Watch thread

124

Comments

  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    rick_chasey said:

    My BIL just bought a fake rolex (not a good one - I think once it' needs a service it's done) and I have a mate who in the past owned a pretty expensive fake rolex, cost him £500 and he bought it off a watchmaker who has agreed to service it etc.

    Seemed a lot of faff to me and I never really understood the point. My mate's view was he likes the look, he'd own a proper one if he could, but for a bit of extra faff no-one will know the difference.

    I had a very good fake rolex for a while. Totally indisguishable from the real without taking the back off (and the hands wound the wrong way when changing the time).

    Sold it as a i just felt like a fraud wearing it.
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    rick_chasey said:

    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    My BIL just bought a fake rolex (not a good one - I think once it' needs a service it's done) and I have a mate who in the past owned a pretty expensive fake rolex, cost him £500 and he bought it off a watchmaker who has agreed to service it etc.

    Seemed a lot of faff to me and I never really understood the point. My mate's view was he likes the look, he'd own a proper one if he could, but for a bit of extra faff no-one will know the difference.

    " It's jewellery. It's not that complicated. "
    Fakes exist in all sorts of jewellery.
    You seemed confused that it was only the look that mattered to him as opposed to its functionality.
    Well look, I think the value or not of a fake versus the real one, when on normal inspection they're indistinguishable, is an interesting question, and gets to the heart of what intrinsic value these things have.

    Does the fact it's a fake take some of the enjoyment off it? Does it even matter? I think they're interesting questions.

    Not understanding or wanting to understand why a watch which is less accurate is vastly more expensive; that's just inverse snobbery.
    Enjoyment is everything in a watch. Either from the historic quality of the brand/ the sentimentality of the piece or knowing you’ve got a quality bargain on your wrist.

    I probably wouldn’t get the same enjoyment from a homage even if it was a quality bargain.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    edited July 2023
    ...
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    focuszing723 said:

    Smart watches are spot on accurate because they get the signal via GPS.

    These "timepieces" (vomit) really are just futile flounce.

    Barbarian
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    edited July 2023
    ...
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,818
    TheBigBean said:

    I'm quite keen to take possession of my grandfather's old wall clock, but it no longer works. Do you people who like old watches pay regular fortunes for servicing and repairs?

    I tend to buy new or nearly new and I don't pay out regularly. My Omega Seamaster ran fine for 16 years without needing a service.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,493
    edited July 2023
    The pocket watch I have is 147 years old and hasn’t needed a service yet. It doesn’t get used much though.
    Never had a wrist watch serviced either. Oldest one is 40 years old.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Stevo_666 said:

    TheBigBean said:

    I'm quite keen to take possession of my grandfather's old wall clock, but it no longer works. Do you people who like old watches pay regular fortunes for servicing and repairs?

    I tend to buy new or nearly new and I don't pay out regularly. My Omega Seamaster ran fine for 16 years without needing a service.
    In general, if you don't get them serviced regularly, rather like a car, when they do need a service it's a biggie.
    _
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    edited July 2023
    ...
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,818
    rick_chasey said:

    Stevo_666 said:

    TheBigBean said:

    I'm quite keen to take possession of my grandfather's old wall clock, but it no longer works. Do you people who like old watches pay regular fortunes for servicing and repairs?

    I tend to buy new or nearly new and I don't pay out regularly. My Omega Seamaster ran fine for 16 years without needing a service.
    In general, if you don't get them serviced regularly, rather like a car, when they do need a service it's a biggie.
    In my experience, not the case. Of 4 watches I owned from the 'noughties', three had a normal service which all came over a decade after buying them and came in as quoted for a service. The other one I sold before it needed one.

    That said, watch servicing generally isn't cheap.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    edited July 2023
    ...
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,818
    focuszing723 said:

    The chaos!

    You do realise that Elon Musk wears mechanical watches, so they must be fantastic.
    https://gq-magazine.co.uk/watches/article/elon-musk-watch-collection
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    pblakeney said:

    The pocket watch I have is 147 years old and hasn’t needed a service yet. It doesn’t get used much though.
    Never had a wrist watch serviced either. Oldest one is 40 years old.

    I was the first person the authorised dealer had met that needed their Tudor serviced after 6weeks. £400 eek!
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    Stevo_666 said:

    focuszing723 said:

    The chaos!

    You do realise that Elon Musk wears mechanical watches, so they must be fantastic.
    https://gq-magazine.co.uk/watches/article/elon-musk-watch-collection
    Hey!
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,154
    I'd love a Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra myself.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,818
    focuszing723 said:

    I'd love a Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra myself.

    You converted pretty quickly :)
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    focuszing723 said:

    I'd love a Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra myself.

    No, you’re banned from flounce club.
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    shirley_basso said:

    rick_chasey said:

    My BIL just bought a fake rolex (not a good one - I think once it' needs a service it's done) and I have a mate who in the past owned a pretty expensive fake rolex, cost him £500 and he bought it off a watchmaker who has agreed to service it etc.

    Seemed a lot of faff to me and I never really understood the point. My mate's view was he likes the look, he'd own a proper one if he could, but for a bit of extra faff no-one will know the difference.

    I had a very good fake rolex for a while. Totally indisguishable from the real without taking the back off (and the hands wound the wrong way when changing the time).

    Sold it as a i just felt like a fraud wearing it.
    I have a very good janky Rolex Hulk but I never wear it out of the house any more as the market price for those is absolutely crazy and I feel like a fraud. You can tell when you touch it as the weight is too low and the finish isn't as good to the touch, but to look at you'd never know.

    The most fun part of that was the buying process - was at a place in Turkey with my brother, it was a proper Aladdins cave in there and we spent several hours looking at watches and comparing them to stock images etc., which if you're interested in watches is great fun.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    rick_chasey said:

    Stevo_666 said:

    TheBigBean said:

    I'm quite keen to take possession of my grandfather's old wall clock, but it no longer works. Do you people who like old watches pay regular fortunes for servicing and repairs?

    I tend to buy new or nearly new and I don't pay out regularly. My Omega Seamaster ran fine for 16 years without needing a service.
    In general, if you don't get them serviced regularly, rather like a car, when they do need a service it's a biggie.
    I think a service is a flat fee plus parts so if you've not had it serviced until a lot parts are worn then it can potentially sting. I overheard a guy in a jewellers dropping his Breitling off for a service, that was starting at £350 a few years ago, it was an automatic and he admitted he'd worn it until it had stopped working completely. You could tell the agent serving him wasn't particularly impressed.
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,129
    Service required after 6 weeks @seanoconn, what had happened to it?

    I was very generously given a Rolex op for my 21st. The crown tube snapped after 6 months! My dad, rather than take it back to Rolex, decided to get a cheap job done at a local jeweller. The crown never wound properly after that. Sent it off to Rolex 7 or 8 years ago to get it done properly. £350 just for the crown, no service. I believe it is about £600-700 for a basic service these days. That is around standard for most of the luxury brands as far as I am aware.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,868
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

    Service required after 6 weeks @seanoconn, what had happened to it?

    I was wondering that
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • seanoconn
    seanoconn Posts: 11,739
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

    Service required after 6 weeks @seanoconn, what had happened to it?

    I was very generously given a Rolex op for my 21st. The crown tube snapped after 6 months! My dad, rather than take it back to Rolex, decided to get a cheap job done at a local jeweller. The crown never wound properly after that. Sent it off to Rolex 7 or 8 years ago to get it done properly. £350 just for the crown, no service. I believe it is about £600-700 for a basic service these days. That is around standard for most of the luxury brands as far as I am aware.

    Bit of bad luck/stupidity. The bracelet slides on my wrist in cooler weather, which I can’t stand and with no micro adjustment I changed to a leather strap. Whilst putting on a rucksack I managed to get the watch caught on a strap which pinged off my wrist on to a tile floor and smashed the crystal 😞 Off to Rolex, new crystal and service compulsory, warranty halved. The dealer told me if I hadn’t mentioned I’d put my own strap on it might have been free, doh! 😂
    Pinno, מלך אידיוט וחרא מכונאי
  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,431
    authorised services don't come cheap, they need the parts, tools, skills and equipment

    old article (i've 'gifted' it, so no paywall)...
    https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/fashion/27iht-acawrepair.html?unlocked_article_code=D-87YC3BYtJy8tWN9X34Jx7f_m4nUm4oBcLPiHYK_Dj6EbETJBXOgT0kWuKWAiKZYUhNKwTi8ddWSip4A0NI2UYz-sCt1rKvEGI-Gmju2PpwF8VvHZQ9to5zRYKXRzrty9fEjlJMoINqEsvYqU5iPfKdisBT2AUlh8Ow0jtoXz2JUKlA6b40lOtvxwOH_LTChi5N4AxoML1mrvAhBU9vXycG9-wg-q79r7N6w1De2WpfFVbT9nJFpqtrrCavfTqigMd7gmEA8QQXdYia2xIA6jlKewvjAzxTaGIHjVaHrHmBu6X26D-XB_jt0lVrIKkTrd5O2eCh7VsiIQ&smid=url-share


    4--5 years ago a friend told me he was quoted over 400 gbp just to put a new battery and replace/check seals in his quartz tag heuer, at the time that was more than i'd paid to get my old navitimer serviced, i teased him that he should've got a proper watch
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    My £1k tag aquaracer is £300 for a service. Usually do it every 5 or so years. Keeps me sweet with the Rolex AD! Ha!
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,129
    😞 Off to Rolex, new crystal and service compulsory, warranty halved. The dealer told me if I hadn’t mentioned I’d put my own strap on it might have been free, doh! 😂


    Oof, I feel your pain! I suppose though that is one handy aspect of watches like that, you can get parts replaced and have them refurbished like new, even if it does cost.
  • bobmcstuff
    bobmcstuff Posts: 11,444
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

    😞 Off to Rolex, new crystal and service compulsory, warranty halved. The dealer told me if I hadn’t mentioned I’d put my own strap on it might have been free, doh! 😂


    Oof, I feel your pain! I suppose though that is one handy aspect of watches like that, you can get parts replaced and have them refurbished like new, even if it does cost.
    They screw you for replacing straps yourself???? That's like a normal and routine part of watch ownership right...
  • skyblueamateur
    skyblueamateur Posts: 1,498
    What are the general opinions on Cristopher Ward watches? Like the look of the C60 and am comfortable spending that on what would only be worn sparingly as I use my Iwatch Ultra day to day.

    Happy to confess I know nothing about watches.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    skyblueamateur said:

    What are the general opinions on Cristopher Ward watches? Like the look of the C60 and am comfortable spending that on what would only be worn sparingly as I use my Iwatch Ultra day to day.

    Happy to confess I know nothing about watches.

    Honestly? Buy whatever you like the look of as it's basically a piece of jewellery which tells the time as well as any other.

    If you like it that's all that matters.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,818
    skyblueamateur said:

    What are the general opinions on Cristopher Ward watches? Like the look of the C60 and am comfortable spending that on what would only be worn sparingly as I use my Iwatch Ultra day to day.

    Happy to confess I know nothing about watches.

    I rate them. Clearly the design is subjective but the quality and finishing is great for the money and they punch above their weight. Apparently the cases are made by the same outfit that does the cases for Tudor.

    Here are my two:
    C65 GMT Worldtime


    C60 Chrono



    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    I’ve reduced my collection to three Seikos and a Hamilton Khaki Automatic.

    The Seikos are a SARB033, the new 1965 SPB143J1 repro diver (which is a truly amazing watch) and my trusty Seiko 5 SNK809 beater.

    I was going to buy a Grand Seiko earlier this year, but bought an ENVE Melee frame instead!

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