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

[Dino944]

Yes, though technically its called the Tribute 1

It's one of those things where I was pretty taken by the watch when it was announced last year and thought to myself that if I was in a position to explore something more "interesting" (i.e. independent, precious metal or other left of center offering) that it would be a prime contender. The fascination hadn't really changed much in the intervening time. Between a timely bonus and a house sale that netted way more than I thought it would, it seemed like now was the time to move.

What drew me to this:
1. Design, it's a bit polarizing, but I obviously love it or else I wouldn't have even considered it.
2. At this price I wanted something with great or interesting finishing and it's got that in spades
3. Size, knew that whatever I'd get would be something that I'd want to wear a lot, so I wanted it at a reasonable size. IME, 38mm with reasonable lugs is about the ideal size for my wrist. Just a bit over 9mm thick means it's reasonable for most occasions.
4. Material, for a similar reason, I preferred something in steel that I would feel more free to wear whenever/wherever.
5. Will work fine for any dress occasion I have, without being overly stuffy for more casual use.
6. Value, while a more Haute Horology Independent, is probably never a safe buy outside of a handful of brands (none of which I'm likely to ever to be in a position to buy), I think one get's a lot for their money relatively speaking to other similar watches in this arena. I paid a bit under list as well and set up a nice relationship with a new AD which is already paying off in helping me pickup a supposedly long out of stock LE that I missed out on.

The competition mainly came down to the 37mm Saxonia Thin which I got to handle in Barcelona and could have purchased before the recent price hike without VAT, which would have ended up costing me a few thousand more than this AS. Would the Lange have been the wiser financial decision in the long run? Almost certainly, especially given the substantial price hike on the Thin in particular. Was it a fantastic watch to behold? Absolutely! Would I have worn it anywhere near as often as I will wear this...I can't imagine.

In the end, buying the Lange would have been as much about the "fun" of owning a Lange, marking off that collecting checkmark for me as much as anything else and I'm not sure I would have worn it enough to fully appreciate it for what it is.

Another bad pic that got compressed to hell for some reason.

I'm undecided about the front of the watch, but it's certainly nice to see something so unusual here. Congrats and enjoy!

 

[Ebitdaddy]

The competition mainly came down to the 37mm Saxonia Thin which I got to handle in Barcelona and could have purchased before the recent price hike without VAT, which would have ended up costing me a few thousand more than this AS. Would the Lange have been the wiser financial decision in the long run? Almost certainly, especially given the substantial price hike on the Thin in particular. Was it a fantastic watch to behold? Absolutely! Would I have worn it anywhere near as often as I will wear this...I can't imagine.

I think you made a great choice. I love Armin Strom's designs. Congrats!

 

[Darkside]

Yes, her’s is better.

 

[Dino944]

Yes, her’s is better.
View attachment 1792539

Great pair of Cartiers! Two of my favorites in the current collection!

 

[9thsymph]

Yes, though technically its called the Tribute 1

It's one of those things where I was pretty taken by the watch when it was announced last year and thought to myself that if I was in a position to explore something more "interesting" (i.e. independent, precious metal or other left of center offering) that it would be a prime contender. The fascination hadn't really changed much in the intervening time. Between a timely bonus and a house sale that netted way more than I thought it would, it seemed like now was the time to move.

What drew me to this:
1. Design, it's a bit polarizing, but I obviously love it or else I wouldn't have even considered it.
2. At this price I wanted something with great or interesting finishing and it's got that in spades
3. Size, knew that whatever I'd get would be something that I'd want to wear a lot, so I wanted it at a reasonable size. IME, 38mm with reasonable lugs is about the ideal size for my wrist. Just a bit over 9mm thick means it's reasonable for most occasions.
4. Material, for a similar reason, I preferred something in steel that I would feel more free to wear whenever/wherever.
5. Will work fine for any dress occasion I have, without being overly stuffy for more casual use.
6. Value, while a more Haute Horology Independent, is probably never a safe buy outside of a handful of brands (none of which I'm likely to ever to be in a position to buy), I think one get's a lot for their money relatively speaking to other similar watches in this arena. I paid a bit under list as well and set up a nice relationship with a new AD which is already paying off in helping me pickup a supposedly long out of stock LE that I missed out on.

The competition mainly came down to the 37mm Saxonia Thin which I got to handle in Barcelona and could have purchased before the recent price hike without VAT, which would have ended up costing me a few thousand more than this AS. Would the Lange have been the wiser financial decision in the long run? Almost certainly, especially given the substantial price hike on the Thin in particular. Was it a fantastic watch to behold? Absolutely! Would I have worn it anywhere near as often as I will wear this...I can't imagine.

In the end, buying the Lange would have been as much about the "fun" of owning a Lange, marking off that collecting checkmark for me as much as anything else and I'm not sure I would have worn it enough to fully appreciate it for what it is.

Another bad pic that got compressed to hell for some reason.

Congrats! Cool piece and nice to see something less hyped...

 

[Scuppers]

One interesting thing I noticed about my Langes. The Lange 1 I had that was quite old had an awesome patina going on that made the glashutte stripes pop. Too bad you lose it when serviced. Alternatively, I wonder if older Langes were built better? They've scaled production quite a bit and I wouldn't be surprised if they are cutting corners now like Patek.

View attachment 1792437

View attachment 1792492

Isn’t Lange output around 3000-3500 pieces a year? over thirty years I’d call that modest growth. Was there a sudden production bubble?

 

[mebiuspower]

Isn’t Lange output around 3000-3500 pieces a year? over thirty years I’d call that modest growth. Was there a sudden production bubble?

6k annually give or take...

 

[TheFoo]

One interesting thing I noticed about my Langes. The Lange 1 I had that was quite old had an awesome patina going on that made the glashutte stripes pop. Too bad you lose it when serviced. Alternatively, I wonder if older Langes were built better? They've scaled production quite a bit and I wouldn't be surprised if they are cutting corners now like Patek.

View attachment 1792437

View attachment 1792492

As German silver oxidizes, it will lose brilliance and any finishing decoration will lose contrast. It’s most likely one example was simply more exposed to air than the other.

Lange finishing has been quite consistent over the years from what I’ve seen. “Cut corners” tend to be with respect to what you can’t see, not the quality of visible decoration.

 

[Ebitdaddy]

guilloche 😃

 

[Neville Southall]

Need to take some better pics, but...

Where’s the soft iron casing?

 

[pmeis]

Where’s the soft iron casing?

I travel around in my own faraday cage, so no need!

 

[classicalthunde]

okay, back to the nuances of watch auctions - whats the purpose of a seller/auction house listing something with 'no reserve price'?

This Patek 5711 is specifically listed as 'no reserve' but like, no one is going to walk away with it for $20K or anything like that...just trying to understand the rationale here

 

[mossrockss]

Wore my brother's Speedmaster First Omega in Space over the weekend, on the Forstner flatlink I got him for it.

I almost think it's too small for me; or at least, that the more muscular/chunky case on the Speedy Professional is more to my taste.

 

[double00]

in a way reserve price represents a seller's bid on their own lot , to me is as much a turnoff as a too-high opening bid . if i wanted to negotiate with a seller i wouldn't be bidding on an auction lot .

i'd rather see NR as i prefer cleaner auctions where i can see the bids top to bottom , frankly the losing bids tell me more about the market than the winner .

 

[Leiker]

okay, back to the nuances of watch auctions - whats the purpose of a seller/auction house listing something with 'no reserve price'?

This Patek 5711 is specifically listed as 'no reserve' but like, no one is going to walk away with it for $20K or anything like that...just trying to understand the rationale here

With car auctions, the notion is that it generates more buyers, but at the risk of it selling below a reasonable price. As you point out, not likely with this Patek, but that's the thinking perhaps.