Tissot PRX Triple Pointer Date Moon phase

Today let us talk about a piece I am so glad and ecstatic to own.
It is a Tissot PRX Triple Pointer Date Moon phase  R80 quartz watch , with is a Swiss made chronometer in stainless with gold tone bezel and day date.
I have been finding or trying to get my hands on a vintage moon phase timepiece.
I am glad to announce, I now finally have it.


Though it may not be that old, it is still a 26 year old piece in good working condition.
What makes it all the more special is that, I received confirmation from Tissot on this piece.
At first I was a rather sceptical, as little or close to no info was available online for this particular piece.


There were many PRX models but one with moon phase seemed almost impossible to find any information.


I wished to be able to have more info on this lovely looking piece, to understand its history more.
Unfortunately I really could not find anything online or anywhere else to help ease my queries.
As of now, all I got are little bits and pieces from here and there.
Though I am thankful to have a valuable source of information directly from Tissot.
Their reply to my enquiry gave some basic info on my timepiece.
Below is a response I got from Tissot in Switzerland,
“
We can inform you that this model PRX is a Tissot production from 1989.
The watch is fitted with a quartz movement,  and is 10 bar (100 meters) water resistant.
The case are made of PVD/steel. This model was also available with gilt, white or black dial.
”

Though I can only think of one set back, which is that the watch size is a little small but this was the case for timepieces made back in the day up till the 90s.
So unlike the big watch faces we are used to seeing these days or the heavy size, back then it was somewhat petite.


Personally gold coloured moon phase watches looks a tad more classy and gives it a luxurious feel.


To further break down this timepieces below are its specs;
Tissot PRX - Quart 7 jewel Swiss movement.
Dual tone colour combination “18K Gold electro plated and Steel”
White dial with three sub dial indicator column for “Month, Day and Moon phase”.
The second hand sub-dial located at moon phase, while the long needle with a tip resembling a red crescent is a hand pointer date, date version of the circular dial.
Index Strip hours marker.
Solid SS bracelet with a variant of the gold-steel tonnage segment.
Three folding clasp.
WR100m, scratch-resistant glass (sapphire crystal).
36mm diameter crown. 7mm thickness.
Fixed bezel ring pattern formation 12 angle.

If anyone out there has more info on this lovely timepiece, I am all ears!

Rado Voyager

Time to review another vintage piece, this time it is a Rado.

The Voyager has been a Rado model that has been around for a long time.

Strangely enough it is one of those models which has had different variations released along the years yet hardly any concrete info of it can be found online.

I have tried reading about it, to find out more of the story behind this piece but it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Just some back info on what shot Rado into “stardom”. Back in 1962, Rado produced the world’s first scratch-proof watch, the DiaStar, since then Rado set an industry standard in scratch proof watches and is still a market leader in scratch proof watches. Rado today still produces fine Swiss luxury timepieces, with multiple styles, having tough, sporty and timeless classic pieces as well.

Today we talk about the Voyager, which sounds somewhat like dive or boat watch or perhaps even to space, in reference to the term, “To voyage”.

As the golden age of space travel as set in the sixties, when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.

Voyager is the name of a model line by Rado, this particular model was around from the late 1960s towards the end of 1980s.

At the beginning, it was just one of many models. It did later it became s.th. like an entrance class model which was marketed for the Fareast markets.

There are countless variations of this piece. All have automatic day/date movements. This model was somewhat like a mass produced model, for the everyday man. There were literally tons of these watches by the end of the 1980s. The Voyager was in my own opinion and this may be true, was the most produced piece in their range.

With the never ending variations, the Voyager was more than just a model but an entire product range of one type of model.
For an everyday watch, it was a practical model and better yet, Swiss made and automatic as well.

For a piece which seems to be selling really well, it was a surprise it ended production.
Though if you think about it, it probably happened due to the Quartz Crisis back in the day.
So what did Rado tell me about my piece, they said

“Yours is from 1982 or later, inside should be an ETA 2836-2 automatic movement with day/date, as the first three digits of the reference number(636.xxxx.x). This movement came 1982. Snap on backs were usual at that time at Rado. From what I can see, it is completely authentic.

The water resistance is always a problem at vintage watches. If you want to have it waterproof, you need new gaskets for the back and crown and a hydrostatic test to be sure. That´s expensive. If you want to wear it regularly, you should have it serviced(cleaning, oiling, adjusting) by a good watchmaker.

Hope this helps. Enjoy it and wear it in health!”
 
I was ecstatic to know that I have yet another original vintage piece in my possession. Plus the last bit from their staff was kind of quirky, wear it in health!

For now this piece is kept in my collection, it is not a piece that I wear frequently as it is too small for my wrist, nonetheless it is a lovely piece that I love admiring.

If only they made the back case transparent or see through, that would have been brilliant.

As this was a widely produced piece, its price is somewhat challenging to discuss. What factors encompasses a Voyager worthy of a mentioning.

It all comes down to the same few factors for every piece I guess? The rarity, condition and current market demand. As we speak, there isn’t really a hype or excitement surrounding vintage Rado pieces except maybe the old DiaStars. Then again in about 10 years, the picture may be totally different?

You may come across many Rados online, especially on eBay. If you think it suits you and the price is right, why not go for it.

This is a nice piece to have for anyone beginning a collection. It isn’t something really fancy or pricy.

I see it as a quintessential piece that perhaps set the tone for automatic watches back in the 1960s, it was an everyday watch. It was somewhat like what our Seikos are today.

Below are some pics of my Rado, it is still in a fairly good condition.

The automatic movement works well and it can run well.


Condition perhaps 7.5-8 out of 10. There are some signs of wear on the face and some visible scratches

 

 

 

My Bulova Sea King

I recently got my hands on a classy vintage Bulova Sea King, fitted with a Speidel elastic band.

This was a particular model that I have been trying to get my hands on for a while, pictures below.

 

 

Prior to getting it, all I knew that it was from the era of the seventies but its story, which once I found out which intrigued me and made me sought after this piece even more.

So when I got it, the first thing I had to do was to get it authenticated from Bulova (something everyone should do once they get any vintage watch).

So Bulova got back to me, confirming my time piece was indeed genuine and from the N1 on the back case confirmed that it was produced in 1971.

Wow! What a marvellous piece of work, it is 44 years old this year and it still works fine.

From what I have gathered, the Sea-King was a water-resistant line from Bulova, it was introduced in 1959 all the way till the seventies. Which means mine was one of the later models.

Some have only the label “SEA KING“, some with the “SEA KING” & Whale logo, while some only had the whale. Which I guess changed over time. This is what is believed as a general consensus.

It seemed to be something that was not questioned by most, who took it as a gradual change in the aesthetic feature of the watch. Apparently there is a meaning to the whale on the face.

Some Bulova experts, have stated that the whale actually appeared around the 1966 to 67 but it did not necessarily meant it was a ‘SEA KING’ model. The whale actually meant it was waterproof.

If you dig further, there seem to be a link or a tribute to the Whalers of Sag Harbour, which was the home of the Bulova watch case factory (at Sag Harbour).

We only know this to be hearsay, its seems plausible thought. The whale logo came out around 1966, which coincidentally marked the 100 year anniversary of a Whaling Festival of Sag Harbour which was where the Bulova factory was situated as well. This seems the most promising explanation which links the two together.

For those of you who would like to delve deeper, have a whale of a time reading more into the story here : http://www.mybulova.com/forums/bulova-sea-king-whale

I guess the story of the watch actually compelled my to want to own one as well, as it has an interesting story shrouded in mystery.

I am a fan of many of the old Bulova timepieces, another highly sought after piece for myself would be the Bulova Accutron.

To me, the Bulova timepieces of old which were Swiss made are really lovely and has that ‘real deal’ feel about it. What I mean is that it built watches that were made to last.

Though the current modern day do Bulovas look nice and are now mostly made in Japan, I am just a little unsure if it would stand the test of time, like the stalwart Sea King that is still going strong 44 years on.  Asthetically a watch may look exquistie but there more than meets the eye. To someone who love timepieces, the movent and detailing matter much as well.

Though I would think it would be time I sent it for some general servicing and cleaning.

As to why it is now mostly manufacuted in Japan, here is a short history.

Back in the day, Bulova was a major force in the watch industry. Bulova timepieces were mechanical movemnts that were well made, deisgned and relialbe (just look at the one I got, still ticking away). Bulova had a great share of the electronic watch market with their tuning fork Accutron. By the mid seventies, there was an eruption of quartz watches in the market, Bulova was suddenly hit and somehow seemed to dwindled down from then. It has lost its marketshare to the influx of Japanese watches, names the qaurtz watches. They were sold to the Loewe Corporation and then finally sold of to Citizen of Japan in 2007.

 

So the Sea King is surely a piece to be etched in Bulova history.