NWA+WRUW: Monta Oceanking
I’ll be honest, this one was a big purchase for me. Got a call from one of the two ADs in the country that carries a Monta yesterday after putting my name down a few months ago. Gotta say, I am so happy with this timepiece. As someone who loves collecting watches, the Monta satisfies so many checkboxes that I no longer feel the need to make any watch purchases for the foreseeable future - at the minimum for the rest of the year.
My grail watch is the Rolex Submariner and while I’m far from being able to drop $10k on a watch, I really wanted a premium, luxury, watch that gave me the same feel. After months of looking around and searching the web I finally came upon Monta (funnily enough, it was the Skyquest that caught my eye). After weeks of reading and watching YT videos about Monta as a brand, the Oceanking stood out to me as the watch I wanted to scratch my Submariner itch. However, I couldn’t justify making the purchase online because I wanted to do a proper side by side of the Sub and the Oceanking to make sure it wasn’t all in my head. So, I contacted the AD in February where they said they had just sold the last one they had in stock. I asked them to let me know when they got another one in and I got that call yesterday.
Tell you what, when I did the side by side, I was reminded about how much I freaking love the Sub. I got to actually try on the Sub Date and I just can’t wait to have one of my own in a few years. But that being said, I acknowledge that a lot of my desire for a Rolex is more about the status that comes with having one. At the risk of being blasphemous, I actually think visually, the Monta improves on my one teeny qualm with the Sub, the date window. I cannot wear a watch without a date window - it’s very practical for my lifestyle. And while I’ve accepted the asymmetry of the Sub date, the fact that the Oceanking has a date window AND it’s at the 6 o’clock position which maintains the watches’ symmetry makes me very, very happy.
Anyway, there’s no one in my social circle that I could share this excitement with, or even would appreciate this experience so I’m sharing it with a bunch of strangers, who share this weird love for timepieces that I do. If you read till the end, I thank you!
Been a watch wearer for about 25 years and trying to get into the collecting game. Also, just want to enjoy the hobby with some good people!
Cheers 🍻 I understand 1000% how you feel about date window positioning. I too am very particular with date placement or even the need to have a date on the watch. Though I disagree with you on one tiny thing about the submariner date, I think solely for the sub date, the placement is perfect. I say this because the Rolex cyclops & placement at 3 has become so iconic and synonymous with Rolex. While I love the #monta oceanking & don’t get me wrong, it’s an awesome watch, my one tiny nitpick is the date placement I would have preferred the watch without a date. Regardless congratulations on getting the call and you’ve got two amazing dive watches! Wear them in good health! 👊🏼💪🏼