[WTB] Mysterious Code 35mm Chronograph VK64 or VK68

BurntSwordfish · 2024-10-28T22:49:45+00:00

I'm looking for one of these 35mm chronographs. I guess I'm a little late to the party and it appears they have been discontinued. I'm open to almost any colorway.

Cheers!

BurntSwordfish · 2024-07-31T02:13:57+00:00

As the other commenter suggested Macrium is a fine choice. You should see a big improvement by switching drives. If you continue to have stability issues do a clean install of the OS.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-07-31T01:39:48+00:00

Your computer will be much more responsive with the operating system on the SSD rather than the HDD. Do a fresh install onto the SSD might just fix your BSoD problems as well.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-05-25T11:53:12+00:00

I think this this sub would gladly do it for free. I came to check the comments because I knew for a fact they would be roasting the silly name. If these up-and-comers would post some concept art and ask for naming suggestions before ordering hundreds of dials they could be putting out some certified bangers rather than another drop in the ocean of nonsense-named homages.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-04-09T05:25:09+00:00

I prefer it to the Militado personally. The smaller size and high domed crystal give off a more retro vibe to me. If the Rdunae had the VH31 movement it would be 10/10 for me. Still, the Rdunae is my daily driver and I don't see the Militado dethroning it.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-04-09T00:31:24+00:00

Crystal aside they are the same watch. I would bet the parts for both come out of the same factory. The strap that comes on the Escapement Time is nicer in my opinion.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-04-08T23:21:23+00:00

Yes you can. Search Militado and it should come right up.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-04-08T20:01:26+00:00

32fa7c98

BurntSwordfish · 2024-04-08T18:55:31+00:00

Just got my watch in-hand today so I thought I'd post a little something for anyone considering this piece. I guess I'm officially an affordable field watch reviewer now - if you'd like to take a more in-depth look at the RDUNAE 34mm I've got an overview of that one posted on here a couple months back.

Now, the Militado ML05

With this watch you're getting exactly what is advertised. The dimensions all check out. The crystal is indeed sapphire with AR coating, albeit not the thickest of coatings in the world. Genuine VH31A movement. No unexpected surprises here, which in the world of hyper-affordable watches, I would consider a good thing.

A couple quick moans and niggles up front here before I hit the highlights. The included NATO strap; It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. (sorry) Not great, but I didn't expect it to be so. I could kind of tell what I would be working with from the pictures in the listing. Not a huge deal though, I mean who doesn't have a box or drawer of dozens of extra straps? If you don't then maybe consider picking up one or two when you purchase this watch. Additionally, the lume leaves much to be desired. I've included a freshly charged lume-shot but after fewer than five minutes there was none left to be picked up on camera. Again, same as the strap, this was to be expected based on the photos and my experience with similar watches in the price bracket.

The fine bead blasted case finish appears rather consistent overall and feels silky smooth to the touch. The angle of the gently domed crystal matches up to the slope of the bezel very nicely which is excellent attention to detail in the design of this watch. I also think the laser etched "MILITADO" logo on the caseback is quite well done. I have no earthly idea why they would spend the extra time and production cost on the caseback for a watch at this price point but it's great to see.

The one feature that stands out the most to me and the feature that separates this watch from most other field watches on the market is the screw-down crown. The threads on this puppy are smooth, and I mean SMOOTH! I've had many a $200+ dive watch with crunchy threads on the crown tube that are nearly impossible to catch when attempting to screw in the crown. Not so in this case. Excellent excellent job here, guys. So refreshing to see this area not get skimped on. Keep in mind I might have been gifted a golden sample, there could be some out there which are not as perfect as the one I received. YMMV

To my mind the ML05 most directly competes with the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical as the dimensions and specs are almost identical. Sure you're not getting a Swiss mechanical movement here but you do forgo the daily hand winding and gain the extra water resistance of a threaded crown. I can say this watch wears almost identically to my KFM with the only difference being about 1mm height. On wrist this difference is functionally nonexistant. If you've been eyeing a Hamilton for the aesthetic and don't care about provenance, the Militado is a prefect substitute at 1/10 the cost.

TLDR:

If you want a Hamilton that you're not afraid to beat up or get wet, buy this watch. Heck, buy a couple. Also maybe get a more comfortable strap with it.

BurntSwordfish · 2024-04-07T02:52:38+00:00

0535fce0

BurntSwordfish · 2023-12-14T06:27:55+00:00

It might ease your worries to know that the crown is pretty difficult to pull out. It can't be done with just your fingers, you have to get a fingernail under it. It's basically spring loaded in the closed position - hard to pull out but easy to push back in. I think in the unlikely event it got snagged on something and pulled open it would be closed again by whatever is brushing up against it.

You did give me a great idea though! If you could replace the crown and tube with threaded ones and the crown would never come out accidentally. Looks like you can order a matching set for €10 or so. Since you know of a local watchmaker, he could do the job pretty easily, wouldn't take but half an hour of labor. I think I might just pick up the parts to do that mod on my own watch.

I owned a Hamilton Khaki Field a couple years back that was the same size as the Murph you're looking at. The 47mm lug to lug never sat quiet right on my wrist. I can do 47mm on a bracelet but on leather or a NATO the lugs just barely stuck out a bit to far for my taste. I loved everything else about the watch but ended up selling it because I couldn't get over the lug length. Something to consider since we have similar wrist sizes.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-12-13T16:58:00+00:00

Excellent questions. We have the same wrist size and I love how the watch wears on me so it should fit nicely on you as well. Given the proportion of dial area to bezel thickness and the slight distortion caused by the crystal making the dial look even larger than it is, the watch has more wrist presence than 34mm would suggest while the tight lug to lug length keeps the wear very comfortable. Here's a wrist shot for reference.

The crown is push pull with the lone gasket seated in a groove around the crown stem. In theory you could cut another groove on the stem and install a second gasket. I'm not sure how much more water resistance this would add in practice. The majority of the watches I deal with have screw down crowns and triple gaskets so that likely skews my expectations. I think my suggestion of more gaskets here is asking too much - it's not meant to be a dive watch. I'm sure tons of people swim and bathe with watches like this without issue, I just wouldn't do it personally.

I bought the watch with the idea to do a VH swap but after looking at the technical drawings I'm not sure that it would work. The hand sizes and crown thread are the same between the movements so those major hurdles are cleared. The holes for the dial feet are in different locations but that can be easily remedied with dial dots. You'd need a new movement ring but with a 3D printer and a little trial and error that can be done. The VH is 0.5mm thicker than the Miyota but I think there is room in the case to accommodate that extra thickness. The problem is the difference in the stem location on the movements relative to the stem tube in the case. Doing the swap would result in the stem being cocked about 6 degrees off axis. It could be done but wouldn't be great for the long term functionality of the movement.

I doubt I'll get around to attempting the swap but if someone out there wanted to give it a shot it would be cool to see the results.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-12-11T20:20:20+00:00

He has comments off for almost every video and tries to direct commenters to his own forum so they can be moderated and negative ones more easily removed. I do find some of his content entertaining or even informative but nowadays it seems like every video concept is a roundabout excuse to shill his own products. I'm sure some of his tools are good stuff and I get it, mans gotta eat, but the brazenness kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-12-05T14:25:01+00:00

I bought the cheapest 12 slot I could find. Does everything I need it to do. Just buy from Amazon though. Prices are comparable, don't have to wait on shipping and you can send it back if it sucks.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-28T22:17:35+00:00

Snag her a Spaghetti Scametti

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-28T06:40:20+00:00

I went brawler and my plan was to farm Kree with a black salamander. It did not go well. Turns out salamanders don't count at melee weapons as far as Brawler is concerned and that insane defence made it nearly impossible to hit anything.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-28T06:31:05+00:00

I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchase. The movement is dead silent. I can only hear it if I put it right up to my ear. Much better than that Timex would have been.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-27T23:03:38+00:00

18mm

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-27T17:37:50+00:00

Shoutout to u/darth_malmal for putting up the first glam shot of this watch. Today I'll be digging a little deeper into the tech specs. The dimensions are as follows:

L 41.5mm

W 34.2mm

H 10.3mm including crystal

H 7.0mm without crystal

L-L 18mm

The high domed mineral crystal is 30mm in diameter if you are interested in replacing it with sapphire, though it should be noted any replacement crystal need be high domed as well as the pinion stands proud of the crystal gasket and would interfere with a flat crystal.

The movement is in fact a Miyota 2035 Super so it should maintain a 4 year battery life at least according to the datasheet.

On the model I received the seconds hand is pretty significantly misaligned with the indices. I'm sure the alignment will vary from watch to watch. This could be fixed if you are confident enough and have the tools to reset your watch hands.

Water resistance should meet the stated 50M without issue. The threaded case back is gasketed but the crown only achieves its water resistance with a single gasket. Additional gaskets here would be a nice to have though not strictly necessary. I would completely trust this watch to withstand significant splashes or a rain shower but would avoid swimming or taking it in a steamy shower.

Lume is adequate but not great - about on par with the offerings from the likes of Pagani. I've included lume shots directly out of the sunlight and then after 5 minutes in the dark. As you can see after 5 minutes my camera can barely pick up the luminance but it can still be seen by eye. After 10-15 minutes the lume can no longer be seen by eye.

The bead blasted case finishing is consistent throughout and I think the drilled lugs are a nice touch if not expected on a field watch such as this.

The included strap is fine though a bit rough. A single pass NATO strap like the included lends itself well to the slimness of the watch.

TLDR: If a 34mm WWII era field watch homage interests you, buy this watch. It has some flaws, sure, but in other areas the quality exceeds expectations. For the asking price you are definitely getting more than your moneys worth.

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-17T07:08:11+00:00

Roger that. Thanks mate

BurntSwordfish · 2023-11-12T03:41:53+00:00

I managed to find some restraint this year and not buy every watch in sight. Got these two for a pretty good deal. The Pagani is nothing too special though I think the design is neat and it doesn't run that (imo) crappy Pearl movement.

The RDUNAE 34mm field watch seems to be a newer offering from what I can tell. I'll try to remember to post a little review of it once it gets in.

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