When readers visit The Time Bum,
they expect to learn about cool watches that I have thoroughly
researched and evaluated. They will gaze upon my magnificent
photographs, marvel at my rich historical narrative, pore over the
exhaustive technical data, and revel in my witty banter. Well, mostly.
On a good day I only deliver a fraction of that promise. Today I have
the temerity to present a watch I know absolutely nothing about. Seriously, this time I am asking you
for all the information. You see, I went and bought an old Swiss dive
watch called a Hosam, but what the heck's a Hosam? I've never heard of
the thing, and my research has unearthed only the barest trace of
information.
As far as I can tell, Hosam Watch
Ltd. of Bienne, Switzerland, was registered as a trademark by Hoga Watch
Ltd. in 1955. They made wrist watches and pocket watches. At some point
in the 1970s, they sold professional dive watches that were built by,
and co-branded with, Squale, but my watch is not one of these. In 1972
Hoga merged with Auguste Reymond SA of Tramelan, Switzerland (ARSA), which is still in existence, although the Hosam brand is long defunct.
I knew none of this when I stumbled upon this watch while browsing WatchRecon.com.
A seller in Budapest listed it on the Watchuseek Sales Forum for $200.
He had little information himself, but he knew it had an ETA 2872 in
good working order, and he posted clear pictures of the watch and its
movement. After it languished awhile, I reached out to him and
negotiated a lower price. Ten days later, it arrived on my doorstep.
The round, 37mm case is brushed on
top with polished sides, and bears the marks and dings of normal wear.
The sides are flat with a beveled edge that travels the length of the
watch and along the crown guards. The lugs taper to an 18mm gap. There
is only a slight arc to the profile. The case back is simple, declaring
its Swiss build, stainless steel case
composition, Incabloc shock resistance, 20 atm water resistance, and
antimagnetic shielding, which is an impressive set of specs. It also
bears the number 754, but as this is stamped and not engraved like the
other information, I suspect it is a serial number, not a reference
number.
The screw down crown operates
smoothly. It has three positions for setting time, quick set date, and
winding. It is unsigned, but shows light wear consistent with the case
so I believe it to be original. ETA
produced the 2872 in the 1970s and early 1980s. It is a 25 jewel
automatic with a 40 hour power reserve and 28.8k beat rate, providing a
smooth sweep. The movement winds and sets smoothly. I had modest expectations for accuracy, but so far it is only losing about 30 seconds per day.
The high dome acrylic crystal has a
hairline scratch or two, but nothing that can't be polished out. The
dial and hands are perfectly clean with green lume that still generates a
bright, but extremely short-lived, glow. I was watching it disappear as
I tried to snap the picture. This is not surprising for an old watch,
but it looks hot for those first 40 seconds!
The dial is lovely grayish brown
color with a sun ray fade effect, shimmering in the light and
appearing lighter at the center. The layout resembles that of the Rolex
Explorer II 1655, "Steve McQueen" with its oversize inverted triangle
and staggered index. A white framed 3 o'clock window shows the
red-on-white date. The polished hands are straight, square end batons
with split tips filled with lume. The second hand is orange. A
rectangular base anchors it at the pin. Somehow, they managed to squeeze
some text into here as well. It is printed in white, the delicate and
modern sans serif typeface more wide than tall.
The bezel is clean and undamaged.
Much to my delight, the insert is lovely dark blue in a shade falling
somewhere between navy and midnight. It does not move. The bezel has a
shallow coin edge, and one would think a 200 meter watch would have a
functional dive timer, but I don't know if it is frozen by design or
inactivity. Out of respect for its age, I have left it alone. The
printing is a pale beige color that is so even, I suspect it was always
this way and not white paint that yellowed with age. Regardless, the
slightly softer color fits the blue/brown color scheme better than a
bright white would have.
It arrived on a black rubber tropic
style strap that I immediately replaced. I found the blue/brown colors
worked best with brown leather so I chose a dark and oily Crown &
Buckle Chevlon from the strap drawer. The Hosam's modest size and
sophisticated palette make it a natural with a suit, and this is likely
the way I will use it from now on. Heroic depth rating aside, it is
unwise to test the water resistance of a 30 to 40 year old watch. Indeed, a glossy crocodile print dress strap may be in order as the old survivor enjoys its retirement in the comfort of The Time Bum's preferred, climate controlled environment.
So there you have it. I found a well
preserved timepiece of obscure provenance with a quality movement and
took a chance. Now, for about the price of a common department store
quartz, I have a unique Swiss made automatic. I just wish I knew more
about it. I don't know much about the manufacturer, I have no model or
reference number, I'm not even sure which decade it's from. For the
purpose of my enjoyment of the watch, it really does not matter, but it
is a minor mystery just begging to be solved. If you have any
information, please comment below.
Ci sono orologi e ci sono orologi. Inclusi nella seconda categoria sono pezzi in modo tecnicamente stravagante, in modo iper-ingegnerizzati che appartengono a un club molto speciale. I loro prezzi sono stratosferici. Quasi nessuno potrà mai possedere uno. Ma sono affascinanti comunque. Come sempre, fiera SIHH di quest'anno a Ginevra nel mese di gennaio ha portato un raccolto fresco di questi, quello che potremmo chiamare "über" orologi. Ecco uno sguardo a cinque di loro.
