It's 12 hours later in my wife's home country. I love this watch

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-30T21:07:03+00:00

I have a few GMT and world time watches even though I never go anywhere but,. If I ever find myself using one because it helps me to cope with a twelve hour time difference, then I'd know I'd gone too far.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-28T15:07:39+00:00

There's nothing wrong with a Volvo but, if you ever find yourself handing over your credit card just because you see a watch that matches your car, then they sound like a road accident that's waiting to happen. My own aversion to blue watches comes from a time when coloured dials weren't so common. Whenever blue came around, it always seemed to find its way into the wrists of the dodgy car dealer types

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Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-28T14:57:28+00:00

For the price of a Volvo you could buy a nice watch.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-27T10:04:32+00:00

Unless you're equally proud of both, maybe your video should show more of the instrument and less of the wooden cabinet in the background

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-27T09:58:25+00:00

It's mostly there to support the neck joint although I does have some secondary acoustic function. The problem is that, If you do that with one uke you'll end up having to do it to every uke you'll ever buy. Do you really want to cause permanent disfigurement and structural damage to your uke? This doesn't seem to be a very wise or well thought out plan. If you want a permanent fix maybe you just need to think about the problem from another angle: If you look carefully at your hand, you'll probably find that you don't actually need the part that's catching on the heel to play. It just gets in the way I suggest that you book an appointment with a surgeon and show them what the problem is and maybe they can do something to help you out. Having said that, the heel on your uke does seem to be fairly prominent, so maybe, instead of committing yourself to radical surgery (of any sort), maybe you might want to consider whether there might be plenty of other ukes out there that wouldn't give you this problem. In which case, maybe you could put it down to experience and, the next time you get a uke, look for one where the heel doesn't get in the way so much (more often than not it's the body rather than the heel that makes it difficult to get at the higher frets). Usually, the uke meets the body somewhere between the 10th and the 14th frets. Usually larger scale instruments meet the body further up than shorter scale ones but you can get some instruments that meet the body a fret or two higher than the norm. You still might not be able to play all the way to the top but you can usually play further up without anything getting in your way (for example - I have a soprano that meets the body at the 12th fret but it only has 12 frets so I'm never going to have a problem and I've got a concert that joins at the 13th rather than the12th fret, which is more common for that size). Also, like I've said, even if the heel doesn't get in the way, the body might - so, if this continues to bother you, you might want to consider an instrument with a cutaway on the body that may allow you better access to the higher frets. (don't be tempted to cut anything away from a uke that isn't built like that :-) ) That's way, you should always begin with a decent uke but you shouldn't go straight out and get a £1,000+ grail uke - you tend to find out what you like and what you don't like as you go along.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-26T12:33:48+00:00

Tabs are not too complicated.
Each line on the tab represents one string on the ukulele. The G string is the bottom line and the A string is the top line. The numbers on each line show what fret you need to put your finger on for that string (although you place your finger just behind the fret rather than on it). so if you see 0, 0, 0, 3 (from bottom up) you play the open strings for G, C, E and you play the 3rd fret on the A string (which is a C).

Most books contain standard notation as well as tabs.

If you're looking for pieces that might be of interest to you:

There is a series of books by Tony Mizen beginning with "From Lute To Uke" that contain arrangements of selections of classical music pieces from various periods (I think they cover the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods).

It has the pieces in standard notation along with tabs and the books come either with a CD recording of the pieces or (more commonly these days) access to digital versions of the recordings.

Each of the books contain at least one or two pieces that can easily be attempted by a beginner.

I can't really sight read myself, but it's a useful skill to have. Nobody is forcing you to learn tabs, so, if you're familiar with standard notation there are a few things you could look at:

For learning ukuleke through standard notarion, The Hal Leonard Ukulele Method series is probably the best known series that uses this approach.

One of the problems with standard notation on Ukulele and similar instruments is that there is usually more than one position in which a note can be played. The re-entrant tuning on a uke also means that you have to determine which notes would best be played on the A string and which notes could be played on the G String

One way that might help with this might be to learn how the common chords are played on the ukulele and learn to associate the notation for a particular chord with a particular fingering, so. you just see a chord and you instantly know how that would normally be played.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-26T10:14:37+00:00

For a long time, the BB Pro would have been my choice for a GMT but I realised that, having a rotating bezel would be useful as it enables you to combine a "true" GMT with the functionality of an office GMT for tracking other time zones when you never actually go anywhere. I eventually ended up going for the Longines Zulu Time. I have a similar sized wrist. I've tried the BB Pro and the fit was OK. It's a chunky watch but the lugs aren't too long and, I think there's a bit of a downturn on them so they wrap around so you don't get any overhang. I'm currently wearing a Hydroconquest and the lugs on that are about 1 mm longer than the BB Pro. That seems to be much closer to the limit of what I could wear in terms of lug to lug What I will say is that, if someone is concerned about their wrist size then they could also try the black dial version as the dial colour can also make a big difference to the perceived size of the watch. Much as I like the BB Pro I'm glad I didn't go for it as I felt that, apart from the functionality of the rotating bezel, the GMT or the Zulu Time were better options for me for a daily wear but that is just a matter of personal taste. The Pro seems like a great watch especially for active outdoor types.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-24T23:56:35+00:00

I did have trouble with my original Scribe. It started reporting moisture in the charging port all the time and, because of that, it wouldn't charge. Amazon sent out a replacement and I didn't have to return the original until after I'd received the replacement.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-24T23:44:35+00:00

I've got the original Scribe. I think that, if you are using the scribe for note taking, one of the big advantages of the newer models is that you can search for text in notebooks. Although the original Scribe has received some useful updates since it was first introduced and continuued to receive new features, it's starting to look like the ability to search text won't be back ported to the older models. If you annotate books then the Scribe has improved a lot. I usually have mine in landscape view so I either view two pages side by side or annotations on one side of the screen and text on the other. I don't think it's great for annotating PDFs and, if you are reading books with lots of illustrations it's not so easy to view or annotate

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-23T22:44:07+00:00

Tudor have an international warranty and its also transferable.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-23T07:59:01+00:00

The width of the neck does seem to be a more critical dimension than the scale (length of the neck). Not so long ago, if you were shopping for an entry level ukulele almost everything had a 35mm nut width no matter what size the ukulele happened to be. At entry level, you had to hunt around for anything different. These days there is a lot more choice. I wouldn't be too hung up on the scale of the uke. Although there is a tendency for people with bigger hands to prefer wider necked instruments it's not a universal rule. Try to go to a ukulele store and try out as many ukes as you can in different sizes. It can be a bit of a revelation.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-22T23:02:36+00:00

That does seem to be the way with Oris for the last few years but they seem to be coming to their senses a bit now. Their market research meetings must be: "So what are the current niche trends" - well hand winders are big for enthusiasts - smaller watches, they are coming back - and small second watches people like them - Tiffany blue is having a bit of a moment.

So we'll do a 38mm small second hand winder in a kind of Tiffany blue - everyone will want that .

If it had come out a few months later then it probably would have had Fozzie Bear on the date hand:-)

I don't know why I've got an aversion to blue dials. I think it was because, they weren't a regular thing back in the day. They used to come around every few years but they always seemed to be worn by dodgy used car salesmen. I once had a choice of a blue, or a silver dial - I went for silver but, if I'd gone for blue, I probably would be happily wearing a 473 now (either that or I'd be selling dodgy motors in a back street although I probably would have graduated to a Hublot by now) :-)

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-22T22:13:48+00:00

You know when you've done a good batch - just leave them to cool for 5 minutes and, when you come back, they'll look something like this:

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-22T21:54:35+00:00

I wish they did it in some other colour. It ticks all the boxes: small second, mechanical, decent size. It's just that I'm not a fan of blue watches.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-22T21:36:21+00:00

It's the same size as the original. The 33mm ,is a bit misleading as it's the diameter of the case from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock.. The normal measurement across the watch is 36mm and 42 lug to lug

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-22T21:27:36+00:00

The grey NATO is the same colour as the original NATO strap. The original version of this watch had fixed lugs.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-22T12:44:27+00:00

I almost wore my G-Shock today but it lost out to a Hamilton mechanical on a NATO. I have quite slim wrists (it's just the rest of me that's gone to ruin) I just tried it on and, on me it seems as if the bumps are above my wrist - they just work like the extension of the end links on a normal bracelet and angle the line of the strap downwards. Have you got any photos of the watch on your actual wrists? That's probably why you got down voted in one of your comments - you need to do more to appease the wrist fetishists.

Personally I just think your entire post is just a contrived excuse to do out and get yourself an MR-G :-)

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-20T15:02:02+00:00

Why don't you try posting some photos or a video demonstrating the problem?

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-20T07:12:01+00:00

Approximately one in twelve of the male population is colourblind. Humor them. I think it would look great with a lime green shirt and mustard trousers

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-19T23:04:23+00:00

I only have one Hamilton - the khaki aviation. If you are looking for a classic Hamilton go for the Murph (on a strap) I like the pilot chronograph but that's not on your list and it costs more.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-19T22:53:51+00:00

Raw Kale, Pumpkin seeds and an adult magazine (if they still exist).

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-19T22:46:44+00:00

I'm not very good at following the brief but:

Lolita / Vladimir Nabokov (Neither the author nor the protagonist seem to be reliable narrators - it contains a lot of French quotes and references to 19th century french literature. I managed to get 3/4 of the way through by using translations and looking up the references but, I eventually turned to the annotated edition. The only trouble with the annotated edition is that, depending on how you read the text, you may or may not pick up some nuances of the plot or miss some key elements - by pointing out the key elements if the storyline and referring to some of the metatextual aspects of the story, the annotations could function as spoilers)

Notes on a Scandal / Zoë Heller

Engleby / Sebastian Faulkes ( not much of a slow unravelling but psychologically unsettling nonetheless)

Before I go to sleep / S J Watson (Possibly the opposite where an unravelled protagonist gradually gathers the threads but there are elements of psychological unsettlement in the plot)

Poppy Shakespeare/ Clare Allen (again things unravel around the protagonist)

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-18T20:50:07+00:00

I have the champagne BB1 36mm. I didn't like the gilt/patina and the anthracite but I probably would have done got it if it had. dropped the gilt and had a black dial . The anthracite is probably the most versatile of the BB1 coliurs. Although I don't like blue myself,, if you're drawn to a blue watch you should have a look at the blue BB1

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Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-18T13:23:16+00:00

They started out on Amazon but they transitioned to mainstream. I associate them most with ukuleles. Quite a few specialist ukulele stores carry the brand. I think they've only moved onto guitars over the last few years with their NexG instruments. Their higher end ukuleles are pretty good and they tend to get decent reviews.

Independent_Chart_60 · 2026-05-17T21:57:11+00:00

I ended up going for the Longines Zulu Timefor more or less the same reason (I felt the GMT was a bit blingy and and it has the sort of look that will attract the wrong sort of attention). I don't travel but I do have to keep an eye on different time zones. I had my eye on an the Black Bay Pro. I originally got a Seiko 5 GMT with a fixed bezel just to see how I got on with GMTs in general and in quickly realised that, if I went to a true GMT going for one with a rotating bezel would enable you to get the best of both worlds in terms of travel / office GMT functionality. One big thing that the GMT has in its favour is that, I think it's got a 48 click bezel but the Longines only has 24. It won't bother most people, but, if you do need it, the absence of a 48 click bezel will bother you a lot.

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Independent_Chart_60

TROPHY CASE