Άγνωστες ιστορίες ρολογιών.

[Giorgos_I]

MILITARY-ISSUED TORNEK-RAYVILLE TR-900 DIVE WATCH

The Tornek-Rayville TR-900 was produced for the U.S. Navy in the 60s, with this particular model was issued in 1966. But it wasn't until 1988 that the watch made it on the wrist of EOD tech Lt. Brian S. Economy. He was given the diver by a supply officer and it was used solely for military operations, including his deployments in Central America, Iraq, and Somalia, as well as while working with his sea mine-hunting dolphin named Nino. Only 1,000 watches were produced, making this one a rare collector's item.(Κάντε κλικ εδώ να εμφανιστεί η φωτογραφία.)

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Εχει και ......σφουγγαρίστρα. 

[Alexandros00]

Introducing the Praesidus A-5 UDT World War II-Inspired Dive Watch
This historic early dive watch has been reissued with modern materials and technology.

Praesidus Watch Company, a manufacturer specializing in vintage military timepieces, announced their first-ever dive watch, the A-5 UDT in May. Simple, yet striking, the watch looks like it was plucked right out of the 1940s. In a way, it was. The A-5 UDT was closely modeled on the original dive watches developed for the American Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) during World War II. These battle-hardened timepieces were some of the earliest fully submersible watches.

Forerunners of the Navy SEALs, UDTs specialized in performing reconnaissance and clearing obstacles prior to amphibious landings. These specialized teams would incorporate scuba diving into their repertoire in the post-war era, but during World War II their underwater activities were limited to breath-hold dives. Constantly on, in and under the water, these Navy frogmen required precise, accurate timepieces that could reliably withstand water pressure when submerged.

The technological advancements that gave birth to the modern dive watch, most notably the screw-down crown and screw-back case, wouldn’t be developed for almost another decade. The solution devised by American watch manufacturers of the time was to solder shatterproof crystal directly to the case and to protect the crown—the least water-resistant part of the watch—with a watertight screw-down cap.

Updated Technology
The A-5 UDT embraces the simple, functional look of the Navy’s original waterproof tool watches, complete with the distinctive oversized crown cap. The manufacturer name has been blacked out on the dial, an homage to the Navy’s practice of painting over branding so as not to appear to favor one manufacturer over another. Some modern enhancements have been added for improved performance, without detracting from its vintage appeal. This includes an internal screw-down crown for increased water resistance to 200 meters/660 feet and an automatic self-winding movement, which reduces the need to remove the cap and wind the watch if worn on a regular basis. The larger case size, compared to the 31/32mm cases of the original watches, allows for easier legibility. Each watch features a serial number on the caseback and an engraving of the UDT “Frog” icon.

In the Field
Diving with the A-5 UDT at Blue Grotto Dive Resort in Williston, Florida—equipped with a vintage-styled oval-frame mask for the full effect—I was impressed with the watch’s legibility and comfort. Embossed characters and indexes stand out from the background and have been treated with a Superluminova coating for enhanced legibility at depth. The matte black dial sports distinct Arabic numerals at each hour. The watch lacks the rotating bezel found on modern dive watches—that particular feature wouldn’t come along until the 1950s—but its long baton-shaped hands and clear, easy-to-read markers allow one to take precise to-the-second readings with just a glance. I can easily see how it would be the ideal dive instrument for synchronizing demolition charges and coordinating large-scale military maneuvers with precision.

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[Alexandros00]

Omega Speedmaster Worn By Willy Mairesse


Willy Mairesse and his Omega Speedmaster
The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most recognizable watches of the second half of the 20th century. A watch that originally was released as a racing model in 1957– hence the name – but gained worldwide fame as the timepiece that was worn on the Moon in July 1969. Throughout the years it has always been referred to as the Moonwatch and associated with NASA and its astronauts. Little did we know that in the 1960’s there was a watch that stayed true to its racing heritage and graced the wrist of a Formula One driver. This watch is thought to be the first Omega Speedmaster we know of that was involved in the golden age of car racing.

Who Was Willy Mairesse?
Mairesse was born in Belgium in 1928, spent most of his professional career behind the wheels of Formula One as well as various other racing cars. He was 25 when started racing in local racing events. He drove in the Liege-Rome-Liege rally 3 years in a row winning it in 1955. In 1958 he came up 2nd in the 24-hours race at Reimsi and in 1960 he came in 3rd at the 1000-kilometer race at the Nürburgring.

Ferrari had been watching him for a few years at that point and when in 1959 he raced successfully during the Tour de France car race, the Italian team offered him a contract for the next season. He took part in 3 Grand Prixes finishing only one, the 1960 Italian race where he came up 3rd. During the next season he drove 3 races but could not finish any of them. A year later, in 1962, he took part in 4 races finishing one, again the Italian Grand Prix where he became 4th. He was 2nd at the 24 hours of Le Mans and he won the Targa Florio.

Unfortunately 1963 was his last season with Ferrari, which happened to be unsuccessful for him – drove 3 races but could not finish any of them, though he managed to succeed during other races at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. This was the year he got closest of winning the 24 hours of Le Mans. He was leading the competition when during a pitstop his car caught fire and he could not finish the race. In 1964 he won the Angola Grand Prix and a year later the 500km race in Spa-Francorchamps. In 1966, after his win in 1962, he managed to finish 1st at the Targa Florio and the year after that he became 3rd at Le Mans.

During the 1968 24 hours of Le Mans while driving a Ford GT-40 he suffered a serious accident when his door flew off his car. He crashed and went into a coma. He woke up after 2 months but he could not gain back his physical or mental health. Willy Mairesse was found dead at his house in Oostende on September 2nd 1969. The cause of death was overdose of medication.





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[Alexandros00]

A few weeks ago a Yema Mario Andretti found its way to me and I started to do some research on it. Everyone considers the watch to be a Yema, but as friend-of-the-show Rene pointed out, it can also be a LeJour.


andretti
The Yema/LeJour Rallye From Mario Andretti
Balazs Ferenczi
BALAZS FERENCZI
APRIL 11, 2018
...
Yesterday, Hodinkee published a wonderful interview with the legendary Mario Andretti. A number of watches were discussed with Andretti, but not the Rallye watch that he bought privately. We thought it would be a nice addition to mention this Rallye watch once more in this article.

Part of the fun of collecting vintage watches is to research them. Get to know their story. Perhaps find a famous person who owned it before you did. We all heard of the Jim Clark Gallet MultiChron 12, the Jo Siffert Heuer Autavia or staying with the same brand and model the Jochen Rindt Autavia. You perhaps know that there is another famous Rindt, Nina the wife of the late racecar driver. She wore a Compax Universal Geneve, which the watch community nicknamed the Nina Rindt UG.

There are however lesser know brands or drivers. You might remember that a few months ago I already did an article on the connection between racing and the Omega Speedmaster. You can read it here. We can say that we have covered most of these models in the past on Fratello.

Mario Andretti’s Watch
However there was one other interesting watch. One that maybe isn’t as well-known as the previously mentioned ones. I’m talking about the Yema Rallye Andretti, worn by no other than great Italian-American car racing legend: Mario Andretti. Michael Stockton wrote a #TBT about it a little while ago, which you can read here. A few weeks ago a Yema Mario Andretti found its way to me and I started to do some research on it. Everyone considers the watch to be a Yema, but as friend-of-the-show Rene pointed out, it can also be a LeJour.

Mario Andrretti is based in the US and Yema was selling his watches under the brand name LeJour there. This was a common thing to do for manufacturers at the time. While the Yema and the LeJour models are technically identical, it bugged me that I did not know the full story.

Interview with Mario Andretti
Through his management agency I got in touch with Mario Andretti. They offered me the opportunity to do an interview with him so I can ask about the watch. What a great gesture. Therefore I talked with some watch friends and colleagues and assembled a few questions. On top of my list was the issue with the Yema Rallye.

The watch is neither a Yema nor a Le Jour
My first question, and the biggest mystery, was in connection with the Yema. I asked Mr. Andretti if he wore the watch as part of an endorsement deal with the watch company or was it something he bought or got privately? Was also interested if the watch was actually a Yema or a LeJour? I was not ready for the answer he gave me. According to him “The watch is neither a Yema nor a Le Jour. It’s a Wesley’s Rallye. I got it privately; it was not part of an endorsement deal.” There you have it. The case is finally solved of this mystery and I guarantee it is not what anybody expected.



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[Alexandros00]

"To this day, Rolex still claims that Hans Wilsdorf “created the world’s first waterproof wristwatch” in 1926."

Μέχρι και σήμερα η Ρολεξ ισχυρίζεται ότι ο Hans Wilsdorf δημιούργησε το ο αδιάβροχο ρολόι καρπού το 1926.

Το 1927 στη 1η σελίδα της Londons Daily Mail αναφερόταν η αποτυχία της Oyster κασας να αντέξει πάνω από 10 ώρες σε αγγλικό κανάλι όπου κολυμπούσε η Mercedes Gleitze .
Την τράβηξαν έξω επειγόντως γιατί η Oyster κάσα, όπου τη φόραγε στο λαιμό της γέμισε νερά.

Το 1918 ο Charles Depollier ιδιοκτήτης της Dubois Watch Case Company υπέβαλε  το 1918 Waltham Depollier “Field & Marine” Waterproof Watch στο National Bureau of Standards,το 1ο επιστημονικό εργαστήριο της Αμερικής, όπου πέρασε με επιτυχια και πήρε πιστοποίηση αδιάβροχο, 8 χρόνια πριν την ouster case..
Παρακάτω οι λόγοι γιατί
Only after this successful 500 hour waterproof test did the U.S. government certify it as waterproof. They immediately purchased 10,000 of these waterproof watches from Charles Depollier for the United States Armed Forces.

2.

In July of 1958 the United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit conducted waterproof tests on the Rolex Oyster Submariner (model 6538).

THE ROLEX OYSTER SUBMARINER FAILED the UNITED STATES NAVY’S WATERPROOF TESTS!

Τον Ιούλιο του 1958 η Αμερική, απέρριψε το Submariner, για τις ειδικές δυνάμεις.
Ακολουθούν οι λόγοι..

The Rolex watch is found to be not sufficiently waterproof.

Excessive fogging on underside of crystal.

In sand & mud, the bezel ring became jammed far more quickly than the Bulova or Blancpain.

It is concluded that the Rolex watch IS NOT, by comparison with other watches, a good buy.

(Rolex is) Recommended for DELETION from the Navy’s approved list.



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[Alexandros00]

Όταν μια εταιρία έχει χτίσει το απόλυτο ψέμα γύρω από το όνομα της....

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[Alexandros00]

Να μην αναφερθώ καν στην απόλυτη αποτυχία της Daytona εν έτη  1968 όπου καταρευεσε όλο το ρολόι σχεδόν

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[george_]

Όταν μια εταιρία έχει χτίσει το απόλυτο ψέμα γύρω από το όνομα της....

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Εσύ,θα καταστρέψεις τη Ρολεξ!

[george_]

Να μην αναφερθώ καν στην απόλυτη αποτυχία της Daytona εν έτη  1968 όπου καταρευεσε όλο το ρολόι σχεδόν

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Τι έπαθε?

[Alexandros00]

Εσύ,θα καταστρέψεις τη Ρολεξ!

Μπα,ανάγκη δεν έχει εμένα,καμμια εταιρία.
Απλά γεγονότα παρέθεσα.

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[george_]

Πως κατάφερε τότε,να είναι πρώτη?

[Alexandros00]

Τι έπαθε?

Όταν η Nasa βγήκε παγανιά κρυφά για να επιλέξει ρολόι για το φεγγάρι, αγόρασε από μαγαζιά όλους τους κορυφαίους χρονογραφους της εποχής για να τους τσεκάρει.
Η Daytona ,για επαγγελματικους προορισμούς ,αποδείχτηκε ντροπή, εν αντίθεση με το Speedmaster

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[Alexandros00]

Πως κατάφερε τότε,να είναι πρώτη?

Καλό μάρκετινγκ

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[Alexandros00]

Είναι γνωστό.
Στην εποχή της υποκρισίας, η πιο υποκριτική εταιρία είναι πρώτη, δεν θα έπρεπε να δημιουργεί εντύπωση.

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[george_]

Μάλιστα,αλλά η Omega είναι 3η εταιρεία,σήμερα