Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

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Eterna-matic kontiki super idf
5
7%
Longines hydrographic survey
1
1%
r0lex deep sea special
6
9%
Something unique with tritium tubes (and modern stuff)
3
4%
Longines or Eterna Czech Air Force watch
3
4%
62mas
1
1%
Seamaster
6
9%
Fifty fathoms
13
19%
"Modern" 3 piece style (like a modern 3646)
11
16%
Rolex Zerograph
18
27%
 
Total votes: 67

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jrlmsla
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Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by jrlmsla »

What about doing something like Hodinkee does having established brands create a special addition.

We some excellent micro brands associated with the forum. Maybe collaborate and have an HF2 OWC, or Athaya etc where we design the dial, color scheme etc of something that already works and has an existing manufacturing supply chain, we just have Bigwaved do a dial and Binbin some hands and we send them over for assembly.

Plus we could support some of our members businesses. Maybe every year or few we have a different HF2 watch from a different micro brand.
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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by calvinktlim »

Yes for sure we will need to rely on one of our established makers in our forum.... Be it athaya or nightwatch or someone else...

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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by Emilio »

binbin wrote: December 5th, 2019, 7:57 pm To be honest "something with tritium" probably won't happen.

Buying the cheaper "China" version tubes runs around $10 a tube. Put 12 on a dial, plus three for the hands, you are already at $150 for sub standard tubes. I have some of these tubes. They are ok, but nothing to write home about.

If we were serious about a tritium dialed watch, we would be best to approach Armourlite with our design/plan and see if they would get involved.


I'm looking at the Drop "Massdrop x ArmourLite Ember T100 Tritium Watch". They are on sale from $300 down to $250 for cyber Monday. I went to order one and they are all sold out except for the blue dial with a titanium case and strap. The page shows 416 Sold. I'm guessing they made 500 total ?

So simple math....... these are cheap watches with a cheap Ronda quartz movement.
We would need approx. 500 unit at around the $250-300 price range to maybe get them interested in them helping us.

Adding a better movement will bring up the price. We might get a price cut if we can get them in a kit form.

We'd still need a larger group. I can't see us getting 500 of these sold. Unless we drag in members from some of the other watch building sites. Maybe different dials for the different sites.



Ok, next plan? :lol:
Maybe we can get tubes shipped like they were not tritium tubes ;)

I have bookmarked this website. I don't know if they are OK.
https://www.fasttech.com/product/421630 ... itium-tube
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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by binbin »

Emilio,

I bought tubes from these guys a couple years ago. They had good pricing, but the tubes were not very bright.

I noticed in your link to the tubes shows "Discontinued". Probably none of the people who ordered from them placed second orders. I know I didn't.
Last edited by binbin on December 6th, 2019, 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by Emilio »

binbin wrote:Emilio,

I bought tubes from these guys a couple years ago. They had good pricing, but the tubes were not very bright.

I noticed in your link to the tubes shows "Discontinued". Probably none of the people who ordered from them placed second orders. I know I didn't.

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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by Tanukjaju »

Would love to see some new/ heritage case project come out of this...
:shifty:

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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by binbin »

"A bunch of people got together and convinced a major brand to make a small run just for them.... And they got it to look the way they wanted it."

Lol, reading a post over on Paneristi about the PAM1080.

Sounds like they be building homages over there. :)




"The actual look is none of our concern... If they wanted a striped purple dial, that would've been ok too.
I think this needs to be viewed as a custom passion project and not through an exacting historical microscope."
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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by calvinktlim »

Lets keep the discussion and voting going... But first lets try to get a maker involved... To understand what we are up against... May i ask what made our historical makers leave the hobby... Why did esdee stop producing cases... Was it due to some veiled or not so veiled threat from the brand owners... Or was it hugely unprofitable?

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Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by jrlmsla »


This is exactly the reason I suggest a special addition from one of our microbrand guys. Because we talk and talk about lofty ideas and we dream super big like tritium and custom cases but nothing happens because it ends up being cost prohibitive. A special addition of an existing watch from a microbrand would get a watch out there for us to buy. One that we vote on a custom dial and hands etc. AND we could have another one from someone else next year.

Just think it would be easier
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Re: Let's do something exciting... Start a HF project?

Post by calvinktlim »

But to be very honest, i didnt join homage forum to buy a redialed version of another makers commercially available watch... For that there are other forums such as wus...

Whats special about this forum to me, is the 'maker spirit' of the members here... And then the commitment to the 'old school way', be it embodied by repurposing vintage movements, or by adhereing to traditional methods in strap making, case construction... The homage watches then become more gen than the genuine modern interpretation or reeditions released by brand owners who are constrainted by their pursuit of profit over dedication to art...

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