I personally think the single greatest tick against the FOIS is the sapphire crystal.
I think both are equal and very different at the same time. I'd actually like to own both.
I have the original but if I owned the FOIS I wouldn't go crazy trying to sell it.
It's sort of weird how everyone wants a Speedmaster with patina and they feel that's the way it looks best or has some sort of vintage look to it. If you'd have bought a Speedmaster in the 50's or 60's etc. I'd imagine it would have been bright sterile white at the time of purchase and for a decade or so like luminova is today.
They were designed to be bright white and only went brown and yellow because tritium wasn't a good enough material to keep it's original look so it decayed over time. Patina is basically a defect but some people find it aesthetically interesting.
The same applies to most collectable objects. A vintage Bugatti was found at the bottom of a lake in Switzerland a few years ago (the original owner hid it there for tax reasons). It was recovered in completely unusable condition but still fetched a quarter of a million euros at auction. I will always prefer an original condition classic car with well maintained mechanicals to a concours restoration job.
You're buying into the lifestyle of the previous owners. Sure you can also buy a new object and create your own story but some folks like to build on an existing history. We're more custodians taking care of them for the next generations than outright owners.
I have a fairly good Idea of my response to someone who suggests that I'm a custodian rather than an owner of my watches. As a small hint, it will not be " Absolutely correct old chap" and may include an instruction to go forth and multiply (perhaps delivered in industrial language) 😜
I have a fairly good Idea of my response to someone who suggests that I'm a custodian rather than an owner of my watches. As a small hint, it will not be " Absolutely correct old chap" and may include an instruction to go forth and multiply (perhaps delivered in industrial language) 😜
Why not try it?
Neither of these watches will be hard to sell or hard to buy again if you want to go back to the FOIS down the road.
My thinking on watch collecting is to buy, sell and keep in nearly equal measure - buy carefully, try things out you think you might like and sell if you don’t. In
I say sell the FOIS and try something else! You can always go back!
Why not try it?
Neither of these watches will be hard to sell or hard to buy again if you want to go back to the FOIS down the road.
My thinking on watch collecting is to buy, sell and keep in nearly equal measure - buy carefully, try things out you think you might like and sell if you don’t. In terms of modern dive watches alone, I’ve owned a 14060 Sub, a 300M Bond, a Bvlgari Scuba, a different style of 300M Bond, a Seiko SKX and now I’m on a 300M 2254.50. The rest I’ve sold or am selling. I like the 2254.50 - but if I ever get tired of it, it’ll be sold and I’ll try something else. That’s part of the fun of this hobby.
I say sell the FOIS and try something else! You can always go back!
