Watches in the Wild (Something Blue and Something New, Volume 30)
Disclaimer: A newbie to the collection. Details below!
This is the thirtieth 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 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 21, part 22, part 23, part 24, part 25, part 26, part 27, part 28, and part 29.
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.
First, apologies for the unannounced break. Have you ever tried to spot watches on people's wrists while your sub 6 year old kids are on spring break? It's a disaster.
At any rate, Easter was crazy, the kids are super hopped up on chocolate eggs and haven't slept in five days. But we're back to the normal order of operations around here and I'm back in meetings regularly for the next week or two.
This is honestly an odd mish mash of watches here. Some were spotted while figuring out how to occupy two little girls who are on spring break. Some were spotted during the rare meetings that managed to pierce the heads down craziness of this week. One was spotted on my wrist.
But all are cool in their own ways and are nice spring boards for my endless rambling. I hope you enjoy!
Cartier Tank Must Automatic in large
Seen on the wrist of someone queueing for the theatre for Super Mario Bros.
***Beginneth Aside*** I have nothing against Chris Pratt but #notmymario. ***Endeth Aside***
We were walking by and I didn't feel quite right stopping, but I saw it and it was beautiful!
I'm generally a massive mechanical watch snob. Unlike many here, who can wax poetically about the beating heart of a mechanical movement or the union of man and machine into a beautiful time telling device, my reasons are remarkably superficial. Quite simply, I like the sweeping seconds hand and I greatly dislike changing batteries. But there is one scenario where I think a quartz is the superior option, a thin two handed dress watch.
In the case of a two hander, you simply don't miss the sweeping seconds hand and the thin profile and ease of quartz almost always win me over.
Which brings me to the automatic Cartier Tank Must in large.
It must be said it is a genuinely stunning watch. The silver guilloche dial is immaculate and the proportions and size are pleasing on my wrist. But (and this is entirely my stupid opinion) find that there are two notable flaws.
First, I don't think dress watches really need seconds hands or a date window. You just aren't timing anything in the circumstance and a date is completely superfluous.
And second, I just found myself wishing it had the Cartier Solar beat movement instead.
Rolex Yachtmaster Two tone in Everose
Seen at a rental car dealership on the wrist of a gentleman returning a Tesla. Had I not been desperate to get my car, I 100% would have asked him about it (even though my hit rate on good conversations with Rolex owners, if anything, seems to be going down these days).
One of the most celebrated releases during watches and wonders this year was the wider release of RLX Titanium watches into Rolex 's broader collection. It was heralded as a long overdue materials science breakthrough for Rolex tool watches.
Of course, they released it for a watch called the Yacht Master, which is the least toolish of their sports line, and only in 42mm, which means it remains appropriate for only the sturdiest of wrists. What Rolex giveth, Rolex hath taken away.
Out of morbid curiosity, I called my AD to ask if the Titanium Yachtmaster happened to be available any time this decade. He laughed in my face and said he could sell me Everose Rolesor Yachtmaster instead if I wanted. Honestly, I think I'd prefer it.
I have long maintained that Rolex is at its very best when it gives in to its blingy and nonsensical side. Precious metals, two tone, bejeweled nonsense, give me the craziest and most over the top stuff you can muster because it feels fundamentally more honest than trying to pretend that these are the rough and tumble tool watches of yesteryear.
And the Everose Rolesor Yachtmaster 40 is a gorgeous watch. I love the raised numerals on the bezel and the general silliness of a watch that purports to be sporty and then splashes out for pink gold.
In many respects, I feel this is a more cohesive look than most Rolex two tones because of the way the rose gold bezel flows into the rose gold center link.
I enjoy this watch entirely too much for one I never intend to own.
Tudor 1926 (39mm)
Seen on the wrist of a junior analyst during a meeting with investment bankers. Again, I seem to get all the weird ones in my office and I'm in for it.
I did compliment the watch and he seemed surprised that I recognized it. This particular specimen was the beautiful opaline dial with blue numerals in 39mm.
As befitting someone as contrarian as me, I find all the non black bay models of Tudor far more interesting than the Instagram darling BB58/54/GMT/Pros etc. It's not that I dislike the Black Bay line per se (I can even get over my prejudices against dive watches) but i do wish there was room to celebrate the rest of Tudor design too, instead of just dive watch and dive watch adjacents.
This hope seems to be in vain (pour one out for the heritage chronograph) as the House of Wilsdorf and Davis continue to plod steadily along their path towards ever higher profitability driven by reissues and homages of its historical dive watches.
All of this is a long way of saying, I kinda like the 1926. It's slim and well finished, it's got a nice semi dressy vibe to look comfortable in an office setting while also having enough specs and sturdiness to be able to deal with a bit of after work fun.
I enjoy the Alpinist style style paired with the thin leaf hands and the blue tint of the numerals against the dimpled opaline dial. I'm even charmed by the smiley dial text!
It's a cool three hander in a world crowded with cool three handers but I think there's enough here that should make this someone's cup of tea.
Seiko SARF011 Ocean Traveler (NWA)
Seen on my wrist. I teased this earlier in the WRUW and debated putting this in a different post, but I'm in a medium effort kinda mood, so you're getting it here instead.
I don't know if I've mentioned this before but I'm pretty sure I'm broken in the head, even by watch collectors standards. In my normal life, I am slow to action, contemplative and analytical. With watches, I am capricious, impulsive and emotional. For much of my collecting life, I bought watches like a 17 year old day trades meme stocks on Robinhood. HODL Diamond hands until something else shiny catches my eye.
This cognitive dissonance had some costs. My collection peaked at 30 pieces and it's taken five years to cull it down to a more reasonable number.
But the impulsiveness in buying continued. I still bought a ton of random releases, some new and some old. But nothing really ended up sticking and so I found myself buying watches, wearing them for a couple months, then flipping them. It's a sickness.
To combat this, I have been on a quiet watch buying downswing for the past year or so.
The goal of course, was to reacquaint myself with my watch collection and remember what I liked or didn't like.
And I've come to the conclusion that I'm, what you would call, basic with a twist. I have usual suspect brands and even usual suspect watches, but slightly offbeat versions of them. I like non steel Rolexes, sportier/toolier JLCs, subdued Grand Seiko dials. But little that one might consider off the beaten path.
I think, like most watch nerds, I prefer screw down crowns, thinner versus thicker watches, and have strong opinions about everything from movements to finishing (Seiko 6Rs are probably great movements but I haven't seen one specimen yet, in-house is a great way to charge more money, watch nerds overvalue specs and undervalue design). And I tend to choose my watches accordingly.
I like watches that are thin but weighty on wrist. I infinitely prefer steel to titanium and enjoy the cold first touch of putting a watch on in the morning. Micro adjusts are a must.
Complications wise, I largely prefer chronographs and three handers, as still can't read a GMT hand without thinking about it for a minute or two. If forced to choose, I find caller style GMTS 100% more useful than flyer styles. Oh, and I find pointer dates illegible.
And so, knowing all of that, about a week ago I bought the Seiko SARF011 Ocean Traveler, a watch among whose flaws are the following
- Titanium
-14.5mm tall
- no micro adjusts
- Pin and Collar bracelet
- Push pull crown
- 6R64 movement
- Flyer style GMT with pointer date
When I first bought this, I mentioned to @HotWatchChick69 that while I found the design and dial beguiling I was almost certain it was going to be a catch and release. On paper, it felt too crazy as a combination of things for me to stick even for a couple weeks.
But you know how sometimes a bunch of negative things cancel each other out? Like the lightness of titanium means I just don't care about the height of the watch. Who needs a micro adjust or easy link removal when you accidentally perfectly size it the first time? And who needs water resistance anyway?
I am genuinely surprised by how much I like this watch and how little there is in Western watch media on it and the rest of the Ocean Traveler line. Despite the height, the titanium build means that it is incredibly light (103g sized for my 7.25in wrist vs 150g for my SBGA429) and incredibly comfortable.
While I'm hesitant to offer rhetorical flourishes like comparing it to Grand Seiko, I do think it is an extraordinarily well finished watch at the price point (a light bead blasted bracelet, high polish sides, and a vertical brush on the lugs). It looks absolutely killer in person.
The hands are a lovely dipped blue enamel situation. Underneath the direct sunlight, they are ever so slightly translucent, which splashes blue shadows across the lazy guilloche S dial Speaking of, @Fieldwalker tells me the dial is supposed to be evocative of the waves off the back of an ocean going vessel and I'll take his word for it. Maybe mine is supposed to be from a cruise ship on a crystal clear Mediterranean day.
The movement even feels pretty good and appears to be about 10 seconds off a day, which is within tolerances for my accuracy OCD. This might be the first 6R I've actually liked immediately. The winding action is still a little reedy but the GMT jumping hour is satisfying and snappy.
What a watch!
What cool watches did you see this week?
By day, investor and father. By night, Seiko nut. #justgooutsideandtouchgrass
Congratulations on getting to 30 installments. Watch content is hard. There are only so many ways to say "I like how this thing does this thing."
I would not have picked that Seiko out for you. I have owned Seiko but I never had that introductory Seiko phase that many feel is necessary. I like their design choices, even when I don't think that they are for me. I may have to explore that, but I would probably just look at some version of what @Ichibunz has in six different colors.
I share office space with two other lawyers. The "watch guy" seems to be rubbing off on them. One went to our local AD to order an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra the other day. The other tagged along because he has been on the fence about a Datejust. His plan was to buy a Datejust as a way of ingratiating himself with the AD so that he could eventually get what he really wanted, a Sky-Dweller. The thought was that the Datejust would be a safe queen and he would sell it to finance the Sky-Dweller. Really not a bad plan and one that only works in the weird context of Rolex.
He was discussing this plan with the salesperson and did not want to commit to the Datejust. She inquired what version he would order if he was going to order. The sales manager overheard the conversation and rushed to the back. He then brought out this:
Someone had ordered the exact watch as a college graduation gift and then thought better of it (his wife thought it was too extravagant). So, rather than order and wait, a Datejust came home with my friend (actually, just to the office because he has bought a few watches recently and his wife may or may not yet know).
This apparently caused a little commotion in the store because other customers did not understand how this guy could just come in and buy one, but they couldn't.
Very pretty and shiny in person. Nice story, nice watch. (Rolex really is shiny. I always forget that until I see one.)
You know what I think happened? My SBGC249 subconsciously convinced you to get the Ocean Traveler!
Somewhere deep in the recesses of your brain - maybe the parietal lobe? - said, "You know what you need in life? An ugly, overly busy, thick, titanium Seiko." Voila! It happened!
Congratulations on getting to 30 installments. Watch content is hard. There are only so many ways to say "I like how this thing does this thing."
I would not have picked that Seiko out for you. I have owned Seiko but I never had that introductory Seiko phase that many feel is necessary. I like their design choices, even when I don't think that they are for me. I may have to explore that, but I would probably just look at some version of what @Ichibunz has in six different colors.
I share office space with two other lawyers. The "watch guy" seems to be rubbing off on them. One went to our local AD to order an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra the other day. The other tagged along because he has been on the fence about a Datejust. His plan was to buy a Datejust as a way of ingratiating himself with the AD so that he could eventually get what he really wanted, a Sky-Dweller. The thought was that the Datejust would be a safe queen and he would sell it to finance the Sky-Dweller. Really not a bad plan and one that only works in the weird context of Rolex.
He was discussing this plan with the salesperson and did not want to commit to the Datejust. She inquired what version he would order if he was going to order. The sales manager overheard the conversation and rushed to the back. He then brought out this:
Someone had ordered the exact watch as a college graduation gift and then thought better of it (his wife thought it was too extravagant). So, rather than order and wait, a Datejust came home with my friend (actually, just to the office because he has bought a few watches recently and his wife may or may not yet know).
This apparently caused a little commotion in the store because other customers did not understand how this guy could just come in and buy one, but they couldn't.
Very pretty and shiny in person. Nice story, nice watch. (Rolex really is shiny. I always forget that until I see one.)
Thanks! I admit, at this point, my constraint is time rather than things to say. Business has been picking up and one of the nice things about being a watch hobbyist rather than a real content creator is that I can always drop it for more important things without feel like I'm being set back.
I also don't mind repeating myself. Jason Zweig, the personal finance columnist at the Wall Street Journal, often talks about how his biggest challenge has been how to say the same ten things over and over again in a 15 year long weekly column without anyone picking up on it.
So I figure if I repeat myself a couple of times, I'm in good company.
Frankly, I wouldn't have picked it out for me either! It was entirely purchased on a whim.
I'm mostly open to my tastes changing over time, though I have to admit this watch is likely to be more of an exception than a rule. We all need a crazy weekend watch and this scratches the itch really well.
As for the Seiko phase, I think it's almost entirely dependent on when you encountered it in your watch collecting life. I encountered it early and so a lot of Seiko design philosophy got imprinted early and formed my preferences. It's worth going down the rabbit hole a bit though. You might find something you like.
And hilarious watch story. I love it when you can identify when you were patient zero.
You know what I think happened? My SBGC249 subconsciously convinced you to get the Ocean Traveler!
Somewhere deep in the recesses of your brain - maybe the parietal lobe? - said, "You know what you need in life? An ugly, overly busy, thick, titanium Seiko." Voila! It happened!
I'm not saying yes but I'm not saying no either 😉😉😉
I was definitely surprised that I liked your SBGC249 as much as I did. I think the case profile was a bit overly toolish for my tastes, but it did make me wonder if a titanium case could overcome some of my long standing opposition to watches above 13mm in height.
As it happens, I don't notice height on watches really, I notice weight and balance.
And now I own too tall, overly stylized titanium Seiko with a face that only a mother could love. And me. I can also love it!
It IS a sickness, indeed. I really like the new addition and congrats on taking a leap out of your comfort zone. My Pelagos is around 14mm thick and I agree about not noticing given the weight.
Seen this week: Ulysses Cardin Freak X
This on a hospital executive who said he purchased after a Greek Islands family vacation. Ah, the life of an administrator is fraught with stress.
He said this was an impulse buy and at this cost, I can't relate to that decision. Yet seeing this in person I have to say, if I had the cash I might've made the same purchase. The Freak line never stirred anything in me in press releases but this was simply mesmerizing and beautiful in person. UN has defiantly been overlooked by this nerd but this is an absolute banger.
It IS a sickness, indeed. I really like the new addition and congrats on taking a leap out of your comfort zone. My Pelagos is around 14mm thick and I agree about not noticing given the weight.
Seen this week: Ulysses Cardin Freak X
This on a hospital executive who said he purchased after a Greek Islands family vacation. Ah, the life of an administrator is fraught with stress.
He said this was an impulse buy and at this cost, I can't relate to that decision. Yet seeing this in person I have to say, if I had the cash I might've made the same purchase. The Freak line never stirred anything in me in press releases but this was simply mesmerizing and beautiful in person. UN has defiantly been overlooked by this nerd but this is an absolute banger.
I was genuinely surprised I didn't feel the height as much as I did. I've owned a lot of watches over the years and I've almost always felt height as a major impediment even with watches that I thought were pretty light. But I suspect titanium is just a different beast and I'll confess to this being the first time I've ever had a titanium watch that is quite this tall.
In many respects, I liken this watch to the Black Bay Pro. It's roughly the same proportions (though obviously very different styling) and functionality. I found the Pro remarkably chunky on the wrist. Not uncomfortable, but very chunky. Part of that was the big slabby case sides, but part of it was because it was 180ish grams on wrist.
And the SARF011 just feels like nothing. It is, by far, the lightest watch in my current collection. It's frankly a bit mind bending.
As for the Freak impulse purchase....
Great spot! I've only seen a freak once before and its'pretty trippy. I don't know that I'd wear one, but I love that it exists.
I've definitely made a watch impulse purchase that costs as much as the Freak...but it definitely would have been something else.
I have super odd feelings about Ulysses Nardin. Part of me loves the history and the complications and even some of the looks, but whenever I get one on wrist, I can't help but wonder what it would look like if it were 10% smaller.
Another fun installment! 👏 I was worried when I didn't see one last week!
So... that Cartier... do you think the large actually looks ok? I have to say I am really not a fan 😬 the tank just needs to be small imo... larger sizes just do not work to my eyes.
Also, jealous of your friend and his Rolex! I'm currently on the list for an explorer and plan to just nag my AD until he gives me one just to get rid of me 😁
Another fun installment! 👏 I was worried when I didn't see one last week!
So... that Cartier... do you think the large actually looks ok? I have to say I am really not a fan 😬 the tank just needs to be small imo... larger sizes just do not work to my eyes.
Also, jealous of your friend and his Rolex! I'm currently on the list for an explorer and plan to just nag my AD until he gives me one just to get rid of me 😁
Just a quick easter break!
I can just pull off the XL (which wears like a 36mm), but i would prefer smaller. That's largely because the case shape is so flat that it doesn't really conform to the wrist well. It also is all dial, which means it wears big. All that put together means I would prefer an undersized versus oversized watch.
As for the explorer....if you ever tire of waiting, have you considered vintage? Like the 114720s are excellent watches and I actually prefer the old case shape with the thinner lugs. 20mm lugs (vs 19mm), a touch longer lug to lug, and maybe a millimeter shorter, and a 20mm to 16mm taper vs the 19 to 14mm taper.
Oris Aquis small seconds (little subdial with seconds complication)
Casio Duro Pepsi on a friend.
Today I saw a Rolex Yacht Master II Gmt in blue in a meeting, wasnt sure it even existed but I dont doubt its real given the wealth of the wearer…!
Oris Aquis small seconds (little subdial with seconds complication)
Casio Duro Pepsi on a friend.
Today I saw a Rolex Yacht Master II Gmt in blue in a meeting, wasnt sure it even existed but I dont doubt its real given the wealth of the wearer…!
Nice spots! Two watches I never see normally: the aquis small seconds (I assume the one with the seconds at 9) and the yachmaster 2 (presumably because very few are made and very few people buy them anyway).
Just a quick easter break!
I can just pull off the XL (which wears like a 36mm), but i would prefer smaller. That's largely because the case shape is so flat that it doesn't really conform to the wrist well. It also is all dial, which means it wears big. All that put together means I would prefer an undersized versus oversized watch.
As for the explorer....if you ever tire of waiting, have you considered vintage? Like the 114720s are excellent watches and I actually prefer the old case shape with the thinner lugs. 20mm lugs (vs 19mm), a touch longer lug to lug, and maybe a millimeter shorter, and a 20mm to 16mm taper vs the 19 to 14mm taper.
Oh believe me... Going grey is soooo tempting....
I know it's not exactly an explorer, but my local AD has this in....
😍🫣😭😱
I managed to do my first watch spotting last week. It was a bit of cheating though. On my trip to London in the i isle next to me was a man was flashing his Breitling Navitimer panda dial for two hours straight.
Oh believe me... Going grey is soooo tempting....
I know it's not exactly an explorer, but my local AD has this in....
😍🫣😭😱
You know how odd two tone Rolexes give me the wiggles. 😉
What is the sizing? The proportions look like a ladies model.
I managed to do my first watch spotting last week. It was a bit of cheating though. On my trip to London in the i isle next to me was a man was flashing his Breitling Navitimer panda dial for two hours straight.
A spot is a spot! Was it one of the newer pandas (3-6-9 dials and a slightly cleaner dial)?
You know how odd two tone Rolexes give me the wiggles. 😉
What is the sizing? The proportions look like a ladies model.
Yes, it's 24mm, and they want £4250 for it. I've been trying to find out the model to compare the price and although I'm not 100% sure on the exact model I'm thinking that's a steep price.
https://www.avantijewellers.co.uk/second-hand-watches-c60/rolex-watches-pre-owned-womens-oyster-perpetual-steel-gold-watch-p4648
Yes, it's 24mm, and they want £4250 for it. I've been trying to find out the model to compare the price and although I'm not 100% sure on the exact model I'm thinking that's a steep price.
https://www.avantijewellers.co.uk/second-hand-watches-c60/rolex-watches-pre-owned-womens-oyster-perpetual-steel-gold-watch-p4648
I'm pretty certain it's a ref. 6724. A number of sites confirm the reference.
https://www.grayandsons.com/w524135-rolex-oyster-perpetual-25mm-6724.html
I think your instincts are correct, it's a steepish price but condition is everything with this sort of stuff.
A spot is a spot! Was it one of the newer pandas (3-6-9 dials and a slightly cleaner dial)?
I pinned it down to this 43mm version.
I pinned it down to this 43mm version.
Beautiful. One of the best releases out of 2022.
So many apple watches up here in the PNW! The only recent spots I've had are the ones you can spot from across the room. A Rolex Sub date and a Panerai Luminor. 🥱
So many apple watches up here in the PNW! The only recent spots I've had are the ones you can spot from across the room. A Rolex Sub date and a Panerai Luminor. 🥱
Still cool spots! I see a lot of subs and luminors too. The apple watch is a bit too ubiquitous for my tastes however.
Thanks for continuing one of my favorite serial posts here on WC. The most interesting watch I've seen in the past week is this guy:
I saw this beauty on the wrist of an older gentlemen walking his dog in the park. I actually complimented him on it and inquired about how long he has owned. We had a brief, but nice chat. It was another example of how watches are instant conversation starters.
Yay! Love getting mentions from my famous friends. 😊 Great post and fun to read.
Cartier Tank Large - you are correct, gorgeous watch with a couple issues... but wrong issues! Date and second hand are awesome. I want to wear this thing at work and need a date at work! I need entertainment and a smooth beat second hand entertains me. BUT.. the size of this one let me down. Why, oh why Cartier do you only have the stuff I like (date, second hand, auto, guilloche dial) only on the models that look too big on me 😥😠
Pink gold Yachtmasters - 😂🤣😂😄😆! My new GS has a small badge of 18k gold on the clasp - I scratched it somehow taking the new watch out of the box. Was it my dry skin? the watch pillow? My gaze upon it? At least the clamp stamp is small and even if it's a bit scratchy it's not really noticeable.
This is to say, I don't get the use of metal that's softer than butter being used in watches. Yup - I guess it makes sense if the only point is looking pimp, and you can afford to give it away when it looks scratched AF? 🤷♂
Score on the SARF! I've have been a hairs breadth from purchasing it before. And I have similar theoretical issues with it and think it's awesome anyway.
Better pic so all can love as well:
My Kurono Tokyo lives in a similar awkward but loved spot for me.
I only want watches with dates, I only want watches with James Cameron approved WR, and I prefer Ti over steel. So WTF me? Well, as we discussed, a watch can be more than just the sum of it's parts. This one puts me in a deep old growth forest mindset and reminds me the beauty of the ancient Japanese art of urushi. So, love this one despite myself.
And it's on my wrist right now!
Thanks for continuing one of my favorite serial posts here on WC. The most interesting watch I've seen in the past week is this guy:
I saw this beauty on the wrist of an older gentlemen walking his dog in the park. I actually complimented him on it and inquired about how long he has owned. We had a brief, but nice chat. It was another example of how watches are instant conversation starters.
Thanks! I wish I could always write more but time, as always, is in short supply.
Beautiful benrus! Love that a real conversation came from it!
Oh fack. Forgot this was about watches I've seen .
Got 2 sightings this week!!
On wrist of a colleague in the ICU who was mesmerized by my Sakura Ikada SBGA413. He was wearing a Seiko Tuna Can Ti/ceramic quartz. Limited edition model. We chatted watches for about 20 minutes and tried on each others watches, giggling like schoolkids. 🙂
The tuna can wore way better than I thought it would - has assumed it wouldn't fit me, it did. Some magic lugs on that thing. Didn't love the quartz angle, but for him he wanted only watches that have day and date, and for Tuna Cans that means getting a quartz.
Requiring all your watches have day and date seems a horribly limiting requirement to saddle yourself with, but that's his albatross to lug around. Anyway, cool watch, and quite light for its hockey puck visage.
2. On the wrist of a medical company rep showing us some new products, a Tag Heuer Formula-1 Chrono. Looked very much like the Formula 1 watches of yesteryear, worn by baller 20 year old kids that I went to school with.
It's a quartz chrono and the modern version now uses a steel bezel and not the plastic bezel of the original. 200m WR and a high end quartz chrono. But for me it still has the look of a ...starter luxury watch? Not my cup of tea, but nice to see in the wild.
He mentioned it was a retirement gift from his colleagues. So getting the fancy watch for retirement is still a thing! (Their hospital is pretty lux, Alberta oil money)
He had no interest in my Kurono and didn't seem to want to talk watches. I believe for him, and most Normies, TAG formula watches are a fancy looking name brand watch.
Yay! Love getting mentions from my famous friends. 😊 Great post and fun to read.
Cartier Tank Large - you are correct, gorgeous watch with a couple issues... but wrong issues! Date and second hand are awesome. I want to wear this thing at work and need a date at work! I need entertainment and a smooth beat second hand entertains me. BUT.. the size of this one let me down. Why, oh why Cartier do you only have the stuff I like (date, second hand, auto, guilloche dial) only on the models that look too big on me 😥😠
Pink gold Yachtmasters - 😂🤣😂😄😆! My new GS has a small badge of 18k gold on the clasp - I scratched it somehow taking the new watch out of the box. Was it my dry skin? the watch pillow? My gaze upon it? At least the clamp stamp is small and even if it's a bit scratchy it's not really noticeable.
This is to say, I don't get the use of metal that's softer than butter being used in watches. Yup - I guess it makes sense if the only point is looking pimp, and you can afford to give it away when it looks scratched AF? 🤷♂
Score on the SARF! I've have been a hairs breadth from purchasing it before. And I have similar theoretical issues with it and think it's awesome anyway.
Better pic so all can love as well:
My Kurono Tokyo lives in a similar awkward but loved spot for me.
I only want watches with dates, I only want watches with James Cameron approved WR, and I prefer Ti over steel. So WTF me? Well, as we discussed, a watch can be more than just the sum of it's parts. This one puts me in a deep old growth forest mindset and reminds me the beauty of the ancient Japanese art of urushi. So, love this one despite myself.
And it's on my wrist right now!
I mean, I'm definitely in the top one hundred in terms of fame among niche watch writers on Watch Crunch.
That Cartier wears very big...but I think you gotta embrace the luxury dress watch mindset. Who needs a watch to tell the time much less the day? I just wanna look good.
I love precious metal Rolexes for the sheer absurdity. Yes it scratches. Yes it dents but what says joie de vivre better than "I have a sports watch made of something about as durable as wet tissue paper but it looks so darned good"?
Two great spots as well. I see the Formula 1 every so often and I love how crazy the Tuna Can is. There's a watch for everyone.
Spotted a Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton at a dinner party, on the wrist of a product manager. It's definitely an eye-catching dial in person, although a little on the illegible side
Spotted a Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton at a dinner party, on the wrist of a product manager. It's definitely an eye-catching dial in person, although a little on the illegible side
Awesome spot! Agree completely. Super cool watch that is also completely illegible.
I took this little side job at the wine shop for the employee wine discount but I might stay for the watch spotting. Spotted this Heuer a few minutes ago on a customer and had a nice conversation about it. He's got the Tag Monaco as well. He didn't seem too impressed with my Speedy though. I guess Steve McQueen didn't wear Omega.
I took this little side job at the wine shop for the employee wine discount but I might stay for the watch spotting. Spotted this Heuer a few minutes ago on a customer and had a nice conversation about it. He's got the Tag Monaco as well. He didn't seem too impressed with my Speedy though. I guess Steve McQueen didn't wear Omega.
Love this spot, you've got a chain of good ones. Better keep that wine gig!
I think Tag has slowly and steadily improved the Carrera over the years, mostly for the better. I've often found myself wondering if I should get one. This most recent iteration has been fueling the fire.
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