'When you know what you're doing.......March 1974'

[Spyder fan]

Ralph,
You are spot on. I have a quite ordinary Tissot PR100 quartz chronograph, the local agent wants ?140 for a battery and re-seal of the case for which they will give me an amazing 2 year gurantee and a "Free" clean of the case and strap. It takes them 2 weeks to do this, so that's packing it in a jiffy bag, strolling down to the post office at their leisure and sending it away to a third party repairers who charge them a fraction of what I would be charged.

I use a watchmaker in Hastings who charges me ?27 for the same job and he has the correct pressure testing equipment to check the seal, my wife's Gucci costs a little more at ?30.

I'm starting to appreciate the mechanical time pieces now, I have a Seiko automatic which is a very modest piece but sort of cool to own and wear.

Regards

Alan

[SAKO]

We have gone off topic, but both Alan and Ralph are correct, especially when it comes to mechanical watches, and all Lotus fans should rightly own a mechanical watch. They have a lot in common. If you do not wear your watch, it will stop in approx 36 -42 hours. If you DO use your Elan, it will stop on average every 36 - 42 hours.

I am a bit of a watch buff, and can confirm that unless you wear true high end, eg; Rolex, Patek, Zenith etc, most quality, affordable Swiss automatics, in the ?10000 to ?2000 range, from the likes of Raymond Weil, Oris, Maurice Lacroix, and others, all use the same ETA made movements anyway (ETA being owned by Swatch).

But watch specialists are like garages in some respect; your Elan may be mainly Ford and Triumph parts, but a Ford or Triumph specialist hikes his price to match the Lotus badge.

A watch repairer will do the same to service one of the above even if it is the same ETA movement as say, a ?500 Tissot, although I cannot see there being any difference in the time taken (pardon the pun) or materials used.

I for the record wear a Raymond Weil Freelancer Automatic, which so far has proven more reliable than my Elan, although it is 40 years newer!

[alexblack13]

I'm trying my best to keep the service history of my Submariner 'in house' if you like.. It's important to keep value correct too. So it only goes to Rolex service agents.. Same one twice now. I had the free service done and another since. and now this repair.

Hey ho.. It's only money...

The mechie time pc is about 12 -13 yrs younger than my Elan... and is way more reliable!!

Its been away a month now... 12 weeks is normal if it goes to Rolex though.

Now back on topic..Where were we? & what were we talking about anyway? Fags? YUK! If the driver of the +2 lost the fag and rolled his sleeve up a bit I would suggest he did indeed have a good idea of what was what...

[Spyder fan]

Snip.....

Now back on topic..Where were we? & what were we talking about anyway? Fags? YUK! If the driver of the +2 lost the fag and rolled his sleeve up a bit I would suggest he did indeed have a good idea of what was what...

Yes, good old coffin nails as my dad used to call them, I think he liked the play upon words coffin/coughing. Cigarette advertising has had an enormous effect on all of us who are older than 40, sometimes subliminal, other times more blatant. This Rothmans advert comes under the heading of subliminal in my book as it links glamorous things like sports cars, watches, a pilot (perhaps) with smoking a premium brand from Rothmans of Pall Mall. All of us petrol heads have been influenced by Gold Leaf (of course) Marlboro, John Player and others, but now it seems that in the UK at last that we won't be indoctrinating the latest generation in this way. TV advertising banned a long time ago, hoardings also banned, cigarettes are no longer on display at large stores such as supermarket kiosks (by law earlier this year) small stores like your local newsagents have until April 2015 to comply, after that time they will be under the counter literally. The legal age to buy was adjusted in 2007 from 16 to 18. more information here http://www.smokefreeaction.org.uk/point-of-sale-display.html

Some memories I have of anti smoking campaigns:

Cigarettes are killers that hunt in packs (unknown source, just heard it once and it stuck in the brain, a bit like the first nicotine I inhaled)

Who could forget Nick o'Teen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOfHBi9iWzM

I have been a non smoker for 22 years which is 10 years longer than I smoked, but I still dream about smoking and still get nostalgic for the packaging, colours and slogans and of course the cars in the livery of the brands.

[reb53]

Stopped almost 20 years ago.
Effing LJK and his Sobranie Black Russians got me started.

The thought of one day waking up, staring at the flaking paint on the ceiling and wondering where I was, then realising I was in hospital waiting for some 16 year old "specialist" to come by and condescendingly tell me there's "not much more we can do for you", got me finished...

Ralph.

[ardee_selby]

This Rothmans advert comes under the heading of subliminal in my book as it links glamorous things like sports cars, watches, a pilot (perhaps) with smoking a premium brand from Rothmans of Pall Mall.

I think it's blatant association rather than subliminal messaging...in a similar vein to that Dunlop advert:

post158891.html

But if it's subliminal you're after....

Marlboro.jpg (32.55 KiB) Viewed 490 times

Cheers - Richard

[alexblack13]

Great pics there Guys...... I like the no smoking area... LOL...

Never ever smoked. Wouldn't go out with any girl who smoked.. I well remember walking away an leaving a lass sitting in the Cinema who had just lit up... Bye....!!

I still managed to have me a ticker problem at 40! The Day after my birthday, and 10 days after I passed my flying tickets medical with full ECG etc The day before my Birthday I Flew a pal down to Norwich to pick up his Esprit turbo and flew back solo feeling really sh1t.... Then boom..Two weeks in hospital and bye bye G-BASG.... ;-((

That WAS hard that was..

I did love the JPS Cars though... To each their own again...

Oops off topic(s) again... LOL......

[ardee_selby]

Oops off topic(s) again... LOL......

We're on a roll Alex...and we're in "Free Parking". So where next?

OK...pipe smokers beware:

Industrial painter (man & boy), used to working at heights, pipe always in mouth.
Was never a problem until the fateful day a large blob of paint fell directly into the bowl of his pipe! Goodness knows what he inhaled but, it was believed, he was dead before he hit the ground

Richard

[elj221c]

We're on a roll Alex...and we're in "Free Parking". So where next?

OK...pipe smokers beware:

Richard

Now you are talking!

To have a break from my JPS kingsize I decided to try a pipe, based on the lovely smells from my mates Sobranie Cocktail tobaco.

First run in the Elan with pipe clenched between teeth. Up to the first T junction, look right......

Pipe bowl hits closed window, pipe upside down in lap, hot contents between legs....

The taste never lived up to the smell!

[Spyder fan]

This Rothmans advert comes under the heading of subliminal in my book as it links glamorous things like sports cars, watches, a pilot (perhaps) with smoking a premium brand from Rothmans of Pall Mall.

I think it's blatant association rather than subliminal messaging...in a similar vein to that Dunlop advert:

post158891.html

But if it's subliminal you're after....

Marlboro.jpg

Cheers - Richard

Ride him Cowboy? What sort of subliminal message are you implying here. I'm told this is a gay icon?

[elansprint71]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPIwFRZXUA4

[M.J.S]

Didn't I hear that the guy/actor/model, call him what you will, who 'starred' in all the Marlboro adverts died of cancer just a few years ago?

I bet that wasn't in his contract.

[ardee_selby]

Ride him Cowboy? What sort of subliminal message are you implying here. I'm told this is a gay icon?

I wasn't implying anything. I guess it's all about perceptions. All I did after seeing that ad was to buy a big hat...and get some chaps!

Richard

[alexblack13]

Didn't I hear that the guy/actor/model, call him what you will, who 'starred' in all the Marlboro adverts died of cancer just a few years ago?

I bet that wasn't in his contract.

What a bloody shame. Poor bugger. Would not wish that on anyone..

I am convinced smokers do not get anywhere near the full story from the 'authorities' regarding health effects of smoking. Positive most info' / data is held back... Money talks...

I feel really sorry for the young folk who are completely taken in and numbered as a 'sales success story' !! ... 20 fags a day are costing just under ?50.00 /week!!..

To each their own though. Their choice.

Al' .....

[alexblack13]

Ride him Cowboy? What sort of subliminal message are you implying here. I'm told this is a gay icon?

I wasn't implying anything. I guess it's all about perceptions. All I did after seeing that ad was to buy a big hat...and get some chaps!

Richard

Whooaaaa!! Way to much information. ....

Alex..