The much maligned Cellini, bane of ADs, currency of all who have a SS Professional model to flip onto the grey market but c'mon-we're all watch guys aren't we?
There's usually a long story of why I end up with a certain watch and my Cellini is no different. On our honeymoon we met a quartet who had appeared on the movie titanic and one of the band, Swiss (or possibly Austrian-I forget), in his 50s or 60s and imminently well educated and styled had a beautiful Cellini on his wrist and from that moment on I really liked them.
Over a few years I tried some on, did some research (what small amount was out there) and decided on the following model. A man doesn't necessarily need a dress watch I figured, but he really should have one.
As a piece of jewellery it does the trick, beautiful 18k white gold, a stunning Black MOP dial with roman numerals and most importantly to me, the tan strap bringing it all together. I got lucky on purchasing, buying unprotected from Italy on C24 when the pound bought you many more Euros than it does today. That and finding an Italian AD who had a brand new unregistered old stock one in my favourite combination.
I'll let the pictures do the talking, I've got my flame suit on so I'm ready for the ribbing, but I can't be the only one who loves them can I? If nothing else it's not another sports model values discussion!
You like it and that's all that matters. The MOP dial is a strong look and not for me but I can see why you would buy it when compared to your collection. It adds diversity.
I see a hint of the Panerai 3646 in the case shape which is not a bad thing and the watch makes a change to the usual suspects from Rolex that are 10 a penny on here.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 10th July 2018 at 21:40.
Had this for 10 years, don’t often wear it but It’s nice to have something different.
I could not afford one but that Cellini moonphase (Basel 2017 I think?) was drop dead gorgeous - probably still is lol. Thing is though, despite their apparent unpopularity I don’t see them at low prices in the used market. In fact they are few and far between for sale
I've had three Cellinis, the remarkable Prince....with transparent back and manual wind; a dual-time and a Cellini Date. All 18k gold, all lovely. They have an elegance and class all of their own. And they're more popular than some guys on forums realise.
President Obama chose to wear one for his official portrait. And after an initial depreciation hit...like all gold watches...they hold price strongly. Just a delight to ŵear and own. The modern Cellinis even have a screw-down crown.
I've been trying to buy one back from a friend, but no joy so far.
That moon phase is a stunning watchOriginally Posted by RustyBin5
I could not afford one but that Cellini moonphase (Basel 2017 I think?) was drop dead gorgeous - probably still is lol. Thing is though, despite their apparent unpopularity I don’t see them at low prices in the used market. In fact they are few and far between for sale
OP, not sure I'd choose the MOP dial but it certainly would catch my eye if I saw a chap wearing it.
I'd also think to myself 'damn I wish I could pull that off'.
Everytime I see the Cellini unloved in a shop window I wonder why they aren't more popular. I assume because people who want to spend money on a dress watch opt for Patek, JLC, etc
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I’m with you here Rusty. My collection needs (!) an expensive dress watch for those rare black tie occasions. These are so rarely seen but I think Rolex has got this design of Cellini just right. I’m just a lottery win away...
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I had the Cestello in pink gold, lovely thing but I regretfully flipped it. I’ve been after a Prince for ages...alas no luck so far ☹️
That is gorgeous.Had this for 10 years, don’t often wear it but It’s nice to have something different.
I'm wearing this as i type, sorry shameless internet pic - very large.
A recent new arrival. I consolidated quite a few of the collection and got this. I understand, like the OP a decision of the heart rather than the head, especially with almost everyone saying you will take a bath on resale. However i have been looking for a rose gold black dial watch for a long time and this ticks all the boxes, resale be damned. I love it, i really don't understand the general dislike for these watches. They are well built beautifully finished, although they don't have the movement display of most dress watches, they are considered more robust than a traditional dress watch and can even be worn quite casually.
I think they are great watches.
OP agree that the mother of pearl face is a ''strong'' look but i actually really like it.
OP’s watch is crying out for a black strap without contrasting stitching!
I’ve no strong feeling either way about the Cellini range, I much prefer dress watches to divers and chronos but I’m far happier buying vintage stuff.
This forum’s very polarised towards the so-called ‘rugged’ sports watches; try as I might I don’t really understand the appeal of the dive watches and big chronos, a couple in a collection are OK but that’s as far as it goes for me. Rolex qualit in something a lot more discerning than a BLNR or Hulk makes far more sense to me and I can dfinitely see the appeal of the Cellini range...........but I see a lot more appeal in buying a Datejust or Oyster 36 plus a couple of nice vintage Omegas with the spare change!
At the risk of contradicting myself, I ‘get’ the Cellini range but I’d never consider buying one.
Paul
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 10th July 2018 at 23:48.
I actually didn't think there would be this much level of interest in the thread but I'm glad to have been proved wrong, a pleasure seeing other's purchases as well.
I'm cool about the diverse reactions to the dial on mine, when the differences between sports models are limited (and I'm not just talking about Rolex here but across all brands) to a different shape of hand, a different colour on a bezel and shock horror, another line of text then the diversities of ostrich, mother of pearl or colours of gold is what's fascinating about dress watches (again, not limited to Rolex here).
I specifically wanted tan on white gold with a dial I'd never seen before-I think I got it!
Don't get me wrong, I love my diving watches, and having my PADI (and my obsession as a seven year old about the movie Jaws) I think it says a little about me but nowhere near as much as my choice in dress watch.
Really interested in seeing more of other's choices too, I very nearly went down the Prince route and perhaps may well do so in the future.
I tried a Prince on the other week and it’s just such a lovely dress watch
Beat that for a blue, formal, dial. My lady still tells me off for selling it.
And the dear old Prince. The only manual wind Rolex, and with it's own unique movement. A real 'dress' watch, while the current Cellini is quite rugged.
For me, with my tastes, a good three-watch collection would be;
And, for a seriously rugged watch, add...
That would do it....and the Cellini would take it's rightful place.
Last edited by paskinner; 11th July 2018 at 05:50.
Is this a statement of intent? Make it your goal and just do it then? Updates expectedBeat that for a blue, formal, dial. My lady still tells me off for selling it.
And the dear old Prince. The only manual wind Rolex, and with it's own unique movement. A real 'dress' watch, while the current Cellini is quite rugged.
For me, with my tastes, a good three-watch collection would be;
And, for a seriously rugged watch, add...
That would do it....and the Cellini would take it's rightful place.
The Cestello is very cool in my opinion, the echoes of Panerai are unmistakable - and quite welcome in my opinion - and the strap you've got brilliant, I don't think you could do better. But the thing with Cellini is that it takes a sophisticated-gentleman sort of man to wear one and I think most people nowadays, regardless of their financial status, just don't identify with this image because it's quite at odds with the times we're living in. I think this proves that Cellinis are in fact a very serious dress watch in that many dress watches from other luxury manufacturers are much better all-rounders, but above all, any dismissive criticism is, I think, completely unwarranted.
This is the point I think. People are buying Dress watches as all rounders instead of buying it purely to be a dress watch. I see no point in a wr rating or lume or even a bracelet on a dress watch.
I'm not sure that a Cellini looks too 'gentlemanly' on the wrist, it just looks like a really handsome, simple, watch. Are such things ever 'in' or 'out' of fashion.? Every decent manufacturer makes them. They don't sell as well as sports watches, but one day, given the nature of fashion, they might be the 'coolest' watches around. Think hipster beards.
You may be quite right on your last point, i.e. the inevitable change in taste (hopefully sooner rather than later so that the watches I like drop in price heh), but I don't believe it's just about that because sports watches and dress watches are really quite different. This is not like one colour falling out of fashion and another replacing it, it's also about the sort of lifestyle most people lead. To me, a dress watch is a bit like a chauffeured car - a fine thing in its own right, but rarely practised nowadays. Most formal occasions nowadays permit a degree of dressing down and this is where sports watches gain ground. Unless we're headed for a U-turn in this regard, which would mean that the society on the whole would become more formal again (which I don't see happening very soon), fashion and taste will only influence the surface, affecting the watch market in a rather more minor way I think.
That MOP dial did remind me of a thread on here from awhile ago... The thread doesn’t seem to have the pics anymore, but google does!
I have often worn a Cellini on the beach, it looks great. No-one would think it odd, it's just a watch. Frankly, many 'dive' watches look far odder when worn in the town...no-where near water.
Indeed, a key reason why I sold my SD43 was because my lady thought it looked 'far too Rolex' on the wrist. Way more out of place than a simple, unobtrusive, Cellini.
But, most decent watches are highly functional. The rest really is fashion. To which few of us are immune. I still like the 43mm!
Regarding the ruggedness of dress watches: I was once told that it’s bad form to wear a watch to a black tie event as it gives the impression that you’re concerned about what time you’ll be leaving when you should be focused on being good company. Sort of like an old-school version of putting your phone away when you’re out to dinner.
So if I’m not going to wear it to really fancy stuff (not that I get invited to such things), I’d want any watch to have some level of ruggedness or I’d never wear it at all. Even the safest office has a door handle to bash against.
Last edited by The_Perfect_Sandwich; 11th July 2018 at 11:34.
Just this morning, I had no choice but to have a similar realisation. I've been wearing a lot of G-Shock recently and I've stopped being as careful around door frames and such. Consequently, I have a new and rather visible scratch in my non-G Casio MTP-4700.
I really like the Prince, and would consider it a daily wearer. Good size on me, just wish it was a single dial.
I tried a Prince on the other week and it’s just such a lovely dress watch
It's a brave idea, but I'm not sure the Prince works as an 'only' watch. It's just so striking and formal that you feel it's for special occasions. Eventually I gave mine to my partner and, although she is small, it looked quite lovely.
The Cellini is different; it's quite a tough watch, with screw-down crown. You can wear that all the time, no problem.
I don't hate the cellini range, but like very few.
I just think that other brands do dressy watches of this type better than rolex do in terms of styling and that cellini models struggle a little with what they're supposed to be.
Add to that the name "cellini" which just puts me in mind of knock-off tracksuit tops sold in pubs.
There were something like 6 different versions though; the pic quoted has the least integrated dial. Others look much more of a piece.
No significant reason to own an expensive dress watch but the blue 50519 looks good to me. Not Moser Endeavour Perpetual Funky Blue good but then that's a high bar.
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...hlight=cellini
So are we due another post to this thread from the lucky purchaser?!
I quite fancy this version.
Me too! Been after a good example for ages.I quite fancy this version.
Reading this old thread as I am considering going for a Cellini date as a dress watch option. I know there are a lot of other brands out there at this price point but something is drawing me to go and try one of these.
Any current owners of the Cellini model?
(I am guessing not! As said above forum more biased towards sports range.)
Unless I have a major change of mind, the first thing I am going to do on my return to the UK is to buy myself a Rolex Cellini pocket watch. They are outstanding quality for the price.
There are many beautiful Cellini watches, and many I’d not hesitate to buy if I ever wore such smart dress watches.
By all rights I should hate that.... but I love it. I can’t put my finger on why... but the whole thing, it ties together so well. There’s a variant with a bit less shininess and a bit more texture that looks even better.I tried a Prince on the other week and it’s just such a lovely dress watch
I am thinking about something like this:
https://www.watchfinder.co.uk/Rolex/...55/item/120770
If you do settle on something like this, cast your net more widely and you will find much keener prices. That particular one is typically over-priced.
Thank you for the advice!
Edit: noticed another dealer has this one which certainly appears better value:
https://www.miltonaires.com/product/8951
Will just need to do some checking of reviews to make sure the establishment is reputable ;)
Last edited by Boss13; 4th October 2020 at 10:23.
Can’t comment on their reputation but they may have TWO white gold ones as well......worth a second look!
Last edited by Haywood_Milton; 4th October 2020 at 10:43.
I never took any notice of them until Kash sold a moonphase on here a couple of years back and it look gorgeous.
Had one of these. I’m one of those odd people who admire the Cellini; but I found the date-wheel on this design quite small and fiddly. But then I’m old with pretty average eyesight.
Quite. What's not to like, seriously.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
You bought it? Superb watch :-)Quite. What's not to like, seriously.
I know some Herbert will accuse me of being some sort of old relic but not one of the watches shown above could be described as a dress watch.
Firstly, strictly speaking, you should wear a pocket watch at a black tie event. However in this day and age, people do wear wrist watches but really it should be a slim gold watch, black face with just hour and minute hands and a black leather strap.
Black tie is a uniform, you are expected to comply with it. In order words, wear what is expected, not what you want.
Rant over.
They're dress watches in the current world. The rose gold moonphase is stunning. Something like that in stainless steel would be superb but would never happen.
Agree - if a more prestigious marque would be far more popular.Quite. What's not to like, seriously.
No, just think it looks superb. Rolex picture.
Yup.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I would guess the Cellini outsells it’s rivals by a large margin. If it didn’t sell, Rolex wouldn’t make it.
As for ‘a more prestigious marque’....with the general watch buying public, Rolex are the most prestigious brand.
Last edited by paskinner; 5th October 2020 at 08:57.
The largest selling watch can still be more popular (sell more even), though perhaps I should have said popular here on TZ.
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