What watches do Leica users own?

-- Sanford Lee (sanford@usa.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

Who cares? Is this really on topic?

-- Richard Le (rvle@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

I guess if your of the Leica "eye candy" appreciative sort you'd answer Jaeger LeCoulter Reverso Classic.

I'm not of that variety.

Timex. Like my Ms... takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'

;-)

-- John Chan (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

I like these questions - it helps one feel they know the people of the forum a little better - and I 'talk' to some of you more than I do my real friends. Anyway: me a Rolex Perpetual Datejust that I bought in 1974 for a very reasonable $400.00 (CDN) - every 5 years I get it cleaned and it works great - now worth $3400.00 (CDN). My wife has one of the limited edition Leica mechanical watches they put out a few years back......

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

Just to clarify - I feel some of you are real friends - above I meant in person friends..........

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

I'd Leica Rolex 2

-- Tony Brookes (gdz00@lineone.net), January 15, 2002.

Omega Constellation Chronometer, Cartier Santos

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 15, 2002.

OMEGA SEAMASTER AUTOMATIC WITH DATE 18K gold my previous was a Rolex Explorer, good watch, but to expensive for repair and cleaning

greetings

romain

-- romain baeyens (ruchky@pi.be), January 15, 2002.

Ok, ok.

I'll fess up. I regularily wear a Rolex Air-King that was a hand down. Great watch with the sapphire crystal.

Sometimes I talk to the salespeople at LaSwiss... a watch chain in Canada... who seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about Leicas as well. My favorite watch to play with is the Jaeger LeCoulter Reverso Duo. Very nifty mechanism.

I could never justify owning it though because its a MANUAL wind movement.

Oh, did I mention that I'm a starving student as well? Thank God for the equity markets!

;-)

-- John Chan (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

My wife has a Maurice Lacroix (automatic) and a Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso (quartz).
My watches are all automatic: a Girard Perregaux Richeville, an Omega DeVille Chronometer and an ultrathin Zenith Elite. None of them is as old as my M3.

-- George (gdgianni@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

As Richard says "who cares"! I should think like everything else, some Leica owners wear Rolexes', drive Ferraris wear nothing but Gucci and live in palaces - others have $50 watches and live in a tent - so what!

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), January 15, 2002.

Well, I guess this post confirms the whole "Leicas are only for rich folks" stereotype. What next? Shall we discuss scotch or perhaps fine cigars or our vacation homes? Or which boarding school is best?

Though perhaps I should answer the original question. My watch was $10 at a WalMart that I visited while on a trip to the Midwest.

-- Richard Le (rvle@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

my most beloved watch is a '71 junghans digital automatic, heavy as hell, very outdated, completely mechanic, but very different from all the other watches around. on special occasions i wear a eterna-matic centenaire from '61. my everday shooter is a citizen divers automatic. they all fit pretty well with my camera. are there any leica shooting watch collectors in this forum?

-- stefan randlkofer (geesbert@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

For goodness sake! Is this a "who's got the most expensive watch" competition" all of a sudden!

Mine was £50.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), January 15, 2002.

Lighten up .... I sort of like these type of questions. Every once in a while I feel like a total nerd with the amount of time I spent on photography and photography/leica related websurfing. If anything I don't want to turn into a 'trainspotter' or 'leicaspotter'. If you don't like these questions, just ignore the thread....

It's also nice to get to know people you spent time with, although on-line, on off topic items. Anyway, I have an Omega Seamaster Automatic and my wife has a Omega Speedmaster Automatic.

-- Bas Wip (bas@baswip.com), January 15, 2002.

I think the original question was intended to be a spin-off corollary of the "We all like the mechanical M, so what car do we drive?" question.

In my case I absolutely *HATE* having to re-set the time periodically, so I have a couple of quartz-controlled, battery- powered timepieces that I only change when trasveling across time zones or when going to or from daylight -savings time: A tritium-dial Navy Seal watch which I can see the second-hand on in poor light and am thus able to count out long exposures on slow film with it; and a Breitling areospace chronograph repeater -- the repeater function is again nice, as I can tell the time even if I cannot see the dial(!) -- but the dial is nowhere near as bright as the tritium...

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 15, 2002.

L.L Bean "Sportsman's" Watch. Inexpensive, but looks good and takes a beating.

Balvenie Islay Cask. I really like Cadenhead's Talisker bottling, but it's no longer available.

Arturo Fuentes Double Robusto.

-Nick

-- Nicholas Wybolt (nwybolt@earthlink.net), January 15, 2002.

True to the Leica M philosophy, I wear a sundial. It's a Noctilux sundial, so I can read it at night :>)

Actually, with age my arm seems to be getting too short for me to see a watch clearly. Lately even wearing a watch I'm always asking someone for the time.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

I presently use a $40 analog dial Alba quartz watch. I spend as little as possible on clothes, wear out shoes one pair at a time, have holes in my two favourite pants. OTOH I regularly use two Leica M's and three lenses. So what if Yuppies on the subway look through me like I'm invisible? They probably can't even spell Summicron.

"Who cares"? Probably no one. It doesn't figure big in the grand scheme of things but it's fun responding to playful threads like this.

-- Fred Sun (redsky3@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

Working around them daily, I'll tell you this I own a quartz Hamilton Khaki. Keeps better time than any Rolex and cost me $100.

I would like to own an IWC Chrono, but I opted for an M body and lens instead.

-- Dave Doyle (soilsouth@home.com), January 15, 2002.

You guys make me feel like an absolute tramp--I wear cheap, practical Seiko quartz watches.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), January 15, 2002.

I'm with Giles on this one.Who cares?Next thing you know it'll be "what kind of toothbrush do you use?"

I'm willing to bet that one of you will know what kind of watch HC Bresson wore! As for saying "Leicas are only for rich folk...." I wish that was true!

-- Phil Kneen (philkneen@manx.net), January 15, 2002.

Any $10. drug store watch. they usually last a few years before craping out.

Steve

-- Steve Belden (otterpond@tds.net), January 15, 2002.

I just use the clocks on whatever computer I'm looking at, my Palm (bought for me by work), or my cell phone (my 1st yuppie indulgence, the Leica being the second, tho', to be sure, a year's cellphone monthly charges will barely buy me a very used 50'cron). Chez moi, none of my clocks are quite on time, so I'm always rather uncertain when it is, in an attempt to keep me on time. No, it doesn't always work. If I had to fess up on a watch, it'd be my analog quartz Timex (with the spinning dial and alarm- very cool), but I never wear it now.

That was probably more than anyone wanted to know...

PS- I think the reason that Richard had such a visceral response to this question, as I had, at first, is that it not only brings us in the direction of "Leica is for rich folks only" thing (the "daily bread" thread a few months ago was eye-opening) but perhaps more importantly it's another type of equipment fascination (I won't use the word "obsession"...). As if our choices of equipment define us. I would like to think our photographic vision describes as individuals. In the age of the Web, it's easy to share photos with people across the world (not possible in the Usenet days...), which is a great thing.

Like Bob, I feel a connection with a lot of folks here, but I think seeing their photos, esp if they tend of subjects they really care about (not what their clients care about), is much more revealing and interesting to me than knowing what car they drive or watch they wear. My $0.02. Oh, make that a nickel.

-- Tse-Sung (tsesung@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

I dont wear a watch. I just look at my mobile ph. or my computer screen for the time. Simple is best.

-- sparkie (sparkie@mailcity.com), January 15, 2002.

Tse-Sung - yes my photographs define me as a photographer. But as a person I'm more than either a camera collector or photographer. That is why I (and probably others) find this sort of question interesting. Though my first passion is photography I do have others, and I suspect you do as well. But also what kind of watch we wear (or pen we use or car we drive) can tell us something about our photography. I'm sure that someone who is 'up to the minute tech smart' will have a different outlook on life (that will show thru in their photographs), than those who consciensiouly eshew ultra modern convenience.....

-- Bob Todrick (bobtodrick@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

Tag Heuer, quartz, stainless steel, saphire crystal, 200 meters; is there anything else?

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

I do own (and have used on special occassions) an authentic Donald Duck watch. [ really! ]

-- sparkie (sparkie@mailcity.com), January 15, 2002.

I find it interesting that the Germans make the best mechanical 35mm cameras (based just upon price, since I still love my beast of a Nikon F2AS), while the Swiss make the best mechanical watches. Interestingly, these two cultures are reknowned for lacking in creativity and passion.

If there are any other cultures that could make such high precision instruments, I would put my money on the Japanese and the Chinese. The reason I say this is that in these cultures there is a tradition of mastery and excellence in an endeavor or path that is imbued into the populace from a very young age. We just don't find this in other countries.

However, for creativity, for using these tools to generate passion and feeling, you just can't beat the U.S.! Just look at Peter Hughes and Mike Dixon's portfolios, there is a sensuality and emotion that is so tasteful and classy that it gives a good feeling, that yes, there is indeed a God. After all, without these artists the Leica's are just hunks of metal, overpriced point and shoots.

(Note: I'm not putting down other photographers on this site, but these two gentlemen have shared a substantial body of work here.)

-- Sikaan (Sikaan4@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

ETERNA (Porsche Design)- Ocean and OMEGA- Constellation, both non quartz. For occasional use: stainless steel SEIKO 5, inexpensive mechanical watches.

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 15, 2002.

Well, today I'm wearing a Rotary Savannah. My other two frequently worn watches are a Swiss Army and a Skagens Titanium. I have a few cheap watches too and wear the Casio when I'm working on the motorcycle. All are electronic movements.

Is there some reason for this inquiry?

-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayarea.net), January 15, 2002.

My watch is a freebie my father-in-law got when he subscribed to a magazine. The only thing written on the dial makes me think it was made for people who don't know what a watch is for. All it says is "Time".

-- Douglas Herr (telyt@earthlink.net), January 15, 2002.

Interestingly, these two cultures (German and Swiss) are reknowned for lacking in creativity and passion.

Hmmm, Sikaan... originally I was going to restraint myself from posting on this thread (although my fingers were itching to write: "Yes, Glenn, there is: the Tag Heuer Carrera, GMT automatic.") - but then you just triggered my impulse to throw in my 0.02 Euros. I'm not going to bore you with a list of composers, painters, writers, photographers, musicians, film makers, revolutionaries, actors and actresses, human rights activists, founders of the Red Cross... you name it - of Swiss or German breed. I'm just going to tell you what moved me to tears just today. It was the diploma film of a 25 year old film student, a Swiss educated in Germany, at our film school. A passionate drama about an "impossible" friendship between an Albanian and a Serb, filmed on such a high artistic level, that a full board of seasoned professors just stared at the screen in pure admiration. Me included.

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), January 15, 2002.

Cheap and practical... I use the clock on my mobile phone, it also plays Tetris and gives me Football results. Can a watch do all that I think NOT!!!

-- Philip Woodcock (phil@pushbar.demon.co.uk), January 15, 2002.

Doug, that gave me a good chuckle.

For the record, I'm another Omega fan, but mine is a mid-size Seamaster Quartz. I will, if requested, give myself 20 lashes with a mainspring for violating the "mechanical ethic", but I just find quatz movements to be more practical. My other watch is a stainless- steel Tag 1500 series, also quartz. I prefer the Omega, since it is waterproof to 300m as opposed to the Tag's 200m, and has a helium escape valve for my heliox deep-diving expeditions :-)

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), January 15, 2002.

Just a small PS (you really triggered me, Sikaan...;o): Why draw a border between craftsmanship and creativity? Back to the film mentioned which entered my life today: The director created a new technique along with the cinematographer to film in DV thru Nikon primes (!!!) - achieving a most stunning and unique aesthetical effect. Most creative and devoted to high precision engineering at the same time. BTW, I forgot the countless inventors on the above list... Cheers.

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), January 15, 2002.

".. originally I was going to restraint myself from posting on this thread... ...but then you just triggered my impulse to throw in my 0.02 Euros. I'm not going to bore you with a list of composers, painters, writers, photographers, musicians, film makers, revolutionaries, actors and actresses, human rights activists, founders of the Red Cross... you name it - of Swiss or German breed. - - Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), January 15, 2002.

Herr Konermann,

My sincere apologies. I didn't mean to offend your culture. I have lived in West Germany and Switzerland for three years each. My favorite film director above all is Fassbinder, followed by Kurosawa. I have books by Goethe and Max Mueller. I stand humbly corrected. I'm sorry to speak in generalities.

Apologies,

-- Sikaan (Sikaan4@aol.com), January 15, 2002.

A Russian Poljot Aviator chronograph. Completely mechanical, manual-wind, accurate, relatively cheap, and very cool looking. A good match to my screw-mount Leicas. (And yes, also OT, I do sometimes use a Russian camera & lenses as a back up for my Leicas--a Kiev 4a, Contax II clone--I don't think much of Fed and Zorki Leica copies but pre-1970 Kievs are great).

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), January 15, 2002.

For me: Seiko Mountaineer It has an altimeter, baromoeter, thermometer, pedometer (measures how far one walks), and a chronometer. I love the outdoors.

-- Rob Schopke (schopke@attbi.com), January 15, 2002.

Uhhh, I tend to buy pseudo watches for 10 bucks on the sidewalks of New York. All of my money goes into Leica lens and bodies instead :)... after all it's a more useful investment.

If my watch breaks, I just get a new one from the street vendor :)

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

Welcome back, Alfie! Don't go away again, y'hear?

I bought a steel Rolex "Oyster Perpetual Datejust" watch, on a trip to Sydney 6 years ago. (I wouldn't dare buy one in Jakarta because the chances of it being genuine are not very good). The Rolex has been good and I wear it almost every day. However, it tends to stop if I don't wear it for more than a 24 hour period. Time for a CLA?

I also have a Raymond Weil gold plated automatic watch that I bought ten years ago in Surabaya, from which the plating has been peeling, leaving ugly rusty-looking patches. It keeps excellent time but once all three hands fell off! This proves to me that not all Swiss watches are worth buying.

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

None, I had to sell it to buy my M6. ;0)

-- Scott (scottevans@mediaone.net), January 15, 2002.

Cheap-ass 8 year-old Swatch or Pulsar Spoon. I love mechanical watches, but it seems a bit frivolous to wear 1 that costs the same as a Leica but doesn't tell time any better than a $20 item you can buy @ the corner drug store.

-- Chris Chen (Washington, DC) (furcafe@cris.com), January 15, 2002.

Uh-Oh, my other passion just got exposed. In no particular order:

A watch marked only "Time" just like Douglas Herr said.

One of those watches you order from the tear-off gift thingie on your credit card bill. It's an Apollo Program commemerative.

A steel-cased manual no-frills Rolex I bought at the Air Force Base Exchange over 40 years ago.

A two-tone Rolex Datejust Chronometer.

A plastic Timex.

A Quartz Raymond Weil, gold plated, white roman numeral dial. (I love it.)

An ancient Jules Jurgensen I've had almost 50 years and it was a family hand-me-down when I got it.

Citizen Chronograph.

Seiko Chrono-alarm.

Chase-Durer military pilot's watch.

Swatch plastic Chronograph.

My most accurate watch: Eddie Bauer field watch.

Seiko gold-tone Rolex Knockoff.

Seiko tank watch (don't wear it much).

Hamilton 4992B Air Force Navigator's Pocket watch.

Casio Knockoff of the Rolex Submariner.

Swiss Army (Wenger Logo) imprinted also with the Panavision Logo.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 15, 2002.

And a Zodiac GMT pilot's watch.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), January 15, 2002.

Rolex Submariner (660 meter). I can barely tread water, but passed on the Chrono, more-or-less the same price at the time (1975) because, I thought, if a watch can survive the Marianas Trench (35,000 feet strapped to a bathyscape) than it's rugged enough for me; the Chrono seemed delicate.

Oh, grand dad left all his money to me and stiffed my black sheep twin in DC. 8^)

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 15, 2002.

My wife bought me a Patek Philippe Annual Calendar few year ago which I am still wearing today. She now wants to buy me a Frank Muller as my birthday present but I said I want a 35mm Summilux ASPH instead - if she still loves me, I will have a 'lux this month.

-- tom tong (tom.tong@ckh.com.hk), January 16, 2002.

I have a friend that won't wear a watch. He says that they feel like handcuffs. And no, I didn't meet him in prison.

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 16, 2002.

One thing about luxury watches : they appreciate in value.

The two tone lady Rolex Datejust and two tone Cartier Panther I gave my wife as birthday presents, all more than doubled in price.

It is a good thing to own things which grow in value.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 16, 2002.

After several watches, I think automatic manual watches makes sense in the long term. Changing batteries is a hassle.

My watches with comments.

1. Rolex GMT master ( very lasting, needs expensive servicing) 2. Timex Ironman (lasts about 2 years, it has a hard life) 3. Omega Seamaster Titane (useless piece of junk) 4. Seiko Divers watch, 1000m ! ( fantastic tough watch) 5. Swiss Army, I forgot the model. (useless piece of junk).

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), January 16, 2002.

...Peter Hughes...portfolios....that it gives a good feeling, that yes, there is indeed a God.

Thanks, but I'm an non-theist witch.

Anyway, for those who think that Leicaphiles are collectors of expensive toys, this post throws fuel on their worst fears.

I have a Swiss Army watch that someone gave me. And no, it's not a piece of junk, thank you.

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), January 17, 2002.

some tag automatic... one of those that don't need batteries..

does anyone know how they work?

-- Ken Kwok (kk353@yahoo.com), January 17, 2002.

I wear a $25 adidas digital. I have a 40 year old Rolex from my father and a new IWC from my wife in the closet. I already have enough overpriced mechanical things around my neck.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), January 19, 2002.

I don't wear a watch. I always have someone around to tell me what time it is if I'm not being woken up by my morning alarm clock, or if I'm not in my kitchen where there is a clock on the oven and on the microwave and on the wall, or if I'm not in front of the television which is connected to a VCR or DVD which has a clock, or if I'm not in the car - it has a clock - driving somewhere, or if I'm not at work where there is a clock on several walls, or, of course, if I'm not at the computer that I always seem to be on - it has a clock. If I heppen to be away from all of these time sources, and by chance I'm alone, or the person I'm with doesn't have a clock, then the correct time is probably the last thing that I need to know.

Of course, one never realizes how many "clocks" are around until day light savings time adjustments need to be made. Then there are seemingly thousands of clocks around.

Incidently, I find it amazing that each and every one of the thousand clocks around me seem to have different times. If I wore a watch, I wouldn't know which time source I would synchronize it to.

I'm glad my Leica camera doesn't have a built-in clock. I wonder how many cameras do? I'll bet quite a few.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), January 19, 2002.

Beside using my watch for time keeping, I also use it to time my darkroom development for Leica and Minox BW film, in lieu of dedicated darkroom clock.

Also use my watch to time exposure for close up photo with my Minox on copy stand, at B position.

As for enlargement with Minox enlarger, I use a ticking clock to time the seconds for exposure.

From time to time, I synchronize my mechanical Omega with 15000 Mhz station on Grundig Satellite 600 radio, "at the last tone.. GMT.."

The first thing I come home from outside is to remove my watch. My uncle never took off his Rolex even at sleep or bath.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 19, 2002.

I asked a similar question on a well known "high end" watch forum: (what cameras do expensive watch owners use?) and got zero responses.

-- Sanford Lee (sanford@usa.com), January 19, 2002.

Helli Sanford,

you can be quite pleased not only with the number of these responses. It shows (perhaps) that most here belong to a consumer group any conservative government likes to deal with ...

Must confess I forgot to mention two pieces I also like to wear a lot: A fairly big mechanical FORTIS, stainless steel watch and a russian BURAN flight watch with a red leather strap.

I apologize for not informing you in time.

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 21, 2002.

Hello Tony,

should you miss a clock in connection with your LEICA, try a databack for your LEICA R. The one for my R7 has a clockfunction (if I remember correct).

Best wishes

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 21, 2002.

If you are referring to a Leica camera then my father owns one of these cameras and uses a very nice second hand watch he picked up on holiday (vacation).

Talking of watches, does any one out in cyber space own a watch (or clock) made by the ROWLETT family of Norfolk (UK).

The company was in business between 1851 - 1952. I would be pleased to hear from you.

-- Frances Dyer (francesd@uknet.com), April 28, 2002.

Ask Tony. Maybe his great great grandad (or greater) was there.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), April 29, 2002.

For 2001 Xmas, Minox GmbH issued a limited edition Aviator Set

consists of a black Minox TLX 8X11 camera and a black 24 jewel Laco automatic pilot watch.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 05, 2002.

1994 "Leica M 40 anniversary" Limited edition. Made in Germany, with Swiss automatic movement, limited edition of 2000 units

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 05, 2002.

1994 Leica M 40 anniversary limited edition of 2000 units

Quartz movememt, with Leica M shutter release, frame counter motive.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 05, 2002.