Zenith Stratos Flyback El Primero 03.2060.405/21.C714

A classic Explorer!
I was at my watchmakers today and he pulled a vintage Explorer he was working on out of the safe. It was an all original orange hand Explorer II 1655. I've never seen a bezel like that. I didn't take any photos because it wasn't my watch and didn't ask for permission. Sam told me it's a bit tough to find all original pieces like this because Rolex frequently put modern hands or dials on them when they serviced them. The guy was offered $20K for it but turned it down for sentimental reasons (I think Sam said it was a gift from his father). This is one of the few times I agree with calling it "patina" instead of dirt. It wasn't cruddy, just evenly aged. I can see why you guys appreciate vintage Rolexes like I'm into Omega & JLC.

Wittnauer is Back and Looking Good!
If I am not misrememberin, Wittnauers started off as American watches .....( but I have been absorbing a huge amount of watch lore in the last 6 months, and I could have mixed them up with someone else) .....Anyway, as some of you may remember, I lucked into a 14k white gold Wittnauer, with a badly stained/chipped dial, ....I showed it here, a discussionb ensued.....Well I got it back from my watch guy, and it really only took...maybe 3 weeks or so ..........So here's the watch as I got it .......and with a small amount of attention, my watch guy just cleaned and oiled it up a mite....but the movement already looked pretty goo I thought..........I am very pleased with the way it came out .....and Jerry polished it for me too ! ......

robustness of automatics?
New guy here with some questions - great informative forum here! Love automatics and wear them often for work (I'm a mechanical engineer who appreciates mechanical devices).Questions are:How robust are automatics these days? I.e., outside of work I am very active (running, biking, swimming, coaching son's baseball team, woodworking, scout leader, repairing all the neighboor kids bikes, etc.....) and I normally wear a quartz (wenger chronograph) because they are so darn robust - don't really worry about them getting beat around. However, I would prefer an automatic (diver?, rubber or nylon strap) but am concerned how it would last in these situations. Comments would be greatly appreciated.Also, what specific automatics would you recommend for the everyday tortue described?Sorry if terminology is not all correct - not a watch expert, just one who likes them and appreciates the mechanics involved.Many thanks in advance for comments.Steve

Mido Commander Chrono info wanted.
Hello everyone.I recently received this Mido Commander Chronograph as part of an estate. I don't know anything about it, or what it is worth.Can anyone tell me about it?I have the case, box, papers, and an extra band, made of some sort of leather. It appears to be in like new condition.Thank you very much.

I was about to pull the trigger, then ...
Sometimes there are things in life that happen for a reason, this is a crazy one.Last thursday evening I almost ... purchased a rolex submariner 116610LN. I was in the store for quite some time, price was better than I expected from an AD in Montreal, it was like too good to be true honestly, it was even better than from a reputable seller on TRF to give you an idea... I was about to commit the crime, then for an unknown reason, wife was asking me of a coffee. It was a cold evening in Montreal and we were walking for quite some time before getting into the store, and she was still cold. So I said, why not, let's go get a coffee then we'll be back in 30 min...This is where the nice part of the story start. While having a coffee, I looked up my mails and guess what, a mail from DavidSW, he was finally able to source a pre-owned 15300 white dial, complete box set and now, I am having an espresso, coming back from the bank to wire him the money.I don't have to tell you that I didn't walked