This one's my new favorite every day vintage watch. Had it on an old Kreisler stretchy metal bracelet, and it just looked dumb. Changed to padded leather and it made all the difference. For dress purposes, I wear my mid-1940s Wittnauer. 14k gold filled, square, on a croc strap. My beater is a Seiko SNK805 (the green one).
That's like asking if 6 cylinders is good -- yes, if Porsche made it, but NO if American Motors made it. The number of jewels can vary greatly and is not necessarily indicative of movement quality. Some Russian movements can be quite good, others are poor. If you want more details, pose the question over on the Watchuseek forums with more specific info about the watch/movement.
What are the complications or what is the movement? A mechanical watch's escapement is fully jeweled with seven jeweled bearings and a time-only mechanical watch's movement itself is fully jeweled with 17 jeweled bearings (in the wheel chain, only the bearings under tension need be jeweled). Just because a watch has more jewels doesn't make the movement better. At 31 jewels, the movement you are considering may have additional jewels for the sake of having additional jewels as those additional jewels are likely not movement bearings (the whole purpose of the jewels in a watch movement).
I had the paratrooper model and yes it stunk. I know it had different movement but I think both models come from the same place. Mine lasted a few months and died.
A good quality mechanical watch movement needs 17 jewel bearings. I have owned watches with less. My Westclox Pocket Ben had no (as in zero) jewels, and I can tell you from experience that jewels really help. Typically, any jewels over 17 are for a self-winding mechanism. Cheap Seiko 5 watches are automatics with 7S26 and 7S36 movements and 21 or 23 jewels. More expensive Seiko 5 Sports watches are automatics that hand wind and hack, and they have have 24 or 25 jewels. Vostok Komandirskie watches are hand winders with 17 jewels. Vostok Amphibians have the same movement with a self-winding mechanism and 31 jewels. They use 14 jewels for the self-winder. They are not elegant watches, but they are durable and reliable. Different watchmakers use Vostok movements, and the quality of their watches is all over the ballpark. I own Citizen watches with Citizen's Miyota 8215 movement, which I prefer to Seiko's 7S26 because it hand winds. The same movement is in Invicta's 8926 Pro Diver, and the consensus online seems to be that they are good watches when they work.
Omega Ranchero (CK 2990). A fairly uncommon watch. With c.267 from Omega's outstanding in-house family of 30mm manual movements.
The last time I responded to this thread I ad not figured out how to post pictures. Here is a picture of my Gold Submariner. View attachment 460029
Picked up a Casio Edifice battery operated watch. It is a divers type watch with the chronograph. I have been wearing if for a couple weeks now and I really like it for about a $100 watch. It looks good and seems dependable so far. I know it doesn't compare to many of the watches that folks mention here, but I like it.
How are you liking the Monster. I've been interested in them for a while and even more so with the II Gen.
