Bought a Watch ;)

[KillerGremlin]

I've had my eye on a SKX Seiko dive watch all summer...so, I finally had a tiny bit of extra cash (not really...I'm in college, haha) and I pulled the trigger. This is a dive watch, actually it's an ISO rated diver:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_6425
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_watch

So...I could go diving with this bad boy. But I won't...because I don't do scuba.

Anyway, the watch has a giant Bezel (the thing you twist on the watch that goes 'click') to keep track of the time. It is, literally, an analog stopwatch. Also, the watch is in a shade of hot yellow, which I think is awesome. The reason they use yellow is because when you are under water the amount of light becomes less and less, so it becomes more difficult to see distinct colors. I believe red is the easiest color to see under water, followed by orange, followed by yellow. Finally, the watch features a fully automatic movement...like they had in the old days. No battery. So, I'll have to wind the watch when I want to use it. It is self-winding so all I need to do is put it on a shake my wrist.

Anyway, it should be arriving on Friday, and when it does I'll get some formal pictures. Anyway, here's the stock photo:

[Fox 6]

You should go to your local swimming pool just so you can tell time underwater.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Fox 6

You should go to your local swimming pool just so you can tell time underwater.

Haha, don't think I won't do it .

I watched Goldfinger the other day...and at the beginning part where Bond gets out of the water and he checks the time on his Rolex Submariner...totally awesome.



How iconic is that? Bond totally iconized diver watches.

I was considering going with the black-faced model of the watch I ordered, but yellow just seems so modern and flashy...and I already have an all black watch. Black is definitely classic though.

[BreakABone]

Bond has iconized a lot of things.
Beautiful women. Fast cars. Expensive gadgets.

The life every guy wants to live.

But yeah he also has some pretty awesome watches (outside of the gadgets)

[manasecret]

"Self-winding watch" made me think, how in the hell? I figured maybe it was actually using some fancy bit of electronics available these days that harnesses the energy from vibrations.

But alas, no. It really is a self-winding mechanism, that harnesses the energy from your moving arm and gravity. Observe:

http://static.howstuffworks.com/mpeg/q285.mpg

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question285.htm

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

Bond has iconized a lot of things.
Beautiful women. Fast cars. Expensive gadgets.

The life every guy wants to live.

He's a playboy...Fleming's Bond character was written when the iconic playboy ideal was rising. I wish I could have been around in the 60s, those seemed like a fun time to live.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

He's a playboy...Fleming's Bond character was written when the iconic playboy ideal was rising. I wish I could have been around in the 60s, those seemed like a fun time to live.

But you wouldn't know me.
So automatically drops the 60s to the post 85 era of suckitude.

and Fleming's Bond from what I understand is more Daniel Craig and less everyone else.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by manasecret

"Self-winding watch" made me think, how in the hell? I figured maybe it was actually using some fancy bit of electronics available these days that harnesses the energy from vibrations.

But alas, no. It really is a self-winding mechanism, that harnesses the energy from your moving arm and gravity. Observe:

http://static.howstuffworks.com/mpeg/q285.mpg

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question285.htm

mechanical watches are as old as time...hehe

As someone who admires technology, I think there is a beauty in mechanical watches that is not present in a battery powered quartz watch.

There are all sorts of watch technologies these days...there are battery powered quartz watches, fully automatic mechanical watches, kinetic watches that store energy in a capacitor generated from your arm movement, solar powered watches that get all their power from light, and mechanical watches that use quartz to regulate the time.

Typically, mechanical watches are much more pricey than quartz watches. That's why your Rolex or Omega costs so much.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

But you wouldn't know me.
So automatically drops the 60s to the post 85 era of suckitude.

Don't worry, if I ever invent a "time machine" I'll invite you.

Originally Posted by BreakABone

and Fleming's Bond from what I understand is more Daniel Craig and less everyone else.

Fleming's Bond is introspective, compassionate, racist...and not nearly as interesting as cinema Bond. In my opinion, the better Bond films (From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Goldeneye) surpass the books by quite a bit. Fleming's Bond actually is an interesting character, and you get to go inside Bond's head in the novels. But, I prefer the womanizing, cracking one-liners, super-hero-esque Bond that we see in the movies.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

Don't worry, if I ever invent a "time machine" I'll invite you.



Fleming's Bond is introspective, compassionate, racist...and not nearly as interesting as cinema Bond. In my opinion, the better Bond films (From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Goldeneye) surpass the books by quite a bit. Fleming's Bond actually is an interesting character, and you get to go inside Bond's head in the novels. But, I prefer the womanizing, cracking one-liners, super-hero-esque Bond that we see in the movies.

I always wondered... is there ever a point where cinema Bond becomes the real Bond and book Bond becomes the basis.

I mean more people are familar with cinema Bond than book Bond, and would find the books to be a bit different than the movies. There are those who complain the movies are too different from the book, but in this case I think that the movies have outlasted the books make them more of the definitive version.

But alas, I am still awesome.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by BreakABone

I always wondered... is there ever a point where cinema Bond becomes the real Bond and book Bond becomes the basis.

I mean more people are familar with cinema Bond than book Bond, and would find the books to be a bit different than the movies. There are those who complain the movies are too different from the book, but in this case I think that the movies have outlasted the books make them more of the definitive version.

But alas, I am still awesome.

I agree..the movies HAVE outlasted the books. On the other hand...I think Fleming is a fantastically underrated writer. There are probably more outstanding Fleming novels than there are outstanding Bond films. I mean...if you break down the Bond films, there are only 5 or 6 really good films (excluding Casino Royale).

The thing is, Fleming is long dead. Had he continued to write the books maybe he would have outlasted his film series. But, I still think not. Films like Dr. No, Goldfinger, and From Russia With Love became iconic cinema pieces and popular culture works.

Anyway, to get to your question...Sean Connery's Bond definitely had some moments where he became "the real Bond" in my opinion. Unfortunately, as time moved forward the direction of the Bond films was for more one liners, more sight gags, more crazy exotic locations, more over-the-top gadgets, and more ludicrous plots. By the time Roger Moore was starring as Bond, the films had started to become a parody of themselves.

Goldeneye is THE exception...it's a great fucking film, and I love Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Unfortunately, the rest of the Pierce films are walking parodies of themselves. I mean, they didn't even need to make Austin Powers...just go watch Die Another Day. What a horrible, horrible, hilarious film.

There's a great gag in Austin Powers:

[Austin and Vanessa see a man decapitated]
Austin Powers: Not the time to lose one's head.
Vanessa Kensington: No.
Austin Powers: That's not the way to get ahead in life.
Vanessa Kensington: No.
Austin Powers: It's a shame he wasn't more headstrong.
Vanessa Kensington: Hmm.
Austin Powers: He'll never be the head of a major corporation.
Vanessa Kensington: Okay, that'll do.
Austin Powers: Okay.

Apparently the Bond guys didn't get the memo, because they took the joke too far.

Anyway, Casino Royale is a much needed reboot for the Bond franchise. I don't think Craig is Connery...but I think Craig is a bit closer to the book version of Bond that Connery was. So maybe that is a good thing.

As for the people who act all high and mighty by bringing up Fleming's Bond? Honestly, cinema Bond is THE James Bond. We live in a day of age where people who read think they are the exception, and I think there is some arrogance with their opinion.

Anyway...as for me. I said there are 5 or 6 really good Bond films...the rest are pretty horrible, but I enjoy the campiness. I actually thought Die Another Day was a horrible but fun film...as was Moonraker and Live and Let Die.

For me...cinema is the ultimate form of mindless escapism. And, I enjoy the womanizing, one-liner-cracking Bond. I think the new Bond franchise is just a tad bit cold (at the moment). I thought the same thing about Batman Begins, but The Dark Knight was the step forward that I needed. So...hopefully Bond will be a little more happy in Quantum of Solace.

[BreakABone]

5 or 6 you say?

I will give the nod to most of Connery's stuff
From Russia with love
Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice

I like
On Her Majesty's Secret Service

I honestly like both of Dalton's

Goldeneye is awesome. and Tomorrow Never Dies is a fun action movie.

Casino Royale is awesome.

The Moore era was kind of a joke. Literally, Bond is a clown in one of the movies.

[Angrist]

Hah, you're not going to make me buy an expensive watch like you did with sunglasses.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Angrist

Hah, you're not going to make me buy an expensive watch like you did with sunglasses.

Do you have a watch?

I bet I can find you a nice, quality watch in the $70-300 dollar range.

[BreakABone]

To continue down two roads



For the spy who loves you.