Watches in the Wild (Spring Break, Volume 59)
Disclaimer: Formex Essence 39 on Navy Saffiano ala Delugs.
This is the fifty ninth(ish) in a semi-regular digest of cool watches I happened to see this week.
Past posts in this series have been hashtagged to #watchesinthewild.
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.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUw4Qh9uFK8
Sigh. I wish. My spring break has actually been spent as camp counselor to my children and caring for a very snotty ten month old who has oscillated between colds and teething.
As such, my spots have been incidental at best, mostly on the wrists of other dads trying to do the same juggle as me; being present for your kids but also distantly wondering if, like credit card debt, work has compound interest when you leave it alone.
Watches were spotted at my usual hang out spots this time: science museums, kids playgrounds, restaurants and work. Thank you dads who decided to wear watches, it made it so much more interesting!
First a shameless plug, followed by some respots.
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Donate $25 to the charity of your choice and get entered to win @valleykilmers 's Jack Mason Strat-O-Timer!
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Seiko SPB153
Rolex Explorer 124270
Sinn 104 Grey Dial
Three actual respots of the same watches on the wrists of three friends from prior #watchesinthewild.
Two of the three of these are absolutely fantastic watches and I suppose the Rolex is pretty okay too. No further thoughts necessary.
And some longer notes
Timex Marlin California dial in pink
Seen on the wrist of a man walking into my office building. I followed him to the elevator and went to the wrong floor to compliment the watch. He was very gracious but also looked at me like I was slightly deranged.
Nat 20 on that perception check.
I think some time, over the past five years, someone at Timex discovered they actually had a license to just print money. Like, the way I see it, someone saw these new fangled companies called microbrands making watches with completely off the shelf (often Chinese or Japanese) movements and often derivative designs and thought "Wait, we could do that!"
And they did and world beater budget watches like the Timex Q, Q GMT, Marlin, and Waterbury were born. Does anyone doubt that some designer at Timex looked at Tag Heuer glass box and then thought they could do that with the Marlin jet?
I'd love to give Timex Group Creative Director Giorgio Galli credit here but he's been around since 2007, so I suspect that this is the handiwork of some nameless intern. Nameless Timex intern, we salute you.
Anyway, this pink California dial is certainly reminiscent of those old Rolex Oyster Precisions from the 30s and 40s, though in the classic 1960s Timex Marlin case (and by classic, I mean enlarged from 34mm because no self respecting gentleman in the 60s would wear a 40mm everyday watch).
The pink sunburst is a notable change as well and a good one at that. For some reason, the color choice makes it feel aged to me, which given the design provenance, just makes sense. So too the acrylic domed crystal.
The movement is nothing special (some Miyota 8000 series) but at ~$250 at retail, appropriately priced. I've a notion to pick one of these up when they're back in stock. You rarely get good looks to price ratios this high.
Modded Prospex Marine Master with NH35 movement and SPB149 dial and seconds
What was it that @valleykilmers said the last time I spotted a modded Seiko?
https://youtu.be/Q7h4lVoErFI?si=Qfh2Sm63HbzGBBkV
Seen at an Easter egg decorating party on the wrist of a cousin's friend. I spent about two hours trying to figure out what it was before just asking him. Apparently, he's a watch modder of no small volume and was deeply insistent that I should crack open the back of my Horage to take a look.
Of note, his wife was wearing what looked to be a 1959 Alpinist inspired mod of some sort and I also might have another member of my merry band of reprobates for this year's Windup Watch Fair in SF. This is what we call a win-win situation.
I admire watch modders in much the same way that I admire people who ride motorcycles. I think what they do is unspeakably cool but it fills me with such terror to do myself that I think I will forever stay on the side lines.
This terror, as it happens, comes from two different places.
First, I don't think I have a good sense of design. I really envy watch collectors who can look at a watch and immediately identify what could be improved. I'm really not very good at design.
Second, have you seen these sausage fingers?
It's the sidelines for me. Still, respect.
Oris Divers Titan Date 1000M Diver
Seen at an Uptown Oakland taqueria on the wrist of a man who breezed in, grabbed his burrito and walked out before I could say a word. I wish my brain had moved a bit faster and identified this watch so I could have asked the man, who was evidently a watch nerd, about it.
Oris is one of those watch brands that I have a deep fascination with despite the fact that I have almost zero desire to own one.
Why you ask?
It's a diver heavy catalog (65s, Aquises) which doesn't do a ton for me, and their non diver offerings always look cool but always have a design element that just doesn't work for me.
But man, that back catalog is fun and this not-a-super-compressor diver is just a barrel of fun. I think the thing that confused me so much was the fact that it had the two crowns (one regular one, one helium escape valve) and very evidently a rotating external bezel. It's such an unusual combination of design elements that there could only be a few watches that satisfied the design prompt.
Look, I've never had this watch on wrist. It's a big tall diver and I am notably not a person who wears big tall divers. Yet I find myself fascinated by it:by the build (titanium so I wager it wears decently well), the engineering behind it (1km of water resistance is enough for a wade in the kiddie pool), and the entire stance of the thing.
An Oris deep diver was duly spotted.
Tudor Pelagos 39
Seen at a NASA space and science museum next to a replica of the Mercury capsule on the wrist of a father of daughters. My brood was trying to climb into the spaceship while his was too and I caught him staring at my Horage while I stared at his Pelagos.
I complimented his Pelagos and mentioned that I didn't see many of those out there, even in ADs. He thanked me and replied that he couldn't recognize my watch, which was unusual for him. Watch spotters unite baby!
We traded watches for a bit until our kids started pulling us in opposite directions. Friend, I hope you're on WatchCrunch. You're awesome (and so is your watch)!
I think there is this long conversation that needs to be had about the Pelagos, the Black Bay, and Tudor's ever more bloated product positioning. I won't make a cheap joke about snowflake hands (though I want you all to know that I really really wanted to) but instead wanted to zoom out to discuss Tudor in a broader sense.
Tudor has 15 separate watch collections (as they define them) of which 9 bear the name "Black Bay." I occasionally make fun of Tudor for this nomenclature (which I dub "AP-ifying") but I do understand it. You've got a hero product in the Black Bay 58. Ride that name recognition pony to the ends of the Earth.
But, the very nature of this brand name fluidity creates product creep and confusion. Let me demonstrate. Black Bay started with vintage-ish dive watches evocative of the old Tudor Submariners and Snowflakes (the original black Bay, the BB58). Then they added datejust alternatives (BB 32/36/41) but NOT the same datejust alternatives as the Tudor Royal or 1926. Then they added a Chronograph and a GMT (BB Chrono and BB GMT). Then they added a field watch, but not the same field watch as the Ranger. And then they added a modern styled diver (BB Black), but not the same as the Pelagos, and ANOTHER GMT (BB58 GMT) But not the same as the original GMT.
Perhaps this is easier to explain via picture. The following watches are all dive watches that Tudor makes. They are part of 5 different product lines and 4 different watch families.
Being a watch nerd, of course I can see the differences (crown guards, unrimmed lume blocks, vaguely different bezels, some gilt, etc). But Tudor isn't for watch nerds. It's big enough that enthusiasts simply aren't enough to fill their coffers. And asking the Everyman to distinguish between these watches is madness.
The Pelagos 39 is a devastating cool watch. When I held it, it was light and well finished and the wearing experience was brilliant. The Black Bay Black, if it is anything like its burgundy bezeled brother, is a fantastic watch.
But all these good micro decisions on watches have led us to a fascinating place. Increased choice, but also increased confusion. I am curious as to where it all goes from here.
What cool watches did you see this week?
By day, investor and father. By night, Seiko nut. #justgooutsideandtouchgrass
@SpecKTator @celinesimon @Aurelian @AllTheWatches s @Fieldwalker @valleykilmers @Mr.Dee.Bater @UnholiestJedi @Porthole @Sinnguy
Sounds to me like Tudor are just taking a page out of the paterfamilias playbook: got a cash cow? Just keep changing it’s outfit until people stop buying.
Sounds to me like Tudor are just taking a page out of the paterfamilias playbook: got a cash cow? Just keep changing it’s outfit until people stop buying.
This is an excellent theory....except Rolex is pretty straightforward.
You have the entry level and the upgrades.
Witness the progression for the cheapest models in each line.
Oyster Perpetual ($6K) < Datejust ($7.5K) < Daydate ($35K)
Submariner ($10K) < Yachtmaster ($12K) < Deepsea ($15K)
Big gaps in pricing between all those.
Tudor has a bunch of comparably priced dive watches that look almost identical. Yes, they have different little touches (crown guards, gilt vs not gilt, different materials), but it's all very similar stuff.
The BB Black and the Pelagos 39 are $150 different in price. I think it just makes the buying process much more confusing for the average person.
It works of course, because Tudor is positioned as junior Rolex, but I do wonder if long term the Tudor catalogue becomes like Omega's. Too many watches, too many variations and just a mess of a product marketing message.
YES! I 100% agree that Tudor getting too close to Omega's utterly confusing catalog. Almost everything is a Black Bay just like almost everything is a Speedmaster or Seamaster. (Side note and my shameless plug: https://www.ablogtowatch.com/hands-on-tudor-black-bay-58-gmt-watch/)
My husband wants a new Tudor or Omega, but he's having major decision paralysis, ha. I advised him to go with the Speedy Pro Moonwatch and call it a day.
That Formex is a good-looking watch.
This is an excellent theory....except Rolex is pretty straightforward.
You have the entry level and the upgrades.
Witness the progression for the cheapest models in each line.
Oyster Perpetual ($6K) < Datejust ($7.5K) < Daydate ($35K)
Submariner ($10K) < Yachtmaster ($12K) < Deepsea ($15K)
Big gaps in pricing between all those.
Tudor has a bunch of comparably priced dive watches that look almost identical. Yes, they have different little touches (crown guards, gilt vs not gilt, different materials), but it's all very similar stuff.
The BB Black and the Pelagos 39 are $150 different in price. I think it just makes the buying process much more confusing for the average person.
It works of course, because Tudor is positioned as junior Rolex, but I do wonder if long term the Tudor catalogue becomes like Omega's. Too many watches, too many variations and just a mess of a product marketing message.
Too true. I couldn’t imagine navigating the catalogue as a non-enthusiast.
Dude! Loving it 🥰 . Incisive and brilliant writing as always.
And thank you for the nerd alert! 🚨 🤓👍
Nice job baffling a collector with your Horage 💪
One note: I noticed a less biting tone in today’s missive…
Meek commentary? Probably smart tho’. I’ve heard the possibility of being banned is a thing. 🤫.
But, I LOVE other people’s hilarious watch immolation commentary, so please don’t get too soft on us.
Since I’ve got nothing for sightings… I choose to comment on your comments:
Timex Intern needs a raise - 100%
Pelagos - “snowflake ❄️ “ and grade 2… I struggle with those aspects
Oris - cool independent and I’m an Aquis guy already (Star Wars edition of course!). But mine is too heavy and painful for furtive people with bony wrists. So not enough wear time.
You are dead right tho’ . Big and tall watches that are very light (say 100g or less) wear amazingly well despite the size.
So while my downrigger weight Oris gets precious little wear, my Seiko SNR (100g, huge but fits small) is actually my most worn watch 😮!
YES! I 100% agree that Tudor getting too close to Omega's utterly confusing catalog. Almost everything is a Black Bay just like almost everything is a Speedmaster or Seamaster. (Side note and my shameless plug: https://www.ablogtowatch.com/hands-on-tudor-black-bay-58-gmt-watch/)
My husband wants a new Tudor or Omega, but he's having major decision paralysis, ha. I advised him to go with the Speedy Pro Moonwatch and call it a day.
That Formex is a good-looking watch.
I loved your BB58 GMT review and I'll even say the thing I suspect you were too polite to say in your piece. This is the watch that Tudor should have made instead of the GMT or the Pro. Those other two are somewhat superfluous now with the new movement and better form factor.
As for you husband's problem...neither Tudor's nor Omega's catalog broadly appeals to me but I'd probably choose a Moonwatch in white if it came to it. I think it's a worthwhile upgrade over the original and it will be broadly available soon enough.
I also love the Globemaster Annual calendar in all of its variations.
I have a bad habit of buying microbrands and shedding them very quickly (hence fodder for my charitable giveaways) but this Formex has proven sticky and moreso now with the matching blue strap.
It's a bit cliche now to refer to a watch as something that punches above its weight but it really does compete very well with watches that are far more expensive in my collection.
This is the first image that comes up when I search for a gif of "sausage fingers"...
What Rolex has done to differentiate their lines - and ensure proper tiering - is nothing short of genius. It's incredibly clear!
It's like what Porsche did with the 911 and the Cayman. Cayman is the "Poor Man's Porsche" even though it's mid-engine! And mid-engine is better than the rear-engine design of the 911!
Marketing, baby! Marketing trumps all!!!
Dude! Loving it 🥰 . Incisive and brilliant writing as always.
And thank you for the nerd alert! 🚨 🤓👍
Nice job baffling a collector with your Horage 💪
One note: I noticed a less biting tone in today’s missive…
Meek commentary? Probably smart tho’. I’ve heard the possibility of being banned is a thing. 🤫.
But, I LOVE other people’s hilarious watch immolation commentary, so please don’t get too soft on us.
Since I’ve got nothing for sightings… I choose to comment on your comments:
Timex Intern needs a raise - 100%
Pelagos - “snowflake ❄️ “ and grade 2… I struggle with those aspects
Oris - cool independent and I’m an Aquis guy already (Star Wars edition of course!). But mine is too heavy and painful for furtive people with bony wrists. So not enough wear time.
You are dead right tho’ . Big and tall watches that are very light (say 100g or less) wear amazingly well despite the size.
So while my downrigger weight Oris gets precious little wear, my Seiko SNR (100g, huge but fits small) is actually my most worn watch 😮!
Trust me, if I ever start pulling my punches, I'd probably stop writing. There's no point otherwise.
But I actually rather like the Pelagos 39 (even with the snowflake hands) and felt like it was the pinnacle of what a Tudor diver ought to be. Very toolish, very tough, very well constructed, and not terribly priced.
I don't even mind the usage of Grade 2 titanium in this application. Grade 2 is soften but easier to machine and restore to prior finishes. For a watch you expect to ding up, the ability to restore to original finish (rather than straight durability against scratches) feels wholly appropriate.
I have a Seiko SARF011 that wears a dream despite being nearly 15mm tall. This is exactly right.
This is the first image that comes up when I search for a gif of "sausage fingers"...
What Rolex has done to differentiate their lines - and ensure proper tiering - is nothing short of genius. It's incredibly clear!
It's like what Porsche did with the 911 and the Cayman. Cayman is the "Poor Man's Porsche" even though it's mid-engine! And mid-engine is better than the rear-engine design of the 911!
Marketing, baby! Marketing trumps all!!!
And I was worried I wasn't going to have nightmares tonight lol.
I don't think watch nerds give enough credit to just how well Rolex extracts money from their customers. Just off the top of my head.
The supply constraints for more desirable steel models.
How there's no choice (in dials or bracelets or anything) in entry level steel sports and massive amounts of choice once you graduate to precious metals.
How they literally don't give you exactly what you want design wise...so you keep buying around it. Witness all the hype for the coke bezel this year....and how Rolex only gave you half of it.
I don't know that I believe that the strategy would work for Tudor though.....I don't think it has the brand equity to pull it off.
And I was worried I wasn't going to have nightmares tonight lol.
I don't think watch nerds give enough credit to just how well Rolex extracts money from their customers. Just off the top of my head.
The supply constraints for more desirable steel models.
How there's no choice (in dials or bracelets or anything) in entry level steel sports and massive amounts of choice once you graduate to precious metals.
How they literally don't give you exactly what you want design wise...so you keep buying around it. Witness all the hype for the coke bezel this year....and how Rolex only gave you half of it.
I don't know that I believe that the strategy would work for Tudor though.....I don't think it has the brand equity to pull it off.
Damn! Absolutely brilliant!
Directing consumers into the precious metal models is precisely the way to go. I mean, the margins on those models are sooooooooooo much better than even on the SS models! Absolutely genius!
No, no way in hell that Tudor could pull it off. I've always thought of them as just a means of keeping Omega (and other contenders) at bay. Give consumers a watch that can compete with Omega, at a lower price point, and allow Rolex to rise higher and higher in consumers' minds! No?
Omega should take a page out of Tudor’s book and call everything a Speedmaster. Can you imagine a Speedmaster Seamaster Planet Ocean or a Speedmaster Constellation. The latter actually sounds cool. Hope home life is treating you well.
Omega should take a page out of Tudor’s book and call everything a Speedmaster. Can you imagine a Speedmaster Seamaster Planet Ocean or a Speedmaster Constellation. The latter actually sounds cool. Hope home life is treating you well.
See Omega already does this. It's called the Seamaster line.
Which of these is a SeaMaster?
1) a casual dive watch with ceramic bezel (Seamaster 300M),
2) a dress casual watch with a plain bezel (Seamaster Aqua Terra)
3) a professional dive watch with a ceramic bezel (Seamaster Planet Ocean),
4) A vintage dive watch (Seamaster 300),
5) A MORE professional dive watch (Seamaster Ploprof),
6) A dress watch (Seamaster City editions/1948 edition)
7) Whatever the heck the Seamaster Railmaster is
Answer: all of them!
Brilliant writing and $$ spots as always.
-Agree on Oris: well made, great value for money, nothing speaks to me personally yet
-I think we enthusaists often forget that Tudor is marketed and made for the normie. I love seeing people on here seeth about their marketing videos or lose it over the dimensions of new releases… they’re not reaching for you fool!
The Pelly 39 is great and if they made a quirky version like my LHD I’d prob snag one. You’re right about the Grade 2 Ti, I’ve actually “erased” scratches on the watch head and bracelet with a pen eraser which makes me want every watch in Grade 2 TBH.
See Omega already does this. It's called the Seamaster line.
Which of these is a SeaMaster?
1) a casual dive watch with ceramic bezel (Seamaster 300M),
2) a dress casual watch with a plain bezel (Seamaster Aqua Terra)
3) a professional dive watch with a ceramic bezel (Seamaster Planet Ocean),
4) A vintage dive watch (Seamaster 300),
5) A MORE professional dive watch (Seamaster Ploprof),
6) A dress watch (Seamaster City editions/1948 edition)
7) Whatever the heck the Seamaster Railmaster is
Answer: all of them!
But isn’t the Speedy more iconic/recognizable? Speedmaster Seamaster AquaTerra Shades 😂
Brilliant writing and $$ spots as always.
-Agree on Oris: well made, great value for money, nothing speaks to me personally yet
-I think we enthusaists often forget that Tudor is marketed and made for the normie. I love seeing people on here seeth about their marketing videos or lose it over the dimensions of new releases… they’re not reaching for you fool!
The Pelly 39 is great and if they made a quirky version like my LHD I’d prob snag one. You’re right about the Grade 2 Ti, I’ve actually “erased” scratches on the watch head and bracelet with a pen eraser which makes me want every watch in Grade 2 TBH.
I once saw a friend do that with his own Pelagos, so I think it totally makes sense. Grade 5 is much better for watches that are dressier but Grade 2 feels perfect for tool watches.
Normies buy most watches, luxury or not. Unless we're talking real niche like Sartory Billard or Remy Cools or what have you....normies are the reason why watch brands exist!
But isn’t the Speedy more iconic/recognizable? Speedmaster Seamaster AquaTerra Shades 😂
That might kill me.
Omega loves the liberal use of 'Master' when naming watches.
Mo' master is mo' better.
Seamaster Railmaster Master Chronometer was my fave combo of Masters.
If it was a Speedmaster as well, it'd be the Speedmaster Seamaster Railmaster Master😂
I'm just waiting for them to resuscitate the Ranchero and we can have the SeaMaster Aqua Terra Ranchero Heritage Master Chronometer.
Waiting for that and probably an aneurysm to go along with it.
Omega should take a page out of Tudor’s book and call everything a Speedmaster. Can you imagine a Speedmaster Seamaster Planet Ocean or a Speedmaster Constellation. The latter actually sounds cool. Hope home life is treating you well.
Trying explain to non-watch people that the space-centered Omega collection is not the Constellation (that would make way more sense) but, in fact, the Speedmaster...
First, the Delugs strap is looks great on the Formex. Very strange coincidence to meet a watch modder outside of a meetup. On to Tudor…
Clearly, I like the brand, some of it. Started with a burgundy BB. Then a Pelagos (still their best watch). Now I find myself owning the 58. The entire Black Bay line up is the same watch. Similar to that most of Rolex’s line up is basically the same watch. Get an aesthetic, lean into heavily, make small changes between models/movements and get people to feel the need to want multiple. Yes, I am personally judging two brands I have several from! For anyone outside the watch world:
Now Oris. I had an Aquis many moons ago. I won it on eBay for little money. Rugged, felt industrial, and it worked well at the beach. BUT…over time, tastes changed, it felt chunky (it was), lack of quality strap alternatives, and it was slowly supplanted by new watches (see above). I gifted it to a friend I have known forever and he has worn it every day since. I appreciate the line up they have now, but there is nothing in the mix I would want to own, but I am glad to see them in public.
Did the Pelagos owner second guess the money on the Pelagos after looking at the Horage?
First, the Delugs strap is looks great on the Formex. Very strange coincidence to meet a watch modder outside of a meetup. On to Tudor…
Clearly, I like the brand, some of it. Started with a burgundy BB. Then a Pelagos (still their best watch). Now I find myself owning the 58. The entire Black Bay line up is the same watch. Similar to that most of Rolex’s line up is basically the same watch. Get an aesthetic, lean into heavily, make small changes between models/movements and get people to feel the need to want multiple. Yes, I am personally judging two brands I have several from! For anyone outside the watch world:
Now Oris. I had an Aquis many moons ago. I won it on eBay for little money. Rugged, felt industrial, and it worked well at the beach. BUT…over time, tastes changed, it felt chunky (it was), lack of quality strap alternatives, and it was slowly supplanted by new watches (see above). I gifted it to a friend I have known forever and he has worn it every day since. I appreciate the line up they have now, but there is nothing in the mix I would want to own, but I am glad to see them in public.
Did the Pelagos owner second guess the money on the Pelagos after looking at the Horage?
I think he was so confused about the microrotor GMT that we never really got into cost 😂
I am pretty pleased with the strap choice on the Formex. I'd been meaning to grab one off their website for a bit now...but the choices all just looked s bit flat to me. No taper, no textures, just meh even with the incredible tech on the deployant
But finding a curved spring bar strap is hard and so I've been in the prowl for a while. Delugs had a good selection at an okay price so I picked this and a dark grey alcantra which I think will go well with my Daytona.
I think he was so confused about the microrotor GMT that we never really got into cost 😂
I am pretty pleased with the strap choice on the Formex. I'd been meaning to grab one off their website for a bit now...but the choices all just looked s bit flat to me. No taper, no textures, just meh even with the incredible tech on the deployant
But finding a curved spring bar strap is hard and so I've been in the prowl for a while. Delugs had a good selection at an okay price so I picked this and a dark grey alcantra which I think will go well with my Daytona.
I need to find some curved quick release bars for one of mine. I know a couple places have them, like Delugs, but shipping cost more than the bars, so until I can package them with something, I have a gorgeous watch I’m not wearing because I don’t care for the strap.
I need to find some curved quick release bars for one of mine. I know a couple places have them, like Delugs, but shipping cost more than the bars, so until I can package them with something, I have a gorgeous watch I’m not wearing because I don’t care for the strap.
If you need inspiration
I wanted to find something to tone down the two tone and the dark suedeish seems to work well
I was saying to a friend the other day that Tudor should be renamed the Black Bay Watch Company, or maybe BBW Co for short...
Older daughter wanted to treat her mom to an upscale dim sum lunch at a favourite restaurant oddly located in a massive shopping centre here in the GTA, always agreeable to me since Yorkdale has most of the popular watch brands under one massive roof. Since my baby grand daughter aged 6months was included we requested a table away from the usual Sunday crowd, our small section was attended to by an attractive young server wearing a medium Cartier Tank fitted to a steel bracelet and a gold Cartier Love bracelet on her other wrist. My wife who is nonchalant about watches was wearing her Roadster with a rose dial chatted agreeably with the server, keeping consistent a personal habit of preferring good looking persons who are casual about luxury items. Our daughters teased her about a server at another restaurant who also wears Cartier that she is friendly with despite the erratic offerings from the overpriced menu. I am less a fan of luxury when I just want good food.
After our lunch I roamed unfettered by family members who are not huge watch enthusiasts, decided to step into the stand alone Tudor boutique to chat with the sales agent not busy selling to an extended family of 5(3 generations), young man wears a BB GMT on OEM fabric. It was the Sunday before Watches and Wonder but he could offer no insights simply expressed hope that some models would be launched to motivate customers to shop since sales have been a bit slow this year. Some potential customers were walking in so I decided to slip over to the adjoined Rolex ad only to learn that I needed an appointment to enter to browse. Eventually I met up with my wife near the enlarged Cartier boutique which was crowded with many couples but we were graciously escorted into the shop assigned a sales agent. It was a long afternoon but I managed to upset the store manager when he showed me his Calibre a watch that I considered but rejected years ago because I don’t favour Roman numerals on dive watches. Another manager offered assistance when our sa’s phone could not display certain items of interest for my wife, he was wearing a Santos 100L on croco strap.
My wife’s purchase was discreetly slipped into a plain white shopping bag which leads me to believe that people are becoming more cautious about what they are wearing or carrying. Going to enjoy Watches in the Wild while I can.
I was saying to a friend the other day that Tudor should be renamed the Black Bay Watch Company, or maybe BBW Co for short...
And I'm not going to touch that live wire.
There might be children here! 😂😂😂
Older daughter wanted to treat her mom to an upscale dim sum lunch at a favourite restaurant oddly located in a massive shopping centre here in the GTA, always agreeable to me since Yorkdale has most of the popular watch brands under one massive roof. Since my baby grand daughter aged 6months was included we requested a table away from the usual Sunday crowd, our small section was attended to by an attractive young server wearing a medium Cartier Tank fitted to a steel bracelet and a gold Cartier Love bracelet on her other wrist. My wife who is nonchalant about watches was wearing her Roadster with a rose dial chatted agreeably with the server, keeping consistent a personal habit of preferring good looking persons who are casual about luxury items. Our daughters teased her about a server at another restaurant who also wears Cartier that she is friendly with despite the erratic offerings from the overpriced menu. I am less a fan of luxury when I just want good food.
After our lunch I roamed unfettered by family members who are not huge watch enthusiasts, decided to step into the stand alone Tudor boutique to chat with the sales agent not busy selling to an extended family of 5(3 generations), young man wears a BB GMT on OEM fabric. It was the Sunday before Watches and Wonder but he could offer no insights simply expressed hope that some models would be launched to motivate customers to shop since sales have been a bit slow this year. Some potential customers were walking in so I decided to slip over to the adjoined Rolex ad only to learn that I needed an appointment to enter to browse. Eventually I met up with my wife near the enlarged Cartier boutique which was crowded with many couples but we were graciously escorted into the shop assigned a sales agent. It was a long afternoon but I managed to upset the store manager when he showed me his Calibre a watch that I considered but rejected years ago because I don’t favour Roman numerals on dive watches. Another manager offered assistance when our sa’s phone could not display certain items of interest for my wife, he was wearing a Santos 100L on croco strap.
My wife’s purchase was discreetly slipped into a plain white shopping bag which leads me to believe that people are becoming more cautious about what they are wearing or carrying. Going to enjoy Watches in the Wild while I can.
If there's something indelible about human nature, it is the need to show off. Those same people who demand white shopping bags to stash their luxury store purchases into are the ones who wear the biggest things on wrist. As such, I fully expect to see watches on wrists for as long as I intend to do this column.
I do love your meandering stories about wandering in and out of luxury watch stores, though it saddens me somewhat that you don't enjoy the Calibre de Cartier diver. There's a general lunacy that happens whenever Cartier decides to make a toolish watch of some sort (the Ronde Solo and the Calibre de Cartier diver are standouts) and I have a soft spot for whatever hilarity ensues because of it!
If there's something indelible about human nature, it is the need to show off. Those same people who demand white shopping bags to stash their luxury store purchases into are the ones who wear the biggest things on wrist. As such, I fully expect to see watches on wrists for as long as I intend to do this column.
I do love your meandering stories about wandering in and out of luxury watch stores, though it saddens me somewhat that you don't enjoy the Calibre de Cartier diver. There's a general lunacy that happens whenever Cartier decides to make a toolish watch of some sort (the Ronde Solo and the Calibre de Cartier diver are standouts) and I have a soft spot for whatever hilarity ensues because of it!
I was a little surprised with the white shopping bag because luxury boutiques want customers carrying their branded bags, but this particular Cartier shop was the target of a quite violent robbery just months ago, obviously bad guys are not going to be fooled by a customer strolling out of a luxury shop regardless of the type of bag being carried.
I must have tried on the Calibre a million times until I decided the Roman numerals did not suit the round diver. The store manager was genuinely miffed with my opinion about his watch, my wife sort of told me to keep my thoughts to myself. I am however fond of California dials. Looking forward to your next post. Have a great day. 👍
I'm a couple of days late, but I just wanted to comment on this because I guess I don't really understand it.
I'm sure that brand extensions work great for cereal and candy bars. For luxury products though, maybe the recognition juices short-term sales, but in the long-term is it really a healthy for the overall brand? Wouldn't it be better to have multiple popular product lines rather than just the Royal Oak or Black Bay?
Imagine if back in the 60s and 70s, Rolex had taken that route. Today we'd have the Submariner GMT, Submariner Cosmograph, Submariner Yacht-Master and so on. I dare say that Rolex wouldn't be the behemoth we know today if it was just "that company that makes Submariners".
I'm a couple of days late, but I just wanted to comment on this because I guess I don't really understand it.
I'm sure that brand extensions work great for cereal and candy bars. For luxury products though, maybe the recognition juices short-term sales, but in the long-term is it really a healthy for the overall brand? Wouldn't it be better to have multiple popular product lines rather than just the Royal Oak or Black Bay?
Imagine if back in the 60s and 70s, Rolex had taken that route. Today we'd have the Submariner GMT, Submariner Cosmograph, Submariner Yacht-Master and so on. I dare say that Rolex wouldn't be the behemoth we know today if it was just "that company that makes Submariners".
I've thought about this a bit and as a TLDR....I think every brand wants multiple successful lines but not every brand can do it.
Like AP has tried, mightily, to diversify away from the RO and ROO....and we got the widely panned 11:59.
The last three Tudor line introductions that I can recall have been broadly panned by collectors: the North Flag, the Ranger, and the P01. The Clair de Rose looks to be on its way to the same fate.
We can accuse executives of being too conservative but I think they're largely just following where the money is. Watch collectors are uniquely unforgiving when they perceive a brand as veering out of their lane.
It is only obvious in retrospect when a brand has made the correct decision to introduce a new brand line. Rolex could barely give away the Daytona when they first debuted them.