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

[am55]

I’m not so sure about that. The RM list of customers will be as irrelevant as the time thingies in 100 years.
As for the artisanal charm and technical excellence (i believe its 6-10 seconds a month for a simplicity) of a Dufour timepiece, no competition in mind. History will tell, I guess.

You can look at artisans of even a few decades ago. Daniel Roth is never mentioned on this thread, for example, yet IMO his work deserves to be so more than many other brands that are. Ultimately for posterity you need some kind of original angle; otherwise you are merely one of a series of very good artisans. And of course the bigger places have the means to get themselves documented in enough places to create a "legacy" for future generations to dig into (in the same way Dino quotes brochures from the 1980s).

 

[Scuppers]

You can look at artisans of even a few decades ago. Daniel Roth is never mentioned on this thread, for example, yet IMO his work deserves to be so more than many other brands that are. Ultimately for posterity you need some kind of original angle; otherwise you are merely one of a series of very good artisans. And of course the bigger places have the means to get themselves documented in enough places to create a "legacy" for future generations to dig into (in the same way Dino quotes brochures from the 1980s).

Daniel roth was mentioned on this thread last week, i believe. (As was Jean Daniel Nicolas.)

I was just thinking to myself after my post, which watchmakers we have forgotten through time. Going back to the militarisation (or ‘mass’ production of the wristwatch) to iterations we have no doubt long forgotten about. However, the public sphere would of been the only meaningful barer of longevity then, certainly not magazines and other contemporary media (such as in the case of present contemporary media and the innumerable outlets) dedicated to the spread of the word.
So, ulitimately, with this paradigm shift, its plausible that all will be remembered and equally all will be forgotten. It is quiet possible we only see the ‘generational’ wristwatch in a forgotten drawer or a museum of the 20/21 century as a curio, irrespective of artisanal merit. Who knows.

 

[chocomallo]

Well, I seemingly got my answer: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=837750

View attachment 1738247

I think we all know what the only reasonable course of action is--Patek purchases the watch from Foo and puts it on display in the Geneva museum. The green Hermes wallet would make for a nice accoutrement. Peak Foo.

 

[Texasmade]

I think we all know what the only reasonable course of action is--Patek purchases the watch from Foo and puts it on display in the Geneva museum. The green Hermes wallet would make for a nice accoutrement. Peak Foo.

Don’t forget the bespoke denim shirts

 

[chocomallo]

Don’t forget the bespoke denim shirts

Ah, yes. The proper canvas (that is, denim) for the backdrop.

 

[chocomallo]

An honest question for TheFoo, though--if the case is replaced is it the same watch your wife bought for your b-day? Ship of Theseus...

 

[9thsymph]

Of the various "modern" independents, RM is definitely the most likely to be remembered in 100 years, if only for its list of customers. It will definitely outlast Dufour, except in the mind of a handful of particularly literate collectors.

Remembered, yes, but not worn across generations I'd guess...

 

[9thsymph]

On another note, I've just learned that eight or nine, out of ten Pateks, don't suffer from distorted case finishing..."Look, we need to break a few eggs to make the omelettes, you dig?" - Patek rep.

 

[Vocans]

Only 10-20% of our $80k watches have this defect, you should consider yourself very fortunate to have one.

 

[Newcomer]

On another note, I've just learned that eight or nine, out of ten Pateks, don't suffer from distorted case finishing..."Look, we need to break a few eggs to make the omelettes, you dig?" - Patek rep.

You need to buy at least 13 Pateks (or is it 11?) before you have a complete understanding of the extent of distorted case finishing that your Patek has.

 

[9thsymph]

Well, I seemingly got my answer: https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=837750

View attachment 1738247

I have to hand it to the man, though - because he really does think Patek is unequaled in the watch industry (and they might be...) - when they informed him face-to-face of the actual standards used for their case finishing quality control, he was like: "y'all bullshitting...i demand better". I mean, that is bad ass. They say never meet your heroes, but it's next-level **** to meet your hero and just straight up tell them they aren't as good as the mythical version of them you have flying around in your head. Epic.
* claps poco a poco...*

 

[Concordia]

...it is not cross-eyed like the 5196.

Crosseyed?

 

[chocomallo]

I have to hand it to the man, though - because he really does think Patek is unequaled in the watch industry (and they might be...) - when they informed him face-to-face of the actual standards used for their case finishing quality control, he was like: "y'all bullshitting...i demand better". I mean, that is bad ass. They say never meet your heroes, but it's next-level **** to meet your hero and just straight up tell them they aren't as good as the mythical version of them you have flying around in your head. Epic.
* claps poco a poco...*

We are witness to the beginning of the fall of the house of Patek. I for one will never buy another Patek. I actually sold the only one I owned (not five like Foo) because Foo properly educated me about the poor service polish that Patek does. I paid for laser welding repair that apparently isn’t available to poor plebes in New York. Also my Patek had a black dial with applied Breguet numerals just like his but he mis-identified the reference number once when insulting me so I knew it wasn’t a reference worth owning.

 

[9thsymph]

I'm fairly interested in the imperfections of handmade goods. I'd probably be fine with a little PP case distortion. Alternatively, (and maybe this has been asked already, so sorry if I missed it...), if you are purchasing an 80k watch and you happen to be an absolute stickler for perfection at every turn, prone to intense circumspection, rumination - don't you put the watch under a loupe/macro lens BEFORE you purchase it, not a few weeks later? Is this why Patek suggested the watch might have suffered from wear after the purchase - because it's reasonable to assume that anyone consumed with this level of detail would have done their dd at the time of purchase? (Asking for a friend...)

 

[9thsymph]

We are witness to the beginning of the fall of the house of Patek. I for one will never buy another Patek. I actually sold the only one I owned (not five like Foo) because Foo properly educated me about the poor service polish that Patek does. I paid for laser welding repair that apparently isn’t available to poor plebes in New York. Also my Patek had a black dial with applied Breguet numerals just like his but he mis-identified the reference number once when insulting me so I knew it wasn’t a reference worth owning.

They'll re-release the 5711 and be fine...