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handlebar
February 2nd, 2008, 23:02
After narrowing my search for a pilot that would be relatively inexpensive and easy to see,i found the Ticino.

Finally,after searching and reading reviews,i found one that is a delight to wear! And....didn't cost me the price of two months wages.
I had narrowed it down to a Laco,Archimede,Poljot, and Ticino.
The Ticino won out with an outstanding price and fast shipping.I wouldn't usually put a watch review on FPN,but i know many here love watches as well.And many also own pilots watches.Being a WWII and Battle of Britain aficionado,i wanted a large size watch with good lume.

My dream/grail watch is an IWC Mark XVI pilot or the Big Pilot.But at $3400 and $10,000 http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/yikes.gif respectively,i won't be buying either of those two anytime in the next decade.
The Ticino won out.Here are the pics.Forgive the hairy arm shot. http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/headsmack.gif

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h93/n7myw/Pens/Ticino1.jpg

The watch is 47mm and large,but really comfortable with the onion crown and bright markers.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h93/n7myw/Pens/Ticino4.jpg

The movement looks to be a 6497.Maybe Chinese.But it runs beautifully and is a handwind.No watchwinder needed.I'm starting to prefer these.
It lasted 41 hours on full wind.Was off 5 seconds over 2 days.Not bad at all.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h93/n7myw/Pens/Ticino3.jpg

A size comparison with my Omega Seamaster.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h93/n7myw/Pens/Ticino2.jpg

Finally,a good shot of the outstanding lume this watch has.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/style_images/1/img-resized.png Reduced: 94% of original size [ 677 x 449 ] - Click to view full image
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h93/n7myw/Pens/Ticinolume.jpg

A charge up lasted well into 10 hours with great readability.After that it was a bit harder to read.But under a light bulb for a scant 10 seconds charged it enough for quite a few more hours.Superlumibright is great material!!!
Only my Omega comes this close.

Thanks for all of the suggestions on pilots.It helped a lot.BTW this watch set me back $165.No joke. A great bargain.Granted i have only had it a week.
Time will tell.But the price was good.And i was giving three extra leather bands to go with the normal black.

Ah yes,one happy handlebar today!

Jim


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Nabco
February 3rd, 2008, 06:47
I received my Ticino Big Pilot with a white dial on Thursday, I agree with Handlebar, awesome watch for the price, I was impressed as to how comfortable it was to wear for such a huge watch.

Cranked it up Thursday afternoon, wore it all day Friday, topped it off Friday afternoon. When I took it off Saturday (because the postman made another delivery) it was exactly 7 second fast from when I set it Thursday, not bad.

Oh, got my Vostok-Europe all rose gold Arktika, had to size that baby and put the Pilot aside for awhile, another awesome piece.

ebrandwein
February 5th, 2008, 04:52
Nice review. Thanks:-!