Wristwatch Review: Refurbished Vintage HMT Pilot Watch

One of the most fun watches in my collection is a vintage HMT Pilot watch that I bought this spring (2025) from a seller on Etsy. It was an inexpensive purchase and definitely something in the fun and interesting category.

My refurbished HMT Pilot watch undergoes scrutiny

HMT Watch Features

The watch features a manually wound movement. In this era of cell phones and reliable quartz movements, it may seem like a throwback. But, if you are into watches, that is part of the charm. You get to interact with your watch, look at it, and wind it.

HMT Pilot Dimensions

As with many vintage watches, this HMT Pilot watch is a little small. I measure 34mm in diameter not counting the crown. It is 10mm thick and measures about 42mm from lug-to-lug. However, I don't mind a small, lightweight, watch from time to time.

HMT Pilot Refurbishment & Construction

When it comes to a refurbished watch, it's more about re-construction than construction. You'll want to ready Etsy listings very closely to understand what you are getting when it comes to these watches. As a refurbished watch, my HMT Pilot has a bright blue aftermarket  dial, a clear and unblemished replacement crystal, new hands, and an inexpensive leather strap. I replaced the strap with a more generously-sized silicone strap which fits the character of a pilot watch. 

HMT Pilot Aftermarket Dial Detail

The stainless steel case and watch movement are original, but they have benefited from professional attention. The case has been cleaned up and polished. The movement has been serviced and oiled. This watch uses an HMT 0231 watch movement which is basically a copy of Citizen 0201movement. It has 17 jewels and uses Citizen's para shock design to help minimize any damage from accidental drops. 

Indian Refurb Watch Performance

This watch runs and keeps time. Unlike some vintage Seiko and Orient watches, you don't have to shake this watch to keep it running. You just have to wind it and it will run for quite a long time. I realize "quite" is not a scientific term, but basically, if you wind it up at bed time, it will run well into the next day.

The Stainless Steel Case of this vintage HMT Pilot can ward off baby T-Rex bites

From an accuracy perspective, the watch keeps time practically for the day you wear it. However, it runs a bit fast. After a day, you may find it to be running 4 or 5 minutes fast. In a recent test, it picked up about 2 minutes in 2 1/2 hours.

Overall Review

I like this HMT Pilot watch. For only $37 (when I bought it), it's a practical way to have a vintage feel and experience without fungus, rust, or haziness of many old watches.

Watch Review: Vintage Timex Mercury Manual-Wind Watch

As I was rummaging through my watches last week (original post 2012), I came across my 1970s vintage Timex Mercury in its original packaging.  I bought it last year off of ebay in New Old Stock (NOS) condition.  It's a fantastic, manual-wind, watch. 

 

My New-In-Box Timex Mercury Manual Wind Watch

[Update: This article original posted a link to a review I wrote.  My original review was posted on Associated Content which was bought out by Yahoo! Fortunately, they let us retain rights to the articles. Here is that review of the Timex Mercury.]

 
Sometimes ebay offers the chance to step back in time. As a casual watch collector, I was intrigued by a listing for a New, Old Stock, manual-wind, Men's Timex Mercury wristwatch. With so many auctions depending on subjective descriptions of used items, I was excited by the prospect of buying a brand new vintage watch. It was an exciting item to win for $38.95 plus a small shipping fee.

When my Timex Mercury arrived, it was still in its original packaging. Amazingly, the mechanical marvel originally sold for $25.95 sometime back in the late 1970s. As I removed it from it's box, I was struck by the simplicity of the watch. It has a shiny chrome dial, black numerals, and black hands for hours, minutes, and seconds. Since the Timex Mercury predates the huge and clunky watch trend, the face of the watch seems a little small at a sensible 35 millimeters across. The watch is also around 9 millimeters thick. It's a slim watch by today's standards.

Timex Mercury

Like many modern analog watches, the Mercury also provides the day of the week and date in addition to the time. However, setting the day and date is a little cumbersome by modern standards. You have to rotate the crown counterclockwise to nine o'clock and then back towards three repeatedly. It isn't difficult, but I was glad to have the directions. The band is a hybrid of expansion band and strap features. Basically, the band has a metal strap made of expansion band material and a clasp that clicks into the links of the expension band. The band is 20 millimeters wide at the watch and tapers down to 15 millimeters wide. While the band sounds a bit complicated, the Timex Mercury watch is actually very comfortable to wear.

Amazingly, this 1970s-vintage Timex has withstood the test of time and still keeps good time. You simply have to manually wind the watch each day. If you are a collector, playing with a watch is not a hardship. The shiny metallic look, dome-style crystal, and functional design of this Timex watch draw lots of complements. The design is simply timeless. The Timex Mercury was introduced in 1961 for only $8.95. Timex sold huge numbers of these watches during the sixties and seventies. The Mercury name even lived on into the 80s and 90s on quartz watches with Indiglo features. Needless to say, vintage Timex watches are regularly available from ebay, Etsy, and other auction sites at affordable prices.

Overall, this Timex Mercury was a great addition to my watch collection. While high end brands may have more prestige than Timex, nifty, cool, and affordable are adjectives that work well for me!