New year's SOTC - 2023

Hi! This has been my first year on here, and my first post was my SOTC (state of the collection). Since that post, a lot has been happening, and I thought it would be fun to go through each piece. The ones not mentioned from the first SOTC, is sold.

Okay, I'll start with my pocket watch. I got this pretty early in the year, which I won at an auction.

It is an Elgin from the year 1906 🤯 (est.), and it keeps surprisingly good time. I have no clue about any service history, so for the time being, I'll be keeping my hands away from that old movement.

(Look at that dial!!)

I thought about uploading a movement photo for every watch also, but I imagine it'd be too much to scroll through, and that I could send some in the comments if someone wanted to see.

Next watch(es) on the list are my tanks.

The Seiko SWR052 is the perfect, "cheap" tank, which fits on most occasions which do not include swimming. I bought it new in July, at the same time as my friend; we were both rocking it for a while.

I also quite recently acquired a Raymond Weil 5600, which is, or was 14K gold plated.

The gold plating is still intact, but there's almost more of the brass showing, which is pretty disappointing. I got it in a lot together with other vintages (keep reading 😉) in late October, and this happened to be running with a new battery, thankfully!

Both of these sit in black leather straps (as they should imo) with colour matched clasps. Next I'll have to get som gold rings or something to compliment them.

We'll skip the main box for now, and jump to my Stop2Go.

I'm sure you've seen this watch before, either online or on my WRUW posts. Either way, this piece is fabulous. It might be my favourite, besides the fact that I'd love it to be 36-38mm instead of 40mm due to my small wrists, cheeky wristshot for reference:

Anyway, with the new model out which has no crown and the almost flat dial, I love this one even more. Got this in May after my trip to Switzerland, where I completely fell (even more) in love with the Mondaine's design. Got lucky in a Facebook group, even though he didn't intend to sell!

The watches who currently have no box are the vintages I mentioned earlier.

They are mostly Seiko's, and they're all SQ (quartz). Half of them ran with a new battery, but I've disassembled the blue faced and the top golden one and fixed them. Not much info around these, and I use them whenever I feel like using something I care less about.

This was also in that same lot, which I found pretty cool. Certina with sapphire crystal and OEM bracelet.

More Seiko's:

This Kinetic I was gifted by a customer at the jeweller I work at in July, and I've changed the capacitor and crystal so that it works, and so I can see what time it is 🤓 (it was scratched, badly)

The one on the left I got in another lot, which to this day is the only one I've been able to save. I love this one, and is apparently called the "Seiko Royal Oak" by some.

My newest (vintage) addition to my collection is this:

The Seiko Skyliner 6220-7020 from 1966. I've already gone over this in a previous NWA post, but you really don't need to know a lot about this to love it; look at it!

Now, for the main case. We're doing these in random pairs:

Top left are two vintage watches, which I frequent. The Raketa to the left is in fully Russian, and from the USSR. I had this in my first SOTC, even on the same pillow.

The Tissot (1958) is also nothing new. I recently changed the brown leather strap with a time-accurate stretch bracelet just to try something new. Still my favourite (and only) heirloom from my great grandpa. Can't remember if I mentioned it last time, but this one is also fully functioning after a self-service, of which I am very proud 🤗

Next pairing is something quite, opposite.

My three digitals are hanging out in the middle, waiting for their own case, and more siblings. Out of these three, the black F-91W gets the most wrist time, whereas the two remaining is less used. It really depends on what I am planning to do, and if I want a digital over an analog.

On the top right:

My TAG and Tsyuosa! Man.. I've had this TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 for almost exactly a year now and wow, I'm absolutely loving it! I've taking it hiking and swimming, and most of the time desk diving. The scratches is starting to show, and character is getting built!

The vibrant, yellow dial on the Citizen Tsuyosa is almost always a conversation starter, even with non-watch people! It really stands out, and looks amazing while doing it. I was planning on having this as an easter watch, because why not? When I ordered it, the hype around these was at it's peak, which delayed my delivery significantly. It was ordered in March, and did not arrive until June. Worth the wait, either way.

The two bottom right pillows holds these two Seiko's:

SRPG59K1 and SKX033. Two watches that are similar, but also not at all. The "Happy Feet" to the left was added in March, and is the watch I ended up wearing to all my easter adventures; the dial looks amazing in snowy conditions.

The poorly lit Pepsi is no stranger to my WRUW feed. I recently changed the case to one that's waterproof, and the crystal was swapped for a sapphire one.

Have to disappoint you and say that none of these jubilee style bracelets are from Seiko, and that I am still looking for a worthy, OEM replacement.

Next to these two, are two more Seiko's. (Favourite brand?)

The one on the left is an old timer, and has been there since the first SOTC. It's a mod, and I am currently trying to sell it, as I seldom feel like using it. Makes my kind of sad, seeing how beautiful it is.

The newest brand new addition to my collection is the SRPE15J1, the dark green Presage Cocktail Time.

It. Is. Gorgeous.

Not much else to say really.. I've only had it for two weeks, so still probably in the honeymoon phase.

In the bottom left are these, Swiss made beauties.

The MoonSwatch is something I got while in Zürich in May, as it was impossible to get in Norway, for retail at least. I ended up ordering and putting on a curved rubber strap, and I haven't changed back to the OEM ever since, yet at least.

The Hamilton Khaki Field (I realise here that I've been awfully slow to post NWA's) is one I got on a Norwegian "Craigslist" for a low price. It was unused, still with warranty and almost 50% off (!); amazed that it hadn't been sold earlier.

Well, that's been it for this year. I have no goal for next year, other than maybe thinning the collection out, slowly making place for a graduation watch when that time comes.

If you have been reading to this point, thank you so much! I had much fun reminiscing back to getting every one of these, and got reminded of how watches get their personality.

Happy new year! Cheers 🍻