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

[ThinkDerm]



Thank you apropos! It is not easy starting a watch brand from scratch, but it is an ardent passion of mine and one that I will see through regardless of the time and effort required.

Every single word of encouragement means a great deal. And if any of you have any feedback, please let me know.

After all, how often do you get to directly speak to a watch brand's owner, founder, or designer? And witness horological history in the making?

Imagine 30 years from now...

which lange watches have the double escapement feature?

 

[MRMan]

Fantastic choice with the Lange 1 Timezone. White by a mile for me, although both are superb.

 

[no frills]



And, for the crowd, the "Frills Shot:"

Hahaha congratulations and thanks for the footnote! Much joy to you and the new piece and wear it in good health!!!

 

[apropos]



You can't buy heritage - and I'm not sure that Sinn has all that much to boast about anyway.  Some MKII designs I have seen - like the Kingston - look really terrific.  Some are kind of 'meh'. With any boutique brand, there's an open question as to whether they will still be around next year or the year after.  But given the use of standard ETA movements, I wouldn't worry too much about future servicing.

The MkII Kingston? Please. It's a Rolex Submariner no crown guard ripoff, like the one Sean Connery wore as Bond.

And the other LE from MkII - the 300? Oh wait - a Seamaster 300 ripoff. So much for "community driven" LE projects, huh?

Let's just call a spade a spade, companies like MkII make a mint packaging cheap ETA ebauches into cheap Chinese steel cases which are ripoffs of other iconic designs. You get charged $500 and up for the privilege of wearing a ripoff.

But what about those people of more humble means who can't afford the "real thing"? Aren't they entitled to be able to purchase something nice as well?

Well, no, they aren't - you've answered your question already, no one is entitled to purchase anything. There will always be things out of our reach - always has been, always will be. We aren't talking about food, air, water, we're talking giving people the impression you're buying a luxury watch. Just learn to make do without, like the rest of us.

Just because I can't afford a Ferrari doesn't make it right for me to purchase a Lada, and slap the chassis together with some bodykit and call it a Ferrari homage. If all I want is a Ferrari, but all I can afford is a Lada, well, some self-examination is in order - so that maybe someday I can afford the Ferrari.

I don't - and you shouldn't - take the instant gratification route and then try to make yourself feel better by saying "it's a homage". It's not. It's something you bought because you couldn't be arsed to do the necessary so that someday you can afford the real thing.

 

[RogerP]

Let's just call a spade a spade, companies like MkII make a mint packaging cheap ETA ebauches into cheap Chinese steel cases which are ripoffs of other iconic designs. You get charged $500 and up for the privilege of wearing a ripoff.

You may call it whatever you wish, but you don't speak for me.

 

[TheWraith]

^ Nor me.

apropos' post only works if you're trying to pass off a replica as an original, which I'm certainly not in favour of, and I doubt many/any in this thread would be either. While some people don't like homage watches, and that's their right, others may have differing opinions, and there's nothing wrong with that or with owning/wearing them.

 

[Allez Allez]

Latest acquisition: Vintage 1967 Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Original hands and dial with soft patina.

 

[TheWraith]

^ Very nice Rolex. Enjoy it

 

[mimo]

I don't - and you shouldn't - take the instant gratification route and then try to make yourself feel better by saying "it's a homage". It's not. It's something you bought because you couldn't be arsed to do the necessary so that someday you can afford the real thing.

There is another way.

I wouldn't buy a fake, an "homage", nor a "cheap" brand for $5000-$1000. If it's "cheap", it might as well be my $30 Sekonda. As the picture above shows, the way to go if that's your budget and you want something respectable and pleasing, is vintage. There are plenty around from all sorts of wonderful makers, and even the less exclusive brands (Omega in my case) have a certain cachet if they're nicely restored and over a certain age.

My advice to the OP would be not to spend his $2000 on a new watch. Either spend it on an old one - and it's a world of wonders for that price - or wait until he can breach the $4000 barrier at which point the brand new "luxury watches" truly begin, I think.

 

[apropos]



 You may call it whatever you wish, but you don't speak for me.

Well of course I don't speak for you. I speak for myself.

What I am trying to get you (and every other homage lover) to do is see that there is merit in my views, as opposed to the self-deluded groupthink BS that passes for reasoned thought in the homage forums, and which rises to the surface every now and then on this thread.

^ Nor me.

apropos' post only works if you're trying to pass off a replica as an original, which I'm certainly not in favour of, and I doubt many/any in this thread would be either. While some people don't like homage watches, and that's their right, others may have differing opinions, and there's nothing wrong with that or with owning/wearing them.

First - what is a "homage" watch meant to be exactly? The term homage implies an element of respect, and I would add that often oblique references are made to the original.

Most homages are anything but that - the references are not oblique, which more or less rules out their chances of being respectful.

I am all ears if anyone has any idea as to how (in the case of MkII Kingston) how following the Rolex design nearly to a tee, and then slapping on the MkII logo, has anything to do with respect for the original model. I'll let the photos below do the talking.

My point is the vast majority of homage watches are merely replicas which escape legal repercussion - and a replica by definition is trying to pass itself off as something else (better).

It doesn't matter as much whether the person who bought the Kingston is trying to pass it off as something else when the whole point of that homage watch's existence is to try to pass itself off as something else, or at least come as close as possible without inciting a legal backlash.

I have nothing against ebauches, though I prefer that watches above a certain price point not have them. I just think they should not inhabit cases that are poor copies of iconic models. Using an ebauche is sometimes a necessity, but even the poorest companies can take the effort to design a case dial and hands unique to them.

 

[NonServiam]

At 78 degrees north this week, Svalbard archipelago. Sporting, of course, the 'polar' Explorer II on a custom Nato in Norwegian colours. Effectively minus 50 deg Celcius the first day, thankfully only in the 20s after.

 

[apropos]

My goodness. That is awesome.

 

[Benjamin Chee HH]



Ben you're an inspiration to anyone with a good idea and the drive and passion to make something beautiful.  Like I said, other countries are climbing that same mountain and have put their "new" and "cheap" reputation far behind them.  China will eventually do the same, and you will be one of the first I'm sure.  You're absolutely right to draw on China's rich artisanal, cultural, artistic and even industrial history as the basis for a new reputation.

By the way, of all the novelties you've shown, your porcelain example was really something.  I would love to see that in your collection one day because it is inherently beautiful, quintessentially Chinese, and even the makers who use vitreous ceramics just haven't gone anywhere near that direction  It's a brilliant idea and one of my favourite expressions of Chinese art.  Do it!

Dear Mimo,

Thank you for your kind words yet again and for your faith in my passion and my endeavour. My watches are a passion project of mine and therefore one with which I regard with great personal pride. I hold and will always hold my watches to the highest possible standard that is attainable.

I believe in this so much that I am doing something unprecedented and offering a discretionary lifetime warranty, meaning that I will guarantee my watches for life, in all reasonable circumstances and usage. This is something that you will never find in watches costing 100 times that of mine. Among my collection of vintage watches, I have about a hundred Chinese watches that have survived for 30-50 years, proof of how well they were made. I sincerely believe that my watches will perservere likewise, and will hold them to the same standard. I hope that they will be passed on to the generations that succeed us.

I very much like the porcelain example as well. I think that I can source better quality porcelain and celadon than the watch makers themselves, given my other passion in tea and teaware, so the ones that I will source and supply them to use in future will be of unsurpassed quality. You can be assured that in the near future there will be a CELADON watch with an actual celadon dial, truly a world first.

 

[Benjamin Chee HH]



Ben,

The midnight blue would be an excellent color, not sure you could have picked a better alternate color frankly. Your passion will likely have me seriously considering a watch, in fact PM is on it's way as I'm interested in more info.

Dear DLJr,

Thank you for your PMs and your interest, I think that the midnight blue resonates especially well within the sartorial community. It is unique and very subtle and elegant and can be very versatile as a dark shade, but not as sobre as black.

Will reply to your PMs in detail soon.

 

[RogerP]

Latest acquisition: Vintage 1967 Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Original hands and dial with soft patina.

That is sweet! Last year I parted with this classic from 1964 - I still kind of miss it: