I finally got the Technos Alarmdate! My first "collector" piece for the rarity!
I have been lusting over this watch ever since I saw it on display at my local watchmaker, back in late September. But I got even more interested when I discovered that this kind of model have two things in common:
- They are models from late 60s and early 70s, since they appeared right before the Quartz era;
- Alarmdate watches are not easy to find nowadays, either it is an expensive model or vintages from this era.
And considering this watch is old enough to be my parent, I am impressed on how in good condition it is. When I first asked the watchmaker to show it to me, it was working like new, and I am baffled since it doesn't look like it is 50 years old!
The strap is obviously not original, seems it is a rubber strap that got jerry-rigged into this watch, I can even see part of it got cut around the spring bar area. But I can excuse this because the rubber is of excellent quality, it feels super comfortable, and while on the wrist you'd never guess this detail - I didn't, until I first held it in my hands, and while wearing it you don't feel that part of the strap.
I have been saving money ever since I started working because I feel I would make a bigger purchase. And I decided to hunt down this watch because it was selling for a bargain: 600 reais, or 111 dollars in comparison. As discussed with many before, this is reaching the expensive territory for my kind of income, even more so that similar Alarmdate watches sell for as low as 1200 reais (222 dollars) upwards to 2300 reais (426 dollars) around online markets here. I figured the price is lower since the watchmaker repairs some of these watches himself, so the price asked is a bit lower.
And I felt even more secure in making the deal because the watchmaker did all the right moves since this was an exceptional vintage watch at sale: he tested the mechanical alarm, and for the happiness of @Chronotriggered, he popped the back before I even had to ask, since he knew we need to check the movement of these watches.
Another thing he made me feel secure about was maintenance: he assured me that, as long as I don't go to "Camelô watchmakers", a professional watchmaker, not only him, wouldn't be intimidated in servicing it, even if it's a rare watch - a "camelô" is a Rio slang for street markets that sell stuff of... dubious origins, let's say, and people selling watches (or cheap tickers) there barely know past changing batteries, let alone trying to mess with a real mechanical movement.
The watchmaker even offered to give a shine on the watch for no additional cost, and I am mortified this watch is actually 50 years old! It shines and ticks as if it was brand new, and I will surely use it and take care of it for more 50 years forward 😁
I am curious about collecting watches with unique features, may it be a function packed monster - like Casio digital models - or features that are not obvious to find around. Still, I am still new to...
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Great watch,and comparing to what we'd pay in Europe for one of those a bit of a bargain. And I think there would be no better person to buy a vintage watch off than the person who repairs n serbmvices them. Enjoy your technos for many years to come.
Perfection! Great choice and great price.
You may want to try and find a nice bracelet to go with it. Aliexpress has some inexpensive Milanese bracelets that would look super on that watch. Here's two different models for US$6...
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803141732113.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.14b645c6SmfVKA&algo_pvid=429a70e5-0230-49c1-8bbc-469bb5f3f51c&algo_exp_id=429a70e5-0230-49c1-8bbc-469bb5f3f51c-14&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000027499391660%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%2113.8%216.07%21%21%21%21%21%40210318cf16686635126238461eaf55%2112000027499391660%21sea&curPageLogUid=eL5CKbJcJEim
Perfection! Great choice and great price.
You may want to try and find a nice bracelet to go with it. Aliexpress has some inexpensive Milanese bracelets that would look super on that watch. Here's two different models for US$6...
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803141732113.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.14b645c6SmfVKA&algo_pvid=429a70e5-0230-49c1-8bbc-469bb5f3f51c&algo_exp_id=429a70e5-0230-49c1-8bbc-469bb5f3f51c-14&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000027499391660%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%2113.8%216.07%21%21%21%21%21%40210318cf16686635126238461eaf55%2112000027499391660%21sea&curPageLogUid=eL5CKbJcJEim
As I have said in the post, the rubber strap is actually very nice quality for what it is, so I might keep it for a bit longer. Currently I bought a little case to store my collection and a tool to change straps in the future, so baby steps for my strap game 😁
I am so pleased for you! Such a great find and I'm always so pleased when a watch enters the hands of someone who really truly appreciates it ❤️
Tagging @chronotriggered so we can spark joy in him.
Ooh… very 70s. The way the case just slumps over the bracelet, yes, there is a little bit of joy in my cold, dead heart.
Out of curiosity - what is the movement? It’s an automatic with an alarm, so it’s nice your watchmaker said he’d be willing to help maintain, bonus.
Ooh… very 70s. The way the case just slumps over the bracelet, yes, there is a little bit of joy in my cold, dead heart.
Out of curiosity - what is the movement? It’s an automatic with an alarm, so it’s nice your watchmaker said he’d be willing to help maintain, bonus.
Sadly I wish I had the knowledge to answer that precisely 😢 Luckily there is an ad in Chrono24 of a watch of the same reference number as mine (10693), and the movement shown in the ad is similar to what is on mine:
What I could describe with my newfound knowledge on movements, it's a generic Swiss movement with 17 jewels, maybe the standard tough stuff from the day, since it seems like Technos used it lots on watches from that era.
AS 5008, thought so.
AS 5008, thought so.
Is it good? Is it bad? Is it ugly?
Or, as I said it, a standard kind of movement from the day?
Is it good? Is it bad? Is it ugly?
Or, as I said it, a standard kind of movement from the day?
Widely used in the 1970s, and in the 2000s as new old stock movements. 17J version is the base version available. 28,800 A/h, sweep seconds, hacking seconds, hand winding… it’s a decent movement as it’s Adolf Schild.
Double-barrel movement, one barrel powers the “time”, the other powers the alarm chime. Unusually, the central automatic rotor winds both barrels, one in each direction; most common automatic alarm movements require separate hand winding of the alarm. The gong position is also odd, as it’s found between the dial and the movement, rather than in the back of the case.
Widely used in the 1970s, and in the 2000s as new old stock movements. 17J version is the base version available. 28,800 A/h, sweep seconds, hacking seconds, hand winding… it’s a decent movement as it’s Adolf Schild.
Double-barrel movement, one barrel powers the “time”, the other powers the alarm chime. Unusually, the central automatic rotor winds both barrels, one in each direction; most common automatic alarm movements require separate hand winding of the alarm. The gong position is also odd, as it’s found between the dial and the movement, rather than in the back of the case.
Maybe it explains why the alarm is a low buzz instead of a chime/loud sound... It definitely works in terms of drawing your attention out of nowhere, but it feels more like a cicada is performing a warmup on your wrist. Quite a funny trivia complication, not that I'd use it much besides fidgeting with the watch, if much.
I have many better alarm watches than this (although all are from the dreaded post-Quartz era), however there's not many watches that are like this, and which is why I like its oddity factor. But the main interest point for me is the design, since this is the second vintage watch I got, and the first one of the "steel square" kind that many 70s watch designs seem to share
I have got one of these with a green dial. The alarm function doesnt work properly. I took to a watchmaker and he told he cant find the parts to fix. The watch works great and looks good it's bulky