Monthly Archives: August 2013

Gallery Rado Sinatra Homage

I received this watch as a gift from my father in law. It is a Gallery all ceramic watch, which is an homage to a Rado Sinatra watch.  The entire watch is ceramic with a sapphire crystal.  The dial of the watch is a simple black, with gold rectangular hour markers.  The hour and minute hands are gold plated tapered stick design, and the seconds hand is a simple stick as well.  The rectangular case limits the length of the hands.  The case is 32.5 x 31mm.  There is a small date window at 6 o’clock, with a white date wheel.  The crystal is thick, lightly domed sapphire and flows into the integrated bracelet of the watch.  The dial is framed with a black bezel, there is no minute chapter ring.  There is no luminous material.  The dial is simply marked Gallery and Ceramic.  Overall the dial is clean and the time is easy to read in most lighting.

The case is all ceramic, including the case back.  The back in held in place with screws, something which is unique in my collection.  The back is laser marked, Gallery All Ceramic, Sapphire Crystal, 3ATM water resistant, Japan Movt.  This homage to Rado does them proud, since they used similar, scratch proof materials.  Rado has always specialized in scratch proof watches, including using tungsten and all ceramic watches. The Japan movement indicates this watch has a Seiko or Miyota quartz movement, I will take a look when I do the first battery change and update the review then. So far, the accuracy is very good, gains about 10 seconds a month.

The crown is interesting, ceramic hexagonal shape and is easy to use. The date is quick-set when pulled to the first  position.  Unsigned, but I would not even know how you could sign this crown.

The deployant is two button with no safety lock.  It hides very well and is signed with Gallery.  The entire bracelet exterior is ceramic.  The inside has stainless steel links that hold it together.  It was surprisingly easy to re-size and is pretty comfortable.  A point to mention is that is has not shown any desk wear, which is typical of steel and gold watches.

This is an interesting watch.  I only have one other rectangular watch, so it is a good addition to the collection.  The watch has a very good heft and feels well made.  It is an homage to a classic watch, so you can’t go wrong.  It looks like an expensive bracelet when worn and still looks like brand new.

Features:
Case: 32.5x31mm,  all ceramic.
Back: ceramic, held by 4 screws
Crystal: Sapphire, domed.
Movement: Japan Made battery quartz, maker unknown.
Complications: Date
Other: All ceramic construction.

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Bulova Dress Watch

I have had this piece for quite some time now, but I have not had a chance to actually review it.  It is a Bulova dress watch from 1960.  It has an M0 date code.  The dial is wonderfully simple, silver, with alternating finishing at the cardinal points.  The hour markers are gold plated applied sticks, except for 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, which are diamond shaped.   There is no luminescent material anywhere.  The dial is only marked Bulova and Swiss.  Clean and simple.  The hands are gold plated lancette, hour and minute only.  I am not sure if this watch ever had a second hand, but it is long gone in the last 53 years.  There is no chapter ring, but the bezel has 60 flutes for the minute markers.  The crystal is domed acrylic and required very little polishing.  The lack of lume is probably a saving grace of this watch, since there was none to degrade, the dial is in amazing condition.  It is hard to believe this watch was made when Eisenhower was president!

The case is base metal(?) with a very healthy gold plating.  Being a hand wound watch, it is pretty darn thin.  0.205 inches (5.25mm), without the crystal, 0.355 inches (9mm) thick, with the crystal.  The lugs are 19mm, so pretty easy to find a replacement band.  The crown is unsigned and quite brassed over, really no gold left on there.  To be expected with a hand wound watch half a century old.  The watch is currently on ostrich pattern leather and suits the watch well.

The case back is screw down and stainless steel.  Simply marked on the outside with Bulova Swiss.  The movement is a work of art, an 11 AFC, 17 jewels, made in Switzerland.  The plates gleam like they are brand new and the gear train appears to be possibly gold plated, or brass with a hell of a shine.  The balance has micro adjustment screws and shock protected jewels.  It is a shame this watch does not have a seconds hand, it appears to be very accurate, but is hard to tell without the running seconds hand.  There is no markings of the last service date.  The movement is held in place with a metal spacer ring.  This was a very nice quality watch when it was produced.

All in all, a very nice dress watch to wear.  It keeps excellent time, is fairly thin, and easy to read.  It has no complications, but, it is the lack of gimmicks makes this watch a real classic.  Sometimes I wonder about what history this watch has seen.  Is the original owner still alive?  (Probably not.)  Was someone wearing it when man landed on the moon?  Was it worn to their or or a daughter’s wedding?  Who is to know?  I know that I will take care of this little machine until I can pass it down to my own son.

Features:
Case: 34mm,  gold plates base or stainless.
Back: Stainless Steel, screw down
Crystal: Acrylic, domed.
Movement: Bulova 11 AFC, 18,000 BPH movement, 17 jewels Swiss Made, shock protected, hand wind.
Complications: None
Other: On Ostrich Pattern leather band,  19 mm lugs.

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