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The watch thread: pocket, wrist, sporty, showy? You name it!

D'ye mind me asking, what are those two Seiko models there bazza ?

Hi Alan

The Seiko's are, white dial SARB035 which was a JDM model now discontinued
The black dial is a Alpinist SPB159 model but again discontinued the other is a Sinn 556A
 
I’ve got a TAG Kirium in the drawer from 2000. Nice watch but not worn it for years as I think it’s a bit ‘shiny’. Has anyone got one and put a different strap on it as I don’t think a NATO etc would fit?
 
Hi Alan

The Seiko's are, white dial SARB035 which was a JDM model now discontinued
The black dial is a Alpinist SPB159 model but again discontinued the other is a Sinn 556A
I have a SARB033 (black dial) imported from Japan, which was my daily wearer but unfortunately stopped working. I think it happened when it got passed through an agricultural inspection machine at the airport. I would love to get it working again - might require a replacement of the 6R15 movement, though. Can anyone recommend a suitable repair shop in the UK?
 
I have a SARB033 (black dial) imported from Japan, which was my daily wearer but unfortunately stopped working. I think it happened when it got passed through an agricultural inspection machine at the airport. I would love to get it working again - might require a replacement of the 6R15 movement, though. Can anyone recommend a suitable repair shop in the UK?

Hi Dan its pretty straight forward replacing the movement , A new one is about £110 ish and then you just need it regulated
Where are you based ?
 
The Sinn case is miles away from the Rolex Oyster Paul



Its a shame Rolex don't use AR coating on there crystal as you can see from this shot



Here they are all together bar the Hamilton

Perhaps you are right. But I see it as different but with a family resemblance.
 
There’s a watch maker about 12 miles from my home - Marloe - that I’m intrigued by. But what makes me wary is that their watches - like so many others - may be nigh on impossible to sell on later (used) should I need to. That’s what I like about the established brands: you can always sell them on and might even make money on them.
Haskell.jpg


Bought last April and been very happy with it. No, I don't have any idea how easy or otherwise it would be to sell-on, but I bought it to wear and still like it now. With a new customer discount, it was a little over £500 new, so definitely a considered purchase, and this particular colour is no longer available so I'm glad I got it when I did.
 
I have a SARB033 (black dial) imported from Japan, which was my daily wearer but unfortunately stopped working. I think it happened when it got passed through an agricultural inspection machine at the airport. I would love to get it working again - might require a replacement of the 6R15 movement, though. Can anyone recommend a suitable repair shop in the UK?
I've had good service from local jewellers, sadly I don't know of any in Leeds/Bradford.

Edit - there's one a mile from my house. Want me to make an enquiry?
 
Hi Dan its pretty straight forward replacing the movement , A new one is about £110 ish and then you just need it regulated
Where are you based ?

I’m near Leeds. Good to know a new movement isn’t crazy money. I was thinking that finding someone knowledgeable enough to diagnose and fix the current movement might be harder and cost more than simply switching it out.

Edit - there's one a mile from my house. Want me to make an enquiry?

That would be great, Steve.

When it first happened I took it to a jeweler who looked at it and said the balance might have been affected and suggested I find a replacement. Which I did, but when I went back he wasn’t interested in putting it in and said he’d have to send it to someone who might take months to get to it. So a waste of time.
 
Wondering if some of the watch experts here might have an explanation.
After my 42-year-old Rolex got stolen my wife has decided to buy me a new one. A basic 34mm Oyster Perpetual with no date. It turns out that all 4 Rolex shops in Rome require a "request," which may or may not be satisfied in a matter of weeks, months or years. They say demand is far greater than supply, that they do not know what is in each shipment from Geneva, and that they have discretion to first serve established clients. BUT, they do happen to have a few Rolexes in the shop which are for display, but which they let you understand they might be persuaded to actually sell. So my question is: if all their would-be customers are waiting, why do they have e few watches that nobody has bought yet? At the same time, they have some "certified" second-hand watches which they sell for slightly more than the current list price.
 
The deal breaker for would be whether I'd need to supply my own tub of vaseline. The Rolex bubble is high as phuk and ADs are, allegedly, not playing fair.
 
They have jars of Rolex certified, Swiss vaseline for 250 Euro, but you can take some free if you are an established client. In a sense I feel sorry for these dealers, who after all are there to sell watches to make a living.
 
Wondering if some of the watch experts here might have an explanation.
After my 42-year-old Rolex got stolen my wife has decided to buy me a new one. A basic 34mm Oyster Perpetual with no date. It turns out that all 4 Rolex shops in Rome require a "request," which may or may not be satisfied in a matter of weeks, months or years. They say demand is far greater than supply, that they do not know what is in each shipment from Geneva, and that they have discretion to first serve established clients. BUT, they do happen to have a few Rolexes in the shop which are for display, but which they let you understand they might be persuaded to actually sell. So my question is: if all their would-be customers are waiting, why do they have e few watches that nobody has bought yet? At the same time, they have some "certified" second-hand watches which they sell for slightly more than the current list price.

Akin to Ferrari's long-term strategy of managing supply to keep perceived value of the brand - and hence demand - high.

https://thestrategystory.com/2021/08/29/ferrari-marketing-strategy/

"Ferrari sold just 2 of its first road-going car, 125 S, in 1947. This attitude towards limiting the number of vehicles sold continues to this day. The present CEO Louis Camilleri mentions that he considers the waiting period (which has consistently been over 12 months) as the best indicator of Ferrari’s brand value. The very essence of the brand is built upon its exclusivity."
 
Wondering if some of the watch experts here might have an explanation.
After my 42-year-old Rolex got stolen my wife has decided to buy me a new one. A basic 34mm Oyster Perpetual with no date. It turns out that all 4 Rolex shops in Rome require a "request," which may or may not be satisfied in a matter of weeks, months or years. They say demand is far greater than supply, that they do not know what is in each shipment from Geneva, and that they have discretion to first serve established clients. BUT, they do happen to have a few Rolexes in the shop which are for display, but which they let you understand they might be persuaded to actually sell. So my question is: if all their would-be customers are waiting, why do they have e few watches that nobody has bought yet? At the same time, they have some "certified" second-hand watches which they sell for slightly more than the current list price.

Do they still make any as small as 34mm? Even a basic Air-King is 40mm now.
 
Wondering if some of the watch experts here might have an explanation.
After my 42-year-old Rolex got stolen my wife has decided to buy me a new one. A basic 34mm Oyster Perpetual with no date. It turns out that all 4 Rolex shops in Rome require a "request," which may or may not be satisfied in a matter of weeks, months or years. They say demand is far greater than supply, that they do not know what is in each shipment from Geneva, and that they have discretion to first serve established clients. BUT, they do happen to have a few Rolexes in the shop which are for display, but which they let you understand they might be persuaded to actually sell. So my question is: if all their would-be customers are waiting, why do they have e few watches that nobody has bought yet? At the same time, they have some "certified" second-hand watches which they sell for slightly more than the current list price.
I’d be perusing the Omega catalogue for something I fancied, if in that situation.
 
I’d be perusing the Omega catalogue for something I fancied, if in that situation.
I've perused Omega, Heuer, IWC, etc. and keep looking for whatever looks most like my old watch. I just want to replace my old one with something almost identical. And they are not necessarily cheaper than a basic Rolex.
 
Wondering if some of the watch experts here might have an explanation.
After my 42-year-old Rolex got stolen my wife has decided to buy me a new one. A basic 34mm Oyster Perpetual with no date. It turns out that all 4 Rolex shops in Rome require a "request," which may or may not be satisfied in a matter of weeks, months or years. They say demand is far greater than supply, that they do not know what is in each shipment from Geneva, and that they have discretion to first serve established clients. BUT, they do happen to have a few Rolexes in the shop which are for display, but which they let you understand they might be persuaded to actually sell. So my question is: if all their would-be customers are waiting, why do they have e few watches that nobody has bought yet? At the same time, they have some "certified" second-hand watches which they sell for slightly more than the current list price.

I'd go for the Oyster Perpetual 34
I have the older 39mm model myself

 
There seems to be anecdotal evidence that the extreme feeding frenzy for Rolex has, at least slightly, subsided, as people start prioritising their heating bills.

I would tell the shopkeeper what I want, then sit tight. Wait for the call telling you that other people on the list ahead of you have "dropped out" etc.

Rolex have absolutely played a blinder with this strategy of "waiting lists" and "exhibition only" watches, as it conceals how much in demand their watches really are. You can get some idea what the state of play is by looking at the grey dealers' prices, but not everyone is going to do that.

Let us know how you get on.
 
I sometimes regret not buying an OP when they were readily available a few years ago. As far as I can see there aren’t many alternatives if you’re looking for something in the 34-36mm range that ticks a lot of boxes i.e. waterproof, robust, fairly timeless, long service intervals and unfussy. I looked at Omega alternatives (sea master and rail master) but they were both bigger and had design features I wasn’t keen on.
 


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