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

[DerekS]



Will do.

I'm debating whether I would like a moon phase that is still blue, but this is rather lovely as well.

hmm. didnt notice that. personally it wouldnt bother me at all but YMMV.

 

[Mr. Moo]



for a fixed lug watch youre kinda fucked. The only option youve got is to pick up strap making yourself if you dont wanna send it off. or a........NATO.

any pics of it? id love to see it.

I have seen some straps that glue in place... and then maybe a watch repair shop (higher end) may be able to put a few stitches through the strap? Just haven't seen anything of quality in that kind of attachment option.

Here is the watch:

 

[DerekS]



I have seen some straps that glue in place... and then maybe a watch repair shop (higher end) may be able to put a few stitches through the strap? Just haven't seen anything of quality in that kind of attachment option.

Here is the watch:

you know what you MAY be able to do? d take it to a cobbler.

When i was into panerais, i bought a shitton of strap making supplies and made a few straps. One of my favorite OEM straps ripped and i just stitched it up myself. Its not too hard, and may be worth trying out.

 

[TheFoo]

Just have CF send you the strap with unclosed ends and take it to someone who repairs leather goods nearby to put it on your watch. Aren't you in San Francisco? I bet you could ask April in Paris to do it.

 

[Mr. Moo]

CF said "this is the only way" - meaning, to send in my watch. I'll see what they say, if anything, to my reply that I already sent (lamenting my hesitation to send my watch across the globe). Perhaps they'll offer your option...

Does Bee make watch straps?

 

[Dino944]

Refer to Dino944's post above too re: relative availability at ADs. It seems to be tougher to obtain here in NYC, at least over the last two to three months. Depending on the AD you might not get as much of a discount either given what seems to be strong demand for the piece. I obtained mine, pre-owned, from an AD in NYC but it was an interesting case: after wearing the piece for a few days the previous owner returned it to the AD "because it stopped working." It probably got magnetized, so the AD sent it to Patek for full servicing and I got it 20% off retail, Patek-sealed and fresh. Not bad, right? But I think I got lucky.Patek is also controlling production of the Nautilus a bit more "stern"-ly (ha), at least since early 2012. Quote from Thierry Stern below:"The Nautilus is a very strong watch. 60 percent of the clients here are wearing one which is great, but it’s dangerous too. We don’t want to become a one watch brand, so I control the production. We could easily sell twice as many steel Nautiluses as we do. Now you can get them on the second hand market for more than the retail price because of this."http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2012/1/12/interview-thierry-stern-president-of-patek-philippe.htmlIf you don't like waiting (patience is not my strong suit), you can obtain a Nautilus from the grey market pretty easily, but I am not sure how much lower you can go versus 20% off MSRP of $26,700 especially for BNIB. Obviously, do your due diligence with grey market dealers and "buy the seller."

Hi Frills,

As for availability, IMHO NYC is generally not a true measure of availability of a watch. NYC is well known for lots of watch shops: ADs; boutiques; gray market; and vintage shops. It also probably per capita has more people buying high end watches than other cities in the States. Hence ADs there generally sell out of more popular Rolex, Pateks, Pams etc faster than in other parts of the country. I always find NYC is a blast when it comes to doing watch window shopping, however, I've always found availability and prices (on new pieces) to be better almost anyplace else. Hence, I think if the OP visited or called some ADs outside of NYC regarding a new Nautilus he would probably find one or have a relatively short wait.

The Stern interview is entertaining, but I usually take those interviews with a grain of salt. The stuff he says about the Nautilus is nice but it reads like sales talk intended to help bolster sales. It doesn't take away from the watch's beauty or desirability, but they are available if one shops around.

P.S. I've also noticed some issues with my paragraphs not separating in some posts.

 

[ggtk]



Any love for vintage chrono's here? I've been thinking about picking up something like this:

I guess servicing might be the main issue though. A Universal Geneve Tri Compax would be ideal, but at the going rate they are rather pricey.

Yeah, I'd be worried about long term serviceability of the Universal Geneve. Parts are getting scarce, though they are available. I'm working on a Universal Geneve 281 and it's been problematic. There are some parts I need to replace, but can't, like the barrel and the center wheel is wearing into the main plate so it's going to need a bushing and some extra work. It's going to be costly to service for sure. Sure is a looker though.

womw:

 

[ggtk]



Seller claims cal 7751, though the subdial positions are different from the Valjoux 7751, so I am not entirely sure if that is correct. Thoughts?

The subdials look correct for the 7751. Serviced one in february..

edit: checked my pics, MSchott is correct.

 

[MSchott]

Seller claims cal 7751, though the subdial positions are different from the Valjoux 7751, so I am not entirely sure if that is correct. Thoughts?

Not a 7751. You just can't move subdials. If it's a Valjoux 775X movement, it's the 7753 with an additional module for the triple date and moonphase.

 

[sinclear]



you know what you MAY be able to do? d take it to a cobbler.

When i was into panerais, i bought a shitton of strap making supplies and made a few straps. One of my favorite OEM straps ripped and i just stitched it up myself. Its not too hard, and may be worth trying out.

Leather nato is actually not that bad of an option:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18MM-OILED-...565?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c69b51ea5

On the higher end of spectrum, you can always get shell cordovan natos from Deluca or Chrono24

http://www.dalucastraps.com/shell-cordovan-nato-watch-strap-brandy-matte-buckle/

 

[ChicagoRon]

Not sure what the etiquette is in this thread - not pimping the seller, just mentioning that I happen to love this watch, and since we're on the subject of vintage chronos -

http://www.aaronfaber.com/viewitem.asp?idProduct=1732

 

[Ilovelobbs]

Adding to the Appreciation collection. Did I post in the right thread or should I post in poor man watch thread? Discontinued Glashutte Original from £5500 to £2250. My shoe/clothing budget was already blown on first day of April, but couldn't resist this bargain....

 

[Warren G.]

Right thread for sure, congrats on the pick up.

 

[no frills]

Hi Frills,

As for availability, IMHO NYC is generally not a true measure of availability of a watch. NYC is well known for lots of watch shops: ADs; boutiques; gray market; and vintage shops. It also probably per capita has more people buying high end watches than other cities in the States. Hence ADs there generally sell out of more popular Rolex, Pateks, Pams etc faster than in other parts of the country. I always find NYC is a blast when it comes to doing watch window shopping, however, I've always found availability and prices (on new pieces) to be better almost anyplace else. Hence, I think if the OP visited or called some ADs outside of NYC regarding a new Nautilus he would probably find one or have a relatively short wait.

The Stern interview is entertaining, but I usually take those interviews with a grain of salt. The stuff he says about the Nautilus is nice but it reads like sales talk intended to help bolster sales. It doesn't take away from the watch's beauty or desirability, but they are available if one shops around.

P.S. I've also noticed some issues with my paragraphs not separating in some posts.

There's a world outside NYC? Oh wait... whoops! Heh heh.

I actually source any new Pateks I will end up getting from an AD in North Carolina for the biggest discounts I can get - unless I want to purchase a piece to maintain / continue my existing AD relationships in NYC.

Hey, my paragraphs separate again just fine!

 

[no frills]

Adding to the Appreciation collection. Did I post in the right thread or should I post in poor man watch thread? Discontinued Glashutte Original from £5500 to £2250. My shoe/clothing budget was already blown on first day of April, but couldn't resist this bargain....

Congratulations! This is a lovely piece!