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The Watch Fanatic Thread

cabowabo

By cabowabo
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DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt
DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt

well fuckin' A. file this one under DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? So I'm all horned up for a vintage moon watch, have tried to make something happen on a couple from my birth year, can't get the deal don

mapplewhite132
mapplewhite132

Have wanted a speedy ever since I bought my first omega. Now I have one     

RichUT
RichUT

On an anniversary trip with the wife in Greece and finally took the plunge on a proper timepiece. I was expecting to pick up a Panerai but something about the timeless quality of this guy spoke to me.

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Brew

Brew 3049

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44 minutes ago, huge said:

Ok so is it as badass in person? I have never seen that one in the wild.

I really like the similar one I have. I’m extremely happy with the rubber band which I didn’t think I would be when I first was trying to decide which one to go with. I think I prefer it at this point over the metal band. 

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HoustonHorn

HoustonHorn 1062

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25 minutes ago, huge said:

Ok so is it as badass in person? I have never seen that one in the wild.

I've spent a lot of time recently looking at watches for my next purchase. While my next purchase will likely be a GO Seventies or Cartier Santos ADLC XL, I've had the chance to look at the AT on several occasions and it is an AMAZING watch and will be something I get in the future. The dial, especially on the slate, is gorgeous (easily my favorite) and the teak/plank look really adds a lot of depth, especially with the varying width of spaces (every 3rd gap is slightly larger). I don't particularly like the wavy lines on the Seamaster but these straight lines are a perfect visual compliment. The subtle sunburst effect across the planks is understated and really makes for a beautiful dial. The faceted, applied markers are extremely light-catching and really create a dynamic visual display in light. The lyre-style lugs are a thing of beauty and are more interesting than more standard lugs. The pop of blue on the seconds hand and cardinal points on the chapter ring just tie into the overall watch and give it a little more casual vibe.

The 8900 movement is second to none at this price range and is gorgeous to look at through the caseback.

I've been looking at the 41mm because I have larger wrists (7 5/8). 41mm is typically an ok size for me, but can look a little small on certain watches. Not the case with the AT.  The proportions are dead on. Doesn't look too diminutive for what is essentially a steel sports watch. The 38mm will probably look better on wrists 6.5" and below, but its all personal preference.

Two downsides. The polished bezel will show a lot of dings/marks. I wish they would consider a brushed bezel. I also saw a video comparing the AT with the Globemaster. I've never really considered the Globemaster before (and still don't because its too small). However, the latest GM is really a great looking watch and it uses a Tungsten bezel. If they could use a polished (non-fluted) tungsten bezel to prevent marks from day-to-day wear, it would be perfect. Even in steel, a brushed bezel would be better imo. I think the dial and markers more than make up for the loss of "bling" from the high-polished bezel. 

The other downside is it does not come with a quick-adjustment on the clasp. I have this on a few watches and its invaluable. I know Omega isn't as big on this as some other brands, but they really need to consider an on-the-fly microadjust feature on  their bracelets/clasps. Also, considering the AT looks great on a variety of straps, a quick release option would also be a great addition.

I guess one final comment would be that the slate dialed small seconds version looks even better with the color appearing slightly more silver/metallic and including a white chapter ring. I like the sub seconds, but would actually prefer the color scheme of the subseconds on a regular AT.

My $0.02, but I will definitely own an AT in the future. Nearly a perfect every day watch for almost every situation. One of the most underrated watches ever since it is often overlooked for the Speedmaster or Seamaster Diver which are also amazing watches. For the money, its a great deal compared to other options.

 

ATSS.JPG.afbbf99b34d4391ba9460c9fd969e847.JPG

 

 

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HoustonHorn

HoustonHorn 1062

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Posted

Just a separate comment on shopping for, and buying, watches.

I buy a lot of watches on the grey market, but I do prefer to buy from ADs when possible and the price difference can be justified due to buying from a local dealer, having a single point for service/adjustments, getting all of the papers, etc. Certainly on higher-end watches, I prefer to buy from an AD.

Being in Houston, most watch brands have ADs or retailers. But not all. I can't locate a GO in Houston. But in researching other options like the Cartier Santos, AT, Zenith Chrono, Oris ProPilot X, etc., I have been to a lot of boutiques and dealers around the city - Zadok, Lewis, Jared, IW Marks, Tennenbaum, etc.

I realize I am well beyond the average customer as far as having WIS. I spend a lot of time looking at watches, paying attention to movements and features and options. In going to these various dealers, it is shocking how wide the discrepancy is in the knowledge of the salespeople. A salesperson should know EVERYTHING about the watches they sell. Everything. That's their job, their livelihood. And its crazy to walk into a boutique for a brand and knowing more than the people selling the watch. For day-to-day watches at the mall, no issue. But a boutique or authorized dealer is different. Not only that, but they should have an idea of the competition. It doesn't have to be comprehensive, but knowing what differentiates your watch from others is critical when talking about a watch that is north of $8k and well into 5 figures in some cases.

Some places I've been have been pretty awful and the salesperson basically did nothing more than open up the case. No enthusiasm, no talking about what really stands out about the watch, no discussion of why its worth $10k or whatever. Just "here, try it on. Mirror is over there." It definitely makes a difference in the overall decision-making process. I love Zenith as a brand, but I won't be buying one from the guy I talked with. If I ever do decide to get a Zenith, I'll give the store (AD) another opportunity and go in to discuss with another sales person and see if it is a different experience. If it isn't, then I'll buy online and simply get a cheaper price. With Cartier, I will order from Zadok before I go back to the boutique. Not that they weren't friendly, but the experience I had at Zadok was tremendously different than at Cartier. For the better.

It is an absolute blast to get a sales associate who also suffers from WIS and has a job selling watches because they fucking love watches. I spent at least a couple hours at Zadoks trying on watches from nearly every brand in the store. The salesman showed me a $240k ALS. I tried on Panerai, JLC, Grand Seiko (the salesman was actually wearing a cherry blossom spring drive), Tudor, Omega, etc,. It was a blast.

I did the same thing at Jared's with Oris, Bremont, Longines, Omega and others.

Both of those salesmen knew more about watches in general, and about the watches I was looking at, than I did. And it made a world of difference in the overall experience. Other than the GO, which I will have to buy outside of Houston, my next watch purchase will be from Jared or Zadok simply because of the relationship. Watches are a luxury item and not inexpensive. There's also a huge variety of watches. So for me, having a relationship with the sales associate is an important factor in my decision as it enhances the entire process and can lead to finding watches you may have otherwise missed. Like the AT, which I had seen but not really spent any time looking at closely until I tried them on at Zadok and Jared.

I realize a lot of people prefer a hands-off approach from the sales person and that's what works for them. But, if you are like me and love everything about watches and talking about them, and you are in Houston, and you are looking to buy - I HIGHLY suggest going to talk with Elvis at Zadok's and Zach at Jared. Both guys know their shit and clearly love watches.

Feel free to PM me if you would like their contact info.

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drewlaws

drewlaws 126

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11 hours ago, HoustonHorn said:

 

Some places I've been have been pretty awful and the salesperson basically did nothing more than open up the case. No enthusiasm, no talking about what really stands out about the watch, no discussion of why its worth $10k or whatever. Just "here, try it on. Mirror is over there." It definitely makes a difference in the overall decision-making process. I love Zenith as a brand, but I won't be buying one from the guy I talked with. If I ever do decide to get a Zenith, I'll give the store (AD) another opportunity and go in to discuss with another sales person and see if it is a different experience. If it isn't, then I'll buy online and simply get a cheaper price. With Cartier, I will order from Zadok before I go back to the boutique. Not that they weren't friendly, but the experience I had at Zadok was tremendously different than at Cartier. For the better.

 

I live in Austin where there is no Zenith AD, so I emailed the AD in Houston (there is only one) about the new Chronomaster Original. The rep that responded was totally clueless. Next time I was in town on business I went by in person to see if they had it. They did, but I had the exact same horrible experience as you did. I am still waiting to try a tri-color on stainless bracelet but I sure as hell won't buy it from the Houston AD. I'm going to give the Dallas AD a shot next. If that doesn't work out, I will consider buying direct online or just move on all together.

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52-80

52-80 19287

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Posted
41 minutes ago, mapplewhite132 said:

Thinking about picking up a seamaster as my first “nice” watch. I’m located in Austin. Does it make sense to spend the extra $500 or so to buy from an AD with a warranty? Would like a Rolex but understand that market is borked 

the risk premium of the insurance is worth $200.  the remaining $300 is for the privilege of talking to zach @ jared.

 

joking aside, i dont exact omega to have any issues.  ive warranted 2 watches: 1 that i literally dropped on the floor; and 1 from an independent german manufacturer where the AR coating was a bit off.  otherwise i do not expect any or have incurred any functional problem with a quality watch... theyre too relatively simple for things to go wrong.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

Posted
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51 minutes ago, mapplewhite132 said:

Thinking about picking up a seamaster as my first “nice” watch. I’m located in Austin. Does it make sense to spend the extra $500 or so to buy from an AD with a warranty? Would like a Rolex but understand that market is borked 

Never had a warranty on any of the 2 dozen or so watches I've had over the years, and only had mfgr issues with 2 which were taken care of by the mfgr for free (they were still in mfgr warranty periods). 

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cabowabo

cabowabo 4578

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1 hour ago, mapplewhite132 said:

Thinking about picking up a seamaster as my first “nice” watch. I’m located in Austin. Does it make sense to spend the extra $500 or so to buy from an AD with a warranty? Would like a Rolex but understand that market is borked 

Are you including sales tax in that $500?  I'm guessing not.  Do a search on watchrecon and you can find legit sellers selling BNIB or very gently worn Seamasters that will have most of the 5 years remaining on the warranty. They'll be a shitload less too.  I got my Seamaster (that I posted above about a week ago) at about $1000 below what I would have spent at an AD after factoring in sales tax. It was from a private seller, but had barely been worn.  Warranty card was stamped July, 2021.

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HoustonHorn

HoustonHorn 1062

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WatchRecon is a great resource for finding private sellers. I've probably bought 2 dozen watches that way and never had an issue. I also wear my watches, so I'm used to a few dings and scratches so buying pre-worn doesn't bother me. Check reviews and comments about previous sales though.

Also, it is always worth asking if the AD can make a deal. You can usually get 10-20% off, at least for now. Brands are starting to take a Rolex model to sales and reducing margins for ADs so they can't discount prices. They are also disciplining ADs whose watches are found on the grey market using the serial number. The effect of this is there will be a lot less dumping to the grey market and those will start to dry up and prices across the board will generally rise. Breitling has done this and it is difficult to find their newer models on grey market sites.

 

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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9 minutes ago, HoustonHorn said:

WatchRecon is a great resource for finding private sellers. I've probably bought 2 dozen watches that way and never had an issue. I also wear my watches, so I'm used to a few dings and scratches so buying pre-worn doesn't bother me. Check reviews and comments about previous sales though.

Also, it is always worth asking if the AD can make a deal. You can usually get 10-20% off, at least for now. Brands are starting to take a Rolex model to sales and reducing margins for ADs so they can't discount prices. They are also disciplining ADs whose watches are found on the grey market using the serial number. The effect of this is there will be a lot less dumping to the grey market and those will start to dry up and prices across the board will generally rise. Breitling has done this and it is difficult to find their newer models on grey market sites.

 

Timezone.com is also a great watch enthusiasts site with extremely knowledgeable folks, and for sale pages with lots of watches high end, and low range cost pieces.

 

You're buying the seller as much if not more than the watch.

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mapplewhite132

mapplewhite132 309

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the input guys. I was thinking about buying local at Bernard Watch as its down the street from my office. I know I'd pay sales tax but I have more comfort buying local. I did see some brand new watches at Jomashop for really good prices and no tax, but was a little spooked of buying online. Here's an example:

https://www.jomashop.com/omega-watch-210-30-42-20-06-001.html

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cabowabo

cabowabo 4578

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Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, mapplewhite132 said:

Thanks for the input guys. I was thinking about buying local at Bernard Watch as its down the street from my office. I know I'd pay sales tax but I have more comfort buying local. I did see some brand new watches at Jomashop for really good prices and no tax, but was a little spooked of buying online. Here's an example:

https://www.jomashop.com/omega-watch-210-30-42-20-06-001.html

There would be no reason to by from Jomashop (although they are 100% legit) when you could buy this one.  I bought a Panerai from this guy and he is good to go.  Notice he says "asking" in his price.  I'll bet you could get this watch for $4k.  Hell, I'd throw $3,900 out there to start.  Brand spanking new with Omega warranty.  And I got the white dial version of this watch...but damn that grey dial is really growing on me.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=815822

 

Edited by cabowabo
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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 78009

Posted
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1 hour ago, cabowabo said:

There would be no reason to by from Jomashop (although they are 100% legit) when you could buy this one.  I bought a Panerai from this guy and he is good to go.  Notice he says "asking" in his price.  I'll bet you could get this watch for $4k.  Hell, I'd throw $3,900 out there to start.  Brand spanking new with Omega warranty.  And I got the white dial version of this watch...but damn that grey dial is really growing on me.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=815822

 

 

that's a nice watch !

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huge

huge 3803

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ok I live in Houston.  Where should I go to see this watch in person?

https://www.jomashop.com/omega-watch-220-10-41-21-02-001.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw7rWKBhAtEiwAJ3CWLLpaQxxh6-wjXmDxt4QgK0l49jkBmm79dXaRV7XkrxN4eTVCWpk30hoCiCkQAvD_BwE

And would you recommend buying local vs Joma on this one?

 

Edit - now I am seeing $5700 at Jared for this watch.  I can't imagine it is worth $1600 to buy AD???

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cabowabo

cabowabo 4578

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36 minutes ago, huge said:

Ok I live in Houston.  Where should I go to see this watch in person?

https://www.jomashop.com/omega-watch-220-10-41-21-02-001.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw7rWKBhAtEiwAJ3CWLLpaQxxh6-wjXmDxt4QgK0l49jkBmm79dXaRV7XkrxN4eTVCWpk30hoCiCkQAvD_BwE

And would you recommend buying local vs Joma on this one?

 

Edit - now I am seeing $5700 at Jared for this watch.  I can't imagine it is worth $1600 to buy AD???

Jared will likely give you at least 10% off, but you're gonna get hit with sales tax which will add $450 or so.  To be honest, I'm not sure if Jomashop charges sales tax for watches shipped to Texas.  It looks like Joma does not have it in stock either...3 - 5 weeks shipping.  Don't see this particular model on watchrecon either.  Go scope it out at a local AD and then call Rob Caplan at topperjewelers.com.  They are an AD in California and get really good reviews on the watch forums.    

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HoustonHorn

HoustonHorn 1062

Posted
Posted
56 minutes ago, huge said:

Ok I live in Houston.  Where should I go to see this watch in person?

https://www.jomashop.com/omega-watch-220-10-41-21-02-001.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw7rWKBhAtEiwAJ3CWLLpaQxxh6-wjXmDxt4QgK0l49jkBmm79dXaRV7XkrxN4eTVCWpk30hoCiCkQAvD_BwE

And would you recommend buying local vs Joma on this one?

 

Edit - now I am seeing $5700 at Jared for this watch.  I can't imagine it is worth $1600 to buy AD???

 

23 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

Jared will likely give you at least 10% off, but you're gonna get hit with sales tax which will add $450 or so.  To be honest, I'm not sure if Jomashop charges sales tax for watches shipped to Texas.  It looks like Joma does not have it in stock either...3 - 5 weeks shipping.  Don't see this particular model on watchrecon either.  Go scope it out at a local AD and then call Rob Caplan at topperjewelers.com.  They are an AD in California and get really good reviews on the watch forums.    

I have gotten more than 10% off offered at Jared. No guarantees though. If you're interested in going to see it at Jared, ask for Zach. The guy knows watches and will do what he can on the price. If you're able to pay cash, you may be able to get him to quote you a price and then see if he'll knock another 5% off if you pay cash (saves them the credit card fee). I don't know about Jared, and tax laws may have changed, but I have purchased a watch and had them ship the box to a friend/family out of state to avoid sales tax. If you get 15% off and no sales tax, you're in for $4,845. Still more, but closer. Just depends on whether buying from an AD has any value for you. I prefer it if the price difference isn't crazy.

If you do go to Jared to check it out, shoot me a PM and I'll make sure he knows you're coming (and that he's working) and to do what he can on the price.

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conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21474

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On 9/24/2021 at 11:57 AM, HoustonHorn said:

 

I have gotten more than 10% off offered at Jared. No guarantees though. If you're interested in going to see it at Jared, ask for Zach. The guy knows watches and will do what he can on the price. If you're able to pay cash, you may be able to get him to quote you a price and then see if he'll knock another 5% off if you pay cash (saves them the credit card fee). I don't know about Jared, and tax laws may have changed, but I have purchased a watch and had them ship the box to a friend/family out of state to avoid sales tax. If you get 15% off and no sales tax, you're in for $4,845. Still more, but closer. Just depends on whether buying from an AD has any value for you. I prefer it if the price difference isn't crazy.

If you do go to Jared to check it out, shoot me a PM and I'll make sure he knows you're coming (and that he's working) and to do what he can on the price.

Last time I bought an expensive piece of jewelry they wouldn’t ship just the box out of state.  They made me ship the actual item.  $50 in fed ex charges is still preferable to $800 in sales tax.

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G650

G650 14305

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I'm thinking about this blue Tudor Black Bay 58.  Anybody have one of these?
tudor-m79030b-0001.png

 

I am a fan. I haven't been able to justify another watch of this style, but I really like them.

 

2 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Bring your own weapons

Ha. I was just looking at ordering of their website.

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26690

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, G650 said:

I am a fan. I haven't been able to justify another watch of this style, but I really like them.

Strange to say, but it occurred to me the other day that I don't actually own a dive watch at the moment, and if I was going to imagine a "classic dive watch", it would be pretty much this. 

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Bozo_Casanova

Bozo_Casanova 26690

Posted
Posted (edited)
16 hours ago, HoustonHorn said:

Great watches. I wasn't a fan of how it wore on my wrist when I tried one on a while back. I actually liked the Pelagos more, which surprised me.

Congrats on the new watch! A beauty for sure. Post pics when it comes in.

amazingly enough, I got it at MSRP, in person, at Ben Bridge in the domain on Saturday. Somebody was supposed to buy it and flaked, so they put it on the shelf and it made it a day. So I put a hundo down to think about it, and picked it up yesterday afternoon, 

bad pic, but this is what I sent my friend, wheel badge for color reference. 

243107978_1818537285000846_8741281506774

Edited by Bozo_Casanova
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