Australian Members - Part II - if you read the first post, you'll get what this is all about.

[The Ernesto]



I wouldn't buy a banged up old car and then go around talking about how great the cracked windscreen and rust in the bodywork are, so why would I have the same attitude to a watch?

The watch equivalent of buying torn jeans.

 

[Journeyman]

The watch equivalent of buying torn jeans.

Exactly! The odd thing, though, is that some of these patina-enthusiasts like to talk about how "authentic" the watch is. Sure, it's had a lot of authentic experiences - but not with them! As you say, it's like getting pre-distressed jeans.

Of course, large watchmakers have picked up on this trend and are now releasing vintage-styled models with yellowed lume on the markings, so that it looks as though the watch has an old, tritium dial that has yellowed over time, like the recent Seamaster 300 re-edition.

Edited to add: Apologies for any offence given to anyone who likes rusty cars, watches heavily worn by someone else, and pre-distressed jeans!

 

[Petepan]

Exactly! The odd thing, though, is that some of these patina-enthusiasts like to talk about how "authentic" the watch is. Sure, it's had a lot of authentic experiences - but not with them! As you say, it's like getting pre-distressed jeans.

Of course, large watchmakers have picked up on this trend and are now releasing vintage-styled models with yellowed lume on the markings, so that it looks as though the watch has an old, tritium dial that has yellowed over time, like the recent Seamaster 300 re-edition.

On a related note, I cannot understand the fascination for watches "made entirely by hand." Could someone explain this to me?

 

[Oli2012]



Exactly! The odd thing, though, is that some of these patina-enthusiasts like to talk about how "authentic" the watch is. Sure, it's had a lot of authentic experiences - but not with them! As you say, it's like getting pre-distressed jeans.

Of course, large watchmakers have picked up on this trend and are now releasing vintage-styled models with yellowed lume on the markings, so that it looks as though the watch has an old, tritium dial that has yellowed over time, like the recent Seamaster 300 re-edition.

Watches like the GMT, Submariner or Datejust are great pieces of design, esp when you consider all the 45mm+ ultra complicated BS which dominates the market.

People who hate on Rolex are the same as those who hate on Apple products - butthurt reddit types complete with fedora and matching laptop bag.

 

[The Ernesto]

Here's my authentic, distressed watch band. Pretty gross.

 

[The Ernesto]



On a related note, I cannot understand the fascination for watches "made entirely by hand."  Could someone explain this to me?

I want my watch entirely built by robots.

 

[Journeyman]

On a related note, I cannot understand the fascination for watches "made entirely by hand." Could someone explain this to me?

Can a watch be made "entirely by hand"? I'd think that machinery would be pretty heavily used in the manufacture of a watch, although the finished parts could all be assembled by hand.

I think that a desire to have things made by hand, including watches, comes back to the desire that some people - including a lot of us here on SF - have for the idea of "authenticity" and, when we think of authenticity, we like to think of things made by skilled artisans in small quantities, rather than by large industrial concerns.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]



Would love a nice new/used watch, but we need a new couch. And a new (used) car.

I know maybe we should get our wives together and they could plan our poverty for us.

We need linoleum in the kitchen dinning room, a standard lamp. The couch was bought and just paid off, the used car, well I won't go on about my sons ability to work as a Mad Max stunt driver. The white goods are Ok.

The back yard is to be painted in Potters lime wash and landscaped. I want to transform a boring bush into a topiary. And the front yard well we have to kill off and remove a book leaf pine, but the landscaper who was doing that has gone on holidays. Then plant natives and trees that attract birds. And my son wants a dog, correction my son is getting a dog in the next six to eight week, once they have been weaned.

And somewhere along the way I need a couple of jumpers for winter, hopefully from manufactures who don't make their garments last only twelve months before the elbows give out.

As for the watch well I tried to get my fathers 1983 Omega Constellation fixed and the F***ers at Omega gave it back to me saying it was too old to fix and they didn't have parts WTF.

And I would seriously like a drink or two but at present i can't.

 

[smeggett]

And I would seriously like a drink or two at present but i can't.

It's all ok - I'm having one for you!

 

[The Ernesto]



I know maybe we should get our wives together and they could plan our poverty for us.

It's funny that the financing isn't an issue for us on these relatively small things, but the sense of priority is hard wired. Buy the couch, not the watch. No brainer.

 

[Petepan]

Can a watch be made "entirely by hand"? I'd think that machinery would be pretty heavily used in the manufacture of a watch, although the finished parts could all be assembled by hand.

I think that a desire to have things made by hand, including watches, comes back to the desire that some people - including a lot of us here on SF - have for the idea of "authenticity" and, when we think of authenticity, we like to think of things made by skilled artisans in small quantities, rather than by large industrial concerns.

A friend of mine years ago was extolling the virtues of watches made entirely by hand, even the parts, which I was skeptical of. Even if possible, not sure I would prefer the inexactness of hand work compared to machine precision in something like a watch. Just rather curious about it.

 

[Petepan]

I want my watch entirely built by robots.

No doubt you will specify that the robots must be made by hand.




Auction it off to the hipsters, pay off the mortgage.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]



It's funny that the financing isn't an issue for us on these relatively small things, but the sense of priority is hard wired. Buy the couch, not the watch. No brainer.

Priority? the f..king house and mortgage has priority over everything else. Madre di dos! This week I just coughed up $500 to have a couple of art works framed. Of course they didn't fit any standard frame and had to be custom made.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]



It's all ok - I'm having one for you!

I trust you have seen Withnail and I.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Withnail describes his hangover thus "I feel like a pig has shat in my head."

 

[The Ernesto]



Priority? the f..king house and mortgage has priority over everything else. Madre di dos! This week I just coughed up $500 to have a couple of art works framed. Of course they didn't fit any standard frame and had to be custom made.

OK, good luck with all that.