What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[PuntoHowTo]

I have a proper watch, with a dial, and hands.
(https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/seiko-sq100-black-dial-day-date-463507602)
Bought in 1992, as I needed one with a battery. Previously, I wore a Rotary self-winding, bought in 1979, and still working, but a change in job meant I was not moving around enough to keep it running.
The Seiko recently let in moisture. Local watchmender could not find a source for seals, so I enquired on the Seiko website. It has just returned from Seiko, fully serviced and sealed, and looking new again, perhaps ready for another 30 years, even if I'm not. I'd looked at replacements, all seem huge these days, couldn't find one l liked, so happily spent £95 on the refurb.

Often am away from the phone, mostly mine works as an alarm clock.

The benefit of an analogue watch or clock, is that it does not just tell the time, but shows a picture of where you are in the day. At a glance, you can see how much more day there is, or how close to lunch you are, as it gives perspective. A digital just gives the time.
Apparently, more than 50% of young people have no idea what 'clockwise' means. Or how to interpret directions when referred to clock position, such as 'at the roundabout, take the 1 O'clock exit'.

I’m a big fan of Seiko, I think many watch people will have a seiko or two in their collection. I had seiko that was self winding, the capacitor died and I sent it to a local repair who did repair it. It worked for another couple of years then stopped and never worked again apparently it turns out you should never get anyone other than seiko to repair these as any little tiny piece of grit or debris that gets in will damage the winding mechanism.

I replaced it with a solar powered version but rarely get to wear it as it’s kept for best, I have a tendency to crawl around under cars with no consideration for the watch am wearing and have scratch many watches this way.
I don’t care so much about my Apple Watch as with these things like phones they will become obsolete and worthless

 

[Cheest]

farmers time means it will either ‘get done wehn it gets done’ or ‘it needs to get done so it gets done’!

Back in the old Elgin days, we had a General Manager who thought he was “Hands On” when he actually more in the way.
GM-“When will this be ready to ship?”

Me-“When the last bolt is tightened, I’ve put my tools away, washed my hands, and signed off on the paperwork.”

GM-“I need a firm date. The customer is asking.”

Me-”Tell you what, I’d be working on this right now if you weren’t in my way. I’ll call the customer and talk to him. By the way, if the customer says he wasn’t asking like you‘ve pulled before, I will move this project back a couple of weeks and make sure it’s painted Titty Pink when it gets loaded on the truck. Your choice.”

I guess he blew up at my boss about it but he was rarely in my shop after that. He was a Richard.

 

[bugsymike]

To be fair, I’m nearly 60 and haven’t worn a watch since my early twenties. For one, I was always breaking straps or faces whilst working on cars/vans and, there’s always been clocks, at work (on the workshop wall and the ‘clock machine, used for start and finish of the day but also every job and sub-job on workshop job-sheets), churches, the main post office building, the YEP building, most of my cars…now farming, farmers time means it will either ‘get done wehn it gets done’ or ‘it needs to get done so it gets done’!

When I was at Engineering College they had us watch a really gruesome safety film showing the results of people shorting out the flexible steel watch strap against car batteries burning the strap into the wrist and other delights. I have never had to work to a Time Clock, clocking in etc. but strangely enough I have a big old wind up one by National Time Recorder and my grandchildren love working the lever to make the bell ring as you clock in. I was going to sell it but when I moved it from the room I missed the sound and brought it back in, although I am so used to it I don't hear the tick.

 

[bugsymike]

Back in the old Elgin days, we had a General Manager who thought he was “Hands On” when he actually more in the way.
GM-“When will this be ready to ship?”

Me-“When the last bolt is tightened, I’ve put my tools away, washed my hands, and signed off on the paperwork.”

GM-“I need a firm date. The customer is asking.”

Me-”Tell you what, I’d be working on this right now if you weren’t in my way. I’ll call the customer and talk to him. By the way, if the customer says he wasn’t asking like you‘ve pulled before, I will move this project back a couple of weeks and make sure it’s painted Titty Pink when it gets loaded on the truck. Your choice.”

I guess he blew up at my boss about it but he was rarely in my shop after that. He was a Richard.

We used to have a customer who was a friend of the previous foreman and would get in the way of the mechanics, when I became foreman I said to him "feel free to carry on telling the mechanic what to do, but I am charging you by the hour and the longer you talk the longer the job takes" that got him out the door.

 

[portland_bill]

Some days I don't wear the watch, if just bumbling around at home. If working on the car, or any DIY, the watch is off. More reasons why I need a battery, not a self-winding one.
I've got a large clock in the garage, so that's fine when working on the car. (I'm thinking that is probably still on summer time.)

 

[The Panda Nut]

I wear a Pearce watch bought in South Africa in 1940. Its been replaced by a few other watches but these all failed, and it only gave up after it was removed from dad when he died. Its mow the most expensive watch I have ever owned as I paid a master clock maker to get it working again, regardelss of the cost. Apparently when a watch is worn for so long by one person it wears and responds to their temperature. Once they go cold the watches stop working. it was used for 72 years before I got it and I have had 11 years out of it now, so its already outlasted all the other watches I have bought. Its a remarkable thing and keeps time - mechanically - to about 1 second a month! When new it was waterproof to 50m but seals are not available any more and the case is too worn anyway for them to work. Its more waterproof my last new watch was. I like the point Portland Bill makes about a visual on the progress of the day.
My last watch was some fancy swiss thing - Tissot and cost around £450 When it stopped working after a couple of years I was told a standard service would be nearly twice its significant price when new so I told them to send it back to the factory and where they could suggest they put it. Like my dad I have fallen back on the Pearce and hope to wear it until I croak, and then pass ot on to my son. Anyone who doesnt know what clockwise means is very sadly lacking in my book, I wonder how they survive. I like the old watch, I feel we share something in common... we are both getting old we are both analogue. Unlike digital things and people you can read something from our faces.

 

[bugsymike]

Some years ago I went to a jewellers to buy a wind up dress watch for my wife, all he had were quartz at expensive prices and not even high end names, he wasn't impressed when I said I could buy something similar in a petrol station for £1.50 at the time.

 

[porta]

Clockwise or, as someone I know has to keep saying ‘righty tighty, lefty loosy’ gets on my nerves as he’s 43 and should bloody know by now

 

[bugsymike]

Clockwise or, as someone I know has to keep saying ‘righty tighty, lefty loosy’ gets on my nerves as he’s 43 and should bloody know by now

The one I like is when tightening "How tight?" Strip the threads and back half a turn.
I would say , not my practice incidentally.
May be you should call him "Lucy"

 

[vexorg]

The back part of the face is a solar cell, the small hands even tell you the charge level.
Even has an LED light, and hand glow in the dark.
The face is recessed, and heavy black plastic around hte face protects it well when working on things.

I've always found the day of the week really useful, particularly when you travel a lot round the world. Sometimes you do just think without a clue "what day is it??"

 

[porta]

The one I like is when tightening "How tight?" Strip the threads and back half a turn.
I would say , not my practice incidentally.
May be you should call him "Lucy"

He’s more like a Brenda

 

[StevenRB45]

Fixed the connected cam on the Citroën...

Apparently 7 years without a factory reset was too much and the onboard hard drive was full.

Of course Google provided the wrong information re. Reset so some head scratching yesterday as I couldn't get my phone to the cars WiFi network.

But RTFM and re-install the app on my phone for the win and it appears to be working properly now.

It's meant to record every minute the car is on oddly enough...but it got more and more erratic over the years recording less and less to the point after the roundabout incident yesterday I thought I better fix it.

If anything had happened it recorded nowt..it working properly again now.

Every journey in 2 minute clips...seem to remember it has 128gb hard drive.

 

[portland_bill]

... Its mow the most expensive watch I have ever owned as I paid a master clock maker to get it working again, regardelss of the cost.

I have a mantle clock, bought new by my great grandfather in 1880. Growing up, I always knew it in my grandfather's house, and whilst it is not pretty to look at, being black slate, the face is pleasant, but I loved the 'bong' on the hour and half-hour. When grandfather died, none of his three sons wanted it, but would not allow anything to hand down two generations, as then my brother, sister and two cousins might claim something too. So my father took custody of it, neglected it, and just before he died, at last passed it to me.
It hadn't been wound for a few years. It lasted 6 weeks, and stopped.
On my regular travels, I had often passed a clock menders shop. After a few days, I remembered where. Witney, Oxfordshire, 25 minutes from here. The guy looked at it, and advised that a refurb would cost more than it was worth, lots more. Apparently, when they were new, there was an expensive one, with a quality movement, and bimetal pendulum. And there was a cheaper one, with a good, but cheaper movement, and simple pendulum, so accuracy changes with the weather. That's what I've got.
It's an heirloom. As an ornament, not pretty. As a clock, useless unless working. So I said go ahead and make it work. Nearly £700 later, it was working, very nicely, and continues to do so, over 6 years later. At least there's no argument about legacy values. It had not received any maintenance in 135 years, so it was due some. That's a fiver a year, just I got the whole bill.

Incidentally, if anyone watches 'The Repair Shop' on BBC, the guy who does the clocks, Steve Fletcher, is the guy who repaired my clock. Quite a surprise when I saw him on telly.

Each week, the 19th century clock needs winding. I have a reminder alarm set on my 21st century phone. Makes me smile every week.

 

[The Panda Nut]

We are lucky in Norfolk to have lots of clock menders available. We have one of the best in Europe in Norwich who did my dads watch, they recovered my brothers and sisters swiss watches bought 50 years ago, and both needing service noone else could provide. £350 a pop... Unfortunately I messed dads wathc up and had to have itredone so Im into that for £700 too. I found another guy who charges a much lower figure for a standard service who has been successful on some of dads old clocks, fortunately he also buys clocks so I went in with three that didnt work and came out with one that did and £100. Bearing in mind the house clearnace auctioneer sold most of the other clocks for under £100 each and many for £20 to £30 this was a result. I have one more to get working, it shouldnt need a lot of work as it was repaired and fully refurbished some years back, but never got wound, so now needs another service. Even though this clock predates me by some way, and like yours was from my grandfather and possibly from his father, my heart is not in it. No one else wants to hear it clonking away, it doesnt keep very good time and added to which it takes up quite a lot of space. Its difficult to let go of the hair looms though. I keep telling my kids that when the end of the world comes they will want a good old fashioned mechanical clock after all the batteries have died, but will they listen to me? Will they heck!

 

[The Panda Nut]

I've always found the day of the week really useful, particularly when you travel a lot round the world. Sometimes you do just think without a clue "what day is it??"

Sometimes? You are doing well young man!
In my case I never know what day it is, I am unclear on months and as to the time, all I know is dinner time is after it gets dark. If I said it was 1968 forgive me, In my mind it should be.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Some years ago I went to a jewellers to buy a wind up dress watch for my wife, all he had were quartz at expensive prices and not even high end names, he wasn't impressed when I said I could buy something similar in a petrol station for £1.50 at the time.

Wind up dresses. Mmmm that sounds like a good idea..

Oh deers, did I say that out loud.

 

[bugsymike]

Wind up dresses. Mmmm that sounds like a good idea..

Oh deers, did I say that out loud.

Wasn't that in the 1960s when they wound up to a mini, not the one with wheels.
Talking about clocks I was slightly tempted by a local auction selling a old chiming clock from a tower on a country house stables mounted on a 6ft stand, however living in a town I suspect I would have got a bit of grief from the neighbours apparently the bells chimed every quarter of the hour.

 

[portland_bill]

Around 6pm, there was a gentle crash from upstairs. Investigating, I found the shower rail in the bath. It is a L-shaped rail, fixed to a wall at each end, with a support from the ceiling near the bend. The support is plastic, and after about 28 years, has gone brittle, and let go. At that point of course, the end brackets cannot support the weight.
Online, found a replacement at Screwfix. One in stock at the bottom of the road, so a 100yd walk each way tomorrow morning. Then stand in the bath, with an electric drill. Seems like a fine idea.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Around 6pm, there was a gentle crash from upstairs. Investigating, I found the shower rail in the bath. It is a L-shaped rail, fixed to a wall at each end, with a support from the ceiling near the bend. The support is plastic, and after about 28 years, has gone brittle, and let go. At that point of course, the end brackets cannot support the weight.
Online, found a replacement at Screwfix. One in stock at the bottom of the road, so a 100yd walk each way tomorrow morning. Then stand in the bath, with an electric drill. Seems like a fine idea.

So your planning to have a lazy weekend in the bath. Very wise!

 

[portland_bill]

A new carer for my partner drives a 2018 500. First time I saw it, about 10 days ago, the driver's window top half was covered by a plastic bag, held on with sellotape. I guessed that the window regulator had failed.
Today, car is in same condition. Perhaps if left long enough, it'll fix itself.

Another carer had a Mazda 2. Difficult to start, sounded rattly when it did run. Then one day, she faild to arrive, and another carer arrived later. Next time we saw the Mazda owner, she has a different car. Still old and rattly, so that'll get worse then.