buffy acacia
The condition of my watch collection (among other things) has been terrible all year. Long gone are the days of scouring eBay for the perfect bargain, as all of my disposable income was invested in my engagement plans. But it was all worth it because the engagement was a great success. I treated myself to an engagement watch (more on that later), but it ended up being my favorite watch ever, and I ended up selling it a month later. All the ups and downs aside, let’s talk about watches.
Seiko 1320-5490
My connection to the Seiko 1320-5490 has been a strange one. That’s because it was one of four vintage Seikos I acquired from a large eBay lot early last year. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first, curious about the Tank Homage that my fiancée wore every day, but I soon became fascinated with its glittering brushed dial texture, intricate steel bracelet, and watch movement. I fell in love with the gentle stroking advanced quartz movement. When adjusting the time, place the hand on top of the dial. This was my go-to watch for 2023 because I knew it kept perfect time, it was perfect for my style, and I always got compliments on it.
Unfortunately for me, others have also fallen in love with my Seiko 1320-5490. A reader contacted me and explained that he had been looking for this exact reference ever since his belongings were stolen in 2010. I originally purchased this watch for my 21st birthday in 1982. The love I had for this watch over the past year was incomparable. , but it felt too strange to ask for money when the watch essentially only cost 11 Australian dollars. It turns out that the reader runs a luxury B&B in Launceston, Tasmania, the same Australian island nation where I had already planned to propose. So we agreed to send the watch in exchange for an overnight stay, and it was phenomenal. I hope all the readers watching this enjoy being reunited with their watches. We highly recommend anyone planning a visit to Launceston to book Ellie’s Place on City Park.
Cartier Santos Octagon Automatic 25mm
I may not have been scouring eBay this year, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t peeked in from time to time. By chance, with less than an hour left, I saw this Cartier Santos Octagon being put up for auction. It was listed as “for parts or repair” as it was in very damaged condition, one of the screws on the bezel was not original and didn’t fit well, and the crown was broken. Still, the bid was under $800 AUD, so it was worth the punt. Since I didn’t have enough savings, I hurriedly placed a bid, promising myself that I wouldn’t put in too much trouble, but luckily I ended up losing the bid. The next day I received a second chance offer from the seller. I feel bad for the seller if the winning bidder doesn’t honor his bid, but it was a lucky day for me.
When the watch arrived, I was quite shocked to see that the damage was not that bad when I looked at it with the naked eye. While it was certainly far from new, its coveted appearance was a perfect match for the spiderweb-like cracks on the lacquer dial. The crown was bent and a screw came loose from the crown stem, but I’m not afraid to try my hand at DIY. I removed the crown, disassembled the case and movement on the kitchen table, ultrasonically cleaned the case, straightened the stem, used Loctite to secure the crown to the stem, and then put it all back together. The late 90’s ETA movement worked perfectly and kept time at about +10 seconds per day. Every time I wore the Santos Octagon, it felt a little more like a part of me. Sadly, while I was saving up for a vacation and an engagement ring, I realized I had been so irresponsible with my purchase and had to put it back on eBay. We kept our prices low so we could sell quickly while keeping the time spent on purchasing and repair at a break-even point.
Credor 2340-5000
And now I have arrived at “Engagement Watch”. To be honest, I don’t know if that’s really the case. I bought it just before I left on a trip with my fiancé and it cost around A$250. In theory, its two-tone case and big Santos Energy meant I wouldn’t have to spend any more money on a Cartier that always sells. I think the Credor 2340-5000 is a great watch. The ultra-thin quartz movement provides an extremely comfortable and elegant case, and the delicate pattern on the dial adds even more charm to the silver-grey hue. But it didn’t fill me with the same sparkle I got from Cartier.
I thought it was going to be my engagement watch, but in hindsight, maybe it was just another excuse to buy it. I was particularly obsessed, as I even tracked down a vintage 13mm bracelet with chain links that resembled the pattern on the dial. My fiancé had no involvement in choosing the ring, and I am wearing the actual engagement ring that we designed together. So the Credor 2340-5000 is the only watch I’ve worn in recent months, but I don’t think it will stay with me for long.
