Watches you wear...

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Table 5

That's a really solid list, Torque. I feel like JLC are the ultimate in understated elegance.

I have that exact moonwatch. I'm not sure I'd spend the extra $ for the sapphire back the second time around (while interesting for the first while, you kind of forget about it), but its a nice little thing to show people if they ask about your watch, ha.

Though I'd never fit an aftermarket one just to have it, I am a sucker for display backs. When I was 7 or 8, a relative brought me a fake Rolex from India, and taking the back off only to realize it was all mechanical is what got me into watches in the first place. Watching the balance wheel spin back and forth, all the gears turning ever so slightly with each vibration. It was magical for a kid who mostly enjoyed playing with Lego, Meccano, and his computer.

The JLC and the Omega both have them, the Rolex is a solid back, and the Patek 5712 also has one. I have a 40mm Explorer II and an early 2000s Sea Dweller as well, but if I was to define my ultimate watch box with just four pieces, the ones I listed above would be them.

[Table 5]

It definitely is a nice little show-and-tell feature for kids and those times when people who wonder what's so special about mechanical watches.

[DoubleF]

Nevermind...

[longsuffering]

Would there be any interest in organizing a get together for the watch guys on the forum? I've attended a couple arranged through the Timezone forum. It's just a matter of selecting a location (restaurant). They're good fun A bunch of watch nerds sharing their collections.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Table 5

There are plenty of great used Omegas out there to consider (you can use an aggregator like http://www.watchrecon.com/). These are watches that last for decades if taken care off, so unless you need to spend the $ for a new watch, there's no need to buy new.

And nothing wrong with going with a more traditional watch. I have a Speedmaster that is my "for life" watch, and love that it transcends any trend that may come and go. It looked great 50 years ago, and it will look great 50 years from now.

Same goes for that Rolex TorqueDog bought...that thing is timeless.

I guess that for a "for life" watch that I pass on to future generations, etc. it would mean more to me to have bought it new and was the only ever owner, etc. It's a silly reason for sure but makes sense in my head

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

What's the point of this title? Watches you wear... vs. what... watches you keep on a shelf?

It should be called 'Clocks you wear' if anything, the definition of a watch is a clock that you wear so it's redundant to specify the wearing part.

We could change it to "horological *hores" if it is more accurate description according to your logic.

[Hack&Lube]

This reminds me, my grandfather had a Girard Perregaux gold watch he left in my safe deposit box. It's not something I would often wear as it's a vintage watch and quite small (almost ladies sized) but I should figure out what watch it is.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

This reminds me, my grandfather had a Girard Perregaux gold watch he left in my safe deposit box. It's not something I would often wear as it's a vintage watch and quite small (almost ladies sized) but I should figure out what watch it is.

Cool. Gramps must have been a sharp-dressed man. Two minutes of internetting tells me that prices for vintage GPs vary wildly in price.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

Would there be any interest in organizing a get together for the watch guys on the forum? I've attended a couple arranged through the Timezone forum. It's just a matter of selecting a location (restaurant). They're good fun A bunch of watch nerds sharing their collections.

Sounds pretty cool. But I feel like I'd be a guy showing up on a bike to an exotic car meet.

I guess I'll repeat my question from earlier.... although it does sound a little weird.

How does one justify keeping a watch shelved? I have my eye on the Omega Aqua Terra (Blue or Bond, still deciding) but circumstances would keep me from using that thing as a daily driver. I'm also a little odd in the sense that I literally have something like 5-6 watches on cycle. All are <$300 watches. Going from these to an Aqua Terra is insane scaling. Is there a need to justify the purchase somehow?

My second question is regarding a weird habit I've noticed lately. I've been finding myself browsing Breguet, Vacheron Constantine and IWC watches that are on occasion nearly as old to triple my age. I've weirdly been fascinated by hand winding watches that are on occasion from the 1930s to 1980s. Are these watches something to avoid?

Lastly, what makes a person a watch guy/collector? Is it the ownership of the watches? The knowledge of the watches? Or the history of the watches? I've further noticed that in general, many watch people have no issue with others "not preferring" certain brands. In other circles, that's a no no.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

How does one justify keeping a watch shelved? I have my eye on the Omega Aqua Terra (Blue or Bond, still deciding) but circumstances would keep me from using that thing as a daily driver. I'm also a little odd in the sense that I literally have something like 5-6 watches on cycle. All are <$300 watches. Going from these to an Aqua Terra is insane scaling. Is there a need to justify the purchase somehow?

I justify it in the same way I justify buying an expensive pair of shoes. I have three pairs of dress shoes (different colors) between $350 and $500. "What in the hell do you need a $500 pair of shoes for?" Because the ones I bought will last me 20 years or more. They're goodyear welted, I can re-sole them, and as long as I keep the cordovan polished, they'll last a long damn time. So over time, it's better value to buy the long lasting shoes as opposed to wearing through a pair of $70 every 6 - 9 months as I used to. Quality lasts. I spend less money over time for a larger capital expenditure now. And because I didn't pick anything too fashion forward or dated, the style isn't likely to fall out of favor. And I don't need to wear my dress shoes every day to realize that value. There are some days that wearing them would be wholly inappropriate for any number of reasons.

Same thing applies to watches. I think Seiko makes quite a nice watch, but let's say you need to have it serviced after ten years, there's a chance you're going to be screwed because Seiko only keeps parts around for ten years (twenty for Grand Seiko). You can take a Rolex Submariner from the 60s in for service and Rolex can service it for you (there are caveats to why you might not want them to replace certain parts on one, but that's a different topic altogether). You're not going to see something like this featuring a Bulova.

I could have 20 or 30 cheap watches and have all the variety in the world, or have a few nice watches that look great, last a long time, and hold their value well. That's the other great thing, certain brands like Rolex, Patek, etc. appreciate in value. I won't lose money on that Oyster Perpetual, and you could argue I've already made money if you look at the used listings now. I have an old Citizen Eco Drive that an ex-girlfriend bought me that I probably couldn't give away, and the replacement battery costs more than I could get for the watch.

Originally Posted by DoubleF

My second question is regarding a weird habit I've noticed lately. I've been finding myself browsing Breguet, Vacheron Constantine and IWC watches that are on occasion nearly as old to triple my age. I've weirdly been fascinated by hand winding watches that are on occasion from the 1930s to 1980s. Are these watches something to avoid?

Be prepared to service them if you buy one, and expect it to be expensive, particularly if you're talking about VC or Breguet. IWC shouldn't be nearly as bad. But they are damn cool. Watches were also a much smaller diameter back then, so expect that the size may seem smaller than you're use to. And it probably won't be an 'every day' watch either.

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Lastly, what makes a person a watch guy/collector? Is it the ownership of the watches? The knowledge of the watches? Or the history of the watches? I've further noticed that in general, many watch people have no issue with others "not preferring" certain brands. In other circles, that's a no no.

I think an appreciation for horology is probably what makes someone a 'watch person'. Appreciating the engineering and craftsmanship that goes into building a completely mechanical watch movement that can perform all these different functions in a 36mm diameter movement at about 3.5mm thick, and do it all within +/- 5 seconds a day.

You don't have to be a brand snob (though we all have our biases), you don't have to own something worth tens of thousands of dollars. But having a genuine interest and appreciation for it, I think that's key.

I had a guy that I let look at my watch tell me how nice it was, and then proceed to tell me aloud he was going to buy a replica of it (in a business setting of all places). When I asked why, he said it was because he liked the look of it, he had plenty of watches, and if he could buy a really good fake to get a convincing look of the real deal for a fraction of the price, that's all that mattered to him.

That's not a watch person to me. That's a person who likes jewelry.

[nik-]

I wanted to buy my Baume and Mercier Capeland Flyback so bad ... but everytime I get the money I decide I'd rather spend it on a vacation

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Is there a need to justify the purchase somehow?

Justify it to who?

IMO, the best justification for an expensive watch (or an expensive anything) is "I wanted one and can afford it".

Re: vintage watches, Hodinkee opened a vintage online shop a few months ago. They mostly sell really quickly, but you can see what you might be interested in. They range from ~$1,200 to occasionally crazy expensive.

You can buy cool decades-old watches that will last forever and won't break the bank.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Sounds pretty cool. But I feel like I'd be a guy showing up on a bike to an exotic car meet.

I guess I'll repeat my question from earlier.... although it does sound a little weird.

How does one justify keeping a watch shelved? I have my eye on the Omega Aqua Terra (Blue or Bond, still deciding) but circumstances would keep me from using that thing as a daily driver. I'm also a little odd in the sense that I literally have something like 5-6 watches on cycle. All are <$300 watches. Going from these to an Aqua Terra is insane scaling. Is there a need to justify the purchase somehow?

In my case, I just enjoy the variety. I have more Swiss mechanicals than I'd like to admit, as well as half a dozen or so Seikos, Orients, etc.

I generally wear a watch for 1 or 2 days then switch to something else in my collection and for whatever it's worth, I don't have any hesitation to wear a Rolex one day and a Seiko diver the next. I think a true collector can appreciate what a cheaper Japanese watch offers, even if he or she owns multiple expensive Swiss pieces.

I've also found that if a person buys carefully off the pre-owned market (and you should know what you're doing if you're going down that road), one can own expensive watches that hold their resale value as opposed to buying new from an AD.

Originally Posted by DoubleF

My second question is regarding a weird habit I've noticed lately. I've been finding myself browsing Breguet, Vacheron Constantine and IWC watches that are on occasion nearly as old to triple my age. I've weirdly been fascinated by hand winding watches that are on occasion from the 1930s to 1980s. Are these watches something to avoid?

There is no reason to avoid the vintage market, as long as you know what you're doing. As TourqueDog mentioned, repairing or servicing a vintage VC or Breguet or Patek is going to set you back a lot more than servicing a vintage Omega.

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Lastly, what makes a person a watch guy/collector? Is it the ownership of the watches? The knowledge of the watches? Or the history of the watches? I've further noticed that in general, many watch people have no issue with others "not preferring" certain brands. In other circles, that's a no no.

I don't think there is a hard and fast definition of a collector. It means different things to different people. To me, a collector is someone who has an appreciation for the workmanship that goes into watches. I focus almost completely on mechanical watches as opposed to quartz. I'm fascinated by the precision of these tiny minute machines we can strap to our wrists, many of which are accurate to 99.9999% per day (5 seconds/day).

I don't think you would feel out of place coming to a get-together, even if you feel your collection is somewhat humble. If nothing else, meeting other watch collectors gives you an opportunity to handle and try on a number of different watches than you otherwise might not be exposed to.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

B&Ms are well made and highly regarded. Their designs are what you would want in a classic dress watch. They're known enough that an aficionado will know the brand, but not known enough to draw unwanted attention.

without knowing the movement, I would say yours is probably a ETA 7750 or equivalent. Pretty good movement.

I am not a watch guy (yet), but this is really speaking to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/Baume-Mercier-...er+watches+men

Thoughts from the experts?

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I am not a watch guy (yet), but this is really speaking to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/Baume-Mercier-...er+watches+men

Thoughts from the experts?

The price seems pretty good, though I have a suspicion you might be able to get a slightly better deal somewhere else. You can't go wrong with that model though. Very classy and timeless in appearance.

Edit: looks like ebay has a slightly better deal. The seller is chrono store, so I would say they are a reputable dealer.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Baume-Mercier...gAAOSwTA9X6YKF Oops, didn't realize it was pre-owned.

Nevermind, there's a new one for almost the same price:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Baume-and-Mer...UAAOSwgApXAryO

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I am not a watch guy (yet), but this is really speaking to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/Baume-Mercier-...er+watches+men

Thoughts from the experts?

Very classy and professional looking watch, if you like it I'd go for it.

Even though it's probably the most useless complication ever made for a watch, I've always had a soft spot for the moon phase indicator for its uniqueness and art. I guess it also saves you a trip outside at night to look up if you're a werewolf.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I am not a watch guy (yet), but this is really speaking to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/Baume-Mercier-...er+watches+men

Thoughts from the experts?

It's a fine watch. Richemont, the owners of B&M, are doing some really interesting things with the brand by introducing a number of vintage inspired pieces.

Like NuclearFart, I really dig the moonphase complication and I've always liked the triple date (month, day, date) moonphase variation but the fact that the month and day registers are pretty tiny and my eyes are old, I've opted for a simple moonphase and date watch in my collection.

Also you should be aware that the B&M with it's 43 mm case is fairly large for a dress watch.

You may want to consider a couple other similar options in the marketplace in your price range (or possibly cheaper).

Frederique Constant isn't a large brand but they offer in house movements in many of their watches. They offer this 42 mm moonphase with date which is clearly inspired by the JLC version of this complication.



Montblanc, which is also part of the Richemont group offer a similar moonphase and date model at a more traditional 39 mm size.



I hope this helps a bit.

Good luck with your purchase!

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I am not a watch guy (yet), but this is really speaking to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/Baume-Mercier-...er+watches+men

Thoughts from the experts?

I have this Capeland and really like it. I find Baume watches very classy and timeless in design. A nice understated watch in an era when many watches are going big and blinged out.
The one you've posted in particular looks very clean and classic.

[Table 5]

Baume and Mercier are nicely built, and they play the part of "luxury swiss watch" well, but to me they kind of fall into that category where you're spending a good chunk of money but not really getting anything special or unique. But they are nice watches for sure, and if it speaks to you, get it.

If I was in your shoes and shopping for a long-term dress watch, I'd rather save up and get myself up into the next category where you have names like IWC, Zenith or JLC as options.

[TorqueDog]

I said I had another on its way, and it arrived today via FedEx.

Omega Speedmaster Professional 3572.50

Seen here sitting with its new watch box neighbor...


Hesalite front crystal, sapphire back. Manual winding, rhodium-plated cal. 1861 chronograph movement.

I have some PolyWatch on the way, as the hesalite has some fine scratches that could stand to be buffed out. The bracelet and clasp look like they've been polished a little too much in order to smooth out some desk diving marks (the bracelet and clasp should be brushed with the center links planked by those polished bits), so I could always just re-brush the bracelet where needed.

First things first, it wasn't cleaned very well, so I'll need to get on that. Just a mild cleaner and a soft toothbrush. Speedy Moonwatches are basically 'splashproof', so you want to avoid most exposure to water with them, and you sure as hell don't want to swim in one.

I picked this up from WatchVaultNYC, a trusted seller from Chrono24.com. They overnighted it to my house, and I ended up getting $500 off their listed price of $3,299. As longsuffering said, there are bargains to be had on the used market if you look carefully.