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Fine Watches

glennkglennkMember
I first learned of Hublot through a Jay-Z song. Rap gives me so much culture…. Wink

I have been looking at the IWC Portuguese Chronograph with the stainless steel case and blue alligator strap. Can’t pull the trigger now as we have some other things going on, but if our stock price can make a move that thing is mine.
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by KSC02:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
I'm not a huge fan of Patek, but excellent watches. I think Hublot is doing some interesting things currently.

Much of their work is quite conservative in nature (from a 'fashion' sense)true. However, their time pieces are unarguably timeless.


Timeless for sure.

I would select Vacheron Constantin over Patek for such a style, but you can not go wrong with either.
robsutherlandrobsutherlandMember
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
quote:
Originally posted by KSC02:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
I'm not a huge fan of Patek, but excellent watches. I think Hublot is doing some interesting things currently.

Much of their work is quite conservative in nature (from a 'fashion' sense)true. However, their time pieces are unarguably timeless.


Timeless for sure.

I would select Vacheron Constantin over Patek for such a style, but you can not go wrong with either.



I would add Breguet to that list if you are looking for simple, elegant, timeless watches in that sphere. That said, if you’re going for a timeless dress watch IMHO it is hard to beat a Patek Calatrava.

There are a lot of Pateks that to me aren’t timeless, they speak (at least to me) of a very specific era. I think these are the ones I like the best! The Ellipse is a pure “1968 driving your Ferrari Daytona down to Nice” watch. Love it. The Nautilus is “1987 sitting on Wall Street and smirking at the guys wearing their Rolexes and Royal Oaks who up until they saw your watch though they were the power brokers in the room”. Iconic.

I love the Ellipse, but my wife hates it… A Nautilus though is definitely on my short bucket list of watches I want to own.
vintvintMember
Like many people, I have never owned a "fine watch". $200 was the most I had ever spent on a watch, but reading this forum and seeing the passion with which some of you discuss the topic motivated me to take the plunge.

I started at what I'm certain many 'watch connoisseurs' would consider the low end of the scale but nonetheless am pleased with my IWC GST Alarm in titanium. Watch details here (although this is not where it was purchased).

These forums are going to break me!
Last edited by vint
M mrpostcardMember
I have owned a number of "fine" watches.

Currently wear a Zenith Defy Classic. It is virtually bullet-proof, impervious to scratches, unbreakable and a very accurate timekeeper. Its tactile feel is perfect, good balance on the wrist, soft durable rubber strap and with the exception of the date, very very legible. Added benefits are it is a headturner and conversation started.

By no means is it a good investment. I have never been offered even a decent trade-in.

On the other hand as storer of value, my experience indicates nothing comes close to either a Patek Philippe or Rolex. Both of those hold their value or appreciate like none other when bought even reasonably correctly.

There are many others I like and have enjoyed. So many really good choices and only 1 left wrist.
G g-manMember
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
With g-man on the prowl for a Patek pocket watch, and his infamous lack of patience, I'm expecting a post of a purchase within the next month. Big Grin


the guy wouldn't budge on 500$ ;-)

and I waas going to say fine, but then I thought of a bottle or two of l'ermita that I could be drinking while looking at the watch!
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
With g-man on the prowl for a Patek pocket watch, and his infamous lack of patience, I'm expecting a post of a purchase within the next month. Big Grin


the guy wouldn't budge on 500$ ;-)

and I waas going to say fine, but then I thought of a bottle or two of l'ermita that I could be drinking while looking at the watch!


g-man, as I said in our text, $5000 was not a bad price at all, but much like wine, there will always be a different watch for sale. Cool
G g-manMember
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
quote:
Originally posted by g-man:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
With g-man on the prowl for a Patek pocket watch, and his infamous lack of patience, I'm expecting a post of a purchase within the next month. Big Grin


the guy wouldn't budge on 500$ ;-)

and I waas going to say fine, but then I thought of a bottle or two of l'ermita that I could be drinking while looking at the watch!


g-man, as I said in our text, $5000 was not a bad price at all, but much like wine, there will always be a different watch for sale. Cool


that was what i woudl went up to

but 5k$ + 25% buyers + 10% tax + 2.5% cc charge is no longer 5k ;-)
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by MoselleLuxemburg:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
quote:
Originally posted by MoselleLuxemburg:
Just wanted to renew the battery of my old watch, but couldn't resist a Herbelin Newport Trophy Grand Sport 36796, dont know if it qualifies for a "fine watch", but looks good.


43mm?


43x43x11 not exactly tiny


While not tiny, not large based on today's standards. Wink

I hope it is a great watch for you, Moselle.

I bought a new watch while in Italy this month. Just what I needed.
V vinaigreMember
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
quote:
Originally posted by DoktaP:
My brother-in-law has 2 Patek' (18k) and just got a Hublot Big Bang blue dial.


I'm not a huge fan of Patek, but excellent watches. I think Hublot is doing some interesting things currently.


Went to see the Hublot Big Bang series as I found them quite nice, they are certainly not cheap watches Eek ....
I also looked at Panerai....

You guys are going to get me divorced if I go thru with this mad idea of mine... Bang
robsutherlandrobsutherlandMember
Finally received the quote for fixing my JLC Reverso (it’s a duotime and the pusher for changing the hours on one of the faces broke plus it needed a regular service). They had to send it to the factory in Switzerland for the quote which took 7 weeks. They expect it to be ready in 14-20 weeks… To make matters worse, I had to sit down when they gave me the quote.

Oh the joys…
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by Vinaigre:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
Which Panerai did you look at?


Several, but the Luminor 1950 GMT series is one that interests me a lot.


Vinaigre, if it matters to you, the Panerai's are holding their value like few watches in their price range.

Also, if you decide on Hublot, my watch guy may be able to get you a good price. KSC02 & Steve8 have my email. The market for Panerai is very set currently.

Let me know if I can help.
robsutherlandrobsutherlandMember
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
quote:
Originally posted by Vinaigre:
quote:
Originally posted by wine+art:
Which Panerai did you look at?


Several, but the Luminor 1950 GMT series is one that interests me a lot.


Vinaigre, if it matters to you, the Panerai's are holding their value like few watches in their price range.

Also, if you decide on Hublot, my watch guy may be able to get you a good price. KSC02 & Steve8 have my email. The market for Panerai is very set currently.

Let me know if I can help.


I can't remember is the 1950 GMT a 44mm or 47mm?

I have a pam111 which is 44mm and while big has turned into my wife's everyday watch. The 47mm on the other hand are too big. I had a pam127 until it became too expensive to wear but as much as I loved it, it was always too big on my wrist (and only some shirts went over it which was a pain).

That said, panerai's have such a huge following that resale prices are robust and it's easy to trade/sell out of the watch. If you are looking I would go to paneristi.com and buy one there. Best bang for the buck.
mangiaremangiareMember
I'm officially in the market for my first "serious" watch. The three that I really like so far are:
1. Panerai Radiomir 8 Day Pink Gold PAM197 (or white gold - just haven't seen one yet)
2. IWC Portuguese Automatic White Gold - its got an awesome grey dial that is contemporary yet timeless.
3. Patek Nautilus - tried all three watches on and this is the one I liked the least on my wrist. Kinda surprising but I have just started the process and in no rush.

Any Toronto gents have any recommendations? I'm also going to be in Nassau in September and S. Korea in October for a wedding if anyone has any purchase advice? TIA
InsightInsightMember
Dunno if there are any forum guidelines looking askance at this. I'm divesting myself of a portion of my vintage Rolex collection. My collection grew larger than I expected, and I'm looking to consolidate into a handful of pieces. If anyone's interested, I've got the following posted (or soon to be) on a well-known Rolex forum:

Red 1680 Submariner with box, papers and accessories - 3.1M serial equates to a 1971 or 1972 date of manufacture/sale

Matte dial transitional 16800 Submariner complete set - 8.3M serial with guarantee paperwork indicating watch was originally sold in 1984

1655 Explorer II "Steve McQueen" (or more accurately, the "Freccione") orange hand with box, papers and booklet - 7.4M serial equals a 1982 date of manufacture

Email is epark at fusionstorm dot com in case anyone's interested........
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by mangiare:

I'm officially in the market for my first "serious" watch. The three that I really like so far are:
1. Panerai Radiomir 8 Day Pink Gold PAM197 (or white gold - just haven't seen one yet)
2. IWC Portuguese Automatic White Gold - its got an awesome grey dial that is contemporary yet timeless.


Mangiare, excellent!

I have been a fan ( owned) of both Panerai and IWC for a very long time, and think both of these are great options.

Let us watch nuts know what you buy.
W wine+artMember
quote:
Originally posted by fusionstorm:
Dunno if there are any forum guidelines looking askance at this. I'm divesting myself of a portion of my vintage Rolex collection. My collection grew larger than I expected, and I'm looking to consolidate into a handful of pieces. If anyone's interested, I've got the following posted (or soon to be) on a well-known Rolex forum:

Red 1680 Submariner with box, papers and accessories - 3.1M serial equates to a 1971 or 1972 date of manufacture/sale

Matte dial transitional 16800 Submariner complete set - 8.3M serial with guarantee paperwork indicating watch was originally sold in 1984

1655 Explorer II "Steve McQueen" (or more accurately, the "Freccione") orange hand with box, papers and booklet - 7.4M serial equals a 1982 date of manufacture

Email is epark at fusionstorm dot com in case anyone's interested........


fusionstorm, while I have never been a fan of Rolex in general, nice collection indeed.

Good luck.
robsutherlandrobsutherlandMember
quote:
Originally posted by mangiare:
I'm officially in the market for my first "serious" watch. The three that I really like so far are:
1. Panerai Radiomir 8 Day Pink Gold PAM197 (or white gold - just haven't seen one yet)
2. IWC Portuguese Automatic White Gold - its got an awesome grey dial that is contemporary yet timeless.
3. Patek Nautilus - tried all three watches on and this is the one I liked the least on my wrist. Kinda surprising but I have just started the process and in no rush.

Any Toronto gents have any recommendations? I'm also going to be in Nassau in September and S. Korea in October for a wedding if anyone has any purchase advice? TIA



The Pam197 is a really nice watch and has a JLC movement which is a huge plus in my books. It’s a very comfortable watch, understated and will hold its value. Can go with anything as well from casual polo shirt to suit.

I’m not a huge fan of the IWC, especially in white gold as you’re really paying for a material only you know is there (kind of like buying a white gold Daytona). It’s an expensive watch for what it is IMHO. It’s also not a great fit on my wrist so I may be biased… That and you see soooo many IWC Portugueses around.

I’m a great lover of the Nautilus but you have to get the right size and face to fit your needs and wrist. The jumbo is just a little too big on me and I’m a fan of the older face. If you don’t like it on your wrist what about an Aquanaut? Supremely comfortable, very versatile and you’re not going to see many other people wearing one.

In that price range I would also look at Jaeger LeCoultre. The AMVOX line is similar to what styles you’re looking at (I’m a big fan of the Aston Martin DBS Chronograph). If you like chronographs the Extreme world Chrono is a great watch (just again too big for me). As a proud Reverso owner, I have to thrown that one out as well. Such a great watch.

You could also go for a basic Royal Oak. A little clunkier, but pretty classic.

I’m also a huge fan of the pam192 Tantalium chrono, maybe one of the prettiest Panerai’s to my eyes. You might be able to get one in your price band.

If you stretch a little (or find a good deal) you’re almost in the range for a Lange 1, the Holy Grail for many and a really beautiful watch (Solaris at bay and front has one you can try on).

I would say though that if you’re going to spend that kind of money, and it’s your 1st big watch purchase I would go classic instead of popular at the moment. Classic will always be just that. You probably won’t get bored with it (which can be very expensive) whereas a, say Bell & Ross or Hubolt big bang or something like that has a higher likelihood of getting stale.
robsutherlandrobsutherlandMember
Also go to TimeZone and look through the showcase watches for sale section.

I don’t know if I would buy a new watch when I could buy at such a discount from those forumites. I’ve bought two watches off of that site and saved many thousands of dollars and both times the watches looked and acted brand new, coming with all boxes and paperwork. Many of them make us look blasé about wine in comparison!
mangiaremangiareMember
thanks - this will give me something to think about.
Rob - I definitely agree with the classic vs. what's in/hot right now. The one reason I like the IWC white gold is because of that greyish face.
In my virgin watch travels, it was the first I had seen and really liked it. I'm leaning toward the Panerai right now but for some reason really want to like the Patek. I'm going to try an Aquanaut.

Regarding the Royal Oak, I've been turned off lately. Not sure why but not interested.
I'm in absolutely no rush.

Thanks for the TimeZone referral. Cool
Last edited by mangiare
robsutherlandrobsutherlandMember
quote:
Originally posted by mangiare:
thanks - this will give me something to think about.
Rob - I definitely agree with the classic vs. what's in/hot right now. The one reason I like the IWC white gold is because of that greyish face.
In my virgin watch travels, it was the first I had seen and really liked it. I'm leaning toward the Panerai right now but for some reason really want to like the Patek. I'm going to try an Aquanaut.

Regarding the Royal Oak, I've been turned off lately. Not sure why but not interested.
I'm in absolutely no rush.


I know the feeling about grey face watches. My Holy Grail is a FP Journe Octa Reserve de Marche.

Go to Van Ryk on Eglinton just east of Yonge. They have a huge collection of watches (used) but you will be able to try on anything you have had your eye on. Probably wouldn't buy from there as you can probably get a better deal elsewhere (but who knows, they certainly haggle). They probably have 50+ Pateks etc...

Another one to try is a Franck Muller. The were a little trendy around 2006-9 but arn't really anymore. They are however one of the most comfortable watches in the world due to their curved case. Very nice watch and attention grabbing without being attention grabbing if you know what I mean.
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