Watch Thread - Part Deux

Take a shot of a can of tuna fish on your wrist and post it here. Let us be the judge.

 

As someone who occasionally hops in this thread entirely to have an idea of what friends are talking about, but no actual interest in watches, I’m a bit stunned by all the comments about the authorized dealers. This industry works the same way as all the other luxury goods industries. Why haven’t you all sought out real life mentors who have relationships with the AD? That mentor is the signal of trustworthiness and seriousness to the AD. They should also be able to tell you something like “hey, you fuck yourself by passing on this watch they are offering. Here’s what you do when you spend $X on the watch you don’t want which actually works out to your benefit.”

 

People are just tired of playing those games.

 

I think I can get a 2023 Hesalite lightly used in the 5k range. Buying from this guy avoids tax, and seemingly a known quantity vs. hoping someone ships it to you on r/watchexchange. Chrono24 is an option you just have tax.

 

Birkin bags and Ferraris, first that come to mind.

The more exclusive, limited edition Porsche models require relationships and dealer gifts.

 

Quickly: Handbags & luxury sports cars.

 

"Go find an old rich watch collector that will vouch for you and then buy a bunch of watches and sell them at a loss so one day maybe you can be considered worthy enough to give an AD msrp for a watch."

lol fuck that entire system. I hope they go direct and cut the AD's out entirely.

 

High end wine would be my best comparison. Especially with smaller wineries that have super exclusive member-only lists. BUT they are still a lot of times managing those lists and members directly and not through a cashier at ABC.

Handbags I guess isn’t surprising at all but I know nothing about it.

 

Yeah, some bourbons are the same too

 

Imo the mentor idea is definitely not the easy solution you're making it out to be. For starters, it's not easy to find a guy who has a legitimate connection to Rolex, AP, or Patek who is then also willing to let me, in this example, leverage his connection to buy watches. It's far more likely that guy is looking out for himself and would rather buy the watches we're all trying to get. At best, having Joe Schmo say that "XYZ from the internet wants to spend a bunch of money on your watches" versus me just telling the AD the same thing doesn't really move the needle, unless Joe has a hell of a connection.

In my personal experience, and what has worked well with Rolex, is to gather a list of anything I would buy and my family/friends would buy and then to give that list to the AD with a "here's everything my family or I would buy and we don't care how long it takes." You get a much more serious response than the 1 guy off the street who wants a steel Daytona. For whatever reason, that same approach with AP has gotten little response. And it's an impossible option if you don't have friends/family who are into watches. We have a better chance of combining purchase power with people in this thread than the average person would trying to rely on friends/family.

 

Whiskey allocation is almost entirely related to spend.

Spoiler: boring whiskey stuff

I’ve had a store owner show me a receipt of customer that bought something like a palate of Platinum 7X vodka to get a full BTAC line.

A restaurant manager bought an egregious amount of 1792 to get ORVW 10, Lot B, and PVW15.

Distributors are incentivized by the distilleries to move certain products. The distributors in turn tie their store’s/restaurant’s allocations to purchases of those products.

 

I didn't start the AD discussion, I just added my experience.

You really don't have to cape for what happened or spin it. I'm not even blaming your friend. Not sure why you feel the need to blame me when I did nothing wrong. Maybe I didn't play the game the exact proper way but that's the entire point of this discussion. The entire system is shit. lol @ being entitled bc I think it's shit that I've waited for 6 years for a watch. I think anyone in my shoes would be annoyed.

Your bias is due to you having benefited from the system.

 

At the end of the day, these watches tell time at a functionally equivalent level of a $10 watch. The primary value is derived from the social value of exclusivity and eliteness of paying an exorbitant amount of money to show you can. Thus, you are going to need to play by the rules the industry has put in place to maintain that societal value.

 

Even the ADs are sick of it.

I think I told this story before but I walked into a local AD to ask about a Datejust. Had just found one online that was the config I wanted but obvs preferred a newer version. Asked about that and was told 12-18 months. So I shifted to ask about authentication and service for a pre-owned purchase.

She said “Oh, don’t do that - buy from us.”

I replied “That’s what I’m trying to do but you don’t have it.”

She was embarrassed and kinda let on that it’s not great.

 

I believe they're also at the mercy of what they receive. That is, they may get an oyster bracelet when you want a jubilee, ora smooth bezel when you want a fluted.

 

I mean sure...but you could reduce literally anything that's expensive and somewhat difficult to get to what you did above. A nice purse is functionally equivalent to a free grocery bag to hold your stuff, so jump through hoops to get a Birkin. A nice car is functionally equivalent to something cheap to drive from point A to B, so tough luck if you want a Ferrari. Nice bourbon/whiskey is still just used to get you intoxicated, so play their game to get it.

That's a fairly reductionist view of any of those consumer products and the subjective value someone places on them.

And I think plenty ITT would disagree that the primary value is from the exclusivity and the social value of showing that you can afford an expensive watch. I largely don't like wearing flashy nice watches in public. I'd rather wear something that's low key and harder to recognize that I like than an all gold Rolex everyone recognizes. The primary value I assign to them is in the craftsmanship, design, and day-to-day enjoyment I get out of wearing them.

Completely agreed that the ADs are fed up. I've had multiple complain to me about their lack of inventory, unpredictability of what they'll get and when from the brand, etc. Having to wait 12-18 months for a datejust is absurd.

 

Speaking of a can of tuna, a couple posts I submitted in 2019 (below). Awesome mods.

Yobokies Albacore II

 

Also anyone who wants to be flashy can buy something like a gold Day Date. They don’t buy an expensive steel watch that 98 out of 100 people won’t recognize.

 

You sure about that part? I have a $10 quartz Timex that is objectively better at telling time (the primary function of a watch) than any of my more expensive pieces.

I think we all do agree that the craftsmanship and nuanced mechanical movements are something that you can admire, but there's no way on value that they are worth 1000x of a piece that does the same utility in a better way, unless you are trying to flash status.

 

Value is subjective. The primary value I personally assign to a watch is not to tell time. I have a phone for that. It’s also not to flash status; I barely wear any designer clothes and prefer jeans and a hoodie over anything with a logo. I haven’t met a single girl who knows what watch I’m wearing, and the odds of a guy recognizing an expensive watch are minuscule in my experience. Watches are terrible ways to flash status unless you’re literally posting pictures of them on your IG page. You’re better off buying designer logo clothes and expensive cars. Hell buying flashy sneakers is also a better way to show status.

I like watches as a piece of jewelry that I personally enjoy wearing and for which I appreciate the design/craftsmanship. They’re personally fun to wear, but I don’t expect anyone to recognize that I have on a watch.

 

I'm sure if I put a Rolex and a Seiko under a loupe I could tell the difference in craftsmanship but on my wrist I can't so I'm not going to say I wanted a Rolex bc of that. I don't think flexing is the main reason either, although I'm not going to lie and say it had zero affect. I wear it on a Nato and very few even notice it. For me, it's more that I'm a sucker for advertising. I've been told for 40 years that a Rolex is a good watch so when I got to a point I could buy one, I did. I know some people buy a watch to signify a moment in their life. For me, it was like being able to buy the watch was the moment, if that makes sense. Buying it felt like an accomplishment. I specifically want the GMT more bc my dad's mentor wore one back in the 80s and I've always remembered thinking that's what a nice watch was. I knew that blue/red watch before I even knew it was called a GMT. Hell I wanted it when I called the bezel "that twisty thing."

 

Ya they're classic. I just meant the comment more from the flash/status perspective. Very few people would recognize a Vacheron or Audemars. Far more people would know you have on a yellow gold day-date.

 

I agree with basically everything you said here, but at the end of the day like you said, value is subjective. And I think a lot of the subjective value in the $10k+ range is to flex a bit and if you disagree I think you're not being truthful with yourself.

 

Can someone inform an idiot novice like myself what the differences are in the speedy pros at the top of the link are vs near the bottom? Thanks.

https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/watches/speedmaster/moonwatch-professional/catalog

 

Think I’d take the VC 222 over it, but yes I’ll have one of them eventually.

 

I’m pretty sure it’s just the older models of both the hesalite and sapphire versions.

I know it’s the real deal but man, I could not bear to spend $6,000 on a watch and watch the crystal get scratched to shit.

 

I tried on a bunch of Grand Seikos at the boutique in NYC. Came close to pulling the trigger on the snowflake, but was really enamored with the blue snowflake but it only came on a leather strap. I am realizing now that people buy the blue one and add the bracelet for 5-600 bucks..... this is really moving up my list.




The navy croc strap that comes with the blue one is nice, just a little too dressed up for day to day wear

 

I love the contrast of the blue leather

 

I think that watch looks really good on a leather strap. Maybe just a different leather strap than you got to see.

 

I loved it on the leather, I just don't wear leather that much. Ideally I have the leather and the bracelet and can swap it out.

 

I think you’re golden with that bracelet, maybe add in a rubber nato.

 

Well after changing my mind a million times I bought a 3861 Hesalite Speedmaster. Found a new one on the grey market for a good price. Will post pics when it shows up.

 

What is the grey market?

 

Basically just not directly from a brick and mortar authorized retailer. I paid 5600 with no tax for a watch that comes with a Nov. 2023 warranty (so basically 4.5 years of Omega factory warranty) all the boxes and papers and has been worn like twice. If I went to the local boutique it would have been 7000+ tax and they probably would have thrown in a rubber strap for free.

 

Picked up my first tough solar purchase…it’s a Japanese import.

 

This should come with every Santos.

 

Buy it, bitch.