search of the Seiko 5 series watch, which Rudra sir has. Not able to find it in the shops. They only have white dials and blue dials.

Check out Ethos and Zimsons. Even if they don't have one, they can order one for you.

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

I prefer watches with glow in the dark dials. But I've always made a mistake while buying them. In the showroom they glow in the dark but not when I'm wearing it in theatres and other dark places. If i come in from brighter surroundings, the dial glows, but after a period of time it stops glowing thus rendering the watch useless. I hope you're able to understand my predicament. Especially during boring movies hoping for it to end.

So my question is, how do i know which watch glows in the dark on its own or which depends on some light to become luminescent? I hope I'm able to out forward my problem clearly. Also are any of the HMT watches having glow in the dark dials?

For powerful luminiscent watches, you will have to go for divers as they are meant to be glowing for under water usage where light becomes an issue. The rest of the watch categories are adequately equipped with this option but you can never go wrong with Seiko or Citizen as they use the best materials. BTW, what brands are you talking about when you say you were disappointed? Even Timex watches have good lume.

In HMT, Pilot has a decent lume.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Also im in search of the Seiko 5 series watch, which Rudra sir has. Not able to find it in the shops. They only have white dials and blue dials.

I have the same watch, and it's a beauty [touch wood]! The model number is SNZF11K1 and it cost me Rs.12,800. I doubt if it's readily available these days, as it's not listed on the Seiko India site any more: http://www.seiko.in/products/product...am=7&param1=23 However, you may be able to get it on order or from abroad.

Cheers,
Vikram

[Parthasarathig]

Originally Posted by JVH

Check out Ethos and Zimsons. Even if they don't have one, they can order one for you.

In HMT, Pilot has a decent lume.

Sir what price range should I be looking at in order to get a good luminescent watch? Atleast something that can be useful during night driving on the highways or at the movies.

The brands that disappointed me are Titan, TH, Fossil and edifice. Titan was the worst. Except their simple models, the rest aren't that good.

I was one of the first to buy the Titan Orion model when it was launched. From the second day itself it started misting, then the chronometer buttons stopped functioning properly and has been giving me problems on and off. I wasnt given a replacement watch and my faith in Titan service for complex watches is zero. The SVC hasn't been able to solve anything in that watch. I wouldn't trust Titan for the mechanical or automatic watches. Just not worth the money. The orion cost me close to 10k. I've stopped buying Titan, for myself, altogether.

The other brands, the glow is there only when I come from a well lit environment. If it has been in the dark or in the box for a long time, it doesn't glow. Again i need to take it back to the light. This becomes a problem during driving at night when I need to see the time. Are all watches like this only? Or the divers watches have a permanent glow? Or atleast one that stays on for a few hours.

Does the Pilot have a permanent luminescent dial?

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

I have the same watch, and it's a beauty [touch wood]! The model number is SNZF11K1 and it cost me Rs.12,800.

Yes exactly. I remember yours too as Rudra sir had commented and uploaded his watch's pic saying it was the most brilliant Aquamarine he had ever seen. I searched ethos online now and its not there too. I had checked around two weeks back online and other watch stores when i wanted to get a new watch durung the festival shopping.

Sir how good is the glow in the dark? Like does it glow on its own out of the box or does it need to be in light for some period of time and then glow? The picture by Rudra sir showed it glowing, but was it after exposure to light?

Im looking for a good luminescent(permanently/long lasting) watch with a budget of 15k max.

Thanks for your advice once again

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Sir how good is the glow in the dark? Like does it glow on its own out of the box or does it need to be in light for some period of time and then glow? The picture by Rudra sir showed it glowing, but was it after exposure to light?

Well, I haven't observed it closely, but according to me, it glows with the same intensity irrespective of whether it's been in the box for several days, or if I have worn it continuously for some time. The brightness of the glow is also quite good, meaning, you won't have to squint to read what time it is when it's dark

Here's what the online manual says about the material used for the luminance:

"LumiBrite is a newly developed luminous paint that is completely harmless to human beings and the natural environment, containing no noxious materials such as radioactive substances. LumiBrite absorbs the energy of sunlight or artificial light in a short time and stores it to emit light in the dark. For example, if exposed to a light of more than 500 lux for approximately 10 minutes, LumiBrite can emit light for 5 to 8 hours. Please note, however, that, as LumiBrite emits the light it stores, the luminance level of the light decreases gradually over time. The duration of the emitted light may also differ slightly depending on such factors as the brightness of the place where the watch is exposed to light and the distance from the light source to the watch. When you make a dive in dark water, LumiBrite may not emit light unless it has absorbed and stored light sufficiently. Before diving, therefore, be sure to expose the watch to light under the conditions specified above, so that it fully absorbs and stores light energy. Otherwise, use the watch together with an underwater flashlight.
< Reference data on luminance >
(A) Sunlight
[Fine weather]: 100,000 lux [Cloudy weather]: 10,000 lux
(B) Indoor (Window side during daytime)
[Fine weather]: more than 3,000 lux [Cloudy weather]: 1,000 to 3,000 lux
[Rainy weather]: less than 1,000 lux
(C) Lighting apparatus (40-watt daylight fluorescent light)
[Distance to the watch: 1 m]: 1,000 lux
[Distance to the watch: 3 m]: 500 lux (average room luminance)
[Distance to the watch: 4 m]: 250 lux
* “LUMIBRITE” is a trademark of SEIKO CORPORATION."

Cheers,
Vikram