When vintage isn't vintage
I like vintage, it's not only due to a misplaced longing for my childhood time and area, but because "things" and "stuff" looked more interesting then and they were built to last.
Except that it doesn't last. Sure, you can find machines that switch on and work as if they were just turned off yesterday, but electronic gadgets from that area were not very sturdy: brittle plastic, faded displays, leaking batteries, corrosion, all this and more is making it difficult to find a 70's electronic device in a working condition. Watches from this area are also a mixed bag, with some lovingly preserved while the majority that I saw in shops are worn, battered and pretty much trashed.
So I'm faking it. I want 60's, 70's and early 80's retro design without the retro headaches. That's why I have an HP17bII+ calculator that looks and work as if it was just from the 70's and can even do RPN, but was actually manufactured in the early 2000's (which is also kind of vintage now that I think about it). Sometime it feels almost as if I was using an HP41CV again, but without the battery drain that would shut it down in the middle of programming a function.
And the Wristmaster.
The Yema Wristmaster is also faking being vintage. It looks as if it came out of a page from a 1970's Seiko catalog, but it's from 2021. Yema gave it a charming cream dial, black accented indices and the name is printed in the same cursive longhand style that my teachers in France drummed into my head when they taught me to write.
It even has a high acrylic crystal and once fitted to the brown ColaReb Spoleto strap it's almost an exact copy to some of the watches I saw worn by grownup when I was a kid. So yes, I'm faking it and I'm OK with it.
I'm a big fan of watches that are interesting because they are either unique, have interesting features, well designed or simply offer a great value for their price.
I love the look of vintage watches, but I want none of the hassles that come with them. That Yema looks amazing, and nails the vintage look without "overcooking" it.
One of the things that drew me to the CW C65 Dune was the "vintage" looks and smallish size, but made with modern materials.
This Yema is perfect for those who want a vintage style without all of the vintage hassle. My criticisms of Bulova and Hamilton in the execution of mining their back catalog is partly that they ignored the sizing of the vintage pieces. This Yema is the correct size.
This Yema is perfect for those who want a vintage style without all of the vintage hassle. My criticisms of Bulova and Hamilton in the execution of mining their back catalog is partly that they ignored the sizing of the vintage pieces. This Yema is the correct size.
Tell me about Bulova again.
My Accutron II Lobster is almost perfect, it has the right retro style, it wasn't defaced by Ugly "R" Us at Bulova who are guilty of some of the ugliest designs ever, it has nice tuning fork logos branding on the dial, crown and second's hand - which is the smoothest this side of a GS. This close...and no cigar: It's a 45mm dinner plate that is the horological equivalent of an overblown sex doll.
A question related to the Colareb strap. I looking into getting a couple of straps from Colareb for my SPB239 (62 mas) to dress up the watch a bit. I have heard good things about them but wanted to know from a user experience. Also, are they thick enough to look good with a dice watch chunky lugs?
A question related to the Colareb strap. I looking into getting a couple of straps from Colareb for my SPB239 (62 mas) to dress up the watch a bit. I have heard good things about them but wanted to know from a user experience. Also, are they thick enough to look good with a dice watch chunky lugs?
Maybe you'll be interested in reading what I wrote about the ColaReb Roma strap that I used for my SPB147.