There is, in the basement of a hotel in Kyoto, a superb little shop selling vintage watches. The manager and his employee do not speak a word of French. The negotiation was going to be difficult but I was planning on leaving the shop with this superb Orient from 1965 (+/-)! I liked its look, simple, efficient and so classy! Add to that the NOS condition (a characteristic of the Japanese market? I have only seen watches in fantastic condition there!) of the piece and its fluted crown to obtain a wonderful souvenir of an unforgettable trip. Communication with the shop staff was not easy, the manager explaining to me that the watch had not yet been serviced and that he refused to sell me a watch that he was not 100% sure of! Finally, I won and this dressy piece makes my weekends happy, when I am not wearing my older, sportier watches. A simple Japanese timepiece with a crazy charm and a history that I won't soon forget!

A vintage souvenir from a trip to Japan

While strolling through the aisles of a watch fair, I came face to face with this sublime Stowa French Army Type I. I had wanted a military watch for a long time, and here I am, faced with this model which, in addition, echoes my father's personal history. The seller was parting with this type I, which was more patinated, and a type II, in sensational condition. However, it was in front of this type I that I cracked. A quick exchange with the seller, a negotiation later, here it is on my wrist. It is incredible! A sick presence, a strong history, a contained size (33 mm) which, however, suits my rather large wrist perfectly. The Durowe 422 caliber still works very well, and even if the precision is not up to COSC standards, I don't care. Very happy to now have this piece in my collection. She is number 625. I don't know if she went to Indochina or Algeria, but in any case, she seems to have lived and I like that!

A story, a favorite

A few months ago, while browsing a Facebook group dedicated to vintage Seikos, I fell completely in love with this 7016 8001 model. The look is absolutely amazing, the blue dial is sublime, in short it's a total killer. After seeing it on this group, I became completely obsessed with this model. While I had not planned on buying a new watch, I had the opportunity to grab one on Chrono 24 for a few hundred euros. And what a treat!! A flyback chronograph, equipped with the 7016a movement (which also powers the Seiko Monaco, my next purchase I think!!) which will accompany me on an upcoming trip to Japan. The watch has a very small diameter but, despite my tanos wrist, it sits very well on it. Beyond the flyback function, it should be noted that there is no second hand, but frankly, I don't care. You can also change the day by pressing the crown. A super fun watch, rather rare and equipped with what appears, according to my readings, to be one of the most interesting movements produced by Daini Seikosha.

Seiko 7016 8001 "Flyback"

I always wanted a speed. Vintage and from my birth year. Here I have one! And honestly, it's great. What a pleasure to wear, I can't see anything else. On the other hand, is it the holy grail that will make me stop buying watches? No, no, no! A piece from my birth year, bought from a watchmaker I know well. A unique sentimental value that surpasses this idea of owning a piece of a great human conquest. A piece that will remain in my collection and which, failing to go to the moon, will, I hope, cross the decades in my company!

Birth year hobby.

I have long dreamed of a vintage Navitimer. I have seen the prices of vintage Navitimers soar ;)! Then, I learned that when Breitling was in difficulty following the quartz crisis, two brands positioned themselves to buy parts, tools, stocks: Sinn, well known, but also Ollech and Wajs. Albert Wajs chose the acronym Aviation Chronograph Suisse to market watches resulting from the buyouts made by O&W at Breitling around 1978. So I looked seriously into this story and in an ad, I came across this splendid Aviation, equipped with a valjoux 7736 [some other models have the buren cal.12 and sometimes have a balance bridge signed Breitling], gold-plated and giving the time on 24 hours. A real love at first sight!!! It came in a beautiful Aviation box, with some period papers, including the user manual in Italian, which I had fun deciphering. It seems that Aviation was at the time resold in Parma, in the "Longinotti" store. A piece that I love very much and which allowed me to realize my dream of a Navitimer but with, and this is mine, a little more history!

Chronograph Carica 34017

I acquired this fabulous Herma Le Mans chronograph (reference 911120) because I was looking for a piece linked to French watchmaking and industrial history...and also because I have a serious problem with chronographs. By chance, I came across this new model in stock and it was love at first sight. Equipped with a Valjoux 7733 (hand-wound), the reference I have, probably manufactured around 1969/70, has 2 beautiful red sub-dials, the one on the right allowing you to total 45 minutes (football fans!). The 42 mm case has 2 finishes, namely a polishing and what I would call a brushing all around the plexiglass. The chronograph hand has a beautiful orange color and the crown, black (but not easy to handle despite its size) gives a phenomenal face to the watch. A very beautiful chronograph that is easy to wear and gives the pleasant satisfaction of having a piece of heritage on your wrist.

A French chrono and a piece of history!

A fantastic Zenith AutoSport Luxe found at an antique dealer, in a deplorable state: scratched case, full of dents, very dirty dial and above all, 2562PC movement completely blocked. 

After a month spent at my watchmaker, it came back to me in working order, the case slightly renovated but not too much, so that the piece keeps the traces of its visibly tumultuous past. The case also has a small defect that must date from its manufacture, a kind of small steel stud on the right side, its signature! This watch quickly became one of the favorites of my collection and I must say that I wear it all the time. My first Zenith, and I'm crazy about it!

A nugget unearthed in pitiful condition

This superb Breitling Chronomat, reference 81950, was given to me for my birthday. A dream for me to own a model of this brand. Powered by a Valjoux 7750, decorated, on the case back, by a superb Aermacchi MB-339A, this Breitling "Aermacchi" makes me a happy man. Produced between 1984 and 1990, this model marks the rebirth of the Chronomat, after difficult years for the brand. The watch is easy to wear and above all, turns out to be a real chameleon! Depending on the bracelet, it can be very sporty or very chic. Unfortunately, I do not have the original roller bracelets, but, in any case, it would probably be too small for my wrist. A watch of the heart, historical, full of history and which, like the Navitimer, is very linked to the world of aviation, the Aermacchi MB-339A, being the aircraft in service with the Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic squadron of our Italian friends. In short, a very interesting vintage piece and which fills me every time I wear it! Finally, and I understand that one may not like it, I really appreciate the movement of the 7750 in this watch. Let me explain: you feel the mass move, the watch lives on the wrist and takes it with it. This may not please everyone, but as far as I'm concerned, it's great!

The Breitling "Aermacchi"

An original pilot's watch, assembled and adjusted in Switzerland! Swiss Made designation justified at 95%. The manufacturing quality is impeccable, the finishes are of a very good level. The case is in brushed 316L steel, the crown is signed O&W. We can clearly speak of a Big Crown, screwed, to ensure water resistance to 30 atmospheres. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal with the most beautiful effect. ETA 2824-2 caliber, assembled and adjusted by the watchmakers of the house, nothing to complain about the precision, which gives me complete satisfaction. The hands are incredible and are really, in my opinion, the big strong point of the watch. The NATO strap is of very good quality and comes with a pretty brushed steel buckle signed O&W. I have not tried the Steel strap but I installed an orange tropic and the rendering is really fun and very pleasant. The dial takes the light well, the watch remains very readable underwater. The only downside is that the hands and indexes are advertised as being treated with super Luminova, but the treatment is a bit light in my opinion. For the rest, it's all good. The price is, in my opinion, fair for the quality of the product offered. 39 mm in diameter, nice presence when worn, a success!

An original pilot's watch with impeccable finishes.

Found for a handful of euros, this very cool Seiko Sports 100 M929 5020 from the 80s was sold immediately after installing a new battery. I, who didn't really wear quartz, except for a solar one to show off, was completely hooked on the excellent look of this watch. It is in great condition and is really nice to wear. The bracelet is light, signed and easy to adjust. I am the first to be surprised but I love this charm! I really enjoy wearing it and playing with its different functions!

A classy Seiko LCD for a handful of euros

Bought 5 years ago, this Seiko prospex solar equipped with the V176 caliber is a solid adventurer that has cut down trees, gone down rivers, swam in fresh water, salt water and dug the garden (not alone, it is not haunted yet!) with its owner! Screw-down crown, 20 bars of water resistance, a real tough watch, which, apparently, resists all the mistreatment inflicted on it. The glass has eaten a little but overall, the piece remains clean after 5 years of use. The watch has never stopped, although stored in a box in a dimly lit room. Apparently, the battery charges for 6 months and I confirm. The brand recommends replacing the battery (+ servicing) after 10 years. I have no doubt that it will hold up until then without fail. On a nato or on a rubber, the watch wears well if the adjustment is done correctly. As is often the case, the original Seiko leather is pretty rubbish, but in any case, I don't think it's the material that suits him best!

Indestructible !

I received this pretty little vintage Seiko 5 as a gift, the glass was shattered but the watch worked properly. Purchase of a new glass on ebay followed by a quick trip to the little watchmaker and here is a watch that gives a lot compared to its apparent simplicity. A day date "tv dial", days in English/Arabic, caliber 6309 roots (without manual winding) but ultra reliable and solid. With a small blue leather strap, it looks great on the wrist, with a polo shirt of the same color for example. These little vintage 5 models can be found for a song and there was such a variety that it is, I think, impossible not to find what you are looking for!

Pleasure for a handful of bucks!

I had a real crush on this Omega Seamaster Cosmic 2000 watch from 1978. Bought from a photo from a watchmaker several years ago, I am still crazy about this definitively 70's watch today. Integrated bracelet, incredible depth between glass and dial, terrible look, this watch is one of the many testimonies of the design madness that was rampant at Omega in the 70s. Powered by the caliber 1020 which beats at 28,800 vph, it keeps the time precisely and dresses my wrist perfectly. There are many variations that bear the name Cosmic 2000, but this one is my favorite of this range apparently marketed under this name from 1972. A killer that I love to look at, admire and wear. The Omega crown is discreet and not always easy to use to set the time, but no matter, it's always a pleasure to take this watch out of the box. The bracelet needs to be adjusted properly or it will wander around a bit on the wrist. A love of a watch! As for the value for money, it's difficult to talk about on a vintage... the emotion can hardly be summed up in a number... so let's say that it doesn't matter, as long as there is pleasure!

70's Madness at Omega

This watch belonged to my father for 50 years. Bought in 1970, he used it every day and also to run on Sundays for 25 years. When he died I sent it to be restored from A to Z by the only watchmaker in France who had a Herma stock. I also discovered on period advertisements the type of bracelet that equipped this timepiece, so I put the same one. A watch with very great sentimental value, with a beautiful sunburst champagne background equipped with a Valjoux 7733 movement, whose descendants will equip many models of major brands.

An ultra vintage, robust chronograph rooted in the 70s

La marque SYE [Start Your Engine] a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 2020 par Arnaud Pezeron &agrave; c&ocirc;t&eacute; de Paris en France. La marque inaugure le Sport Tailoring au poignet. Elle propose des montres sport-chic de caract&egrave;re, fiables, ludiques et abordables inspir&eacute;es de l'univers de la m&eacute;canique auto-moto. La gamme comprend deux mod&egrave;les distincts, la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/sye/mot1on_automatic_24">SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 </a>et la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/sye/mot1on_chronograph">SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</a>.
Cette marque embarque une innovation sur le changement du bracelet disponible en acier ou en cuir. La montre n'offre aucun espace entre le bracelet et la boite d&ucirc; &agrave; l&rsquo;absence de cornes, ce qui am&eacute;liore son confort et sa portabilit&eacute;.
<h2 class="p1">Combien co&ucirc;te une montre&nbsp;SYE&nbsp;?</h2>
La gamme SYE comporte deux mod&egrave;les disponibles sur le site de la marque : La SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 est propos&eacute;e &agrave; partir de 750&euro;. La SYE MOT1ON Chronograph est propos&eacute;e &agrave; partir de 599 &euro;.
SYE est ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines montres par an tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une SYE qui vous correspond le mieux, les avis clients Dialicious sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.
Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_francaises">Classement des meilleures marques de montres fran&ccedil;aises</a> dont SYE fait partie.
(Mise &agrave; jour Novembre 2023)

The brand SYE [Start Your Engine] was created in 2020 by Arnaud Pezeron near Paris in France. The brand is introducing Sport Tailoring on the wrist. It offers sporty-chic watches with character, reliability, fun and affordability inspired by the world of car and motorcycle mechanics. The range includes two distinct models, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sye/mot1on_automatic_24"> SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24</a> and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sye/mot1on_chronograph"> SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</a>.
This brand has an innovation in changing the bracelet available in steel or leather. The watch offers no space between the bracelet and the case due to the absence of lugs, which improves its comfort and portability.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a SYE watch cost?</h2>
The SYE range includes two models available on the brand's website: The SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 is offered from &euro; 750. The SYE MOT1ON Chronograph is offered from &euro; 599.
SYE is independent and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an SYE that best suits you, the Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.
Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_french_watch_brands">Ranking of the best French watch brands</a>, including SYE.
(Updated November 2023)

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