Do you have a "Grail Watch"?

I think there are 3 types of grail watches. Your obtainable grail watch, a grail watch that you can’t afford at the moment and the actual unobtainable grail watch.

My obtainable grail watches were the Tudor Ranger and Grand Seiko Cherry Blossom. I was fortunate enough to get them.

My momentarily unobtainable grail watch would probably be a Rolex GMT Master-II

My unobtainable grail watch is a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar

A lot of people use the term very loosely to essentially mean “a watch I really want to buy.” I’ve seen people excited about “grail watches” that are readily available for sale for several hundred dollars. I’m not saying several hundred dollars isn’t a lot of money, but it’s also not so expensive that a typical middle class American (my cohort) could not purchase one.

To me, a grail watch has to be essentially unobtainable, either by price or scarcity or both (or something else that makes the watch practically unobtainable).

For example, the Bulova Moon Watch would be a grail for me. There’s only one that’s owned by someone who (probably) keeps it in a very secure location (to dissuade theft) who would need to be convinced to sell it and that I couldn’t afford to buy if the owner did decide to sell it.

Nope…no grail watch…no dream or forever home 😁

Yep GO Panomatic Lunar. With their current RRP and the ever increase price rise on luxury watches year on year. I doubt I’ll end up buying one. We all have a pipe dream mind you.

Most of the stuff I’ve flipped was a “grail” at one time. Lol

A Grail watch or could be anything else besides a watch is something difficult/almost impossible to get for the person searching for it. Only one object can be a grail, there can’t be multiple grail watches for someone.

I think in the past I've had one or two but I've grown out of the "grail" as a concept. If a big lottery win came my way this would be a purchase, but it's not something I lose sleep over...

I think you are right, a true Grail is only one. And part of that is the hardship in getting it. In watches most of the time this means money.

Is it just me or is “grail watch” just a term we use to legitimize our craving for the next big watch purchase? 😆A grail implies there’s only one but I keep hearing about “my next grail.”

This is VERY true. I could have commented on a Rolex Explorer, but since I know I'm getting one, I feel I am not immune to finding myself lusting after another piece later on.

I think I'd love to have a Muhle Glashutte SAR rescue timer or a Titoni Seascoper, either the 600 or the 300. But they're not that expensive, so I dunno...grail-ish, perhaps?

I think everyone has had a grail watch for themself at one time or another… or at least most folks do if they are being honest. I don’t think it’s some kind of requisite to be a collector or an enthusiast - it’s just an accepted term used for a watch someone would love to own but for whatever reason is not realistically plausible for them. Most of the time the barrier to obtaining this is indeed price but I am sure there are some folks who can afford to buy but aren’t able to find one. This could be due to its limited production run or possibly it’s a vintage watch that very difficult to find.

I think probably most adults think of grail watches as expensive, exclusive, big name, big history, yet may not be quick to pull the trigger. I myself could pay off a new car, but that doesn’t mean I have extra money to buy a Lange Zeitwerk. It’s a balance. The more you make the more you spend, most likely your interests pull you in that direction. I still don’t have a Rolex, and yet I’m happy with my Omega and Panerai.

Voted yes but I’m guessing we all have a different meaning of the term?

Personally grail = unobtainable to me, so mine is a VC 222.

I’ll continue to dream though! 😂

Samurai is cool

I totally agree. Before I went down the rabbit hole, other enthusiasts tried to sell me that idea too. Now my thoughts on watches tend to be more down to earth... Since I wasn't an enthusiast from the start.

After the bug bit n I research on watches, their history, design, technology, movements, styles, etc, I was n still am really impressed but here are my 2 cents worth n still watch-noob findings:

That Great watches Needn't Come with even Greater price tags...

That less expensive watches may satisfy us more than really expensive watches...

That truly expensive watches doesn't necessarily tell better time...

That we only have 2 wrists. 😁

Yes, got mine 3 years ago

When I first arrived here I asked the question what it actually means to people and I got about as many interpretations as I did responses. For me a grail would be something that I completely lust after, which I would be prepared to go on some Quixotic quest to obtain, but it would always be out of reach, no matter what. The real higher end stuff, out of reach financially and bound to be so barring a lottery win, I’ve not really handled, only seen photos or renders so aside from appreciating their specs and superficial appearance, I can’t get excited about them.

I have watches I want, a lot, but none are entirely unobtainable, even if they’re more longer term aims. So one or two watches I expect to get in the next year, others it will take longer to save for, one for the fiftieth in 8 years etc. So I suppose although I don’t have Grail Watches, I have Goal Watches.

I live by this rule, and funny enough i studied math

Not me, My Grails stay around the 4-5k mark

Go big or go home!

You made the smart move...Teddy B said it in a recent video (and this is my thought process) if you can't light it on fire in your driveway with no impact to your life it's probably not a good move

Also forced by the marketing behemoths of Big Watch!

Well put indeed mate. Grail watches are supposed to be the Final watch, the one that ends all other watches or watch journey, for us. The Ultimate one that we can attain that will satisfy us, er... forever?

But that still remains a concept, for Perfect/Grail watches only exist... In our minds.

The issue with that is, however, we change our minds pretty often n let's face it, there's no such thing as a Perfect watch.

So goal watches are more apt. 😁

My current “probably never going to happen” grail watch is a 5517 MilSub. That would be the absolute cherry on top for my collection.

My attainable grail watch if I saved for a while: Cartier Santos

My unattainable grail watch: Rolex GMT Master ref. 1675

My goals in life don’t involve material objects the older I get. Sure there’s things I would like to have or even think maybe one day but nothing that’s specifically identified to the point of being a “grail”.

Mine is GS SGMB221 🔥

I have my "Grail" watch but I love the others as much. But the one I always wanted was a 43mm Navitimer Cosmonaute. After several years searching I got a BNOS one. But I have bought several others since and love them all equally in their different ways.

I think a grail should be about a journey that that goes on for a very long time and takes a great deal of effort with no guarantee of success in the end

Just because you like a watch that is expensive and you can’t afford it unless you win big money doesn’t make a grail watch it’s a dream watch

If you have been doing jobs on the side for ten years and saved the money with the aim of eventually getting your dream watch then it’s a grail. you have worked towards it and over come obstacles to get it

I have some dream watches such as the VC 1921 it’s not a grail as I’m not attempting to get one. I looked for a particular omega watch for over 20 years it wasn’t expensive but it wasn’t available but I kept on looking not knowing if I’d ever find it and I came across it eventually so that was a grail in my opinion. A grail needs a story not just its a nice thing but it’s expensive. Price shouldn’t come into it unless there is a quest to raise the money by doing something extraordinary