Twenty Minutes watch

[Guest]

OK, here is a weird question: does anyone know what kind of wrist watch that is in the photo on the "Twenty Minutes" program page?

David

[Mr Pee]

I don't even know what the "Twenty Minutes" program is, never mind the wrist watch. Perhaps you could provide a link or a picture?

[french frank]

I don't even know what the "Twenty Minutes" program is, never mind the wrist watch. Perhaps you could provide a link or a picture?

Of course you do, Mr Pee - it's the bit in between the two halves of the live concert . This is the watch.

[Eudaimonia]

Hard to say without a better shot, but it looks a bit like it could be based on one of the most classic watches of all time, the Patek Phillipe Calatrava:

http://www.watchfinder.co.uk/Patek-Philippe/Calatrava-Watches/5120J-m2982-watch.aspx#

If you don't feel like dropping that much money, you can get a similar look from Cartier's Ballon Bleu:

http://www.cartier.com/show-me/timep...u-medium-model

[doversoul1]

It looks very much like the one I didn’t buy from Sainsbury’s for my gardening. It was a bit pricier than the one I did buy. Mine was £6.

[Osborn]

doversoul
Mine is almost identical, Russian, £9.99 from Argos and the gold hasn't come off. Before that I had one that was almost identical and free with Van Gils eau de toilette spray. The spray took all the gold off.

eudaimonia
Are you trying to impress us by name dropping again? Although the name's removed it will definitely not be an expensive watch - it's bad for business if R3 and RW reek of sophistication.

[marthe]

I'll go with the inexpensive watch brigade because I'm always losing watches (and reading glasses)! Mine are usually the most basic Timex I can find, usually costing between $25.00-$30.00. I don't want anything that's so cheap it will poop out on me but Philippe Patek is way beyond my means and desires. I usually get ones with a dial and second hand rather than digital. The simpler the watch the better! My children use their cell phones instead.

[french frank]

I usually get ones with a dial and second hand rather than digital.

Yes, somehow something which just goes round and round in a circle is preferable to that ineluctable counting off of the seconds, minutes and hours...

[marthe]

And my watch says: time to go out in the garden...!

[Eudaimonia]

Are you trying to impress us by name dropping again? Although the name's removed it will definitely not be an expensive watch

No, not at all--and if you'll notice I said "based on", which leaves all sorts of room, doesn't it? Lots of inexpensive watches are designed after classics...sheesh.

Come to think of it, if it is a grocery-store bargain, they may not have had to airbrush a thing: some Chinese watch manufacturers make what's known as "sterile dial" watches. These are identical to expensive models in almost every respect-- sometimes, right down to the watch movement!-- with only the logo missing to avoid getting busted for infringement. If you do a Google image search on "sterile dial", you'll see what I mean; fascinating stuff.

I magnified that R3 picture for more clues--and the only thing I could figure out was their hand model seriously needs a good nail-clipping.

[Mobson7]

I'll go with the inexpensive watch brigade because I'm always losing watches (and reading glasses)! Mine are usually the most basic Timex I can find, usually costing between $25.00-$30.00. I don't want anything that's so cheap it will poop out on me but Philippe Patek is way beyond my means and desires. I usually get ones with a dial and second hand rather than digital.


Have you heard of Christopher Ward? His watches are very well made and are certainly not anywhere near PP's price bracket. I bought the RAF special edition watch for my father at Xmas. Take a look here...

http://www.christopherward.co.uk/

[Eudaimonia]

Interesting site, though Ward is definitely making "homage" watches based on the work of famous designers.
Which is a rather polite way of saying he's blatantly knocking them off. Compare his 765-pound Matisse watch...

http://www.christopherward.co.uk/women/trend/w80/w80ssmk.html

...To Franck Muller's well-known (and incredibly tasteless) Imperial Tourbillon Color Dreams, with a truly obscene price:

http://onswisstime.com/product.php?id_product=1116

it's bad for business if R3 and RW reek of sophistication.

I don't know about you, but I think a fake Calatrava is infinitely more "R3" than a fake Color Dreams...tasteful design comes at all price ranges.

[Richard Tarleton]

I've always gone for Arabic rather than Roman numerals. My current watch (which cost about £36) corrects itself when the clocks change to or from BST - you just leave it on a window ledge, facing (in my case) roughly north-east, towards Rugby.

[Bryn]

I've always gone for Arabic rather than Roman numerals. My current watch (which cost about £36) corrects itself when the clocks change to or from BST - you just leave it on a window ledge, facing (in my case) roughly north-east, towards Rugby.

Why Rugby? After all, the MSF radio signal has been transmitted from Anthorn Radio Station in Cumbria (latitude 54° 55' N, and longitude 3° 15' W) for quite a while now. There is no longer a signal from Rugby.

[Richard Tarleton]

Ah! Thanks. It's what it says in the instructions, obviously out of date. "North-ish" would seem to cover it. It also mentions Mainflingen (Germany), Fukushima (Japan) (hasn't that been in the news recently?) and Fort Collins, Colorado.