Post pics of your watches Part II

Fitz II

Bit of 80's nostalgia. There is a guy oinline call "Jim'll paint it" does these cartoons and they are a lot of fun.

hitemfrank

I love Jim'll Paint It. First thing of his I saw was Jim Bowen 747.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117819524#Comment_117819524

Dogs in a good or bad way?

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117821823#Comment_117821823

“Dog” in a bad way as it would be seen as the least desirable of the “trinity”.

But head and shoulders above most other brands.

Its all very subjective and cringy in a lot of ways.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117821882#Comment_117821882

coool... some people the 'dogs bo..ll..x...' which usually means the top of the pile... i think :)

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117819514#Comment_117819514

I can understand why you would be looking at going from gen 1 to gen 2 as usually Gen 2 fixes the annoying niggles of the previous. On that model though at that price I cant see the appeal. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but as a stainless steel sports watch that just seems bland. There is nothing iconic about it .The bracelet is nice but the watch looks better on rubber.

Like yourself none of my friends are interested in watches but I buy for myself and as much as I can romanticize and appreciate the back story of a brand to convince myself to buy it it has to at least look nice .The standard answer when asking about VC is that its the oldest watch maker but just cause it was first doesn't make it the best .

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117819524#Comment_117819524

Grand Seiko are far above Rolex quality as well but no one around here is coveting Grand Seiko. In saying that though I've never held a Rolex and thought that's poor quality .

It sometimes feels with watch collecting that majority of us want the watches that watch collecting forums tell us we are supposed to want and I dont think there is a better example of that than VC.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822146#Comment_117822146

i respectfully disagree on both counts, the overseas belongs on bracelet, the whole design lends itself to the bracelet and while rubber may be more comfortable it certainly doesnt look better imo.

As for it being bland maybe its the pics but when you see one in the flesh (especially with the white dial ) it is anything but bland with the maltese cross motif being introduced via the bezel and bracelet and a lovely texture to the dial. It may not be to everyones taste but i think its one of the few cases where iconic is valid as you wont mistake it for something else.

I accept we all have different taste, if we all liked the same thing the world would be a much duller place :)

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822172#Comment_117822172

i think with grand seiko there are elements that may eclipse rolex but as an overall package they dont (bracelet for example).

banie01

@Cyrus

100% agree re: the dial on the Gen 2, it is mesmeric. The entire package is IMO a wonderfully well put together piece.

@scwazrh

TBH I see the Gen 1 and Gen 2 as very different watches. Probably a function of the differing size but the gen 1, I am a huge fan of the faceted bracelet and the way the watch is tied together from the faceting on links being mirrored on the baton markers. The blue dial is also exquisite IMO and I'm a fan of the crown guards on the gen 1 that are dropped on the gen 2.

The gen 2 is still unmistakably an Overseas but it is IMO different enough in size and other details to be a very different watch. The case size and little details to account for the larger size such as the minimising if the CG size, the new bracelet design, and the availability of strap options not available on the gen 1. All those are important, but next to the dial they are incremental IMO. The dial is gorgeous.

I was lucky enough to have both on wrist when I was buying the gen 1 and delighted in them both.

Cienciano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822172#Comment_117822172

I do! But I want a quartz one, so probably not the norm

NIMAN

You're nearly afraid to mention quartz in forums in case you're laughed at or chased!

Cienciano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822567#Comment_117822567

Yeah, i know, but kinda like the idea of one. A high accuracy quartz. When you swap around watches and don't have to worry about setting the time. Reckon this new fangled quartz thing might catch on

scwazrh

@Cyrus I accept we all have different taste, if we all liked the same thing the world would be a much duller place :)

I agree and maybe Im just not far enough along the watch road to appreciate what VC offers .

Value retention on that particular VC is bad which would suggest majority of watch collector are not overly interested in it .Chrono24 price on that watch is around €14k which as discussed here before the market price is about 30% less than the chrono price which means its a €10k watch on 2nd hand market. At new in 2009 it was about 17 /18k ish ?? Rolex / Patek / AP have all gone through the roof since then and that VC has gone the otherway .As I said I just cant see what would make people choose it over any of the other SS sports watches in a similar price point.

Pablo_Flox

PXL_20210830_123526882-01.jpeg

SBDC033

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822827#Comment_117822827

it probably depends what floats your boat, owning a 20k retail watch for a decent amount less or owning a 8k watch having paid 13k for it :D

joking aside rolex is a safer place to put your money but id argue the increase in desirability isnt driven by collectors, collectors were always there, watches have become more mainstream in the past 5 years or so and thats what is pushing prices.

Fitz II

The VC thing has me split. I owned the Gen 2 and have held the Gen 1. For me the Gen 2 is far more "Overseas"...the waffle dial, the bracelet, the bigger proportions. I just cant deal with the size of the dial on the Gen 1, its may be beautiful but its miniscule, the bracelet on the Gen 1 is kind of industrial too. The Gen 2 appeals to me more from and aesthetic and design point of view. VC is the oldest watchmaker but its fair to say their designs reflect the old school. Their high end watches are much more holy trinity than the overseas which are at the end of the day their entry level watches. Take Overseas perpetual Calander ultra thin....what a stunner

Rolex really is not in the same category and the fact you can get a VC in the same price category is only testament to their undervaluation on the secondary and Rolex overvalue. You are comparing Rolex professional sports models like the GMT or Sub with VC's lowliest model. A more valid comparison would be to an oyster perpetual (The OP even with the new coloured dial it witheringly basic albeit robust. The design of the OP is very much with easy manufacture and minimal QC points of failure.

Never held a gen 3 but by all accounts a very very nice watch. I am going to have one in time, but so so little oppertunity in ireland to try one or get one.

VC is defo a watch you have for yourself, cause not a sod else in the world knows what it is. VC have done a terrible job integrating the brand into the modern "watch culture". For me, VC is defo the "worst" of the holy trinity Patek and AP just get you emotionally. They have the entire package and you dont have to make any comprimises or excuses for them at all.

Grand Seiko just doesnt do it for me. The case shape and the USP (excellent macro finishing) leave me cold. Its like the entire brand goes deep into an aspect of watchmaking that I find the least important.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9uj6vRZbF4&ab_channel=PaulPluta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au784wdRB74&ab_channel=PaulPluta

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822827#Comment_117822827

In 2009 I would guess this watch was around 10-12k retail rather than 17.

But yes it hasn’t the same residuals as Rolex. Rolex submariner was around 4.5kretail in 2009. I think it’s 8k now….! Though a sub from 2008 is now worth closer to 10-11k.

You are forgetting those types of residuals and gains are relatively recent for all watches including Rolex which were all available at an AD with a discount 4 years ago (Daytona excluded).

The current version of the Overseas is trading above RRP but it hasn’t pulled along older version in fairness. Hence I have said VC is the dog of the trinity. But is the VFM one also.

Rolex stands alone for discontinuation price bounce.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117823092#Comment_117823092

This is something I have said a fair few times. I prefer a 20 k watch I bought for 10k. Than a 10k watch I bought for 20k!

Either way this is slow sale as I have no idea what I want to replace it with. But it needs to be a step up in quality which is difficult from VC point of view.

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117823092#Comment_117823092

Watches are becoming more mainstream as you say but VC are not and as prices are going up , why is VC being left behind ? As part of the holy trinity you would assume they have “it” whatever that is but they don’t seem to. Patek , Rolex & AP do have “it” which brings me back to what am I and majority of watch purchasers missing when it comes to VC ?

scwazrh

@Fitz II For me, VC is defo the "worst" of the holy trinity Patek and AP just get you emotionally. They have the entire package and you dont have to make any comprimises or excuses for them at all.

That sums up perfectly how I feel on the holy trinty and what has me wondering why VC is there .

I aspire to own Patek & AP. They’re not just watches I’ll buy when I’m prepared to spend the money on them ,they are watches I’ll get when I feel I deserve them . They are true grail pieces to me that I look forward to owning .I understand why they are above Rolex and why Rolex can’t be in the same trinty as them , but VC just doesn’t get me like that .

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117824057#Comment_117824057

Better marketing is what they have :D

And there are a number of VC pieces that now have wait lists and trade for over retail, same way there are Patek pieces that you can get tmrw in town at a discount.

893bet

How many VC have you handled?

I am not sure AP is that far ahead of VC.

Both VC and AP only have a single model each if we are honest.

The Royal Oak and the Overseas. Think the Royal Oak has an overall stronger design package I think.

AP is very bling, so has gotten a lot of coverage the past few years in the current market which has raised its bar a little. If it wasn’t for the rappers it might be the same as VC at this point.

Patek on the other hand has two desirable sports lines and I am sure plenty of us dream to own loads of varieties of dress watches from Patek. Can’t say the same for AP or VC.

banie01

I can totally see your point on where VC are perceived to be for their sports watches.

The pricing is odd, I know what I paid for my Gen 1 as do a few here and in the 5/6 months I've owned it I could already very handily turn a nice profit on it. There's a 1st refusal on it if I ever do move it on though 😉

That said I massively regret not buying it a year earlier. Not for the "gains" but rather, for the smile I get whenever I wear it.

Fitz is 100% right in that the dial on the Gen 1 is small. It was one of the reasons I put off buying it 1st time it came up. I had convinced myself that 37mm was too small. When I met up with 893, as can be seen from some of the posts I made at the time. I went to put the notion of buying it to bed because I "knew" once I tried it on, it'd be too small and I could put it out of my mind.

TBH as soon I tried it on the wrist, I was blown away by fit, how well it wore and how the size melted away as an issue.

893's collection that day was lovely, and a nicer lad to share time and knowledge with, you'd be hard pressed to find.

I tried on his Patek, his ALS and the Gen 2, every single one of them is an exceptional piece and the Patek in particular I have it on my insta (credited as someone else's watch) and it's the one watch that people keep asking about regarding if it's for sale. Incredibly comfortable but the ALS honestly took my breath away. I'd wear it movement side out tbh😂 it's exquisite.

I also take Fitz's point on the Gen 1 bracelet being industrial. I don't agree with it 😝 and if I could merge the gen 1 bracelet, with the gen 2 clasp I'd buy instantly.

I've considered a Rolex sub at grey prices and could likely work a trade for my Gen 1 at its current value(and a recent offer), but, I have plenty of divers and the sub in hand doesn't spark the grà for me that the gen 1 does.

Similar story with the gen 2, it sparks a smile for me in terms of how it makes me feel. If I was to buy, that would be why. Not the residuals and as far as the store of value argument goes for the white/silver, someone else has suffered the sticker shock and it's consolidated at a value that's stable and climbing (ISH) again so that wouldn't play a huge part in my thinking.

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117824156#Comment_117824156

Maybe marketing is the bit that’s missing and that’s why I’m not falling for them.We buy watches based on marketing and story telling whether we’re aware of it or not.If not we would all be wearing smart watches.

scwazrh

@893bet How many VC have you handled?

None , I haven’t handled a Nautilus either but I know I want one.Never driven a Ferrari but I reckon I’d enjoy it.

Most watches I own I didn’t try on prior to buying but there was something about them that made me want them.

Fitz has handled , owned , sold and re- bought more watches than most of us here and the fact he goes back to Rolex , Patek & AP over VC is telling in itself.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117824292#Comment_117824292

Until you have something in hand it is difficult assess “want” I think and impossible to assess quality. I didn’t want an aqua until I handled one. Fitz didn’t want 1 till he handled mine. Banie didn’t want the gen 1 VC till he had it in hand. Equally how often have we lusted after images and pictures of watches to then be disappointed in hand.

But it’s the “brand” VC you ain’t feeling. As the quality is not under question and is head above Rolex IMO.

Top of Fitz grail list is that blue VC he pictured above….! And he posted a few posts up about wanted to try a gen 3 overseas. And when you buy and sell like a Fitz you need Rolex with the desirability brand factor or you would be taking a bathe every week…..he can afford it being a dentist 😅.

enjoying this a lot on bracelet today! Far too much….price is going up….

Fitz II

I like VC I really do, but if I were to have one it would have to be one of the more complex watches. I think that where they earn their holy trinity place, but thats also where the prices get really saucy and because the resale on them is not guaranteed I could end up married to it. In all fairness Lange deserve spot in the trinity, their quality is above reproach but lange designs are squarely in the dress category.

I think that when you up at this level there are not bad choices only preferences, the ownership experiance of any of these is worth having. I really do love a Rolex alright....actually have a new one coming tomorrow....

But just to court controversary...I dont think Grand Seiko is anywhere near, sure they have good macro finishing but that all they have, and as the last few posts will show, watch nirvana is an emotional thing at the end of the day, and the cold precision of a GS seems to bring out anger and defensiveness in its owners as opposed to love.

scwazrh

@893bet Until you have something in hand it is difficult assess “want” I think and impossible to assess quality.

don’t agree , I don’t need to have something in my hand to know I want it and likewise I don’t need to have it in hand to know I don’t want it.

@893bet Top of Fitz grail list is that blue VC he pictured above….!

I don’t think anyone is going to say no to an Overseas perpetual Calander ultra thin but an ultra high Horology piece like that is not really a valid representation of the whole brand.

I mentioned Fitz only as he’s a known example on this forum of someone who trades through high end pieces regularly and probably similar pieces to collectors on other forums but VC doesn’t come through their hands very often and I think it because despite the holy trinity badge , high quality etc they just aren’t as desirable as the 3 better known brands .

so after many posts , I still just don’t get VC but as @Cyrus pointed out is probably due to their minimal marketing.

893bet

VC (and AP) is difficult in Ireland. Like hens teeth. People tend to like what they see alot of (rolex and omega). Don’t write them off and try get a hands on at some stage.

I have handled 3 VC in Ireland and bought 2 of them. And I both regret and am glad I didn’t buy the third as it was a Patrimony. And while very me…..it would be a hard flip without Vaseline.