Share a watch that you saved up for a long time before buying
I first saw the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean in an ad in the back cover of a magazine. I loved the matte grey bezel, making it both rugged yet elegant. I was so enamored with it that I had it on the wall on a magazine rack in my bathroom. I probably looked at that ad every day for nearly two years, vowing to buy it one day.
Then I saw this watch in an ad for the James Bond 007 movie "Skyfall" (2012). I knew the time had finally come to buy it. At the time, it was the most expensive watch I ever bought.
Fast-forward around 12 years and the watch doesn't get that much wrist time anymore. Since then, my tastes have evolved in favor of smaller, lighter watches. But I don't think I will ever sell this watch because of the special place it has in my collection.
What watch did you have your eye on for a long time before you managed to save up enough money to buy it?
Watch hobbyist and collector from Singapore. More watch photos on Instagram @twolfwatches
For me, it has to be the FP Journe Chronometre Optimum. Not only did I have to wait 4 years for it, I also had to manage my finances so that when it did come, I would have enough liquidity to pull the trigger as the watch was never “promised” to me for any specific date or time. Suffice to say, its my most important watch and my favourite.
For me, it has to be the FP Journe Chronometre Optimum. Not only did I have to wait 4 years for it, I also had to manage my finances so that when it did come, I would have enough liquidity to pull the trigger as the watch was never “promised” to me for any specific date or time. Suffice to say, its my most important watch and my favourite.
What a beauty! 😍
For me it was the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Automatik. I put away a bit of money every month for a couple of years in a separate discretionary account to make sure that when I purchased this watch, it wouldn’t affect my normal savings and retirement accounts.
That’s a great story 👏! Congrats on finally getting the Planet ocean 🌊
For me: I was living in Japan when the OG GS snowflake came out, early 2000s or so I believe.
I saw it in a store window and was mesmerized, and younger me vowed to own it someday. At the time, my most pricey watch was a 300 buck SARB. (Dam I miss that SARB!)
Last Christmas the dream transitioned to reality.
But, in the intervening 20 or so years, numerous other options were released.
My basic desire remained tho’: a GS with a seasonal style, screw crown and 100m WR, light and comfy in Ti, with crazy accurate spring drive.
Fast forward to last Christmas: I made the plunge, became my most worn watch of 2023!
For me, it has to be the FP Journe Chronometre Optimum. Not only did I have to wait 4 years for it, I also had to manage my finances so that when it did come, I would have enough liquidity to pull the trigger as the watch was never “promised” to me for any specific date or time. Suffice to say, its my most important watch and my favourite.
Epic!
If I can ask - Why this particular Journe?
For me it was the A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Automatik. I put away a bit of money every month for a couple of years in a separate discretionary account to make sure that when I purchased this watch, it wouldn’t affect my normal savings and retirement accounts.
That is a grail worth saving up for!
Epic!
If I can ask - Why this particular Journe?
Its because this is the most mechanically accurate watch (in theory) that a watch maker can make. The whole philosophy behind the Chronomètre Optimum is “an ongoing quest for precision, innovation and excellence”, a watch “endorsing the accomplishment of F.P.Journe’s chronometric research“. With the Chronomètre Optimum, Journe condenses many years of research and development, implements ideas he had over the entire course of his career, and combines several existing solutions that were already tested in previous watches. But that’s not all, as this watch also comes with a fair amount of innovation, specifically for the original configuration of the escapement. And the result is a watch that is entirely devoted to the fine art of chronometry.
That’s a great story 👏! Congrats on finally getting the Planet ocean 🌊
For me: I was living in Japan when the OG GS snowflake came out, early 2000s or so I believe.
I saw it in a store window and was mesmerized, and younger me vowed to own it someday. At the time, my most pricey watch was a 300 buck SARB. (Dam I miss that SARB!)
Last Christmas the dream transitioned to reality.
But, in the intervening 20 or so years, numerous other options were released.
My basic desire remained tho’: a GS with a seasonal style, screw crown and 100m WR, light and comfy in Ti, with crazy accurate spring drive.
Fast forward to last Christmas: I made the plunge, became my most worn watch of 2023!
Still saving up for my first GS Spring Drive. 😍
Its because this is the most mechanically accurate watch (in theory) that a watch maker can make. The whole philosophy behind the Chronomètre Optimum is “an ongoing quest for precision, innovation and excellence”, a watch “endorsing the accomplishment of F.P.Journe’s chronometric research“. With the Chronomètre Optimum, Journe condenses many years of research and development, implements ideas he had over the entire course of his career, and combines several existing solutions that were already tested in previous watches. But that’s not all, as this watch also comes with a fair amount of innovation, specifically for the original configuration of the escapement. And the result is a watch that is entirely devoted to the fine art of chronometry.
After that promotion: Had to deep dive!
2 barrels, constant force remontoir for 50 hours, dual escapement wheels (more gentle) , no lubricants on the dual escapement
An interesting and unique watch!
It’d be fun to see how it performs for accuracy against some other modern high end movements… 😀but since it doesn’t hack and I think is more art than science, that’d be missing the point.
I’ve got ny eye on a Swiss made tourbillon, and while it’s COSC, we all now recognize a tourbillon as art, despite its original theoretical purpose of increasing accuracy
The only two watches above about $2k that I really can't get out of my head are the smp 300 and the planet ocean. It's a little odd to have both of them at the top, considering how little they have in common despite being sister models, but Omega's seamaster line has a real spell over me. I like them for different reasons visually, and I'm pretty torn over which to eventually look at getting. At first, I ruled out the PO in 43.5mm because of its thickness, but after trying one on, it honestly doesn't feel thicker than my GSAR, which is more than 2mm thinner but also has a full height bezel and flat crystal. Then I'm stuck between liking the smp 300's bezel texture visually but not in practice. The 39.5 PO's lug to lug feels a touch small on my wrist.
Overall I lean toward the PO, but I'm so far from being able to purchase either that I imagine I'll flip back and forth a number of times.
Skyfall at sunset still one of my favorites.
Still saving up for my first GS Spring Drive. 😍
It’s an amazing bit of horology and took a team of engineers and mathematicians 20 years of work to develop. Head engineer died at completion 😢
For me, it was many years from my mental decision to get one, until buying.
Not technically ‘saving up’ the whole time, but getting to good place in life where I could finally buy it and be fine about the expense
A absolute beast of a watch and it’s so very classy looking as well built like a tank…!!
For me it’s this , my SMP 300 commonly referred to as “great white” although I nickname it the “Oreo”. After I had bought my Tudor Blue bay 58 in July of 2022 after waiting for 4 months for it , I saw a video that bark and jack had uploaded on this watch.
The markers , the finishing and the ceramic dial just made me drool every time I saw it. Since that I had started watching YouTube videos of this everyday for about 1 year and 4 months until I was finally able to get it. And let me tell you the moment I opened the nice wooden box and saw the watch felt like magic, it was even better in person than any picture could ever show. So yeah I just love this watch