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The Watch Appreciation Thread - Page 1027

post #15391 of 21206
11/13/12 at 6:22am
@ singular - great pics, i especially like the breitling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by apropos View Post

I must be one of the strange ones who prefers buying nice things online - even when I was just accompanying my father too often I found the "real experience" kitschy, sprinkled all too often with blatant attempts at ingratiation and ignorance.
If you're selling 4-figure wines or 5-figure watches and the fat kid with specs, zits and a bad crew cut accompanying his dad knows more about your product than you, you have failed at life.
Sigh, guess I am one of those unfortunate misanthropes.

nothing wrong with proving me right. smile.gif
Quote:
Originally Posted by evanrose View Post

A couple of goodies from recently:

wow
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post #15392 of 21206
11/13/12 at 7:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dino944 View Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by in stitches View Post

i think the advantage is as follows. as someone who does a fair bit of jewelry business (buying and selling) through the mail, and online, and for some very high price point items, i have leaned that some people just prefer the low touch. they are busy, or just dont like shopping, even though they like nice things. this gives them the opportunity to go right to the source, completely removing the classic online obstacle of are you getting a fake, and with a few clicks, you have the watch you want at you door the next day. in a sense, its great. i certainly relate to it.

when im interested in a watch, i do most of my investigation online anyway. if i had the funds, i cant think of anything more convenient that buying that way, once my mind was made up.

as to events, since they have your shipping, billing and email addresses, im sure you would get invites to their swanky parties, as a customer of the brand. smile.gif

 
 Hi Stitch,

I'm sure you have met people that like buying things online.  However, at least in my experience, even guys that don't like shopping for clothing, they enjoy the personal experience of buying a high end watch or very high end car from a fine watch store or exotic car dealership.  Sure doing research online is great, we all do that.  But honestly, I just can't see most of the collectors I know going to their computers to buy a $10,000+  watch.  I often look online to see where to get the best deals on certain products, but those are not items that I consider the buying or the ownership to be an "experience."  Its not as though I really care about the shopping or ownership experience of a particular USB flash drive. 

As for getting invited to the events...don't count on it.  They have your name and address but you are simply a number if they don't know who you are.  Some of the really nice watch events where they brought multiple versions of tourbillons, perpetual calendar chronographs, and other great items, were limited to 50 people.  Its because the store director contacted me our of the blue and asked if I would be interested in going that I was able to attend.  Later I got an email confirming I was on the list, but also stating if for some reason I could not make it to let them know because they had people on a waiting list that also wanted to attend.  Buying in person and making contacts has its advantages. 
Quote:
Originally Posted by smashwindow View Post

I have very little information about this watch, other than I know it is genuine, serial numbers were confirmed by main patek office when I sent it in to be repaired through a Madrid retailer, they said this was the only one to have been made in this exact style other similar styles were made.  This was my grandfather's watch (who is now dead) on my dad's side (who is now dead) so I was wondering if any of you could tell me a bit about these.





Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
 That's a beauty and something to be treasured.  Very interesting lugs, for a Patek.  The curved glass and somewhat tear drop shaped lugs (although inverted compared to VC's tear drops) really remind me of vintage Vacherons rather than Pateks.  I'd suggest for more info search on the Patek website on Timezone or Puristspro.  Also, maybe consider getting an archive extract from Patek (although, I'm not sure of its cost).

+1
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post #15393 of 21206
11/13/12 at 7:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by in stitches View Post


hey buddy,
youd be surprised. i know of people that woud just call in their patek orders to their AD hoping they had them, and have it charged to their house account. this is the same, just factory direct. i know its odd, but some people just prefer it that way. they find it easier, and the size of the purchase is not important to them. not my bag, but to each their own.
admittedly i dont know a lot about those types of events, i was referring to the larger less exclusive ones. then again, the type of person who makes his purchases that way, may very well not be interested in these events either.
who knows, i just know some people like to purchase that way. smile.gif

Nah...not really surprised.  I know people that buy almost everything online.  As for phone orders with an AD I've done that before, particularly if its something thats in high demand/difficult to get, or out of production, then AD or boutique often will not have it in stock if you just show up.  Also, by doing a phone order with my AD for a VC, I got the item I was searching for, and got a discount that saved me enough to essentially give me a free Submariner.  If I had bought it online at full price (not that VC does online sales)...well maybe someone else would be wearing my Sub wink.gif .  To some people the savings would be irrelevant, but I'll gladly take a free watch!   Whatever floats your boat.

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post #15394 of 21206
11/13/12 at 7:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by evanrose View Post

A couple of goodies from recently:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

The brown Rolex is obviously vintage

Very nice!  I'm sure that vintage Explorer would have some great stories to tell if it could talk!

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post #15395 of 21206
11/13/12 at 7:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dino944 View Post

Nah...not really surprised.  I know people that buy almost everything online.  As for phone orders with an AD I've done that before, particularly if its something thats in high demand/difficult to get, or out of production, then AD or boutique often will not have it in stock if you just show up.  Also, by doing a phone order with my AD for a VC, I got the item I was searching for, and got a discount that saved me enough to essentially give me a free Submariner.  If I had bought it online at full price (not that VC does online sales)...well maybe someone else would be wearing my Sub wink.gif .  To some people the savings would be irrelevant, but I'll gladly take a free watch!   Whatever floats your boat.

sounds good to me, friend. cheers.gif
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post #15396 of 21206
11/13/12 at 8:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dino944 View Post

...

Ha, this is a very good point. Fortunately, I do have thick skin. However, my skin is less thick when I am forking over several thousand dollars. After reading Apropos' response, I think that my rationale falls somewhat more in line with his, although moderately less misanthropic. I do find the boutique experience kitschy, and it is disconcerting that I often know more than the salesperson. However, I really enjoy shopping at smaller operations (I have worked with Myron Glaser, Stephen at Leffot, the guys at The Armoury, Leather Soul, George Bass at his store in town, and I have spoken with Dirk at Dornbluth). The people at my local AD just kind of ruin the experience in my opinion. For example, being told that a base PAM had an in-house movement, and better finishing than my JLC (regardless of the truth of the assertion), just kind of makes me not want to deal with people. Thank you for the points though, it is tough line between being polite, and not taking shit--but I am a diligent, hard-worker, so I have faith in myself!

Those are some excellent choices for your first forays into shaped movements. I am excited to go for the whole square look, although I would like to see how it looks before I make any rash decisions. It will be nice for a change of pace though, and I think will provide me with a lot of versatility.

And I will of course post pictures the minute anything arrives at my door! Of course, it is still a good ways in advance... alas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by apropos View Post

...

I agree with much of this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by culverwood View Post

...

Thanks very much for your kind words.
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post #15397 of 21206
11/13/12 at 8:38am
Also, unrelated, but this is a fairly superb deal:

http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/hands-on-with-the-limited-edition-frederique-constant-worldtimer

In-house worldtimer for $3,450? Wowzers.
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post #15398 of 21206
11/13/12 at 8:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newcomer View Post

...and it is disconcerting that I often know more than the salesperson....

yeah, i hate when that happens. i have never had that at a boutique tho where there were completely oblivious, only at a dealer. the hiring process doesnt call for that kind of knowledge, and there usually are no mandatory education courses, sadly.
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post #15399 of 21206
11/13/12 at 8:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by in stitches View Post

yeah, i hate when that happens. i have never had that at a boutique tho where there were completely oblivious, only at a dealer. the hiring process doesnt call for that kind of knowledge, and there usually are no mandatory education courses, sadly.

Hmm, I guess I should rephrase that it is more at ADs... although I will not say that they have always been faultless at boutiques as well. And the thing is, educating yourself is really just not that difficult. Someone recently (during the same AD trip) took my Master Control (automatic) and started winding the heck out of it. Regardless of whether that 'harms' the movement, I thought it was a little absurd.
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post #15400 of 21206
11/13/12 at 9:10am
i think it is hard, if you dont have a passion for it. but, OTOH, many customers dont have a passion either, they just want a pretty/fancy watch, and are happy to buy whatever piques their interest in the cases.

as to boutiques - i wouldnt say that every employee there is as knowledgable as many of the people that frequent this thread, but i have never run into a truly clueless SA at a brand boutique.
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post #15401 of 21206
11/13/12 at 10:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newcomer View Post

Those are some excellent choices for your first forays into shaped movements. I am excited to go for the whole square look, although I would like to see how it looks before I make any rash decisions. It will be nice for a change of pace though, and I think will provide me with a lot of versatility.
And I will of course post pictures the minute anything arrives at my door! Of course, it is still a good ways in advance... alas.
I agree with much of this.
Thanks very much for your kind words.

Definitely, try it on in person to see what you think.  So far I only have 3 dress watches, but none of them are round.  I know some people have an aversion to watches that are not round.  However, when I bought my first dress watch, all of my other watches were round and white metal.  So, I wanted something completely different both in color and in shape...hence I went for a rose gold square shaped VC.  For me going from say a round steel sport watch to a rose gold square/rectangular cased watch is a bit like going from casual shoes to a fine bespoke pair of shoes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by in stitches View Post


yeah, i hate when that happens. i have never had that at a boutique tho where there were completely oblivious, only at a dealer. the hiring process doesnt call for that kind of knowledge, and there usually are no mandatory education courses, sadly.

Sadly, that happens a lot of places (car dealers, audio shops, clothing stores etc.).  I will say some of the boutiques, particularly Cartier, have books (for the sales staff not available to the public) with information about their watches, which which is very detailed and you generally not stuff you will find on the net.  It sometimes contains small details such as the gram weight of a gold deployant clasp or watch case (sometimes they are different for white gold vs rose ...probably due to the wg being plated with rhodium), what the bridges on their skeleton watches are made of, why the watch may cost more than other similar watches, and other small details that might be of interest to watch geeks.  Its really a tool for the sales people, but I've had a chance to look at the books when I've had some very detailed questions.   I know the book exists for their higher end merchdise.  I don't know if there is one for their more mainstream pieces like Santos 100, Tank Francaise, Calibre etc.

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post #15402 of 21206
11/13/12 at 10:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Newcomer View Post

Also, unrelated, but this is a fairly superb deal:
http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/hands-on-with-the-limited-edition-frederique-constant-worldtimer
In-house worldtimer for $3,450? Wowzers.

how/where to kop!?!?
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post #15403 of 21206
11/13/12 at 10:23am
dino - that is awesome. all manufactures should make those, and require anyone who sells their watches to read them. smile.gif
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post #15404 of 21206
11/13/12 at 10:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by in stitches View Post

dino - that is awesome. all manufactures should make those, and require anyone who sells their watches to read them. smile.gif

+1,000! nod[1].gif It would make visiting many retailers a much more useful and enjoyable experience!  

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post #15405 of 21206
11/13/12 at 11:11am

700

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