Reply With QuoteGreat collection and I actually love the cyclops on the Pelagos - nice job! Mind if I ask how you did it?
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So here we are at the beginning of 2017 and I thought it was about time for a SOTC post. I won't post all watches here as I'm still in the middle of a 3 way move ( 4 bloody months now ! ) and the cheapies are still packed away but nothing too exciting anyway, mainly Steinharts, kemmners and our hosts offerings, but here is the stuff I didn't want to pack away ( storage insurance ) and is really my core collection now. I won't say they are definitely all here to stay, ( are any ? ) and some may well appear for trade or sale in the near future but I'm still considering if and what I want to add.
Group shot
So first up is an icon in my book, the JLC reverso, the particular watch my 40th birthday present, an 8 day Grand Date GMT with a beautiful engineered bracelet , I also have the leather for this so the watch with dual sides and both leather and bracelet options makes it very versatile. Beautiful guiloche dial and a lovely size too for a reverso, not too small and not too big, works well with black, brown and tan leather and very comfortable, with its big date ( I'm getting old !) and quality build this watch is definitely a keeper, and unlike many reverso's this one is watch resistant too, which is a bonus .
Next up is a favourite of mine,and another icon IWC's Big Pilot 5002 , I bought one of these in 2002 when they were first introduced. I recently purchased this one and again it's a early model with the 18000 beats movement. I like the charm of the slower beating movement and again with a 7 day movement ( 8 days actually but it stops automatically at 7 days, as the lower power reserve doesn't keep time so well ) . The lovely buffalo leather strap is still very nice which was a bonus as they can't be bought from IWC anymore . Lovely watch with bags of wrist presence , at 46mm it's not a small watch but on my 7.5 inch wrist it's still ok. A keepers for sure this time , an Icon for IWC, with its in house Pellaton winding system this watch ozzes class, and solid build quality, looks good on a NATO too which adds versatility, another water resistant watch too.
Next up my 50th Birthday Present,yet another icon, something I've wanted for some time and it hasn't disappointed. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms . I looked for ages for one of these and considered various limited editions but settled on a standard model as I preferred the classic look. The dial is beautiful,but hard to capture with a basic camera, with brushed and sunburst detailing, and coupled with the applied markers makes for a lovely combination . The case polishing is lovely and I actually like the engraved "Blancpain" down the side. The doomed sapphire on both the face and the bezel is fantastic as is the lume. In fact only my Pelagos can compete with it for brightness and duration . The sail cloth strap is really comfortable and function is enhanced by the simple pin buckle . The screw bars for the strap are quality but...are a pain to use when changing straps, but really nothing I've tried beats the sailcloth it came with, though a BPFF rubber strap is on its way so maybe that will be an alternative. With a 5 day movement the whole watch just bleeds quality, case finish, dial finish , clarity night and day and it feels special on the wrist. Another keeper.
Next up is a Breguet Type XXI. This really is one of the most beautiful dials out there for the money . Based on the Lemania 1340 this watch has both seconds and minutes of the Chrono off the centre pinion making a change from the normal 7750 type Chronographs of similar price bracket . The dial has many layers to it with each sub dial cut at different depths and with different finishes . Breguet is a name with loads of heritage in horology, and this entry level Breguet exudes class with many Breguet signatures. Not sure if this is a keeper , but it's a beautiful watch , looks best on the strap it comes with, fitted right up to the head and is comfortable on the wrist . Personally this to me is a much nicer dial than it's smaller sibling the Type XX.
Another recent purchase which I'm not entirely convinced with at present . Cartier's Roadster XL Chrono, in steel and gold . Cartier invented the wrist watch as we know it, but like Rolex they suffer from being one of the most copied watches out there. I looked at the Tank and the Santos but settled on the Roadster XL for a number of reasons . Firstly it's not made anymore which is a shame as it's a very quirky design . It's called the Roadster because some if it's design details are taken from 50's and 60's cars. The screws in the end of the lugs imitate the headlights on a Porsche roadster for instance , the date Cyclops is shaped like the radiator grille on 50's hot rods, so being a petrol head I thought I'd try on out . this watch also features Cartiers quick change strap system( be nice on all watches ) so the comfortable bracelet can be changed to the infinitely adjustable strap in seconds , literally, making the watch very practical . With Cartier offering a bespoke strap making service for reasonable money the combination of straps is pretty limitless . The case on the Chrono is big and many people think the crown sticks out too far, but I think on the Chrono the pushers balance out the crown. With the curved case back and solid case design ( it's one of the heaviest watches I've come across) the crown doesn't dig into the wrist like you think it would . It's really a well put together watch with a left of field look. The dial is also multi layered and offers more Cartier quality that matches the rest of the package.Because the leather strap tucks under a simple bar and comes back on itself in the folding clasp, the adjustment is limitless for wrist figment ( assuming you don't have a monster wrist !) and the bracelet has screwed pins and half links for easy adjustment too .Its early days yet but i am warming to it. A keeper ?.......lets see.
Another underated brand IMO. Here we have a Chopard Grand Prix Monaco De Historic. Again appealing to my petrol head side, this watch has nothing special inside it, with a 7750 based movement, which is perfectly reasonable of course for the job in hand, what makes this watch is the detail that Chopard excel in, detailing which I think comes from the bespoke jewellery side of the Chopard family . The dial is gorgeous,with the engine turning on both the main dial and the sub dials. The applied markers with polished sides and the polished hands make the watch very legible, something white face watches can suffer from in my experience. This does a wonderful job. The case size at 42mm is decent for me and i really like the retro styled strap which is super comfortable too as it's lovely and supple,and only enhanced by the coloured stitching to match the dial accents. The clasp is also worth a mention here because its a push button release which is always my preferred style because the can't pop open. A keeper, well i think its difficult to argue with the quality and attention to detail at this price point. Also worth a mention here is the service from Chopard,as its a family owned company still, the customer service is top draw.
Last but not least is my{ fourth} Tudor Pelagos which I have added a cyclpos to { Horror !}. This watch is another bargin IMO at the price point. With its 3 day power reserve and inhouse movement the watch already has my attention, add to that the clinical finish and brilliant lume on both the dial and the bezel its a winner in my book. The bracelet is really comfortable with excellent adjustment and although the bracelet can be a scratch magnet its easily put right with a scotch bright pad. Also of note is the ceramic bezel insert and the precise ratchet system, that is probably the best ive come across. It even has a different click sound at the 60 minute position so you can centre it with your eyes shut !{ i know i need to get a life }. Comes with a rubber option too, but to my mind it works best on the bracelet, but the rubber does add versatility to the already excellent package .Anyway, not sure if its a keeper but i really like the watch and think bang for buck its a Sub Killer, at half the price, in house movement, better lume and it's a less copied watch. Let's see if this one stays .
So there we have the current line up, three white faces, three black faces, and a brown , the Breguet , lots of strap options and dress, dive,pilots and sports bases covered ....what to add, well i think i need a Monaco, another true icon,for me being a petrol head it has to be a McQueen dialled version and maybe some sort or Omega icon SM300 perhaps or the obvious moon watch , ploprof maybe? , I'm not sure. I've tried AP and VC but wasn't too impressed for the extra cost involved, lovely watches but just didn't float my left of field boat,Brietling and Panerai leave me cold, so i guess that leaves PP on the icon front, which i've never owned. It's got to be a Nautilus me thinks , aquanaut is too small. Anyway let's see what 2017 brings .
Last edited by BryanEbru1512; 20th January 2017 at 11:40.
Great collection and I actually love the cyclops on the Pelagos - nice job! Mind if I ask how you did it?
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Nice group.
Quite easy, just eBay for the Cyclops , and UV glue to attach it. Easily removed if you don't like it .
Originally Posted by ddm27
What a lovely varied collection away from the normal offerings.
Love the JLC lots and the Big Pilot but which sees the most wrist time.
Thanks for sharing.
Pitch
Lovely collection and love that reverso, that's that jewel in the crown so to speak...
Nice collection, and I absolutely love the Reverso, it is a wonderful looking thing
Thanks for the great post Bryan. A lovely collection. I am a bit left field too. However, I never get on with watches that aren't circular so I can't see the love for the Reverso or Roadster but I do appreciate their quality.
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All very nice , great collection. 50 fathoms is my grail :)
Love the Fifty Fathoms and agree that the 'basic' model is best (like the Speedmaster).
Great collection.
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Nice varied collection. Love the Blancpain, that's a great looking piece.
At present it's a hard call on which gets the most wrist time, the BPFF probably, but it's a close call with the IWC BP to be honest, winter with chunky jumpers and chunky jackets seem to mean chunky watches in my world.
A very classy collection. Not sure about the cyclops, looks a bit stuck on (which it is)but then if you like/need it.
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