Watch collectors - let's talk watches here!

[mco]

Love the playfulness of the Omega x Swatch collab. Pluto and Mars were on my short list but opted for a Mars as I personally think one of the most unique watches is the Omega Alaska Project. I also have a speedy sapphire sandwich, but find myself wearing this more often as it's just more fun.

Anyone picking up a Blancpain x Swatch?

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[mutanthands]

The Alaska project is one of my favourite Speedys. Regret not picking one up when they were (relatively) peanuts years ago!

The Moonswatch is a fun idea, but I really don’t like how Swatch have handled the hype and whole situation.
Because of this, I have zero interest in the Swatch x Blancpain. Feels like even more of a cynical cash grab, especially at £340 for a plastic Sistem51.

Swatch should be fun, cheap and available, and these miss the mark on two of those points.

 

[f1eng]

The Alaska project is one of my favourite Speedys. Regret not picking one up when they were (relatively) peanuts years ago!

The Moonswatch is a fun idea, but I really don’t like how Swatch have handled the hype and whole situation.
Because of this, I have zero interest in the Swatch x Blancpain. Feels like even more of a cynical cash grab, especially at £340 for a plastic Sistem51.

Swatch should be fun, cheap and available, and these miss the mark on two of those points.

I tend to agree.
Fun but too expensive for what is in reality an injection moulded plastic case with ceramic powder filler with throw away movement.

A cynical cash grab as you say.

I have a Swatch for holidays which is accurate, slim, light and was cheap!

I have 3 speedys, an early pre-moonwatch labeled Professional one I got new in 1971, it looked HUGE then, a triple date which looked normal sized (smaller than the pro) when I bought it and it was my daily for many years, and a “grey side of the moon” which seems normal sized unless viewed with the other two, it is the biggest of all.
I regret the fashion for oversized watches personally.

 

[mutanthands]

I tend to agree.
Fun but too expensive for what is in reality an injection moulded plastic case with ceramic powder filler with throw away movement.

A cynical cash grab as you say.

I have a Swatch for holidays which is accurate, slim, light and was cheap!

I have 3 speedys, an early pre-moonwatch labeled Professional one I got new in 1971, it looked HUGE then, a triple date which looked normal sized (smaller than the pro) when I bought it and it was my daily for many years, and a “grey side of the moon” which seems normal sized unless viewed with the other two, it is the biggest of all.
I regret the fashion for oversized watches personally.

For the more day-to-day I settled on the slightly smaller FOIS Speedy. However, I did switch the handset out for the regular white ones. Best of both worlds!

Absolutely, the value just isn't there. For similar money you could get a nice vintage Omega Genève, which look great and will last many lifetimes.

On the flip-side, it is a good marketing strategy. I suspect a lot of these social media kids hadn't heard of Blancpain, let alone Fifty Fathoms, until a week or so ago!

 

[Fish Fingers]

I tend to agree.
Fun but too expensive for what is in reality an injection moulded plastic case with ceramic powder filler with throw away movement.

A cynical cash grab as you say.

I have a Swatch for holidays which is accurate, slim, light and was cheap!

I have 3 speedys, an early pre-moonwatch labeled Professional one I got new in 1971, it looked HUGE then, a triple date which looked normal sized (smaller than the pro) when I bought it and it was my daily for many years, and a “grey side of the moon” which seems normal sized unless viewed with the other two, it is the biggest of all.
I regret the fashion for oversized watches personally.

The oversized fad appears to be dying out, thankfully.

There was a great article in the FT about it recently.

https://www.ft.com/content/cb5cd810-172d-44ed-a7a0-52408d9678ee

 

[MrB]

I tend to agree.
Fun but too expensive for what is in reality an injection moulded plastic case with ceramic powder filler with throw away movement.

A cynical cash grab as you say.

I have a Swatch for holidays which is accurate, slim, light and was cheap!

I have 3 speedys, an early pre-moonwatch labeled Professional one I got new in 1971, it looked HUGE then, a triple date which looked normal sized (smaller than the pro) when I bought it and it was my daily for many years, and a “grey side of the moon” which seems normal sized unless viewed with the other two, it is the biggest of all.
I regret the fashion for oversized watches personally.

As to the last sentence, I wholeheartedly agree. I wore a Breitling Montbrillant Legende for a few years and always regretted it (I’m not terribly thick of wrist). Changed it, finally, a few months ago for a bronze case, blue face IWC 41 Pilot which looks in proportion and not like I’ve eviscerated a grandfather clock for parts.

 

[f1eng]

The oversized fad appears to be dying out, thankfully.

There was a great article in the FT about it recently.

https://www.ft.com/content/cb5cd810-172d-44ed-a7a0-52408d9678ee

Nice article.
I have been interested by watch movements for decades and my interest was originally piqued by work to make smaller thinner but robust and accurate movements than the pocket watch movements used in early huge wristwatches. The case was then possible to be made smaller, thinner so lighter.

Smaller watches were a celebration of the watchmaker’s craft.

I hate seeing a watch where the case is massively bigger than the movement needs with a big packer round it. They look particularly ridiculous from the back IMO.

I have acquired quite a few watches over the years and the only bigger ones have had complex movements like the Ulysse Nardin Tellurium Johannes Kepler

 

[AyTifosi]

Chopard... not mine, but it was fun to put on a crazy expensive piece.

 

[Vercingetorix]

 

[Gru]

unfortunately not mine .... it costs a couple of Taycan Turbo S

as a piece of engineering, it's simply beautiful.... and it doesn't need to be charged

video :Altiplano Ultimate Concept

https://www.piaget.com/lp/altiplano-ultimate-concept

 

[f1eng]

unfortunately not mine .... it costs a couple of Taycan Turbo S

as a piece of engineering, it's simply beautiful.... and it doesn't need to be charged

video :Altiplano Ultimate Concept

https://www.piaget.com/lp/altiplano-ultimate-concept

Love this and all the ultra thin designs from Piaget and others.

 

[Patrick303]

This is the first luxury watch I ever purchased back in 2017 to celebrate the company I worked for having a successful IPO.

 

[Kayone73]

Had the privilege to attend the most recent US Grand Seiko owners event for Club GS9, hosted by the company, in Hollywood, Los Angeles this past weekend:

For an entire day and evening, they hosted multiple panels, including staff from GS Japan, US, and watch influencers, celeb GS owners discussing their brand experience.

Add to that free food, open bar, live entertainment and a full afterparty in the evening resembling any night club. All complimentary of Grand Seiko as a thank you to their current owner base. Took my wife with me as a plus 1 and overall I had a great experience.

 

[Kayone73]

Wow, just learned about this new indepedent watchmaker... who happens to be a 17 year old Korean American kid living in Illinois. ??

https://www.js-elliott.com/

And his debut watch looks really impressive ?

 

[Kayone73]

Sharing my update 2023 collection in regular active wear rotation, what's yours?

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