Watches - another OCD problem
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Congrats @champ . You have an amazing watch there and an obviously amazing wife.
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So I've been on a deep dive looking at GMT options. I had not realized it, but there are "true GMT" (which I'd prefer to call "traveller GMT") and "office GMT".
The traveller GMTs are those watches that allow you to leave the 24hr hand on your "home time" and quickly adjust the hour hand to the local destination, without having to stop the watch. Some do that via the crown, others using one or two push buttons.
The office GMTs are the watches that allow you to easily change the 24hr hand to track another time zone while the regular 12hr minute and hour hands stay on your local, home time.
The traveller GMTs are much rarer, and often more expensive than the office GMTs. The vast majority of GMT watches are office GMTs.
So I've been looking at the traveller GMTs. The typical example for those are the Rolex GMT master II and Explorer II, which are unobtainium, as we know. I just put my name down for an Explorer II, and I wasn't laughed out of the store. However, nothing will come out of it for months, nay, years if at all. Omega also makes traveller GMTs, as does Grand Seiko. In both cases they are pretty thick (>14mm vs ~12mm for Rolex). Omega used to make a 300m GMT that was thinner, and can still be found on the secondary market. Two other options I've found are IWC (UTC Spitfire, Saint-Exupery, etc) and Ball (which confusingly makes both a traveller and an office GMT within their Roadmaster line - those are very cool watches on specs). Finally, Ulysse Nardin has a traveller GMT movement that uses pushers to move the hour hand forward or backward in 1hr increments, and they've used that caliber on a number of models, most recently in the San Marco line. It would be perfect, but I haven't found a Ulysse Nardin I really like.
I'm going to see if I can try on one of the GS Sport line GMT tomorrow, either Spring Drive (SBGE253/5/7) or auto. They have a number of models in the Heritage & Elegance collection but I tried one on and the thickness combined with the smaller case size makes them quite top heavy.
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While I hadn’t heard those terms for it, the only real GMTs for me are Travelers. I have a Seiko Prospex Kinetic diver that qualifies. So convenient for travel. A GS Spring Drive GMT to me is an ideal travel watch with the long power reserve and accuracy.
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P.S. Bulgari Octo looks really amazing but out of my budget
The Octo in steel retails for €12,300 according to the Bulgari Germany website. So it's only a couple of hundred Euros outside your budget.
Yeah, we're all enablers here…
Then it gets on my list;-)
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P.S. Bulgari Octo looks really amazing but out of my budget
The Octo in steel retails for €12,300 according to the Bulgari Germany website. So it's only a couple of hundred Euros outside your budget.
Yeah, we're all enablers here…
Then it gets on my list;-)
I’ve seen them in person and they are just plain beautiful….
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Sooooooo, I know nothing about watches really… but I like them, and I've always been particularly interested in the Omega Seamaster. Whenever I do some basic searching, it seems like there's an overwhelming amount of information and a pretty wide range of options in terms of age and price, so I figured I should pop over here and see if anybody would like to give me a little bit of education / advice.
First of all, this is just a sketch of an idea at this point, not in any kind of hurry at all. Secondly I feel like it makes the most sense for me to look at a vintage one. That said, I could be wrong there — would it maybe make more sense for me to get a second hand Seamaster that's not quite that old? For what it's worth, I figure a new one is totally out of the question price-wise for me.
I'd love to hear anybody's thoughts. I've always loved the idea of one with a stainless band and a black dial / bezel. That's really the only starting point I have! Thanks in advance...
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Along these lines, @popvulture? Or would you be amenable to a black dialed dress version? Price is worth considering as the vintage Seamasters can command $13k+ depending on condition. I always like hunting around on Shuck the Oyster (out of Berlin). Great seller and superlative quality who's also willing to strike a deal.
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I suggest you go on Chrono24.com and run a search on "omega seamaster". You'll get a huge range of model variations and that will help you narrow down the model you like - colors, etc. The Seamaster is really an entire collection that nowadays comprises several families that are quite different in terms of design & size. A pre-owned Seamaster 300M (the old James Bond watch) can be had for <$5k and is a great watch if the condition is good. I still wear mine from 14 yrs ago.
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Ahhh, see this is why I need to ask questions here
13K would be waaaaaay out of my budget — I think the only thing I'd spend that much money on would be a pre-CBS strat, haha.
I was imagining something in the $3Kish range, but maybe I'm out of my mind? I did a quick google and found this, made in the oughts:
Sorry for the link gore. But yep, something in that price range and look.
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And yes, @JDelage — precisely! The Bond watch. This is all super helpful!
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^^^From the pre-owned watches at Hodinkee. Maybe check that out for reference at least, @popvulture?
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Right on!!! Thanks so much, man. This'll be a fun thing to geek out on — what do you have / what are you into, @henry_david ?
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Also not that I'd pull the trigger right now, as I'm not really in the place for it at the moment, but this one's pretty spot-on:
https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/omega-seamaster-300m-2264-50-00-10-10-ome-3guhnv
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@popvulture ive got a pre-bond seamaster which my Mum got for my Dad as a wedding present, actually a quartz watch. Really good looking and obviously keeps excellent time. If you’re not into horology you won’t go far wrong with one of them. I won’t let mine go because of the history, but they’re easy enough to find a pretty cheap really
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@LewisStonehouse that is really good to hear — thanks, man. I certainly don't plan on going deep into the horology scene — between guitars, recording gear, and IH, I've got enough terrible habits to keep me busy and financially drained, haha.
It's funny because I'll totally admit that I'm a bit of a fancypants, but watch fancypants is way out of my comfort zone / financial bracket.
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@popvulture – This is my daily:
It's a 1972 Datejust (ref. 1601) and I just love the size of it. I was inspired to get it because my father had a contemporary Datejust when I was growing up and I loved it/anything my father was into. This is what he currently has and I want to steal it from him:
It's a 1980 Datejust Oysterquartz (ref. 17000) and the bracelet is just … wow.
I generally like smaller watches although, were I in a position to do so, I'd snag a Rolex Submariner Date (ref. 1680 most likely). As it is, I'm trying to find contentment with what I have rather than yearning for what I can't have!
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Dude I love Rolexes — those are both beautiful! I'd totally have a Submariner or an Oyster Perpetual Datejust. Not sure how out of my range those would be but I will definitely have a gander.
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@popvulture if you can, it's worth seeing whatever you go for in person. Some watches look great but don't photograph well, and others the reverse. I've had several occasions where I thought I knew exactly what I wanted, tried it on and was distinctly underwhelmed. On two of them, my heart was ambushed by something I had barely considered.
