It is the privilege of the young to ignore the experiences of the old, and the curse of the old to realize that they themselves did exactly that.
i dont understand why someone would ask a question in the exam level forum and wait for a response when they can just google the answer to the same question that has been answered a hundred times.
water cooler is a true educational experience
Well, since today is a market holiday, I had some time to walk over to the IWC boutique in midtown to look at the Portugueses (now called “Portuguesiers” I guess). Anyway, wow, these wear really high and look big on the wrist. IWC uses flat and vertical walls on the side of this model, and the watch faces are expanded to the extremities of the case. Combined with the “modern size” of these watches in the first place, these are quite loud pieces, and they are unsuitable for an understated individual with small wrists such as myself. I was quite disappointed.
I thought the cheaper IWC, the Portofino, had a much more classic and subtle appearance that is more suitable for daily use. However, the watch is quite non-descript, and I’ve heard some negative things regarding quality control on this watch.
Anyway, while I was there, I also stopped by the Omega store, as I had recently “discovered” the Dark Side of the Moon Speedmaster and wanted to see one in person. Although I was initially turned off by the levelling of brands within the Swatch/ETA empire, their scale allows them to out compete probably all other brands when it comes to content per price. In addition to one of the best integrated chronometer movements today, it had details like a curved crystal (so it appears “invisible from all angles”), multiple levels of finishing on all surfaces, a titanium/ceramic deployment clasp, a silicon hair spring (Patek Phillipe thinks they are The Sh for using this), white gold applied markers, plus the ceramic case for which other manufacturers probably lacked the resourced to develop. A black 44mm watch would be hard to wear in some settings, but I think the “Grey Side” version might be a good compromise. It is quite expensive for an Omega, but I think the features justify this price.
^man thats a good looking watch. btw when being high value time pieces what is the difference between buying at lets say Tourneau, OMEGA store, or some other high bucks watch store?
can you haggle on the price, are there extras that some offer?
I don’t know if there is a difference between different authorized dealers, other than service and selection. All of them will give you a factory warranty (which lasts 4 years, by the way, for watches with the co-axial movement from Omega, like the Speedmaster above), and I believe all of them will charge you full MSRP, which is typically 25% to 35% above the price you will pay on the grey market. The Omega sales representative got a little bit defensive when I suggested that the warranty did not justify this premium, but I suppose this is an issue that he deals with frequently in his job.
Anyway, I’m incidentally not at all interested in the old Speedmaster. It just has normal quality, everyone has one, and the “moon” theme is the most tired reference in the watch industry. How can you offer an acrylic crystal on such a watch today? However, these new Speedmasters are state-of-the-art; they are really the best in terms of quality, manufacturing precision, and reliability that the industry currently offers. I might get one. I don’t yet own a chronograph and am not quite taken with the aesthetic of the commonly referenced chronograph watch in this price range. The main thing I really am not sold on is the toughness of the ceramic case and will need to do some research on this material.
Also, I’m not crazy about the nylon strap that comes with the standard DSOTM watch. However, since I’m leaning towards the Grey version if I get one, this will probably not be an issue. I should say though, that it is an exceptionally nice nylon strap, and that the underside is in fact lined with leather. So the nylon material was chosen for aesthetic and not economic reasons. The strap is also not as prominent in real life, compared to in these magnified pictures, and it tapers in width to a more streamlined (I think) 22mm. In these dimensions, the nylon lining is more palatable and I even prefer it to some other Omega straps, most notably the rubber strap that comes with some Planet Ocean Seamasters.
The other thing that cannot be determined from photographs is the finishing on the dial of either watch. The black dial is made from some kind of ceramic and has a rather fascinating not-quite matte yet not-quite polished appearance. The grey dial is made from platinum, and has a slightly grainy surface. This is a reference to the moon surface and is a bit of a gimmick if you ask me. However, this is the kind of attention to detail that impressed me in these Omega watches. The tachymeter markings, by the way, are also fully luminated - the numbers and everything. They really thought about everything.
The case back is another area that deserves particular attention. There is a full sapphire crystal display on the back of the watch, and through it, you can see the integrated chronograph automatic movement. The movement is not designed for maximum transparency - compare this to the IWC Portuguese 100 hour movement for example, with its skeletonized weight. But again, it’s finishing is quite exceptional, with a mix of scalloped and round polishing. This is the sort of extra detail that cannot be found in even more expensive watches and just comes from having more manufacturing resources due to economics of scale. I don’t know why Omega chose to project the glass case back beyond the width of the case though. Given the level of detail given to the rest of the construction, I think this must be deliberate. It does add some symmetry to the design when viewed from the side, but it is odd that they chose to prioritize this over wearability.
Is Omega the AF retirement watch?
Those Omegas are beautiful.
im more into cars than watches
Seems like a reasonable comparison.
The waiter at brunch this morning asked me if I wanted powdered sugar on my french toast. I scoffed at him and said, “sorry, I prefer speed boats” and left no tip.
AnalystForum age, or birth-to-present age?
Who here’s been to the Patek Phillipe museum in Geneva?
I was there a few years ago with my daughter; it’s awesome.
Am i the only one resisting the pun “I will retire from AF when I’m old AF”?
I’ve been here 10 years and 2 months.
You are old
has anyone noticed thus far in life that koreans add a year to their birth year to count for ‘in the womb’
^
so do Chinese. Are you a Asian fetish freak too ACE?
haha wow