Author Archives: tomvox1

Earworm of the day — That’s Because You Drive Me by Acid House Kings

Because my New Year’s resolution is to inflict upon you all the nonsense catchy pop rattling around in my head one song at time…

What is it with Swedish bands and maddeningly sweet, highly contagious tunes? From 2005’s Sing Along with Acid House Kings, “That’s Because You Drive Me” anchors an album of persistently cheerful, decidedly un-moody Scandinavian pop, as if ABBA cross-pollinated with Belle & Sebastian. The original packaging even included a DVD of karaoke-ready videos (which can all be seen on YouTube), hence the “Sing Along” part. Go ahead and join in–you know you want to. Plus, resistance to such determined sunniness is futile, futile I tell you.

The Allure of Military Watches (an occasional series)

BenrusTypeII77-7_edited-1

Military-issued wristwatches are one of the hottest categories of collectible vintage watches out there. When we talk about Mil-Watches we are speaking for the most part about timepieces that have been officially issued to a given country’s armed forces as an essential part of a soldier, airman, marine or sailor’s equipment. For example, navy divers may require a dive watch to aid in timing their decompression intervals and pilots may require a chronograph to record mission flight time or monitor gas consumption. Back in the pre-quartz days, these watches were all analog mechanical watches that possessed certain high standards of durability and functionality as required by the needs of a particular branch of the service. Therefore, these older Mil-Watches not only have the standard charm of vintage watches in general but also the mystique of possibly having seen combat or other rigorous military action. It’s no wonder that not only veterans but also those of us who have not been in the military are drawn to the vicarious thrill that an issued military watch can convey, as well as a sense of paying homage to the warriors of days past by the mere act of strapping it on. There’s something about a vintage object with a tale to tell and with the high price of many Mil-Watches nowadays, it’s clear that these special timepieces are telling a very appealing one across a wide spectrum of collectors. Better yet, genuine military watches are immune from the normal aesthetic standards of most other collectible timepieces where Mint Condition is generally the highest standard and finding a desirable watch that has never been worn is akin to finding a Grail. With Mil-Watches, the collector wants to see the use in the watch, the nicks and scars that could well denote combat and adventure. Up to a certain point, the more WABI the better!

It’s not possible to go into every Milwatch out there in in these posts, nor do I have the specific expertise required to do so. Not even close. For that I would recommend starting out with something basic and general like the Concise Guide to Military Timepieces, which, while not the world’s greatest reference book, will give you a general overview of what constitues a Mil-Watch and what’s out there in terms of variety. Even better would be a visit to the Military Watch Resource Forum where everyday you can find informative and spirited conversation on all things Mil-Watch great and small. They also have an excellent sales corner (membership required) where some of the most fantastic pieces crop up in all price ranges.

What I will do is discuss some of the Mil-Watches I have been lucky enough to own to give a small taste of their appeal and hopefully show what makes them special.

Benrus Type II

Benrus Type II, ca. 1977

Benrus Type II, ca. 1977

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Earworm of the day — Nothing in My Way by Keane

This song has been going through my head for days if not weeks. And now I’m inflicting it upon you. So Merry Christmas, I guess.

From Keane’s 2006 emo epic, Under the Iron Sea, “Nothing in My Way” showcases the glam-tinged, piano-driven grandiosity of this English band perfectly, not to mention lead vocalist Tom Chaplin’s stunning tenor range. Is it a little soft overall? Yes, a little. Is it a little “pretty”? Yes. But listen to it once and I have a feeling you’re going to play it again, and probably the whole album too, which is pretty much impeccable in an Elton John-meets-Queen-with-a-dash-of-U2 kind of way. Just one word of warning: unless you are a near-pro singer with a massive head voice range, it might be best not to choose “Nothing in My Way” for your next karaoke excursion lest you crash & burn. It’s a sweetly melodic song that sounds easy enough to sing along with… until you realize you can’t hit half the notes Chaplin can. Love or hate the music, the guy’s voice is certifiably amazing.

tomvox1’s watches for sale — December Selection

MFL is proud to present links to tomvox1’s ads for vintage watches. These are sales posts you might otherwise have to search the web for or miss entirely before they are sold. These watches are eclectic, cover a wide range of price points and offer the discerning gentleman the opportunity to acquire quality vintage timepieces that are guaranteed to be authentic and add penache & elan to a man’s wrist & wardrobe.  Most of all, they are backed by one of the world’s foremost collectors and always certain to be accurately and lovingly described down to the last detail. Simply put, you can buy a watch from some other random seller on the Internet with a lot of vague claims and small pictures or you can buy a tomvox1 watch and know exactly what you’re getting before you make the leap.

Vintage Rolex ref. 1655 Explorer II Straight Hand Freccione — Click here for complete Vintage Rolex Market ad: SOLD

Vintage Rolex ref. 3696 Pink Gold/SS Tropical Bubbleback w/BLACK Dial — Click here for complete Vintage Rolex Market ad: SOLD

Vintage 1950s Omega cal. 355 Bumper Automatic Calendar w/ TÜRLER Dial — Click here for complete Timezone Sales Corner ad: SOLD

What we’re listening to today — Asimbonanga (Mandela) by Johnny Clegg & Savuka

The death of the great man Nelson Mandela has brought back a torrent of memories from my youth, when Apartheid was still the law of the land in South Africa and Mandela was still in prison. No one then could conceive of the astonishing turn of events that would see Mandela one day lead his nation. But I do remember the strong feeling that Apartheid was doomed sooner than later. And as Lord Jim referred to the other day, a lot of that optimism derived from music as a form of social awareness. In my case, the music of Johnny Clegg with Juluka and Savuka was a particular inspiration, especially the beautiful “Asimbonanga (Mandela)”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3LLcikA8-M

To hear a white South African leading traditional Zulu ensembles in overtly anti-Apartheid music was particularly powerful, especially since interracial bands were illegal in South Africa at the time. Despite the official crackdown on Clegg & his bands, including arrests, breaking up their concerts and blacklisting them from radio play, Juluka and Savuka became hugely successful acts in Europe and the music trickled over to America in the “World Music” movement of the 1980s. That is where I first was exposed to it, in high school, as a natural extension of the curiosity inspired by the World Music explorations of Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and David Byrne among others. I was able to get a cassette copy of Juluka from a friend and “Scatterlings of Africa” was very often on my stereo throughout the school year.

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Watch Collector’s Notebook: Tudor by Rolex

Hans Wilsdorf's official Tudor announcementt

In any discussion, Tudor by Rolex must be mentioned as one of the highest quality, most diverse and most appealing brands in the vintage watch world, and one that often offers terrific bang for the buck. Tudor was officially created as Rolex’s junior brand in the post-WWII era as a way to fulfill founder Hans Wilsdorf’s desire to offer Rolex quality at a slightly lower price. They achieved this by outsourcing the movement production.

Ca. late 1940s/early 50s Ref. 951 "Bumper" Auto

Ca. late 1940s/early 50s Ref. 951 “Bumper” Automatic

Ref. 951"Bumper" Auto Movement (A. Schild 1250)

Ref. 951 “Bumper” Auto Movement (A. Schild 1250)

The first “official” Tudors were actually bumper automatics with A. Schild movements. But these did not really fit Wilsdorf’s dictum that the new subsidiary brand should share the full-rotor automatic “Perpetual” movement that Rolex pioneered and, I believe, still had many proprietary rights to even as late as the 1950s.  Therefore, Rolex commissioned outside movement manufacturer Fleurier (FEF) to build a bespoke version of their manual caliber 350 with an auto-rotor module added, thus creating the first exclusive Tudor calibers: 390 (non-date) and 395 (date). You will not find a 390 or 395 in any watch other than a Tudor, as FEF only sold this ebauche to Rolex under exclusive agreement. The debut of these movements marks the real launch of the Tudor “Rotor Self-Winding” Oyster-Princes. Initially patterned after pre-Explorer Oysters, they were also sent on expeditions as their progenitors had been so successfully, to build up their reputation as tough and durable watches for the man of action.

Early cal. 390 ref. 7909

Early cal. 390 ref. 7909

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What we’re listening to on Thanksgiving — Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) by Sly & the Family Stone

Blogging could be sporadic with the upcoming Turkey Day blowout but wanted to throw this great Sly & the Family Stone tune out there for y’all because it seems just right for the occasion…

One of the last gasps from that great interracial collective before drugs destroyed the band, 1969’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” could be cited as truly revolutionary for its bass line alone. Seeming to infuse nearly every funk track to follow in the 70s, Larry Graham’s “slapping” style of percussive bass is literally the sound that launched a thousand R&B bands. And of course the pure stoned compositional genius that is Sylvester “Sly Stone” Stewart is on full display here, with enough sonic and lyrical mischief happening to bring a smile to the most jaded hipster. It may be a cliche but it happens to be true: If Prince has a musical daddy, it’s Sly Stone.

Even after a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, when you hear “Thank You” you’ll wanna shake it to the groove. So let’s take a moment to give thanks for great music and great food. And especially to the great friends & family who so importantly let us be ourselves–Thank You!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ptrc2cWRxU

Thoughts on the astounding results from Christie’s Rolex Daytona “Lesson One” Auction

Like many vintage Rolex enthusiasts, it’s taken me some time to fully digest the incredibly high results from Christie’s November 10th auction, “Rolex Daytona ‘Lesson One’: 50 exceptional examples of the world’s most celebrated chronograph wristwatch”, held in Geneva. When I say incredible, I mean it literally: the prices achieved by the majority of these Cosmographs really did defy belief. Some examples…

Right out of the chute, Lot 1’s lovely pump pusher 6239 with Underline and double-SWISS markings and slightly “Tropical” brown sub registers hammered for $296,250.

Lot 1, ref. 6239

Previously, I would have said that the estimate of $44-$88k was spot on with $88k being very ambitious.

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What we’re listening to today – Ode to Sad Disco by Mark Lanegan Band

Of the Big Four megabands to emerge from the Seattle grunge explosion of the early 90s, the one that stayed below the radar the most is Screaming Trees. Everyone knows Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. But for many, the more psychedelically inclined ‘Trees have been somewhat forgotten as the years have passed. And that’s a shame. Because not only were the Screaming Trees very often the best of those four bands in purely musical and creative terms but their lead vocalist, Mark Lanegan, was arguably the second best behind the superhuman lungs of Chris Cornell. And really “best” is a massively subjective term to apply in this instance because it assumes we are judging all vocalists by the same measure. If Rock ‘n Roll has taught us anything it’s that the guy with the rough hewn, damaged and soulful sound can trump the fellow with the operatic range. The epically beautiful “Ode to Sad Disco” from the most recent Mark Lanegan Band album, Blues Funeral, is another strong performance in favor of that argument.

So, equally mystifying to me, is why Lanegan remains a fairly subdued commerical force in his many years as a solo act. Continue reading →

Something special: A Chocolate Rolex GMT-Master

Every once in a while, you come across a watch that really gets your juices flowing, just like when you started out and everything was new and fresh. A special piece is exciting to find in the wild and it’s one of the thrills of the hunt when you bag one. I should add here that I am often excited about a lot of different watches I come across because, well, I’m a shamelessly promiscuous watchaholic. But there are flings and then there are the love affairs that last. And for a guy like me who has always had a special place in his heart for the classic Rolex reference 1675 GMT-Master, this one really put a charge in me.

1675GMTChoco-8_edited-3

Do not adjust your monitor–that dial really is that brown. A deep, dark chocolate brown in fact. Now, we know that the early meters-first matte dials for the Red Submariners are famous for their tendency to turn a pleasing “Tropical” brown. But for whatever reason, we see this less on the first series of GMT matte dials. It’s not unheard of, of course, I’ve seen it a few times prior. But it definitely seems more unusual. And to find a dial like this one that is evenly toned and essentially flawless is really a rare thing…

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