Showing posts with label 1970s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1970s. Show all posts

Friday, December 4, 2009

Watchismo's Top Ten Vintage Plastic Watches

Typically, when you think of plastic watches, you think of Swatch. But back in the sixties and seventies, plastic was still a very cool new medium for products. All of the watches featured here are vintage mechanical timepieces, a few with movements by Jaeger and others with automatic winding mechanisms. But overwhelmingly, they are all interesting designs and truly obscure models that you are likely to never find in a lifetime of collecting.

Above, a simple watch with oversized arrows for hands. The case is a somewhat oblong triangle.

This is by a brand called appropriately "Handcuff", this thing is as large as they come and I first read about it in Pieter Doensen's fantastic (out of print) book "Watch - History of the Modern Wrist Watch". I was lucky enough to meet with Pieter back in 2001 and purchased the exact model used for publication. Thanks again Pieter, it's in a safe place!

Ah, again discovered in the Doensen book, this Record Automatic (by Longines) was an amazing find on Ebay about 8 years ago...brand new in box, unfortunately too small for my wrist, made for women. Probably for the best as I would likely have the balls to wear this in public.

The Helmet Jump Hour, not much to say here other than "look at that friggin movement!". Insane. I featured this a while back-->link


Part of watchmaking history, the Tissot Astrolon Idea 2001, the worlds first all plastic watch, including the movement. For more info, go here-->link

And some of my absolute favorite watches to collect but hardly ever wear, the Pierre Cardin 1971 collection (shown above and below). Produced for just for one year, these fantastic watches had manual winding Jaeger movements and designs (both platic and steel) like no other! For more, go here-->link


The beautiful disc/hand dials of the vintage Mondia Moonstone

The only plastic watch shown here made for kids, featuring gadgets for spying (expandable eyesights, etc) and a manual winding movement with an ingenious display for showing the hour through a rotating hole, for more go here-->link

These plastic watches by Nivada are deceiving, the photos do not express their monster size, they measure approximately 70mm wide! The straps would usually match the dial, for more go here-->link

And for related plastic wristwatch posts.
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Tag Heuer Silverstone Reissue - A Very Faithful Reintroduction of the Stunning 1974 Chronograph

The original vintage 1970s Heuer silverstone

Two and a half years ago, I issued a "Reissue Wish" from Tag Heuer (as seen here), having no idea if I had any influence on them, the reintroduction of the Heuer Silverstone Calibre 11 Chronograph has just been announced. And here they are...

Although it appears that I was correct when stating that the original dial color (shown at very top) has not exactly been replicated. It kills me that I sold all my Silverstone collection years ago, the new models are going to cost around $6500 each.





From one of the original seventies Heuer catalogs

Thanks to the super cool watch blog Perpetuelle for taking note of my long lost post!
For more detailed information about this release, visit Calibre 11


Friday, November 13, 2009

BLASTS FROM THE PAST - Strolling Down The Memory Lanes of the Watchismo Vintage Museum Pages

Ok, I once used these pages to catalog and drool over time slipped through my fingertips these past 12 years online. Nearly all the watches from my now ancient Museum Pages are long gone - sold or in my carefully guarded personal collection, but the pages are worth revisiting for inspiration of all sorts. Hell, some of them are just downright ugly and worth a laugh. Enjoy!

LINK --> The Old Watchismo Museum Page 1
The Old Watchismo Museum Page 2



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Friday, October 9, 2009

Vintage LIP Watches - Rare Private Collection Available After Decades in Storage!

A very rare private collection of vintage LIP watches are now available. Ranging from gunmetal and sterling silver pocket watches of the early 1900s to the iconic French designer series of the early seventies. Original Mach 2000 chronographs from Roger Tallon, very rare Prince Francois de Baschmakoff Jump Hours and some nearly singular examples from a rich history in time!

Above, a Sixties sterling silver LIP wristwatch with actual wood inlaid bracelet and wood dial. Never seen another like it, ever!

Rudi Meyer's very unusual 70s "Galaxie"


Unusual Mystery Dial "Ecrusson"
1970s Roger Tallon Design

Uncommon Automatic Mach 2000

Early 70s Mach 2000 Moon by Roger Tallon

Rare prototype LIP Moonphase Mach 2000
(never went into production)

1975 LIP Mach 2000 LED
(light emitting diode)

1974 Tallon LIP Electrique

Modern Design Sixites Ladies LIP

1960s Sunken Hours Manual Mechanical LIP

1970's "Les Candides" by Michel Boyer
(beat Swatch by 10 years!)

Seventies Lip "Instrument" by Rudi Meyer

"Hermes" Style 60s Lip Mechanical

The Classic Lip Mach 2000 "Aeronef" by Roger Tallon 1974

The All Steel Lip Baschmakoff Jump Hour - 1970

Early 20th Century Gunmetal Lip Pocketwatch



Related Posts at The Watchismo Times;
All Vintage Watch Stories
All LIP Watch Stories

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Omega Reissues the Famous Ploprof Divers Watch - 1970s Jacques Cousteau Collaboration


Omega announces the 2009 Professional Ploprof Diver developed in conjunction with famed diver Jacques Cousteau.

Technical Specifications:
  • Movement: Co-Axial Caliber 8500
  • Case: Stainless Steel, Water resistant to 1200 meters
  • Sapphire bezel and crystal
  • Bi-directional rotating bezel with security push-button lock for the bezel
  • Screwed-in and protected crown at 9
  • Special Seamaster medallion on the case-back with grooved wave-pattern
  • Bracelet: New Omega mesh SHARK-PROOF bracelet or rubber strap (black or orange) that can be adjusted for wearing over the diving suit (can be up to 7mm thick thanks to a double extension system), a new sliding clasp, capable of fine adjustments

The watch has a MSRP of CHF 8,000 on the mesh or roughly $7,700.


via Watch Happening

Below, a watch collector friend provided a wrist shot of his enormous vintage 1970s Ploprof...



The solid caseback (movement was accessed from the front)

Some history on the Ploprof from Deskdivers;


Developed in conjunction with Comex and the legendary Jacques Cousteau, Omega conceived and developed what was probably the first waterproof watch designed and built solely for the diving professional.The watch took 4 years to come to the market after extensive testing and arrived in 1970. It was nicknamed PloProf by the French speaking development team and derives from the French term PLOngeur PROFessionnel (Professional Diver).Comex used early models of the PloProf and continued their research into living underwater for prolonged periods. One Issue that still concerned Comex was helium infiltration, which carried the danger of causing a watch crystal to pop out during decompression. There is no proof that this problem occurred with any Ploprof, and later tests by the American diving research centre Ocean Systems Inc. in Tarrytown, NY, certified that the Ploprof was ‘more watertight’ than a submarine. However, Comex wanted to be sure to combat the helium infiltration issue, rather than trust improved watch-case sealing. They chose to continue their research work with Rolex and Doxa to test their new Helium Expulsion Valve (HEV) designs. HEVs were incorporated in the Rolex SeaDweller which Comex used reliably for many, many years."

Read more about the vintage history here-->DesktopDivers

Related Posts at The Watchismo Times;


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