Several other forums do an End of Year State of the Collection thread where we share pics of the pices that have come and gone in the past 12 months. Does anyone here besides me have enough flux in their collection to warrant this?

 

I'm sure you've noticed that nothing is ever a $20 fix on a boat.

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand.

 

I hope this does the trick. LOTS of big moves this year for me so let's start with the in/out data. Anything marked with a * was catch & release:

IN

1968 IWC 18ct rg ribbon lug R521 caliber 89

1959 Longines ss caliber 19A

2005 Blancpain 18ct wg Villeret w/ Piguet caliber 21 *

1968 Omega ss Constellation 168.015 caliber 564

1971 Audemars Piguet 18ct wg 5279 caliber 2120

Seiko SKX009 + President's bracelet

1955 Omega 14ct Seamaster De Luxe pie pan 2757 caliber 355

1959 Longines 18ct rg Flagship 1403 caliber 380

1954 Omega 18ct Constellation De Luxe pie pan 2799 caliber 354

197x Longines ss Admiral 2304-2 caliber 6952

1960 Longines ss Conquest 9020-2 caliber 290 *

2007 IWC Portofino

1946 Omega 18ct Centenary 2500 caliber 30.10 RA JUB *

1969 Audemars Piguet 18ct yg Classique caliber 2003

1959 Omega ss Constellation Calendar 2943 caliber 504

194x (5x?) Benrus gf pointer date

1952 Omega ss Seamaster 2576 caliber 342



OUT
1968 Omega gold plated De Ville 145.018 caliber 861

1957 Longines gold capped Conquest Calendar caliber 19ASD

196x Jules Jurgensen 14ct Revue caliber 73

1946 Longines 14ct caliber 23M

1972 Longines gold plated Olympian caliber 6952

2004 IWC Spitfire Mark XV

2009 Seiko Orange Monster

1974 Grand Seiko 5646-7010

1968 Omega 18ct Seamaster 145.006 caliber 321

1950 Bulova gold plated caliber ??? (giveaway because I was wrong: Let's find out exactly how versed I am....)

2005 Blancpain 18ct wg Villeret w/ Piguet caliber 21 *

1961 Omega tt Constellation project watch

195x Omega frankenwatch (broken up: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/general-discussion-forum/53891.htm)

1960 Longines ss Conquest 9020-2 caliber 290 *

1952 Omega gold capped Seamaster 2757 caliber 355

1946 Omega 18ct Centenary 2500 caliber 30.10 RA JUB *

1967 Bulova 10ct cocktail watch caliber 5BA

1949 Bulova gp Arnold caliber 10BC


2011 might go down as the best year ever for me. Not for my wallet though. Now to the modem-burner part of this post! I'll make the preamble short & sweet so we can get to it. I was merely a watch amasser from my 20's into my 30's, buying whatever looked good. Every watch I owned was quartz up 'til then. Inheriting my grandfather's rose gold mechanical Bulova from the 1940's started me down the path, along with some help from my uncle who was an antique dealer. He wasn't much into watches like we are but he did know how to sift through swap meets and flea markets to separate the metal from the slag. The final push over the edge came courtesy of watchmaker Sam Kalter. Windy & I were walking home from dinner and passed Sam's shop on 7th street by Sansom (Jeweler's Row) when I caught a glimpse of a Rolex DateJust in his window. That was it - I was toast. Knowing that I would have to own one just like it someday anyway, I spared myself the regret of missing out on that particular one and bought it the next day after talking with Sam. My downward spiral into the depths of this hobsession passed the event horizon that day. The watch is gone 2 years now, but I still pay Sam a visit when I get back to the city now & again.

Okay, enough reminiscing. On to the good stuff!


Modern

From about 2002, here's the Vacheron Constantin 18ct Malte Grande 81000/000J-8975 caliber 1400:



This is still my favorite watch. It fits me perfectly. Plus I really dig those dizzying guilloché patterns and this one is almost an optical illusion. I first saw the Malte Grande series in a magazine while flying to the Bahamas and I've been smitten ever since. The coolest part was the butterflies in my stomach the day I went to buy it. Here's some more information on it - including positive and negative:

The Vacheron Constantin calibre 1400


Next up is the 2007 IWC ss Portofino 356405 with a modified ETA caliber 2892-A2:



I corrected a mistake made 3 years ago - I passed on this watch in favor of a different brand, which led to another attempted substitute, and then yet another temporary replacement. The trip was fun, but would never have happened if I had bought this in late 2008.... so maybe it was worth it for the experience. The dark blue dial is impossible to capture in pictures, especially the way the light hits the sunburst pattern. It's my perfect casual watch, so comfortable I sometimes forget I'm wearing it.


Let's follow that with the 1999 Corum tt Temps Mecanique 74.111.21 with a Piguet caliber 951:





After a restoration and service with a new strap this has become a regular in the rotation. The manager of the service department was kind enough to tell me that the same Piguet automatic movement is used in some very nice watches, among them one or two of the smaller sized AP Royal Oaks.


Here's the longest tenured modern watch in my collection - the 2008 Breitling ss Chrono Cockpit A1335812/A595 caliber B13 (Valjoux 7750):



Everything that I could say about it was covered in this long term review last year:

http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/review-reference-forum/43540.htm


Last in the modern category is the 2011 Seiko ss SKX009 caliber 7S26:



This filled the hole created when I sold the Orange Monster. After owning that watch, I can't see myself without a Seiko diver in my collection. Best beater for the buck IMO.


wish list: a 4N or 5N red/rose gold dress watch with a cool guilloché pattern, black dial preferred, hopefully with center sweep seconds. A thin SS watch with a complication or two (moonphase, power reserve) would be great too. And don't get me wrong; I still want a Breguet - but a more modern one like the 5197BB with the silicon escapement. I plan on hitting the lottery so pics will show up here a day or two after that happens.


Vintage Ultra-Thin

Who wouldn't guess I'd start with this one? Here's the 1971 Audemars Piguet 18ct 5279 caliber K2120:



Always thought I'd find this movement in a vintage VC. Elite Deal Seeker did it's job one morning and I pounced. A link to an old WatchTime article about this and 3 other references:

http://www.watchtime.at/archive/wt_2005_05/WT_2005_05_128.pdf

and an article by Walt Odets about the movement:

The Most Exclusive Automatic: The Vacheron Caliber 1120 - TimeZone


Second is another AP - a 1969 18ct caliber 2003:



Liked the first AP so much it made sense to stick with the brand! Again, this is a movement that was on the list in it's VC iteration (called the caliber 1003) but happened to come up at an opportune moment with a motivated seller. Gotta be a bit flexible and strike while the iron is hot!


Here's the 1961 Piaget 18ct 912 caliber 9P:



The 9P set the bar for manual wind ultra-thin movements upon it's release in 1957. This particular model is the grandfather of the modern Altiplano series.

http://piaget.watchprosite.com/show-forumpost/fi-881/pi-3823941/ti-610426/s-0/


Up next is the 1966 IWC 18ct caliber 401:



The 401 is the ultra-thin derivative of the caliber 89. I maintain that IWC really stands for It Wears Comfortably and this watch is no exception.


wish list: had a line on a rare LaSalle automatic caliber 2000 that got passed up for the AP, and even though those watches are a parts & maintenance nightmare I still would love to add one to the box. Adding the manual wind caliber 1200 would be cool too. The real next target is a Piaget 12P microrotor - which IMO is the finest of that type for the era. After that a Longines 99x and Omega 71x would go nicely with this category.


Omega

A pair of caliber 564 Constellations - on the left is a 1966 14ct 168.005, on the right is a 1968 ss 168.015:



The .005 is literally a text book example - it's shown on page 367 in A Journey Through Time in this exact configuration. Some of the longer term WTF members will remember the search for this watch. I wanted it so bad I could taste it, and deals fell through at the 11th hour several times for various specimens. Even the negotiations for this watch had a twist, but all was resolved and ended happily.

The .015 sort of fell in my lap and I thought I would sell it after it was serviced, but it came out so nice I couldn't part with it then. It's the last of the 564 series along with it's sibling 168.025 pie pan version, and one of the only front loading monocoque cases (ie: crystal and bezel pop off and the dial & movement come out the front) from the Constellation line. Here's some more from Desmond's site:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...E0YjMtMzgzYjcwY2U2Njcw&hl=en&authkey=CL-zr9wL


Next is the 1969 ss Seamaster 168.023 caliber 751:



It's another watch Desmond has written about on his site Omega Constellation Collector's Blogspot:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...lmMTQtYjg5YjMwYzMxMDJj&hl=en&authkey=CMvVsMIJ

While the stainless models aren't as rare as the solid gold ones, they still were made in limited numbers as the 751 was a movement usually reserved for Constellations. I was very fortunate to find this one which has an uncommon dial variation - it was made with no lume. Most examples have luminous hands & dots on the outside ends of the indices, and therefore had one or two "T" markings bookending the SWISS MADE. I'm also honored to say that Desmond is adding the picture of my watch to his article whenever he updates it.


Here's the only current surviving chronograph in my vintage box - a 1967 ss Seamaster Chronostop 145.007 caliber 865:



This one is another textbook example from page 548 of AJTT. Bought it as a replacement for a Heuer Autavia 1163 that was just a smidge too large & chunky. It's become a go-to watch on my days off around the house. I really have to force myself not to wear it too often.


Here's my very first vintage Omega grail - a 1960 18ct Seamaster 14.704 caliber 591:



Big thanks to G.J. for the help on this one. Uncertainty of what was or wasn't original fonts, crowns, and hands led me to ask for his help. Funny thing was two of these showed up at once so I had the luxury of picking the one I wanted. It was in decent shape at first, but it came out great after a little cosmetic work and a service:

http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/general-discussion-forum/24324.htm

The caliber 591 was a stop gap between the 50x series of the mid/late 50's and the 55x/56x series of the 60's. It was only made for a little over a year from very late 1959 through 1960. Not many around on the forums, maybe 3 or 4 that I've seen, so even though it's a fairly typical dial it's not a very common caliber.


Let's do another 60's Seamaster, this one a 1964 ss Seamaster De Ville 166.020 caliber 560:



Sam Kalter called me on this one. He had just got it in and knew I'd like it - it's what we call a "drawer watch" meaning it must have sat in a drawer all it's life to be in such remarkable condition. There was no 560 in my collection, and imagine my surprise when I found out this was the only stainless steel model with that caliber to come from Bienne. The others were installed into US made cases by Omega's American agent Norman Morris and the movements were usually were marked "unadjusted" to save on import taxes. This watch is marked "adjusted 2 positions", and combined with a less-often seen dial variation it makes for an out of the norm specimen. Desmond did a write up on these too:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...lmMTQtYjg5YjMwYzMxMDJj&hl=en&authkey=CMvVsMIJ


Moving on to another 60's piece - a 1960 ss Genève Calendar 14.703 caliber 562 on a Beads of Rice bracelet:



This is a gorgeous watch on the wrist yet I just don't wear it enough. Even though I don't like many bracelets, this one is a keeper. Comfortable, light, and it doesn't grab hair - what more could you ask for? I know I'm preaching to the choir about the BoR here though. As soon as I find the correct end links it'll be a fantastic combo. I wouldn't have known this watch existed if it weren't for the Omega book AJTT. There's a picture of a 1960 German ad for it on page 477.


Now back a decade to a 1950 ss 2635 caliber 351:



This one came from an AD (AtlantaDave from another forum) - and what a bargain it was! The two tone dial was a staple of Omega's offerings in the 40's and 50's. This and the next entry are the only non-series Omegas in my collection.

Another 1950 caliber 351 - this one in an 18ct case reference 2445:



This is the seller's picture, but the dial is not in quite as good shape as it appears. A little touch up was done to hide a few cracks and blemishes. It's still a very nice watch but on the bubble.


Here's a third bumper that we'll call the 'player to be named later'. Kyle picked up a black waffle dial from me a couple months before I snagged this from him - a 1952 Seamaster ss 2576 caliber 342:



Windy wants to wear this one, so I guess I have to get it cleaned up & serviced.


Every Omega you've seen so far in this post, no matter how good you think it is, won't quite compare to the next three. First is a 1954 18ct Constellation De Luxe 2799 caliber 354 Pie Pan:




Second a 1955 14ct Seamaster Calendar De Luxe 2757 caliber 355 Pie Pan:



Yep, a pair of De Luxe bumpers scored within weeks of each other. I gave up hope of even seeing a Seamaster pie pan in person let alone actually owning one! To grab a date at 6 version was the luckiest day of my vintage Omega collecting career, and then scoring the Constellation just afterwards was some kind of incredible convergence of karma. The Seamaster is shown as I received it and has been serviced with the proper length hands installed. It's on the way home to me as this is being posted.


So what do you do for an encore? How about a 1959 ss Constellation 2943 caliber 504 - that should suffice!



I drooled over this watch for a couple years. Desmond owned it, and offered it to me in trade for the Centenary 2500 when it was finished. (thread from when I bought the Centenary: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/omega-forum/53277.htm) I couldn't accept fast enough. If you're an Omega collector no explanation is necessary, but if you aren't it's simple: original black dials on Connies are rare enough, but when you add the rose gold dial furniture (markers, hands, even the paint) you have something very special. This is the second Omega in my box, along with the SMPP 2757, that can legitimately be called rare without argument. Desmond made out well also - he got the final reference for his Centenary collection. The best trades are the ones where both parties come away happy.


wish list: I still WANT that elusive 1956 Seamaster Melbourne Olympic XVI commemorative edition. A caliber 353 with a black waffle dial and date at 6 inside a reference 2627 would make my day too. Of course, there's plenty more to do since I'd like one example of each of Omega's automatics up to the quartz revolution. There are many interesting late 60's and early 70's case styles to be had like the Dynamics and Cosmics that are still relative bargains.

incoming: After selling a C-cased caliber 751 to a member here a couple years ago I vowed to replace it with a solid gold example. The caliber 751 slot was filled by the ss Seamaster and there were already 2 564's in the box so that left only one choice - a caliber 561. Got an e-mail from the same enabler/buddy who tipped me off to the Centenary about this gem of a 168.009 with a 368.810 bracelet:



It had come into his shop and the owner wanted a very reasonable price so I put a deposit down. Gotta jump on a watch like that, especially when it was made in your birthyear! Of course I wanted it because it was featured in an article Desmond wrote - page 6:

http://users.tpg.com.au/mondodec/Omega_Constellation_Accessories_Part_2.pdf

For anyone who'd like to see more of Desmond's articles, click HERE. He goes by 'mondodec' on the forums and is probably the best resource on vintage Constellations out there. He's been an incredible gentleman and very patient with my inquiries over the years. I don't know if I can ever pay him back.


Longines

Let's start with the 1958 14ct Summit 2343 caliber 19AS:



Dumb luck that the frosted finish wasn't polished off this hidden crown specimen as most are. Later versions of this watch had Grand Prize on the lower half of the dial and were powered by the 34x or 35x series movements.


Next up is a 1966 14ct Diamond Dynasty 2770 caliber 370:



I don't keep many vintage manual wind Longines' watches very long because I'm gunning for automatics from the brand. This one is a keeper because of the story. On my birthday a few years ago Windy & I went to an estate jewelry shop just outside Philly. The owner was a customer and told me of two old watches she wanted to get rid of because she had zero interest in them. One of them was a bust - literally. It had a broken balance staff. This 2770 was the other, so I bought it. Yes, that's correct - on my birthday I had to buy my own present. To boot, Windy found a diamond necklace she liked that cost almost 3 times what the watch's price was and I ended up buying that for her too. Sure got the short end of the stick, didn't I? Anyway, about a year later I found out the serial number dates the watch to the very middle of the 1966 and I was born in May of that year. Kinda cool to trip into a great watch made about the same time I was and purchase it on my birthday.


Now to Longines' first automatics - a 1950 Anniversary Automatic 14ct 2674 caliber 22A:



Unfortunately this dial is probably beyond restoration and finding a NOS replacement will be difficult.


Here's the other configuration of the 22 series - a 1950 14ct Automatic "A" 5022 caliber 22AS:



These watches end up being redialed 90% of the time which is sad when you know what an original example looks like. The 22 series was released in 1945, and had 2 variants - a 22A (Automatic) and a 22AS (Automatic with center Sweep seconds). Their manual winding relatives came a year later. Said this hundreds of times on the forums - I dig cross hair dials. Bonus: it came with box & papers.


Now for a regular in the rotation - a 1973 ss Admiral 2304 caliber 6952:



C-cases are an acquired taste. This poor watch was a beater when I recieved it from fellow WTF member/moderator Wombat (Craig), but he was kind enough to give it a temporary shelter. It immediately went to Jesse for some bodywork and a tune-up. Now it keeps time BETTER than chronometer specs and the hack feature works correctly. When you pull the crown, the second hand stops on the 12 for precise synching.


Let's do another stainless steel case - a 1959 spiderweb 1067 caliber 19A:



Took a low-risk gamble on this watch, and you see it as it was the day I got it. I didn't have a caliber 19A or caliber 352 and wanted to add both. Since they were the only two possible automatic calibers that had subdial seconds and came in this style case using this font, it had to be one or the other. Luckily it turned out to be the 19A because I really want the 352 inside a 60's Grand Prize. It should look much better when it comes back from being serviced which is any day now.


My favorite Longines is next - a 1960 18ct Conquest 9025 caliber 291:



A great dial combined with IMO the best self-winding caliber of the era makes for an awesome watch.... but I'm definitely biased. Can you blame me? This particular model with the date at 12 was only made for about a year making it a little uncommon. Finding it with the original scalloped crown is even harder.


This has one of Longines' first front loading cases - a 1960 14ct Admiral 1094 caliber 340:



It has my all-time favorite font for the word Automatic. Doesn't matter what brand - I'll be attracted to a watch with that on the dial like a moth to a flame.


Here's a 1970 18ct Ultra-Chron 8382A caliber 431:



Longines had been sending high beat 36,000 bph calibers to the Neuchatel Observatory competitions since 1959, but didn't release a high beat to the public until 1967 in response to Girard Perregaux's offerings from late 1965. The 43x series lasted less than 5 years before the beat count was reduced to 28,800 bph in 1972. This particular watch sort of fell into my lap and it's better to be lucky than good since there's less work involved. Well, sort of. I had done a few month's worth of homework in preparation to buy a 14K example when this came along.


Okay, let's do a one / two punch of Flagships. Part 1 is the 1961 18ct Flagship 3408 caliber 341:



Yes, another date at 12 and like the Conquest the Flagship only used this location for a little over a year. Gotta go with the less common specimens, right? This might have the coolest caseback of any 60's watch made. Check it out on page 2 of this thread: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/longines-forum/40159.htm


Part 2 is a 1959 18ct Flagship 1403 caliber 380:



The 380 is not an in-house Longines movement. It's based on a Cyma 480 with a very efficient Pellaton-style winding mechanism. How can you pass up a NOS piece with it's box though? This caseback was in much better shape, but what would you expect from a watch in this condition? Here's incoming thread with more details: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/longines-forum/50867.htm#post459689


wish list: Uh, all of 'em. Can't even call this a wish list because I plan on owning one incarnation of each of Longines' automatics. I'm about half way done, but I forsee a big problem filling the caliber 294 slot because I'm not sure if an 18K white gold Conquest Power Reserve even exists. If one is out there, this Ahab will get his white (gold) whale.

For some more information on Longines automatics, click HERE.


IWC

You've seen the Portofino above, so let's get to vintage IWC. First up is the 1976 ss 1828 caliber 854B:



There's a Yacht Club model that's exactly like this watch and it sells for 2 to 3 times the price of these no-name versions. That made it a no brainer to grab this since it's in mint condition. It's a nice sized watch, bigger than the average vintage 3 hand, and fits very comfortably. Then again, I've never owned an IWC that wasn't a pleasure to wear. This one is the apex of the Pellaton winding calibers, and even hacks.


The caliber 401 on the right was already mentioned in the ultra-thin section above. It's shown with it's cousin - a 1969 18ct R521 caliber 89 ribbon lug (also known as shark fin) case:



It's another decent sized watch, and one that I wanted for over a year. There were other IWC's in my collection - even another caliber 89, that one from 1947 in a ss case - but this is the gem. Just something about it that makes me smile.


wish list: Well, I'd have to say I'm actually pretty satisfied with what I have. Maybe in the future I'll hunt down a caliber 83 or 88 with subdial seconds but that's not a priority. A vintage Ingenieur would be really cool eventually. Thanks to the guys at the IWC forum for a way to find manufacturing dates.


Jaeger LeCoultre

Gotta start with the 1965 18ct 2285 caliber 800C because it was my first major restoration:



Here's the details from that project:

http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/general-discussion-forum/32748.htm

As I've admitted, I'm a sucker for cross hair dials..... but it's a good character flaw for a vintage collector. Since that PWC thread I've added the logo buckle I wanted in 18K, and the watch has gone back to JLC for removal of the 2 T's bookending SWISS MADE. JLC is a stickler for originality as much as I am, and when I asked there was no hesitation from Laura in the Texas facility - she said to ship it back and they'd correct it at no charge at the factory in Le Sentier: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/general-discussion-forum/47056.htm Cool, huh? They made a customer for life.


Here's another watch that was a big desire - a 1966 14ct case / ss back Memovox E855 caliber 825:



We had an interesting thread with some links and comments about the alarm system here:

http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/general-discussion-forum/46329.htm

This is another oversized watch for the period. At 37 mm it has a commanding presence, especially since the bezel is thin which gives the appearance of an even larger size. Plus, the alarm has the sound of an angry metal cricket.


There is one more that I can't show a picture of yet. At least not until it comes back from Le Sentier. A local WIS friend had no clue how much it would cost to restore a vintage JLC so we struck a deal for his 1946 caliber 428. It's not due for another few months at least though.


wish list: Oh boy, this could get longer than an eight year old's Christmas letter to Santa. JLC is a brand that I've been aching to get deeper into to the same level as I am with Omega and Longines. A Geomatic Chronometer caliber 881 or 883, a pre-1980 Reverso, a 1940's triple calendar (with moonphase if fate deals me a good hand) with teardrop lugs, a 1950's Futurematic.... um, let me stop before I start daydreaming again.


Bulova

The majority of my Bulovas are on the way out. I still have a soft spot for the brand, but if my rule is if I'm not wearing it, move it on to somebody that will. Of course, heirlooms are exceptions - like my grandfather's watch and it's matching lady's version:



There's also this funky 1979 oval case:



.... which was the subject of this thread depicting a service start to finish:

http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/general-discussion-forum/17441.htm

Every once in a while it's fun to pull it out of the box for a day.


American

I started into mechanicals with American made watches like Bulova, Hamilton, Elgin, and others. There were several I regretted flipping so I'm rectifying that little by little. Here's a couple Waltham pocketwatch conversions - one complete, the other nearly ready to be put back together:



There's a simple charm to these early 20th century pieces. They alway seem to attract attention and make for interesting conversation pieces with regular people and WIS alike.


Benrus

Last but not least, Benrus is such a cool brand. They made some interesting complications in the 40's and 50's. This portion of the collection will be growing with a power reserve and maybe a Dial-o-Rama too. For now, this pointer date is another mistake corrected:



This exact watch was flipped over a year ago. What a stupid move! Got a NOS dial for it courtesy of a buddy, and I think he's got a NOS case too. Jesse will be working on it soon. I enjoyed wearing the other one just like it so I can't wait to add it to the rotation when it's done.


Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank a few other people for their help in general. Sam, Jesse (member omega564), and Steve (screen name N2FHL on another forum) deserve huge props for all their knowledge and skill as watchmakers. Forget having a decent working collection, I'd be up the creek without a paddle if not for them. And of course, where would I be without the VΩBT? ....wait, I can answer that - I'd be much richer with a beach house and a 30' sportfisherman! Seriously, thanks to you guys whether you call here or another forum your home base.


If anyone has any questions on a particular watch or the motivation to buy or sell it please fire away. Flipper logic can be whisical or it can be a meticulously designed plan.

 

Extremely impressive list of watches Dennis. I have watched your collection throughout the year come and go, but I never realized you dealt in so many quality watches, The Vacheron Constantin and the 1959 ss Constellation 2943 caliber 504 black dial are particularly stunning !. Cant wait to see what 2012 brings.

 

Thanks guys! When I read the OUT list, it's a little sad.... until I realize what the motivation was. For instance, the Seamaster 321 went to fund the majority of the Seamaster Pie Pan. The Blancpain went to fund the IWC Portofino and the Omega Centenary with a nice chunk of change left over, then the Centenary went in an even swap for the black dial Constellation 504. After putting things into context the moves become easy to digest.

IIRC, the Memovox had reached #2 on my hit list by late last year (I got it in December maybe?), and the IWC ribbon lug was right behind it at #3 and moved into the #2 slot. It was nice to take care of that early in January. Even better was the Seamaster Pie Pan and AP K2120. They came one after the other, and both were so uncommon I didn't even have the audacity to put them on the most wanted list. Basically, the first 8 on the OUT list went to fund the AP and the balance of the Seamaster Pie Pan after putting the proceeds from the 321 sale towards it. I don't even remember how I swung the Flagship 380 near the same time. I must have robbed Peter and Paul.

 

wow Dennis..............very well written 2012 journal........
Nice to know your history on how you become a watch connoisseur. The thinking and rationale behind your watch collection trading is also illuminating.
But your very high quality collection that really makes me .

I am new in watch collection in general. Just started this July, with 38 watches in and 3 watches out (all non Omega ) . Probably half of them are not really wise buy though not a fatal ones. The experience (including interaction with this forum) is very satisfying. Probably nothing more satisfying then when all of my family member can enjoy this hobby with me. My wife already picked my Geneve Dynamic as her favorite, my son picked Speedmaster Mark 2 and my daughter choose Omega Suveran as her favorite.

I am looking forward 2013 to be a wiser Omega collector.

Thank you everyone.

 

I contributed a share to Kyle's 2499 fund.