Reply With QuoteI’m a bugger for doing this, can be having a chat and then sly the watch and go off on a tangent about it lol...Originally Posted by davidj54
Anyone find themselves doing it? I find I'm regularly narrowing my eyes to work out what type of watch other blokes have got on! Stood at a bar, on public transport, wherever. Anyone go a step further and actually start chatting to strangers if they see them wearing a watch that indicates 'enthusiast'?
I was in Pately Bridge in Yorkshire yesterday, beautiful quaint little place. In a pub noticed a guy with a sub, but thought to myself there's probably a lot of guys out there who own that because it's a Rolex, without being a watch enthusiast. But then I saw an older guy (50's) in a coffee shop in an SKX007 with a Bond NATO strap. Had to be a fellow watch lover surely? Was a gnats chuff from saying hello when upped and left.
Anyone else find themselves being a nosey git like this?
**edited to add in - what's the most interesting watch you've spied on a stranger?
Last edited by davidj54; 11th June 2018 at 09:22.
I’m a bugger for doing this, can be having a chat and then sly the watch and go off on a tangent about it lol...
I see watches everywhere even from corner of my eye, even my girlfriend says she caught this habbit from me and sometimes tells me what interesting watch she has seen. I think most interesting watch I have seen was Zenith Bronze Pilot chrono on lady in 30s. Not necessary most expensive but definitely most interesting combination.
I do this & chat to people sometimes. I get a little frisson if I see someone who is wearing a watch I own (Seamaster 2254.5000 or a CWC quartz diver's matte case) but that's rare. I was on a train with a guy who wore a Hulk & we chatted about why we chose the watches we chose & how subjective it is.
Possibly the most interesting was an RN aircrew diver - he wore a Traser which he said was utterly reliable, comfortable & easy to read in any conditions.
I did also spot what I think was one of those black PVD subs but when the guy saw me looking he covered it up. Maybe he thought I was a mugger.
All the time. A Planet Ocean at work the other week and another guy had a Breitling bimetal but was aching for an older s/s daytona. Saw someone else with a Batman. Most people are interested in talking about their watch once they can see you are an enthusiast. We get events/conferences where I work so I see the occasional Panerai/Rolex etc.
I wouldn't even bother commenting if I saw someone wearing a high-street brand like Rolex, Omega or Breitling etc. because they are so common and there are so many fakes.
I have had other people comment and ask me about my Sinn U2 .... as they recognise that I must be a real watch enthusiast with such a brand.
Last edited by PDR; 11th June 2018 at 13:06.
Because I sell Mercedes-Benz and we have cars from £14k to £150k, I deal with a real diverse set of clients.
I’ve spotted lots of flashness on wrists (we have had, amongst others, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Andrew Flintoff, Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and quite a few TV personalities as well in our client base) and the young soccerists seem to wear Hublot or Big bling AP, whereas the older sports chaps are more Rolex Sub-type or Datejust type. Tyson Fury wore a day-date.
As a matter of interest, the most ubiquitous spotted watch on my clients is actually the Omega Seamaster Pro (bond version)
Always find myself doing this in business meetings and while watching TV.
Beadle's Rado Ceramica, Mike Brewer's Daytona and the bloke who came for the training with the 18k Reverso.
I was once waiting at a red light and an older gentleman stopped his bicycle next to me and he had a battered up Citizen Wingman IV on his wrist, on some random leather strap - judging from the condition of the watch, he must have stretched/broken the supplied jubilee-type bracelet years before. I thought it was cool that it still served him, though he didn't seem like the sort of a guy who would diligently switch every timezone to daylight saving time and then off again when it was time to. The good thing about these watches is that the time is set using a traditional crown - if he had got the C300 Navihawk, I doubt he'd still bother. Still, you just never see these cool 90s watches anymore, especially on older men who tend to prefer to stick to their dressy Doxas and Darwils, or just wear some bland quartz three-hander.
My most recent interesting spot was in a cafe in Arundel with my daughter a couple of weeks ago. I clocked that the elderly chap sat next to us reading his newspaper was wearing an old Cyma that looked to be in fantastic condition (later confirmed my suspicion it was a 'dirty dozen' 234). My daughter saw me looking at it and kept nudging me to strike up a conversation, but it felt like it would be too much of an intrusion so I kept quiet. Didn't stop me taking a sneaky pic though so I could later check my hunch!
Same here (now)
I did once comment on an Omega and all I got in return was a gormless stare.
I think you’ll stand more chance of actually chatting with someone if it’s Sinn or similar, like you say.
I do this all the time, every opportunity .
I have commented a few times but mostly got . O that old thing had it for years.
Definitely non wis.
Hard to tell at a glance as a lot of fakes about.
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I do it all the time! Lately i'm taking the tube and I can't stop looking at what the people is wearing on their wrist :D
Twice clients at my work place started a conversation with me when they noticed my SKX009J :D :D
I'm sure most of us do it. I'm more interested when I see a watch that makes me assume that the guy is a loser like me (i.e. a WIS) because he has a WIS-type watch on. If I see a guy wearing a Sinn or a Grand Seiko, I'm much more interested than much more expensive watches. I work in Mayfair and see super high end watches all the time. The novelty has worn off although I still notice them obviously.
We share our floor with another company that has at least two guys with PP Aquanauts. I saw a young man (as in late teens, early 20s) wearing rose gold Richard Mille the other day on Berkeley Square - could of been fake but I doubt it.
The best spot I ever had was when I lived in Altrincham and I was on the tram one day wearing my Sinn U1SDR and there was a guy opposite me with the exact same watch on
Was having some bridge work done on my double bass. Had to compliment the gentleman on his Deepsea. It paled into insignificance compared to some of the basses he had for sale, but that's another story.
The SMP is also Chronext’s best seller. The gateway watch
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Frequently find myself doing this. One thing I have noted is the times I see a mechanical watch are few and far between; but then I don't spend much time in big city environments etc.
Once or twice I have struck up conversations on flights or in airline lounges. This included a chat with a gent sporting an old Aquanaut; the only PP I've ever seen on wrist other than my own.
I use it as an excuse for looking at mens crotches
I have seen a few nice watches, including the chap with the Flightmaster in the pub in Bath who it transpired is on TZ.
"A man of little significance"
I do this a lot too.
The most amusing was at a stag party a few years ago where I'd assumed he'd just walked into high street shop & purchased the new Swiss being pushed, A Tudor Black bay.
He'd similarly assumed my Sub was fake.
Eleventeen or so beers in one of us finally mentioned it & turned out we were both members here & on other fora.
I do it a lot, particularly on TV.
I spent most of yesterday watching the staircase on Netflix and saying "breitling" "strap wrong way round" "gmt" "Datejust" "Datejust" "jeez everyones wearing a Datejust" "custom bezel gmt"
MrsV was very much "STFU" after a couple of hours of spotting :D
This is why in 2007 I opted for Sinn as a "decent" watch because back then there were no fake Sinn U2 floating around. At least if you see someone wearing a Sinn in the UK you know that (unless it was a gift) they will have had to put some effort in to getting it.
I do a fair bit of filming / documentary work while wearing my Sinn U2 and people ask me about it.... I very much doubt that I would get the same response if I wore a Rolex (either fake or real).
I'm quite good at this now. The only risk is the neck strain endured whilst trying to maintain both a good line of vision and simultaneously remaining inconspicuous
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
I do tend to gawp around when in restaurants or in an aircraft where it is relatively easy to spot a Rolex. I would never dream of mentioning it to the wearing as it seems a bit naff.
I was in a Rolex AD about a year ago and was wearing a black / red bezel 16710 GMT with a Jubilee bracelet on it and some old chap who must have been at least eighty came up to me and told me that he thought I was being a "bit too flash for comfort" wearing a coloured bezel and a Jubilee bracelet.
I thought it was rather funny and what was even funnier was that he was wearing a YG Daytona which really is flash.
By all means gawp but it's best to keep your counsel.
Always looking at peoples watches.
Only once did I strike up a conversation about it though, that was when I was sat outside a pub having a summer evenings drink wearing my Smiths Everest, and the guy on the table next to me was wearing one of Eddie's Precista's. Turns out we were both WIS and he owneD several of Eddie's watches. He wasn't however on TZ UK.
I guess that would depend on whether they were a true 'watch' enthusiast or simply a brand enthusiast, in particular those of an inverse snobbery disposition.
I had a good chat to a fella outside Goldsmiths the other week – he was wearing a Tudor Ranger and me a Blackbay. I think he must have spotted mine first as he made a comment on the quality of Tudor and how they’d become more popular of late. Turns out he had a bunch of watches too and it made a nice change to speak to somebody with an interest.
I do it a lot too, spotted a guy wearing a nice 6309 diver with a custom strap in the que for a ice cream once, didn't comment at the time but knew it had to be a watch type, turns out it was our own Pavel
Very often the wife will ask what watch are they wearing when watching TV and Ill answer with full geeky code then get berated for being a sad twat.
Ive stopped doing it in London from my scooter though.
Cheers..
Jase
I tend to "clock" someones watch almost instantly. Most of the time they're either dull smartwatches, or nice-looking-but-otherwise-boring TAG's, Omega Seamasters, and Rolex DA's. Every now and then something interesting pops up like a Sinn, or Fortis which makes me give an imaginary nod or respect :)
The nicest watch I saw on a colleagues wrist was a very nice Hublot Chrono with carbon fibre bezel - which actually turned out to be a fake!
I do tend to find people looking at my watches an awful lot, and the vintage pieces always get the most attention. Of the modern watches, people seem to universally like the Rolex GMT2c - especially the "young-en's"
I too am another spotter. I rarely speak to owners but did twice on this Saturday past.
First one was an older gent in Waitrose who had on what looked like a Rolex 1655, turned out it was. He couldn't stop as his wife was in a rush, and he got a bo*****ing for not hurrying up with the shopping.
Then by the Botanic Gardens, I spotted a young chap wearing one of these, the GD-350.
They're uncommon, so I pointed at it and said; "Nice watch." "¿Que?" came the reply.
Oh dear, that's Edinburgh in the summer, rammed with tourists.
Well, according to the bean counters in our procurement department of 5 staff. The only 2 blokes in it one has a new Airking the other a Submariner
I am sure I spotted a white Milgauss in a meeting and spent far too much trying confirm my suspicions rather concentrating on the matter of the meeting. Another meeting, a mid 30s lady had a bi-metal Datejust and it looked pretty pretty good.
The most interesting was in Costa Coffee, a Zenith chrono with coloured sub dials.
Just started watching this last night, I will probably lose track now trying to find the strap fitted the wrong way around :)
Constantly! I am dreadful for it, spotting watches that other folk are wearing. Sadly, I am not so good at knowing what they all are, but if I see something interesting, I always ask the wearer about it. Had some interesting conversations about watches with random people that I met walking the dogs :)
My (now) best friend was met because I spotted his G Shock and he has a pretty impressive collection of them. They are not 'my thing' and he doesn't understand how I can spend so much on watches that are less accurate/durable than the ones he wears, but he does sort of 'get it'.
I have a professional advantage in that I am expected to grab people's wrists and I am expected to be nosy! I have had this turned on me. On one occasion the patient grabbed my wrist first and said "Ah, you look like a bit of a watch man!". He was wearing an Oyster perpetual he had bought in the early 60s on one of his (Naval) tours, I had the NDS on at the time. My reputation for watch obsession has got around my staff as well - the other day I was asked to assist one of the nurses who actually really wanted to show me the patient's PAM. The patient came to se me himself a few weeks later sporting a Seadweller. After a few minutes his daughter said, "Daddy, I'm bored and it's me who is ill. Stop talking about watches!"
Saw a guy wearing a Dubey & Schaldenbrand in the lift this afternoon. You don't see many of them about
Ahaha. Its the breitling rubber ;)
Do it all the time.
On Eurostar last week guy opposite us is wearing a Cheapo on leather strap.
Then gets his carry on bag out and gets out a sub date and swaps it over.
Says he stayed in London last night and didn’t want to attract attention!
Said I did the same with my Exp2 so changed that!
Also this week spotted several Rolex’s from subs to steel/gold models and a Daytona. Steel /gold seems pretty popular actually.
ook
I'm generally very aware of the watches worn by those in my vicinity.
Some models are ridiculously easy to spot even from a distance - rolex being an obvious example - which makes me astonished when l hear people say that a "professional" mugger wouldn't be able to!
I don't just launch myself at people to talk about their watches, but on the occasions where socially l get the opportunity, l really enjoy some of the the chats that ensue.
As has been mentioned, a lot of the time the watch has been bought for the brand logo and for show off value - again this is generally with the usual suspect, default, couple of brands - but occasionally you'll meet a real enthusiast.
Thanks, I trust him even less now :)
My economics professor has a Lange, "pour le merit" tourbillion.
It's pretty.
Sad times.
All the time, but I rarely strike up a conversation. Always feels like I've been busted when they see me looking at their watch.
Was in Bicester Village over the weekend and saw someone with a White Gold Daytona on Oysterlfex and what looked like a bi-metal Sub in the space of 30 seconds!
Marketing guy has several good watches haven’t spoken to him about it, he is the most likely to be a WIS rather than just a one nice watch man, several of those in my office.
I have good memory of watches I have seen out and about in London, it seems to stick. On the tube i see nice watches occasionally, relatively conservative JLC on black leather strap, fluted bezel datejust usually from young men. I have also seen nomos, grand seikos, seamaster, planet ocean, speedmaster and a blue dial yacht master, Pepsi, many Breitlings. Nautilus from a guy on our building during a fire drill. Also seen a white dial nautilus at Bicester and a rose gold rubber strap yacht master at Geneva airport on a young lady. And many many datejust on women.
Like most of us I also do plenty of watch spotting. I don't comment though unless it's an interesting vintage or military watch. I once spoke to a guy on the tube who was wearing his great-grandad's trench watch. Also spotted a guy wearing a Seiko Gen 2 in Thames Ditton a few years back. When I asked him about it he said it was his issue watch in the navy and is still going stong all those years later.
El Primero Rainbow if I recall correctly.
I tend to do this all the time. Maybe a bad habit but maybe not.
Its pretty much the 1st thing I look at. A bit like ladies with shoe's!!
4 guys playing cards in my local a couple of weeks ago,i knew 1. Playing Nap. Never played it before,so asked if i could sit in and watch.
But the real reason was that one was wearing what i thought was the Rolex Hulk.
After a sneak peak asked him about it when we were alone. It was and we ended up having a good chat about watches.
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One of the guys in my office has Rolex GMT, tried to speak to him about watches in general but wasn’t really interested. Another guy (in my team) said his dad was a watch maker and inherited a rather nice collection. PP, Rolex sub and Daytona, Omegas, Tag and a few others. Waiting to see his collection still though!
Other than that I have a look out and about but never spoken to someone in passing
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watch spotting while watching the T.V , drives my wife mad when I ask her to rewind and pause for a better wrist shot...
On. Recent flight back from Mexico it was like Rolex AD on the plane.
A young guy sat next to me had a full gold Daytona, however i didn't coment on the 10 hr flight I don't know!
Then his pal in opposite seat had a bi-metal DJ on! Bet both of them were not a day over thirty.
Then a few isle's back was a Deep-sea.
Then there was me with my holiday watch (PADI turtle)
Love watch spotting me.
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I wonder what the proportion of fake to real rolex is 'out there in the wild'
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
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