MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Evenin' all. My aforementioned JLC Paris boutique invitation was cancelled last week due to 'sanitary measures' and our Christmas in England was cancelled yesterday by M. Macron (UK passports allowed to expire, or we'd have been able to get through). So today I bought this:
Small at 32mm diameter but that's all dial and men better than I wore watches that size for decades. I've wanted a dress watch for yonks, two-hander only and this has a Geneva Seal to boot! Merry Christmas me.
Wow, one of the holy trinity.....
Yup, and helpful there's not much I really like from the current AP/PP/VC collections. I mean there's cool stuff but little that makes my heart flutter. I go in the Paris VC boutique regularly, where the directrice humours me even though I obviously don't have the money. I've tried on the full gold bracelet Overseas perpetual calendar with the guards twitching around my ugly mug. Last time she showed me a pièce unique with a handpainted dial, for which she lent me a loupe and the level of fine detail is absolutely incredible. I took her a pot of Marmite in return for the coffees and chocolates she stuffs me with. Deal!
That is stunning.
Very elegant - for a very nice change here 🙂
Thanks Lunge! Perfect simplicity and symmetry isn't it. They had the same or a similar model from about 1960 to the early 2000s. This is a 2000 model, so the internals are fairly modern spec for materials etc. They don't do anything like it now. I was keen on this model, which if I sold everything else and did a bit of saving for is within reach, but €20k+ on a watch just doesn't bear thinking about.
Oooooeee!
I've just been looking at the Lange & Sohne Saxonia, which is very similar. £15k so never anything I'll get.
@reggiegasket, unfortunately even those are in short supply. When I asked in the ALS boutique in Paris they said they hadn't had one in a few years. Quite possible they were lying, even though I was suitably dressed etc. Unless you have mega money I think precious metal watches are strictly secondhand only. I paid about 25-30% of what the VC would have been new. I think ALS movements are absolutely stunning!
@reggiegasket, you could do a lot worse than a JLC Master Ultra Thin. Fraction of the price of the ALS.
Lovely VC @gaidong
@reggiegasket, you could do a lot worse than a JLC Master Ultra Thin. Fraction of the price of the ALS.
I have the JLC Master Ultra Thin moon, Mrs kilo bought it for me as an unexpected pressie as she is a jlc fangirl, a really lovely watch. Beautifully made and very stylish from a company known as “the watchmaker’s watchmaker “.
For JLC lovers. Mine jlc and one of Mrs Kilo’s (a dual faced reverse), old photos and the glass back of mine is lovely but I cba’ed going to get it 🙂
@Harris very nice!
Very nice indeed, and a missus who shares the passion!
Lovely piece. Are you sure it has the Geneva seal though? I can’t see it.
For the ALS fanboys, here’s my 1815 Chrono:
Pic post fail. How do I link an Instagram pic?
@jeffc, the piece is still on its way to me but it should have the seal. I believe it is the small marking just before the serial number if you zoom in.
Oh yes, 1815 pls, both sides!
Kilo - lovely reverse JLC.
@jeffc, second thoughts, that might say, "N°". I'll open it up when I arrives. I'll be testing the gold alloy anyway in my work lab 😁
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Somewhat of a 'bitsa' but overall nice vintage feel, especially with the US z199.
Birth year/month serial too.
Yay
Rolex called. Picking one up tomorrow after a fair wait. Not what I’m waiting on but a nice steel sports model all the same.
They quality has ramped up a notch over the last few pages gents!!!
beautiful watches, @jeffc the Lange is a stunner
They quality has ramped up a notch over the last few pages gents!!!
You can stay that again. Just when you think you've learned a little about watches, all this happens. At the same time, at home we're going through a series starring Anthony Anderson and I quite like the watch he wears, so researched it. Turned out to be an AP Black Oak. My small collection seems so very insignificant.... 😀
Got to thank Jeff, Gaidong and Kilo for posting those pieces.
Good lord brads, rocking horse poo! I'm guessing explorer II.
Thanks for those higher end pieces gents, my favourite is kilo's jlc moon phase, simple elegance!
One of the watches I’m waiting on is an explorer 2
They have obtained a Sea Dweller 50th for me which is a pretty cool watch
Ooo, I'd take the stress dweller, nice.
Since we’re having a bout of pictures, this my daily wearer. Bought it a few decades ago and quite an unusual model. Never got too precious about it and unless it was going to get very wet or dangerous (to the mechanism) I’d wear it for most activities.
And this my going to gym beater. I ended up with two of these so this one now lives in my desk at work and goes to the gym. Nice watches, well detailed for a ti diver, and Magrette are a very good company to deal with
Bought this years ago half price as it was when Brietling changed models every ten minutes and killed residuals. Really works well on a zulu as opposed to oe blue leather strap
OMG - dude - Bezel alignment! I bet the labels on your bike tyres don't match the rim stickers either. 😁
I was idly looking in a window at Rolexes the other day. Every single piece had a not for sale, demonstration purposes only label on it apart from one unattractive ladies watch. If I were to walk in off the street and tell them 'Hey, I want to by a new mans Rolex'* what would I get offered?
*so hypothetical it hurts.
OMG – dude – Bezel alignment!
🙂 on another cycling forum with a very good watch thread someone once moaned about bezel alignment, ever since the I photograph them all skew wiff and with that breitling managed to get all the hands at random places 🙂
My local jewellers has not 1 but 2 GMT Master II's in BLNR Batman in it's window.
Both look in good condition, with papers...£15k.
If anyone is that desperate for one I'll let you know where they are.
Theres was a page full of G MTG's a while back and The Artist's collection convinced me of which way I wanted to go with a G Shock. However I prefer a rubber strap and didn't want to pay to much.
So intended up with this G Steel:
Carbon core guard, WT, solar, alarms etc it looks expensive as the bezel and indices really catch the light. I manage to secure it for about half RRP at £166. It looks big but my wrists always look thin in photos, I most like like the dual colouring which tones it down a bit.
Obviously it's not a lot special but I like it as a more flashier method of G ownership yet half the price of a full metal G.
I jokingly refer to this as my "AP G" for obvious reason's. Its now the cheapest dullest (from a purist perspective) watch in my collection.
As well as this , I ordered 2 x Barton straps, one a rubber black strap for my Tissot SuperSport and the other a black leather / creme stitching for the Hamilton KK. After 12 days, they are still in the US 🙁
I'm probably going to get flamed but what are people's views on this? I know it's not genuine (but even a Watchco 300 is £6k plus) but its a lovely looking watch!
I know it’s not genuine
That would be enough for me not to buy it.
Is it not made from Genuine Omega parts? Does seem a lot of money if it’s just a replica though.
Does look nice, just wondering what would happen with regards to warranty and servicing?
I’d wear a Lorus before I wore a fake anything.
Mainly genuine Omega parts - not sure the concept is that different to the Watchco Seamasters - TBH as much as I like the look I don’t think I could wear one - back to my hunt for a decent (relatively) cheap Speedmaster
🙂 on another cycling forum with a very good watch thread someone once moaned about bezel alignment, ever since the I photograph them all skew wiff and with that breitling managed to get all the hands at random places 🙂
In which case, great work!
Barton straps always take ages to arrive from the US. Pretty quick if you pay for expensive shipping, but anyway, they should be worth the wait when they do arrive. Also a selection available on Amazon if you're desperate and/or don't mind giving money to Bezos.
Exactly that.
I used to work with a bloke that spent £400 on a super clone Submariner, just couldn't get my head round why you'd spend that sort of money on a snide when £400 will buy you a nice watch
You can spend 3 times that on a super clone.
I've no problem with the 300s built from NOS parts, if that's what it is. Fakes are wrong though. Although I admit to having considered a chinanoobfactory pam00389. Some watches are different and the fake offers a way to dip a toe without risking £10k.
I wouldn't bother. I don't buy nice things for other people to admire. I buy them for me and if they're fake, I'd get no pleasure from them so no point.
If you wanted other watch aficionado’s to notice your timepiece you’d be better buying an Orient Bambino for £100 than a fake of a £50k watch.
My local jewellers has not 1 but 2 GMT Master II’s in BLNR Batman in it’s window.
Both look in good condition, with papers…£15k.
My local has a kermit submariner for 18k...
Even for a Kermit that's big money. I let mine go in the summer for 12k.
Actually, I just checked and it's actually a Hulk (all green) not a kermit (green bezel, black face).
I dont know any of these nicknames for Rolys. Where/when did they make an appearance?
When peoples brains fell out.
Imbecilic bloody rubbish.
I dont know any of these nicknames for Rolys. Where/when did they make an appearance?
I find it better to only refer to them by their model number - that way almost nobody has any idea what you're talking about and you can feel really superior.
Well that's two ends of the spectrum... 😀
Not into watches at all (although I did recently buy a 1982 Casio DW-1000), but genuinely find this thread fascinating.
Serious question (not trying to put a downer on things, just curious): Do any of you worry about having several thousand pounds strapped to your wrist? I don't think I would be able to relax on a night out, constantly worried someone was going to mug me?
I don’t really think about it tbh.
No point owning them if you won’t wear them
There are occasions you might take them off but no different to locking your bag in the boot before going somewhere a bit dodgy.
Generally if I’m out on the lash ina city it’s with a crowd of pretty hard looking bikers so I never worry much then lol.
They do draw comment sometimes. Some people are incredulous you’re firing down a decent on a bike wearing 15k on your wrist. But tbh they have to be watch types to know what your wearing.
No, the watch is for enjoying on your wrist, not for keeping in a box.
Unless your wearing the latest gangsta rapper Rolex, most high end watches, unless your a watch officianado you wouldnt know what it was or how much it was worth.
I wear mine on Nato straps, which some say makes it look 'cheap', but it also makes them look 'cheap' to the uninitiated.
I'm the same as @brads, I don't think about it. In all the years I've been waring a decent watch nobody has ever passed comment. That said, they are usually under a sleeve.
Aye. Hopefully it takes a bit of class to spot class but it's not always the case...
Of course you might just as easily get mugged for your wallet, phone and £10 Casio unless your wearing something blingtastic but I tend not to buy that sort of thing.
Serious question (not trying to put a downer on things, just curious): Do any of you worry about having several thousand pounds strapped to your wrist? I don’t think I would be able to relax on a night out, constantly worried someone was going to mug me?
Not really, but then I don’t own anything silly money.
I probably wouldn’t wear my best watch to the football in a rough part of town for instance, but happily wear it most other places.
In truth, they’re all insured and if someone wanted it they can have it and I’ll be on the phone to Direct Line.
Yeah, I'll wear whatever I fancy when I'm out, although mine fall waaaay short in terms of value.
On the MTB though, the main problem is that a heavy case smashes the **** out of my wrist bone, so I have to put a relative lightweight on.
Not into watches at all (although I did recently buy a 1982 Casio DW-1000)
Buying a rare 'Pre-G' vintage Casio? I think you actually are into watches, it's just a different niche by the sounds of it. You'd be forgiven for skimming the last couple of pages of this thread and thinking everyone on STW has a Rolex/Tudor/Omega or three in their sock drawer, but plenty of us don't.
It's nice to look at other people's posh watches and hear their thoughts on them, but I'm more a fan of bargains TBH and most days wear something cheaper, functional and often digital.
I've really enjoyed this thread. The variety of watches is what keeps it interesting. The Casios and Lorus (Lori?) Are just as interesting as the Omegas and Rolexes to me.
+1
I prefer light watches, so I like Casios, Swatches and so on. If I wore a steel GMT or sub the extra weight would do my head in*. I can still appreciate their qualities though.
[*nips off to look at a titanium Pelagos]
The Casios and Lorus (Lori?) Are just as interesting as the Omegas and Rolexes to me
+1. And for me it often leads to interesting reading. This morning for example I put my Citizen AT Eco drive on, and couldn’t remember how to force the radio signal (turns out I didn’t need to). Googling for the instructions - because its complex in operation - lead me to read about the Citizen Caliber 0100, the most accurate quartz in the world - and discovering its quartz vibrates at over 8m vibrations a second. Flippin ‘eck. It’s a Hodinkee video for those interested:
Geeky perhaps, but I often enjoy where a simple quest for knowledge leads.
I'm fine with wearing my watches but am more aware of people around me when outside in the summmer and the watch is on show. london is getting risky for high end watches with some nasty muggings.
i also put something cheaper on for diy/gardeninhg/biking etc
Ok. A question.
I’m toying with getting my two boys the same watch but in different colours / finishes. And maybe another for me. And a similar more feminine version for my wife.
Apart from it being horribly twee (don’t care, still like the idea) has anyone got any ideas?
Doesn’t need to be expensive, does need to be automatic or hand wind, does need to be nice to look at.
Spinnaker Fleuss look nice but there’s no toning feminine one.
Ideas?
Dressy or sporty?
Ideas?
I watched "Christmas at the Savoy" last night and the manager lady bought her whole family matching Datejusts. Mrs K and I have matching 2007 Aquaracers as wedding gifts.
Invicta have a his & hers pro diver, as do Certina. Not sure how old your kids are, but a Timix weekender pairing?
Dressy or sporty?
I’m going to be less than helpful in this answer.
“Smart diver” style, every day watch.
This sort of thing, this sort of price range for the boys. They’re 10 & 15 so they won’t wear it everyday, but I’m not buying them a Rolex each (even if someone would sell me one).
https://spinnaker-watches.co.uk/collections/fleuss/products/fleuss-lumber-black-sp-5055-01
Or
https://spinnaker-watches.co.uk/collections/croft/products/croft-mid-size-nomad-sp-5100-02
I quite like the idea of a Seiko movement as it should be an inexpensive repair / replacement for a long time to come.
Maybe something from here
https://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko
I’ve used them and they are reliable and good to deal with
Seiko , or Orient , Citizen etc.
Likely Seiko would be the best bet as their range is enormous.
Seiko 5 would be my thought, probably an SNK 807/809/805/803.
Different colours, pretty bomb proof and you can mix the straps to make them dressy or more casual.
If they'd prefer a bigger face, Seiko SNZG
There’s somit about Seiko 5 that I just don’t like.
I’d never consider one over a Seiko
If I wore a steel GMT or sub the extra weight would do my head in
'Do my wrist in...' Shirley 🙂 I wouldn't wear a heavy watch clattering down a descent on an MTB to avoid the potential wrist/soft tissue injury. Some of the case corners can be a bit jaggy...
Sub isn’t that heavy really.
What it is though is the exact watch to stand up to abuse like crashing mountain bikes.
My Sub is slightly heavier than my GMT and I have 16cm wrists, but I never notice the weight once the watch is on.
Subs may not be that heavy but the knurled crown is capable of scraping away enough skin to draw blood on a big day's riding.
It's just that it waggles and wobbles and is quite pointy in parts. Plastic Forerunners and the like are much more suitable for sporty sports.