What were the best or worst things you found after buying a watch in terms of workmanship?

I was surprised at how well or poorly some of the watches were finished compared to my expectations.

What is your experience in this regard?

Is there a watch you were particularly impressed by (negative or positive)?

P.S.: I have never done microphotography before and know that there is still a lot of room for improvement. I only had poor light, my 8 year old mobile phone and a magnifying glass at my disposal.

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Here are (a lot) more photos.

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Fantastic photos mate!

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So is there something wrong in all of those shots?

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Which are you saying are good and bad?

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I don't look that close to my watches 😂....never spot anything wrong or less quality then expected.

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foghorn

So is there something wrong in all of those shots?

It would be helpful to know what we are looking at in each case

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This is a really good question. For me the sort've things you're talking about only really get appreciated after purchase and when I'm settling in to the ownership of a new watch.

A few modest examples that come to mind are how good the hand set is on my Certina DS PH200-m considering its an 'entry level' watch, the dial on my Longines Spirit - its attention to detail, the applied elements and the light play, the thinness of the bracelet on my JeanRichard Chronograph 25004 and how that and the quality of workmanship and finishing translates into sublime comfort and (most recently) what a great piece of sapphire the crystal on my FC Highlife is and what a real, noticeable difference a quality crystal makes.

These little discoveries are often what makes a watch a 'keeper' imo.

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Grand Seiko steel bracelets are wayyyyy below par for a watch in that price category. But I also think the leather straps are above par. They should give you one of each😁

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Justingalore

Christopher Ward finishing on the bel canto is crazy good! They are miracle workers!

Not only the Bel Canto. Their Cases are finished extremely well compared to other micro brands in the same price category.

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That dornblüth is something else I definitely would like one in the future.

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tonto0808

Kind of like this one😉

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Exactly. You got it

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morningwatchmilwaukee

Finally someone recognizing the craftsmanship of the Spaghetti Scameti! I was wearing mine yesterday and marveling at all the little details

Mine was a disappointment-but I'm keeping it anyways.

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werdna

Great shots. And I think I'm seeing some flaws in these Tudor picture, is that right?

Yes, I was still gracious with these photos. I also have some where you can see some processing errors better, but I'll have to look for them again. In my experience, however, Tudor watches are generally well made, considering the price.

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nooski

I did a series of watches under the microscope, even some videos. From my experience Seiko and Citizen in general are really poorly made. My SKX007 is full of hair 😁 https://www.watchcrunch.com/nooski/posts/watches-under-microscope-vol-11-seiko-skx007-32249

Wow I am absolutely impressed. This is a completely different level of photomicrography. Extremely successful images.

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Catskinner

These are great!

The awesomeness of Spaghetti Scameti left me speechless.

Thank you! I'm always amazed at how "uniquely" this watch is made. You don't see this in any other luxury watch.

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Tendaar

I am most positively surprised by my Grand Seiko and the Dornblüth. My expectations were high, but they were nevertheless exceeded. I was also pleasantly surprised by my Seiko Presage and the Seagull. Both watches offer very good workmanship compared to their cost.

I am also aware that Rolex is not known for its particularly good finishing, but I was still a little disappointed by the Datejust. (Pictures to follow)

Wow. Fair enough! Thanks for the details!

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I have a D. Dornblüth und Sohn and a Habring² on order, I'll report back in a couple years when the watches are in hand 😂

I am always pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the Omega 1863s or the machine-assisted finishing on Blancpain and Breguet.

Generally I am a fan of closed casebacks regardless of movement finishing. I prefer a closed caseback on watches that I wear, and am pleased to know the movement was finished well.

I am thinking of Walt Odets' Explorer breakdown and review this morning then I saw your post, lol. Ruminating on where these company's of lost their ways.

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I thought those were professional shots!

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spitfire

I have a D. Dornblüth und Sohn and a Habring² on order, I'll report back in a couple years when the watches are in hand 😂

I am always pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the Omega 1863s or the machine-assisted finishing on Blancpain and Breguet.

Generally I am a fan of closed casebacks regardless of movement finishing. I prefer a closed caseback on watches that I wear, and am pleased to know the movement was finished well.

I am thinking of Walt Odets' Explorer breakdown and review this morning then I saw your post, lol. Ruminating on where these company's of lost their ways.

Which dornblüth do you have?

It always makes me happy when I hear that other people are happy with their watches. 👍🏽

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FlashF1R3

I thought those were professional shots!

Thank you! 😄

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Tendaar

Which dornblüth do you have?

It always makes me happy when I hear that other people are happy with their watches. 👍🏽

I don't have one in my hands yet, but I've placed an order for a Quintus Klassik 38.5mm sub-seonds. I chose this one for the simple clarity of the design and use of sub seconds, which imo is more classical as center seconds are a more recent complication. I like the sizing and the clever approach to limiting the watch run time to an area of consistent torque using double barrels and the Maltese cross wheel. My understanding is that wait times are over a year, so I have time to contemplate the watch before it arrives.

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Those a great pictures mate !