The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[dopey]



Dug out the Jo Siffert today

Beautiful. My Autavia has the dial colors reversed and a rotating diver bezel (and a red sweep chrono hand). I like your dial colors better.

 

[NonServiam]



Beautiful. My Autavia has the dial colors reversed and a rotating diver bezel (and a red sweep chrono hand). I like your dial colors better.

Please post I love Autavias, got three of them ...

 

[dopey]



Please post I love Autavias, got three of them ...

It's somewhere in this thread. I didn't post my own watch, since I never photographed it, but one identical to mine.

Which others do you have?

 

[NonServiam]



It's somewhere in this thread. I didn't post my own watch, since I never photographed it, but one identical to mine.
Which others do you have?

Take a pic

I have a manual Autavia with Siffert coloring, that is my definite favourite. Cal 72, so it's basically a vintage Daytona (no, it's not ).
And a silver dialled auto. Pretty rare, I see it much less often than the Siffert. Still usually a lot cheaper.

Autavias are what got me started collecting vintage. Awesome 70s racing aesthetics at reasonable prices

 

[dopey]

Nice. I have a Minerva Cal. 72 somewhere. I don't know why I never wear it. It is pretty simple without a racing bezel.

I will add the Autavia to the list of things I should photograph, but now finding that Minerva has jumped in priority.

 

[Keith T]

Makes me want to do the Flo-rida dance from Tropic Thunder.

There's your answer, right?

When it comes to the watch game, it's all about that passion ... and when a specific piece pushes your buttons that way, you're probably going to wind up purchasing it sooner or later regardless.

 

[Cylon]

aint that the truth

 

[Keith T]

And those Autavias are sweet!

 

[Dino944]

Dino, how robust do you find the RO 15202? Do you wear it for gentle sports, or to the pool perhaps? Its 50m WR has always bugged me. In that regard, the VC Overseas is a much more suitable sporting watch.
Totally agree on IWC - what's up with them and their enormous sizes? Seems a little cheap to have an entire line-up of gigantic, thick designs. Their vintage cal 89 watches were certainly their zenith in terms of design.

I've worn my 15202 almost everyday since I got it in August, and I love it. Its become my favorite watch and I think its one of the best purchases I've ever made. Admittedly I'm not really tough on my watches. Initially, I wondered about its water resistance, but I have several Rolex watches including a Sub that I would wear for more rugged sports.

I own 2 VC dress watches already. I liked their dress watches, but of their sport watches the only one I really like is their original 222 (from the late 1970s early 80s). I've never liked the Overseas all that much. The original was decent looking but had lots of problems with bracelet links locking up (a buddy of mine that collected VCs had a chronograph with lots of problems and eventually dumped it). The second generation is just an oversized ugly watch. The case looks lopsided and heavy, and grew in size just to join the "Look at me I have a giant watch club." The dial is ugly on the time only model (the first generation was more sophisticated), the alternating subdial size design of the chronograph is goofy...then there is the gaudy bracelet. No thanks. I spent a lot of time looking at various models of ROs, Overseas, and PP Nautilus. The Overseas just never seemed to have the quality of finish that the ROs or the Nautilus had.

I'm kind of dissappointed with where IWC has gone in the last 10 years or so.

Played with this and I think it looks and feels pretty cheap. Using the same movement as the RO is a little strange to me in an elegant dress watch. There are much more attractive ultrathins out there from VC (and JLC at the lower-end) than this Piguet.

Actually, the 2120 and 2121 have been used in AP dress watches for decades. In addition, several VC dress watches have also use/used the 1120/1121 (their version of AP's 2120/2121) in dress watches and sport watches for several decades. Sadly, the current version of the movement in the VC just doesn't look as nicely finished to me as in the AP. Even the rotor in the current VC using the 1120 is not as beautifully finished as it used to be when they used that movement.

 

[Dino944]

I have a timeless 1920's 18ct Cushion Oyster Rolex, that my late Father left me - It has a soft pink gold finish which slightly resembles my 1960s 9ct gold Rolex Precision.

Does anybody else here insure their watches, if so with which company please?

Yes, they are under my homeowners Chubb.

 

[in stitches]



Beautiful.

And those Autavias are sweet!

 

[Dino944]

I travel often to Asia and on every corner in major cities you'll find a poseur with 6" wrists wearing a Big Pilot. It's ridiculous.
I don't like any of the newer "sport' or "pilot" IWCs.
Their designs remind me of watches from Ball or Bell&Ross, i.e. your garden variety lower-mid tier watch company patronised by guidos, except with a veneer of credibility lent by the models that came before them so that somehow every dubiously/newly rich person with an internet connection has one and - hey presto - instant WIS cred!
I guess they are like BMWs - OK-nice cars, terrible clientele.
I have a 3741 and when I get my next IWC it will be a 3705.

+1

The oversized IWCs of today are just played out and tired...and as you mentioned they seem to be the chosen watch of poseurs. If I were to get an IWC now...it would be vintage.

Dino, I agree with everything you've written, and from your question a few days ago I'm absolutely still in awe of the proportions, understated presence and finishing of the 15202. Regarding the 15400, however, my own preference would be to downsize to the 15300, dozens of which are floating on the market at any given time at attractive pricing. Not only do I feel that 39" is a more timeless size for the Royal Oak, but the 15300 also has a more harmonious dial layout given that it's the same movement - but in the 39" case for which it was intended - as opposed to the 41" of the 15400. In principle and in practice, I just haven't seen very good examples of leveraging the same movement into a larger case, at least where apertures and subdials are involved. Just my $.02...

Hi Medtech, glad to hear you are enjoying your 15202. As I said in a previous post this is the best purchase I've made. Of the watches the OP mentioned the 15400 is the nicest watch...but it is far from my favorite RO. I like its dial and second hand more on the 15400 (I hated the tail on the old 15300 second hand ...silly I know), but I thought the proportions looked off. Even though they say everything has increased by the same percentage it never looked quite right to me. I felt the bezel and dial looked wrong. I agree with you that its very rare to see a watch where the movement of a smaller watch went into a larger case and it was an improvement. They got everything right with the new 15202 and the finish of the case and bracelet is much finer than I've seen on any sports watches. The 15202 is just a real pleasure to wear.

 

[oisin]

speaking of the 15202... another visit to a watch store, this time in philadelphia. crossed the glashutte panomatic lunar off the list. attractive, but too thick and also a bit sterile for me. unfortunately fell in love with the 15202 when i put it on my wrist. just lovely. also very $$$ for me.

Also saw the PP 5146 in platinum, which I far prefer because of the lack of arabic numerals, which I think suits the dial much better. It's too bad that only the platinum has that particular dial.

 

[in stitches]

what is not to like?

i like the white gold too, the three arabic numerals dont bother me.

 

[Dino944]



Wow, you're certainly the minority. That watch is a classic. And stunning. And extremely well made.

Maybe here I'm in the minority. However, I'm friendly with lots of collectors that think IWCs have become sterile in design, unattractive, caught up in the supersize trend, and offer little worth purchasing.

No watch can be everything to everyone, but their offerings in the last 10 years are a disappointment to me. Years ago I wanted an IWC. Sadly, today there is nothing they currently make that I want to own.