Watches in the Wild (Long Weekend, Volume 9)

Disclaimer: Watch of the week for me pictured above, the JLC Master Geographic on the uncommon (but excellent) bracelet.  A work watch for the working day.

This is the ninth in a semi-regular digest of cool watches I happened to see this week.

 Past posts in this series have been hashtagged to #watchesinthewild and you can click through for part 1part 2part 3part 4 , part 5part 6part 7, and part 8.

As always, my general policy is that I never ask for wrist shots (because approaching strangers and distant acquaintances to talk about watches is already weird enough) so all pictures below are sourced from the internet.  People are mostly cool, I try not to annoy them.

A bit of an earlier one this week in preparation for a long Veteran's day weekend (thank you for your service!).  

The Bay Area has been lashed with freezing rain and hail for most of the week and I've had a number of in person meetings canceled and moved to Zoom.  I have never been able to effectively identify watches over most people's potato quality facecams, so the hits have been lower these days.  Still, everyones got to eat and most of my watch spotting this week was inside restaurants.

Conversation is particularly difficult when folks are eating.  I find, invariably, that I have a gift for interrupting people mid-bite or during a particularly serious part of their conversation with someone else.  As a result, a somewhat higher incidence of awkward moments this time around that I failed to inoculate with a charming grin.  The things I do for you people.

Below are a selection of the best ones I saw this week,

Tag Heuer Formula 1 Caliber 5

Tag Heuer] Formula 1 : r/Watches

Worn by the wife of a studiously Apple watch only friend.  Surprisingly, we have never talked about this watch.  As with friends who are not watch friends, conversation tends to stray in other directions.

Besides, my imagination is more interesting.  My head canon was that it was liberated from his collection, the act of an emancipator who decided that the crude monotony of the Frutitarian Empire must be no more.  

I like this watch mostly.  It has clean lines and a nice handset.  I find the Tag logo elegant in the black and white and the dash of red text gives it a touch of character. I'd happily wear this watch.

However, the most notable thing to me is how confidently my friends wife pulls off the oversized watch look.  She has, at most a 6 inch wrist.  If I had a six inches wrist, there's no way I would wear a 41mm watch for fear of it looking ridiculous (hell I have a 7.25 in wrist and I sweat over those incremental millimeters).

It reminds me of a poll @michaelsweet  put up recently on smallest watch one, as a gentleman, would feel comfortable wearing.  It's gotten me thinking that perhaps all of us  would be happier collectors if we let go of our conceptions of what size watch fit our wrist.

Grand Seiko SBGW283

Image

Worn by a friend who was walking through a mall in Orange County and impulse bought this at a Grand Seiko boutique.  This is the first Grand Seiko I've seen since starting this watch travelogue (as opposed to the 70th or so Rolex), which tells you just how nascent the brand is in North America.  If @HotWatchChick69  were not so insistent on purchasing every single one in sight, they might be a touch more ubiquitous around these parts.

I'm honestly jealous of anyone who can walk into a store, having zero intention of buying anything and having done zero research, and walk out with a masterpiece like this.

Whenever I impulse buy something, I am almost instantly filled with incredible regret, not the least because my first reactions to any watch are usually wrong.  When I don't do research, I end up buying shiny things that are completely inconsistent with what makes me happy as a collector long term.  The watches get shoved in boxes, stored in drawers and in the back of closets.  And there they sit, my telltale heart, until I suck it up and sell them at a loss to a home that will love them more.  There is much regret, much shame.

Anyhoo, when I first saw this on my buddy's wrist, I immediately exclaimed "It's so sparkly!"

And it is sparkly!  It's such a slim and good looking watch, with that characteristic Grand Seiko shine.  It's absolutely beautiful and worthy of praise.

IF I had to quibble about one thing (and this is the smallest quibble I can think of), it would be that I don't like the handset much.  The  dauphin hands with angled centers are.....fine.  They are beautifully finished and suited to the dial but there's nothing special about them.  They look like the handset of any other mid to higher end watch brand.

But if I had my druthers, I'd prefer they put Grand Seiko's dauphin hands with the brushed center and polished angled sides (as seen on my SBGA429).  

Image

To me, these are the characteristic hands of a GS watch, more beautiful and subtle than the Rolex Mercedes hands.  There is no greater signal of the exceptional quality of Grand Seiko than how beautiful this handset actually is in real life.

I think it could have taken the watch from great to magnificent.

JLC Master Ultra Thin Date

Not so simple JLC Master Ultra Thin Date

Seen on the wrist of a restaurant owner managing the maitre'd stand.  I complimented him on his watch, got a very gracious thank you and didn't see him for the rest of the meal.  Such is the life of a watch nerd.  I was even wearing my Master Geographic.  We could have been watch bros!  Missed opportunities.

I think there is a reasonable argument to be made that JLC is the maker of the finest steel dress watches out there.  Not the finest dress watches (one could convincing argue that the very best dress watch ought to be in a precious metal of some sort which puts Breguet, Lange and Patek into the competition) or the best value dress watches (Orient and Seiko/Grand Seiko probably win that fight), but the best steel dress watches period.

The only high horology maker that invests in steel dress watches to any significant degree that I can think of is Vacheron via its 56 line, but I'd frankly take a Master Control or Master Ultra Thin over any of those watches.   The date placement is superior, the dial is clean without being empty, the movement is unimpeachably excellent, and the dimensions are dress watch perfect (at just 7.5mm in height vs the 9+ for the VC).

I think there's something to be said for just how refined the design language is for the JLC Master Ultras is.  As wonderful as Grand Seikos (such as the SBGW283 above) are, I do wonder whether the textured dials will age poorly and go out of fashion because of how aggressive a statement they are

With JLC, I have none of those fears.  I think that this is a watch that would have looked timeless 70 years ago and will probably look just as timeless 70 years from now.

IWC Ingenieur (white dial)

IWC Ingenieur Automatic | Watch collection, Iwc, Wrist watch

Seen in the men's restroom at work and, no, I've never found a way to have a comfortable conversation in the men's restroom (watches or otherwise) so there was zero conversation had.  I am very sad though because the Ingenieur is the sort of watch only a watch geek wears so I am wondering if I will see him again and if we might be watch buddies.

Identification of this watch is a little uncertain but I have a couple of important notes to offer

1. IWC was stamped on the butterfly bracelet clasp

2. It was not a chronograph, pilots watch, or a dress watch.

3.  The bracelet was an integrated h-link

3. The dial was white

There can only be one watch that satisfies all of those criteria: the IWC Ingenieur (one of the white models).  I find Gerald Genta fascinating though perhaps not because of the reasons most find him fascinating.  My understand of Genta was that he was basically a traveling salesman with a bunch of designs in his briefcase and watch companies picked through them to see if they wanted to make any of them (hence his designs flowing from manufacturers from Universal Geneve to Bulova to Bulgari to Van Cleef and Arpels).  This mental image pleases me more  far more than the far more popular conception of him hovering over a drawing of a watch with a Nautilus next to him.

The Genta-holics among us probably would consider the Natulius or the Royal Oak the pinnacle of his design craft (and perhaps they are), but for me they fall a bit flat.  It's probably because they've been reproduced and copied and homaged so many times that I feel like the design elements all blend together. Classic certainly. Overexposed, absolutely.

The IWC, by virtue of being considered the ugly cousin of the Genta clan, has none of those drawbacks and, as a result, I think I like it the most.

Despite people's carping about the design, the Ingenieur is actually a really good looking watch.  The dial is pleasingly textured, the handset is smart and well chosen.  The only oddity is the lugs, which are wonderfully assymetrical and flow back to the bracelet.  I even like the 5 holes on the bezel (no doubt due to some specific tool used to affix it to the case).  Many of the models even have the no tool link removal system I like so much about the IWC pilots watches.

The IWC Ingenieur is fun, good looking and quirky.  As my opinions on integrated bracelets slowly evolve, I might find myself in the market for one of these some days.

Seiko Presage Sharp Edge GMT in black

Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT SPB217 SPB219 SPB221 SPB223

Seen at the table next to me on the wrist of a gentleman who was clearly in a meeting.  I don't think I could have rightfully interrupted him.

No joke, I have nearly purchased this watch for myself in its various color ways no fewer than five separate times.  I even once managed to pull the trigger on a white one and a friend of mine admired it so much that I ended up selling it to him. Then I almost bought the blue one, but bought the blue three hander instead (now property of @rowiphi may it grace his wrist forever).  Now my broken collectors brain is noodling over the Zero Halliburton collab version with the asanoha pinstripes. There's some serious starcrossed lovers sh*t going on here.

I love love love this watch.  The best way to describe it is that it's kind of like a Grand Seiko but with its hair down a bit.  The textured dial is beautiful, the GMT movement is a flyer, and the bracelet is typical jangly but endearing Seiko. 

This is the sort of watch I idealize for travel.  It's a flyer GMT so multiple time zones.  It's not ridiculously priced nor particularly rare, so it's not a headache to replace if the worst happens.  It's pretty rugged given the steel construction and anti scratch coating and wouldn't look out of place in either the top of a mountain or in a Michelin starred restaurant.

I think every collection needs this sort of watch (the go anywhere do anything travel watch that you don't feel bad knocking around).  I haven't quite figured out why mine hasn't.

Panerai Luminor 8 Giorni

Panerai Luminor 8 Giorni 44 mm - YouTube

Seen on the wrist of a retired football player (I won't say who but gooooooooo Niners).  You'd need to be a football player to wear this guy because it's ginormous.  I did make a comment about finding it a cool watch and he grunted at me.  Fair enough.  

@watchobsessed  posted a provocative thread on a brand that doesn't appeal to you and highlighted Panerai.

I'd mostly agree with him, at least from a personal wearing perspective.  Panerai doesn't speak to me either, from a case shape or a size perspective.  I won't ever quite understand the appeal of wearing a dive watch on leather (not that I won't keep trying both with divers and divers on leather) and that seems to be Panerai's specialty.  OF all major brands out there, I quibble with Panerai's design choices the most (though I'll be the first to admit they aren't really made for me).

Still, I have to admit, sometimes the watch fits the person and, in this case and on that wrist, it looked as petite as a vintage watch in all its 44mm glory. 

Therein lies the beauty of this hobby.  There's something that fits everyone, from the slim wristed to NFL linebackers.  You won't get that with an Apple Watch.

What cool watches did you see this week?

Reply
·

I think what you really need is a Rolex 😜

·
watchdawg

I think what you really need is a Rolex 😜

One of these weeks, I'll do a Rolex only watches in the wild.  They are, by far, the most common luxury watch brand I see on a day to day basis.  

And then I can see al the carping about how I only highlight Rolexes in these watch spotting posts.

Then I'll really feel like a watch content creator!  So that's something to look forward to.

·
Edge168n

One of these weeks, I'll do a Rolex only watches in the wild.  They are, by far, the most common luxury watch brand I see on a day to day basis.  

And then I can see al the carping about how I only highlight Rolexes in these watch spotting posts.

Then I'll really feel like a watch content creator!  So that's something to look forward to.

A skydweller in the wild, and who that owner might be..  

·

I had a bad week for watch identifications. I probably had 30 interactions with watch wearers and everything looked like a Breitling, but no positives. I lingered in conversation with a lawyer because I was trying to confirm that he was wearing a two tone Datejust. Something was off about it. I think that it was something trying to look like a Datejust. It was goldish without being gold, if your know what I mean.

·
Aurelian

I had a bad week for watch identifications. I probably had 30 interactions with watch wearers and everything looked like a Breitling, but no positives. I lingered in conversation with a lawyer because I was trying to confirm that he was wearing a two tone Datejust. Something was off about it. I think that it was something trying to look like a Datejust. It was goldish without being gold, if your know what I mean.

First, I find it amazing you see so many Breitlings.  I literally have seen one in the past three months.  I wonder, occasionally, about regional variations in luxury watch purchasing and if there's anything to it.

Two, 💯💯💯on the gold thing.  Pure gold looks different than something that's trying to be gold.  Richer somehow.  It's hard to explain but it makes sense when you see it.

·
Aurelian

I had a bad week for watch identifications. I probably had 30 interactions with watch wearers and everything looked like a Breitling, but no positives. I lingered in conversation with a lawyer because I was trying to confirm that he was wearing a two tone Datejust. Something was off about it. I think that it was something trying to look like a Datejust. It was goldish without being gold, if your know what I mean.

I lingered in conversation

For the life of me, I cannot identify watches on people's wrists!  Amongst acquaintances, I end up staring for way too long, and I can't keep up a conversation while also trying to figure out if that's a Vostok or a Zodiac on your wrist.

And the whole lingering thing...  I'll extend conversations way past the point of natural conclusion, just so that I can keep staring.

Me:  Uh...  so...  yeah...  how's Caroline doing?

Neighbor:  She moved out over a year ago.  We haven't talked since.  Remember how you helped her load up all the furniture into the U-Haul?

Me:  Oh...  so...  how's the job?

·

I know I keep saying the same thing but these journal entries are so fun to read - especially your take on the watches/brands.

I once commented on a guy’s JLC at a golf club yeeeeaaaars ago. His eyes lit up, astonished I recognized the brand and he started geeking out about JLC and his collection. Reactions like that are priceless.  

·
Edge168n

First, I find it amazing you see so many Breitlings.  I literally have seen one in the past three months.  I wonder, occasionally, about regional variations in luxury watch purchasing and if there's anything to it.

Two, 💯💯💯on the gold thing.  Pure gold looks different than something that's trying to be gold.  Richer somehow.  It's hard to explain but it makes sense when you see it.

Something that is trying to be gold has a red tint to it somehow. The eye knows.

Breitling being common may be a Charleston thing, or a lawyer thing, or a combination of the two. I know a lawyer with four of them. Old guys have them, young guys have them. They are so common in my circles that I assume that every steel watch that isn't a Rolex is a Breitling.

I never see anyone wear what I wear, usually an old gold watch on a leather strap. Everything is steel on a bracelet and none of them really go well with a blue suit.

**Tangent Alert**

And another thing, everyone here in my profession wears blue suits almost to the exclusion of everything else. Where are all the gray pinstripe suits? Hell, I used to have two green suits. I am guilty of it too, I probably have three blue suits in rotation.

·

@Edge168n @Aurelian I’ve lived in a few cities where every other watch I’d see was a Breitling but now that I live in California, I barely see them out in the wild. 

·
Mr.Dee.Bater

I lingered in conversation

For the life of me, I cannot identify watches on people's wrists!  Amongst acquaintances, I end up staring for way too long, and I can't keep up a conversation while also trying to figure out if that's a Vostok or a Zodiac on your wrist.

And the whole lingering thing...  I'll extend conversations way past the point of natural conclusion, just so that I can keep staring.

Me:  Uh...  so...  yeah...  how's Caroline doing?

Neighbor:  She moved out over a year ago.  We haven't talked since.  Remember how you helped her load up all the furniture into the U-Haul?

Me:  Oh...  so...  how's the job?

I feel like there's a product opportunity here.  Watch identification flash cards!  Practice at home with friends!

·
celinesimon

I know I keep saying the same thing but these journal entries are so fun to read - especially your take on the watches/brands.

I once commented on a guy’s JLC at a golf club yeeeeaaaars ago. His eyes lit up, astonished I recognized the brand and he started geeking out about JLC and his collection. Reactions like that are priceless.  

I have a literally endless number of opinions on watches.  This just has the benefit of me being able to subject you to them 😉

I don't think I will ever tire of the joy that recognizing and complimenting someone's relatively obscure watch brings them.

·
Edge168n

I have a literally endless number of opinions on watches.  This just has the benefit of me being able to subject you to them 😉

I don't think I will ever tire of the joy that recognizing and complimenting someone's relatively obscure watch brings them.

It might be a fun scavenger hunt:  Find a Nixon in the wild and compliment the owner; find an Alpinist in a place that is nowhere near a mountain.

·
Aurelian

It might be a fun scavenger hunt:  Find a Nixon in the wild and compliment the owner; find an Alpinist in a place that is nowhere near a mountain.

It's funny, I did that today at the playground (complimented a Nixon).  It was an attractive three hander and would have been a rather good dress watch if it wasn't so large (43mm).

I feel like this is the wrong turn that a lot of fashion watches take.  The design isn't half bad but they just make them 3-5mm too large and it feels wrong 

·

They're trying to sell dress watches to Shaq and up and coming NBA and American eggball big men?

·
TalkingDugong

They're trying to sell dress watches to Shaq and up and coming NBA and American eggball big men?

Dude, luxury brands do it too.  All of Panerai's coolest models are huge.  Same with Breitling.  I think there's just a big watch aesthetic.

·
Edge168n

All these Breitling spottings.  I'm super jealous, I see them so rarely. That ice blue is killer.

I'm still convinced the Navitimer is not really for me but I do like the design path they've been exploring.

Try working in engineering in the UK, they are bloody everywhere (or were with the old guard, but now I realise at around 20 years in I’m not young enough to be a rising star, but not old enough to be given recognition for lifetime achievements, and the old guard have retired). 
Then you have me…  Corum Bubble or a vintage 40s military-inspired 30mm on red rubber.

·

I was on a Zoom call yesterday, including a managing director from one of the largest US banks. I was listening to the presenter, but then I saw the MD take of his wristwatch, look at it, and then give it the good old "Seiko shake", only to put it back on the wrist after a minute.

Hard to tell from a zoom window, but I'm sure that those in the upper ranks wear something like a Seiko SNX. 😀 (Would make sense, though. He was a bit of a technology geek.)

·

That's it. After nine of these posts, I'm just going to come out and say it. You have an uncanny ability to spot watches and you don't fool me any longer. What model are you? A T-800? Who were you sent back to kill?

Best Terminator Vision GIFs | Gfycat
·
hbein2022

I was on a Zoom call yesterday, including a managing director from one of the largest US banks. I was listening to the presenter, but then I saw the MD take of his wristwatch, look at it, and then give it the good old "Seiko shake", only to put it back on the wrist after a minute.

Hard to tell from a zoom window, but I'm sure that those in the upper ranks wear something like a Seiko SNX. 😀 (Would make sense, though. He was a bit of a technology geek.)

There's a lot of watch flexing in finance but also a lot of real watch nuts.

My boss wore a vintage Baume et Mercier Calatrava type.  Something like this.

Image

What I really want to see though is the Goldman partner who rocks a G-Shock to meetings.

·
Edge168n

There's a lot of watch flexing in finance but also a lot of real watch nuts.

My boss wore a vintage Baume et Mercier Calatrava type.  Something like this.

Image

What I really want to see though is the Goldman partner who rocks a G-Shock to meetings.

Yes, I think you're always on the safe side with a vintage watch. (It's similar to cars in that way. ) People either don't recognize what you are wearing, or if they do, it doesn't come across as a flex.

·
Rolexahoma

That's it. After nine of these posts, I'm just going to come out and say it. You have an uncanny ability to spot watches and you don't fool me any longer. What model are you? A T-800? Who were you sent back to kill?

Best Terminator Vision GIFs | Gfycat
Image
·
Edge168n
Image

I rest my case...

Image
·
Rolexahoma

I rest my case...

Image

Look, I don't know what you're going on about.  I'm a normal everyday meatsack...I mean HOO-MON like the rest of you!

I'm definitely not here to infiltrate 21st human society to subvert it from the inside.

Say, can you point me towards NORAD or, barring that, Twitter headquarters?

·
Edge168n

There's a lot of watch flexing in finance but also a lot of real watch nuts.

My boss wore a vintage Baume et Mercier Calatrava type.  Something like this.

Image

What I really want to see though is the Goldman partner who rocks a G-Shock to meetings.

When I was in consulting, my managing partner wore a huge white GShock with a gray suit to every client meeting.  It was just part of his persona.

·
ds760476

When I was in consulting, my managing partner wore a huge white GShock with a gray suit to every client meeting.  It was just part of his persona.

That's such a BSD move.  I absolutely love it.

·

kinda in the wild…

ZOOM conference call - I noticed a nice watch under this gents sleeve….

I kept waiting for it to pop out and finally as we were saying goodbye I chimed in…

“excuse me sir, what amazing watch are you wearing…”

GMT MASTER …. I’m glad I asked it looked great…and we found another reason to keep chatting And build a partnership/biz relationship.

I even mentioned watch crunch to him to come join the party…

·
Cdfaltz

kinda in the wild…

ZOOM conference call - I noticed a nice watch under this gents sleeve….

I kept waiting for it to pop out and finally as we were saying goodbye I chimed in…

“excuse me sir, what amazing watch are you wearing…”

GMT MASTER …. I’m glad I asked it looked great…and we found another reason to keep chatting And build a partnership/biz relationship.

I even mentioned watch crunch to him to come join the party…

I love this.  Its not the price of the watch but the fact that you noticed.  Just makes a watch dork feel warm inside.

·

Another great post. I love reading these ❤️

I've seen mostly Rotary's and Citizens recently, but since there are a MILLION different models of these I have zero hope of working out specifics.

I see the occasional Seiko too but can literally go months between seeing any other brand. 

·
DeeperBlue

Another great post. I love reading these ❤️

I've seen mostly Rotary's and Citizens recently, but since there are a MILLION different models of these I have zero hope of working out specifics.

I see the occasional Seiko too but can literally go months between seeing any other brand. 

I mean 70% of what I see is smart watches and maybe 80% of the remainder are Timexes and G-Shocks (some of which are very cool admittedly though I find identification hard).

I'd honestly love to see a selection of rotaries!

My cool watch views tend to come in chops.  Some days I see nothing.  Sometimes I see half a dozen cool watches, some of which I need to mull over for days.  There's a chronograph with a cabochon with a Chronomat style bezel that I've been wracking my brain on.

I am also advantaged.  Its never really that cold here in the Bay Area so people still tend to be in shirtsleeves a lot.

·
celinesimon

I know I keep saying the same thing but these journal entries are so fun to read - especially your take on the watches/brands.

I once commented on a guy’s JLC at a golf club yeeeeaaaars ago. His eyes lit up, astonished I recognized the brand and he started geeking out about JLC and his collection. Reactions like that are priceless.  

I've been wearing the Seiko a lot this week and I love it more and more over time! The finishing is Grand Seiko worthy and the case and bracelet are just perfect.