Aeronautic 2000

Yeah, I've never heard of Aeronautic 2000 either. Even the all powerful Google turns up nothing. This was a first on several levels. This was the first watch I ever bought off of television and also my first mechanical. This was a bit of an impulse buy, but at the time I was on the lookout for a watch to rival a Seiko Kinetic that a friend of mine had just purchased. I know it doesn't. But it was a start. I remember the host saying this movement was similar to a Seiko Kinetic, which was just starting to take off at the time. I guess since it was a Japanese movement and not quartz, it was "similar".



It is obviously a Rolex copy, and no, those aren't solid 18k gold links. Sorry to disappoint. The bracelet is made up of folded links and has the standard diver clasp. As you can see, I wore this watch A LOT. The gold plating on the center links is starting to fade on most of them.



The face was a very nice blue at one time, but this has since been degraded by the clouded crystal. There are four small "dots" on the crystal. I honestly have no idea what they are or what caused them. The gold on the bezel has remained in fairly good condition. The lume on the hour markers and bezel dot are better than some of the newer watches I have. The screw down crown is a nice touch, even if it is a bit small.



My favorite part of this watch was and is the exhibition caseback. This closed the deal in my mind, since this was a feature also present on the aforementioned Seiko. The movement is a standard, run of the mill Miyota. No frills, just a solid movement. Still runs fine after 10-12 years. I have never needed to have it serviced. A couple of shakes and off it goes. I love how the words "Water Resistant" are printed on the back crystal, although it never specifies how much. Needless to say, I did not take this one swimming. I also suspect the case is not a high grade of stainless steel.

I don't wear this watch anymore really, but it holds a special place in my collection. This was the first watch that introduced me to the wonderful world of a sweeping second hand, even if it stuttered a bit. And this was one of the first watches I really enjoyed showing off.