Two years since I joined this forum. Time really flies!
What better date than a leap day to commiserate celebrate my two-year descent into madness?
What has changed in Year 2?
In my first year here, the uptake curve was pretty sharp with monthly updates on my collection. I seem to be more of an accumulator than a collector; the idea of selling reps on M2M initially felt rather daunting. Sage, old @Waspy dropped in with some words of wisdom about selling and caution on watch fatigue, given my initial intense streak. Second year was spent thinking about honing the collection, watch projects and focusing on gens. There was truth to the overused adage "less is more". Plus, there were some functions that the reps just aren't able to deliver.
Oh wait, there's a flash sale at Jason007 and I have a couple of USD3 gate coupons?!
All these lofty ideals fly out the window as I frantically ask gate sellers for more real photos
Even so, my own conclusions on my collecting direction are:
1) No, you cannot wear 44mm diameter watches with those lady wrists.
2) Vintage
3) An odd obsession with collecting certain models in sets. One is not enough, there must be one of every variant. Or at least that's what I'd love to do. There just isn't any space.
4) Sell those damn 44mm watches.
5) Vintage Rolex is appealing to me now. But why? Is it for the timeless design? Or due to watch world hype? Or because there are just so much more quality choice when it comes to Rolex reps?
6) Please stop eyeing those 44mm IWCs for fuck's sake.
I'm still trying to figure out how to best show the watches in a group shot. In the meantime, here are the watches presented individually. Frequent posters to the wristcheck threads may die of boredom; you've probably seen them double-fisted already.
Gen Collection
Rolex Datejust 16220
Pride of the Fleet and so on and so forth. A sentimental graduation gift with an unassailable status within the harem.
Dubey & Schaldenbrand index Mobile Rattrapante
Poor man's rattrapante with a cleverly-modified Landeron movement to allow for split-second complication
Waltham Maxim Calatrava Homage
Cannot afford a gen Patek but find the hobnail bezel reps a bit lacking? Great Swiss-made gen for less than a ZF Calatrava. I got to this gen after seeing @RussP's Calatrava homages.
Cuervo y Sobrinos Triple Calendar
Interesting format for displaying day and date, with a tumultuous brand history.
TagHeuer Monza CR2113-0
Oris Divers Sixty-Five
Oris Artelier Jumping Hour
Swatch Animal Wheel GZ120
The Holiday Watch
Jean d'Eve Sectora
Some wholesome bi-retrograde goodness for the bi-curious.
Raymond Weil Tank Homage
I tried using Polywatch on the acrylic and now the corners are FUBAR.
Junghans Max Bill Automatic
Junghans Quartz Chronograph
Somehow 11 year old me did not destroy/lose this watch.
Zeppelin 7676-2 100 Jahre Chronograph
Hugo Boss Dual Time
Skagen Ancher SKW6082
A nice slim fashion watch form the pre-RWG era. Sleek design but the integrated leather strap will be a bitch to replace in the future.
Ingersoll Union IN1203RWH
Chinese made 3970 homage for a brand which used to have a substantial American heritage. A watch I had before discovering RWG or even aware of Philip Patek or whatever silly name.
Three GUB Glashütte
@greg_rintroduced me to vintage Glashüttes. I never had the same bargains he got off eBay though, even with his help.
Post-WW2, the East German government consolidated all the Glashütte-based watch brands into GUB Glashutte. All these watches above are from the 1960s-1970s era. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, many Glashütte-based brands were established/re-established from GUB Glashutte, including Lange and.... Glashütte
Union of Soviet Socialist Watches
These are cheap fun watches to have, if you know what you are looking for. There are some that are clearly re-dials but I don't mind too much for under 50 quid.
To commemorate the launch of Sputnik 1. Novel subsidiary seconds there.
This sleek Poljot is my most recent acquisition. The Bauhaus is strong in this one. Love it!
Seiko Presage Fuyugeshiki SSA385J1
I had a lot of fun watching how the RWG "Christmas Snow" effect play with the snowy dial. Simple pleasures.
Seiko Age of Discovery 6M13-0010
My only functioning perpetual calendar in the collection, but quartz so @Glaude is throwing up in some corner of France.
Henry London Watches
Quartz fashion watches with some attempt for vintage styles. Only worth buying when they are heavily discounted
Love this last Henry. It is very reminiscent of a Vacheron Historiques 1968 Ultra Thin.
Dan Henry 1939 Military Chronograph
All these fucking Henrys in the watch world.....
While the colour combination may resemble vomit, I like it for the jarring contrast that is also seen in some vintage Omega chronogaphs from that time period.
Mechanical Timex(es?)
Lovely little watch that @cvp3 threw in for a M2M sale. I hear he is still trying to cull the collection
My dad immediately fobbed this safe queen off to me when I gave him a Speedmaster for his 60th. Talk about a bad deal.
People's Republic of Watches
Yes gen Chinese watches Most not worth buying at the inflated Western retailer price. All of them bought within China at discounts.
Casio Edifice Chronograph
Childhood watch still going strong.
Trusty Swimming Casio
Xiaomi Amazfit
Couldn't be bothered to switch it to 10:10 as this was the last watch photographed
Rep Collection
Tutima Chronograph
Cartier Budget Blitzkrieg
Cartier Tank Basculante
Sweet Reverso action here!
Cartier Ballon
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15202
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15400
Gate cheapie with horrifying blue dial, one of my earlier modding successes. Swapped the white DWO to a matching blue DWO with design help from @Glaude
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph 26320 PVD
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 26579
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon 26510
Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso Classic Automatic
The rep that started it all.
That Jaegate LeCoultre
Jaegate LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin
Franck Muller Crazy Hours
Rolex Submariners
ZZF V1 116610LN
116610 Bamford Stormtrooper, with a pending DWO repair.
116613LB Serti Dial, technically fantasy as these sort of dials were only available in 5-digit model.
116613LN Serti Dial, fantasy as above
116618LB
116618LN, I prefer this gilt lettering to the white font on the gen. This is much more congruous.
16613L Serti Dial
16610LV Kermit
A Daytona For Every Racer
What a car crash of a collection
6234, Technically not a Daytona
6239 Paul Newman
6263 Gold
6265 Paul Newman
Artisans de Geneve "La Montoya"
116595RBOW, the other Pride of the Fleet
A GMT for Every Some Time Zones
6542 Serpico y Laino Double Stamped Dial
6542 Pan-Am Albino Dial
1675 Pepsi
1675 Rootbeer
126715CHNR
Rolex Explorer II 1655
Rolex Sky-Dweller 326934
The "August" Watch
Day-Dates for (Almost) Every Day of the Week
DIY 18238
18238 Blue Vignette Dial, needs to be re-cased into a vintage case.
18238 Brown Vignette Dial, needs to be re-cased into a vintage case.
118206
128239-0023
Datejusts to Round Off the Rolex Collection
16013 Tapestry
16233 Linen
Datejust 36 Pink, fantasy model as this dial is not available in 36mm size
Rolex Yacht-Master 116655
Rolex Label Noir Milgauss Tourbillon
Rolex Air-King 14000
Rolex Turn-O-Graph 116264
A terrible cheapie with laughable rehaut and dial font. But Turn-O-Graph reps are rarer than gen.
Patek Philippe Chronographs
Ref. 530 beauty.
5070G
5170A, needs to be plated into a 5170J to match the gen.
5370P, A7750 movement, fake 2nd Chrono hand.
5975G, just a simple Miyota movement, no chrono.
3970R
5970R
5204R-001, no chrono
5204R/1R-001, no chrono
5204J, no chrono. Fantasy model as Patek has not released a yellow gold 5204 yet. Lost the central second hand while modding the Day and Month overlays
Patek Philippe Gondolo 5112J
Appears to be fantasy. If someone finds the gen version, please let me know,
Patek Philippe Calatrava 5116
Patek Philippe World Time 5131J
Modding project with inspiration and guidance from @_DC_
Nautili for the Seven Six Seas
All gate. I really need to get a PPF. They look good.
5711
5711 but gold
5726
5980
5740
The 5712, elusive in rep and in gen. Fantasy color combination but beggars can't be choosers.
Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921
Vacheron Constantin Historiques 1955 Corne de Vache
My first lesson in M2M resolution; seller tried to pull a fast one but all was resolved with the help of @yllekp and @Dr Fun Socks
Vacheron Constantin Harmony Complete Calendar
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day Date
The Tuesdays Watch
Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Traditionelle 47009
Another infamous gate watch!
A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Moonphase
Working moonphase
A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 "Tourbillon" Perpetual Calendar
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph 403.032
A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Tourbillon
Breguet Classique 5177BR/15/9V6
Breguet Tradition 7057BB/11/9W6
Breguet Regulator Tourbillon 5307PT/12/9V6
Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet 6654
Working Moonphase
Glashütte Senator Panorama Date Moon Phase
Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer
H. Moser & Cie Venturer Big Date
Bovet Virtuoso IV "Tourbillon"
IWC Portugieser 7 Days
Many RWI members have found the need to tell me how off these gate subdials are
Omega Constellation Co-Axial
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 2220.80.00
Omega Seamaster 300 233.32.41.21.01.001
Tudor Heritage Chrono 70330N Black
Tudor Heritage Chrono 70330N Blue
Bad influence from @NCRich
This one sadly lost a fight to a certain PVD AP chrono, needless to say they are not in the same watchbox anymore.
Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chrono 79350
Breitling Navitimer Montbrillant Datora A21330
TagHeuer Monaco PVD
Love it for the similarities with the vintage Heuer Monaco Dark Lord.
TagHeuer Carrera Calibre 17 Reissue
Panerai Luminor Submersible 682
An actual Panerai I can wear!
Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa Grande QF
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Tourbillon
A lovely piece I found out from @Hyjynx's Round Table Series
MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement
Novel design brought to my attention thanks to @Luxuracer
If you made it this far..... well done and thank you. Because I sure as shit wouldn't have the stamina. Onto another year of watches!