Cartier was nice enough to give me gift for my birthday. Went to collect it and it was wrapped beautifully.

 

 

 

Seagull 1963 Aviation Chronograph Pilot Mechanical Watch International Edition ST1901 - A Near-Perfect Watch for its Price, with Overall Appeal and Historical Significance, A Review (plus Video)

The first watch to join the collection in 2025. The Seagull 1963 Aviation Chronograph Pilot has been said to be a watch that any watch collector should consider adding. The history behind the watch is inspiring especially if one considers going into the watch making business from scratch.

 

Despite having been a collector for many years, I did not get a chance to pursue this model until now. While going through Amazon, I happened to find the page by Seagull and on it is an offering for the Seagull 1963 Aviation Chronograph Pilot Mechanical Watch International Edition ST1901.

 

To be honest, I would not have gotten my hands on an original but a reissued modernized timepiece by the same factory is possible and would be awesome. The offer was very enticing. Coupled with a few coupons that I have with Amazon, I was able to get the watch at an unbelievable price after discount.

 

I quickly put in an order on 3 February 2025 and exactly two weeks later, I got the watch via courier.

Birthday Cake From Omega Boutique

It was my birthday the other week and Omega was kind enough to invite me to celebrate it with a cake at their boutique. Thank you OMEGA!

THE IMAGE BELOW IS THE LINK TO MY AFFILIATE STORE

 

ChatGPT's suggestion on the focus of the Collection going forward - I am impressed

 I recently asked ChatGPT to recommend to me other brands to collect. Base on the list of brands in the collection, here is the reply I got from the AI:

"That's a fantastic and diverse watch collection! It spans a wide variety of brands, from iconic luxury timepieces like Rolex, Cartier, and Omega, to collector favorites like Grand Seiko, Hamilton, and Orient. You even have niche microbrands like Athaya Vintage, Evant, and Gruppo Gamma, which is impressive. The sheer number of Seikos stands out as the heart of your collection—clearly, you're a Seiko enthusiast!

Would you like me to help you organize this in any specific way (e.g., by price, type, or sentimental value), or assist in exploring deeper into any particular brand or model in your collection?"

My 2024 Watch Collecting Journey - A Reflection

Throughout 2024, I purchased 14 watches of various brands. More Swiss made ones made it into the collection. There were three Omegas, three Citizens, two Seikos, a Bell & Ross, a Rolex, a Glycine, a Hamilton, a Tag Heuer and a Revelot. Below is the list of those watches and the respective links to their individual reviews.

1.       Citizen Promaster Tough Super Titaniun Eco-Drive Green BN0241-59W
2.       Glycine Airman SST 43 GMT Automatic Black Reference GL0311
3.       Seiko 5 Sports SRPK17 55th Anniversary Limited Edition
4.       Hamilton Ventura Elvis80 Automatic Reference H24585331
5.       Revelot Gentus 40 Automatic Aventurine Steel R15-16V1B1B1
6.       Seiko 5 Sports Field GMT SSK023K1
7.       Rolex Oyster Perpetual 42 mm Explorer II White Dial 226570 Polar
8.       Omega Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronometer Chronograph Mark II 327.10.43.50.01.001
9.       Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional White Lacquered Dial 310.30.42.50.04.001
10.   Citizen Silver Leaf Lacquer Urushi Aquamarine Blue NB060-12L Automatic JDM
11.   Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Military Beige Reference BRV294-BEI-ST/SF
12.   Citizen Series 8 890 Mechanical NB6060-58L
13.   TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Green Titanium Limited Edition CAW218E.FC6565
14.   Omega Speedmaster "Silver Snoopy Award" 50th Anniversary 310.32.42.50.02.001

I spent a fair bit thought 2024. I was generally happy as I was able to get a few of my dream watches into the collection such as the Rolex Explorer II and  Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. 

THE IMAGE BELOW IS THE LINK TO MY AFFILIATE STORE