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Is Happy Day! Watch or Accessory Review - Kinda vintage, kinda homage.. but neither in the way you're expecting! Smile

Ricky Lee
July 14, 2011 10:41AM
 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 17,866 (2012-03)

First a disclaimer. This is without a doubt THE hardest watch to photograph that I have yet encountered Eek!, though not for any of the reasons you might think. I am confused I was so unhappy with the (50+!) photos I shot yesterday that I considered scrapping them all and starting over. Then, this morning, I realized that, as basically a novelty watch, this one's hardly gonna be a Phorum Phavorite in any case. And I'm not entirely sure I could do any better! Oops! So, here ye go!

Fossil Atari Centipede
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Yup, a ! While I've worked on a bunch of customer's Fossils, and have even had several non-functioning models pass through The Boneyard, I count this as the first Fossil that I've ever actually owned.

"But Ricky" you say, "what's so difficult-to-photograph about that watch? I am confused" Glad you asked!

Fossil Atari Centipede
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

See it yet? No?

Fossil Atari Centipede
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

How 'bout now? Still no? {sigh} Now you may start to realize what I mean by "hard to photograph". Frowning

Sure, it's the Atari © Centipede® homage, and the dial is actually a color LCD screen with a non-playable version of the vintage video game cycling in the background. The pusher above the crown starts and stops the animation.

Stock photo

So desperate was I to capture the screen that I set the camera to manual mode and shot dozens of photos with the shutter and aperture bracketed all over the place. Figured I'd get at least one usable image by dumb luck, if nothing else. Wink

Well.. not necessarily. Crazy! Loco! They mostly looked like this:

Fossil Atari Centipede
Click HERE for larger photo

Eek! Oops!

Still, you get the idea. Wink

The display is actually quite striking and dramatic under certain lighting conditions, and from certain angles. But under other conditions (like being placed in front of a camera I am angry!) it pretty much looks like a plain black dial.

It measures 40.2mm wide w/o crown, with the face being 32mm "long". When the length is measured across the 'lugs' you get an almost-square 41mm, though it doesn't wear like a square watch. Thickness is 10.5mm, and the bracelet is a non-tapering 20mm solid-link affair. The clasp is a branded double-pushbutton with flip-lock safety and, though stamped, is heavy-gauge and quite substantial.

Fossil Atari Centipede
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Full stainless, 50M WR and, yes, it's still got the OEM protective film on the caseback.

I should mention that I got the watch via a trade with our esteemed Watch Idiot Savant of the Month, Bro. dano0. Purely chance, mind you - someone posted a photo of a Fossil Space Invaders® homage, I mentioned I rather liked it, Bro. Dan responded that he had one up for grabs, and the rest is history. So the moral of the story, I suppose, is that "It never hurts to ask". Smile

And, yeah, you read that right. Through the whole trade process, I was expecting a Space Invaders® watch. Oops! I admit I was initially a bit taken aback when it turned out to be a Centipede® watch instead. But that lasted about 60 seconds. Given the TZ 99% condition, and the fact that I was a fan of and have played Centipede® almost as much as Space Invaders®, I decided that flaggin' Bro. Dan on The Last Resort wouldn't be necessary. Laughing Plus, checking back, I saw that the stock photo Dan had sent me clearly was the correct one, no matter that we both kept calling it "space invaders"...

So. We need a Hairy Wrist Shot inside!, huh? Smile

Ironically, a series of 3 wrist-shots was how I started this marathon photo shoot, and the second one turned out to be probably the overall best representation of the watch out of all of them..

Fossil Atari Centipede
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..not that it's any Great Shakes. Blushing

In any case, I'm enjoying this one immensely! Thanks Bro. Dan! Thumbs up!

And thanks for readin', y'all...

Cheers!

-Ricky


"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

Messages In This Thread

Is Happy Day! Watch or Accessory Review - Kinda vintage, kinda homage.. but neither in the way you're expecting! Smile Image Attachments URL

 Ricky Lee 664 July 14, 2011 10:41AM

Administrators please PMWF Museum please! (n/t)

 Dave Murphy 29 September 16, 2011 07:13AM

that's hard nerd-core, I love it! (n/t)

 greg honeycutt 45 July 15, 2011 05:31PM

Congrats Ricky. It looks like a very fun watch. Smile (n/t)

 Adam in NYC 52 July 14, 2011 08:10PM

Very fun! If you hold down the pusher for five seconds, does it transport you to The Grid? Laughing (n/t)

 SAH407 59 July 14, 2011 06:17PM

You know, I'm not sure. I am confused Hang on, I'll try it. If..

..I'm not back in 10 minutes Eek! please send out a Search Party. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off
 Ricky Lee 49 July 15, 2011 08:36AM

Glad you like it Ricky!!! Sorry for the confusion about Centipede/Invaders..........

I'm gonna have to mulligan that one, being I was Concieved in 1981!!!! Laughing
 dano0 57 July 14, 2011 11:48AM

Re: I'm gonna have to mulligan that one, being I was Concieved in 1981!!!! Laughing

Ah, no biggie. I kinda figured you simply didn't know the difference 'tween Centipede and Space Invaders Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off them both bein' Before Your Time. Wink
 Ricky Lee 51 July 14, 2011 12:30PM

Funny thing is, as a kid I had an atari with both games!!! Oops! My mistake! (n/t)

 dano0 65 July 14, 2011 01:05PM

Well no excuse then! Oops! That does it! I am angry! I'm heading for Ripoff.report.com right now! I am angry!

Wink Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off Wink
 Ricky Lee 49 July 15, 2011 08:38AM

Fun watch Thumbs Up (n/t)

 JP 60 July 14, 2011 11:08AM

Thanks Jean-Paul! Cheers! (n/t)

 Ricky Lee 53 July 14, 2011 11:21AM

Funky kitschy cool! laughing Cheers! to a good trade, now what did HE get? laughing (n/t)

 DJM 62 July 14, 2011 10:46AM

Hey, that part's up to Bro. Dan! Laughing

I will say this - he threw in a bunch of extra stuff for the W.O.M.P. cause. Clapping!
 Ricky Lee 55 July 14, 2011 11:20AM

Thumbs Up Dano0, but where's your reveal??? laughing (n/t)

 DJM 56 July 14, 2011 04:36PM

See above! I think he acquitted himself admirably! Clapping!

Indeed, I need to pop up there and congratulate him... Smile
 Ricky Lee 54 July 15, 2011 08:33AM

Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off My wife would love that watch....

She was/is a Centipede champion. After I built the Mame Cabinet she repeatedly schooled the kids on it (I was wise enough not to challenge her - I kept that for Joust and Robotron 2084).

Very cool watch Ricky Lee!
 BobbyMike 61 July 14, 2011 10:45AM

Well, there's a couple on eFlay right now. Smile One apparently NOS. (n/t)

 Ricky Lee 66 July 14, 2011 11:16AM

You made me look! I am crying Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off (n/t)

 DRFP 57 July 14, 2011 02:25PM

Uh-oh! Eek! You've got competition.. a little bird told me that BobbyMike is watching that one, too. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off (n/t)

 Ricky Lee 48 July 15, 2011 08:34AM

Heh heh I will go and perform a sneak attack and "watch" one...

Since she's on Ebay everyday for our business she's bound to notice it Thumbs up!
 BobbyMike 58 July 14, 2011 11:46AM

PM sent.. Wink Good luck! Thumbs up! (n/t)

 Ricky Lee 53 July 14, 2011 11:57AM


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