Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939013#Comment_118939013

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939100#Comment_118939100

It’s not inverse snobbery to enjoy items at either end of the luxury scale..Snobbery is only liking the high end , inverse snobbery is only liking the low end .Appreciating watches regardless of the cost can in no way be seen as snobbery

Sure they may be some who like to pretend to be the everyman when they are not but I doubt someone like Mayer who can regularly be seen wearing his g shocks is doing it just to fit in the with the low end collectors.

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939057#Comment_118939057

why wouldn’t he appreciate his seikos ? The zero west crap is obviously being plugged for reward but it’s not like he’s singing the praises of every low value watch just to be seen as one of the lads.Seiko is one of the most accomplished watch brands in the world ,why wouldn’t he appreciate them?it might be one of the most honest things about him.

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939298#Comment_118939298

If you look at his first Talking Watches not a G-shock or anything like it to be seen. He's had tie ins with both Casio and Hodinkee since. He has some skin in the game. American culture from the ground up has sell sell sell as a main theme. They start them young too. I remember getting Marvel comics as a kid and noting even then all the ads for American children to sell seeds or the like door to door to win BB guns, x ray specs and such. So my very general view going in when watching an American in the public eye around brands is that they're usually selling something, and themselves. And salesmen are usually the easiest people to in turn sell stuff too and IMHO the shift in Mayer's collecting choices are less his than his dealers. Maybe I'm too cynical S? 😁

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939313#Comment_118939313

Oh I've long praised Seiko as one of the top brands out there. They blow the doors off most Swiss brands as far as innovation, choice, value, history, awards and "inhouse" goes. The most accurate mechanical chronometer in the history of the Swiss trials wasn't Swiss... And you could actually walk in and buy one in the shops.

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939398#Comment_118939398

I’m not agreeing or disagreeing re Mayer as I just used him as an example but,,,,if you view him as a salesman of the brand’s he’s associated with ,does that not rule out all brands ? Because he wears g shocks you think he’s flogging them , so does the same not apply to his other brands ? Or is it just because the g shock is a low price item ?

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939529#Comment_118939529

Oh no, I'd apply it to all brands. if anything fair play to Casio. That's what brands do. I'd be willing to bet a fair number of those on this years nobodygaveadamnaboutitsavefortheslap Oscar red carpet weren't wearing their own watches, or suits and dresses.

Fitz II

Look we all move on in the collecting game. It's fun to nostalgia about the cheap watches of the early times and how relitivly good they are...the law of diminishing returns something only the high end collectors appreciates. But I am cynical. I appreciate a Casio, but not as much as a Rolex. To say otherwise is to say you are blind, stupid or both. Once you are super high end like Mayer you can appreciate anything you want..he earned that right. But those that no only the low end are not really qualified to give opinion on the high end. It's the whole punching up or down thing.

Like wibbs says Mayer has skin oh selling aspiration to the low end collector, and that's why I think it's disingenuous and patronising. Kinds of " look you entire collection is nothing to me...it's a spare link for my patek, so keeping it around as armour to not being called a snob means absoutly nothing to me...your collection is nothing to me." That's stinks really doesn't it.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939039#Comment_118939039

I personally don't think Rolex are 3 to 4k better in terms of what they offer than say Omega rrp.. looks etc are subjective The latest seamaster is technically probably a better watch than the Rolex submariner but not many around here would agree. The seamaster is to expensive for what it is as retail. I'm happy I got mine rrp minus 20% secondhand

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939910#Comment_118939910

Agree 100 percent that you in general get a better finish and better bang for buck with Omega. Especially second hand.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939313#Comment_118939313

Aint nothing honest about that lad. This is lad selling JPEGs with Paul “I am an honest salt of the earth geezer” Thorpe to fools.

Appreciate is a funny word. Quiet subjective. I appreciate all brands. But I wouldn’t buy 99 of them as they don’t meet my quality expectations.

These lads like to give the impression that the “Lower end” (cheperstuff) (and depending on the collection that could be a seiko or an omega) occupy an equal footing with other watches. That ain’t so. They might put them on if they need to plunge their toilets perhaps.

Cienciano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118938433#Comment_118938433

Some great watches there, love the breguet classique line.

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939865#Comment_118939865

So Mayer can appreciate everything because he’s had the best ? And it’s only once you’ve had the best that you can appreciate the lesser ?I have heard you give your opinion on Richard mille before , by your rationale you are not qualified to give an opinion.No one on this forum is punching at a high level when it comes to horology so does that mean we all should stop discussing watches ?

To move on from Mayer if he is viewed as nothing more than a salesman for g shock what about Ed Sheeran ? Another collector who has confessed a love for g shocks, surely he’s not part of the affordable watches sales team as well?

A YouTuber called Londonwathcollector that I watch has a outstanding collection of real high end watches and still has a skx007 sitting in the box . Is it that hard to fathom that a collector can have a high end watches and still appreciate low cost watches?

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118939039#Comment_118939039

You know what? That's something that I can certainly agree with and a POV I find myself coming towards more and more.

Your list of watches in an earlier post, really highlights that IMO. The value available in actual high-horology versus 2nd hand Rolex is immense. A bregeut flyback has been on my own radar for quite a while and the way prices are going? Probably actually both affordable and sensible way to waste money 🤣

I'm currently sitting on 2 omegas, 2 and a half Sinn, an IWC, an Astronaut, a Promaster and a couple of other pieces and whilst I'd love an explorer 2? I don't know how long I'd keep hold of it.

I do need to consolidate and probably would do that be ditching 3/4 into a Bregeut XXI and rotating less.

TLDR; I'm trying to be cool be being a Rolex hype contrarian 🤷‍♂️🤣

Cyrus

I doubt lwc wears the sk007 for anything other than mowing the lawn ( in fact I doubt he mows his own lawn so scratch that 😁)

not really sure what we are debating here but the point generally is once what you have goes up in horological terms stuff that you previously thought was ok tends to diminish. The sk007 is an honest auto diver and worth what it costs , but what is the motivation to ever wear one when you have a submariner for example (or two like you !)

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940009#Comment_118940009

I have a serious horn for the below. If my Ming sells I may roll.

https://www.watchmaster.com/en/breguet/classique/5027ba-12-9v6/VCXFXBWPIE?reference_code=VQLPOAP3CK

Solid gold including deployant. Retrograde second complication which is just **** cool. And Breguet level finishing front and back. All for 1/3 of a grey market Pepsi **** lol.

Cienciano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940090#Comment_118940090

Such an easy decision! Stunning watch. Nice display, some are cramming too much in imho,lovely balance to that one

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940063#Comment_118940063

I doubt lwc wears the sk007 for anything other than mowing the lawn

Look maybe so but it’s an iconic watch in its own right and I assumed that’s why he would of had one.

not really sure what we are debating here

thats a sure sign of it being debated too long , point taken !

point generally is once what you have goes up in horological terms stuff that you previously thought was ok tends to diminish.

I’m obviously not gone up the ladder far enough so .I do hope that when I purchase a higher end piece that it doesn’t ruin my love for anything below that point. That feels like it would take the fun out of it for me. When you talk to car collectors it’s very usual for them to have high end and low value cars all in the same Collection.Each one being there for its own reason .A friend of mine collects art and has stuff from a couple thousand in value to one piece just under €100k .He has a story about every single piece and tells each story passionately regardless of the cost .I’m sure the €100k one means a lot more to him but he appreciates them all. I don’t see why collecting watches should be different.

For now what’s in my collection is all rotated through be it €200 watch or a few thousand .

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940188#Comment_118940188

Fair enough I’m only really speaking for myself which is all any of us can do, but watches that used to interest me don’t any more (and I’m not in the same league as some of the lads here ) but also I have no interest in owning 20 watches so a few of a certain level is what works for me.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940031#Comment_118940031

I don’t think that’s what’s Fitz is saying. What I took it as it’s hard to objectively “judge” (or what ever word fits here) certain brands unless you have “next level” experience.

If you have only driven a Toyota you will think they are a lovely car. And they are, a brand new one is a nice place to be. Then sit into a 20 year old Mercedes for first time and even then you will feel the luxury more). I drive neither a Toyota or a Mercedes, replace brands as you choose.

I wouldn’t count RM as hauto horological personally but YMMV. I think there are lot of people with high end collections around here. especially lurkers!

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940031#Comment_118940031

what about Ed Sheeran ? Another collector who has confessed a love for g shocks, surely he’s not part of the affordable watches sales team as well?

I'd say that Ed like many who we see more publicly now has come to the hobby pretty recently. Within that wave that kicked off five to six years ago. He's avoided the Rolex stuff and fair play for not being that obvious and went straight to Pateks(even that trend is within the last five to six years. Pretty much nobody was lusting after 70's design steel Pateks and RO's before that. Even among the uber collectors 70's stuff was seen as passe. Oh to have a time machine😁), but part of that wave would be influenced by the G-Shocks are great! trend. Ten years ago and before you certainly had G-Shock collectors, but they were overwhelmingly only G-Shock collectors and usually had a mob of them and much of the hihher end of that collecting niche was for very early examples(which could go for strong money). Today the trend would be for new "high end pieces" and a current model G in the mix, or an entry levelish Seiko diver.

That same collecting trend also veered from mostly vintage collectors to new. For the majority of collectors low and very high end it was mostly vintage iron, new and current was generally seen as outside the "true" collector sphere and it had been altogether more nerdy. There was some crossover in the early days, but vintage was too fraught for newbs, flipping was rare among the collector class and dealers didn't like it either as it was equally fraught for them, supply was actually finite and real expertise was required, or there were burnt fingers all around.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940060#Comment_118940060

The VFM argument is very much against Rolex, more so if you are actually into watches. And gets worse and worse each year (or each day as todays price is not the same as yesterdays price).

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118940686#Comment_118940686

100% agree on that front. But even the argument that could be made for the sub and it's utilitarian design classic themes and store of value arguments are out the window for me tbh.

No-one wants to lose money on a watch, but I can't look at watches with that "safety net" need in my mind. I am trying to focus a bit more on buying what I like. Now sometime I may decide I want a Rolex, but it won't be a Sub or GMT nor a Daytona tbh. A skydweller maybe but even then? I think it is more the novelty of the functions.

Weirdly what has been catching my eye and I think I might have mentioned them before? Is the Maurice lacroix masterpiece range, 2nd hand there is some great value there for finishing and some functions that you rarely see in sub 5 figure pricing IMO.

https://chrono24.app/mauricelacroix/masterpiece--id23281472.htm?SETLANG=en_GB&SETCURR=EUR

blue5000

I think that Maurice Lacroix seems such good value is because of servicing cost. When was it serviced and what did or will it cost the new owner to have it done?

Lorddrakul

Just changed the battery in my ETA 251.262 powered Tag CA-1211-1 special editon.

27 Jewel, five motor, seven hand movement. 200m rating, with wet suit extension on the bracelet.

Mine is from the last year of official time keeper in Formula 1 status, and the back is inscribed as such.

At 37mm, it is the smallest watch I wear, but first 'good watch' I ever bought.

Having had Omega and Breitling since, the quality stands up well. Now twenty plus years old, it is a keeper. It even has the Tritium on carbon fibre dial.

It's a keeper.

covey123

Hi all,a question about buying from chrono24.

I've been looking at a Surfa Diver One for a while now

https://www.scurfawatches.com/product/diver-one-d1-500-nd713-black/

but as it would be shipped from the UK, duty etc. according to my rough calculations it could be north of €400 including a bracelet.

I came across this:

https://www.chrono24.com/all/scurfa-diver-one-d1-500-nd713-black--id23450710.htm

I've contacted the seller, received back an asking price of €250 + 20 shipping (I'm assuming I can come in with a lower offer)

Any tips or advice before I make an offer as I haven't used Chrono24 yet?

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118952330#Comment_118952330

My main piece of advice when buying via C24 is. If the seller is a dealer, with a good rep and a shop or long established web presence. Contact them about the watch via their own website, the 6% commission c24 charge is better in your pocket than C24's.

Now granted you lose the C24 guarantee/escrow service but? If buying from an EU based dealer is the C24 service worth the premium?

Following advice offered by other users here, (Scwarzh I think? Did a direct deal with an Austrian dealer?) and a few others I've started to use C24 more as the shop window, rather than the platform.

The US seller will be subject to the same VAT and handling on landing, and would come in at @340 landed which is good value IMO.

Lorddrakul

@covey123 I've only ever bought within the EU on Chrono24, but not had a problem. German small dealer. Have sold two items too, a Cartier and a Breitling, both painlessly.

The Chrono24 system is very good, and I had no issues with it either time. They are very eager to ensure buyer satisfaction, it is stacked in your favour.

Good luck, and nice piece.

Cassius99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118952003#Comment_118952003

That's an interesting watch alright, from a time I think we all aspired to have something so closely associated with the glamour of F1!

It looks very like the movement in my Victorinox Hunter (been a while since I opened it up). Apparently they're known to have issues with the rattrapante (mine certainly has!), a lot of people online seem to suggest have a donor/replacement movement at hand for the future, repair doesn't seem to be a viable option.

Lorddrakul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118952664#Comment_118952664

Indeed, this is the case. The ETA 251.262 was widely used up and down the value range, from low end Tags like this to higher end stuff like Breitling, Longines and Eterna.

They don't make them anymore, as they have been superseded. I got a NOS movement as a precaution when mine developed a chrono fault. However, my tame horologist was able to sort the original, so I have a back up now. I got the movement for about €220 delivered 3 years ago. Don't know what they are going for now.

I actually used this for PADI licence diving, something I haven't managed with my SXK :)

893bet

My Dornblüth is built and in test for the next 3 weeks…..! Just have to pay for it now!

micks_address

Is is crude to ask how much it costs?