How often do you see ANY nice watch in the wild?

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The guy who ran the shop in Marylebone had a very crisp vintage Zenith Sea Wolf on a vintage Spiedel, which looked the business. He let me try it on 🥰

Anyone selling a Sea Wolf?
 
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I saw a black Submariner Date on a guy today. I noticed it after I had put handcuffs on him. He had a warrant out for his arrest. That was definitely a first for me in my 20 years on. I usually come across Apple Watches more than anything. Oh well. Guess I can check that one off the list.
Of course I remember to throw this in after I go to sleep. I’m pretty sure that it was a legit Rolex too. Just based on the whole situation without going into detail for his privacy. I mean it could have been a high end counterfeit but my Spidey senses were telling me it was real
 
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Of course I remember to throw this in after I go to sleep. I’m pretty sure that it was a legit Rolex too. Just based on the whole situation without going into detail for his privacy. I mean it could have been a high end counterfeit but my Spidey senses were telling me it was real
If this guy was an organised crime boss, it's likely to be real. A Rolex would be great for showing off to subordinates and rivals, to intimidate them. I've also heard that Rolex is favoured by criminals because they are an asset class that's easily transportable and easy to sell for quick cash if needed. Perfect for when you have to flee the country.
 
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Happened a few years ago, but I still remember it clearly. Was working in Sydney then. I was at the doctor's removing a dodgy mole from my finger. As the elderly doctor was doing the procedure, I saw a Patek Aquanaut on his wrist. So we started chatting about watches, all while he was trying to remove enough flesh to ensure everything was cleaned out (according to him). He said he worked for many years and wanted to buy one nice watch for himself. And a nice watch he got indeed. The best thing was that he looked very at ease with the watch on his wrist, like one would with an everyday watch.
 
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All the time here in Japan. I have a fellow watch nerd friend here that will constantly ping me with stuff like, "Gold Day Date spotted on the Yamanote line". When I am in the Bay Area, rarely see anything besides Apple watch and fitbits, although I tend not to wear my watches much there as you hear some crazy stories these days.
yeah, most days, I simply have to get on the train.

In fact the other day i noticed that the 2 guys on either sode of me were wearing speedmasters, so with me in the middle it was 3 speedys in a row.

yet to see an AP in the wild, but datejusts and subs are a common sight, I even occasionally see Patek.

A fun place for watch spotting.
 
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If this guy was an organised crime boss, it's likely to be real. A Rolex would be great for showing off to subordinates and rivals, to intimidate them. I've also heard that Rolex is favoured by criminals because they are an asset class that's easily transportable and easy to sell for quick cash if needed. Perfect for when you have to flee the country.

...or the Vice President from a notoriously corrupt government, jetting around the world with $15 million worth of watches to be used as currency when needed...

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/17/afri...om-equatorial-guinea-vp-delegation/index.html
 
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If this guy was an organised crime boss, it's likely to be real. A Rolex would be great for showing off to subordinates and rivals, to intimidate them. I've also heard that Rolex is favoured by criminals because they are an asset class that's easily transportable and easy to sell for quick cash if needed. Perfect for when you have to flee the country.

What about super villains, do DoktorEvil wear Rolex too?
 
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Also a known strategy with people who work for three letter agencies and military personnel. If you’re stuck in a strange country and things go sideways a Rolex can become cash pretty quick.
 
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Had a recent view of a rather well worn Rolex on a local restaurant owner. Early coke bezel model. Looked like it had had a hard life. (The way I like to see a tool watch)
 
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Very very rarely. Once spotted a guy wearing a Breitling Navitimer at the dog park. And then once saw a what appeared to be a father and son both wearing Submariners. But I got the feeling they weren't watch guys and just had a good year financially or something like that.
 
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A few years back my orthopedic surgeon was wearing an orange PO
 
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Couple of days ago someone spotted me in the wild!
While I was at the cash desk of a restaurant, a guy came up and complimented me on the vintage Bulova Spaceview I was wearing. What surprised me most is that it was a boy in his 20s, so definitely a passionate. I think it was the first time ever that some stranger noticed my watch.
 
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hen hen
What about super villains, do DoktorEvil wear Rolex too?
I'm more of an Omega guy actually 😁
 
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I’d count this as a nice watch, but some might not. A youngish guy (20s) was rocking a turquoise Doxa 200 on a beads of rice bracelet at the Florida Orchestra performance last Saturday in St. Pete. He was washing his hands next to me in the men’s room. I was wearing my Speedmaster FOIS.
 
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Last time I was at the airport, there was a gentleman next to me in the lobby with a shiny gold dress watch. I commented "nice watch". He replied "thanks". I said "Omega?". He replied "Rolex". Nothing else said.
Awkward
 
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Last time I was at the airport, there was a gentleman next to me in the lobby with a shiny gold dress watch. I commented "nice watch". He replied "thanks". I said "Omega?". He replied "Rolex". Nothing else said.
Awkward

Maybe he felt insulted. What tone of voice did he use when he said Rolex?
 
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I have found airports (lounges) and fancy hotels/resorts the most likely places to run into nice watches. Mostly on the wrists of Business travelers on international routes and flight crews of course.
(It’d make my day if I find MadDog on the tiller on one of my future flights)
 
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How often? Every time I see my left wrist…… other than that it’s a rare treat to see one somewhere else
 
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Discussing watches with someone on the bus [*] today he admitted to (I think) three Rolexi, but claimed he wore them on the inside of his wrist to stay under the radar. Well he's not always been good at hiding them, I clocked him as a Rolex wearer years ago but we have never talked about watches before. I have agreed to help him try out Linux on an old laptop of his after he complained about the time it took to MS-Windows set up an a brand new machine with Win11 pre-installed, so I'll wear something to trigger more watch talk and try to find out what he really has. Don't get too excited, I think they are all pretty modern.

[*] We ain't particularly poor -- neither of us can see well enough to drive. And being able to look around at the countryside or chat and look at pictures on each other's phones while someone else drives is good 😉