Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

Daemonic

Someone has tested a Vostok before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_O2yVyx51k

banie01

I have just done a little fiddling with IFTTT to create an alert for me if a Longines VPH shows up for sale over there.
There is a 43mm black pvd version that's caught my eye, but a Blue on a bracelet would be the preference.
They are changing hands over there at a nice discount from RRP and Watchrecon is showing only one funnily enough in Ireland!
But alas not a GMT model.

Will let the thread know how IFTTT holds up for finding anything.

cnocbui

banie01 wrote: »

I have just done a little fiddling with IFTTT to create an alert for me if a Longines VPH shows up for sale over there.
There is a 43mm black pvd version that's caught my eye, but a Blue on a bracelet would be the preference.
They are changing hands over there at a nice discount from RRP and Watchrecon is showing only one funnily enough in Ireland!
But alas not a GMT model.

Will let the thread know how IFTTT holds up for finding anything.

Is that VHP, and is this one?

banie01

cnocbui wrote: »

Is that VHP, and is this one?

Yes and yes, damn fat fingers!
Better check the Reddit alert to be sure I didn't misspell it here

Is that from rakuten?

cnocbui

banie01 wrote: »

Yes and yes, damn fat fingers!
Better check the Reddit alert to be sure I didn't misspell it here

Is that from rakuten?

Sort of - Yahoo auctions Japan: https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/search/search?va=Longines+gmt+vph&exflg=1&b=1&n=50&mode=2&auccat=&tab_ex=commerce&ei=utf-8&aq=-1&oq=&sc_i=&exflg=1&p=Longines+gmt+vhp&x=0&y=0

If you click to view an item, you should see a big ad at the top of the page for the Buyee buying service. I have used them and they are pretty good.

banie01

cnocbui wrote: »

Sort of - Yahoo auctions Japan: https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/search/search?va=Longines+gmt+vph&exflg=1&b=1&n=50&mode=2&auccat=&tab_ex=commerce&ei=utf-8&aq=-1&oq=&sc_i=&exflg=1&p=Longines+gmt+vhp&x=0&y=0

If you click to view an item, you should see a big ad at the top of the page for the Buyee buying service. I have used them and they are pretty good.

Thanks for that

Another place for me to fritter away money, my wife will be eternally grateful

Also...
Saw this https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d487485299#&gid=1&pid=1

And thought of Wibbs

Wibbs

banie01 wrote: »

Saw this https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d487485299#&gid=1&pid=1

And thought of Wibbs

Get thee behind me!

Actually down the years I've found Japan to be similar to Germany in that prices are generally high for vintage stuff.

banie01

Wibbs wrote: »

Get thee behind me!

Actually down the years I've found Japan to be similar to Germany in that prices are generally high for vintage stuff.

I'd only be repaying a favour or 3! :pac:

blue5000

Wibbs wrote: »

Get thee behind me!

Actually down the years I've found Japan to be similar to Germany in that prices are generally high for vintage stuff.

Just wondering if you've ever bought from S.America Wibbs? I've found what used to be behind the old iron curtain to be a good source for vintage watches. Perhaps they worked in Italy or France after the war, bought a nice watch and now the grand children are selling off their inheritance.

cnocbui

blue5000 wrote: »

Just wondering if you've ever bought from S.America Wibbs? I've found what used to be behind the old iron curtain to be a good source for vintage watches. Perhaps they worked in Italy or France after the war, bought a nice watch and now the grand children are selling off their inheritance.

Perhaps you have been unknowingly dealing in blood watches. Argentina seems to be a SA source of some classic stuff.

Wibbs

blue5000 wrote: »

Just wondering if you've ever bought from S.America Wibbs? I've found what used to be behind the old iron curtain to be a good source for vintage watches.

I have B, in both. I've sourced Vostoks, a couple of vintage Soviet quartz from Ukraine and Russia. I've also gotten stuff from Argentina, Peru and Columbia. The latter wasn't stopped by customs either. Argentina was a very well off place in the past. Longines seemed to be a fave for them too. They were always quite a Latin(in Europe and the Americas) and Far Eastern brand anyway. Now that I think on it, save for two my Longines came from "Latin" countries. All my Girard Perregaux came via Latin places too. Pre interwebs my old watches were either happened upon locally or on trips to the UK, since the interwebs only two have been. My Omega have all been EU sourced. The one I have left a Mariner I got the watch head in Holland(with German daywheel), waited for years to source a bracelet which I got from Italy IIRC and because time had passed and values had gone up it cost me a little more than the watch itself. Doh. Well I broke a cardinal rule there. If you want a watch that came on a bracelet, buy one with a bracelet, don't snap up a "bargain" and hope a bracelet will come along.

Italy is a good resource. They were into watches, vintage, current and even pocketwatches long before it became a wider thing on the web and the Anglosphere. Spain and France can be good too. Germany can have great choices, but prices are on average 20% plus higher. They also tend to over restore vintage stuff. Switzerland can be pricey like Germany but can come up with some real oddballs, even prototypes. It's the source I suppose.

EG this Longines from the 40's at 370 in Italy would be a 500+ watch in Germany, and at least 800 with talk of tropical champagne dialled callatrava on Hoodwinkee. Note too that in places like Italy and Spain and France there tends to be far more open auctions than BIN and dealers. More like the "old days".

blue5000

cnocbui wrote: »

Perhaps you have been unknowingly dealing in blood watches. Argentina seems to be a SA source of some classic stuff.

Have to admit I did unwittingly buy blood diamonds in the Canaries, I thought they were sapphires and were priced as such in a ring. Mrs. B wanted a few rings valued and threw this 'sapphire' ring in as well, turns out it had 1 sapphire and 4 diamonds.

But tell me more, what's a blood watch?

Fitz II

blue5000 wrote: »

Have to admit I did unwittingly buy blood diamonds in the Canaries, I thought they were sapphires and were priced as such in a ring. Mrs. B wanted a few rings valued and threw this 'sapphire' ring in as well, turns out it had 1 sapphire and 4 diamonds.

But tell me more, what's a blood watch?

Its a watch where enslaved irish lawyers are made put them hundreds of them together in their kitchen and treated appallingly by the WIS on internet forums, while kickstarter takes a massive cut of the profits leaving little for the workers. Dont buy conflict watches it just perpetuates the horror.

Cyclingtourist

Wibbs wrote: »

I've also gotten stuff from Argentina, Peru and Columbia.

It's Colombia NOT Columbia.

Sorry Wibbs I'm a grammar Nazi in my spare time.

scwazrh

Does anyone know the current import situation If I buy a watch private sale from uk seller through TZ ?
is vat chargeable on import ? How do you prove the actual value of a 2nd hand watch . Price point is €3k.

cnocbui

blue5000 wrote: »

Have to admit I did unwittingly buy blood diamonds in the Canaries, I thought they were sapphires and were priced as such in a ring. Mrs. B wanted a few rings valued and threw this 'sapphire' ring in as well, turns out it had 1 sapphire and 4 diamonds.

But tell me more, what's a blood watch?

It was a joke: visions of stasi and KGB torturers removing the nice western watches from the wrists of their victims, later to be inherited by their children.

So a KGB inspector goes to visit a Siberian prison to check on the inmates in their cells.

First he goes to the first cell and asks the inmate “why were you arrested?” The inmate replies him “My watch was always 10 minutes late and thus i was always late for work so they assumed that i was late because i was planning a coup”.

He then proceeds to go to the second cell and asks the inmate the same question. The inmate replies him “My watch was always 10 minutes ahead and thus i always came early for work so they assumed that i came early because i’m a western spy.”

After that he goes to the third cell and asks inmate the same question like the previous 2. The inmate replies him “My watch was always correct and thus i always came to work on time so they assumed that i smuggled the watch from the west.”

Wibbs

Much of the time "blood diamonds" are just diamonds that DeBeers don't control the supply of.

cnocbui

scwazrh wrote: »

Does anyone know the current import situation If I buy a watch private sale from uk seller through TZ ?
is vat chargeable on import ? How do you prove the actual value of a 2nd hand watch . Price point is €3k.

A couple of years ago, a wildlife cam I imported was nabbed by customs. They didn't believe the amount on the invoice and asked for proof from Paypal, so I sent them a screen shot and they released it and charged me the small amount due. They are a sad little lot. Only a two week delay, thanks very much.

So I think you could use CC or bank statements to prove how much you paid.

I haven't had the opportunity to check this recently, so it may not be the case anymore, but I noticed that stuff sent to me that had a tracking number always got hit for VAT while stuff sent without a tracking number didn't. I started asking sellers to send me things unregisterd and I think all but one came through without extras. I am quite certain they reduced their work load by just checking stuff that had a tracking number on the assumption the contents would be more expensive and that untracked stuff likely wasn't.

Pablo_Flox

scwazrh wrote: »

Does anyone know the current import situation If I buy a watch private sale from uk seller through TZ ?
is vat chargeable on import ? How do you prove the actual value of a 2nd hand watch . Price point is €3k.

I got a watch from the UK recently (not as expensive as your one) and asked the seller to declare it as a gift with a value a lot less than what I paid. It sailed through customs and they didn't pay any attention to it.

Not guaranteeing you will have the same look, but if it was me I would role the dice.

fulladapipes

Pablo_Flox wrote: »

I got a watch from the UK recently (not as expensive as your one) and asked the seller to declare it as a gift with a value a lot less than what I paid. It sailed through customs and they didn't pay any attention to it.

Not guaranteeing you will have the same look, but if it was me I would role the dice.

I am assuming the potential downside to under declaring the value is that if it goes missing, it will only be covered for the under declared amount.

cnocbui

fulladapipes wrote: »

I am assuming the potential downside to under declaring the value is that if it goes missing, it will only be covered for the under declared amount.

Do any carriers cover such amounts?

Wibbs

cnocbui wrote: »

I haven't had the opportunity to check this recently, so it may not be the case anymore, but I noticed that stuff sent to me that had a tracking number always got hit for VAT while stuff sent without a tracking number didn't.

Same here. And anything going ebay global shipping got hit and often way above what the item should have been hit by. I had vintage books get hit with VAT when books are VAT free as far as importing goes in Ireland and I had to fight to get my moola back. I will never use ebay global shipping and not just on that point. I've found it slow as hell, more expenisive and at least half the items are opened and repacked and often badly.

Thirdfox

eBay global shipping pre-charges the tax on sale (so they can take the fee and add a little on top) - handy for seller who don't want to deal with international shipping but I'm definitely not a fan.

Same here with Amazon now - they are pre-charging the import VAT and duties and returning it to you if they're wrong... I wonder do they always return it tbh (or if the 3rd party contractor they use get it right every single time). It is convenient for buyers/sellers though so people mostly put up with it - it is expensive though.

Eoin

cnocbui wrote: »

Do any carriers cover such amounts?

Yes - thanks to a tip here, I've been able to send 2 watches valued between over 2K and 4K fully insured, using DHL. You can also buy insurance separately from a specialist broker, but I can't remember their name.

Cyrus

Eoin wrote: »

Yes - thanks to a tip here, I've been able to send 2 watches valued between over 2K and 4K fully insured, using DHL. You can also buy insurance separately from a specialist broker, but I can't remember their name.

THis is one i use

https://shipinforsure.com/

Cyclingtourist

Another quality video from Oisin on The Timeless Watch Channel.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aE_wjEaVum8

Forty minutes of beautiful Venice talking Tudor and eating pastries.

Wibbs

Fitz II wrote: »

As for the historical accuracy, I dont know, best ask somebody who "wants to look like they fly vintage Messerschmitts" they will certainly know and care.

Messerschmitt BF109, a flight safety hazard with a seat apparently. Watches of choice for pilots of same? If they wore one; personally bought 30's Tank watches, or Hanhart flyback chronographs. Spitfire pilots; mostly 30's tank watches. The vast majority of actual WW2 issued watches were for navigators on bombers and transports. But that's not so good for marketing copy I suppose. Issued Heuer Bunds were more in play for tankers and artillery than jet fighter pilots.

Thirdfox

Wibbs wrote: »

Messerschmitt BF109, a flight safety hazard with a seat apparently. Watches of choice for pilots of same? If they wore one; personally bought 30's Tank watches, or Hanhart flyback chronographs. Spitfire pilots; mostly 30's tank watches. The vast majority of actual WW2 issued watches were for navigators on bombers and transports. But that's not so good for marketing copy I suppose. Issued Heuer Bunds were more in play for tankers and artillery than jet fighter pilots.

Maybe chronos would be used by torpedo crew on submarines? I know the 1/100th Soviet "mikrometer" I have were used in soviet subs at the time - though apparently the one I bought was used in blasting mines (no idea how that would be useful for blasting/quarrying).

cnocbui

Wibbs wrote: »

Messerschmitt BF109, a flight safety hazard with a seat apparently. Watches of choice for pilots of same? If they wore one; personally bought 30's Tank watches, or Hanhart flyback chronographs. Spitfire pilots; mostly 30's tank watches. The vast majority of actual WW2 issued watches were for navigators on bombers and transports. But that's not so good for marketing copy I suppose. Issued Heuer Bunds were more in play for tankers and artillery than jet fighter pilots.

Where are you getting that from? Seems slightly odd I would have both an issued watch and pocket watch chronograph for navigation, issued to a fighter pilot. Perhaps the Royal Navy were more generous or because of the over water thing.

Lorddrakul

What about someone who drives a vintage Messerschmitt?



Asking for a friend...




... Who doesn't like Bunds.