[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

I personally use the most basic G-Shock, the DW 5600 which has served me well over the past year. G-Shocks are really the business- as they say, takes a licking' and keeps on tickin'. Virtually indestructible, go anywhere, do anything watches.

Mate this line takes a licking' and keeps on tickin' was coined for Timex wrist watches during the 1960's.

Nevertheless Casio G-Shock watches are legendary for what they are. They are virtually unchallenged in this category save for Timex Ironman series. I own four G-shock's myself and am a big fan of Kikuo Ibe.

Originally Posted by amvj

Recently I am starting to have an interest to own vintage HMT watches. Need some help in purchasing this HMT watch. The seller metions it as NOS (New Old Stock). The strap looks like a custom one but I am okay with it.

Seller quotes Rs: 6513 for it. Is this price too much for the watch ?
Shall I go for this one?

Well mate as others have mentioned the price quoted is too high as compared to the MRP the HMT Janata used to retail at. HMT is one of the iconic Indian companies of the socialist 1960's era. It used the famous mechanical workhorse of a Japanese movement called Miyota 0231 derived from Citizen Watch Company of Japan. This particular movement had 17 jewels and had to be hand wound manually. Initially HMT was assembling these parts but slowly started manufacturing them on their own in India. Among all the most iconic models from HMT are Janata, Pilot, Sona, Kanchan, etc. HMT also had automatic winding movements in some other models like the Kanchan mentioned above.
[quote]
https://www.ebay.in/itm/HMT-JANATA-S...MAAOSwmPdZtTRj

Attachment 1752022

https://www.ebay.in/itm/HMT-JANATA-S...MAAOSwmPdZtTRj

Attachment 1752023

Originally Posted by ipsanand

Saw this seller selling HMT mechanicals on ebay... Would these be genuine or fake - any experience from the board members?

https://www.ebay.in/sch/m.html?_nkw=...&_skc=50&rt=nc

The model listed above by the ebay seller seems to be what is called a "Franken Watch". It means the watch may not be an original one whilst using repainted dial and sundry parts salvaged from other HMT's. IMO it is not worth to spend such a huge amount on such a watch, if it were original then it could've been considered. With most of the HMT original mechanical watches being sold out/out of production or frisked away by the enthusiasts when available the sellers on ebay make a killing by duping gullible customers desperate for a mechanical watch. People today have woken up to mechanical and automatic watches which are way to expensive than the ubiquitous quartz watches. HMT being one of the cheapest mechanical watches one could buy went out of business which makes their watches dearer for watch enthusiasts to buy.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Mate this line takes a licking' and keeps on tickin' was coined for Timex wrist watches during the 1960's.

Nevertheless Casio G-Shock watches are legendary for what they are. They are virtually unchallenged in this category save for Timex Ironman series. I own four G-shock's myself and am a big fan of Kikuo Ibe.

Yes, I am aware that the catch line was made for Timex watches. It is indeed a catchy marketing phrase, and in my view, is an apt line for the G Shock watches as well

Kikuo Ibe was indeed a legendary name in the horological world. The model I have is the direct ancestor of the watch (and almost identical in shape and form) to the first G Shock that Ibe came up with. The infamous "Square G".

Also, really interesting to know that our very own HMT watches used Miyota movements at some point? Didnt know that, thanks for sharing !

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Yes, I am aware that the catch line was made for Timex watches. It is indeed a catchy marketing phrase, and like you said, is an apt line for the G Shock watches as well

Kikuo Ibe was indeed a legendary name in the horological world. The model I have is the direct ancestor of the watch (and almost identical in shape and form) to the first G Shock that Ibe came up with. The infamous "Square G".

Also, really interesting to know that our very own HMT watches used Miyota movements at some point? Didnt know that, thanks for sharing !

Mate Mr. Kikuo Ibe is still alive and I believe still gives inputs for developing G-Shock watches at Casio Watch Company Japan. He is very much a part of the horology today.

I too own the iconic G-5600 albeit it is a tough solar edition.

At times I feel sad at the demise of HMT watch division but it was long time coming akin to the HM Ambassador. I inherited HMT Nishat mechanical manual winding from my mother who bought it during early 1970's and bought a restored HMT Pilot. I must tell this that HMT mechanical hand winding watches are one of the most value for money reliable watches I have ever owned in terms of keeping time and longevity.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

I must tell this that HMT mechanical hand winding watches are one of the most value for money reliable watches I have ever owned in terms of keeping time and longevity.

Cant agree with you more. Apart from being hardy watches, their designs were also really classic ones and I have literally grown up seeing these watches on my family's wrists. At one time, HMT was the first and last word for a watch purchase in the average Indian household. Not uncommon to see 30-40 year old HMTs running as good as new even today.

To my knowledge, some watch enthusiasts outside India too are keen collectors of HMT watches.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Cant agree with you more. Apart from being hardy watches, their designs were also really classic ones and I have literally grown up seeing these watches on my family's wrists. At one time, HMT was the first and last word for a watch purchase in the average Indian household. Not uncommon to see 30-40 year old HMTs running as good as new even today.

You bet mate.

To my knowledge, some watch enthusiasts outside India too are keen collectors of HMT watches.

Yes they do. This connection can be somewhat compared to them being enamored with RE Bullet Cast Iron. HMT being widely available and being relatively inexpensive for them to procure is also a buying consideration besides the classic vintage no nonsense looks and robust mechanicals with that Miyota movement. If you observe most HMT's can qualify as dress watch with a 35-38 mm case dial. Besides with a NATO strap the HMT completely transforms into one cool looking retro classic vintage watch. There is something intriguing about vintage watches that I am in awe of. Owning a couple of vintage automatic Citizen Eagle 7 day date, Seiko 5, etc. makes me appreciate man's most common accessory called watch besides gadgets like mobile phone, smartband and what not.

I don't yearn for swiss watches (although they are legendary in their own right) as much as I do for a Grand Seiko which is Seiko's answer to swiss luxury brands of this world. It beats the Swiss at their own game and also surpasses swiss standards.

[manolin]

Love this watch. Originally came with an orange band, ordered the black band online and after the swap, just looks perfect.

Prw 3500-y4

[sumathindra]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

G-Shocks are really the business- as they say, takes a licking' and keeps on tickin'. Virtually indestructible, go anywhere, do anything watches.

Spot on that. They just keep going on and on. More over, in this era of smart watches which I am personally not an ardent fan of preferred the conventional/rugged device with a dash of technology...

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

I don't yearn for swiss watches (although they are legendary in their own right) as much as I do for a Grand Seiko which is Seiko's answer to swiss luxury brands of this world. It beats the Swiss at their own game and also surpasses swiss standards.

While I do like may Swiss watches, most of them are priced out of reach for me at this time, and frankly, a lot of them are just atrociously overpriced for what they offer. Japanese watches, on the other hand, deliver supreme value and ruggedness, and therefore appeal to me much more. My collection consists solely of Japanese pieces at this time- Seiko, Orient and Casio.

Ahhh...the Grand Seiko. Totally drool worthy watches, gorgeous designs which are understated and yet brimming with technology. My dream watch is the Grand Seiko Snowflake Spring-drive. What a piece. Will hopefully be mine someday!!

The other dark horse among school of watches are the Germans. Just like the cars they make, the watches are over engineered and precision machines. Sinn is one of my favourite brands, priced much more reasonably than Swiss pieces of the same stature. Someday I hope to own a Sinn 556A as well.

[AdityaLN]

Came across this company https://www.bangalorewatchco.in/home

Watches look good, minimalistic and elegant. Uses Miyota 9015 movement. However, the pricing looks to be on the higher side, ~38K.
I was excited when I saw the company and the watch, a Bangalore based company, making automatics but there is no way, I will pay that kind of money for a new brand.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by AdityaLN

Came across this company https://www.bangalorewatchco.in/home

Watches look good, minimalistic and elegant. Uses Miyota 9015 movement. However, the pricing looks to be on the higher side, ~38K.

Whoa..where did these guys pop up from !! Anyways, I agree. Watches look good (though with obvious design cues from many other brands) but they are priced at crazy levels. No way I would pay that kind of money for a micro brand just starting out without any known history or pedigree.

However, its definitely a good thing that an Indian company is making some strides in this sector. If they have even an iota of business sense, they will lower the prices to much more acceptable levels. Even if I were to import similar watches from outside India, produced by well known and respected brands, I would end up paying less than half of this price at the entry level.

Even their terms of sale are not encouraging. No returns or refunds, high shipping costs for international customers (USD 35, as compared to 15-20 USD for sellers outside India) etc.

I wouldn't write them off just yet, but they do seem to be headed in the wrong direction.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Japanese watches, on the other hand, deliver supreme value and ruggedness, and therefore appeal to me much more. My collection consists solely of Japanese pieces at this time- Seiko, Orient and Casio.

True that. Also they offer much more than what they come for. When I was a kid I got attracted by an ad in the newspaper about an unknown digital watch brand. I pestered my parents to get one for me. My dad told me, "My boy this watch is not going to last long and at 500 bucks I can buy you a much better watch." But I as a kid insisted on buying that junk due to the attractive photos, one liners and other marketing gimmicks. One fine day roughly after owning the watch for 3 months the watch strap had a crack and the buckle broke and got lost while I was playing. Like any kid I was heartbroken and cried a lot.

My dad comforted me and said, "take this watch", it was a brand new watch which was given to my dad as a gift for his long service. It was a Titan quartz watch with white dial, silver hands, date window, all stainless steel body, metal bracelet with an easy adjustable slide clasp. He handed it over to me and continued wearing his old watch which was an automatic Citizen Eagle 7 day date. Initially I was a bit hesitant to wear the Titan as it looked plain jane compared to my earlier digital watch but slowly it started growing in on me and the love for watches started from then on. I still have the Titan Quartz and Citizen Automatic with me in working condition and wear them often.

I started collecting watches as soon as I started earning. Over the years I felt Titan quality is not as good as it was before. I feel Titan has moved more towards fashion watches with their sub brands like Fastrack, Squadron, and even Octane which I liked a lot when it was launched. Although fashion watches have their own audience and I have nothing against them. But as a watch enthusiast after a few watches from fashion brands like Esprit and Kenneth Cole I am never going back to fashion brands.

Currently my collection comprises of Seiko, Citizen, Orient, HMT, Casio, Titan, Timex, etc. with the former four being mechanical hand winding and automatic watches.

Ahhh...the Grand Seiko. Totally drool worthy watches, gorgeous designs which are understated and yet brimming with technology. My dream watch is the Grand Seiko Snowflake Spring-drive. What a piece. Will hopefully be mine someday!!

The snowflake is on my radar too. It is the face of Grand Seiko line of watches.

The other dark horse among school of watches are the Germans. Just like the cars they make, the watches are over engineered and precision machines. Sinn is one of my favourite brands, priced much more reasonably than Swiss pieces of the same stature. Someday I hope to own a Sinn 556A as well.

Yep I like Stowa and Steinhart.

Originally Posted by AdityaLN

Came across this company https://www.bangalorewatchco.in/home

Watches look good, minimalistic and elegant. Uses Miyota 9015 movement. However, the pricing looks to be on the higher side, ~38K.
I was excited when I saw the company and the watch, a Bangalore based company, making automatics but there is no way, I will pay that kind of money for a new brand.

Well this one looks like a boutique brand. They are primarily dress watches which command a high value. The Japanese Miyota 9015 movement is very well known for its reliability and high beat characteristics in high end watches. The pricing I feel is a little steep considering the brand is new and relatively unknown. Nevertheless I appreciate the effort taken by an Indian company into the world of mechanical watches. Some positive things to note would be they are using surgical grade 316L steel which is highly corrosion resistant, sapphire domed crystal, and a 40mm case dial which is an ideal candidate for a dress watch. I wish them all the best.

[tortoiseNhare]

This is my HMT Avinash of 1986 vintage from my college days. I was gifted an Allwyn automatic (of my choice) by my aunt after passing my 12th std. while I was preparing to leave for Delhi for further studies. Unfortunately the watch was stolen from my hostel room when it was less than a month old. Then I bought this watch after grieving for about a month. It had a black nylon strap then. Any suggestion how the dial of the watch can be restored? Here in Guwahati there is no dial painting expert.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by tortoiseNhare

This is my HMT Avinash of 1986 vintage from my college days. Any suggestion how the dial of the watch can be restored? Here in Guwahati there is no dial painting expert.

Mate that's a nice HMT you have there. I am not sure if amateur DIY skills will help to get the dial repainted. To access the dial one will have to remove the entire assembly including all three hands. Even if one manages to disassemble the entire watch painting the dial would be one tedious task. Painting a watch dial requires skilled hands. Putting the watch back together will be another task. All these jobs are best left to an old time watchmaker who are few and far between. These old hands have worked on such mechanical watches during their era.

IMO it is better to leave the dial as is and change the acrylic domed glass. I own an HMT Nishat of 1970's vintage and have kept the dial as is to maintain its originality. This is despite me staying in Bombay where one can find old school watch makers/repairers. If you want to repaint the dial it is better to wait until you visit some big city like Kolkata, Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Chennai, etc. and get it done from there or better find a relative who stays in any of these cities who will get the watch dial repainted and repaired from a professional watchmaker/repairer.

Nice to see BHP'ians sporting their HMT's

[Vid6639]

Picked up this automatic Seiko SNK807. Wanted one with a small dial and wanted to own an automatic since I never had one. Decided to get a known but inexpensive one.

It's perfect for my small wrist and really light. I was expecting it to be heavier.

Plan is to get a more expensive one but not too pricey. An entry level Tissot is what i have on mind.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Picked up this automatic Seiko SNK807.
Plan is to get a more expensive one but not too pricey. An entry level Tissot is what i have on mind.

Nice choice. Blue dialled watches are my favourite as well. The SNK will pair well with a huge variety of straps as and when you feel like getting a new look for your watch. Only wish the 7S26 movement came with hacking and hand winding, but otherwise, the movement is legendary for its robustness.

You can check out the Tissot Visodate for your next purchase. Its an entry level dress watch and looks great.