The Search is Over

For LeDandy's wristwatch purchase. Last Saturday I wrote about my Christmas wish of a round-faced watch. I spent a great deal of my spare time scouring the internet for the perfect watch. Well, at least perfect for my taste. The only requirements were that the watch have a round dial that was not refinished and a mechanical movement. LeDandy despises the jerky movement of quartz watches.

eBay is the best place to shop for vintage watches. Even online vintage watch dealers charge a fair premium for their merchandise. About five years ago I bought a Hamilton Stafford on eBay for a good price, then spent almost as much getting it serviced. LeDandy is skeptical of sellers' claims that a watch has been recently serviced. I learned that with any vintage watch purchase, figure about spending $200 on having it properly serviced. As long as a seller has an unconditional return policy and an excellent feedback rating, I feel comfortable buying watches on eBay.*

At first I looked at old Hamilton watches. Hamilton made an excellent watch and there is a wide variety of styles they made. At left is one that LeDandy seriously considered. It is a solid, well-made and classic watch. Sadly, this style didn't spark that "must have" feeling inside me. It just seemed a little too ordinary for me. Plus, I was unable to find any desirable Hamiltons with engravings on the back. Odd, because engraved watches are usually harder to sell.

Then I started looking at stainless steel watches as they were more within my budget. I'm a big fan of watches from the 1940's and '50s. However most of the watches I like have radium-filled hands and markers on the dial for luminosity. Radium means radioactive and I learned a lesson with an old eBay purchase of an Elgin WWII watch (see post). These watches are probably safe to wear but I don't like the word probably when it comes to my health.

If you are willing to accept the radium risk, there are many styles that appealed to LeDandy in a good price range. I found a nice, stainless steel Bucherer from the 1950's on eBay selling for $225. If you look closely at the dial, you can see a slight radium burn from one of the hands as this watch probably sat unused in a drawer for many years. LeDandy likes small watches and the diameter of this watch case is 33mm. Most modern watches are 42-48mm and beyond.

Then I found the watch that really "spoke" to me. It is a vintage Universal Geneve in stainless steel and was probably made in the late 1960s. This watch has a seventeen jewel movement and the watch case is 31mm in diameter. The neat thing about this watch is that it doesn't have a seconds hand. It is a classic dress watch and devoid of any novelties. As soon as I get it, I plan on having it examined by the expert at Downtown Watch Repair. I expect that this watch will require a full servicing but that is a built-in factor for me as to the total price.


We are traditional in the house when it comes to Christmas gifts. Even though I'll have it next week, I won't get to wear it until Christmas.
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*LeDandy considers an excellent feedback rating to be at least 99% with a considerable number of transactions (>100). A 98% percent rating on eBay is not too good.

LeDandy's Big UCLA Moment

LeDandy loves cruising YouTube for music videos and vintage sports clips. The other day I was looking up an old UCLA football game and came across a series of unrelated clips. They are called "My Big UCLA Moment" and features famous former students and not-so-famous ones who who share stories relevant to their time at the school. Even though LeDandy never attended the University of California, Los Angeles, he does have one very important UCLA moment.

The date was sometime in the fall of the early 1990's. LeDandy was in Las Vegas and it was an early Saturday night. He just finished a poor day of gambling and was nearly broke. Let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing worse than being broke in Las Vegas on a Saturday night. In fact, you can be assured of a miserable time without any money in Vegas.

I had one last hope for funds that evening. Earlier that day I made a bet in the sports book* at Caesar's Palace on UCLA to beat Washington State that night. Back in the early 1990s, UCLA had a good record of beating the point spread when they were favored. That day I took UCLA minus six or seven points.

I remember watching the second half that evening in the Caesar's Palace sports book. Hell, I didn't have any money to do anything else. I was cheering very hard that night for personal reasons. The game was at Washington State and there was a horrific snowstorm in Pullman that night. My Bruins didn't let me down. They pulled off a 40-27 win in a convincing fashion. Man, LeDandy was thrilled. That win provided me with enough drinking and "walking around" money for the night. Go Bruins!!
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*term for the sports wagering room in a casino

Debut of the "LaJolla Businessman"

Last week was the formal debut of another signature LeDandy look entitled "LaJolla Businessman." It is a very appropriate title considering the facts that I'm not from LaJolla and I'm not a businessman. Hell, I've never even been to LaJolla. But I sure do love the overall appearance of this casual, yet businesslike attire. At least businesslike for California.

Last week LeDandy attended a legal business seminar and wanted to look good. It was a smashing look as virtually all of the other men were in navy blue or grey suits. The bottle green blazer stood out nicely, yet in a pleasing, respectful way. A white polo shirt, khaki pants and my low vamp, heavy-tasseled brown Bragano loafers rounded out this look. This ensemble speaks independence and confidence.

The shoes are partially obscured by some Pomeranian butt.

LeDandy's Christmas Wish

Jon Dean asked me the other day what I wanted for Christmas this year. Unlike previous years, this question was not so easy to answer. Yes, I've been thinking about it. LeDandy is very well set with clothing and shoes. Apart from some opera pumps, I don't need anything for my wardrobe.

Then I started thinking about the bad economy and the many worthy charities that are suffering. There is no shortage of misery out there.

Then it dawned on me. The perfect Christmas gift: a vintage gold, round-faced watch! Yes, this what LeDandy wants for Christmas. LeDandy loves vintage watches and he doesn't have a round-faced vintage dress watch. Most likely, it will be an old Hamilton as they made some nice, simple watches of this genre. It will be along the lines of the classic Calatrava model from Patek Philippe but at a substantially lower price. Hopefully the watch will have some nice engraving on the back like "to Joe Miller for 35 years of great service. Acme Steel Mill 1958." A personal engraving gives a watch a lot of character. Most people don't like engravings from a prior owner, but LeDandy has a different position (big surprise!).

As far as the suffering goes in the world, LeDandy suggests that you try to help an unemployed friend or family member find work. It costs you nothing and you will be helping someone become self-sufficient. Keep your eyes and ears open to possible job openings for someone who is in need.

West Coast Prep

Last week I labeled one of my outfits as "country club eccentric." It has given me the idea of labeling some of my other ensembles as well. Naming a look is a lot of fun. LeDandy's self-imposed shopper's fast has forced me to focus on a different approach to this column. Instead of constantly adding items to an already overloaded closet, I'm concentrating on the overall image now and having some fun in the process.

I call this outfit my "West Coast Prep" look. At a distance, I appear to be a typical preppy schmuck. But on closer inspection, you'll note the fine details uniquely my own.

Today I felt like wearing many of the prep elements, notably the khaki pants and pink polo shirt. The fun part was the surcingle belt with the martini motif. These parts are typical of prep fashion. Nothing special.

As you know, LeDandy does not blindly submit to the prescribed patterns of dress. I modify them as I see fit. The pince-nez probably isn't listed in The Official Preppy Handbook. Also, my watch and rings are definitely too flashy for the classical prepster image. True male preppies wear a Timex on a nylon band and avoid jewelry. You'll further note the blue and yellow pindot brown socks are too European for prep sensibilities.

LeDandy isn't going to bore you with the mundane details of each item's brand name and price. It really doesn't matter if the polo shirt is a Lands' End item at $20, Izod Lacoste at $80 or an Ermenegildo Zegna at $195. The important part is the overall appearance.

Remember, clothing should be fun. Don't take it so seriously! Here is a close-up of LeDandy's martini belt.

A New Member of the LeDandy Team!

LeDandy welcomes young William to the LeDandy team. He will be the staff photographer for this blog. Simply put, it means he gets to take pictures of me. At eleven years old he is learning the art of photography with LeDandy's old digital camera.

This photo is entitled "Self-Portrait #1." The boy has talent.

Made in Brazil?

These boat shoes may not look like much, but they have proven a good companion for the last ten years or so. The leather is buttery soft and the stitching has held up beautifully. These shoes were a Lands' End purchase in the $50 range or so. They were made in Brazil under contract for Lands' End. Unlike my dress shoes, I have done nothing in terms of maintenance. As you can see, the leather has taken on a nice patina.

LeDandy has another pair of shoes made in Brazil. They are a pair of Cole-Haan driving shoes with the rubber-studded bottoms. I purchased them at Dillards in Scottsdale, AZ about ten years ago for $60 or so. Once again, I did nothing in terms of maintenance and these shoes have held up very well. The leather is not the highest quality but it is good enough. As the name implies, they are great for driving! They also make a decent knock-about pair for the house and yard when slippers are not substantial enough.


"Made in Brazil" does not have the same prestige as "made in Italy" or England. However, these shoes usually have a much lower price tag. Even though I have only two pairs made in Brazil, I am favorably inclined towards more purchases of shoes made there if the prices are right.