Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

blue5000

I like a bit of heft, but not 200 grams worth of heft. Putting on a thin vintage watch at the weekend after wearing a diver all week feels like I don't have a watch on at all. Anyone else notice this?

micks_address

blue5000 wrote: »

I like a bit of heft, but not 200 grams worth of heft. Putting on a thin vintage watch at the weekend after wearing a diver all week feels like I don't have a watch on at all. Anyone else notice this?

Especially notice if you change out a bracelet for a nato

Sonic the Shaghog

Anyone find their watch tastes change?

I used love my divers started with a sekonda when 17 and moved onto Invictas mostly the sub design felt they went with everything

Now I'm only 31 but just feel an ick at them and want to move to a more vintage style so planning on getting a couple of bambinos to wear as I mostly wear shirts, jumpers etc

https://i.redd.it/hm4ly6abfv621.jpg

Divers just feel ugly, clunky and bulky to me now, in fact any metal bractlet watch

Anyone else have the same happen?

Wibbs

My taste changes with the tides, but always hovers around oddball so I suppose that's consistent. Looking way back, when I first started collecting "old watches" back in the 80's and 90's my first trend was actually mostly dress watch type stuff. Maybe because before the interwebs they were easiest to find? Any divers and tool watches that came up were a rare thing and usually current enough for the time no name examples. Even when the interwebs came along I got into early Rolex Oysters for a time which were small and delicate things. I wouldn't look sideways at one now. Well, maybe the very early steel one I had once, because I have a gra for "firsts".

2shea

Sonic the Shaghog wrote: »

Anyone find their watch tastes change?

I used love my divers started with a sekonda when 17 and moved onto Invictas mostly the sub design felt they went with everything

Now I'm only 31 but just feel an ick at them and want to move to a more vintage style so planning on getting a couple of bambinos to wear as I mostly wear shirts, jumpers etc

https://i.redd.it/hm4ly6abfv621.jpg

Divers just feel ugly, clunky and bulky to me now, in fact any metal bractlet watch

Anyone else have the same happen?

Yes definitely, I went through an Invicta stage too. My favourite watch the Invicta SubAqua Noma which was 50mm and about 16mm tall.

Now 10 years later I still have a Seiko Sumo at 45mm and Turtle at 45mm but the rest of my watches are 40mm and under. Next purchase will be a Rolex OP 36mm which o love.

Big change from when I used to think anything under 42mm was a woman watch

Sonic the Shaghog

Jesus 45mm you say I can feel the weight already.

I had a 42mm Invicta sub on jubilee lovely like but just look at it and ugh

I think it's the weight as well as the standout bling metal bracelets have.

Was wearing a friend's watch that's leather strap and same weight as Bambino to try, actually forgot I'd a watch on at times

Cienciano

Sonic the Shaghog wrote: »

Anyone find their watch tastes change?

I used love my divers started with a sekonda when 17 and moved onto Invictas mostly the sub design felt they went with everything

Now I'm only 31 but just feel an ick at them and want to move to a more vintage style so planning on getting a couple of bambinos to wear as I mostly wear shirts, jumpers etc

https://i.redd.it/hm4ly6abfv621.jpg

Divers just feel ugly, clunky and bulky to me now, in fact any metal bractlet watch

Anyone else have the same happen?

Definitely. I used to love chronographs and subdials, now it's something that turns me off a watch. Much prefer a clean dial.

Wibbs

2shea wrote: »

Big change from when I used to think anything under 42mm was a woman watch

My size preferences have changed alright 2Shea. Though being into the old stuff big was rarely an option as most men's watches of the 20th century ran from 30mm(sometimes smaller) to 36mm, before they started to get larger in the 60's and especially the 70's*. Having a twiglet wrist helped on that score, but I do have a few larger watches. I have to say latterly I'm really starting to appreciate the smaller sizes, the "don't even notice I'm wearing it" watches.








*I reckon that change was down to them becoming more a fashion item like today and the new fangled electronic and especially early quartz movements were big buggers

banie01

A Newman Daytona and a McQueen Heuer Monaco sold yesterday.
$5.8mil for a 6263 Daytona, and $2.2mil for the Heuer.
A Stallone Pam sold for over $200k, memorabilia prices and a bit a Hollywood can really send prices stratospheric!
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/paul-newman-rolex-daytona-steve-mcqueen-heuer-monaco-phillips-auction-news

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/steve-mcqueen-heuer-monaco-le-mans-phillips-auction-record

unkel

LOL, crazy stuff. I tried on a blue Monaco in Weir's a few days ago for a bit of a Walter White experience. Cool watch, the tag price was €5450 or something like that iirc. Even at that, I thought it was stupid money for what you got.

unkel

Out of interest, do they have the 126600 Sea Dweller (Deep sea blue - James Cameron) and if so what's the price tag?

unkel

Was hearing stuff very similar to what you are saying there. Basically ADs in airports around the world are struggling and are letting Rolex go for below RRP, even some desirable / popular models.

This and the economic repercussions of COVID, that we mostly have yet to feel the pain of, does not bode well for Rolex values in the short / medium term

Wibbs

colm18 wrote: »

Nice little video here - https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingas****/comments/kd8as0/restauration_of_a_rolex/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

The vid doesn't show because the Boards anti bad words filter removes the fuck part of the url. Dunno how to get around that tbh.

unkel wrote: »

Was hearing stuff very similar to what you are saying there. Basically ADs in airports around the world are struggling and are letting Rolex go for below RRP, even some desirable / popular models.

This and the economic repercussions of COVID, that we mostly have yet to feel the pain of, does not bode well for Rolex values in the short / medium term

The recent Philips vintage sale with truly crazy prices on a few levels kinda also plugs into my feeling that peak watch has passed or is close to it. OK that's at the crazy wealthy willie waving level and maybe the covid effect at work with money burning a hole in some pockets, but the market seems very overconfident, even desperate to get that last tulip watch before... well what? Bubbles bursting always have a crazy peak across the market segments before deflation.

Fitz II

OmegaGene wrote: »

Just passing through Qatar and all Rolex models available at the AD apart from Batman/Pepsi and the new hulk, good excuse for a holiday when this pandemic clears

Presume Stainless Daytons, green dial gold daytona, Platona, new smurf, and Stainless Skydweller is not there either?. Bubble aint bursting on hard to get models, but peoples notions of what the hard to get models are, might be about to.

unkel

Haha right on Fitz II. There are only a few models that are hard to get really. The rest is hyped to hell. In our heads.

893bet

unkel wrote: »

Haha right on Fitz II. There are only a few models that are hard to get really. The rest is hyped to hell. In our heads.[/QUOTE

They are all hard to get.

Solid gold Daytona are selling above retail.
The “candy crush” OP can’t be got
Subs can’t be got
GMTs 2 can’t be got
Skydweller impossible for blue. Rest just really hard.

All that is available is two tone date just.

What is “hard to get” has been redefined.

unkel

Every steel Rolex for men is selling above retail. Even the OP these days. Watches produced by the hundreds of thousands a year. Not rare watches. That's just not sustainable. Not with the economic situation we are in.

Fitz II

893bet wrote: »

unkel wrote: »

Haha right on Fitz II. There are only a few models that are hard to get really. The rest is hyped to hell. In our heads.[/QUOTE

They are all hard to get.

Solid gold Daytona are selling above retail.
The “candy crush” OP can’t be got
Subs can’t be got
GMTs 2 can’t be got
Skydweller impossible for blue. Rest just really hard.

All that is available is two tone date just.

What is “hard to get” has been redefined.

You are not wrong, at the moment anything with the crown and not in a woman's size is hot. But if the bubble bursts (I dont think there is any signs it will in the near future) or availability goes up, it will be last in first out on the hype train. Those power ranger OP's will first against the wall, and when I mean against the wall I mean selling for slightly less than retail, which is Nirvana for most brands.

unkel

I disagree there. I reckon Rolex hit the jackpot with the fancy colour OPs. They've opened themselves up to whole new segments of customers who'd never have considered Rolex before.

To the chagrin of Rolex fans with more conservative tastes naturally :pac:

But I guess you are right with the pricing, I can't see a turquoise OP 36 / 41 go for over twice retail in a year or two, like it does now. Lovely watch though

Fitz II

unkel wrote: »

I disagree there. I reckon Rolex hit the jackpot with the fancy colour OPs. They've opened themselves up to whole new segments of customers who'd never have considered Rolex before.

To the chagrin of Rolex fans with more conservative tastes naturally :pac:

But I guess you are right with the pricing, I can't see a turquoise OP 36 / 41 go for over twice retail in a year or two, like it does now. Lovely watch though

Coloured Rolex dials and even coloured OP's have been around forever, red grape ones (lovely sunburst dial that), green ones and pink ones, its only now they have them in men's sizes. There are the stella dials, the crazy beach collection Daytona's. That everyone is loosing their **** over these new ones is weird to me.

The pastel homogeneous matt colours are horrible (and yes I held a yellow one a few weeks ago) and there is no dimensionality to the dials, very flat, look almost printed. The double stick markers at 3,6, and 9 are not nice. The colours are too saturated and lack class, the women's pink looks alright and the black, champagne and blue are fine, but very very bland for a 5 grand watch.

I would not class myself as having conservative tastes, I have a milgauss with a orange lightening bolt hand and green glass, A Daytona with Arbics and red sub dial hands, these are the more left field choices in the range, had a hulk, have a pepsi, so I like a bit of colour. But these new OPs are not my cup of tea, not because they are "wacky, zaney, oh so left field and moustache twirling individual" and my tastes too stiff and missionary to appreciate them, but because they look like cack.

These are FOMO desperation buys...sorry just my opinion.

46 Long

unkel wrote: »

Was hearing stuff very similar to what you are saying there. Basically ADs in airports around the world are struggling and are letting Rolex go for below RRP, even some desirable / popular models.

This and the economic repercussions of COVID, that we mostly have yet to feel the pain of, does not bode well for Rolex values in the short / medium term

I'd have thought that they would be re-routing stock from airport ADs to high-streets but maybe Rolex don't want to create a glut on the market.

The economic issues are interesting. Some people struggling, others doing better than ever. With my outgoings massively reduced and as much overtime as I want, this is the first time in my life that I could comfortably afford a Rolex. And I just couldn't be bothered. Like the Sub, don't want to play the AD waiting list game. Love the DJ41 Rhodium but it's far too dressy. Wanted a Tudor BB for ages but they've gone and made the bloody thing 15mm thick. I look down at the Hamilton Khaki on my wrist and feel only serene contentment. I don't need anything else, and I don't think I want anything else either.

stuchyg

Do I remember correctly that someone in here purchased the seiko sary147, the zen garden, from hotuk deals a few months ago. Thinking of getting one and wanted thoughts if they had

njburke

I just splurged a bit on a new to me watch.
A good part of the decision was influenced by the dial colour. It's a plain three hander, not a million miles in styling from the op. Colourways offer choice and broaden the customer base. For Rolex that means even more people wanting product that they won't supply. Which I assume is good for Rolex, or has been a successful tactic of late.

Cyclingtourist

First time ever in Weirs today. Wanted to try on a Tudor but there was someone already at the counter so I went for a walk round the shop. The Omega bit seemed to be surprisingly unloved with no one looking. When the Tudor counter was free I went back and waited, and waited, and..... Eventually a young lady asked if I was okay and when I said I'd like to try on one of the watches she said 'just a minute' and disappeared. I again waited and waited till eventually I managed to catch the eye of one young gentleman by asking if he was busy and he replied "just a second" to which I replied "well I hope it is because I've already been standing here ten minutes". At that he deigned to allow me to try it on briefly.

I wasn't impressed.

Lorddrakul

Cyclingtourist wrote: »

First time ever in Weirs today. Wanted to try on a Tudor but there was someone already at the counter so I went for a walk round the shop. The Omega bit seemed to be surprisingly unloved with no one looking. When the Tudor counter was free I went back and waited, and waited, and..... Eventually a young lady asked if I was okay and when I said I'd like to try on one of the watches she said 'just a minute' and disappeared. I again waited and waited till eventually I managed to catch the eye of one young gentleman by asking if he was busy and he replied "just a second" to which I replied "well I hope it is because I've already been standing here ten minutes". At that he deigned to allow me to try it on briefly.

I wasn't impressed.

That's pretty poor all right.

Would not be encouraged to buy there based on that kind of experience.

OldBean

I wouldn't be buying from Weirs again unless it was either the only place stocking a watch I really wanted or there was a serious discount going (Which ain't going to happen in there). Had a sh*te time buying my Speedmaster there.

OldBean

OldBean wrote: »

Had a sh*te time buying my Speedmaster there.

Actually, I just remembered going in there to ask about a Seiko Turtle a few years ago and being told that I'd be better off buying 'cheap watches' like that from the internet. Was pretty amused when I saw they opened a whole floor for cheap watches afterwards.

Homer

I have NEVER had a positive/pleasant experience in Weirs. Would go out of my way to spend my hard earned elsewhere where possible.

Wibbs

Homer wrote: »

I have NEVER had a positive/pleasant experience in Weirs. Would go out of my way to spend my hard earned elsewhere where possible.

Sad to say I can agree with that and going way back to the 80's with it.

Cienciano

Cyclingtourist wrote: »

First time ever in Weirs today. Wanted to try on a Tudor but there was someone already at the counter so I went for a walk round the shop. The Omega bit seemed to be surprisingly unloved with no one looking. When the Tudor counter was free I went back and waited, and waited, and..... Eventually a young lady asked if I was okay and when I said I'd like to try on one of the watches she said 'just a minute' and disappeared. I again waited and waited till eventually I managed to catch the eye of one young gentleman by asking if he was busy and he replied "just a second" to which I replied "well I hope it is because I've already been standing here ten minutes". At that he deigned to allow me to try it on briefly.

I wasn't impressed.

Weirs location is one of the best in the country for a shop where you want footfall. They get so much passing traffic at that junction. But the nice watches are right inside the door. It's always chaos in there. They must get 1000 people in asking stupid questions or just a look for every person buying (or just seriously interested). They good watches just inside the door is terrible, it's cramped, busy and everything feels rushed. You'll be trying to look at stuff and there'll be 3 spanish tourists with backpacks on trying to get past.

Never mind the prices, buying a watch should be an enjoyable experience, it's definitely not an enjoyable experience inside the door of weirs.
They can keep the window display to let you know what's available, but they need the nice watches in an area at the back with more space, where you have to be buzzed in or something.