This thread is about the appreciation of horology, as well as the micro-engineering and materials engineering that are required to make a fine watch, clock, or other timepiece.
For the guy interested in vintage Omegas from earlier, you mentioned you were interested in an old Constellation, by which I assume you mean you want one from Omega's golden age in the 1960s.
I suggest you read this page ( ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&&2uswk&Omega_564 ) and familiarize yourself with all the variants of the Omega 56x movement, as that movement is the best three hand movement developed by Omega in the pre-quartz period, and is one of the greatest series produced movement families of the pre-quartz era period.
You can search for these models on eBay or Yahoo! Japan Auctions fairly easily by searching for "Omega ###" with the movement variant you want to look for, but please make sure you familiarize yourself with how most of Omega's Constellation range from the period looked and check the vintage Omega database ( omegawatches.com/vintage-watches/ ) for the case references, where they are listed (e.g. the 168.024/168.0024 is a vintage Seamaster reference with a chronometer grade 564 movement) and make sure you are not looking at a franken or a redial before you consider bidding.
Expect to pay ~$350-$500 for a non-chronometer variant if you are patient, $500 - $750 for a chronometer variant if you are patient.
every high end brand I've spoken to (both online and boutique) have had absolutely shit tier customer service. Its genuinely putting me off buying any luxury watches
Gavin Carter
The real quality is in independent watchmaking and quartz!
Ryan Foster
I thought the North Flag was just some weird one-off. How naive of me.
I'll become a one watch guy when Weiss cranks out a better movement than the 1003 or another all-american watch comes out
Anthony Thompson
actually why? Watches aren't like cars, they don't take up a lot of space. And it's not like you're going to get a meaningful amount of money for watches you don't want.
Evan Jenkins
>we should all strive to be /one watch guys/ Maybe like 5
Aim to be a 3 watch guy here >every day sports watch that can push dress watch >digital beater (physical activities that would shake/ damage a mechanical) >diver/beater (regular casual watch)
Levi Mitchell
36mm Datejust 16200 with the blue dial, batons, smooth bezel and oyster bracelet. The idea is to basically get a blue dialed, all baton, non Mercedes hand Explorer analog.
they literally pick up the phone sounding impatient (borderline angry) and in a rush to have the engagement over. They don't actually seem interested at all in the client or the sale. I work in a high end corporate service role and I'd fire every single person that I've ever spoken to in a watch store
Luis White
>sports watch >digital sports watch >sports watch
Anthony Johnson
explain to me how rolex main watches are worth 7-20k. They use high grade metals but in very small amounts, have impressive machinery but make hundreds of thousands of watches every year and there are very few hand-made touches to them. It seems like they should be $1000-2000 with just a massive markup. Is the answer really just pure branding and veblen goods?
There are no good prices for watches, only good compared to the competition at the price. Rolex makes watches at a level of accuracy, reliability, and finish that is good compared to its competition at its price point. Some might feel, as I do, that they do have legitimate peers at the price point they occupy, but I don't think anyone could reasonably claim there are watches that are clearly, meaningfully, and unambiguously better on those three fronts at a significantly cheaper price point.
5.8/10, I replied.
Luis Martin
Are you under the impression that the research and development and manufacturing costs for the capital equipment and production processes they have to use to achieve the level of manufacturing quality they do, at the volumes they do, is free?
Look at it this way, how many other watch brands are offering comparable watches for substantially less money? In-house Nomos, in-house Damasko, Grand Seiko, in-house Tudor, Zenith and production JLC models are all ~$4k and up these days.
Rolex are certainly overpriced, but they make very good watches they certainly are not overpriced as much as you imply.
Jordan Bell
And? One that can cope with shocks well One that I don't mind beating up in every day life One that I treat as a dress watch (I like sports watch designs like the AP RO)
Gabriel Adams
so you agree that they are a rip off but just more justifiably so relative to some competitors? coaxial movements are the first real development in many years. I don't believe that their R&D + manufacturing costs are more than a tiny fraction of the retail prices.
Nathaniel Sullivan
>coaxial movements are the first real development in many years. Ok, nevermind, we're done here.
Dylan Cooper
what else is anything other than material science and machinery getting more accurate to produce parts with smaller tolerences? Rolex aren't spending their days (and billions $) at a white board designing new movements
Leo Cook
(You)
Andrew Harris
>one I can beat up >one I can beat up >one I can beat up, but looks nice
Levi Jenkins
Someone give me a quick rundown on silicon oscillators
Noah Jenkins
Rolex just released a new GMT movement, cal 3285.
Owen Torres
I can, but not until tomorrow, so if no else does you'll have to wait.
>one that looks nice and I don't want to beat up. Literally a style choice rather than a purpose choice. Likely to be an extra thin watch. >one that can cope with shocks like gun shots, golf swings, and the likes >one that I trust in water and am not afraid of beating up a bit for weekend wear
Tyler Taylor
Please don't bother wasting your time, you aren't going to argue away his motivated reasoning and Dunning-Krueger peak ideas.
Leo Jenkins
I would rather recommend getting a real bank and not having close to half a million dollars in very low interest accounts.
Adam Butler
>26-32% profit margins regularly reported on annual revenue >$4.7b in sales ah yes clearly the prices are set due to the new cal 3285 dev costs. Its fine if you want to buy a luxury watch but don't delude yourself that you're getting any kind of value for your money
Matthew Long
kek this.
Adam Murphy
>profit I think you will find Rolex is a charity, be a good goy and help fund their watchmaking
David Cruz
skx007
Josiah Lee
Omega Speedmaster sapphire sandwich model
Brandon Bennett
Did you really take a picture of a screen, grandpa? Also, how is that 0.001% interest on that savings account? Bet you gained like $15 this year
Nathan Nelson
Patrician taste
Noah Morris
What watch boutiques are near you?
Logan Walker
That's not all of my money m8, rest of it is in a Roth IRA
>again two overlapping watches While you're advertising being a "3 watch guy" you're doing a poor job of maximizing differences between each of the three. While you're welcome to purchase whatever works best for you, it's odd advice to give others.
Charles Clark
>watch faggots dont know about inspect element
David Smith
Mechanical diver doesn't do so well with shocks. The digital watch is to pick up that are where I would otherwise have no watch. There is overlap but they each have a purpose and no one watch is suited to all. The biggest overlap is the nice sports watch and the diver 2bh. But you can't wear a diver as a dress watch so it still has it's own area.
Gross. How can you tell which models have the resin? Just go by appearance?
Dylan Rivera
The lug shape isn't right for that, the Overseas strap attaches with a single notch, not three like in the photo. I'm pretty sure it's an RO based on the look of where the case and strap are attached.
Yeah you can easily tell most of the time, sometimes it's NOS and was kept in a box, it will look fine until you take it out and over the course of a few months the plastics will start to disintegrate. Stick to all steel models or models that haven't changed since their inception like the OG G or F91W
looks like we were right pretty sure wearing a gold watch is haram though...
Charles Hill
Am I the only one that thinks AP's look like cheap bullshit made in somebody's shed?
Jose Myers
>Neil Patrick Harris spent part of the evening with a classic automatic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in rose gold with a black dial and part of the evening with the same model in stainless steel and blue dial. Good enough for the Oscars is a good enough dress watch for me. A diver is not a dress watch.