Old Tom wrote:Are you thinking of buying the Microtimer (bit cheap & nasty IMO) or the Micrographer (much nicer, "limited" edition)? Seem to have been two versions of the Microtimer- one with standard grey LCD and one with reversed black LCD- Be very wary of the standard LCD ones- extensively faked (like many, many Tag Heuer watches- you wouldn't believe how many I have had people ask me "is this real?").
Thanks for the warning.
The fakes are quite easy to spot. Most fotos of internet sellers are of the real thing.
The fake has:
- a frame matching the display up with the case opening and a cheap window.
- the brand on the face in a field
- sloppy non-fitting pushers and - surrounds
- buckle
The Micrograph and Microtimer are identical. Nó difference save for the performance.
The Micrograph was the introduction model for the digital module in 2002. Indeed ´limited´ to 1000.
The Microtimer followed in 2004 and has the module upgraded to /1000th whereas the Micrograph has 1/100th.
THe Microtimer was superceeded by the ´69´ in 2003.
The two Micrometers seem to have been testbeds for the ´69´. Both marketingwise and in technology.
The Sixtynine is not different really from the Omerga Reverso. Costs the same too in today´s money. At the time the Omega had cheap Japanese digitals as perspective and the price difference was again the same.
The crucial difference is that the digital watch was not looked down upon in the eighties as the marketing ploy to revere the wiggly spring movement as a desireable luxury had only just been conceived by Biver & Hayek.
Today the digital watch is generally seen as not high end technology and the whole thing about ´value´ of a luxury watch is thus enlarged in digital watches.
Why would a GP casquette be worth so much more than a Bulova driver or a Diesel DZ7079 or a chinese ´homage´?
Look at a Rolex Submariner versus a Vostok Amphibian. There is a factor 1000
in the price of thóse two. Used even more
Why are high(er) end digital watches not desireable? They have a far, fár superior time piece inside and the hardware is the same
Look at the Ventura range with both mechanicals and digitals. The digitals have far more special technology and have the same SLoP yet the mechanicals outsell them at double the price.
The clasp:
I think this shot ilustrates the issue.
It is a very well made and functional clasp. Far removed from a $4 buckle.
Yet the finish looks.... cheap. Almost chromium.
Same thing the case. That too is not a cheap thing. Very well fitting and véry smoothly pollished.
It has a liquid metal look that quite difficult to produce actually as the rounded corners are consistent but somehow the thing lóóks like it was haphazzardly buffed for hoúrs.
I find it frustrating that the module is NOT to be found on the web
The display has a cool ´stealth´ function btw. ánd good lighting.
TAG Heuere realy did make an effort with this proprietary, ´in house´, module.