I wear three watches depending on mood. I have a rolex datejust I received as a gift. I wear equally a 1970s 18K rolex submariner that for me has a high cool factor as it was my dads. Lastly for those who are going to call me shallow, I have my great grandfather's Hamilton in gold filled, circa 1940s, I had overhauled by Hamilton. My next purchase is a Patek Cavaltrava with nob head bezel for the craftsman ship.
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The smaller boutique watch houses such as IWC, Jaeger, Patek etc, put out far less volume and use old world craftsmanship and engineering that watchfiles will appreciate.I guess it is all how one wants to view it. One could make a point for the state-of-the-art factory that Rolex has. (Before I go any further, let me make it clear that I have nothing against the brands you list, all wonderful pieces and I'd be glad to wear them.) I would be willing to bet some of these "small" boutique companies would love to be selling at the level of Rolex. Furthermore, I am not sure of what craftsmanship and engineering you are alluding to. In my opinion Rolex takes a lot of heat for two main reasons, some of the people who purchase them, as Newbee alluded and because they are "on top", if you will. On top in that they are a household name and a leader in sales, in regards to mechanical watches. No matter what the topic, those "on top" always have a target, any issue good or bad is amplified. As you stated, Rolex sells a lot of watches, not just because people want to say they have one, although that happens, and kudos to Rolex for building such a name, but there are many that buy them for what they are, an extreemly good mechanical watch, all with in house movements. Spend some time on Timezone.com and you will see that the Rolex forum is the most active with some passionate and (very) knowledgeable people about the brand. |
How to respond without sounding like an elitist snob? Lets just say that Rolex sells about 600,000 watches a year. Yes they are good watches but they are about as common as say Denon or Bose receivers. Not saying that Rolexes are as over hyped as Bose, but they do spend quite a bit on marketing and have cultivated very strong brand equity over the years. The smaller boutique watch houses such as IWC, Jaeger, Patek etc, put out far less volume and use old world craftsmanship and engineering that watchfiles will appreciate. Yes "cool" is in the eye of the beholder, I think watches are cool, others may not and don't see the purpose when a $20 Timex probably keeps better time. I don't wear a watch because I want people to think I'm wealthy (and I'm not), I just love the way it looks and how it feels on my wrist. To put it into your terms, some Agon members may drool over a $85,000 Kondo amp, but the general public will think you're quite insane. |
Now the test. Other than casework, what makes either of these watches superior to the two I mentioned on 4/18/7?Unfortunately this would most likely turn into a squabble! For those who think its important to wear something on their wrist that everyone who looks will recognize and interpert it to mean that the wearer is 'wealthy'?Unfortunaly this is the mindset of many; while I am sure there is some truth to this for some people, it is not for many, so not a fair statement. |
I'm confused by these last two posts. Rolex an everyday watch? For those who think its important to wear something on their wrist that everyone who looks will recognize and interpert it to mean that the wearer is 'wealthy'? At least most people, except for watch enthusiasts, won't even know what and IWC is. Now the test. Other than casework, what makes either of these watches superior to the two I mentioned on 4/18/7? |
I got a Rolex SS Date a while ago for a birthday and I wore it religously everyday because its so versatile, sports, work, formal... I recently treated myself to a IWC Portugeuse Chrono. Love that watch, wonderful understated design and classic looks. Rolexes are fine as an everyday watch but they don't hold a candle to IWC in terms of cool. Those who know this iconic watch give you a knowing wink when they see it. |
MRE2007, FWIW I've had a Sinn Chronometer/chronograph for about 8 years. Outstanding time keeper. It really is a chronometer. I loose less than a minute a month. I'm not familar with your selection, but don't hesitate just because most folks have never heard of them. I bought my watch in an auction on E-Bay for $825. It was a German model which was rebadged and imported - sold for retail in excess of $3500. I also picked up an Eterna-matic Kontiki chronometer in the same price range. Another winner. Unfortunately you'd have to put on a new wrist band as they both come with matching metal bands. You could probably find some rubber bands. |
Oh boy, how did I miss this thread? Let's see, today I have on my Panerai 050, also have a Glashutte Original Panamatic Lunar in Stainless Steel (my Favorite), Breitling Aerospace, and a Citizen dive computer watch. Goy my wife a JLC reverso recently, as I wanted one but felt guilty about getting another one for me;) Next will be a PAM 231, but need to wait until te bonus for that;) |
L.L. Bean is my watch (it is made by Hamilton). I bought it in the 70's. I wore it all over Alaska for many years. I didn't wear it for actual work (Journeyman Lineman/Electrical), but it bounced around the line truck for years. I wore it hunting, fishing and even a 3000 mile bicycle (Mountain bike) trip from Bellingham Washington back up to interior Alaska (via the unpaved Cassiar route, not the Alcan). It now has an easier life here with me in Georgia, but it is still bounced around a bit. It has been through many wristbands (both metal and leather) plus a few crystals (and many batteries). It still works and keeps good time. When I decided to get out of the tools and get into the "chair" at a (electrical utility) system distribution center, I (like many other Operator, Dispatchers) bought a "high end" watch. A reliable and highly accurate watch was required due to switching and other critical procedures performed in a electrical distribution center. I ended up, initially, with a Rolex Submariner (about 1K at the time). It ran fast. I took it back (Zales return policy at the time) and traded it in for another model, an "Explorer", I think (maybe a bit cheaper). It too, did not have the accuracy that I needed. I ended up going back to the "Bean". It has held near perfect time since day one. One (and probably only) bad thing about it though, I hated the "Yuppie" stigma attached to the L.L. Bean name. The Rolex was even worse. People always rolling their eyes and cracking jokes (both to me and behind my back). Buttt.... work and work well it did, AND it still does. I am retired now and rarely wear the watch. It is still here, somewhere in the house or maybe the car. It still works fine. It's just a bit beat up, but not too bad. The best part about the watch ? That's easy. It still has time for memories. Many of them, at any time. |
I noticed this thread keeps resurfacing every now and then. I also noticed some members needing advice on watches and links were duly provided to help them. Good links, however, allow me to add one morefor the benefit of members. I frequently visit this forum being a member. Hope someone finds it useful. http://forums.watchuseek.com/index.php? Cheers |
Thanks (or not) to this thread my passing interest in nice watches has been fueled. As reccomended above, I have visited the website for watches and learned a lot in a short amount of time.... I have now ordered a ORIS TT3, and I am looking a B&M Classima Executive for more dressy ocaitions.. When you look close as a nice watch, they are really beautiful.... (sorry for the grammer, I am in a hurry) John |
I'm probably not going to be doing too much diving, but I suppose that could be helpful with not burning the brownies. I'll probably burn them anyway, thoughThat's hilarious, Goatwuss! I'm not a diver, but I've owned a number of diving watches, including a Seamaster that I recently inherited. Very comfortable watch, and excellent for attracting the Bond girls! |
Can someone explain what function this serves, with a specific use case outlining a scenario where someone would use the rotating bezel to serve some purpose?The Seamaster is a diving watch, with a rotating bezel that can be locked in place. The purpose of rotating the bezel is to set the large marker that is normally at the 12 o'clock position while on land to the time at which you enter the water. That way, you can track how many minutes remain until the air in your tank expires, without having to remember what time you descended. Most are uni-directional, so if they are accidentally moved, they rotate clockwise, thereby indicating less time remaining than actual...for safety purposes. Does that make sense? |
Hey I have a question for the watch experts. I am a watch noob. It seems as though many of the $$$ watches such as this Omega Seamaster that I like... : http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=557&pos=7&no_cache=1 ...have a "rotating" bezel with numbers on it. Can someone explain what function this serves, with a specific use case outlining a scenario where someone would use the rotating bezel to serve some purpose? thank you!! |
Jb8312, The one other thing I would suggest is definitely see the watches in person, and try them on your wrist. It's remarkable how your list of favorites can change once you actually try them on. I had this experience with a Girard-Perregaux Laureato Evo3, which I thought was just OK in photos, but flipped for it in person...and I bought it. Like audio, fine watches can be a very gratifying hobby. And the folks on the Time Zone threads are really supportive and helpful. If you need suggestions for dealers of specific brands, email me privately, and I'll do whatever I can to help. |
Can you all lead to me a site where I can learn about watches? Which brands are respected vs which brands are more "desginer" (which I want to stay away from)???Check out Time Zone . Take a look under the brand forums. Some of the top brands that are highly respected: Rolex, Panerai, Audemars Piguet, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, Roger Dubuis... http://www.watchnet.com is also a good site. Enjoy! |
I am thinking of spending ($3-6K) on a "nice" sportish/dressyish watch. Reading this thread suggests that I need to do much more research... Can you all lead to me a site where I can learn about watches? Which brands are respected vs which brands are more "desginer" (which I want to stay away from)??? Thanks, John |
Dean, A few years ago, we had the opportunity to meet the head of IWC at a jewelers in Seattle. Because of his visit, they had brought along with them virtually every model in the line-up. We were able to closely examine the Grande Complications watch, in which nearly every part is made of gold, as well as made by hand. It was an extraordinary piece, the second most impressive wristwatch I've seen to date. First honors goes to the Girard-Perregaux Three Bridges, which we saw in a watch museum in Switzerland. I sat over the display case like a surgeon over a patient, examining that thing for over half an hour. A friend who is a big watch collector--he has the IWC Destriero Scafusia--once loaned me a Lange 1, a $20K watch made by Lange & Sohne. Some loaner, huh? You could get the chills simply by feeling the movement of the watch. Smoothest winding I've ever felt. I had several nice watches at the time, and they all felt gritty in comparison. One day, I intend to get to CES. And also to the Basel Watch Fair. |
