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The watch DISCUSSION thread

venessian

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What are your thoughts on refurbished dials? I've noticed the trend lately that a touched up dial is sacrilege; but talking to watchmakers, this was not uncommon as many people went through life with one or two watches.
Mint original is of course more desirable than mint refurbished but if the refurbishment is done 100% accurately and executed perfectly, obviously not hiding some terrible mechanical condition or crappy internal restoration, I have no objections at all. It's just a watch dial to me, a few steps up from the crystal, many more steps up from the strap, but replaceable imo, like the quarter panel on one's car or the siding on one's house, which people don't blink at re-doing.

The "sacrilege" thing is so bizarre. Far too many grimy, blistered, faded, spotted, etc. watches are being sold over-priced with the crappy dial being trumpeted as "vintage, original, untouched, with great patina!" as if that justifies the extra $$$. No, sir/madam, it's just an ugly old sad thing now that lost its charm and vibrancy decades ago. Hey, how's your fake tooth holding up, by the way?
 

Dino944

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1. How many watches do you own? Let's limit it to watches you wear at least semi-regularly (say in the last year). Don't count broken watches you haven't gotten fixed, watches that you are keeping purely for sentimental reasons, and watches that are no longer your style. 13

2. Are you planning to increase your collection, consolidate it, or stay put? Slight increase. I'm on waiting lists for a few Rolex watches, but I'm very content with what I have. Although, if something new I like is released anything is possible.

3. Do you have any "rules" about collecting other than "I buy what I like"? When I was young I wanted to have one example from every major manufacturer I liked. However, it never really materialized. I ended up buying multiple purchases from some brands and none from others. I am probably something in between a collector and a hobbyist. I don't have a focus such as only diving watches, or just one specific brand. Now its what I like, does it fill a gap, or is it the next generation...sometimes I like having different generations of a particular model. My only rule is I have to have something that is new or it has to be a complete set with box and papers because I'm very OCD about that stuff.

4. Do you buy and keep, catch and release, or somewhere in the middle? I've sold a few over the years, but I generally keep them.

5. Has your watch collecting ever gotten you in trouble with your wife? No issues. She supports this hobby, and she has her own interests such as jewelry, Hermes handbags, and she already owns a Cartier and a Rolex...and she wants a new 41mm Submariner so she can't really complaint about my hobby. .
 

officine

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Mint original is of course more desirable than mint refurbished but if the refurbishment is done 100% accurately and executed perfectly, obviously not hiding some terrible mechanical condition or crappy internal restoration, I have no objections at all. It's just a watch dial to me, a few steps up from the crystal, many more steps up from the strap, but replaceable imo, like the quarter panel on one's car or the siding on one's house, which people don't blink at re-doing.

The "sacrilege" thing is so bizarre. Far too many grimy, blistered, faded, spotted, etc. watches are being sold over-priced with the crappy dial being trumpeted as "vintage, original, untouched, with great patina!" as if that justifies the extra $$$. No, sir/madam, it's just an ugly old sad thing now that lost its charm and vibrancy decades ago. Hey, how's your fake tooth holding up, by the way?
+1

Perhaps it comes down to whether you are more a wearer or a collector. I'm generalizing, but I do believe a collector is more obsessed with 100% original, as purchased authenticity.
 

Ambulance Chaser

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Hide might be a strong word...... more like, not advertise that a new acquisition is in the house.
Why are you me?

Wife: "Oh...is that...new?"

Me: *wearing watch purchased last week...* "Not really..."
I think the key is to buy a watch similar to a watch you already own. I doubt the average woman can tell the difference between a Sub and a Batman from a distance. Just make sure the two watches are never seen together. Then the gig is up.
 

Phileas Fogg

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Just curious how one hides a ~$12k purchase from one’s spouse.
 

9thsymph

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I think the key is to buy a watch similar to a watch you already own. I doubt the average woman can tell the difference between a Sub and a Batman from a distance. Just make sure the two watches are never seen together. Then the gig is up.

This!

People might remark about a certain amount of redundancy in my "collection" but it serves a real purpose and I enjoy the narrow margins of difference nonetheless!

This is why I have about 8 navy blazers and 8 herringbone tweeds...plausible deniability...
 

JohnMRobie

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"Yeah, so do you mind if I split the purchase across 6 different credit cards, a wad of cash and some crypto...?"
We went in together to my main AD to look at something for her. My SA almost blew it asking how I was liking the most recent acquisition. “No - She means the one from a while back..”
 

pasadena man

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Squaring with you, I don’t get the Odysseus AT ALL. Just doesn’t move the needle.

That said, on the topic of Lange - the 1815 Chronograph is a hell of a watch. In its price range, which is obviously high, I don’t think there is anything that holds a candle to it. I’ve kind of been lusting.
Holey Moley! I need to get out more. I was unaware of a Lange SS sports watch on a bracelet until I saw this thread. “Say it aint so, Joe!” Shattering to me, analogous to Porsche adding SUVs to their traditional sports car line. As with Porsche though, the business case may be compelling.

The” trinity’s” unit sales last year were as follows:

Patek Phillippe: 53000

Audemars Piguet 40000

Vacheron Constantin 23500

Patek sells watches because, well, they are Patek. AP sells almost twice what VC does due to the Royal Oak on a bracelet, reputedly 90% of their total volume.

Lange, despite the brand’s quality, charisma, and reputation to some as “the trinity’s” equal, sells only about 5000 watches a year. Increased, perhaps pandemic accelerated, fashion casualization decreases the opportunities for wearing a traditional, gold, Lange dress watch. The Odysseus is more on trend with the current zeitgeist.

Odysseus pricing, above that of some of Lange’s precious metal watches, would indicate that they are looking to position this model as a value alternative within the Royal Oak/Nautilus super luxury SS sports watch segment. I imagine they should be able to pick off at least a few sales from those on multiyear waiting lists for some PP Nautilus models.
 

RSS

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A common definition of middle class is households between the 25th and 75th annual income percentiles.
Equating class and income. Interesting.
 

Texasmade

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Odysseus pricing, above that of some of Lange’s precious metal watches, would indicate that they are looking to position this model as a value alternative within the Royal Oak/Nautilus super luxury SS sports watch segment. I imagine they should be able to pick off at least a few sales from those on multiyear waiting lists for some PP Nautilus models.
Not likely since the SS Odysseus is produced in way less quantities than the RO/Nautilus that no one is cross shopping between the 2. If ALS is willing to allocate you a SS Odysseus, you probably already have a Patek 5711 or AP 15202.
 

9thsymph

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This!

People might remark about a certain amount of redundancy in my "collection" but it serves a real purpose and I enjoy the narrow margins of difference nonetheless!

This is why I have about 8 navy blazers and 8 herringbone tweeds...plausible deniability...

Wait...did I say 8 navy blazers? Because I just went to my closet and I think I was off by a multiple...damn, I have a disease...

755F272D-BCF9-43A7-8DB2-12A58812C546.jpeg
 
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