Watches - another OCD problem
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Zenith El Primero Lightweight. Limited to just 100 pieces worldwide, and in the UK it's on sale for £13,700 (about $22,000) from the emporium of good taste that is Harrods.
I'm in two minds about it. On the one hand it's a bit of a techno-bling overload, though I do have a soft spot for Urwerk's creations and the Jaeger LeCoultre Extreme Lab. On the other, I really dig the engineering that's gone into it. Much of the movement is made from titanium.
In any case, Zenith are doing some really interesting things right now. The original Pilot Type 20 appeals, but that's largely because it's a stupidly oversized wristwatch with an observatory chronometer movement. And the El Primero lightweight is significantly cheaper than (say) the IWC Ingenieur Carbon.
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Wish I knew I just sold my U-Boat
"Obstacles are stepping-stones that guide us to our goals"
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I was in London today, and dropped by the Bremont boutique. Since Mclaincausey likes the Supermarine, I grabbed a few shots for him.
The watch is a bit bigger than my Avenger Seawolf, which you can see in the top photo. However it's a similar height top to bottom, and in thickness. It's also a bit heavier, as it's a steel watch, whereas mine is one of the discontinued titanium models.
I don't have any problems with the Breitling on a day-to-day basis, but it does interfere with shirt cuffs a bit, and I think that the Bremont would be as equally wearable. In fact it might be easier as the quarter hour indicators can sometimes catch.
I like the bi-colour crown, and also its position, which means it's tucked away. You can't see it on my photos, but the case is also two-tone. Bremont have their own aesthetic, which I like. The finish is good, certainly on a par with the Breitling, though mine is probably the most tool-like model in recent years.
Plus it's chronometer rated, so should be accurate, shock proof, anti-magnetic (not sure of the rating), and reasonably waterproof. Retail price is £3,600, which is reasonable.
Downsides? There's a bit of snobbishness from the haute horologie crowd. In part this is because it uses an off-the-shelf movement (an ETA, but I've professed my love for Tracteurs before), and also a lack of history for the brand. They don't hold their value too well, so it might be worth keeping an eye on the secondary market.
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Chrome is your friend… Right click => Search on Google for this pics => Bremont Watch Company
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I was in London today, and dropped by the Bremont boutique. Since Mclaincausey likes the Supermarine, I grabbed a few shots for him.
Thanks Graeme, she's a beaut. I think they may customize the movement, and I also think they have ambitions to create movements in-house themselves at some point. Good idea about the secondary market!
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Hi all. Can anyone ID this watch?
Need a better look, but I think I like it.
Bremont MBII, orange barrel and sand velcro. They're seriously nice and look great on both the leather and velcro straps.
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I was in London today, and dropped by the Bremont boutique. Since Mclaincausey likes the Supermarine, I grabbed a few shots for him.
Thanks Graeme, she's a beaut. I think they may customize the movement, and I also think they have ambitions to create movements in-house themselves at some point. Good idea about the secondary market!
I own two Bremonts, a blue Supermarine 500 and the silver dialled ALT1-C, and I'd second what Graeme has said about buying used. Both mine were acquired at significantly reduced cost - one heavily discounted during an ex-AD's clearance and the other second hand. The used market for them doesn't seem to start anywhere near the % levels of the more established players at comparable new price-points.
Great watches, though. Superbly built - certainly as well built as the IWC, Omega and Rolex (among others) that came through the revolving door while I was heavily into watches. They're my only two 'good' watches now and I have no desire to flip them, which probably says something about how 'liveable with' they are in the long term.
I'll sort some pics at some point.
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Thanks Graeme, she's a beaut. I think they may customize the movement, and I also think they have ambitions to create movements in-house themselves at some point. Good idea about the secondary market!
Glad to help.
I asked the man in their boutique if an in-house movement was planned, and he thought that it was something that's likely to happen in the medium term.
I saw GingerMagician's watch at the Chain Stitch Massacre, and it looked good. If you're not bothered by the in-house movement, then they're an excellent buy. If you are, then get a Jaeger LeCoultre.
That said, some of Bremont's iconography is based on old school pilot's watches. You can pick up an original IWC or Jaeger Mark XI for a similar price, though they are tiny by modern standards. The Omega variant is cheaper, and slightly larger.
(I really want the Jaeger variant. Incidentally, if you've read All Tomorrow's Parties, that is the watch given away by the assassin.)
If you're interested in highly modified movements, take a look at what Habring2 are doing. They're a small, independent watchmaker, set up by Richard Habring, who designed the Doppelchronograph for IWC. Forbes included them in a best watches under $10,000 feature last year, along with Jaeger LeCoultre and Zenith.
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That's not a watch. This is a watch!
This is one of five Zegg and Cerlati special editions of the Zenith Pilot Montre D'Aéronef type 20 Type 20. It's got a 57.5 mm diameter case, which houses an observatory chronometer movement. This is currently up for sale on the secondhand market for £14,000, they originally sold for €11,500.
I'd be tempted, though would probably pick up one of the standard models instead. However, I'm not convinced that it's a practical piece for day-to-day wear. I do love the watch though.
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57.5mm? Yeah, I'd say that's too big for daily wear. I have a Debaufre Nav-B Uhr that's 48mm, and it's borderline too large. I can't imagine going up another 10mm.
It is kinda sexy, though.
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That watch is like the Flava Flav clock. You need to hang that around your neck!
"Obstacles are stepping-stones that guide us to our goals"
