Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

It’s the sellers responsibility to get the package to you in one piece.

If he under declares and it gets lost in the post will you accept the insured value as your refund?

True enough. I bought a bunch of LiFePo4 batteries that cost about €40 each including shipping, delivered to me last year from China. Individually. So technically they should have attracted 23% VAT when coming into Ireland (as the value was over €22 - this loophole was closed last month).

All of them were marked as something like "iphone case $16" or "keyboard $12". These packages were well over 2kg each 😁

Be prepared for thousands of euro in depreciation if you're going to buy at retail. Even at a substantial discount. Here on adverts in the last week or so, a Hesalite sold for well less than half of that retail price you saw in the AD...

Significant upgrades...

You are a marketers dream 😉

CT, that's precisely the kind of customer Omega are hoping for. Personally, yes the new model seems to have a nicer bracelet but there are zero actual significant upgrades.

In particular, it would impact on the already tenuous authentic link between the "moonwatch" and space. If the NASA link and moonlanding in particular matter? There is zero reason to buy the new model.

Why buy a watch that only looks like the moonwatch, when I can buy the space flown versions for far, far less?

And that's grand, there is zero issue with that.

For me, the new watch is more of an homage to the flight qualified 1861 movement watches. It takes design cues from the best of that watches heritage and TBF it does that we'll.

But, and for me it's a big but. The switch in movement to a non-flight qualified one means the new SKU's aren't moonwatches.

They certainly are Omega Speedmasters, they wear lower and they are a lovely watch, but the essence of the "moonwatch" is IMO at least the link to NASA and the landings.

There is none of that with the new Ref.

It's an Omega chrono, not a moonwatch but as most here know..

I can be a pedantic pain in the hole at times but the link between the speedmaster and Moon is severed.

If that link matters in any manner other than having an "Omega" on the wrist? Then an 1861 powered ref is the way to go.

If it's name recognition, or nice chrono that matters? Then barrel on.

Which, in pedantic world...

Is a lie, it's not.

It's the successor to that watch but afaik given that NASA haven't been on the moon (manned at least) since '72, it's not a moonwatch. If it's not an 1861 movement, it's not a "moonwatch" and other than carrying Omega branding, it wouldn't be considered moonwatch adjacent.

I can't hand on heart opine as to the flight qual status of the 3861, but it's probably the model Jeff Bezos wore so there is that at least 😉

With the old version second hand price strengthen then it’s difficult seeing the new version second hand price soften a lot.

I would get the second hand big box version for 3.5-4K if I were you. There is very little advantage to buying new.

I tried on the new speedmaster and its identical, and I know my way around a decent watch. The bracelet is a bit better maybe, but the case is also quite sharp (verified by me, not just internet stuff). The grey prices on this are unlikely to be significantly lower than RRP for quite a while, and if Omega put up their RRP you might actually be worse off.

That Chrono buyer is dodgy BTW CT, its a fishing exercise, doesnt have the watches you would note he has over 1600 watches listed. He will try source one for you if you contact him probably just using a fixed discount negotiated in Keans.

I applaud you new found interest in quality, but a moonwatch even though its a good watch is not worth 6k or 5.5k or even 5k. Its a 3k watch or 4k if you want the annoying big box. A new watch means nothing, sure half the pricks in cork will have tried it on, and having your name on the card is a worthless noob consideration.

Question really is how much is 6 months without the watch worth to you? How many 6 months do you have left?

Was about to post that. Will Panerai never learn. I am not a big believer in in house as a necessity, but it does go to show that corners have not been cut and makes clones much easier to spot. On a 10k watch its really not on.

Vostock is all inhouse alright, shame its so bad. More out house than in house.

When the same group owns ALS, VC and JLC its hard to believe the appreciation for inhouse does not exist, or that the expertise to get it done does not exist. Sounds more that they have decided that the panerai buyer is not interested in that sort of thing and are a fashion brand like Hublot. Its a shame, panerai are legit.

Panerai is hard enough to get into, the whole PAM numbers and Panerasti is difficult to penetrate. I would not feel confident walking into weirs and choosing a Panerai I liked the look of and it not turning out to be somehow inferior. Thus far my knowledge goes - dont buy white dials, and has to be a sandwich dial. There are a lot of editions and variations and massive price variations on watches that look the same from 5 meters.....but I suppose you can say that about most watches really.

So say a chap like me wants to get into panerai but knows nothing, maybe test the waters in that 3-6k range. What would you recommend, something classic Panerai? What are the classic Panerai models. New or Used? whats are the ones to avoid?

Depends what's drawing you to them Fitz .You have to go bigger than your normal watch range otherwise what's the point in getting a Panerai? So for you that's 44mm & up. Obviously ignore the Due range , there is one or two interesting watches there but unless its coming at less than 50% retail there's better Panerai's to buy.

Crown protector or not ?That decision leaves you into the Submersible & Luminor range or Radiomir. I think the Crown protector is more Panerai style but the 1st Panerai's were Radiomir so really its a Radiomir that's more original. I do think the Radiomir look more dressy / expensive but as you've got the expensive looking watches covered I would suggest the Luminor.

1950's case or Luminor ?Knowing your dislike of the Tudor chrono "slab " I would lean towards the 1950s but you don't really know until you try it on.

It goes without saying not to buy Panerai at list , min 20% discount and maybe more depending on the model.Used is fine but with the size of the watch majority of them will have bangs on them and that might put you off.

I reckon a nice €4k range Panerai would be a good beater watch to sit in your collection. It would be a good one for you to review as someone who is used to the more finer watches on the wrist.

When it comes to the movements , thats not what Panerai is about .Even when they asked Rolex for movement , Rolex got someone else to make it and stuck their name on it. Obviously selling an eta as in house is not on but spending €20k+ on a Panerai is not exactly sensible and anyone doing so I would say is looking at it or Hublot and probably don't care about the movement that much .But don't all watch companies exaggerate? My moonwatch has about as much in common with the one that went to the moon as I have in common with Neil Armstrong but Omega would have me believe Im only a few steps away from being an astronaut.

Starting to miss mine now...

Don't forget the Panerai 318 Brooklyn Bridge "scandal" (they forgot to pretty up the Unitas and just put in a standard grade movement into a 5k watch 🤣 )

I think the scandal was that they never(?) admitted to making a mistake… so technically quite a few fake Panerais would be finished better than that real Panerai 😅

In that case a good discount on this and a couple of decent straps might make this a good buy for you

I'm thinking of buying the PAM01085

But as people have said, it is really hard to find your way through the different models. Maybe one of the in-house (pardon the pun 🤣) Paneristi in here can advise? My requirements:

1. must have blue dial
2. minimum 44mm
3. don't like the submersible range, do like both Luminor and Radiomir ranges
4. clean looks, no chrono, preferably no date (although not a deal breaker), just a two hander would suffice but the little seconds is nice too
5. the more lume the better
6. I like the sandwich dial, but not a deal breaker - I think the one in above model is a not quite a sandwich dial but does have depth so not quite a sausage dial either?
7. budget: flexible. But I don't want to lose thousands on it when / if resale time comes. Up to a thousand is acceptable
8. WR, 100m is fine
9. don't really care about the movement, auto or manual, in house or cheap hidden ETA 😄
10. don't care about display case back

hi folks - i have an offer on my Seiko on chrono24 from Japan. Any concerns about dealing with someone so far away? Ive sold one watch before there but was to France so was easy enough to organize postage etc. What would be the best delivery method to Japan? Would an post take months? (Insurance aside)