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

[Beckwith]

If I had a picture of my TWAT unappreciated Franck Muller Casablanca I would throw it up here to fuel the fire. Recently got back into this thread. Have been eyeing a Milgaus lately to join the stable of the above mentioned Casablanca, Chopard Millie Miglia, PAM 111.

 

[mimo]

You will get a vote from Dino for the tonneau case. And actually I think it's weirdly cool. Cf. Keith's unnatural urges.

 

[Keith T]

BROWN CROC, FTW.

ALWAYS.

 

[Keith T]

Oh, and since Frilly came clean, this may be the one day of my life I'm wearing better shoes than him LOL.

My (very modest) Allen-Edmonds Mora 2.0s (+ Daytona)....

 

[tifosi]

Speedy and Alden black shell captoe boots...

 

[Beckwith]

Should this thread be newly renamed the TWASAT?

 

[tifosi]



Should this thread be newly renamed the TWASAT?

Nah...we had about two pages of watch and shoe pics on the Alden thread the other day. Nice to mix it up a bit! haha

 

[Cant kill da Rooster]

As much as I have experimented with the Speedmaster on different straps it looks great with just about anything (and I do like the racing strap). However, bracelet is best. It just is, it is also very comfortable.

Also, I do believe in matching the strap to the shoes/belt. Not an exact match but browns and blacks separated.

 

[Keith T]

I had a link somewhere of a guy that posted a dozen or more different Speedy combos and ranked all the different straps by quality, price, etc...but I can't find it now. Might have been on TimeZone?

May have bookmarked it on my home computer....if so, I will post it this evening.

 

[tifosi]



I had a link somewhere of a guy that posted a dozen or more different Speedy combos and ranked all the different straps by quality, price, etc...but I can't find it now. Might have been on TimeZone?

May have bookmarked it on my home computer....if so, I will post it this evening.

I came across a thread on Watchuseek, but didn't mention any pricing. That would be nice...

 

[MG85]

MG85, the Daytona is a fantastic watch. I'm sure you will be very happy with it!

It was my grail for many years, probably fueled by the hype surrounding the watch some years ago. I worked for a (not Rolex) AD when I attended unversity, and spent a lot of time around watches. Like you I wore a TAG at the time, even that expensive for a student I thought. All the time the Daytona was on my mind. After graduating, working for a couple of years, I bought my first Rolex. Not the Daytona, but the Submariner. Still the watch that spends the most time on my wrist. But crack watches are stongly addictive, and I soon added other watches. Seamaster, GMT-Master etc. But forever the Daytona held it's appeal.

So one day I just caved in, and called round to different ADs. Most wouldn't give me the time of day. When I asked about the price, some even had the nerve to ask "Well, how much would you be willing to pay?" Bastards

Until I happened upon the dealer who simply asked "Black or white?" Hm. White, please? "Ok, I'll put you on the list, and let you know when it arrives." One year later it did

Now the days of the hard-to-get-Daytona is over, but the watch is ever on the list of keepers. Hype or no hype, the Daytona has not lost an inch of its appeal to me. It's the pefect size for my (not too large) wrists, is both sporty and dressy, and it's hella-precise. Whatever my feelings for it, the watch is forever linked to our familiy, as I timed my daughter's birth with it and wore it on every picture from our first days together. I am grateful for the unisex vibes of the Daytona, as it is hers when I leave this mortal coil. Not a day before that mind you

Great story. I actually have considered putting the Daytona off until I have a milestone to associate the purchase with. With no kids in the near future I was thinking my 30th birthday could be a good one but I'm not sure I will be able to hold off for over a year.

Obviously, buying a watch like this is an emotional decision, so you should get what you like.

Having said that, my own opinion is between those two watches I would get the Daytona, no question. I own a Royal Oak (chrono not jumbo) and I love it but my Daytona is truly one of my favorite watches. I waited a long time before I could get my Daytona and it was always a grail type watch for me. I wear it with a suit all the time without any Issue. Unless you are in a very stuffy conservative business environment, and few businesses are these days, I wouldn't worry about that.

In addition, between those two watches you're basically looking at paying a lot more for a watch with no complication. The Daytona is the better value. It offers an exclusive in-house movement with a chronograph functions. Let's not even going to get into the issue of resale value. APs are way overpriced (i say this as an AP owner and fan) and the resale market very often reflects this.

Anyway, those are my two cents. Get what you like and don't look back.

Enjoy and good luck

Thanks for the advice, and reiterating what I think is my final decision.

One more thing. Some friendly advice, having been through this a lot, I can tell you it is not a good idea to want one watch and buy another one instead as a substitute because you just couldn't buy the other one. You will still lust after the first watch and you will be out the money for the other. So buy the one you like or don't buy anything until you can. Unless you have enough money to throw around, or you enjoy buying and selling your watches (usually taking a loss when you do) just not a good idea.

About 2 years ago I planned on getting a new watch and started doing some research into some well respected but lesser known to the public brands (IWC, JLC, GO etc). The idea of something lesser known but high quality really appealed to me. I hated the idea of a Rolex simply because everyone else seemed to have one. I was not at all aware of what made them so popular, besides the Rolex name of course. A lot of what I saw in the other brands was beautiful watches that would not fit into my daily life. I realized that I had no idea what I actually wanted and this got me even more interested in watches.

Since then I have read through a lot of material, tried on many watches and have come to really appreciate Rolex, amongst many other brands and the Daytona amongst many other watches. I do really appreciate the advice and agree that settling for something will only result in disappointment down the road (this is probably the reason a lot of relationships eventually fail?). I do not feel like I am settling at all with the Daytona which I think fits my current situation more then the Jumbo.

Hi MG,

If you have a white dial Tag Chronograph, a black dial Daytona will certainly be a nice change. Sticker price seems to be the way it is again on Daytonas. For years when they were very tough to get 1993- about 2007, if you could get it at list price it was considered a great deal. Plenty of ADs were charging over list price particularly when the previous model 16520 was in production. There was a brief time when the market was soft around 2009, and before Rolex imposed a strict no discounting steel watches when a modest 5% discount could be had on a Daytona...but those days are gone. If you like the watch, and need something a bit more rugged than a Jumbo...then a Daytona is a great choice. Back in the early 1990's a black dial steel 16520 Daytonas was my grail watch. I've owned a few different models and still enjoy wearing them.

If you want to try a Jumbo, your best bet is to take a long weekend to a city that has an AP boutique and tell them you want to try on a Jumbo. Actually, the first current model Jumbo I saw was simply by chance when the Mrs. and I visited NYC in May of 2012. We were nearby and so I wanted to stop in and look around. They had a new Jumbo in rose, that I tried on. Nice, but the rose and blue dial were not my favorite combination, besides if buying a first RO, I tend to feel it should be in the metal it was originally designed to be made of, steel. So I inquired about the new one in steel, they told me they would check in the back and sure enough they had a new one.

Its definitely an expensive watch for an all steel time only watch. I had never spent that amount on a steel watch period. However, I can say that there isn't a day I regretted its purchase. Its a watch that once you have worn it for a while, you really come to appreciated various nuances about its design, finish, and what is required to produce one...and then you begin to understand why its expensive. I still think its a very expensive watch, but its definitely a watch where I can see why it costs what it does...which is something I do not see with some other watches. IMHO, its one of the best watch purchases I've ever made, and I do think its worth what it costs (and that's taking into account that I think most watch prices have gone up by ridiculous amounts during the last 10 years).

I agree. If MG tries on a Jumbo, its the watch he truly wants, and he can afford it without being stressed about or financially strained because of its price. Then he should buy it. Perhaps it means saving up just to have an additional financial cushion before making the purchase. I have a friend that often hesitates to buy the watch he wants because of price (even though he has the means), he buys a substitute, the watch he truly wanted eats away at him until he has to have it. Then he sells the substitute usually at a loss, and he has to hope the watch he wanted hasn't gone up in price, and it almost always ends up costing him more than if he had bought the watch he truly wanted in the beginning.

The Daytona was a grail watch for me also, particularly the prior 16520 model. I was thrilled when I finally got one. I wore one as a daily wearer for nearly 5 years and its performance was flawless. It was one of the most accurate watches I ever owned.

I am not sure that I agree with you as for the actual value of the Daytona vs. the Jumbo, and I think it differs Jumbo vs chronograph. At one point I questioned spending what a Jumbo costs, because you can easily get the chrono for the same money, or because of its greater availability less. However, on some level it comes down to the movement. The Jumbo uses what it still the thinnest automatic movement in the world. It takes real effort to make something very thin or very small, and have it be reliable and beautiful. Its also, IMHO a bit finer in finish, and a more exclusive movement. While the movement in the chronograph is a a very nice movement, the base being cal. 1185 F.Piguet, its base is used in lots of other watches...all good quality, BP, Breguet Type XX, VC Overseas, or the old 38mm Cartier Pasha chrono, but most of them are substantially less expensive than a RO Chrono. The Jumbo's movement developed by JLC (when AP owned part of JLC) has only been used in PP's Original Nautilus, VC's 222, the RO Jumbo and a handful of other APs and VCs. AP owns the rights to this movement.

As for value based on the movement of the Daytona vs. a Jumbo...its a trade off. Rolex makes a great, robust, movement with a chronograph function. The finish is very good, but plain. They don't strive to make watches that are finely finished as a RO Jumbo, PP Nautilus, VC, etc, its not the market they are pursuing. It does give you a chronograph function, and its a handsome sporty watch. However, most people I know, myself included do not use the chronograph functions on our watches that often (although maybe you do). The movement in the RO Jumbo, is a work of art its completely different level of workmanship. If you have ever seen photos of Daytona Cal 4130 and AP 2121 its a night and day difference. To be honest as much as I adore my chronographs, my time only Jumbo provides a completely different experience and one that I appreciate as much if not more than being able to use the chronograph on my Cartier Pasha Chrono or Daytona.

Resale value was historically higher on Daytonas, but that has changed. They hold a good percentage of their value, higher than most other brands. However, its not what it once was. The steel Daytonas I've bought were all about 1/3 to 1/2 of what they cost today...so all of them went up in value when I see what the current second hand market is today. However, LNIB modern Daytonas seem to have asking prices of about $3K less than MSRP...and there is no discount on a new one. I think the AP RO chrono market is different than the Jumbo market, because they produce far more RO chronos than Jumbos (availability both new and used is greater for the chrono). When I checked to see what the few current version pre-owned Jumbo's are selling for, the asking price was within $1,000 of what I paid for mine...and they sell. Even if you look at the prior version of the Jumbo, its within $2-3K of what their original MSRPs were, which was significantly less than today's MSRP, and those were watches were bought with reasonable discounts...so there has been little to no loss for some buyers.

In the end, both are great choices. There is a price difference that should not be ignored, but I think there is an argument that can be made that value can go beyond price, and that resale values are not always what they appear to be and can change.

Thanks once again for the great and informative post.

If sticker price is standard it makes the buying process even easier. I have thought about going pre-owned but think it might make sense to buy it new from an AD if it is something I plan on having for a very long time.

I was actually just in Paris a few weeks ago and walked by the AP boutique but was with a few friends and had plans for the day. I wish I had dropped in. My girlfriend has been pushing for a NY trip for a while so now I have yet another reason to go. I will just have to make sure she doesn't find out

.

I think the ruggedness of the Daytona will be better for me. I by no means beat up my watches but I do not baby them, and I like the idea of something that can take a bit more punishment. While I can appreciate the Jumbo from a technical and design standard more then the Daytona I think for my current lifestyle the Daytona is the play.

 

[Dino944]

you need some shell cordovan so you can keep your shoe game on par with your watch game on these upcoming rough weather days. personally i highly recommend the RL marlows.

::

+1

Love my Marlows.

wat. you make mistakes? cant be.

I know. Can you believe it, me making a mistake? WTF is up with me? I'll blame it on new watch deprivation (its been 15 months since my last watch purchase).

 

[in stitches]

lol. well then, what is up next for mr dino?

 

[kungapa]



Also, I do believe in matching the strap to the shoes/belt. Not an exact match but browns and blacks separated.

Exactly - brown with brown, but no need to match exact tone.

With T-shirt and jeans a brown rally would look fantastic. Personally I would find croc a bit too much in cases like that.

 

[TheWraith]



Congratulations in advance to your wife - I'm sure she'll love it!  Share pics if you can/want!

Thanks, frilly. I will definitely share pics when the time comes.