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

[zippyh]



The airport is where I do most of my watch spotting. Lot of Pepsis, Datejusts, and Subs (two-tone especially). When I had the blue 39mm OP, the first flight I took after I received it, the guy in the seat next to me had the exact same one. I pointed it out and he didn't seem to have much interest in that fact.

Other than that, really have to go to a Redbar type event and hope that one of my buddies has picked up something cool to see anything out of the ordinary.

Earlier this year, I saw a guy peeling the protective stickers off his new steel sub in the security line at Maui airport.
Then on the flight to SEA I saw a couple gold steel datejusts and a blue dial gold steel sub.

A month or so ago the guy in front of me in security line at SeaTac had a Yachtmaster II that he just tossed in one of those bowls along with his wallet and phone.

 

[am55]

A month or so ago the guy in front of me in security line at SeaTac had a Yachtmaster II that he just tossed in one of those bowls along with his wallet and phone.

That's a good point actually. What do you expensive watch amateurs do at security?

I've once had a belt stolen from the scanner bin - yes, a belt! - at Gatwick or Luton Airport back in the days when the security line snaked for 40 minutes. I shudder to think of putting something expensive in plain eyesight. I now take my phone, watch and wallet and pack them in my bag nice and deep where it would take some effort to unearth them.

 

[BLAUGRANA]

^
Nomos Weltzeit sourced from a non-commercial seller on the secondary market.

Nothing else under $3K comes close. :|

That's what came to my mind as well. Just hadn't noticed them that cheap before though.

 

[dcg]



That's a good point actually. What do you expensive watch amateurs do at security? 

I've once had a belt stolen from the scanner bin - yes, a belt! - at Gatwick or Luton Airport back in the days when the security line snaked for 40 minutes. I shudder to think of putting something expensive in plain eyesight. I now take my phone, watch and wallet and pack them in my bag nice and deep where it would take some effort to unearth them. 

Just leave it on your wrist. I've never had an issue. I also don't remove toiletries, and have mistakenly sent a small pocket knife through the scanners on both legs of a round trip flight.

Try to get a pair of shoe trees past TSA, though....

 

[zippyh]

A month or so ago the guy in front of me in security line at SeaTac had a Yachtmaster II that he just tossed in one of those bowls along with his wallet and phone.

That's a good point actually. What do you expensive watch amateurs do at security? 

I've once had a belt stolen from the scanner bin - yes, a belt! - at Gatwick or Luton Airport back in the days when the security line snaked for 40 minutes. I shudder to think of putting something expensive in plain eyesight. I now take my phone, watch and wallet and pack them in my bag nice and deep where it would take some effort to unearth them. 

I remember thinking "sweet, free yachtmaster". But I was already wearing my yachtmaster.

I just wear my watch through security. I've never had security do more than give a quick look at my wrist.

 

[ericgereghty]

Leave it on. Nowadays, they'll likely just run a scanner over it and send you on your way.

 

[mimo]

Depends where you travel. I take it all off, and either put it in my bag or in the pocket of my jacket if I'm wearing one, then that goes through the scanner.

Hmm...Sinn again. Funny how that name keeps coming up.

 

[atia2]



Hmm...Sinn again.  Funny how that name keeps coming up.  

Yes. What's the big fuss about them? They look like those Kahuna watches you used to see at airports.

 

[mimo]

Actually that's not really what I meant: Sinn keeps coming up as a suggestion for a high quality product, often at an accessible price. I've thought about them as an option many times but never quite jumped on one. Are they pretty enough? Maybe that's it. There's a lot of subjectivity in what we love and what we don't.

Conceptually I like them a lot. Aesthetically there are quite a few that I "get". But maybe it's because I've never been able to get them on my wrist that I've not chosen one yet. They have three retailers in the UK, all in relatively obscure locations, and only one in the Middle East - in the only GCC country I've never visited.

That's not to say that I've never bought a watch without trying it on - I have several. But they've always been "PMWs", and once you go up to $2-3k, I think buying unseen is a lot more of an issue.

 

[atia2]

^ I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth. I was genuinely curious about the appeal. For me, they look far too... generic for that price point. There is a limit to how far build quality can elevate designs like that. Maybe they have some magic inside, but what's on the outside makes me not care. For that money I'd buy a secondhand piece, like the Zenith I put up a few posts back. You can get an OQ for that money. Classic designs, and a tiny fragment of horological history on your wrist.

As always, YMMV, although it should be noted this is a classic menswear forum. There's not much classic menswear with which I'd be comfortable pairing a Sinn.

 

[Belligero]

Depends on which one. The 556i on a strap goes with anything, for example.

I have a soft spot for Sinn not only because the 356 was my first decent watch, but also because they're a company with integrity. Their designs, while mostly utilitarian, aren't plagiarized, and they don't try to obfuscate their production and component origins.

I think Nomos is making watches that are more special these days, but some basic Sinns have a function-first appeal of their own without the simplistic dullness of something like Damasko. I still think the acrylic 356 can't be beat for the money as a classic pilot's mechanical chronograph.

Just stay away from their goofy over-the-top stuff for the tacti-cool fantasists.

 

[Yoshka]

I have been interested for years in a fine watch for years as an heirloom to enjoy and pass to my son. I settled on the Patek 3940p. When I went to shops, I could only see it's replacement, the 5140, but was under the clear impression from many comments that a less expensive mint 3940 would have an easier to read dial, and platinum would be a nice option (I like the white gold and platinum over the rose gold).

2 days ago, I found one at a local established watch store for 45K (mint, box papers, never polished and looks very nice). I gave a check, but do not yet have possession and I am not one to try to back out of things unless of course there is a good reason. However, when I looked at the watch, it seemed like the dial was dull and faded compared to the 5140s I once saw and thought maybe just the lighting where I was at. When I went home ant started to look into the dial details I realized that is because the 3940P has a silver dial and I do not think a white dial was ever an option on the platinum dial. I do not have the best color vision and so I can accept the silver dial, but I would like to think that the watch I am getting is not with a color that is adversely different than other 3940p watches. When I look at online pictures, it seems that they are quite a bit brighter, and the area inside where the days of the week and months of the year are located contrast less with the rest of the dial than my watch (see the cell phone picture of the watch I found vs the watch picture from page 1721 of the part 1 of this thread).

What I am wondering is: are the 3940p watch dials very different where one needs to pay close attention when making a purchase, or are differences in pictures mostly related to the lighting, where these watches in reality very similar where any differences in "batches" during production would be minor?

Thanks!

 

[mimo]

There is only one man who can help. @no frills

 

[pmeis]



Earlier this year, I saw a guy peeling the protective stickers off his new steel sub in the security line at Maui airport.
Then on the flight to SEA I saw a couple gold steel datejusts and a blue dial gold steel sub.

A month or so ago the guy in front of me in security line at SeaTac had a Yachtmaster II that he just tossed in one of those bowls along with his wallet and phone.

And today as I'm walking through first class I see two different Hublot Chronographs. One a fairly sedate steel looking Classic Fusion model and one a giant gold and ceramic Big Bang monstrosity.

 

[no frills]

I have been interested for years in a fine watch for years as an heirloom to enjoy and pass to my son. I settled on the Patek 3940p. When I went to shops, I could only see it's replacement, the 5140, but was under the clear impression from many comments that a less expensive mint 3940 would have an easier to read dial, and platinum would be a nice option (I like the white gold and platinum over the rose gold).

2 days ago, I found one at a local established watch store for 45K (mint, box papers, never polished and looks very nice). I gave a check, but do not yet have possession and I am not one to try to back out of things unless of course there is a good reason. However, when I looked at the watch, it seemed like the dial was dull and faded compared to the 5140s I once saw and thought maybe just the lighting where I was at. When I went home ant started to look into the dial details I realized that is because the 3940P has a silver dial and I do not think a white dial was ever an option on the platinum dial. I do not have the best color vision and so I can accept the silver dial, but I would like to think that the watch I am getting is not with a color that is adversely different than other 3940p watches. When I look at online pictures, it seems that they are quite a bit brighter, and the area inside where the days of the week and months of the year are located contrast less with the rest of the dial than my watch (see the cell phone picture of the watch I found vs the watch picture from page 1721 of the part 1 of this thread).

What I am wondering is: are the 3940p watch dials very different where one needs to pay close attention when making a purchase, or are differences in pictures mostly related to the lighting, where these watches in reality very similar where any differences in "batches" during production would be minor?

Thanks!

Despite the standard Patek papers noting the dial color to be "argente" (silver) - the truth is that the 3940Ps were rendered in opaline white; closer to eggshell, with a slight hint of yellow depending on the lighting conditions. So, it will certainly look different from the dial colors you might observe from the 5140G, or even the 3940G, which is really closer to a silver/white.

It is a matter of taste - opaline white comes across as "warmer," and on the 3940J it plays off the yellow gold very well. The silver/white of the 3940G tends to come across as "cooler" - some collectors prefer the warmer tone, others the cooler one. Whichever appeals to you more, Patek renders dial colors looking rather dynamic in different lighting conditions. It never looks "flat" or lifeless - qualifying (most, but not all) Patek dials as works of art best appreciated in person, with a large part of its magic remaining uncaptured by images, certainly not the typical ones you view on the internet, despite all the filters and enhancement options now widely available.

However, the photo you posted is very hard to examine properly. There's way too much camera shake, the dial itself is not in focus. It makes the subdials look like there's a suspiciously defined circle right in the middle - where there shouldn't be. Even if you got the dial in focus, the lighting is pretty bad and you're shooting through a plastic bag. There's reflected light from what I can only assume is flourescent lighting from the ceiling completely blowing out what details we can figure out from the 11 to 4 markers.

You need to present a better photo for us to be able to offer better guidance.

There is only one man who can help. @no frills

I heard my name uttered through the ether and responded.