semperfi55 4,707 Posted August 10, 2018 On 18/07/2018 at 02:46, Glaude said: Looks better without them to me I think it's because I have the gen datejust with Roman numerals and minute markers, so in my head I expect it to be that way. That said, I've grown used to the pinky On 18/07/2018 at 02:46, Glaude said: suggest the use of some Polywatch Ah I'll be needing that for the August watches, maybe On 18/07/2018 at 11:28, odoherc said: wide and varied Thanks mate, I do try to keep it varied but getting trapped by Royal Oaks and recently more Rolex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Logixa 8 Posted August 10, 2018 Great post @semperfi55 You sir, are diagnosed with the horological syndrome. Welcome to the club. Prepare to sell your house, car, children and rent out your wife for you watches. It's worth it. Trust me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted August 10, 2018 #3 End of July 2018 Phew after the collecting frenzy of May and June, I decided to cool down a bit. Or rather, reality got me to cool down a bit This also gives @McGilli a chance to catch up too. Thankfully, none of the watches this month broke the bank! The Jumping Hours I received this Oris Artelier Jumping Hour as a graduation gift last month Absolutely love it! My brain got used to reading the time surprisingly quickly. The jumping of the hour digits is a delight to watch. My first encounter with a jumping hour watch was a Armand Nicolet HS2 Jumping Hour. But those are expensive fuckers. The only thing jumping in that scenario would be my personal debt! This is one to save up for... Funky.... but I like it! Luch What We Have Here I liked the Luch of this design when I encountered it on one of the wrist check threads. Thankfully, these sell pretty cheap on eBay and I had the good Luch to bag one that had a decorated/engraved caseback with a small back display for the balance wheel. The Travelling Raketa Probably the cheapest World Time watch around. Unfortunately the cities used are very Soviet-centric, so none of your conventional international cities on the bezel. Great way to learn Russian language and geography! F.W.I.S. This F.W.I.S. is probably why Omega has to call their Speedmaster F.O.I.S. I bought it mostly for the historical association. The dial is obviously a re-dial (which explains the cheap price) but the movement is definitely from the correct time period. The Yacht-Master Had to buy a decadent/materialistic watch to balance out the Communists of July (3 of 'em!). Yin and Yang. That's what the Cold War was about really. The crystal on this watch has a lot of micro-faults. It looks terrible on camera close-up but looks spotless IRL. Before any WIS criticises this baby, it's a fuckin gate watch. Some polywatch required. Although polywatch does sound like the horological version of polygamy... So that's all for July. Watch this space for August, some pretty interesting ones coming in 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted August 10, 2018 22 minutes ago, Logixa said: Prepare to sell your house, car, children and rent out your wife for you watches. Hah forget renting! I've sold futures on my future wife already. Sometimes I panic about how deep I have fallen into the horology quagmire, but since Leo is giving me a reassuring smile, all is good Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sigg 106 Posted August 10, 2018 Fantastic, many thanks for sharing these pictures. Just starting out and find this quite inspirational. Got a bit more learning to do then will start expanding my own collection. Look forward to following your future acquisitions. Cheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted August 10, 2018 That Armand Nicolet is gorgeous ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McGilli 1 Posted August 11, 2018 Wow - this watch still has 4TB of storage left on it!!!! Great additions... Just the Rolex... I know it's the new one... but it doesn't fit in with the vibe of the others.... But A Rolex - spelled in Russian would be cool..... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted August 12, 2018 On 10/08/2018 at 22:41, Sigg said: Fantastic, many thanks for sharing these pictures. Just starting out and find this quite inspirational. Got a bit more learning to do then will start expanding my own collection. Look forward to following your future acquisitions. Cheers. Very honoured to have your first post on my thread! Any particular brands/types you’re going for? On 10/08/2018 at 22:44, Glaude said: That Armand Nicolet is gorgeous ! But so expensive (relatively), and no rep :( On 11/08/2018 at 03:49, McGilli said: this watch still has 4TB of storage left on it!!! It was a second Sputnik moment for the Yanks when they found out that Soviets were using watches as hard disk drives. That’s how the floppy disk was invented. On 11/08/2018 at 03:49, McGilli said: but it doesn't fit in with the vibe of the others Mate, this month’s watches represent Russian history in a nutshell: Soviet. Soviet. Soviet. Boom perestroika! Oligarch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sigg 106 Posted August 12, 2018 Re the Brands. I need to get the whole Rolex/Omega thing out my system then move on to a few others. Breitling, AP and VC next, then onto something more unusual. Considering just now how big a watch box to go for. I like your Soviet watches, first time I have seen them. Cheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted August 12, 2018 2 hours ago, Sigg said: I need to get the whole Rolex/Omega thing My equivalent is Rolex/AP. What I tried initially was to buy a rep per brand (reps that I would buy anyway, not buying for diversity's sake) and avoid buying too many of the same brand early on. That kinda unraveled pretty quickly so now my collection is weighted towards AP/Rolex. 2 hours ago, Sigg said: onto something more unusual That' s the spirit! I try to get the unusual ones first because there will always be an iteration of the Omega Moonwatch/Sub/Datejust rep perpetually but A. Lange & Sohne (example) is pretty much dropping out of the market. That's just my opinion, you do you If you're interested in Soviet watches, check out my Soviet thread in my signature. Other members have also posted their Soviet watches too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sigg 106 Posted August 12, 2018 51 minutes ago, semperfi55 said: My equivalent is Rolex/AP. What I tried initially was to buy a rep per brand (reps that I would buy anyway, not buying for diversity's sake) and avoid buying too many of the same brand early on. That kinda unraveled pretty quickly so now my collection is weighted towards AP/Rolex. That' s the spirit! I try to get the unusual ones first because there will always be an iteration of the Omega Moonwatch/Sub/Datejust rep perpetually but A. Lange & Sohne (example) is pretty much dropping out of the market. That's just my opinion, you do you If you're interested in Soviet watches, check out my Soviet thread in my signature. Other members have also posted their Soviet watches too Thanks for the advice. I was lucky enough to receive a GEN Rolex years ago and have worn it for over 20 years. Although i have always loved watches it actually put me off getting any more. Looking to change that now. The funny thing is the majority of people i meet assume the GEN is a fake. I like unusual also and the Soviet watches interest me, i like military watches also so will be looking out for them too. Anyway thanks again, will follow your post and acquisitions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted September 2, 2018 #4 End of August 2018 So much for cooling down! August has been quite the horological frenzy! This month has seen a new direction in my collection.... and a failure to diversify from Rolex The Socialist Glashütte greg_r is to blame for this one. His beautiful vintage Glashütte got me reading up on the brand's history. Very interesting to see how the Glashütte of today was really reformed in the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Post WW2, the DDR government consolidated all the various Glashütte-based brands, including Lange, to form GUB Glashütte. This watch houses a calibre 60 movement, pretty scratched up crystal, but still going strong. The Soviet collection will have to be renamed the Warsaw Pact henceforth! The Snowtrooper One of the few Bamford watches that agrees with me. The rep comes with a white DWO, whereas all the gen pics I could find show a black one. Black DWO it is then. DWO aside this watch is great for the money, as with watches from Narikaa! Quite the steal! The Sky-Dweller Another Reg watch. Of course the Sky-Dweller rep will never be perfect but this is good enough. Functioning GMT, functioning Date, functioning Month for 31 days a year GBP 100+ and scratches my itch for a Sky-Dweller. Job done! The Pre-Daytona Vintage chronograph seems to be the new direction... The Rolex Ref.6234 has many variants made during its brief production run (1955-1961) prior to the iconic Daytona. Therefore, it is easy to explain away any small inaccuracies, whatever they may be. At 37mm case diameter, this is one fine piece! The Timely Breitling The old style Montbrillant Datora has a busy yet elegant dial. There's something to it that the new style ones lack. Plus the rep for the new style lacks one of the big circles on the dial. I was very fortunate to be scrolling through RWI at the right time, since I'm only an occasional visitor there. Needless to say I religiously monitor the other side now hoping to find other out-of-production reps. The previous owner kept this watch in extremely good condition. Everything works beautifully, the date, day, month and chronograph function! The Quartz Primer Vintage chrono research obviously led me to look at the Dan Henry homages. Not a fan of the homages based on later chronos, my conclusion is that I like the chronos from 1930s-1960s. The Dan Henry 1939 Military Chronograph caught my attention with its ungodly combination of black, white, red and yellow. It's unconventional and looks so distant from colour combinations that I would find attractive on a dial. The myriad of numbers and words on this busy dial is hypnotising. The dark dial colour reminds me of the Tissot Janeiro reissue which I mentioned months ago. Beautiful stuff! So why did I call it a Primer? Watch this space in the next few months The Poor Man's Rattrapante The new Admiral of the Fleet! It's a rattrapante movement. It's vintage. It's not in production anymore. It's Swiss. It's gen. It's got a unique mechanism. Enough said! Quite the haul this month! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted September 2, 2018 33 minutes ago, semperfi55 said: So much for cooling down! Were you really believing in the possibility of a cooldown ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted September 2, 2018 13 minutes ago, Glaude said: Were you really believing in the possibility of a cooldown ? A man can try I was not that man Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dave47 6,477 Posted September 2, 2018 On 12/04/2018 at 20:35, semperfi55 said: Hi guys, Before discovering this crazy place, I was a casual watch enthusiast. I like the look of watches. I like dress watches. Will I collect some luxury Swiss timepieces? Yes, perhaps some in the future. I had a very dim view of replicas because I only knew about the really low quality, overpriced toys I saw whilst walking around street markets. After finding RWG and learning about high-quality reps, that was it. The floodgates (and my wallet) opened. In the last two months, I have acquired/ in the process of acquiring 16 more watches. Here are some pics of the state of my collection, before discovering RWG. Just one or two gen luxury watches, the others all modestly priced gens but each is linked to specific points/events in my life Rest assured, there will be a deluge of photos of my new acquisitions. Just waiting for the last two to arrive. No conscious planning to it, but there is a nice symmetry to this: 5 stainless steels, 5 leather/rubber. From left to right, top then bottom row: a Fossil, Junghans Quartz Chronograph, Rolex Datejust 16220, Hugo Boss Dual-Time, Casio Edifice Chronograph, Junghans Max Bill, Ingersoll Union, Shanghai Quartz, Skagen Ancher and my good old Casio for long distance swimming. The Datejust Star of the show. Pride of the Fleet. This beauty was a graduation gift during my intercalation year (degree within a degree, because hey studying is so much fun). My dad bought this 16220 in the early 1990s and I am eternally grateful for this wonderful present. He doesn't know it yet but I will be returning the favour in kind at some point, possibly a gen Nautilus or Calatrava when I can pony up the funds. This is a relatively small watch which is a perfect fit for me and works fine as a black-tie dress watch, leather rules be damned. The Dress Automatics Up next we have my Ingersoll Union and Junghans Max Bill. One is my watch with the most complications and the other a minimalist; both elegant in their own ways. I believe Ingersoll used to be an American company famous for its one-dollar watches. It is now a HK-based company. The Max Bill, well'nuff said, it's a classic The Quartz Chronographs Both sentimental watches with great memories associated. Got them when I was 11 and 12 respectively. Back then the complicated dials on chronographs caught my attention compared to boring, simpler dials. Funny how things have changed. The Fashion Watches That Fossil is my first watch. Or rather first watch worth keeping. Parents got it for me when I was 9 I believe. The dial alternates between blue and green so I was definitely the coolest kid on the block. Apparently, this was marketed as a ladies watch. This tiny fucker needs two batteries. Unfortunately something has gone wrong with the quartz movement but I am sourcing a replacement movement for now. Also it was sized when I was 9 so will need extra links to make it wearable. The Hugo Boss has 2 clocks going which is pretty cool. Get lots of compliments for this one. One is set to UK time and the other to where my family is based. Pretty neat. The Dress Quartz When you want style whilst walking through rough neighbourhoods. Two quartz but lovely, minimalist watches. One is from the Skagen Ancher series and the other from Shanghai. Bonus points to anyone who can point out the reference number to me. I suspect it's such a simple watch that the brand just did not bother with a reference number for the series. Post-RWG Watches - April 2018 Here are the watches I've acquired since learning about reps and RWG. There are only 2 reps in the collection for now, that will grow once I get more research done. 10 watches pre-RWG. Now I have 24! 6 more slots left, but I have 2 reps on the way. Any suggestions for the last 4? Even bought a 8 watch travel case too! The Diver and the Chrono The Oris Divers Sixty-Five, as the name hints, is a diver's watch. But the minimalist design and profile makes it suitable for any occasion. It also has very nice lume and the most comfortable rubber strap in my collection. Found this Tagheuer Monza in the safe. The chronograph function was not working so had to send it off for repair. The mechanical chrono second hand sweep is so hypnotising! For now, this is my first and only mechanical chronograph. It won't remain that way for long. I'm deciding between getting a Daytona or a Speedmaster Moonwatch. First. The Quartz Perpetual Calendar I love the idea of a mechanical perpetual calendar. But with my budget I decided to go quartz for now. This is a Seiko Age of Discovery watch made to commemorate the 500th anniversary to Columbus discovering America. It has quite a few other functions which are explained in my other thread: The Soviet Seven My interest in watches also extend the other side of the old Iron Curtain. All acquired from eBay, various sellers, varied prices and quality. Read all about them here: The Swatch I'm not a fan of Swatch. Not really a fan of the disposable quartz. But make it artsy and collectible, you've reeled me in. The Animal Wheel was made in 1991 to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the formation of the Swiss Confederation. The hour hand is the 'smudge' coming out from the wheel. There is no minute hand so I only wear it on the weekends or holidays, when I don't need to worry about the exact time (the irony). The watch is designed by Swiss artist Not Vital and this is what Swatch had to say about the design: "Wheel Animal (GZ120) emanates from the quiet mind of this mysterious artist, whose serene minimalist design for Swatch is full of space. The piece centres on a corroded-looking, rust-eaten wheel with four spokes whose purpose seems hard to pin down. As the eye comes to rest on the quiet, deep image, grand ideas form in the mind—the history of timekeeping, or navigation by the light and position of stars. There is also something alive and creature-like about the wheel, suggested by the name and its organic quality. Its earthy colours and fragile form remind us that even the most complex machines come from the materials of the natural world." First Rep The honour of first rep goes to this Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Classic Automatic. Credit goes to Glaude for suggesting this watch to me. This rep is not based off any specific watch. Its watch size, engravings on the back, subdial point to various different watches. Nonetheless, the overall design exudes the feel of a JLC Reverso watch so all is good! First Moonphase Rep #2. I'm a big fan of A. Lange & Söhne thus it was only natural I bought one soon after my Reverso. Very beautiful watch with a functioning moonphase (59 toothed I think). Only caveat is the thickness: 13.5mm. More photos and review here: Like other RWG mates have said, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT, WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE about your growing hobby. It was very easy to read, very articulate, and very informative. CONGRATS, semper!!! I, along with the rest of the membership, look forward to your future "dispatches" from the watch buying front. dave Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted September 2, 2018 36 minutes ago, dave47 said: look forward to your future "dispatches" from the watch buying front. Thanks for the kind words Dave! It has been pretty wild since starting in March this year, the next few months will get even more interesting as I go deeper yet into this black hole... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xpletiv 16 Posted September 3, 2018 Holy crap, I sooooo want the Oris jump hour.......you bastard!;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted September 3, 2018 16 hours ago, Xpletiv said: Holy crap, I sooooo want the Oris jump hour.......you bastard!;) My general sentiment when viewing wrist check threads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted October 1, 2018 #5 End of September 2018 The First Step is Admitting the Problem.... I mean... I dunno....seriously....it's an investment of sorts isn't it.... Soz @Waspy The Wonky Watch I've always wanted one ever since encountering one in an AD. Due to my recent vintage fever, I decided to go for the tinted dial version which is complete fantasy. A rose gold case and white dial would have better colour contrast, but this combination of colours do go well under indoors lighting conditions! The Gate Glashutte I was pleasantly surprised by this gate watch. They have managed to replicate the sparkly dial texture well. It also has a functioning power reserve. All round a very good quality watch. There are certain inaccuracies with the dial, namely the power reserve is mirrored. Only someone who actually knows the model would notice that. And they have to know the brand first! Le Lange Suisse A little joke produced by the Chinese, it's not even close to the gen by any stretch of the mind But just looking at it, ignoring how the gen looks, it has a nice, opulent, ostentatious, decadent look. Another gate watch, but some TDs do have this watch listed on their website from yeaaars ago. Don't expect the functions to work as they seem, or even work Lange fanboys cannot be choosers. The Retrograde Watch posing as a Bi Another watch I discovered in the AD and completely lusted for. I blame the friendly VC salesperson. Lovely guy brought me into a private room with drinks and we had some sexy time with various watches from the Historiques collection alongside this one...After that I went to a watch boutique to try on some watches Anyway, I digress... the moral of the story here is always do your research, kids! @Glaude can attest to this. I know people have a tough time trying to compare all the different factories and iterations of subs. Information overload, perfectly understandable. Members spouting out all sorts specs and opinions you don't know what you can believe anymore. Surely no such problem with a rep that is made by just one factory with only one version, right? The Patek X Since my Dubey & Schaldenbrand Rattrapante, I was curious to find out if there were any reps with split seconds functionality. There's a PAM that has one but they're so big you think they were compensating for some deficit in other departments The split seconds does actually work! And if you believe that, wait till you hear this. It's a gen too! The Equal Opportunity Glashutte Part I @greg_r was being a real douche flaunting an amazing vintage Glashutte. With my level of self control, I had no problem resisting the temptation. Why resist, when you can collaborate? After weeks of stalking eBay, managed to snag one of these beauties on an auction. I suspect greg might have upped the market demand since he showed off the watch because I have not seen that watch sold at any price near what he paid for. Influencers The Equal Opportunity Glashutte Part A Why collaborate when you can participate, am I right? Such a slippery slope.... This one came with a rather dusty crystal. Dusty from the inside. So did the standard crown stem removal, dial and movement removal, give the crystal a good wipedown, put it all back together. Simples. Then the fucking stem won't fully engage the movement. After a terrifying hour of inserting and reinserting, I came to a high point. Fixed it! Great Success! An Apt AP Do I need to say more? Look at that blue dial! Look at it shine! What more do you need? Ahem... Insert Some Hilarious Name for this AP Chronograph I dunno JOKES! HAHA SEMPERFI YOU FUNNY GUY You might not guess this, but I am a fan of the Royal Oak aesthetic. Pretty surprising I know, I conceal that side of myself pretty well. I know there has been a some hubbub about a recent release of a high-end AP Royal Oak Chronograph rep. Interesting rep vs gen pics by TrustyTime. Genuinely impressive stuff. Can't be bothered. Too rich for my cheap rep blood. So I got a gate quartz version. The cheap ones have completely wrong subdials, but if you go to the USD 100-USD 150 range, you can get some stunners. I am a fan of the all black PVD mod versions that do exist IRL. Best thing about that is that you can pass off any discrepancies as "It's a rep of a modded version gen". But otherwise, this has the correct subdial configuration and matching colour DWO. Thank fuck for that. Out of The Fucking Blue Someone was selling their Daydate for cheap on RWI. Based in UK. Asian ETA movement. One year old watch. Under 100 quid. No brainer. The watch is a stunning in the flesh, great sky blue and brilliant cross hatch (?) pattern. Day and date change simultaneously. Only problem was that the self-winding was sub-par so a good manual wind was necessary, as stated by the seller. I can't stop wearing this watch. This watch is like the gateway watch for more Day Dates. Watch this space. The Vintage Bling I bought this from @yllekp on the other side. You'd feel pretty fucking relaxed if you're buying from the mod who moderates sales threads The Patek Philippe 530 vintage chronograph is a stunner. Some of my favourite TDs could not source one, then it came along on M2M! yylekp had it on a rose gold mesh bracelet but he also included the original rep leather straps. I figured I would swap it over to the strap for a more classic look and use the mesh for some other rose gold case black dial watch. Didn't happen. The mesh and vintage watch look works surprisingly well. The mesh is also the most comfortable strap in my collection. I need to buy better straps. Group Shot @McGilli You are right, I have gone crazy.... What an absolute clusterfuck of a month Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted October 1, 2018 This should really be moved to the My collection part of the forum Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted October 1, 2018 4 minutes ago, Glaude said: should really be moved Probably should've be done months ago.... that's why I save it on my sig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted October 1, 2018 Just now, semperfi55 said: Probably should've be done months ago.... that's why I save it on my sig. Ask a mod Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luxuracer 14 Posted October 1, 2018 6 minutes ago, semperfi55 said: #5 End of September 2018 The First Step is Admitting the Problem.... What an absolute clusterfuck of a month You need help I thought I was bad .... You are way way worse than me! I am going to call your wife. BTW ... That A. Lange & Sohne ... so sweet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semperfi55 4,707 Posted October 1, 2018 2 minutes ago, Luxuracer said: I am going to call your wife. Good luck calling her! She's as real as a 1:1 Swiss ETA AAA+ Super-Rep... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luxuracer 14 Posted October 1, 2018 1 minute ago, semperfi55 said: Good luck calling her! She's as real as a 1:1 Swiss ETA AAA+ Super-Rep... Then ... I will call your CO ... PO ... IO .... or whatever O Help is on its way brother ... Hang in there! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites