My HEQ heap...

[roba]

Here's my HEQ heap. Each one has something special, each one has a place in my heart and - more importantly - a place on my wrist.

Rado sit in a strange market position, watch enthusiasts poke fun at then and from their perspective rightly so. "Cooking" ETA quartz movements are nothing to write home about but.... but the styling and the case materials are something else. It's unmistakably a Rado and, let's face it, it's not a bad looking watch. Rado are, I believe, pioneers of ceramic case materials and the case is top notch. HEQ I say.

IWC's Mecaquartz is a true timelord's watch. Like Doctor Who it has two hearts but unlike the ever changing Doctor both are quartz. This one melds quartz accuracy with the spring chauvinist's idea of complexity and all in a beautiful package. This one is s a first generation model with an acrylic crystal.

Omega's multifunction Seamaster is an excellent travel watch, it's got alarms, timezones, timers and stuff like that but it's all in a neat package and it's all controlled by a single crown. The watch is idiosynchratic, sporty and possibly even refined looking. I've got this one on a blue DiModell strap that matches the dial perfectly. Love it!

Seiko, two of them. The Brightz is a wonderful watch, solar power, radio synchronisation, clean design and so many nice little behavioural "quirks" that make it a delight to wear and use. The polished titanium on the case is wonderful.

Citizen Landmaster, there's something just so right about Citizen's simple "tough" series watches. I'm not a follower of the expensive beater credo, I don't really like damaging things and if I'm doing anything dodgy then I'll take my watch off be it a cereal pack giveaway or a [censored - mechanical content].. That said, I'll trust this Citizen think thet they're perfect for casual

Now, the big hitters. Seiko and Citizen's upper lines. I've had the Credor Node - the second Seiko - for quite while (in WIS terms) and will have it for a long tine to come. It's got a thermocompensated movement and no seconds hand! There are two schools of thought about this, one of the wonderful things about living in Tokyo is incongruity. Tokyo is a mega city, it's crowded, it's noisy, it's all hustle and bustle, there's no space for anything yet.... everywhere there is beauty, there's attention to detail. Stop, focus on something - a ten square metre "pocket park", a stainless steel sparrow on a barrier, cherry blossom patterns in a mosaic on the sidewalk, tiny LCD screens with ever changing pictures... there is something special, something incongruously special. Something that can give a few moments of tranquility in one of the most crowded places on earth, a bubble of incongrous tranquility. I can carry that tranquility on my wrist with my Node. The thermocompensated movement without a seconds hand - to my eyes - epitomises the incongruities of Tokyo life. The other school, understated competence. The Seiko's thermocompensated movement is coolly and reassuredly doing away with the main means of monitoring its accuracy because it's not needed. both are attractive and both are sound reasons for liking it. Incongruity or competence - it doesn't matter, this has been my preferred watch for a long time - a thing of simplicity and a thing of beauty.

The Citizen is, possibly, the antithesis of the Node. It's got it all, complications, fussy design, bulk and clutter yet... it's all fited into a beautiful package. The dial is absolutely stunning, it's an Aizu lacquer with motherof pearl (I think) suspended in the substrate. This one's a thing of complexity and a thing of beauty. It has presence, lyshness and.. and restraint. It has incongruity - my favourite feature of life in Japan - and it has it in spades. A minute repeater with a glow in the dark dial. That's excellence in incongruity. Love it!

I'm proud of 'em. The heap has weaknesses - it's really all contemporary and I hope to be able to address that. Something that has surprised me is that there are no white faced watches, nothing that I would wear "formally". maybe, maybe a Citizen Stiletto - inexpensive and wonderfully thin.

What are your heaps like? I'm sure that there'll be a lot of fantastic historical watches out there.

Footnote : I haven't bought a mechanical watch for more than two years and unlike the mech collection posts all of these ones are at roughly the same time

[dwjquest]

Great heap! I have the Omega 120m multifunction and a different version of the IWC Mecaquartz, the GST. They are great watches and a lot of fun to wear. Not many people have seen either of them in person, so I get a lot of questions when I wear either of them.

I guess I need to get my heap together and post a picture.

[ppaulusz]

Good one, roba!... and I agree with your explanation too!

[Bruce Reding]

And a HEQ of a heap it is! I really like your choices, Robert! All excellent from a design point of view. That Node continues to entice. If I ever get a Seiko, that one would be at the top of the list.

[ausrandoman]

I am a big fan of the Rado Ceramica. There is something about the understated gloss black that appeals to me - and defeats my limited photographic skills :)




I also have a Seamaster Multifunction and as you say it is a very practical travel watch, with almost the same functions as the Rado. Like you , I did not like the original bracelet.

I like my Oysterquartz, partly for its history, partly for its accuracy and partly for the sheer goofiness of its looks.


And finally, my X-33. I have had it about six months. I'm a little disappointed with the accuracy of 2 minutes per year, but I suspect it could be regulated to do better, next battery change. But despite that, I can't imagine parting with it - it is the engineer's watch par excellence. It's also ideal for marathon cycling: I actually use the alarms, timers, backlight etc.