Exactly a year ago today, I was queuing up at the AD’s door, to collect a new watch – a watch I was really looking forward to, possibly more than any other in my thirty years as a watch fanatic – the Rolex Yacht-Master II in steel - you can read about it here...

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ight=everyones

Fast forward a few months to May this year and with work going well I found myself in the lucky position of having some money burning a hole in my pocket. This ‘allowed’ me to look at another watch purchase, but typically in this hobby, as your interest grows, so does your price range (we can debate this until the cows come home, but it’s true).

The problem was, there was nothing in the price range (£10k ish) which took my fancy – first world problem I know - and as always, I started to creep up, until I reached the mid £20k bracket and literally fell in love with the white gold Rolex Sky-Dweller. My problem was, I simply didn’t have enough funds to buy the Sky-Dweller and keep the Yacht-Master II, so off it went in part exchange. Although I was completely smitten with my new acquisition and now over six months on, I accept I made the right choice, smiling each time I strap the Sky-Dweller on daily, I still missed the Yacht-Master II terribly – more than any other watch I’ve flipped and that number certainly exceeds 200 over the years.

I wrote about the Sky-Dweller incoming here...

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ight=everyones



Now, as said, I wear the Sky-Dweller daily and I genuinely consider it to be the best watch available today. With the demand for Rolex and the recent price rise, I certainly won’t lose money when I sell and who knows, I may end up in front. But, as I wear this daily, is spending close to fourteen grand on another watch a reasonable, or logical thing to do? Maybe not, but I had the cash, which would either be spent on crap, or remain in the bank earning nowt, if I could buy right, it would make me happy and not prove to be a disaster if at some later stage I needed to liquidate.

That’s where the grey dealer comes in…

It’s only this last couple of years we have brought them into the equation and to this day, we often have new members asking about the pro’s and con’s – the do and do nots. Warranty is often the main concern, but it really is simple – the manufacturer provides an international guarantee (5 years in my case) from the date on the warranty card. My new watch was supplied to an AD in Austria in late October 2016. I collected the watch – with all stickers intact, hang tag and warranty card which now bears my name – today, so in effect I have lost two months of that warranty, or 3% of the total warranty period as it equates. The plus side? I saved 18% on the purchase price. For me, this is more than a fair trade off. I’m not interested if the suppliers after service is crap – I have the manufacturers warranty.

Anyway, I just thought I’d touch on that point. Many of us have excellent AD relationships, me included, but for those sitting on the fence with concerns over the ‘grey’ market – don’t. We have many of those grey dealers represented in the membership and they are all top drawer, knowledgeable, helpful people, who have helped me out on many occasions.

So, that really is me – a journey which started thirty years ago, but actually has shaped itself in exactly 365 days. The watch collection is now complete and this will be my final post on here, so what better way to close the chapter…



My collection now covers all bases relevant to my life:

Rolex Sky-Dweller – The most complicated modern Rolex - a black dial annual calendar watch in white gold, with a second time zone, date, the iconic debate enticing cyclops and even a month indicator, all finished off set on an alligator strap – my perfect daily in every sense. It also fits comfortably under any cuff, so saves me from having to own a ladies sized dress piece when donning a black tie.

Rolex Yacht-Master II – A white dial quirky and certainly bold piece, with a splash of blue, a pretty much useless complication, until I buy a yacht of course and a bracelet for a completely alternative choice. The Command Bezel is a superb way of accessing the functions of a watch whilst not interrupting others and although a completely different operation than on the Sky-Dweller, the principle remains the same.

Breitling Emergency I – Just back from service complete with new dial and crystal, this very early example is now over 20 years old, sits permanently on the OEM military canvas strap and is my beater – it has been around the world and back a few times and probably my all-time favourite. It gets a lot of stick because of its ‘useless’ complication, but take yourself back 20 years and think about it on a pilots wrist and it was no doubt a very comforting piece of kit to get hold of – just in case.

So, all rotational bases covered for me – Daily, weekend and beater. Steel, gold, titanium. Black and white dials, plus more than a splash of blue. Automatic, quartz and a useful alarm. Bracelet, leather, canvas. All with enough water resistance to cover every eventuality.



Happy to own possibly the three watches many members on here like to tell us they dislike the most, showing how we all are so different. I have never seen any one of the exact variant on anyone else’s wrist, so maybe everyone in the ‘real world’ agrees with the haters? Me, well I like the individuality. Each one is oversized, perhaps brash, loud and garish, but so am I.

Now, these three aren’t all I own and I’m not saying I won’t buy any other watches, but what I have, after many years of trying, are a set of watches which constitute my rotational wearers. Out of shot are my other bits and bobs, which do not constitute part of this rotation – I have a few new and unworn (and never will be) in a safe deposit box for a rainy day and others in the cupboard which rarely see the light of day - just ones I like for whatever reason and their ownership validates my hobby somewhat, including a GasGasBones 6B MKII from our very own TZ favourite Carl Evans I commissioned for my 50th, with a range of personalisation, an early 1980’s CWC issued chrono and a colourful LeGant vintage piece I did try to get rid of but no one wanted. The wife has taken ownership of the rose gold 40mm Rolex Yacht-Master I bought with the intention of sharing and the Cartier Santos, but, luckily for her, this works, as the three featured make up what, to me, is all I really need and completes the journey once and for all – yes really.

All the best everyone for 2017 and good luck in finding your perfect collection, one watch, or grail…