Today I spotted a lovely watch ......

OmegaGene

Rolex ceramic sub
Today I popped down to the local motor factors to get a bulb for my car and the nice man offered to fit it for me, now my hands are fairly big so I let him crack on, it was then I spotted the ceramic sub he was wearing while changing the bulb.
Braver man than me leaving his watch on while doing that, I don’t even wash my hands wearing a watch

btkm8unsl0w5r4

EIther it wasnt real so he doesnt give a crap (fakes are very hard to spot), or it was real and he known its a tool watch for wearing while doing a job.

Cienciano

Was it genuine? Could have been a rep

btkm8unsl0w5r4

OmegaGene wrote: »

It was real the fella is minted, I’ve noticed it before when I’ve been on there and we got chatting abiut Rolex

Well that answer your question so, if he is wealthy (and practical) then a scratch on his daily beater is irrelevant.

893bet

That kinda job is one where you can’t help but bash the watch off everything! Madness!

Wibbs

Down the years I've rarely enough spotted a nice watch in the wild and when I have the vast majority of the time it's a Rolex or TAG or Omega, with the occasional IWC, but that would be more in the last decade or so. I suppose they'd be the goto brands for most folks anyway. Plus if someone is buying a watch at least partially to transmit style or more, success, they'll go for something recognisable to everyone. Rolex would be the king there.

Of the more esoteric stuff I've seen: Patek Phillippe Calatrava, 1940's vintage Hanhart chrono(that looked well bashed about, but brilliant with it), a couple of early Rolex Oysters and Bubblebacks(funny one of the latter was on the wrist of a guy in a motor factors) and a late 60's Seiko Diver spring to mind.

I've seen the majority of such watches outside Ireland. Then again, until the Boom™ years and the interwebs and the rise of watches as a thing, we had a small population and little enough money floating about and little enough exposure to that kinda thing, so even those who had a few quid tended to go the gold or bimetallic Rolex route. When I used to go to auctions in the 80's as a kid when watches came up they were usually no name to me at the time brands. Gold Rolexes when they came up got strong enough money, steel ones not so much. Omegas you'd see a fair amount of and Rotary seemed very popular. The vast majority were pale dialled "dress watches" on leather bands in style. Tool watches were rare to see outside very cheap 70's no name brand "divers".

unkel

OmegaGene wrote: »

Rolex ceramic sub
Today I popped down to the local motor factors to get a bulb for my car and the nice man offered to fit it for me, now my hands are fairly big so I let him crack on, it was then I spotted the ceramic sub he was wearing while changing the bulb.
Braver man than me leaving his watch on while doing that, I don’t even wash my hands wearing a watch

Fair play to the man. Watches exist to be worn. Like cars exist to be driven. I'm no fan of museum pieces. I wear my Omega Seamaster every day. It is a beater watch to me and it is far from perfect. I drive my Porsche Boxster regularly and I drive it hard in all kinds of weather and when I don't drive it, it is parked on my drive exposed to the elements. And I am far from rich. I bought both of them for a tiny fraction of what they sold for when new.

shutup

99% of watch enthusiasts - “Today I spotted an expensive watch from one of the top luxury brands.
It doesn’t matter what it looked like. It cost a fortune”

Apologies for the mini rant. I just find micro brands and seiko so much nicer than anything from the more respected brands.
I wouldn’t wear the majority of watches that get fawned about here. Eg Hulk, Daytona, anything by Patek Philippe,

893bet

I rarely spot an “expensive” watch outside of Dublin. Always amazed in the UK where every second wrist has a Rolex or omega on.

Cyrus

shutup wrote: »

99% of watch enthusiasts - “Today I spotted an expensive watch from one of the top luxury brands.
It doesn’t matter what it looked like. It cost a fortune”

Apologies for the mini rant. I just find micro brands and seiko so much nicer than anything from the more respected brands.
I wouldn’t wear the majority of watches that get fawned about here. Eg Hulk, Daytona, anything by Patek Philippe,

Why rant then just buy what you like and assume others do likewise

What microbrands do you like btw

893bet

OmegaGene wrote: »

Yeah it’s completely different there, I was on a bus in east London 2 weeks ago and saw a nautilus

Bus or tube and it’s watch candy everywhere!

aaakev

In my work i deal with a lot of business owners so at least once a week i gwt a comment on my watch or comment on one of theirs. The conversation usually heads off in that direction then and we talk about watches for a while! Loads of Rolex and Tag. Recent customer had a lovely 2 tone Daytona he bought 7 years ago for $16k and still looked new, he said he only wears it occasionally as it wouldget wrecked in his line of work. A few account managers from the banks wear IWC's, i think iv only ever noticed them on bankers.

My other 2 hobbies come up quite a bit too now i think about it, shooting and motorbikes, cant go a couple of weeks without one or the other coming up but not as much as watches because they are usually on display during a meeting

shutup

Cyrus wrote: »

Why rant then just buy what you like and assume others do likewise

What microbrands do you like btw

You’re right, each to their own but I had to get it off my chest!
There’s loads of brands I can’t remember. I just spot them online and move on as I can’t buy any more watches at the moment.
Are deep blue too big to be considered a micro brand? I really love their watches but they annoyed me a bit with quite a few military and macho gun toting photos on their Instagram.
I really enoksen watches, I own one of their divers.
The diver Eoin recently posted was lovely but I can’t remember the brand and can’t find the post.
The SAS watches that were discussed here last month are nice but they need a name change.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Just buy what you like, most watch people do, its just a lot of them like the big brands because they make nice watches, although maybe not to everyones tastes.

Keyzer

I find it strange sometimes how little regard some people have for their "treasured items".

One of the in laws treated himself to a Panerai when his last kid arrived. Got it only a few months ago and its wrecked, lets the kids play with it.

My speedie is a locked away for special occasions. Like when I'm on my own at night and put it on for a few mins.

Yes, I'm a weirdo.

Cienciano

Keyzer wrote: »

I find it strange sometimes how little regard some people have for their "treasured items".

One of the in laws treated himself to a Panerai when his last kid arrived. Got it only a few months ago and its wrecked, lets the kids play with it.

My speedie is a locked away for special occasions. Like when I'm on my own at night and put it on for a few mins.

Yes, I'm a weirdo.

Both are far ends of the scale, there's a happy medium inbetween.

micks_address

Cienciano wrote: »

Both are far ends of the scale, there's a happy medium inbetween.

From from rolex territory but i wear my steinhart every day.. i work in an office though so its hardly risky territory... i wear in the pool a bit to.. figure might as well.. safer to wear than take off and loose or forget it somewhere..

that said if i was doing diy or anything that might put it in harms way i take it off.. it was a gift for my 40th so more sentimental than momentary value.