Asking Strangers About Their Watches

NGO1 · Mar 22, 2022

Wryfox
This is my same story. Saw a guy at a gas station with a 60s era Milgauss. Said hey nice milguass. He says no its a Rolex. I said well the model is a milguass and its quite special. He said Oh really? So I explained it to him and he really didn't know whether to believe me or not. I asked him how long he's had it. He said since he got out of the marines in 69. Worn it every day since. Since it seemed he didn't know much about it, I asked why he chose that one. Said it was the cheapest rolex they had there, and he wanted a rolex. I explained again that it is quite valuable now and he should take extra care. He shrugged, said he'd worn it like that for 50yrs, another day of the same won't matter.

So apparently a lot of old-timers don't care or know the value of their pieces. I can't wait to discover a beaten to heck original Paul Newman. I stopped myself from telling him the value of his watch. I just hope the watch makes it to his son. A lot of idiots looking to do idiotic things these days.

I discovered my favorite gas station that day, if there's such a thing.

MRC · Mar 22, 2022

Wryfox
He shrugged, said he'd worn it like that for 50yrs, another day of the same won't matter.

Can I give your anonymous stranger a like?

flw · Mar 22, 2022

I just had a nice encounter while out to lunch earlier today. We were at a Thai restaurant when the owner came to greet us (he knows my in-laws and came over to our table to say hello), and he asked me about my Seamaster 1948. My mother-in-law said, "Oh, my son-in-law is the watch guy in the family," and the proprietor took off his own watch for me to check out: a two-tone Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date with a white Roman dial. We had a really nice conversation about our mutual hobby (and a laugh about needing to keep the wives happy), and the food was outstanding too.

Dgercp · Mar 22, 2022

Depends on the watch. If I see a rolex or patek I tend to say nothing. If I see a vintage omega, I will often comment and usually have a nice interaction. If I see say a vintage heuer, or gallet, or UG, or breitling, then I can expect a possibly very prolonged watch chat. However, I almost never see these. Basically, if I see somebody wearing a watch that interests me, I am not shy about engaging that person.

alam · Mar 22, 2022

BeauW
....... Do any of you find yourselves hesitant to ask somebody about their watch for fear it will come across as comparing it to yours....

..not really, it all depends on the circumstances of the encouter and how stranger the stranger looks 😎 I tend to engage the converstation with "nice watch" as related here...

Asking Strangers About Their Watches

NGO1

MRC

flw

Dgercp

alam

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