Watches! What do y'all have on your wrists?

[HedgeHog]

After trying to pull the wool over consumer's eyes, Panerai should be boycotted. As far as I am concerned, their brand is permanently ruined. Selling shoddy workmanship at luxury prices is not something that should be tolerated. That there are people who still want a Panerai surprises me.

They've been ETA mechanicals forever. Don't think in-house movement is what Panerais are famous for. Some love their history; although they allied with the "bad" side. Their pig submersible are still liked.

Not everyone can afford a Patek/A. Lange & Söhne/AP/etc. I used to splurge on timepieces but never achieved the higher end. Pannies are great starters, IMHO. Seems the in thing now is sports watches again (Aquanaut, Nautilus, Daytonas). I still like the looks of grand complications over those aforementioned ones.

But this watch snobbery is like high end audio, wine, cars...etc. It's just subjective; unless someone in the old Italian navy did hurt someone in your family.

 

[JeffS7444]

 

[Keith_W]

They've been ETA mechanicals forever. Don't think in-house movement is what Panerais are famous for. Some love their history; although they allied with the "bad" side. Their pig submersible are still liked.

Not everyone can afford a Patek/A. Lange & Söhne/AP/etc. I used to splurge on timepieces but never achieved the higher end. Pannies are great starters, IMHO. Seems the in thing now is sports watches again (Aquanaut, Nautilus, Daytonas). I still like the looks of grand complications over those aforementioned ones.

But this watch snobbery is like high end audio, wine, cars...etc. It's just subjective; unless someone in the old Italian navy did hurt someone in your family.

ETA make perfectly fine movements. They are solid and reliable. I have no problem with a watch having an ETA movement. The issues with the Panerai using ETA movements are:

1. It is advertised as an in-house movement, when it is not. Only one word for it: SCAM.
2. There is no extra finishing of the movement. Tudor watches use ETA movements as well, and even at their lower price of $5000 they still take the trouble to refinish it.
3. It sells for $30,000. That is an obscene price for a watch with an ETA movement. For context, you could get an entry level Patek or a Lange for that price, not to mention Jaeger, or even H. Moser et Cie. All of these have genuine in-house movements.

And let's not forget that the watches are so poorly made with off-the-shelf movements that forgeries are easily on par with the real thing. In fact, the forgeries are so convincing that Panerai's own social media marketing have posted several forgeries on their official Instagram account. Oops.

I would be perfectly happy to buy a Panerai if it sold for $5000 and advertised the watches as having ETA movements and provided the same level of quality as other $5000 watches. But it does not even compete with Tudor in terms of movement finishing. I have an Omega Aqua Terra which I wear daily. This has an Omega in-house movement, is nicely finished, is solid and reliable, and it sells for ... $5000.

 

[HedgeHog]

ETA make perfectly fine movements. They are solid and reliable. I have no problem with a watch having an ETA movement. The issues with the Panerai using ETA movements are:

1. It is advertised as an in-house movement, when it is not. Only one word for it: SCAM.
2. There is no extra finishing of the movement. Tudor watches use ETA movements as well, and even at their lower price of $5000 they still take the trouble to refinish it.
3. It sells for $30,000. That is an obscene price for a watch with an ETA movement. For context, you could get an entry level Patek or a Lange for that price, not to mention Jaeger, or even H. Moser et Cie. All of these have genuine in-house movements.

And let's not forget that the watches are so poorly made with off-the-shelf movements that forgeries are easily on par with the real thing. In fact, the forgeries are so convincing that Panerai's own social media marketing have posted several forgeries on their official Instagram account. Oops.

I would be perfectly happy to buy a Panerai if it sold for $5000 and advertised the watches as having ETA movements and provided the same level of quality as other $5000 watches. But it does not even compete with Tudor in terms of movement finishing. I have an Omega Aqua Terra which I wear daily. This has an Omega in-house movement, is nicely finished, is solid and reliable, and it sells for ... $5000.

Fair enough...tbh, I stopped following watches for a long while...my last Pannie was in 2008. Post-Vendome but still Richemont. When I followed them, they were always ETA movement and never advertized as in-house. And they were always under CAD$10K which is even less in USD. Not sure you can get any good Patek for $30k. Even with the drop, the Nautilus/Aquanaut pricing are insane.

Tudors are excellent but, personally, lower branded Rolex (or even any Rolex) holds no place in my heart. And most Rolexes are still way over-priced (again, IMHO).

Sorry, I know Omega's make great watches...but everyone looks the same to me. The moonie stuff, the James Bond thing, dunno. But then, what I thought were great brands are no longer in vogue of late. Sort of. IWC Big Pilot is still cool in my books but I ended up with the Portuguieser.

Anyway, I still wouldn't boycott Panerai....I love their older stuff. The new ones will feel tainted for now.

 

[pseudoid]

Thanx @HedgeHog,
I feel less guilty about the fake Panerai I had gotten for around $200USD, a decade ago.
It keeps good time and the date-window is correct once a month!

 

[Noske]

I normally don't wear a watch, but when I do it is one that is 24 hour. Just one "hand". Noon at 90 degrees, midnight at 270 degrees.

There is some history in 24 hour clocks vs 12 hour, if anyone is interested in the story which is reproduced in the link I provide in an edit.

Other than owning said watch, I have no affiliation to this small Australian family outfit. Internet pic.

 

[tomchris]

Looking at your favorite watch, are there any design details you would change, that would make the watch perfect in your eyes?

Here are two examples:

• I prefer 'destro' watches (i.e. crown at 9 o'clock), so I would convert the normal crown placement of a watch given the chance/choice.
• If a watch has a date window, I prefer it to be located between 3 and 4 o'clock, keeping the hour marker at 3 o'clock intact.

 

[pseudoid]

If a watch has a date window, I prefer it to be located between 3 and 4 o'clock, keeping the hour marker at 3 o'clock intact.

Would you settle for the date window to be located at the '4:30 mark' instead?
It kinda fits better between the 4/5 tick marks.
Unfortunately, it seems that whenever I want to confirm what date it is; the big hand is always covering the date.

 

[Urvile]

A homage to watches made in the 30s and 40s.

 

[tomchris]

Would you settle for the date window to be located at the '4:30 mark' instead?
It kinda fits better between the 4/5 tick marks.

Certainly, just as long as all hour markers are intact. Here is an old favorite of mine, the Sinn EZM-1. Uncluttered dial and crowns are protected and out of the way from wrist movement and shirt/sweater cuffs.

 

[Digby]

Anyone buy them as an investment, anyone significantly up on their investment?

 

[Tks]

Anyone buy them as an investment, anyone significantly up on their investment?

Anyone that has bought pre-2020, is up at least a 2-fold increase.

 

[Spocko]

Anyone that has bought pre-2020, is up at least a 2-fold increase.

It's only an investment when you sell at the right "time" - buy low, sell high of course

 

[Spocko]

having a smaller wrist, I only pay attention to the 36mm - 38mm sizes, but there aren't too many interesting ones in that size short of vintage watches. They all end up being some variation of the Rolex Explorer.

 

[Tks]

having a smaller wrist, I only pay attention to the 36mm - 38mm sizes, but there aren't too many interesting ones in that size short of vintage watches. They all end up being some variation of the Rolex Explorer.

There's definately some nice smaller watches, the only problem is, they're gated by disgusting prices since they don't make them simple and instead resort to some end-game ultra-thin in exotic metals or something like that.

 

[pseudoid]

View attachment 284595
A homage to watches made in the 30s and 40s.

I went to the "Baltany" website, as I kinda dig that retro-style.
I had never heard of the brand... I can't believe the selection and their bargain-basement pricing.
They seem to cater to a similar clientele as the retro-style offerings from Shinola-Detroit but at much lower prices...

I almost pulled the trigger on this automatic with a seconds-hand and a date-window (under $200):

<< Baltany G10 Automatic Military Pilot Watch
But the model with the date-window is currently unavailable.
There is also an attractive wind-up model (<$200), but has neither the seconds-hand or the date-window.

 

[Doodski]

I went to the "Baltany" website, as I kinda dig that retro-style.
I had never heard of the brand... I can't believe the selection and their bargain-basement pricing.
They seem to cater to a similar clientele as the retro-style offerings from Shinola-Detroit but at much lower prices...

I almost pulled the trigger on this automatic with a seconds-hand and a date-window (under $200):
View attachment 284723 << Baltany G10 Automatic Military Pilot Watch
But the model with the date-window is currently unavailable.
There is also an attractive wind-up model (<$200), but has neither the seconds-hand or the date-window.

I could wear and use that watch. I love the illumination too. I miss my Seiko with illumination that would last all night if in the bright sunlight for a couple of hours or whatever was req'd to get the illumination charged.

 

[Urvile]

I went to the "Baltany" website, as I kinda dig that retro-style.
I had never heard of the brand... I can't believe the selection and their bargain-basement pricing.
They seem to cater to a similar clientele as the retro-style offerings from Shinola-Detroit but at much lower prices...

I almost pulled the trigger on this automatic with a seconds-hand and a date-window (under $200):
View attachment 284723 << Baltany G10 Automatic Military Pilot Watch
But the model with the date-window is currently unavailable.
There is also an attractive wind-up model (<$200), but has neither the seconds-hand or the date-window.

I've got two of their watches, and I can't say enough nice things about them, I worry a little about the movement in one, but the one pictured uses a https://calibercorner.com/miyota-caliber-9039/, it's a very nice high beat (4 Hz or 28,800 BPH) movement.

The one thing I keep forgetting to mention. All the components are far superior to the originals: case, crown, bezel, and case back are 316L Stainless Steel, the crystal is Dome Sapphire , and the moment is a Automatic Miyota 9039.

 

[HedgeHog]

Anyone buy them as an investment, anyone significantly up on their investment?

I think ALL of mine are much less than what I paid. Clearly, I have poor taste.

 

[pseudoid]

Anyone buy them as an investment, anyone significantly up on their investment?

I only buy 'crap' that I really like... but I must say that the [crappy] art that I really liked (and bought), over the decades, have become a treasure trove ... not so much at all with my [crappy] watch collection.