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

[CHRK33]

So I wanted to thank everyone for their advice on my dad's wedding thank you gift. I really appreciated it.

So I ended up going with the IWC Mark XVII, as I got a huuuge discount from my usual AD and I didn't want to double my budget for the Milgauss. Nonetheless, I really like the Mark XVII and am excited to give it to my dad in a couple weeks.

I will try and take some pics when he wears it -- fingers crossed he likes it.

Thanks all.

 

[wurger]



So I wanted to thank everyone for their advice on my dad's wedding thank you gift. I really appreciated it.

So I ended up going with the IWC Mark XVII, as I got a huuuge discount from my usual AD and I didn't want to double my budget for the Milgauss. Nonetheless, I really like the Mark XVII and am excited to give it to my dad in a couple weeks.

I will try and take some pics when he wears it -- fingers crossed he likes it.

Thanks all.

Cheers, congrats on the gift purchase, he will like it!

 

[dddrees]

On something basic like a digital quartz watch...all you need to do is change the battery. However, a Rolex Oysterquartz is well beyond a disposable watch/movement. It has an 11 jewel movement, with a temperature compensator, and the pulse motor moves a pallet fork that turns the pallet wheel, which moves the second hand. Its these mechanical parts that distinguish it from ordinary quartz movements, and its also the cause of the loud ticking associated with the Oysterquartz models. Its interesting to note, that not only did Rolex once see their quartz watches as the future of Rolex, they were the most expensive models you could buy at one point. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, an all steel Oysterquartz cost several hundred dollars more than a Submariner Date, Sea-Dweller, GMT, Explorer 1 & 2 or a Daytona. They were also the most advanced watches they were producing, and were the only Rolex watches where the entire line up including the all steel models had saphire crystals, solid link bracelets, and they were more anti-magnetic than a Milgauss. As many of you will acrylic crystals were used on most steel Rolex watches through about the late 1980s, and solid link bracelets, those didn't appear on every steel Rolex until roughly the mid 2000s. Obviously, interests changed by the late 80s early 1990s and pricing of models eventually changed and Rolex began to focus again on its automatic watches. Largely ignored late in its production the OQ's now have a pretty regular cult following.

In the end an Oysterquartz doesn't need service as often as an oyster perpetual, but it still does eventually need the mechanical parts of its movement serviced. For more info on its movement check out this http://www.oysterquartz.net/the_5035_movement.htm

Below are a few quick pix of my ref 17000 Oysterquartz, purchased new just as they went out of production around 2003/4.

Thanks for the information Dino.


Great looking watch!!!

 

[dddrees]

dino provided an excellent answer regarding the oysterquartz, but aside from that, even in a regular quartz, the contacts that touch the battery often get messed up, or dirty or loose, or what have you, and that needs to be fixed/serviced. it is often the reason why quartz watches stop running, but its usually not worth dealing with. and you cant really do it without being sure of what you are doing because if you touch metal to the wrong part of the movement you can short the whole thing and then are really in trouble.


frill - great pic

roger - sounds awesome, very glad you love it.

Thanks for the follow up with the info on the regular quartz watches stiches.

 

[Dino944]

Quote:
My vote is for the AP RO. I love Rolex watches and have a few, but I find the DJ II is a bloated homely version of the standard DJ. The bezel and case of the DJ look too bulbous. Go for a regular DJ or the AP RO (I love my RO...just look at a few of my recent posts.) Good luck.

 

[Dino944]

Quote:
Congrats! IWC makes a great watch. I'm sure your Dad will really enjoy it. Wishing you luck on your big day. Can't wait to see some wrist shots. Good luck with everything!

 

[dddrees]

My vote is for the AP RO. I love Rolex watches and have a few, but I find the DJ II is a bloated homely version of the standard DJ. The bezel and case of the DJ look too bulbous. Go for a regular DJ or the AP RO (I love my RO...just look at a few of my recent posts.) Good luck.

I too vote for the RO.

 

[Dino944]

Hi guys,

Not sure why my computer isn't letting me multi quote! Sorry for the multiple single posts.

Dopey, glad to hear everything worked out for the bezel replacement. Wow, 25 years with a watch is pretty impressive. I think m y oldest is 19.


DDDrees, thanks. Glad you enjoyed my post on the OQ/quartz movement.

 

[no frills]

Frilly, what kind of camera are you screwing around with?

frill - great pic

Thanks, gents. Just my clunky old Canon Rebel T1i (four years old!) but with a new lens: 100 macro / AV mode / f stop at 2.8 / ISO auto. Playing around with how close I can get to capture detail, depth, etc.

Hmmm... I wonder if I could get them to switch it out - I really do prefer the blue.

It is not impossible, but usually Patek will do that for you during service time. And sometimes it will require a long trip to Geneva; Patek in NYC will not switch out all dials in the USA. I am really not sure you can do that with your AD before you purchase the piece.

 

[yjeezle]



Dress watch? Or what type are you thinking about?

i'm planning on replacing an IWC portuguese, which I thought was a balance of dress & casual?

 

[bawlin]



My vote is for the AP RO. I love Rolex watches and have a few, but I find the DJ II is a bloated homely version of the standard DJ. The bezel and case of the DJ look too bulbous. Go for a regular DJ or the AP RO (I love my RO...just look at a few of my recent posts.) Good luck.

+1 on the AP.

I personally like the DJII, but the RO is in a completely different class.

 

[JonF]



Today I spent the day on the beach with my daughter. The only watch that takes saltwater, sand, food, sunscreen, ice cream and diaper changes without a whimper: G-Shock



Changed back to the MUT Moon for dinner though

Your new JLC is stunning! Congrats!

 

[Dino944]



It is not impossible, but usually Patek will do that for you during service time.  And sometimes it will require a long trip to Geneva; Patek in NYC will not switch out all dials in the USA.  I am really not sure you can do that with your AD before you purchase the piece.

Hi Frills, I'm not a Patek owner and have no experience with their service (although a friend of mine thought although friendly, they are a bit rigid). Anyway I'd be kind of surprised if Patek would change a dial on an existing watch to a dial not offered in that metal. A lot of companies will not modify a watch to have a dial that was not available for a particular version of a watch. In addition, in a recent interview with Thierry Stern, he made it clear that while they will not make custom watches from scratch, it sounded as though they may entertain a good customer requesting that they create a slightly modified watch, his example was a different dial. I don't have the article in front of me but it read as though a person could submit a request to order a particular change to a watch and they would consider it, rather than change the dial of a watch a customer already owned.

Mr. Stern raised the issue of not wanting to get into creating one off or individual pieces, that could end up on an auction block in a very short time just because an owner knows they have the only one of a particular model.

I would think Patek would want to charge a significant amount if they are accommodating a specific request, as it could become quite valuable as a single piece. However, you suggestion of them doing it at the time of service raises another interesting question, "what happens to the original dial?"

Rolex USA keeps original parts, and sells new parts as part of a trade( I hear its not so strict in Europe). Rolex does this to prevent owners from selling old parts on eBay to people that cobble together fakes using some real Rolex parts. In any event, I posed the question about the original dial, because the value of any collectible watch is tied partially to the dial. A watch with original dial is always worth more than one with a "service dial"/replacement, or a redial. So if Patek keeps the original, the owner doing the dial change could be devaluing his watch. Although, if Patek doesn't like doing one offs, that result in watches going to auction after a short time and selling for more than the owner paid, a later dial change after purchased (so its not in its original form) could dissuade an owner from flipping it , because he knows its worth less since its not the original dial and didn't come from the factory that way.

I guess the only way to know what Patek would actually do is to submit a request to Patek and wait for their response.

 

[no frills]

Hi Frills, I'm not a Patek owner and have no experience with their service (although a friend of mine thought although friendly, they are a bit rigid). Anyway I'd be kind of surprised if Patek would change a dial on an existing watch to a dial not offered in that metal. A lot of companies will not modify a watch to have a dial that was not available for a particular version of a watch. In addition, in a recent interview with Thierry Stern, he made it clear that while they will not make custom watches from scratch, it sounded as though they may entertain a good customer requesting that they create a slightly modified watch, his example was a different dial. I don't have the article in front of me but it read as though a person could submit a request to order a particular change to a watch and they would consider it, rather than change the dial of a watch a customer already owned.

Mr. Stern raised the issue of not wanting to get into creating one off or individual pieces, that could end up on an auction block in a very short time just because an owner knows they have the only one of a particular model.

I would think Patek would want to charge a significant amount if they are accommodating a specific request, as it could become quite valuable as a single piece. However, you suggestion of them doing it at the time of service raises another interesting question, "what happens to the original dial?"

Rolex USA keeps original parts, and sells new parts as part of a trade( I hear its not so strict in Europe). Rolex does this to prevent owners from selling old parts on eBay to people that cobble together fakes using some real Rolex parts. In any event, I posed the question about the original dial, because the value of any collectible watch is tied partially to the dial. A watch with original dial is always worth more than one with a "service dial"/replacement, or a redial. So if Patek keeps the original, the owner doing the dial change could be devaluing his watch. Although, if Patek doesn't like doing one offs, that result in watches going to auction after a short time and selling for more than the owner paid, a later dial change after purchased (so its not in its original form) could dissuade an owner from flipping it , because he knows its worth less since its not the original dial and didn't come from the factory that way.

I guess the only way to know what Patek would actually do is to submit a request to Patek and wait for their response.

Oh yeah - I forgot to mention that it won't be something that's always accommodated and it will actually be for exceptional circumstances - like for some of their most reliable repeat customers. In the past they would actually let customers keep the original dial, believe it or not. That's why you'll still see the somewhat rare pre-owned piece with two dials because the original owner had the original dial replaced.

If you're a reliable repeat customer with a history with the brand, and the parts are generally available, I suspect the request can be accommodated. Switching out a 3970 white dial for, say, a black dial, has to be done in Geneva - but according to Patek USA they can still certainly accommodate it. I didn't ask about the price/cost, though - although the suggestion that it was going to be sent to Geneva already implied extra time and potentially additional costs. I also know a few collectors who've had dials replaced for their 5205s recently, because the darker dial was found to be not so legible. So I think it does happen - but it may cost extra and it will certainly take more time.

I do not know what Patek will do to the original dial at this point in time. I'd have to think that savvy owners would want it back, since that's what's written on the Certificate of Origin and it would be tough to sell a piece at a good price if the papers did not match the piece.

 

[kungapa]



Pardon if this question was already covered, but are German made watches cheaper in Germany?

I consistently see the best prices on Nomos etc from German dealers at Chrono24, so potentially yes.