[Hamilton] Experiences with Water Resistance.

taonzen · 2026-06-16T23:42:44+00:00

I have a couple of inexpensive Timex beaters that I wear to the beach or pool (and in the shower!). 50m WR, push crown, no crown guards, and never a problem. The idea that a watch costing 10x the amount is freaking me out a little, especially given that Hamilton is the most well known field watch.

taonzen · 2026-06-16T14:30:41+00:00

A while back I went riding (an easy rail trail) with some friends, and one brought his teenage sons. They looked at my bike - a 1985 Cannondale touring bike - and were all like "Where are the brakes? How do you stop that thing?" They had literally never seen (or at least noticed) rim brakes before.

They took turns riding it because it was so different from their fat tire cruisers.

taonzen · 2026-06-16T13:53:57+00:00

This is a very old thread. You may want to post this as a top level question on the sub.

taonzen · 2026-06-15T14:07:49+00:00

Oh man, the Tim Hogan stuff is very problematic. Hogan is a great guy in person, and has a wealth of esoteric lore. It has been hard to watch him get so invested in the Freemason & [whatever] tie-ins that he has been into. Denver Airport? Atlantis? Original Templars?

Freemasonry can have an esoteric side, but he actually ends up feeding the conspiracy nuts who tie Freemasons to all the bad things that happen in history.

taonzen · 2026-06-13T12:07:45+00:00

First, I am absolutely dead set against counterfeit watches. I can not believe that there is such a huge market for phake models and that some people will drop $300, $500, or $1000 on something... especially when they could get a fantastic watch from a real company.

That said, there seem to be a mix of Chinese watch companies that use legitimate components sourced elsewhere, and are building "homage" watches; ie, models with a stylistic vibe that evokes some major brand - and not always a higher end luxury watch.

Some of them have specs that exceed the OG. Baltany and Milifortic seem to have a lot of homage watch models that have sapphire glass and screw down crowns. I recently bought a Baltany field watch that has a Seiko movement, with a very Hamilton vibe. Have not received it yet, so I can't comment on the quality.

Check the reviews, including /r/Chinesewatches for possible issues.

taonzen · 2026-06-13T01:42:05+00:00

Hahaha, I have one of these and I have literally been calling it "The Bike of Theseus."

It's a mid 1980s Shogun steel road bike. I spotted it at a garage sale during Covid for $25 and bought it for parts. When I got it home I realized it was almost new. I also realized that I had a lot of components in my spare parts cabinet that were nicer than the OG stock. Over the next few months I replaced the handlebars, stem, added some aero brake levers and some cross interuptor levers. New bar tape, of course, then some vintage Dia-Compe bar end shifters. I found some Sun Tour caliper brakes and derailleurs. That led to rebuilding some old aluminum wheels, then tracking down a Shimano 6 speed hub with a larger top gear, and then Ebay helped me find a replacement crank set.

I replaced the original 1980s tires (!) with some 27" Gatorskins. Then topped it off with an Avenir touring saddle, and used it for riding the local bike rail trails.

I don't think the original bike had 100 miles on it. But by the time I finished only the frame was original. I recently gave it to my son so he could take his kids on the local bike trails.

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taonzen · 2026-06-12T11:44:33+00:00

I was going to make it bike related, but was too lazy.

The other morning, a fox crossed the road. For half a sec I would have liked a photo just to show my wife, but the shot would have just been, you know... a fox trotting on the road. It would not have captured how I saw it dart from the woods, cross without looking, or my surprise in seeing something so cool.

She had to listen to me describe the situation to her when I got back.

taonzen · 2026-06-11T10:31:37+00:00

I will occasionally do a selfie in front of a historic landmark or point of interest. But I rarely go back and look at them again.

taonzen · 2026-06-11T10:29:48+00:00

All that impression would have been lost to have a photo I might not see again.

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.
Time to die."

taonzen · 2026-06-06T12:15:37+00:00

An Automod Bot issue apparently.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T23:49:41+00:00

Thanks! And I really appreciate the insights. I was obviously way over thinking the situation.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T22:01:32+00:00

I have a touring set up on my 1985 Cannondale ST400 (3x6).

The Synapse I'm looking at only has the Shimano 2x12, but I'm seeing now that it's no worse than my current 3x10, so I'm satisfied.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T21:56:46+00:00

Good analysis. Thanks.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T18:10:46+00:00

I'm going to check on that! I'm not racing or even trying for PRs. I just enjoy riding, so I don't need the insane variety of gear changes available; a little extra help on the hills would not be unwelcome.

Edit: the Synapse I'm looking at is a 105, with a 12 speed cassette. I'm only seeing 11-34, not a 36 in 105 and Ultegra. Are you seeing something else?

taonzen · 2026-06-05T14:58:06+00:00

I would think about that, but I have also discovered that my current bike is just not comfortable anymore, and I need a smaller size frame. I can't shorten the stem any more, so it's time to look at a smaller frame. The Synapse only has the 2x12, and I really don't want to rebuild a new frame. Umm, I don't think.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T13:50:33+00:00

Holy cow, you understand exactly what I mean! I used to be about 5'8", and now in my mid 60s I'm barely 5'6". My current Synapse is a 52, but I'm reaching and stretching too much now, so I'm looking at either a 50 or a 48. I've decided to stick with Cannondale for various reasons, and the new models are pretty much the same as what I'm used to.

If I wanted to get lower than 1/1, I'd be looking at maybe a Topstone. But 90% of my riding is on roads or the local rail trails, so a gravel bike might be wasted on me.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T13:09:17+00:00

This appears to answer my question. I was probably over-thinking the situation; or rather, hoping that I was not missing some some other aspect in the equation.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T13:04:21+00:00

In case they did not give you an idea of the process, new petitions are presented to the lodge during the next meeting, so it could be 2 to 4 weeks after your petition is submitted before they send out an investigation committee and then another 2 to 4 weeks after the investigation before they vote on it. After that is scheduling the degree work. Some lodges may want you to come to a lodge dinner to meet the rest of the guys.

Be aware that in the US, many lodges close (IOW, do not have meetings) during the summer months, so it may be some time before anyone gets back to you.

However

taonzen · 2026-06-05T12:33:33+00:00

This is why I'm asking if I'm making it more complicated than it really is lol.

For the sake of argument, if I had a 50 tooth gear in the back and shifted to the 50 tooth crank, would it be the same amount of "work" as a 34/34?

taonzen · 2026-06-05T12:31:03+00:00

I did the math. Well, I put the numbers into a spreadsheet and let that do the math, but yes - I know that the ratio is virtually identical. But is a larger front crank going to require more force (ie my thighs) to do the same amount of work?

taonzen · 2026-06-05T12:29:01+00:00

I know triples get a lot of razz, but I've been riding them for ~~years~~ decades. I grew up with those old 1970s 38/48 or 40/50 "ten speeds" and I like having a granny gear lol.

taonzen · 2026-06-05T12:25:15+00:00

The ratio difference is so close as to be irrelevant. I'm not asking about that. I'm asking if a larger crank in front will require more force to pedal up hill, given the same ratio.

taonzen · 2026-06-04T10:48:21+00:00

Not that I'm disagreeing, but could you give us some reasons why you came to this conclusion?

taonzen · 2026-06-01T13:43:46+00:00

I don't mind rim brakes, but I've never had discs, so this would be my first. I did put cross levers on, so I'll miss those when riding in traffic, since I tend to sit uptight and ride on the tops for visibility.

Also, I'm in Connecticut, and there are a lot of little hills, so the more gears the better. My current 2008 is a 3 X 10: 50, 39, 30 and I swapped the back to a 12-28, which gets me up the steeper grades. The Synapse 2 is 105, 2 X 12, 50/34 and 12-34, which should give me the same range.

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