The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre,

[TheFoo]

I'd be honest, I would never buy something that has been produced in millions of pieces for million years no matter how great that trinket is. If I want a useless trinket I want it to be fairly exclusive, elusive and definitely discontinued. I hate these endless iterations of the same. If Rolex stopped making Sub 40 years ago I'd want it. It would have all the historic patina and yesteryears exclusivity to attract my interest. But as long as they keep making the same thing endlessly and in millions of units I am just bored at seeing that thing everywhere. I cannot see any attraction in owning what everyone owns, there is no story to tell about it, or the story is simply uninteresting to me.

For under $10K, any new watch that is rare is only rare because they couldn’t sell more of them, not because they are special or interesting. There is no element of the artisanal or handmade until you reach over the $20K mark.

 

[Thrift Vader]

But Foo. Rolex datejust and subs can be had sub 10k in my market. In the recycle shops, where people sell their stuff when they need money. With boxes and papers.
8K for a sub.
Anyway, back on point. The salesman ultimately holds the cards. and the purpose is very different from the "sell at all costs" of a regular salesman.

 

[Drek Galloche]

That might be true, but that is a different angle of the rarity discussion. There are many watches that were produced in limited numbers for certain reasons other than being non-liquid. I am hunting for one right now and it keeps evading me. When I find it I will post it.
Certainly there were many things made that were rejected by mass consumer for one reason or another it has absolutely no bearing on how I choose what I like.

 

[Thrift Vader]

Well, things are perceived to be "Rare" to create the brand. To give it the showroom shine.
Take LV for example. Can't hold a candle to Yoshida Porter bags. LV are Absolute shite. And Gucci is better by a long margin.

Watch makers want you to feel special when you buy their items. and forcing salesmen to prioritize customers perpetuates the illusion of grandeur.

 

[TheFoo]

Well, things are perceived to be "Rare" to create the brand. To give it the showroom shine.
Take LV for example. Can't hold a candle to Yoshida Porter bags. LV are Absolute shite. And Gucci is better by a long margin.

Watch makers want you to feel special when you buy their items. and forcing salesmen to prioritize customers perpetuates the illusion of grandeur.

How are Gucci bags better than LV? The latter seem far better made to me. In fact, as far as luxury handbags go, LV seems to deliver more quality and workmanship than most.

 

[Thrift Vader]

How are Gucci bags better than LV? The latter seem far better made to me.

The LV that is real, that i see? In the Thrift trenches?
The insides all fall apart and crumble. Gucci is much better in this respect.
The outer layers dry and crack. and the patterns wear off easily. again, Gucci is better. Better made items. even in the 2nd-3rd life cycle.

But if you want good? Get Porter. not "Mr Porter" . the real Porter. My Wallet and large satchel are both Porter. And my small trip satchel is Yohji Yamamoto.

edit: I have an LV bag here somewhere. shite quality. the inner pockets ate itself.
Just. . . . Why is this **** expensive 1st life cycle? Probably the same as some watches.

 

[TheFoo]

The LV that is real, that i see? In the Thrift trenches?
The insides all fall apart and crumble. Gucci is much better in this respect.
The outer layers dry and crack. and the patterns wear off easily. again, Gucci is better. Better made items. even in the 2nd-3rd life cycle.

But if you want good? Get Porter. not "Mr Porter" . the real Porter. My Wallet and large satchel are both Porter. And my small trip satchel is Yohji Yamamoto.

edit: I have an LV bag here somewhere. shite quality. the inner pockets ate itself.
Just. . . . Why is this **** expensive 1st life cycle? Probably the same as some watches.

My wife has multiple LV bags (canvas and leather) up to 20 years old—stuff seems to age extremely well and she trashes her things. My mother’s LV bags are 40 years old and same story. The canvas wears like iron.

 

[montecristo#2]

Post a picture of the movement!!!

Here you go, unfortunately my crappy iPhone camera doesn't do it justice. It's an impressive movement (it's so cool to see the instantaneous day/date/eventually month all click over at midnight, and it's pretty thin for a perpetual calendar with a 160hr power reserve), but visually the CS has it beat I think.

 

[Thrift Vader]

Foo. I normally question why you get so much **** from folks.
But man, swing by and i'll show you a room full of real LV in various states of condition at various prices.
As expected,The 2 LV bags i have bought have been turds. i kept my tools in them. both broke.
"Ultimate flex" LV Tool kit bags. And absolute shite.

 

[patrick_b]

In the US, Rolex discounts haven’t been possible for as long as I can personally remember (back to the 90’s),

Depends on the AD. In large markets, discounts weren't given but I bought my GMT 116710LN in 2008 from a small market AD (upstate NY) and received a 10% discount. I didn't ask for it and was happily prepared to pay MSRP when he offered to discount. I'd been looking for the SS version since it's release at Basel the year prior.

 

[Drek Galloche]

The petroleum jelly that LV uses to imitate leather linings does not survive 40 years. It becomes sticky like old Ferrari center console. LV bags that old need to be re-lined. Those non leather LV bags are an absolute epitome of consumer me-too movement. LV probably sells them the most and makes the most profit on them. It is sort of similar story to some watch brands where they keep making the same thing over and over and consumers cant get enough of it. However I have to say that non-leather LV bags are not worth a penny. Surrogate luxury for mass market.
If my wife bought one I would have to sit down with her to mansplain what real luxury means. I would expect no less from her if I showed up in Hugo Boss shoes.

 

[Thrift Vader]

LV bags are shite. yes. but that level of branding to the watch world?

What makes a Rolex Diver better than a Tissot? at a much lower cost?
Why even pay up for a brand?

 

[Drek Galloche]

Because in 1878 in Geneva Mr. B.S. Rolex invented an oyster case.

 

[Thrift Vader]

Because in 1878 in Geneva Mr. B.S. Rolex invented an oyster case.

Yeah, pretty much.
But we were talking about the absurd sales mechanisms.
I actually used to be paid to tell people how to dress. I found letting them dress themselves to be more profitable.
So no hype from me. In fact the opposite.

 

[am55]

I was wondering how long it'd take for GPT-3 to join the chat.