Assisted Death - Has a place but only in special circumstances

Should you be able to choose when to die?

TV presenter and Journalist Esther Rantzen has advanced lung cancer and there has been much media coverage on her story regarding assisted suicide. I support her views. The law must be changed that in certain circumstances ending a life is an option.

It is illogical that humans can be prosecuted for allowing an animal to suffer and indeed can also be allowed to euthanise sick animals, yet a human cannot legally despatch another human where there is no hope of cure. We all know it does go on though, allegedly dosing up people with Morphine until they peg out. It is that no one talks about it.

We have seen a number of reported cases of people with advanced health deterioration where there is no possibility of a cure, not wanting to burden the care system or their family, knowing they will eventually succumb to their medical condition and wanting to end their lives.

Stupid religious dogma assisted by the English Law means that you cannot be medically assisted to die and that means a person can be prosecuted for helping a friend or relative travel to a facility abroad where assisted suicide is legal.

When a medical case is terminal, and no obvious cure is available and the quality of there person's life will soon go or has gone, there is no real argument for prolonging that human life in my view if the patient can make a reasoned decision and wants to end their own misery. In fact many medical subjects do not want their life prolonged in this situation.

Of course this situation is open to abuse, which is why this is now a time to have this legal conversation and change the law. 

There is a vast difference in legalised euthanasia in certain circumstances that is well apart from ordinarily coercing or assisting a person to commit suicide. The two are entirely different situations.

As for religion, it does not seeming prevent death.

There is no death, just a change of worlds -

American Indian wisdom

If you have had an out of body experience, you will see your Earth body below you and your spirit in a transparent form as you leave this vessel. I've had this experience myself as have many on the operating table in medical rooms.

Humans do not die completely, only the two footed vehicle that we used to get around stops functioning. The spirit goes on. 

Outdated and wrong religious dogma prevent meaningful progress on this issue, it is about time that the nettle was grasped and the law was changed.

COP28: Could have been done on Zoom? Why this all looks a farce to the rest of the world.

Rather than fly to Dubai's COP28, should King Charles have led by example

and sent a video message over Zoom to show the way forward, instead?

An interesting fact - The total CO2 amount in the world's atmospheric gases =

CO2 = 1/2 of 1% of the total 100% of all gases.

Nitrogen is 95% of all gases.
 

Another year, another meaningless 'COP Summit' ? - this time we learn that there will be some 400,000 attendees to the Dubai COP28 conference, you can't help feeling that there is some element of hypocritical repetition here. Or another 'you couldn't make it up' story.

400,000 people intent on 'saving the Planet' are jetting from across the world to warm and sunny Dubai, perhaps there is clue in that. It is warm and sunny?

One thing we did benefit from during Covid was that so many of us were able to work from home. So that was one good thing to come out of it.

Zoom became the vital work tool of the day, often saving many people the worthless drudge of commuting to an office every day and allowing them to work from home. Hurrah! And from having to mix with stupid idiots you normally would otherwise avoid. But I digress...

COP28's spectacular own goal has been to treat the rest of the world not attending this earnest jamboree as fools. 

They have not seen that had this conference and all it's virtue signalling could have been conducted on Zoom. The likely only outcome of COP28 is to achieve a COP29 in 2024. Nearly 30 COP meetings later we are still alive and the doom and gloom about a dead planet hasn't happened yet.

The world is an oil based economy, Oil isn't going away anytime soon, nor are fossil fuels. The 'beloved' and failing EV market will need Oil to make tyres for these vehicles, which wear out tyres at a far higher rate than Petrol or Diesel vehicles. 80% of a Tyre is made from Oil. The paint and plastics on an EV are made from Oil. Go figure. Do the math - We need Oil.

Tarmac for roads includes Oil. EV's due to their weight cause more damage to roads.

If the West stops using Petrol or Diesel, Russia and China as examples likely won't be so squeamish. We can produce synthetic Petrol and Diesel fuels from renewable elements. We do not need to abandon the internal combustion engines, which are the cleanest ever now and will only improve.

We make clean air zones in cities, yet base an airport on the city periphery which blows pollution right back across these 'clean air zones' - we are not stupid. 

We can see the stupidity of charging motorists to drive and allowing unabated, free pollution by aircraft to be dumped back on those cities into those clean air zones.

The difference between Natural Gas and Hydrogen is barely a few elements, yet there is this a fanatical zeal to get rid of Natural Gas usage only because it is a 'fossil fuel.' This is frankly ridiculous when there is no viable ad cheaply priced technology in place, to take its place.

Whilst King Charles often pours forth his views on the climate and his concerns are valid to a point, he could have stolen a march on the whole COP28 shebang by giving a Zoom message to the COP28 delegates from the UK, rather than jet off to Dubai.

Perhaps this might have made the other delegates think. Maybe not. 

However, with all manner of celebrities and old has-been politicians bobbing up at COP28, it looks just to be another nice little 'jolly' - the lure of warm winter sunshine and the opportunities for networking, glad-handing and hobnobbing, or any other form of nobbing one wishes to indulge in, must out way any concerns for the climate then?

Be warned, the public are not fooled by all this vacuous grandstanding and dire warnings of climate doom being spewed out at COP28 and every COP before and likely in the future. 

Where is Greta Thunberg when you need here? I suppose it's early days yet and she has a week or so to pop up uninvited and foist her views on this jolly shindig.

Tokai TST50 Stratocaster 1983 in Fiesta Red - 40 years on, the guitar that changed it all for me!

 

The Tokai TST50 in Fiesta Red -

One of my top guitars of all time!

On Monday 19th November 1983, I purchased a guitar that change everything for me - the Tokai TST50 Stratocaster in Fiesta Red for £199 from ABC Music in Surrey. 40 years later, I am still enjoying a couple these fine 1983 guitars, both in Fiesta Red.

For some years starting in the 1970's, I had been making do with unsuitable guitars whilst learning to play and because I had no money to buy a decent one. Occasionally I would be able to get my hands on someone else's guitar to try and to realise what I was missing or what was eluding me.

The controversial Tokai TST50 -

it outclassed the Fender guitars of the day  

I was ideally looking for a guitar suitable for the playing I wanted to do and the sound I wanted to create. In those pre-internet days, that meant looking at guitar magazines, visiting guitar shops and hoping the advice from the shop was good and not from someone looking to offload a guitar.

                                       1985 on stage with the Tokai TST-50 guitar

In 1980 when I was 14, the Shadows released an album called String of Hits and this was the right sound at the right time for me to aspire to playing and creating, for a short time, this was mostly attempted on a Starway Stratocaster copy guitar borrowed from my English Teacher at school. 

                                      1985 at the Hope Pub in Richmond, London 

                                                playing the Tokai TST-50 guitar

The Shadows at that time were recently back on tour and in the singles charts with singles from the string of hits album such as Don't cry for me Argentina and theme from the Deerhunter, I could see on their television performances and hear on the record a guitar style and sound I wanted to perform - that of the Shadows lead guitarist Hank Marvin.

1983 Tokai TST50 - the equal of the pre-CBS 1959 Stratocaster

The string of hits LP cover had artwork by a studio called Cream, and their album art was a joy in itself to look at, clever, stylish and just outstanding.

By early 1982, I was now playing often in various short lived bands with people at school, I was round my friend Dave Kent's house when he played me a 7 inch single from 1960, called 'Apache.' Like many before me, it had changed their playing and Dave and I listened to this single again and again, the 7 inch record material seemed to give it a special resonance, almost ethereal. What a fantastic sound. Dave purchased a used Musima guitar made in the GDR which was sort of Stratocaster like and had a trem arm.

The Shadows first album from 1961 -

it features Hank's first Stratocaster on the cover -

It would take me 17 years to get the same 1959 year guitar 

After leaving school, some months later I got back in touch with Dave around late 1983, I had only then recently purchased the Tokai, at the time I was working in London on an evening shift for a wine company, so in the mornings I had the time to myself and one Monday in November 1983 went to buy this great guitar so I could try and emulate the Hank Marvin sound I was after, whilst the house was empty.

The price of the guitar at £199 was then for me 4 weeks wages for this new icon and worth all of it. Getting home that day with the guitar in a cardboard box under my arm, which I had walked home 2 miles with, I only had a brief time to try it  out.

I plugged it in and briefly played along with a Shadows record. This was the sound and the right looking guitar. It even looked like Hank Marvin's guitar. This was the start of a journey. 40 years later it is still inspiring me to play.

The Shadows String of Hits album from 1980 - 

I was lucky to find this signed copy on sale

Soon enough with 3 schoolfriends and Dave's brother, we had ourselves a small band going and for a few years made a lot of noise down at the local youth club! I was meanwhile learning the Hank Marvin style and have been doing the same thing since.

Hank Marvin playing his 1958 Stratocaster in the late 1980's

Recently I put a book together with pictures of every guitar I have owned since 1977, it was called 150 guitars later, because that is where I am now, 150 guitars on from 1983.

A barely played 1983 one owner TST50 with rare decal mistake!

One thing is for sure the Tokai TST50 is one of the great guitars I have owned and has been seldom equalled. Nowadays I have 2 of these TST50's to hand, both from 1983. Next to a maple neck 1959 Stratocaster I restored in 1999, the Tokai is on a par with that, not much else is, except the recent Mexican made 50's guitars from 2018 onwards.

Playing eat again on the 19th November 40 years on, it is still one of the best guitars ever.

Watch Reviews 4U - Longines Master Collection L2859420 Blue Dial 44mm Chronograph watch

Watch Reviews 4U presents a review of the

Longines Master Collection L2859420 Blue Dial 44mm Chronograph watch

A beautiful 3 sub-dial Chronograph 

with Date and Sun Ray Blue dial

This is a rather different review in some ways as the watch in the review I never thought I was going to see as it had been lost in the transport system.

The beautiful sun ray effect Blue dial

Due to the value of the piece, which was purchased on eBay from a US seller, the watch went through the 'Verification' service and disappeared off the tracking radar in the Courier system for almost 2 months. Anyhow, it has now safely arrived, mysteriously, after 2 months and 2 weeks from the date of purchase.

This Master Collection Chronograph is a mighty watch - having recently been accustomed to wearing 40mm Longines watches recently, with the exception of a Longines Grand Vitesse 42mm, which is great for timing the cooking operations in the Kitchen! This one was quite obviously larger than the 40 and 42mm ones.

This watch looks great from any angle

Looking at the range of 44mm Longines watches on the market there are relatively few blue dial ones for sale I find, maybe they are popular with collectors? Of the 44's I have seen, most are the Black dial or White dial versions and usually used examples.

The Blue dial Longines have a great look, but I do like the Blue dials anyway, going back to my old Seiko 5 and before that an old Timex. The silver dial furniture on this Longines looks striking against the blue dial. The dial surface is smooth, on the black and white versions they have textured or barleycorn type dial surfaces.

The operation buttons and the Crown detail

A sapphire crystal with anti reflective coating just makes the blue dial really stand out and look fantastic. The silver dial markers and Longines logo look great with a modernity that the other dials do not have. The white features arabic markers and the black dial  roman ones.

This 44mm watch is quite slim in depth surprisingly, at barely a centimetre deep, given that it is a chrono with a lot of mechanism to fit in. It features a 22mm wide at the lugs Longines branded Alligator outer / Calf inner leather strap with deployment catch and is a very comfortable wear. The matching blue of the strap outer colour to the dial really sets it off, and the leather strap is lighter in weight than the stainless steel alternative bracelet.

The external date set button - 

a small pointer is included to advance the date

Having worn mainly a 40mm watch of late, the 44mm although not heavy, is noticeable on the wrist but it just looks so fantastic. The extra MM of size does make it seem a lot larger presence on the wrist over a 40mm but it is not obtrusive or 'in the way.' 

I do have some 47mm watches and they are quite noticeably more weighty. I personally find the 40mm size is about the smallest I like to go on a watch as they can look a bit on the small size under that, even though I have an average wrist. 40 or 42mm is a nice size for me.

The fabulous strap and clever deployment catch mechanism

This is a super quality watch 100%, although there are other comparable Swiss makers offering similar levels of watch often for a lot more ticket price, the Longines has great style, design and affordability, coupled with superbly finished movements and a long established name. 

The 3 sub dials are: top left - for running seconds, top right chronograph minutes and the bottom dial for chronograph hours, with the chronograph seconds being the large hand on the main watch stem. The watch is very accurate running to within a few seconds a day.

The movement finish is top quality in line with the rest of the watch

The Chronograph buttons are the flyback mechanism operation type with top being start/stop and the lower being the reset hands to zero activator. The winding crown is a decent size with Longines name and logo on. 

The highly polished case features an exhibition glass back and the case is superbly finished, really I could not see why if I had the extra money I would buy anything else as this ticks all the boxes. 

The quality of the case and strap is self evident

I also have the Master Collection blue dial 40mm day date watch which is at the other end of the scale as a dress watch but a favourite to wear. I had to do a bit of selling off of some other pieces and saving up to buy this 44mm one.

The verdict is that beside the lengthy delay in shipping aside, this is a fantastic watch and I think it looks fantastic on. The downside was it didn't have the original box but I can likely find another Longines one that will suit. 

This watch just looks fabulous

The RRP on this watch I have seen at £2950.00, so this is a serious watch for the money, I have seen used ones around the £1500 mark for black or white dial ones and this one was about £1700 all in including duty. In my opinion I like this blue dial version the best.

Watch reviews 4U - Longines Heritage Conquest Automatic L16454524 'Maxi' 40mm watch

                                         

Longines Heritage Conquest Automatic L16454524 'Maxi' 40mm watch

A review of the black dial Longines Conquest Automatic 40mm 'Maxi' watch

Longines Heritage Conquest - 

a retro design, but new take on the 1954 original

Longines has produced another super looking watch, this time for their Heritage collection. The Conquest Automatic design harks back to a 1954 original from Longines. So, how does it fare against today's other Longines offerings? Nicely. And against the offerings of similarly pegged Swiss watch companies it is now gaining new fans with friendly pricing and great style.

                        A 1950's original Longines shows the Conquest's heritage roots

The Conquest is available in silver dial, cream dial and black dial versions, each variant has the gold dial triangular markers and gold accents. I think that the black dial version is the most striking of the model options as the gold furniture stands out. I quite like the Bauhaus inspired 'minimal' modern look of the 1950's Longines designs including this one, which is why I was drawn to this attractive piece. 

I wasn't intending to buy this but it was available at a good price. I did look at some Tissot Visodate watches recently but they were a bit of let down as they had no antireflective coating to the glass.

This old Goldsmiths advert for the Conquest shows the retail price - 

new Longines Heritage watches of a similar level I have seen priced around £2950

The watch reviewed here is the black dial 40mm Conquest, it was a one owner from new off  eBay and in as new condition, but with an after market strap fitted, no issue as I have a new 20mm Longines genuine strap to hand, although this strap as on the watch is quite adequate. 

Comparison of 40mm case Longines Conquest and 1832 from the Heritage collection -

this new take on Retro styling on some models is strengthening the Longines brand

Originally priced at £750 on eBay this Conquest was purchased for £600. It was something I looked at and considered for sometime before buying after deciding against a Tissot Visodate, I am no stranger to the retro Longines, my first in 1993 being an old 1958 Longines Silvergines which I still have. The Silvergines at c.35mm is a bit small but is a nice retro piece.

I saw some youtube videos on the Conquest which showed the watch from all angles and I decided that this would be a nice addition to my Longines box! I was certainly not disappointed with the purchase, it is in fantastic condition and looks really stylish and better than the photos.

                       The Conquest dial up close - a triumph of minimal elegance

                     The hands and dial feature small but functional lume sections

The Conquest model here is available in c. 37mm and a 40mm sizes, the smaller case size Conquest at 37mm has the 19mm strap and an acrylic crystal fitted, the acrylic harks back to the originals from 1954.The 40mm has a 20mm width strap. Ladies may prefer the smaller size watch, it is not a heavy or thick case watch so will suit a smaller wrist. It is weight wise not obtrusive and is light on the wrist.

          The Conquest Silver dial version also looks fantastic with the Gold features

The 40mm 'Maxi' size watch as the Longines brochure refers to it as, has the sapphire crystal fitted which cuts the reflection back. All have a highly polished 316L stainless steel case. The 37mm case might suit the smaller wrist, I prefer the 40mm size as this size sits well on my wrist and is about as small as I usually go on a watch, the exception being my old Japan Seiko 5's at c.37mm!

This is the 37mm version of the Conquest -

a typical size more akin to the 35mm of the 1950's originals

The Conquest is quite slim at around 9mm thickness and is not heavy, making it a great watch to wear all day. The stylish design allows it to wear as a work or leisure timepiece and also follows the Longines gift of making the watch look more expensive than it actually cost! The superb styling makes the Conquest equally at home in the office, at the Races or at dinner. It is truly a watch for all seasons and for everyone.

                                           

The classy enamelled button detail in the centre of the rear case -

a tasteful and striking part of the design - a glass exhibition panel 

around the centre button would have been a nice touch in my opinion.

The rear of the case is solid, unlike most of the Longines watches of today which have glass exhibition backs, the cover is topped off with a very nice looking enamelled centre button in the case back. A really good touch in my opinion would have been to have had a partial exhibition back in the area between the flats on the case base and the central emblem. There is nothing nicer than to see the watch movement and the Longines ones are so nicely finished.

 

The slim watch case is topped by a Longines Logo Crown - 

The Crown's proportional size is perfectly in scale to the case

Power for the watch is provided by an ETA movement as you would expect from Longines and although some might say that the ETA movement used in this watch is not the highest grade, it is very functional and does the job with a lovely smooth seconds hand which moves without any great jerkiness always a good sign. 

Although these Conquest model watches are competitively priced, they are great value for money. They deliver a good retro Longines look with a modern movement and great style without breaking the bank, secondhand they can be very reasonably priced.

The Gold appointments against the Black dial really shows off the watch to perfection.

The small date aperture above the logo is quirky but functional -

it doesn't please all but it gives the watch its own character.

Some might suggest that the case should have been gold plated to match the dial furniture, but I think that the design's style works on all the versions.

Overall, this is a very nicely designed and well thought out watch design. The design is very nicely done, it is not heavy and is very nicely finished. It has classy retro elegance and would suit the man or lady about town. Definitely a good buy.

Watch Reviews 4U - EBay Watch verification service - Sadly, a bad experience x 2

 

eBay Watch Verification Service - Good or Bad?

On the face of it, the Watch Verification Service by Ebay looks a good idea, but what is it like in practice? In my experience not so good.

Longines Chronograph Blue dial 44mm Case

Lost in the US September 2023

Longines Heritage Chronograph 42mm

Lost in the UK June 2023

New update!

My own experience of using the eBay watch verification service has I am sad to say been bad.

Two Longines Chronograph watches I purchased earlier this year separately, one in June and one in September were sent to the verification service appointed inspectors and on both occasions, both watches were lost inside the courier system.

To their credit, eBay and Paypal did reimburse me, but it was upsetting to lose two very nice watches that I really wanted to own.

It looks to me that there are crooks out there 'gaming' this system - they know items like these watches of value are going to inspection establishments and they make for easy pickings in the transport system.

This must be costing Ebay a fortune and also the payment systems such as Payal and the Credit Card companies too.

eBay should change this system now. This is my suggestion below:

The seller should send the buyer the watch as normal and only IF the buyer is not happy with the item, the buyer would contact eBay and an arrangement made to have it inspected.

Only then on receipt of a notification from eBay, would the buyer send it to an eBay authorised inspection location, this would prevent I would say over 90% of high value watch thefts for eBay occurring.

I have identified the apparent problem to eBay.

New update!

The tracking on the blue dial Chronograph went dormant for ages, over a month but the watch 'suddenly' appeared back in the Courier system 2 months after a 'Resolved issue' was suddenly put on the tracking advice.

The watch has now arrived safe and sound to me but only after 2 months and 2 weeks after purchase when it should have been delivered by September 18th. It arrived November 2nd.

I have my suspicions as to what happened to it when it was 'dormant', but at least it is now with me and I can do a review on it soon and enjoy owning and wearing it.

I shall inform eBay about this progress.

Watch Reviews 4U - The Longines Grande Vitesse Chronograph 42mm L3.636.4

                                           

The Longines Grande Vitesse Chronograph L3.636.4 42mm size

The Chronograph Sub Dials are much in the style of car instrument gauges

The choice of Chronograph watches from Longines is sizeable, given that the majority of watches that Longines sells are mainly the simpler style day and date watches and the proportion of watches sold in terms of Chronographs are far less by comparison. 

A leather strap version of the Grande Vitesse is also available -

although this strap shown is an aftermarket and not a genuine Longines strap

The Minutes sub dial has a jump minutes movement

The Longines Grande Vitesse range of Chronographs is set to appeal to the motoring enthusiast, on this 42mm version the main chrono seconds hand is a red stick type hand, on the 44m version it has an arrow end.  (Bremont make a Jaguar car dashboard styled chrono.)

The Grande Vitesse sub dials are as above, left - watch seconds - normal running, top - minutes and bottom - hours, the main red hand being the chronograph seconds. On the dial, the winged Longines logo sits alongside the date window with a contrasting white back with black numbers display, the whole dial design is nicely thought out and balanced. 

Unlike most other Longines watches it does not have 'Swiss made' wording on the dial at the 6 o'clock position. 

                                                

                                            Large easy to activate stop/start and reset buttons

           frame a larger Longines logo Crown with cross hatch pattern winding surface

The chronograph is the usual flyback design you will find on most Longines chrono models. The buttons are quite stiff to operate but that is often the way with chronographs unless they use quartz mechanisms. It also incorporates a Jump Minutes on the sub dial, the marker moves from one minute to the next by a sharp movement, not a smooth sweep. This is a bit like the movement style of chronometric rev counters on some classic cars, a bit staccato in motion, unlike an electric actuated gauge mechanism.

The Grand Vitesse case is nicely finished with the crystal domed at the bezel edge - the crystal has non-reflective coating giving the watch a nice finish without annoying refracted light making it hard to read in sunlight, the dial is clearly visible and pin sharp, without the reflections you tend to find on ordinary untreated watch crystals. 

Looking at some Tissot watches recently (from the same Swatch stable as Longines), the lack of anti-reflective coating on the Tissot did tend to spoil them, when the lack of glare is something you find on a modern Longines pretty much as standard. The coating does make the watch dial look more striking almost like looking at the dial without a glass on!

The Grande Vitesse packs a lot of punch for the money, formerly retailing new at around the £2000GBP Sterling mark, they were available in 42 and 42mm case sizes.

This used 42mm Grande Vitesse example with metal strap was £600 on EBay and although I don't go for modern modern sport type watches generally, this had enough Bauhaus style to appeal to me and of course as a car enthusiast too it appealed.

The Grande Vitesse gives you a lot of watch for your money, so what are the first impressions? Visually, the Vitesse shares some similarities with other brand sporting Chronograph offerings from similarly pegged big names such as Omega. 

Such similar designs often look visually similar in style with only the brand name to show the difference, the design consensus on these watches has distilled down over the years so that the products tend to have a similarity of design to each other, which is true on many other watch styles too.

The Exhibition back gives you a nice full view

of the superbly finished ETA movement

The Winding Crown is reminiscent of a Bugatti radiator cap - 

giving the watch a strong motoring related design influence

The 42mm Grande Vitesse stainless steel case is bulky but not over large, the 44mm version would be slightly heavier given the extra materials. The metal strap adds weight, there is also a leather strap version, but the watch despite that with the metal strap is not for me 'over heavy.' 

Wearing it all day it remained comfortable, but you did know you were wearing it and it might be too heavy for some, a Heritage dress type watch is by comparison hardly noticeable on the wrist, at almost half the depth and around a third of the weight! I did not find the Grande Vitesse over heavy or uncomfortable.

The watch depth is around 11mm as this has to fit in the chronograph mechanism.

The stainless steel strap is easily adjusted - 

a small watchmaker's pin vice can push out the link pins to make alterations

The strap is a beautifully engineered piece of work with a cantilever mechanism, to which both end caps one with the logo and the other with the Longines name on, snap down and meet at. 

To undo the strap, lift a cap and then the other cap to fully extend the bracelet, it is a simple, tidy and slick piece of design. It also saves the watch being lost if one cap only is opened.

The quality of finish is very evident here -

as is the textured grip on the crown seen here

I had purchased a 22mm leather strap to go on this watch in case the metal strap made it too heavy but I found that the watch was not too heavy, so I stuck with the original strap. Included links were with the watch, which I reapplied to the strap and it is now a perfect fit for my wrist. Spare links should be still available from Longines.

The cantilever bracelet closure used on 42 and 44mm versions 

The dial is available as a dark chocolate brown and also a silver dial with black sub dials is also available. The dial has simple stick hands and markers making it easy to read. An outer bezel gives a speed scale for those who would use it for sport timing.

The dark brown 44mm dial also works nicely

The Grande Vitesse is a lot of watch for the money, it is not light in weight, but it is stylish and eye catching. With an accurate ETA movement which seems the benchmark from Longines, it is something that will give good performance and the visual aspect also generates interest.

Just how many people who use the chronograph functions is open to debate, many like the dial of a watch showing lots of functionality and this does not disappoint. 

At 42mm I think this is large enough for me, although I do have a 47mm Longines, they are really just about as large as you would need. My usual watch size of 40mm to 42mm I find sits well on the wrist and at this size are large enough to be able to read the dial easily but not too large.

End Halloween single use goods - a commercial racket that literally costs the Earth! - The plague of single use plastics and Pumpkins

 

Time for us to bin this wasteful commercial orgy?

As Halloween approaches, another seasonal consumptive orgy of single use plastic and Pumpkins will soon be on us again.

In a world where some are fanatically obsessed with saving the planet, it is somewhat strange that the Eco-Warriors of the nation are not more vocal about reducing the avoidable waste generated by the commercial farce that has taken over Halloween. 

I don't see Just Stop Oil throwing paint over shops that sell Halloween tat? Not that I am suggesting they break the law, but it would be the sort of protest that they might decide fits their agenda, given that most of the Halloween tat produced is made in China from oil?

Or why the Extinction Rebellion hordes do not 'react' to the mostly wasteful seasonal Pumpkin trade? They are not blockading Greengrocers - where is Emma Thompson and her wooden cutlery when you need her?

Ian Dury wrote 'what a waste' 

- this picture is life, surely imitating art

This recently heavily commercialised 'celebration' of Halloween generates tones of plastic crap that is only used once and discarded. 

Farmers are due to demand, having to grow acres of Pumpkins which are in the main, sold to be carved into lanterns and then landfilled, not eaten. 

The tragedy is that fields that could grow crops for bio fuels or human consumption are earmarked for an almost 'straight to landfill' but profitable crop.

The Christmas Secret Santa con is another opportunity for retailers to source from places like China, limited life or single use plastic crap which no-one really wants which is then foisted onto people who are likely to bin it often without using it.

If we are so concerned about the planet, this is a good place to start some positive action by curtailing this commercialised nonsense.