Watches - another OCD problem
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I was in Manchester yesterday and I dropped by a couple of watch shops.
If you want a Rolex, you go to the grey market dealer, one of whom had an Oyster Perpetual Celebration Dial at 50% over retail. I really liked the design in the press photos, but it's harder to read in real life.
The Rolex dealer next door had a few watches on display, but all marked "Exhibition Only". It's an interesting business model not making your product available! Still, I got to try on a Deepsea with the James Cameron dial. It felt surprisingly comfortable despite the heft.
Omega have taken a different approach to commerce and actually have watches to sell to customers. In fact, some are available with a discount, like this lovely CK859 which I thought was unavailable.
They also had the Seamaster Diver None So Black, which is probably my favourite variant of that watch. It's easier to read than the Celebration Dial too.
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A couple of months ago I was in Sydney, and I tried on the Omega Ultra Deep in titanium. Like the Deepsea, it was surprisingly wearable. The only problem is that the NATO strap makes the watch thicker on your wrist than it would otherwise be.
I think that both the Deepsea and Omega would workable as everyday watches if you have the wrists to carry them off. I'm curious to see how the monstrous Deepsea Challenge works, but I haven't managed to track one down yet.
I also saw the Aqua Terra in terracota, which is more orange than the press shots would suggest. It's a less subtle colour than the Rolex Stella dials.
Since I'm posting watches, I also got the chance to look at a Patek 5212A, which was lovely. The trouble is that the last time I enquired about one of these, the dealer suggested I had to build a history with them before I could place an expression of interest. Err, no.
I also got the chance to look at an F.P. Journe Octa S. I think that these are even more difficult to obtain than a Patek, though I remember a few years ago seeing the Chronometre Bleu in a case in London.
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I've been down to Birmingham today to catch up with @ddtrash and disturb the local watch shops.
We got to take a look at a few things at Omega. One of them is not like the others.
Those three Aqua Terras are probably the rarest pieces on the tray, though. It's the Ultralight, which has a hand wound titanium case and movement. Rory McIlroy wore one in 2019 or 2020 as did several Olympians at the Tokyo games. They're currently on sale and still cost the same as the lovely Patek 5121A in the previous post.
We passed the shop later in the afternoon and got called in. The new Aqua Terra Worldtimer in titanium had just landed. Had there not been a solemn vow to not purchase watches, I suspect that it might have gone home with a new owner...
We also dropped by Watchfinder, a grey market dealer, who had just received a Rolex GMT Destro / Sprite. The movement has been rotated by 180 degrees, so the winding is the wrong way around.
Watchfinder also had the Seamaster Diver in titanium and tantalum. I've seen these before, and they've got a fantastic box that has a porthole style lid. Filthy one commented that he'd like it as an urn for his ashes, sorry mate I didn't get one in time.
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The big question is, who would buy that Omega over a Patek (granted you could get one).
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@Graeme Many thanks for making the effort to meet up in Birmingham yesterday. One of the best things about this forum is the bringing together of like minded people who appreciate similar things. It was a very pleasant few hours spent with you, made more remarkable that it was our first time actually meeting in person. The forum does indeed bring people together and these connections are valuable in an increasingly polarised world.
With regard to the watches, my shopping list did expand yesterday and I could easily have picked up one or more of the pieces we viewed. Payment cards stayed firmly in the wallet due to spare funds being allocated to finishing off the house renovation and a solemn promise to missus Trash not to buy any more timepieces for the meantime.
The Tantalum Diver 300 was a great daily wear watch which for a two tone model was quite subtle in its design. The darker grey blue of the Tantulum accents blended well within the design. The monotone, titanium Worldtimer is the best iteration of the recent new releases of this model. I viewed the green bezel version in Dubai and it was a bit bling in comparison.
Have a great remaining time in the UK.
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@ddtrash I could have picked up a few pieces from yesterday, but the tax situation isn't helpful. (I'd pay 20% VAT in the UK, which I cannot reclaim, then 5% import duty and 10% GST going into Australia.) But I'm glad that you kept your solemn vow to Mrs Trash.
Incidentally, something we discussed yesterday was that the secondary market is heading down. For example, the lovely Patek 5212A is trading around retail price on Chrono24. I don't know if supply from the likes of Rolex and Patek has improved, or it's just rising interest rates flattening speculative investments.
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This is my first auto. Orient Ray II with swapped coin edge and stainless insert. Been my beater lately.
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My favorite is the 321 Speedmaster. Omega got everything exactly right.
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@Brandrea very nice. always loved the Omega Speed and Sea masters. Even if I could afford one, I'd surely mess it up quickly with my luck!
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@Graeme the reason I bought it. I’m a bit of a space nerd, and appreciate the significance that the 321 played in the Apollo missions.
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@WhiskeySandwich lol… very hard to mess up a manual wind chronograph. Hope some day you have an opportunity to own one or both!
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@Brandrea I think that both things appeal to the buyers of the 321. Shame they're so difficult to get hold of.
On the horology side, Omega does some high end and interesting work. The 321 is a refined recreation of the original movement (and each is made by a single watchmaker); they refurbished new old stock movements for the Wrist-Chronograph; there is a Master Chronometer certified tourbillon; and the Ultra Light that I was drooling over the other day has a titanium movement...
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@Graeme agreed! Even the 3861 is an incredibly accurate workhorse movement.
I’m definitely not even close to the pay range of the Tourbillon… especially the chiming version lol.
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Didn’t know whether to post in “coffee” or other but I’ll go with “watches” for the Railmaster:
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My favorite iteration, nice one!
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@Brandrea Very nice 321, been on "the list" for one of these since they were released, no joy yet. I have handled the white gold version in the Omega boutique in Dubai and the movement was lovely.
I like the story behind the movement where they used Gene Cernan's mission used 321 movement, took it apart and laser scanned the components as a basis for the new iteration of the movement.
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Was at my AD's yesterday and tried on the new release Rolesor yellow gold GMT master, I was quite taken with it. I had never really considered yellow gold before but this combination works quite nicely. The black grey bezel is a nice touch.
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@ddtrash said in Watches - another OCD problem:
@Brandrea Very nice 321, been on "the list" for one of these since they were released, no joy yet. I have handled the white gold version in the Omega boutique in Dubai and the movement was lovely.
I like the story behind the movement where they used Gene Cernan's mission used 321 movement, took it apart and laser scanned the components as a basis for the new iteration of the movement.
I hope you get the call one if these days. Yes, the backstory is quite interesting as to how they used “tomography” to recreate the movement right down to the last detail. Impressive stuff.
Another seldom talked about fact is that these movements are hand assembled not once, but twice but a single watchmaker in a special artilier. They are taken apart and reassembled each and every time. This approach is very old school I think only Lange & Sohne still does this.
