# Ventura V-tec Alpha



## rhaythorne

*Introduction:*

Ventura was formed 14 years ago and claims that its watches â€œdonâ€™t pretend to draw on traditionâ€ and are â€œdistinct from short-lived fashion trendsâ€ being â€œcontemporary and timeless at the same timeâ€.

I guess weâ€™ve all seen similar emotive claims from watch manufacturers before. So what is Venturaâ€™s new digital quartz model, the v-tec Alpha, really like?

*Presentation:*

The v-tec Alpha is presented in a quite small and plain, black cardboard box adorned with a single silver â€œVâ€. I for one am pleased that Ventura hasnâ€™t wasted time and money on producing a lavish box that will spend all its life in the bottom of a drawer!










Contained within the lid of the box is a clearly written and concise instruction manual detailing the watch's various functions. Also included with my watch was the print-out showing the results of its water proofing test.

*Case and Strap/bracelet:*

My watch was fitted with a very nice quality Ventura branded 24mm brown/maroon leather strap with folding steel, signed buckle. Black leather, black Alligator and Durinox Â® steel bracelet options are among the available alternatives. Unlike some other contemporary designs, the strap does not appear to be fitted in any proprietary way, so I imagine another strap or bracelet of the ownerâ€™s choice could be substituted if required.










The case is made from Durinox Â® which is stainless steel, hardened by a Ventura Trade-Marked process developed in 2002 from their similar process for hardening Titanium. It has a satin-like matt finish and appears to be exceptionally well crafted. Optionally, a case with two discreet rows of diamonds is also available although personally I think this would spoil the otherwise clean lines of the case.

The case is angled is such a way that the display is tilted slightly towards the wearer. I think it strongly resembles the Spaceman Audacieuse from the 1970â€™s and, to a lesser extent, the LED â€œdriverâ€™s styleâ€ watches from the same era. In this respect at least I think the v-tec Alpha doesnâ€™t so much â€œpretend to draw on traditionâ€ as proclaim it from the rooftops.

The rear of the case is attached with four small screws. It bears a â€œVâ€ legend and â€œventura design on timeâ€. Below this is printed the name of the designer (Hannes Wettstein) together with the usual variety of information like depth rating (30m./100ft.incidentally) etc. thatâ€™s so often emblazoned on the face of many watches.










I am thankful that Ventura has chosen not to festoon the front of the v-tec Alpha with this kind of unnecessary clutter like so many other digital watch designers! The front and sides of the case have no such markings, bearing only a single, recessed â€œVâ€, leading to an extremely clean, simple and attractive design.










The most noticeable feature of the case is the thumbwheel that operates the EasySkrollÂ® system. This wheel can be pushed to activate certain functions or rotated, which causes the display to scroll through its various modes. The EasySkrollÂ® system is a superb innovation which is extremely simple to use. I wish all digital watches had this feature.

On the left side of the case is a small recessed button that operates the backlight. Unfortunately, the position and design of this button makes it quite tricky to operate without also inadvertently pushing the EasySkrollÂ® wheel.

The case is 39mm high and 34mm wide.

*Display:*

Protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective inner coating, the v-tec Alphaâ€™s FTN digital display is nothing short of superb!

It has large, bright digits that are clear even in dim lighting conditions and, unlike conventional LCD displays, it does not grow pale in bright light. In fact, under bright sunlight, the digits positively shine out as the flashlit photo below shows!










The backlight is extremely effective too.

The display is divided into two rows. The upper row always displays the time, whilst the bottom row can be cycled through its various modes by rotating the EasySkrollÂ® wheel. The available functions are date, countdown timer, chronograph, alarm, and a second time zone. The time can be displayed in 12-hour or 24-hour format with or without seconds and the date can be displayed in three different ways.

Although the display is very bright, battery-life is a respectable 3 years, and low battery conditions are indicated on the display.

*In conclusion:*

Having owned the v-tec Alpha for less than a week it is perhaps a little early to draw any long-term conclusions, but I can say that it is both light and comfortable to wear, has a very clear, easy to read display and revolutionary (pun intended) system to operate its comprehensive functions. It has a very attractive design that drew several admiring glances and enquiries on its first day out. It does everything that I want a watch to do, and it does it with style!

*Summary:*

Likes:

Attractive design

Superb build quality

Bright, clear display

EasySkrollÂ® operating system

Dislikes:

Position of backlight button

Alarm is too quiet


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## Silver Hawk

Great review, Rich


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## Mrcrowley

Sound cool - this coming from a mechanical die hard


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## pg tips

Cracking reviw Rich, I'd really gone off digital watches but that is superb!


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## rhaythorne

Thanks lads. On call today so stuck at home with not much to do. Thought I'd put pen to paper


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## Roy

Superb review Rich,









I nearly did not send it to you, I wanted to keep it.







Mines ordered.


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## AlexR

Very cool watch and review









Coolest watch I have seen in a while.

Can I ask how much?


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## rhaythorne

Roy said:



> I nearly did not send it to you...










I'm very glad you did









AlexR said:



> Very cool watch and review
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> Coolest watch I have seen in a while.
> 
> Can I ask how much?


Thanks Alex









I'd left the price out deliberately. But as you're not the first to ask, UK RRP for my version is Â£790. Best speak to Roy though as, according to Ventura's pricelist which details all the different options, price varies quite a bit depending on exactly which model you go for.


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## Roy

The UK Retail is Â£790 but please email me for "forum member price" if you are interested.


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## adrian

You forgot to add something that make Ventura watches very special. The Durinox (hardened titanium) has 1200HV which is equivalent with the sapphire, only Rado and their ceramic watches are within this range.


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## AlexR

Rado,Mmm


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## Garry

That is one KOOL looking watch, but the price............


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## Mrcrowley

Garry said:


> That is one KOOL looking watch, but the price............


 No kidding. I was expecting about 200 quid tops


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## Roy

Worth every penny.


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## BigBlue007

Found this nice review on my search for some fellow people who own this nice time piece. Got mine some days ago for a nice price via ebay.

I was thinking about taking the current model "alpha" or waiting for the new model "delta" that will be available by end of February. But to be honest, the alpha has a more "geeky" look. The chassis of the new delta looks boring compared to the nice retro look of the alpha.

Here's a picture of the v-tec delta:










More infos/other variants: Click me!

Another difference is that the wheel is on the left side on the delta. Ventura says there were customers who would have preferred to have the wheel on the left in order to operate it with the thumb rather than the index finger.

Furthermore, delta will have a slightly modified software that should prevent the scroll wheel from operating accidently.

At the end I decided for the alpha. First of all because of the fairly good price I got. I also prefer the chassis design of the alpha. After using it for some days now, I would also say that the wheel is much easier to operate with the index finger than with the thumb, so I believe I wouldn't like the delta's usability.

The "accidently wheel operation" does not seem to be a problem at all. When the wheel hasn't been operated for a while, you have to turn it a bit more than one click in order to scroll through the functions. So there is already something in place on the alpha to adress this potential issue. According to Ventura's website, the new feature on the delta will be that in the "seconds display off" mode (i.e., only hour and minute is displayed, but no seconds), the scroll function of the wheel is completely switched off. So you have to turn on the seconds by pressing the wheel before the scroll function works. That would be absolutely not usefull for me. First, because I like to have the seconds displayed, second, as said above, there already is a functionality in the alpha to prevent an accident operation of the wheel.

What do you think about the new delta compared to the alpha?


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## Silver Hawk

Welcome to the Forum, BigBlue007


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## rhaythorne

Hi BigBlue007. I think I prefer the Alpha too, for pretty much the same reasons you mentioned. I much prefer the angular look of the Alpha to the rounded Delta. The Delta looks a little odd to me with the wheel at the bottom but maybe that's just becuase I'm used to the Alpha layout. I find I can occasionally operate the scroll wheel in error, by pushing it rather than turning it, which (in the normal mode) does nothing more than turning the seconds display off so it no big deal really.

The one thing I do regard as something of a design flaw is that the wheel is deirectly opposite the recessed button for the light, so it's difficult to press the scroll wheel without operating the light button. It looks like they haven't fixed that with the Delta.

I love the Alpha. It's certainly one of my most often worn watches and I think may be my favuorite purchase of 2004.


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## Mrcrowley

Says it's made of Durinox?

Is that something like Rado's tough ceramic coating?


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## pg tips

Welcom BB007. I prefer the Alpha too. Being a right wrister I wonder what they work like on the right wrist. I'd love one but far too pricey for me.


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## AlexR

Most Rado are made from Ceramic,not coated.The case is ceramic with a steel or titanium back,and bracelet links are also ceramic with a titanium concealed clasp.


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## rhaythorne

> Says it's made of Durinox?
> 
> Is that something like Rado's tough ceramic coating?


A couple of weeks ago I accidentally scraped my Alpha along a wall. I had one of those sickening, stomach churning moments when I looked at the long gash down the wall, but when I looked at the watch it was completely unblemished. That's Durinox for you


















Above pic is pinched from the Ventura site.


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## pg tips

> Titanox hardening makes it almost impervious to scratches and aging.


I could do with some of that!


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## Stan

Brilliant review Rich and one very nice watch.


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## BigBlue007

@rhaythorne:

When I press the wheel (with index finger), I use the thumb to hold the watch's left side. But I place the thumb at the lower part of the left side so I don't touch the light button. It's not that I had to learn this for the alpha, I'm just used to do it like this.

On the other hand, if I would need to press a button on the lower left side (using the thumb), my index finger would press against the lower right part. So on the delta I would probably be affected by that problem.

@pg tips: For a right wrister, I could imagine the delta would be the better choice (at least from a usability point of view). When I try to operate the alpha's wheel while wearing it right, I find it difficult for the left thumb to press the wheel and pressing against the other side with the index finger simultaneously. The delta design would be easier to operate in this case.

Speaking of Rado: My wife has a Diastar Ceramica Multifunction. It's amazing to see that the whole watch looks like never removed from box even though she's wearing it every day. I will be happy to see that my Durinox case will be as scratch proof...


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## Roy

Welcome Bigblue,

Here's my pride and joy.


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## leighton

But it's not mechanical.

I am most offended.


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## Roy

leighton said:


> But it's not mechanical.
> 
> I am most offended.


Why,


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## AlexR

Look out Roy,another quartz hater


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## leighton

If God wears a watch it will be a Zenith El-Primero automatic.

If Satan wears one, it would be one of those


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## jasonm

Dont hold back will you Leighton!!!

I think its verrrry cool


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## AlexR

Leighton,you need to calm down,its only a watch























Satan always had a better fashion sense anyway


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## leighton

So you are a child of Satan ?









PM me and I will save you from the brink of destruction.

Let the hethans have there quartz.

True salvation lies in the mechanical


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## AlexR

I am what I am,and if you dont mind I will stay that way


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## Roy

So Leighton you are saying that I am Satan because I wear a Quartz watch ?

What a load of









You are going to go through life offended at any one who wears a quartz watch then you need help.


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## leighton

Be who you want to be my friend but remember.

The wise amongst us will be counting down the last days on mechanical watches.

Omega Moonwatch excluded of course.


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## jasonm

Call the authorities Leighton......Youve got a gas leak in your house....


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## AlexR

Jason


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## Roy

It's David Icke,

Reptiles wear quartz,


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## leighton

Get thee back Satan























Surely someone must have figured out I was having a joke


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## Roy

leighton said:


> Surely someone must have figured out I was having a joke


 Of course







I thought we were all joking.


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## jasonm

Damn...I had just got out Leightons effegy doll and a pin


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## Roy

I mean't we were all joking except Jason.


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## AlexR

Yeah Jason,where is your sense of humour?


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## Roy




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## leighton

Seriously though.

Quartz sucks.

Mechanical watches kick ass









You wait till armagedon.

Try getting a battery for your quartz then.


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## jasonm

Bet a G-Shock would survive the fire and brimstone better


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## AlexR

armagedon my asr*


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## Roy

If/When armagedon comes the last thing I'll be worrying about is the time.


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## AlexR

I will be too busy doing my mad Max thing


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## MarkF

Hats off to anyone who has the balls to fork out for a Ventura. I'm not sure I could do it, for the price I could get a risk free purchase from a "known" manufacturer, it's like choosing between an Alfa Romeo 146 and a BMW 5, I definitley want the Alfa but I'd buy (and regret it) the BMW. Respect man









They are a gorgeous "clean" design. I have visited their site just to gaze at the pics for months now.









Leighton, you are nuts







I always have at least one Casio just to confirm that at least one of my mechanicals might just be showing the right time







I could not function without one digital watch.


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## Mrcrowley

I once thought like Leighton - only I wasn't as 'graphic' about it









Some really interesting quartz - i'm a gadget freak remember.

I don't have a quartz, just saying from a gadget point of view.


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## MarkF

Mrcrowley said:


> I don't have a quartz, just saying from a gadget point of view.


But how do you really really know what time it is without a Casio









I have just had another look at the Ventura's







Rich'a Alpha model and strap combination is IMO the best looker on the site, the diamond model lose the purity of design.

How are the straps attached?. Surely not in a conventional fashion









I want one


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## Roy

MarkF said:


> How are the straps attached?. Surely not in a conventional fashion


 Normal spring bars.


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## AlexR

I want one too,they are great looking watches.If I had the cash,there is no other watch I would consider.


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## Roy

AlexR said:


> I want one too,they are great looking watches.If I had the cash,there is no other watch I would consider.


That is exactly why I sold my Tag and SMP to buy one.


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## AlexR

I would sell all mine to buy one too,but I dont have any to sell


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## pg tips

Are you saying this is actually a watch you've never owned Alex?









If I win t' lottery tomorrow I'll buy you one!


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## Mrcrowley

> But how do you really really know what time it is without a Casio


No comment on that









Yes if I won the lottery I may buy one. But bear in mind I have to wear my watch on R wrist cos L hand knackered. So I would have to keep takink it of if I wanted to play with it


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## AlexR

Yes Pg never owned any kind of Ventura







Wish I had seen them years ago,superb looking things


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## rodiow

...yep id sure buy one of those devil watches if the price was right, I do like the cool looking design and that scroll wheel !.......fantastic! , I do like some quartz and that be one of them , not in the same league but also pushing my pleasure buttons was the "Nixon Metal Dork" watch which also had a design style of its own , I had to buy one but sold it on later because I was too scared of scratching it ...







..love the idea of that armeggeden coating


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## ESL

> That is exactly why I sold my Tag and SMP to buy one.


Hells Bells Roy - you must rate it then, I can't imagine ever selling an SMP to get one.









Unless it was a quartz SMP


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## AlexR

I had a quartz SMP,then Roy had it,,but it wasn't a quartz he sold to buy the Ventura.Nowt wrong with the Quartz SMP,great watch


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## Roy

ESL said:


> That is exactly why I sold my Tag and SMP to buy one.
> 
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> Hells Bells Roy - you must rate it then, I can't imagine ever selling an SMP to get one.
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Click to expand...

 I only know two people with a Ventura, everyone has a SMP.

It get more looks and comments than any other watch I have ever had.

If it had cost more then a Rolex or Breitling then I would still have bought one, worth every penny.

People just love it , except leighton.


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## AlexR

Well said Roy.If I ever have that amount of cash,its a Ventura for me


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## rhaythorne

Uh Oh! Looks like we've been rumbled Roy









The Master is most displeased and has demanded a sacrifice but I'm fresh out of blond virgins at the moment


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## Roy




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## AlexR




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## leighton




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## BigBlue007

Roy said:


> It get more looks and comments than any other watch I have ever had.


Almost agree. There has been one other watch I owned in the past that really draw a hell of attention. Never experienced this again with any other watch. And - JEHOVA! - it was a quartz, too...

























Everyone asked for the "thing in the middle".


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## jasonm

> "thing in the middle


Go on then, whats it do??


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## AlexR

Cool watch


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## rhaythorne

Is that bar down the middle the fuse?


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## adrian

Wow! A watch with a fuse?









Cool.


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## BigBlue007

... and I thought I'd make it easy for you by posting a picture where the watch lays on the manual...









Of course it's not a fuse. It's an antenna. This baby was the world's first three zone radio controlled watch which worked with our german DCF77 atomic time sender as well as the senders that are used in Japan and UK. The watch was introduced in 1992, the price was around EUR 500 AFAIR. There were two other versions, one silver/gold bicoloured and a gold coloured version.

I was a poor student in that time and couldn't afford it. When I searched for one years later (it wasn't available in stores anymore by then) I had to learn that you had to pay almost the original list price for a piece in mind condition. Nowadays it's almost impossible to get one anymore.

My preferred answert to the question about that thing in the middle was "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you"...


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## rhaythorne

Ahh, I see. Cool I like it


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## Mrcrowley

Hello? Does anyone like mechanical watches round here anymore?









Yes I like the Alpha-tec. But being as I am I can't play with all the toys unless it's off my wrist.

Plus it would have to be in the lottery win category.


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## adrian

BigBlue007 said:


> It's an antenna.


 I'm glad they fired the design team and moved the antenna on the back of the watch.


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## BigBlue007

I'm not.

Comparing this really nice baby to ANY other of the following Citizen radio controlled watches, all the other ones simply suck! This baby had style and looked awesome, and as I said, drew more attention on it than ANY other watch. Even if you wear a Rolex, the only reaction people might have is that they think about whether it's a real one or not, but no one will ever ask you "Wow, what's that?".

But as many other things, it's a matter of taste...


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## adrian

They have some nice Alterna RC models with carbon fibre dial. Can't find any pictures right now.


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## AlexR

> Does anyone like mechanical watches round here anymore?



















Not me









I was thinking we could do with a quartz forum


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## Mrcrowley

AlexR said:


> Does anyone like mechanical watches round here anymore?
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Click to expand...

 Noooooooooooooo









Oh go on then


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## pg tips




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## rhaythorne

Better make it password protected


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## AlexR

There are enough members who like quartz watches







I think it would work


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## MarkF

I only have 1 quartz now, my new Astina diver from Roy but I am partial to Casio's







I think a quartz forum would be good









I still want the Ventura but am skint after the new arrivals I reckon I could buy this and save Â£650, looks the same to me









http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...4958995587&rd=1


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## AlexR

The quartz forum,all types of battery powered watches welcome.

It has a ring to it


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## BigBlue007

> [...]looks the same to me


I know a good doc who could do something about that optical desease of yours...


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## MarkF

BigBlue007 said:


> [...]looks the same to me
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> I know a good doc who could do something about that optical desease of yours...
Click to expand...

 Let's go together and see if he can help you with your spelling


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## rhaythorne

I had a little crowd gathered in the pub this evening whilst I demonstrated the marvellous functions of my Tissot T-Touch. If I'd suspended it on some string and swung it to and fro they would have fallen completely under my power


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## AlexR




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## ESL

rhaythorne said:


> I had a little crowd gathered in the pub this evening whilst I demonstrated the marvellous functions of my Tissot T-Touch. If I'd suspended it on some string and swung it to and fro they would have fallen completely under my power


 Don't underestimate the power of the dark side...


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## Mrcrowley

rhaythorne said:


> I had a little crowd gathered in the pub this evening whilst I demonstrated the marvellous functions of my Tissot T-Touch. If I'd suspended it on some string and swung it to and fro they would have fallen completely under my power


 Back in my much younger days - cough............

I remember having a good laugh with a remote control watch in the pub. Unfortunataly I was changing channels during a rugby match. The poor landlord was getting rather flustered with blokes ranting at him


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## run

After reading many tests, articles and opinions about the alpha and staring many times at this beautiful timepiece, i finally decided to get one. I mostly agree with BigBlue007, Post#15 (page one i guess.). This is exactly why i buyed my alpha without software-upgrade - as is. The Ventura alpha now is the most expensive watch i ever owned.First i looked for an mechanical like an ORIS, But to be honest, to be in love, means - no other choice left.









Anything more?

- The scroll wheel. This is what i call an improvement. P e r f e c t !

- Display. Digits could be a little more brighter. Best readability in bright Daylight.

- Backlight button. Position not optimal.

- Backlight. Ok.

- Functions. All i need is here. Two timezones, this was a must.

- Material. Saphir, hardened steel, mattfinished. Very nice!

- Design. Perfect! What a design!!

I got the full steel model, its a questions of style. ;-) But maybe later i buy an additional leather wristband.

Delta or Alpha was never a question to me. The Delta is nice too, but i really think that the alpha is an *"archetype of a digital watch"*.

I know, when i buy such a watch, i buy more then just a watch. Ventura's concept and ideas behind their products really convinced me. I'm proud to own one of this gems. )

run


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## jasonm

Well done Run!!! A very nice watch indeed, there are a lot of fans here on the forum for it, Hope to see you in the forum often, keeping us informed on how your getting on with it...


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## rhaythorne

Congratulations on your new purchase Run. I'm sure you'll be very pleased with your Alpha


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## DavidH

Another good report. Any news , is the Delta on the market yet?

The ventura site says February


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