Bracelets definitely do not make-or-break a watch for me. In fact, chances are if I were to regularly wear a Trilogy watch it would likely be on a strap. I think the LE watches look good on the bracelets, but ever since I switched to a leather strap on my TinTin I find the only time I reach for a watch on a bracelet is if I think I will be out in the rain. That being said, I am one of those who opts for buying a watch with the bracelet instead of with a strap, but that is mainly because straps are cheaper to pick up later.
I gave up wearing long sleeved shirts years ago, and am typically sporting hairy forearms at work and at home, so whatever watch I am wearing is always visible. And outside of a few watch collector friends of mine, only three other people have said/ asked anything about a watch I was wearing over the last 2 years. And out of those, 2 owned new POs.
You guys are cracking me up. It's not the brand or price of the products we own that justify our existence. The size of our dongs dictate that!
You guys are cracking me up. It's not the brand or price of the products we own that justify our existence. The size of our dongs dictate that!
Pics or it didn't happen. On second thought...
I honestly think we are dealing with a grade A troll here people and it may be wise for us to stop feeding it. This is two threads now where he has dragged the strand of conversation totally off on a tangent and onto a line which I can only assume leads to some gratification at watching less mischievous members scratch their heads in confusion. Some folks just get off at the attention and resulting cut and thrust that posting deliberately provocative nonsense can generate. I am sensing that we have one here.
I don't think it's bothered anyone, nor has it affected resale values.
Thanks for bringing this up. As the owner of an Apollo 35th Anniversary Speedy it bloody well bothers me. Moreover, as the owner of the Japan Racing Dial Speedy and on behalf of those owners of original Mitsukoshi Speedmasters, and indeed the entire watch collecting community, it actually worries me.
Let's start with the latter first. The only difference between those two watches and a bog standard 3570.50 Speedmaster is the dial and the hands. As the price rises for those rare models there is always the temptation to those less scrupulous than we obviously are to create Franken watches and pass them off as the real deal to cash in on the premium price - it may not be the original modder either, but owners two or three down the line. Now I know you are thinking that replicas have been created for centuries, so let the buyer beware - but the difference in this case is that they are using OEM parts so the modded watch is indistinguishable from the original, making them very hard to authenticate unless you know how to do that. While I appreciate that makes the hunt for one so much more exciting, I could do without that excitement when thousands of dollars are changing hands.
While it is more difficult to fake the 35th Anniversary model due to the special case back, markings and documentation, this allows me to mention the lesser but more annoying issue (in my opinion) about these modded watches. I do not buy my watches so that I can attract any special attention, either on the forums or in real life (very difficult anyway given where I live), but it bothers me that those who mod these watches come onto forums showing off there new creations and strutting around like peacocks getting complements and likes, admittedly mostly by the newby fan boys. Most forums don't allow the discussions of replica or fakes, but in this case we not only allow it, but it is encouraged by the praise of other members.
Let's not kid ourselves about this, these modified watches are fakes. If you put the special hands and dial of a Mitsukoshi on an everyday Speedmaster Professional, Reference 3570.50, you have created a fake Mitsukoshi, not a Reference 3570.31. Go and frequent any of the vintage forums and watch the discussions over minute details of authenticity, provenance and value when the watch has had a redial, was over polished or had an incorrect crown fitted. Then project your mind forward another thirty years and consider how that discussion will go over one of these modded watches. I wonder how much value has been lost in the past by collectors buying faked watches when the parts were obviously not made in the same factory as the original watch - I wonder how much more value will lost when the parts were.
True collectors understand that provenance is everything.
I'm going to be honest again, and I hope it doesn't irritate you, but if I really think about it I'm buying the 60th for internet acclaim, I really don't care about it in the real world. About half the people I see commuting to Manhattan each day aren't even wearing watches anymore, and those that do aren't paying attention to me or what's on my wrist. I own some damn fine pieces, I wear my sleeves rolled up deliberately at home and at work, no one has made a comment about what I'm wearing in years, I'm all alone out there.
But when I post photos of my watches? Ah, awesome, I like it when others tell me how they wish they could have what I've got. So back to the bracelet, if you can have one and 50 other posters can have one and every Tom, Dick, and FOIS has one, it de-values what I value in the experience and I prefer not to deal with that.
^ That's what the FOIS reeditition should've looked like, not the bracelet-less alpha-handed sapphire meme we got
Thanks for bringing this up. As the owner of an Apollo 35th Anniversary Speedy it bloody well bothers me. Moreover, as the owner of the Japan Racing Dial Speedy and on behalf of those owners of original Mitsukoshi Speedmasters, and indeed the entire watch collecting community, it actually worries me.
Let's start with the latter first. The only difference between those two watches and a bog standard 3570.50 Speedmaster is the dial and the hands. As the price rises for those rare models there is always the temptation to those less scrupulous than we obviously are to create Franken watches and pass them off as the real deal to cash in on the premium price - it may not be the original modder either, but owners two or three down the line. Now I know you are thinking that replicas have been created for centuries, so let the buyer beware - but the difference in this case is that they are using OEM parts so the modded watch is indistinguishable from the original, making them very hard to authenticate unless you know how to do that. While I appreciate that makes the hunt for one so much more exciting, I could do without that excitement when thousands of dollars are changing hands.
While it is more difficult to fake the 35th Anniversary model due to the special case back, markings and documentation, this allows me to mention the lesser but more annoying issue (in my opinion) about these modded watches. I do not buy my watches so that I can attract any special attention, either on the forums or in real life (very difficult anyway given where I live), but it bothers me that those who mod these watches come onto forums showing off there new creations and strutting around like peacocks getting complements and likes, admittedly mostly by the newby fan boys. Most forums don't allow the discussions of replica or fakes, but in this case we not only allow it, but it is encouraged by the praise of other members.
Let's not kid ourselves about this, these modified watches are fakes. If you put the special hands and dial of a Mitsukoshi on an everyday Speedmaster Professional, Reference 3570.50, you have created a fake Mitsukoshi, not a Reference 3570.31. Go and frequent any of the vintage forums and watch the discussions over minute details of authenticity, provenance and value when the watch has had a redial, was over polished or had an incorrect crown fitted. Then project your mind forward another thirty years and consider how that discussion will go over one of these modded watches. I wonder how much value has been lost in the past by collectors buying faked watches when the parts were obviously not made in the same factory as the original watch - I wonder how much more value will lost when the parts were.
True collectors understand that provenance is everything.
By the way. Before buying any of those limited editions (Japan LE, Mitsukoshi, etc), I strongly suggest taking note of the serial number and asking it to Omega; to see whether it corresponds to the correct reference number. Despite having papers whatsoever, I've always done this with purchases.
