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The watch DISCUSSION thread

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Stylish Dinosaur
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Class in a purely economic point.
I realize it's often expressed this way ... BUT ... income and class can be quite different. I think it needs to be better articulated.

In my areas two new nearly identical companies were founded in recent years. Company A -- by far the better business -- put a sharp college educated middle class kid into an upper income category (well, income on a yearly basis). Company B was founded by the son of local social giants but without mama and daddy's money he is at best middle income ... maybe upper middle. Sadly COVID put Company A on the straights. Even with his greater success, the owner is having a difficult time getting anyone to stand behind him. He just doesn't have the connections. The same has happened to Company B and even though it's an inferior company he has the power and weight of his class connections behind him ... and that power and weight is standing up for him ... and I don't mean his parents.

I'm thinking of backing A.
 
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Phileas Fogg

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Royal Oak on a bracelet, reputedly 90% of their total volume.

I’m not doubting your numbers or math, but I’m having a hard time understanding how a watch in such demand and hard to find can account for 90% of their sales. Are you referring to all of the models variant forms (gold, etc)?
 

pasadena man

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I’m not doubting your numbers or math, but I’m having a hard time understanding how a watch in such demand and hard to find can account for 90% of their sales. Are you referring to all of the models variant forms (gold, etc)?
It's a quote, which might be preferable to my math sometimes. I feel sure that its probably all materials , and all variants. I remember the number because I'd heard repeatedly that the RO was most of AP's unit volume, and that was the first time I saw a hard number. I'll try to dredge up the link if I can find it.
 

Kaplan

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I assume that most posters in this thread have more than one watch, so I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion about watch collecting.
I'm not sure the input from a non collector is of any interest, but here goes:

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. Two, not counting a Casio F-84W (the better looking JDM alternative to the infamous F-91W), that I got as it reminded me of my first watch of the late 70's/early 80's, which was a black digital Casio. Haven't really worn this though.

2. Are you planning to increase your collection, consolidate it, or stay put? I don't consider my two watches a collection, but I enjoy looking at watches, mostly from an aesthetic angle, and I'm open to a new purchase if something really clicks. I guess rather fortunately, this almost never happens.

3. Do you have any "rules" about collecting other than "I buy what I like"? I could be perfectly happy with just one watch (my Sub 14060), but I love my Mk XV as well. When I had three watches, I found it a bit of a chore to actually wear them all. Still, I do kind of want to add a dressier watch, but I feel like three should be the max of my non-collection. I would say that my purchases have been governed mostly by "I buy what I like", but I also want some diversity, which rules out some watches that I feel fill similar roles. For instance, I very much like the Explorer (but really only the 1016) and I really like a pre maxi case Pepsi, but I love the no date sub more than either, and since I only want to own few (but to me perfect) watches, I'll happily just enjoy the former two from afar.

4. Do you buy and keep, catch and release, or somewhere in the middle? Had my sub as a one-watch for 20 years before adding two over a couple of years. The first, a PAM 177 has since been sold on (made about as much on that sale as the sub initially cost me), and the other, the Mk XV, I've had for 10 years. The two I have now are keepers.

5. Has your watch collecting ever gotten you in trouble with your wife? My partner and I live in neighbouring countries, so there's not really a risk of that. And I bought my watches before we met. If anything, I think she appreciates my watch gazing (vs collecting) hobby, as it did lead me to buy her a Tank Must de Cartier a few years back
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Stylish Dinosaur
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I assume that most posters in this thread have more than one watch, so I thought it would be interesting to have a discussion about watch collecting.

I'm a hoarder in a sense. Explains it all.

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. I'll take the 5th.

2. Are you planning to increase your collection, consolidate it, or stay put? I have no plans. Might slim it down.

3. Do you have any "rules" about collecting other than "I buy what I like"? No mixed metals. I do have a preference for steel.

4. Do you buy and keep, catch and release, or somewhere in the middle? Somewhere in the middle.

5. Has your watch collecting ever gotten you in trouble with your wife? My partner? No.
 
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pasadena man

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It's a quote, which might be preferable to my math sometimes. I feel sure that its probably all materials , and all variants. I remember the number because I'd heard repeatedly that the RO was most of AP's unit volume, and that was the first time I saw a hard number. I'll try to dredge up the link if I can find it.
I was able to find a couple of the sources I had previously seen on the Royal Oak’s importance to AP. I was intrigued to keep hearing that one of the “trinity” was close to a one model brand. I was frankly surprised at how high these reported numbers are though. That would imply more than 30000 Royal Oak family unit sales a year.

“90% of AP sales Royal Oak”. Maybe not an authoritative source, but presumably a knowledgeable one.
https://www.aviandco.com/7-things-you-should-know-about-audemars-piguet-watches

Chrono24: 56% of AP auctions Royal Oak + 35% RO Offshore=91% of total AP auctions
https://www.chrono24.com/magazine/a...ness-with-a-penchant-for-change-p_51739/#gref



It would be interesting if anyone had seen any unit sales estimates/guesses for Nautilus. Might be tough to come by given how closemouthed PP is on model sales information.
 

Texasmade

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Patek limit's stainless steel production to 25-30% of total production. That includes women's watches too. Per Hodinkee "The majority of the steel-watch output consists of its ladies' Twenty-4 collection."
 

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Patek limit's stainless steel production to 25-30% of total production. That includes women's watches too. Per Hodinkee "The majority of the steel-watch output consists of its ladies' Twenty-4 collection."
There is always white gold. It's not the same ... the cost is a "bit" more ... but the look is similar.
 

smittycl

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Texasmade

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The Seamaster 300M Pro Diver was my first nice watch I bought. I'm wearing my 2220.80 right now. Omega recently released the rubber strap with deployant if you ever want to take it off the bracelet and put on a rubber strap with a deployant vs pin buckle.
 

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