watches . . . what are you wearing?

[screenxpress]

I guess the bottom line in this day and time is -

If you have to watch where you go and keep looking over your shoulder to see who is watching you when you're wearing nice stuff, then it's no longer fun to show you're successful in what you do.

[alan802]

The watch I have my eye on is the only Rolex that doesn't look ridiculous on my wrist, and it's 10K.  I know I won't be able to get that watch any time soon with the baby and all the bills we got going on, but I've thought about selling my omega and breitling to buy the rolex, but I think that would be a stupid move on my part.

Is this the one?

I was at the mall waiting on some new eye glasses and stepped into the watch store.  I thought I was interested until I saw the tag said $10650.

That is the one.  That's my baby right there.  One of these days, hopefully they'll still make that watch when I can finally afford to buy it.

[blue moon]

The watch I have my eye on is the only Rolex that doesn't look ridiculous on my wrist, and it's 10K.  I know I won't be able to get that watch any time soon with the baby and all the bills we got going on, but I've thought about selling my omega and breitling to buy the rolex, but I think that would be a stupid move on my part.

Is this the one?

I was at the mall waiting on some new eye glasses and stepped into the watch store.  I thought I was interested until I saw the tag said $10650.

That is the one.  That's my baby right there.  One of these days, hopefully they'll still make that watch when I can finally afford to buy it.

aaah, the sea dweller! You know there are two versions of it and one is a lot cheaper ($6k).

[alan802]

Houston.  Need I say more?

I'm serious.  I see that all the time.  Just last week I read where someone was stabbed (killed) for a Gold Chain.

It's all about the "haves" and the "have nots".

I could not afford to bring Homer down, lol.

Oh, I remember some years back where two guys followed a guy home from shopping that was wearing a Rolex and robbed him.  The guy resisted and they shot and killed him.

I wear my watches without worrying about someone attacking me, but I probably should show some discretion and be more careful.  But since I'm in Texas and have my CHL, I'm packing 90% of the time so I have a false sense of safety.  I hope that nobody ever tries to take one of my watches, it's going to get ugly and it will end badly, and hopefully it won't be me who gets the bad end of the stick.

Pierre, they don't make the regular sea-dweller anymore, the smaller 40mm.  They discontinued it a year or so ago.  There are still some new ones in stores I think.

[Frog]

I still can't believe that no one has brought up the legendary Kromega III, and its classic tagline,
"It's like asking a stranger for the time"


The "ad" from 1977

[ Kromega III watch slowly scrolls into camera range ]

Announcer: Someday, everyone will own a watch like this. Now, it is available only for the privileged few. The Mogasaki Corproration of Tokyo is honored to announce... Kromega III. [ lightning strikes ] A watch so complex, it takes two people to make it work. One hand wears the watch. The other hand presses the buttons that activate the 100% solid state multi-function digital quartz crystal micro-computer unit. And now, you're ready for the third hand to trigger the light-luminating dial to give you an alphanumeric readout accurate to within 9 a year. It's that simple.

KROMEGA III. Command-crafted in impact-resistant crushed chrome. It's no wonder that professional skiiers prefer Kromega III over any ordinary timepiece.

[ Woman's arm is shown with Lady Kromega III on her wrist ]

Woman's Voice: And I love Lady Kromega III. The sleek, space-age styling compliments any outfit. [ Woman's other hand presses one of the buttons ] And the clearly displayed perpetual calendar helps me to remember my many appointments. Would you mind? [ other person brings in a spare hand to operate the Lady Kromega III ] Thank you.

Announcer: Kromega III. It's like asking a stranger for the time.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

I still can't believe that no one has brought up the legendary Kromega III, and its classic tagline,
"It's like asking a stranger for the time"


The "ad" from 1977

Announcer: Someday, everyone will own a watch like this. Now, it is available only for the privileged few. The Mogasaki Corproration of Tokyo is honored to announce... Kromega III. [ lightning strikes ] A watch so complex, it takes two people to make it work. One hand wears the watch. The other hand presses the buttons that activate the 100% solid state multi-function digital quartz crystal micro-computer unit. And now, you're ready for the third hand to trigger the light-luminating dial to give you an alphanumeric readout accurate to within 9 a year. It's that simple.

Announcer: Kromega III. It's like asking a stranger for the time.

For some reason I have a distinct memory of a very forgettable non-event involving that watch or one very similar. It was mid 1970's. My family was at the theater watching Towering Inferno or Earth Quake or one of those types of movies when longer movies actually had intermissions back then. I think it may have been Earth Quake because I also remember the theater being equipped with Sensor Sound which made the whole theater shake when the quake would appear on screen.
Anyway, somebody asked this guy for the time and he had to have the person asking, to hold his drink and popcorn because he needed two hands to press the buttons on his LED watch. Even as a kid, I thought the LED watch was the coolest gadget ever but I also thought, how dumb is that, that you need two hands to tell the time. I don't know why, but that little snippet of life is burned into my memory.

[Frog]

Perhaps an SLN writer or two were at the same show.

[Shanarchy]

Baume Mercier Capeland was today's choice.

[mooseman]

I wear a neat watch which is good to 200 feet of water pressure simply because if I am ever 200 feet under water I sure as hell will be concerned about what freaking time it is.
mooseman

[blue moon]

anybody recognize this one?

[alan802]

anybody recognize this one?

I don't think I've ever seen one exactly like that in person.  I was in San Antonio over the weekend and I got to spend about 30 minutes in Tourneau trying on watches.  The analogy of a kid in a candy store was not appropriate, it was more extreme than that.  I probably tried on 15 watches, Oris, Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Bremont, U-Boat, Audemars Piquet (Royal Oak Offshore), Luminox, and a few others I've forgotten about.  I was very impressed with the Oris I tried on, it was my favorite watch, unfortunately I can't remember which model it was.

[Shanarchy]

anybody recognize this one?

Omega speedmaster? they have them in some pretty crazy colors!

[blue moon]

yes, Omega Speedmaster Pro. The first watch worn on the moon and until few years ago, the only NASA authorized watch for EVA (spacewalks). This is a 10 year anniversary watch from 1979. It is almost identical to the ones sold today with the exception of the bracelet and some minor tweaks in the movement. Nothing visible from the outside.

back with the new bracelet:


and the article:

http://www.ask.com/wiki/Omega_Speedmaster_Professional

[Denis Kolar]

yes, Omega Speedmaster Pro. The first watch worn on the moon and until few years ago, the only NASA authorized watch for EVA (spacewalks). This is a 10 year anniversary watch from 1979. It is almost identical to the ones sold today with the exception of the bracelet and some minor tweaks in the movement. Nothing visible from the outside.
back with the new bracelet:

and the article:
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Omega_Speedmaster_Professional

I thought that aliens wear watches too  They should not claim that it is a first watch on the moon 

 

[blue moon]

anybody recognize this one?

I don't think I've ever seen one exactly like that in person.  I was in San Antonio over the weekend and I got to spend about 30 minutes in Tourneau trying on watches.  The analogy of a kid in a candy store was not appropriate, it was more extreme than that.  I probably tried on 15 watches, Oris, Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Bremont, U-Boat, Audemars Piquet (Royal Oak Offshore), Luminox, and a few others I've forgotten about.  I was very impressed with the Oris I tried on, it was my favorite watch, unfortunately I can't remember which model it was.

here's the scary thing, most of those are considered entry level into high end watches. Actually, not even sure any would make it (while familiar with AP, not really sure what's inside them, but my gut check would be that they are the only high end watch in there).

Oris is a great company. I have not looked at their watches in a while, but I did buy my wife one. They are one of the best bangs for the buck.

To compare it to cars (which might make some things easier to understand):
Omega is BMW
Oris would be Subaru
Cartie is Lexus
Tag is Infinity
Brietling is Acura

These are all nice, but as mentioned, they are entry level to nice cars.

IWC, JLC, Panerai, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron, Zenith are your Ferraris, Lambos and Porsches. Usually use prefab movements that are customized. A lot of assembly line production.
Low end models here are $5k or so and they go up to $100k

Glashutte, Parmigiani, Bregute, Patek are your RR, Bently, Zonda and such . . . Mostly hand made from scratch.
They start at $10k for the very low end models and go up to a mil.