Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

banie01 · 28-07-2020 10:35am

Cyrus wrote: »

like this?

https://thewatchstand.com/

there are cheap versions obviously

Ahhhhm...
Cyrus, link the cheap ones! :pac:

By a weird synchronistic quirk...
I have been thinking about some kind of similar Airfoil type watch stand for the Accutron when it gets here.

Want something that will hark back to the Blackbird and tie in with a little SR-71 display I have when I'm not wearing it.

Cyclingtourist · 28-07-2020 11:00am

Cyrus wrote: »

like this?

https://thewatchstand.com/

there are cheap versions obviously

id need my rug rats to get a little bigger before id try something like that, i use a breitling travel case with the foam insert and zip, safe

No that's not the kind of thing you'd slip into an overnight bag. Something like a solo watch case with a rigid flip cover that would serve as the base when it converts to a bedside watch holder for your night at a Premier Inn.

Cienciano · 28-07-2020 12:38pm

Birneybau wrote: »

I genuinely believe there's a thriving market selling junk to rich idiots. Been trying to think up something to enter that market.

There is. I imagine the guys at hodinkee sit around the table to pick a mental price out of their holes. Has to be ridiculous enough so people think it's possibly worth it, but not completely ridiculous so people won't buy it. Too cheap and people won't think it's exclusive or good quality. The €12k eggtimer was obviously too much. €1k and people might think it's a "bargain" and not good enough.

Just crazy when you see what you can buy for that money. It's the type of shít you'd see on Goop

micks_address · 28-07-2020 2:37pm

Cienciano wrote: »

There is. I imagine the guys at hodinkee sit around the table to pick a mental price out of their holes. Has to be ridiculous enough so people think it's possibly worth it, but not completely ridiculous so people won't buy it. Too cheap and people won't think it's exclusive or good quality. The €12k eggtimer was obviously too much. €1k and people might think it's a "bargain" and not good enough.

Just crazy when you see what you can buy for that money. It's the type of shít you'd see on Goop

i remember watching a Bentley documentary and they have a special unit for building customer requests. One customer wanted a picnic basket. It looked lovely... cost 44k...

Cienciano · 28-07-2020 4:23pm

micks_address wrote: »

i remember watching a Bentley documentary and they have a special unit for building customer requests. One customer wanted a picnic basket. It looked lovely... cost 44k...

Bentley has some good ones. A dashboard clock is €160k optional extra

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20151110-bentley-bentaygas-234000-option

Doug demuro's channel is amazing for stuff like that.

Thirdfox · 28-07-2020 5:15pm

Cienciano wrote: »

Bentley has some good ones. A dashboard clock is €160k optional extra

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20151110-bentley-bentaygas-234000-option

Doug demuro's channel is amazing for stuff like that.

And now for the weekend score… - I think a watch review channel could use that format too

banie01 · 28-07-2020 8:29pm

If anyone is in contact with FG outside the realm of boards?
He may well have more than a passing interest in a thread over on the helpdesk at the mo

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/114161141

david · 28-07-2020 8:50pm

Honestly you’d miss FG around this place - when does his holiday expire?

banie01 · 28-07-2020 8:52pm

david wrote: »

Honestly you’d miss FG around this place - when does his holiday expire?

Ya really would.

Time · 28-07-2020 10:36pm

banie01 wrote: »

If anyone is in contact with FG outside the realm of boards?
He may well have more than a passing interest in a thread over on the helpdesk at the mo

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/114161141

Was wondering where he had gotten to, hopefully he’ll be back to us when his time is served

njburke · 28-07-2020 11:09pm

I enjoyed that post on the hodinkee travel clock. I also have since read Hodinkees COO's statement on the subject.
The thing for me with hodinkee is it's a bit like when war correspondent Joe Galloway puts down the camera and picks up a rifle in the la Drang valley, no longer a reporter but part of the story.

Hodinkee did this article on a humble seiko 5, the SNKL23 and transformed it into something made out of unobtainium. Seiko could only get 75 bucks for it, hodinkee blesses it and it shoots up in demand and price.Thats a magical power in business,every brand wants that.

So my hat is off to them for pulling the travel clock off, a master stroke. Though they may have revealed that in the watch and clock world, the emperor sometimes has no clothes.

On a related note, Doxa released a batch of watches with 30 year old Valjoux 7734 chronograph movements.All sold. Seems fair game as a new movement in an old watch is a legitimate repair.

wersal gummage · 30-07-2020 10:04am

Not sure if this belongs here..... Or anywhere other than left inside my head really.

I've a bit of an itch to scratch and want to pick up a grand seiko. I've had the idea of buying one for years but always picked up other bits and pieces instead. I think I'm now ready to buy one.

So I can't really come down strongly on hi beat or spring drive, and I think happy with either really. I probably have a preference for the hibeat as I don't like the power reserve on the spring drive (but I could live with it).

I would like the spring drive snowflake, but don't want a titanium watch...

I would like some of the high beat GMTs but many are over 14mm thick and some seem slightly blingy,

I ordered a hibeat GMT (SBGH281G) a few days ago but the seller then wasn't able to fulfil the order, even though they still have it advertised..... Anyway, even on reflection, I'm not 100% sure about that watch as the dial doesn't seem to have the sort of intricacies that a grand seiko ought to....

I do like some of the watches very much, but nearly always one's that can't be obtained.

I'm also slightly put off by the fact that there's currently 115 grand seiko models advertised on the seiko website... It all just seems a bit scattergun, and something like 20 or more "special editions" released every year...

Anyway, I'm just ranting.. I want to buy a grand seiko, ideally an "iconic" one (but not titanium) or if a special edition it would need to be particularly nice...

Anyone any thoughts or suggestions??

I know the obvious answer is just to buy 3 or 4 of them but unfortunately that's not an option

OldBean · 30-07-2020 1:53pm

Have you seen them in the flesh/tried them on? I think that's going to be your only option.

wersal gummage · 30-07-2020 4:06pm

OldBean wrote: »

Have you seen them in the flesh/tried them on? I think that's going to be your only option.

Yes I've seen the more ubiquitous ones in Weirs alright, but they don't tend to carry the more obscure ones, which is fair enough.

I guess of my thoughts are more general than specific, is buying some special edition 2020 model a bad idea, when trying to sell it (if!) it could be an extremely niche thing, whereas something like the snowflake I guess is somewhat more recognised, and maybe sought after

Cyrus · 30-07-2020 4:22pm

anyone seen this?

has to be worth a go!

kit is £74 from aliexpress

https://youtu.be/P_qzAERr9oc

micks_address · 31-07-2020 2:29pm

Spotted the jlc on adverts this morning and wondered how long it would be before a certain someone was on it

893bet · 31-07-2020 2:37pm

Just kicking the tyres of another pretty watch that ultimately I don’t really want.

micks_address · 31-07-2020 2:43pm

893bet wrote: »

Just kicking the tyres of another pretty watch that ultimately I don’t really want.

is it good value? I would have thought it ticked a lot of boxes for you... i got some weird adverts notifications about your skyfall... are you selling?

893bet · 31-07-2020 2:49pm

micks_address wrote: »

is it good value? I would have thought it ticked a lot of boxes for you... i got some weird adverts notifications about your skyfall... are you selling?

Relisted it so to remove previous selling price. Was willing to offer in trade and puts me at a disadvantage if a previous selling price is available.

Don’t think we will do a deal. It’s a loose watch with no box or papers so need a big move on price. My trade options are not of interest to seller and I think there is too much between us for cash price to be able to do a deal.

Cyrus · 31-07-2020 3:34pm

ultra thins need to be tried on, i had one and cant say i liked it

Cienciano · 31-07-2020 6:12pm

Cyrus wrote: »

anyone seen this?

has to be worth a go!

kit is £74 from aliexpress

https://youtu.be/P_qzAERr9oc

I ordered it ages ago. Just checked, 9th June,height of covid. Still hasn't arrived

Time · 02-08-2020 1:49pm

So i'm about to buy another watch now the DJ is gone, and while i was going to get an AP Royal Oak Dual Time, i've come back to the idea of the rose gold Yacht Master on the oyster flex bracelet (116655) too. What are the opinions here on those, is there a reason i shouldn't get one over the other? Or anything that will help me decide because i'm completely torn.

893bet · 02-08-2020 2:05pm

What else is in the collection? You got a BLNR recently also?

I think the rose gold yacht is lovely but I think it needs to complement a collection rather than be the main piece in it. The AP is a lot more versatile IMO.

Time · 02-08-2020 2:36pm

893bet wrote: »

What else is in the collection? You got a BLNR recently also?

I think the rose gold yacht is lovely but I think it needs to complement a collection rather than be the main piece in it. The AP is a lot more versatile IMO.

I have the BLNR, an Aquaracer I never wear, an Apple Watch which I only wear in work and an f91w for when I need something that I can afford to break.

Whatever I get will be actually what I’ll probably wear most because it’ll be on a rubber strap.

Cyrus · 02-08-2020 6:33pm

Time wrote: »

So i'm about to buy another watch now the DJ is gone, and while i was going to get an AP Royal Oak Dual Time, i've come back to the idea of the rose gold Yacht Master on the oyster flex bracelet (116655) too. What are the opinions here on those, is there a reason i shouldn't get one over the other? Or anything that will help me decide because i'm completely torn.

Mind me asking what the dj sold for ?

I’d go for the ap over the yacht master personally , but I’m not into rose gold . I also think when things calm down the ap is a more desirable watch the yacht master is just on the Rolex rising tide in terms of popularity.

scwazrh · 02-08-2020 6:35pm

Time wrote: »

an Aquaracer I never wear,

Is there a reason you don’t wear it ? Never seems to be any love for Tag on forums

Oafley Jones · 02-08-2020 6:52pm

893bet wrote: »

What else is in the collection? You got a BLNR recently also?

I think the rose gold yacht is lovely but I think it needs to complement a collection rather than be the main piece in it. The AP is a lot more versatile IMO.

I’d nearly say the opposite. The RO finishing is such a big part of the appeal, and they just seem incredibly delicate as regards marking. You’d wouldn’t want to be the type to bothered by scratches with them.

Cienciano · 02-08-2020 6:59pm

Time wrote: »

So i'm about to buy another watch now the DJ is gone, and while i was going to get an AP Royal Oak Dual Time, i've come back to the idea of the rose gold Yacht Master on the oyster flex bracelet (116655) too. What are the opinions here on those, is there a reason i shouldn't get one over the other? Or anything that will help me decide because i'm completely torn.

Royal Oak all the way. Some people hate them, but it's distinct and you don't see many. The YM is just another rolex, the RO is a conversation piece, one of the most famous pieces from one of the big 3. Go with the RO if you can, this shouldn't be up for debate :pac:

Time · 02-08-2020 8:40pm

Thanks for the comments so far everyone, think my heart was saying AP RO and my head was saying YM. Partially due to the fact that the servicing costs are absurd on AP, and i think the YM will hold it's better in the long run. But i think if i get the YM i'll always wonder "what if" whereas with the AP i won't think the same about the YM. When i get sick of the BLNR i'll be halfway to the YM if i still want it by then anyway.

Cyrus wrote: »

I’d go for the ap over the yacht master personally , but I’m not into rose gold . I also think when things calm down the ap is a more desirable watch the yacht master is just on the Rolex rising tide in terms of popularity.

AP are on their own rise at the moment too, and funnily enough i was looking at the rose gold RO too as a middle of the road solution between the two but that's a black rather than a blue dial.

scwazrh wrote: »

Is there a reason you don’t wear it ? Never seems to be any love for Tag on forums

It's S/S with a silver dial, its quite a boring watch IMO there's no contrast at all. It's basically the TAG version of that awful silver dial yacht master that nobody wants even with the Rolex bubble we have at the moment.

Oafley Jones wrote: »

I’d nearly say the opposite. The RO finishing is such a big part of the appeal, and they just seem incredibly delicate as regards marking. You’d wouldn’t want to be the type to bothered by scratches with them.

I'm not bothered about scratches tbh, watches are made to be worn and they can always be restored if i want in the future.

Cienciano wrote: »

Royal Oak all the way. Some people hate them, but it's distinct and you don't see many. The YM is just another rolex, the RO is a conversation piece, one of the most famous pieces from one of the big 3. Go with the RO if you can, this shouldn't be up for debate :pac:

For me that's actually part of the appeal, its a real "if you know you know" watch.

OmegaGene wrote: »

AP wins hands down for me and it s a wiser investment but you have to buy what makes you happy

I'm not so concerned about resale value, as long as i'm not losing 10k the second i walk out the door. The YM is actually less than retail now, while the AP is above retail by a few thousand.

Cyclingtourist · 04-08-2020 9:48am

Can I make a recommendation for a 'bits & pieces' box?

Saw these in Tiger a few weeks ago and although they sell crap from the far east masquerading as Danish design I bought one for €1.50 (down from normal €3) and now I'm sorry I didn't buy two.

They're sold as 'lunch boxes' and come in a couple of different colours.

Ideal for storing spare watch straps etc. The simple wide elastic band with the grooved wood cover means once you close the box it won't spill open if dropped.

blue5000 · 04-08-2020 12:17pm

Biscuit tin with the plastic trays left in for the biscuits does the job here:p

Needless to say Mrs. b loves it when I pull a perfectly good empty biscuit tin out of the bin:eek:.

Cyrus · 04-08-2020 4:08pm

Time wrote: »

i think the YM will hold it's better in the long run.

i disagree to be honest but who knows!

893bet · 04-08-2020 4:38pm

Cyrus wrote: »

i disagree to be honest but who knows!

I am not sure either will hold value! Both are very rare in comparison to any of the hot Rolex....but low demand which is the issue. Same as my VC....one of only two available in the world barely a sniff (Irish market is too small a factor also). Demand is what counts more than anything.

There is another AP on the forum. Ye won’t see it for a while though. I know “someone” who has been deep in negotiations on a few of them over the last few weeks and also finally closed the deal on one also this week.

Had the two of them gotten together they may have gotten a bulk discount........

banie01 · 07-08-2020 2:56pm

I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of my Astronaut from its service and refurb in the US.

It's been in the postal system since the 27/7 and hasn't updated since the 1/8

I am relearning what patience means...

I got an email from the service guy yesterday asking me to keep an eye out for an "extra" watch too!
He is missing an Accutron that he now thinks he may have packed and shipped with mine! :eek:

Free watches! :pac:

No seriously though, no I'm doubly anxious about the stupid delay!
Would hate to think of someone not knowing where their watch is and it being stuck in limbo with mine.

If the watch is in with mine it'll be returned same day, although I might well take a wristie or 2 of it on and them both together.

In other news, Weir's and insta think I'm far richer than I am...

Got served an add for the Patek exhibition that really makes me feel like a broke ass pleb, with its "invite only"!

I could totally get an invite! If I wanted one, I just don't want one, really!
:P

Cyrus · 07-08-2020 2:59pm

893bet wrote: »

I am not sure either will hold value! Both are very rare in comparison to any of the hot Rolex....but low demand which is the issue. Same as my VC....one of only two available in the world barely a sniff (Irish market is too small a factor also). Demand is what counts more than anything.

There is another AP on the forum. Ye won’t see it for a while though. I know “someone” who has been deep in negotiations on a few of them over the last few weeks and also finally closed the deal on one also this week.

Had the two of them gotten together they may have gotten a bulk discount........

i thought maybe his absence would have calmed down the watch buying frenzy

unkel · 07-08-2020 3:32pm

banie01 wrote: »

In other news, Weir's and insta think I'm far richer than I am...

Insta has inside info that BTC is mooning :pac:

banie01 · 08-08-2020 5:01pm

On a Rolex No-Date sub, the ceramic one 114060?
Is there a dimple, divot, halo around the dial centre?
I don't know how else to describe it, it's like the motte of motte and bailey or ringfort but incredibly subtle and only visible in certain light and angle.

I was looking at one yesterday belonging to a friend, and it caught me as both odd, and surprisingly eye-catching in certain lights.
Inky black and then the dimple dazzles a bit.
Thing is, it struck me as an "imperfection".

Is that a sign of a fake?
Or am I overthinking a lovely watch?

unkel · 08-08-2020 5:04pm

Where did your friend buy the watch?

I have one on order (waiting list) from Weir's. If you can wait another 12-18 months or so, I'd be happy to come over to you to compare the watches

banie01 · 08-08-2020 5:11pm

unkel wrote: »

Where did your friend buy the watch?

I have one on order (waiting list) from Weir's. If you can wait another 12-18 months or so, I'd be happy to come over to you to compare the watches

He has it a while, I would assume AD he travels a lot and spends quite a bit time in ME and SEA.
Works in petroleum, and I am certain it's not a fake but being a pleb on actual luxury SS Rolex I honestly have no clue

The watch is lovely, it felt and looked the same as the one I'd handled in Keane's but the dial in Keane's struck me as inky black, the blackness gave depth to the watch.

My friends one, exact same but sunlight seems to sparkle the dial and the ring effect just really drew my eye and made me curious.

I don't want to throw a comment out even jokingly on its authenticity

Just to add, I haven't seen him in @18months and yesterday was our 1st meet up in a while.
Hence the scant history.

micks_address · 08-08-2020 8:58pm

I've been wanting to try an explorer size watch for a while and came across this.. I've nothing at this size so be interesting to see how it wears. Not a huge investment.. probably be a few weeks as coming from the US

Could be a while before arrives

Parts list:
36mm oyster-style case, screw down back & crown, with 20mm lugs
Seiko NH35 movement
Namoki explorer dial
Namoki mercedes hands
GS Thin-Tite acrylic crystal
20-16mm jubilee bracelet

unkel · 08-08-2020 9:11pm

Tisell 915 (from Korea) is a very good quality Explorer 214270 homage for reasonable money

banie01 · 09-08-2020 2:11pm

banie01 wrote: »

He has it a while, I would assume AD he travels a lot and spends quite a bit time in ME and SEA.
Works in petroleum, and I am certain it's not a fake but being a pleb on actual luxury SS Rolex I honestly have no clue

Answering my own question here

But sheer stubborn curiosity led me down a rabbit hole of staggering depth!

Seems it's a known effect, and my poor description probably didn't help express what I actuall meant either.
https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=179070
https://www.rolexforums.com/showpost.php?p=2529385&postcount=10

Another little lesson learned for me, late to the party as usual :pac:
Found a pic on watchuseek that shows what I was trying to describe

imageuploadedbytapatalk1407603542-744050-jpg.1591089

banie01 · 09-08-2020 3:36pm

Time wrote: »

Thanks for the comments so far everyone, think my heart was saying AP RO and my head was saying YM. Partially due to the fact that the servicing costs are absurd on AP, and i think the YM will hold it's better in the long run. But i think if i get the YM i'll always wonder "what if" whereas with the AP i won't think the same about the YM. When i get sick of the BLNR i'll be halfway to the YM if i still want it by then anyway.

A blurb, but an interesting blurb all the same when it comes to AP.

https://hypebeast.com/2020/8/audemars-piguet-behind-the-hype-video?amp=1

I had always thought Genta modelled the AP after old style diving helmets as is the usual story.
I don't know where this article sourced the info that the watch is modelled after the portholes on the HMS Royal Oak?

Naming a luxury watch range after a battleship that was sunk at anchor seems a bit mad :eek:
Although "Royal Oak" does have a bit more gravitas and an aspirational sound than than "Revenge" which was the battleship class name.

Has anyone else seen the luxury watch clips that CNN are running with @1 minute overviews of famous watch brands?
On during the ad breaks.
I've seen Daytona, VC, AP, Chooses and Breitling so far.
Nice little info snippets to jump off and research from.

unkel · 09-08-2020 3:58pm

Any links to those clips?

banie01 · 09-08-2020 4:05pm

unkel wrote: »

Any links to those clips?

I am hoping this search, brings you up the same video list as it did for me

https://www.google.com/search?biw=393&bih=682&tbm=vid&sxsrf=ALeKk00sKgHCWNta4NMRiV7I0VH-xOD07g%3A1596985432753&ei=WBAwX93KLcyL1fAPw5qBuAc&q=cnn+timeless+watches&oq=cnn+timeless+watches&gs_lcp=Cg9tb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXNlcnAQAzICCABQAFgAYIXdAWgAcAB4AIABRIgBRJIBATGYAQCqARltb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwLW1vZGVzwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-serp

The CNN/MSN timeless ones are what you want, think they are hosting directly so no YT playlist.
There are loads more than I've seen there too

banie01 · 11-08-2020 3:07pm

I found those CNN/Time & tide videos on YT.
Hopefully an embedded example below?

Would these be worth creating a thread for?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tNC5iCIK4

Cyclingtourist · 11-08-2020 3:10pm

banie01 wrote: »

I found those CNN/Time & tide videos on YT.
Hopefully an embedded example below?

Would these be worth creating a thread for?

If they're all as short as that one I'd say no.

banie01 · 11-08-2020 3:19pm

Cyclingtourist wrote: »

If they're all as short as that one I'd say no.

Fair enough

Yep, they are all in and about the 1 minute mark.
Basically a dollop of marketing dressed as a brand/model history.

I've been trying to find a playlist of all the short videos since my reply to Unkel but still no joy on that.
May pull one together during the week and share that rather than video after video.

Wibbs · 11-08-2020 4:46pm

Plus just going on that vid full of omissions and inaccuracies and like noted more about advertising. For a start Rolex subs did not inflate in value every year since their release back in the 50's. That's a nonsense. That really only kicked off in the 90's with the coming of the interwebs and watch collecting going from a very niche hobby to a much more populist one. Even then it's only really come to be true in the last fifteen maybe twenty years and really hit over the last ten. Hell, I remember a time when you couldn't give away vintage Daytonas. And a time when early Rolex Oysters and Bubblebacks were more valuable than any of their SS sport models.

He also suggests that the rotating bezeled, black dialed, luminous indexed dive watch was a Rolex invention and it certainly was not. Though a notion that has gained much support particularly among Rolex fans many of whom seem to think the company invented everything and the company is happy to not say anything in contradiction. They didn't. First waterproof watch? Nope. First automatic? Nope. First rotating bezel? Nope. First screwdown crown? Nope. First date window? Nope. First GMT? Nope, First dive watch? Nope. Indeed about the only thing I can think of that Rolex did come up with first was adding a day window to the date window and the helium release valve. Though that was in partnership with Doxa. Oh and the first wristwatch sent for chronometer testing way back at the start.

The big problem with most watch journalism and dealers and talking heads is a very incestuous relationship with the Swiss industry, fostered for many decades, so you tend to only ever get an advertising puff piece fronted by people happy to pass it on un critiqued.

david · 12-08-2020 11:58am

Anyone know what the current lead time is for Royal Mail 1st class packages?

Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

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