The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[Dino944]

I know. I assumed it was an obvious exaggeration.

and referring to straps...its a VERY slippery slope. I remember adding up the 20-30 straps i had in a box for my panerais and realizing i could EASILY sell them all and fund a whole watch.

Wow...that must have been a very sobering moment!

How very French of them.

I quickly priced matte gator/square scales straps from both, and CF was 170 Euro, and ABP was 225 Euro.

Wow...very surprised. CF was always more expensive than ABP, at least until recently.

 

[in stitches]

not a huge fran fave, but i think its neat. getting this ready for sale. click for bigger.

 

[Newcomer]



I quickly priced matte gator/square scales straps from both, and CF was 170 Euro, and ABP was 225 Euro.

CF prices increase if you get certain specifications, i.e. waxed edges, hand stitching, etc. I went whole hog on mine

 

[Belligero]



not a huge fran fave, but i think its neat. getting this ready for sale. click for bigger.

Ain't nothing wrong with Girard Perregaux. I'd be all over their Vintage 1960 Chrono:

photo from TZ-UK

That watch is no joke; I can't think of any other chrono I'd rather have for the price.

 

[RogerP]

I like both of those GPs.

 

[Mr. Moo]



CF prices increase if you get certain specifications, i.e. waxed edges, hand stitching, etc. I went whole hog on mine

You are right. 170 Euro is the bare-bones model. I shot an emailed to CF, so we'll see where this goes.

 

[rnguy001]

Agree. All the OEM straps from IWC have been great. Although they come at a steep price (325-350) for BP calf strap, they really are great quality. Not that you can't hunt them down at a bargain on eBay, TZ etc.

Ill say the same of the Panerai OEM stuff. Pretty damn good quality IMO but very steep if you're going to buy new from an AD. Thankfully they're easy enough to find from private sellers.

Would be interested in seeing how much IWC's Santoni straps are going for and how the experiences from owners have been.

I don't know who did the OEM straps for IWC back in 2004-2005, but I still have my black alligator one and it shows virtually no wear. Much softer and better finished than the ABP one I later got. Nice big scales. The dye obviously goes deep, deep into the hide, as the space between scales is as black as the scales themselves. ABP alligator feels like plastic.

The Fournet ones I've handled seemed really top notch to me, though. So maybe my standards are just lower.

 

[in stitches]



Ain't nothing wrong with Girard Perregaux. I'd be all over their Vintage 1960 Chrono:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

photo from TZ-UK
That watch is no joke; I can't think of any other chrono I'd rather have for the price.

that is a cool watch.

dont get me wrong, i have no beef with GP, they just dont get a lot of love. they are kind of a tweener brand around here.

I like both of those GPs.

well, whats not to like?

 

[Flake]



depends on how custom you want. id say if its fairly basic with an available hide, 2 weeks-ish?
quite true. I hosted a couple meet ups here in nashville and was put to shame by a couple guys. unreal. I wouldve easily had more if i wasnt actively buying watches at the same time.

Socko's collection he would bring to the FL Panaristi GTGs were unreal.

 

[Mr. Moo]

I guess I would have some issues if I were to buy a Panerai... I like my straps/shoes/pretty much everything to look well worn/used/etc. and I get attached to certain items more than others. With multiple strap options, I'm not sure I would be able to keep switching because of these two reasons...

 

[sinclear]

IWC/Panerai OEM straps were great when they were around $200 RRP, and still great when they used to run around $100 on tourneau sample sale on nyc (I remember a BP gator lying around for about $300). Sadly, with those sample sales over and prices higher, it's much better to get CF and the likes indeed. If one's surprised about what IWC charges for CF straps, he should see what Lange charges for the same pair...

and thank you for the remarks on that aqua terra shot gentlemen. Definitely one of the best watches I've owned and an amazing deal at its price.

 

[rnguy001]

That is a great looking watch. The fact that GP makes it is even more awesome.

Ain't nothing wrong with Girard Perregaux. I'd be all over their Vintage 1960 Chrono:

photo from TZ-UK

That watch is no joke; I can't think of any other chrono I'd rather have for the price.

 

[medtech_expat]

I've had several straps done up by ABP - all croc in special tannings - and they've held up incredibly well. I won't comment on price/value relative to CF or other makes as I don't have first-hand experience, but at least in my experience with ABP, customer service was top-notch, they've done rush orders without surcharge, and do provide a "forum" discount. There is an incredible variety of skins to choose from, and virtually any detail from lining material, type of stitching, thickness and shape is customizable.

 

[in stitches]

really hard to see the straps with those fantastic langes drawing the eye away.

 

[Dino944]

not a huge fran fave, but i think its neat. getting this ready for sale. click for bigger.

GP is definitely an under appreciated brand, which may be the result of some hit or miss products and their pricing. I like them and tried a few on at their Boutique in NYC last summer. I think in their quest to join others in the "LARGE WATCH MARKET" they bulked up several models unsuccessfully. The Laureato was originally a sophisticated sport watch marketed toward those interested in an AP RO, PP Nautilus, or VC 222. However, in the last 10 years or so morphed into some bizarre caricature of itself. The Vintage 1945 is a cool design, and I love square and rectangular cases. However, they have also become too bulky and even with a curved case back I just didn't find it sat well on my wrist and it looked better in photos than it did in person or on me. I found it disappointing and less sophisticated in design and feel than a Reverso. Then there are the Sea Hawks...which were once a sort of traditional, but maybe sterile version of diving watches. Now I find them lumpy looking with crown protecting shoulders built into a lug. It now has the unfortunate distinction of looking like a hunchback watch case.

On the positive side, the chrono posted by Belligero is really a handsome design. Its refreshing to see a different case shape for a chronograph. The last cushion shaped chronograph I liked was the Medicus by VC, however it was too pricey for chronograph that used cams rather than a column wheel.

In addition, I love the GP 1966 line up. A clean, elegant dress watch is maybe what the do best and what they should focus on. I had an opportunity to try on both the full calendar and their Annual Calendar Equation of Time. The asymmetric dial made it sort of whimsical and fun...at least until you saw the price. That was one area that these fell short. Maybe they are competitive with other high end brands, and maybe they are a bargain compared to what a watch with similar complications would cost from other brands. However, once I hit a certain price range I couldn't help but feel like I'd probably go with a different brand.

Ain't nothing wrong with Girard Perregaux. I'd be all over their Vintage 1960 Chrono:


photo from TZ-UK

That watch is no joke; I can't think of any other chrono I'd rather have for the price.

That's really stunning. I love the cushion shaped case of that model. It really helps it to stand out from the dozens of chronos on the market. I hope to see one maybe the next time I visit the Boutique in NYC (there are no GP dealers near me anymore).