doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Slightly OT: Wristwatches and doubles?

Back earlier in the year, I was working in my shop spindle turning on my wood lathe; and my lathe chuck caught my watch band, pulling my left wrist into the chuck which was rotating at approximately 3000 rpms. The teeth on the chuck went straight to bone, and they chewed a strip about 4" in total length just between two arteries no more than a 1/8th inch from either one. My doctor told me if the chuck had of gotten either artery I wouldn't have made it to the hospital alive. Fortunately for me, when the lathe chuck caught my watch band, it jerked me off balance; and I fell forward, my weight releasing the watch band. Now I have some nice scars to remind me when and when not to wear a watch.

Interesting motivations listed here to wear watches these days. When my father-in-law died, we found at least 50 watches (and all their boxes and attending paperwork). He had a Rolex that he loved but many others. Most were electronic and he could have made a pretty interesting display of the history of the digital watch from the first Texas Instruments (I think that was it) to the most complicated things I've ever seen. Surprisingly, except for the Rolie, they were not worth much. Just something an Electrical Engineer would love.

Personally, I found watches to be a tool. Never cared much about what they looked like, so long as they worked. Sometimes that meant more than telling time. More than once, when I was into technical rock climbing I jammed my wrist into cracks and wedged with the watch to improve my grip on some ugly overhang. But as I got older, they became harder to read and the technical advantages of a digital watch became less useful when I could no longer hear the alarm - which was a great function, but who can hear those high electronic tones anymore. I have not worn a watch in close to decade now, but I keep two of my Dad's watches in my bedside stand just to remind me of him, like some of his tools in my shop. He also found watches useful tools, not jewelry.

I do recall it felt strange to give up wearing a watch after so many years though. Some habits are hard to break.

I’ve heard those safety warnings for 50 years, no watches or rings in the printshop, but, short of putting a scratch or two on a few watches I’ve owned, I haven’t (yet) had a mishap. There have been plenty of opportunities. But, not even anything I’d call a close call.

I’ve seen ties on management geeks end up in rollers (no serious injuries, but, always a good laugh) long hair end up in turning shafts (never good) and a chunk of a guys palm go through a Heidelberg GTO, a printing press that has what is known in the industry as an inward nip. Bad news. I helped a second shift supervisor ( a woman, cool under pressure that day) pull three fingers out of a Speedmaster 6 color 40” press, that I then wrapped in cheesecloth and ice and delivered them to HCMC. They put them back on, and the black ink was still on them when the bandages came off.

None of the incident’s I remember involved watches or rings. Luckily.

When working on something mechanical, the watch comes off, 99% of the time, because I have to remove it to clean up my hands, and didn’t want crud on the watch. Probably an accidental save, as it goes.

I wear pretty low end quartz watches most of the time. The plastic quartz watch that comes free in a McDonalds Happy Meal will keep better time for longer then a new Rolex. But, a guy or gal with a skill set made the Rolex with care and precision, and I still respect that.

Same with guns.

Best,
Ted

I rarely wear a wristwatch or finger ring for all the reasons Stan mentioned, in addition to frequently working around high voltage equipment. NCTarheel's wood lathe accident is a kind of close call I could live without. I do have several vintage gold pocket watches, and always carry one while hunting. I know I could just use my cell phone, but when I'm hunting, my cell phone is muted, and I try to forget I have it. However, there was at least one time I bid and won a Gunbroker auction while in the woods deer hunting, so technology isn't all bad. My vintage pocket watches make as much sense as my vintage double shotguns or flintlock rifles. I like them, so that's all that matters.


Years ago, I worked with a girl who lost most of her left little finger when her pinky ring got caught on a wrought iron stair railing. She told us how painful and ugly it was with tendons pulled out and the broken, severed, bleeding joint exposed. And she also had phantom pains in the missing finger as a reminder too.. Yet she continued to wear a pinky ring on her other hand. Now that is almost as dumb as a gun owner who votes Democrat.

Loyd, love that Black beauty fly rod. I see watches as a tool and Stan is spot on in hazard’s of equipment and rings and watches. I have been wearing a Rolex that has not been off my wrist for over 26 years and before that an Air King for 17 years. I still find myself looking at my watch for time verses digging out my cell for time. I guess it’s what your use to while sitting in a blind or in a tree stand.

For watches and SxS. I can see a correlation.

28 gauge:

Thank you, good eyes!.

The most recent rod is a pre-fire Leonard. Watches, fine guns, and then good fly tackle are the only forms of jewellery that I seem to be able to justify to myself these days.

They aren't exactly "jewellery" but maybe some fun old cars can fit on that list too?

Old ammunition with paper cases is ‘kinda jewelry, too. Especially after you remove a just fired one to give it a sniff….

Best,
Ted

My "dug up from a skeet field" Omega Seamaster is running today, after surviving a couple of decades of neglect. I have a few inherited watches that were running last time I looked. Stay tuned. These watches were carried by my grandfather who died in 1929, one an Elgin and one a key wind of a forgotten brand.

When I went through training in the army to be a light wheeled vehicle mechanic (parts swapper), first day emphasis was safety and there was a "no rings or watches" mandate while under the hood. Short out a ring on a battery and good-bye finger. Gil

Interesting conversation that I have observed in several of my hobbies. This website is dedicated to an old fashioned sort of tool, the double gun. We like them for many reasons including the care with which they were made and the "romance" of times gone by. Sometimes by a personal or family history. I once had this same sort of conversation at the top of Mount Equinox (Vermont) during a hill climb competition in my vintage sportscar club (VSCCA). Many were wearing fine watches and seemed very knowledgeable and like their cars for the same reasons we like doubles and watches. Flyers and fly fisherman I find can be in the same boat, so to speak. Wooden boat people as well. Many of us own modern or common guns, watches, fishing rods for everyday purposes but some things are just special and peak your interest. I wear a watch everyday, until they made me use a computer I wrote every prescription with a fountain pen. I liked/ like the way it makes me feel. Nobody else needs to know or care, just me. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge in groups like this, nice to hear it and tap into it. tmc