Needles, Part 2

I love watches.  At first, I bought anything mechanical that appealed to me, for their "archetectural" beauty (I have one from the late 20's, very deco) or for their bling value (more than one plated watch has real diamonds in it) or both (the deco).  Then one day I found a gold watch in a thrift shop for $10, and I was hooked (mostly because I was through breaking out in a rash every summer from the base metal reaction ... okay, the gold, too).

One thing I didn't know until last year is that not every watch is marked on the outside.  I mean, I knew really old ones weren't always (found one in an antique mall) but things that looked contemporary, too?  I honestly thought everyone had to mark on the outside, that it was the law, or something.

Nope.  Take a look:

All of these are gold.  Not one is marked on the outside.  And not one was more than $20.  Hey, if it's not marked outside, it can't be gold, right?  With those crappy bands?  Where else would you mark a watch?

How about inside?  They are, in fact, marked, maker on the dial and carat inside the back cover.  Left to right, I bought a 14K Hamilton, 18K Omega, and two 14K Omegas, the last of which is (according to my watch guy) quite rare, if only because it has a green crystal and moveable lugs.

Not all Omega watches are marked only on the inside, and not all unmarked Omega watches are gold.  I carry a cheap-pen top (you know the kind, blue or black, non-click) to pry open the case without scratching or even gouging the gold (as was done with the 18K before I even got it).  If the cases won't open, don't push it, just buy it if it's cheap (surprisingly you can sell the parts for a few bucks on eBay) and take your chances.  That's what I did with the last beauty (there wasn't even a crown on the winder) and I didn't regret it.  In fact, she's my favorite these days.

I saw well over a thousand watches last year.  I found three gold that weren't priced as gold.  The way I see it, needles are kind of fun no matter how big the haystack.

It all depends on the needle, yes?