Luxury Watches

Xfuzz said:
Few years ago an an older man used to set-up close to
me at one of the local gunshows.
Mostly watches and a few Colt SAA's.

He had a nice collection of watches and did a brisk business.
He talked into a "MIDO" watch...still have it somewhere around
here.
Click to expand...

MIDO..
M005.914.37.050.00_3.png


m021.626.22.031.00_01_1.png




A good solid Swiss watch priced from, $950.00/$2300.00
 
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CH4 said:
I've often thought about getting a Rolex or similar, especially when killing time in an airport, but always talk myself out of it. I like collecting watches as souvenirs, but usually stay in the $50 to $400 range. Since the whole cell phone thing, for me watches have become an anachronism or novelty...or a souvenir. Fitbit not withstanding, my latest watch is an Isobrite that I picked up at the last NRA conference.
Click to expand...
Watches, like guns, are a very "visceral" thing. You either love handling them, appreciate what goes on inside them while gazing into their dials or it's just another thing to keep up with. I get how spending more than $400 for a watch would be a waste to a lot of people, but these days you can get a great watch for $400 too.
 
Huge score today, been keeping an eye out on ebay for an original fold over clasp to go with my OEM alligator strap and came across the OEM bracelet that came with my watch! These things sell for $800 from most sources if you can find one, I got mine for only $200, used but in NOS condition. Good to be 03hemi today.
 

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Hey, I think I spy a vintage Walthom, Benrus or maybe a Hamilton in the top left hand corner there?
What is it?
 
Hamilton, very nice. Get a close up of that one and show it to us.
Hamiltons were considered the "Patek Phillipe" of the U.S. back in the 30s, 40s and maybe into the 50s (not sure about the 50s) because of their high grade Swiss movements and the hand assembly here in the states. I read if you ordered a Hamilton back then, like a lot of people did, it would take up to a year to get one. fwiw
 
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Long story. My father was a letter carrier in Manhattan, 85th and Park Ave during the 70's to 90's. He finds a Submariner laying in the street one day, just the body of the watch, no band or bezel even.
The Chrystal was scratched and yellowed. The watch did not move at all. He gives me the watch in early 2000, and I sat on it for about 13 years.
One day I decide to see if it can be repaired and at what cost. One of my wife's co workers also owned a jewelry store, and they offered to take it in and see what they could do.
I was told it would be near impossible to source the parts and was offered $850 for the watch. I declined, to think it over.

A couple weeks later I go to Rolex in Manhattan to see what they could do for me. First class operation they have there.
First they checked to see if it were on their stolen watch list, it wasn't, or they would confiscate it.
They then took it to one of their watch repairmen and he came out 15 minutes later.
Parts would be hard to source, the watch was from the mid60's, and it would not be original. With that, $3700 to repair and look new. I said thanks and walked out.

Fast forward a couple more months and cruising the net I see Bob's Watches in CA buys watches. OK, I'm leery but what the heck it's just an email.
A couple hours later I get a request for pics. Next day I get an offer of $5-10,000 depending on an inspection by them. Still leery, considering what I was offered previously, I accept their request to look it over.
They send a FedEx prepaid box for me to,ship the watch to them. A couple days later I get a phone call with an offer of $7,500.
They would have given me more except something about the condition of the dials, they apparently were very rare and very hard to source.
I honestly couldn't believe they would give me that kind of money for a watch missing so many critical parts.
Anyways, I took the money and called it a day. The most expensive watch I now own is probably that Hamilton.
I have pics of the Rolex somewhere on my computer.
 
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ladder13 said:
Long story. My father was a letter carrier in Manhattan, 85th and Park Ave during the 70's to 90's. He finds a Submariner laying in the street one day, just the body of the watch, no band or bezel even.
The Chrystal was scratched and yellowed. The watch did not move at all. He gives me the watch in early 2000, and I sat on it for about 13 years.
One day I decide to see if it can be repaired and at what cost. One of my wife's co workers also owned a jewelry store, and they offered to take it in and see what they could do.
I was told it would be near impossible to source the parts and was offered $850 for the watch. I declined, to think it over.

A couple weeks later I go to Rolex in Manhattan to see what they could do for me. First class operation they have there.
First they checked to see if it were on their stolen watch list, it wasn't, or they would confiscate it.
They then took it to one of their watch repairmen and he came out 15 minutes later.
Parts would be hard to source, the watch was from the mid60's, and it would not be original. With that, $3700 to repair and look new. I said thanks and walked out.

Fast forward a couple more months and cruising the net I see Bob's Watches in CA buys watches. OK, I'm leery but what the heck it's just an email.
A couple hours later I get a request for pics. Next day I get an offer of $5-10,000 depending on an inspection by them. Still leery, considering what I was offered previously, I accept their request to look it over.
They send a FedEx prepaid box for me to,ship the watch to them. A couple days later I get a phone call with an offer of $7,500.
They would have given me more except something about the condition of the dials, they apparently were very rare and very hard to source.
I honestly couldn't believe they would give me that kind of money for a watch missing so many critical parts.
Anyways, I took the money and called it a day. The most expensive watch I now own is probably that Hamilton.
I have pics of the Rolex somewhere on my computer.
Click to expand...

Bob's watches are 4.0 thumbs up.:D
 
I recently entered the high end watch world with the purchase of a Tag Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 Steven McQueen edition. Steve is my celebrity hero (I ride dirtbikes, he acted to pay for his dirtbikes lol) so when the time was right, I made it happen. Now it sits in my 2 place watch winder and I keep thinking of "what's next" to fill the empty place. A buddy turned me onto Chrono24.com and I'm leaning towards a vintage Seiko 5. Not too pricey, yet unique. Eventually I'd like to get a Breitling Navitimer, but I am in no hurry.

PS, just a funny story about luxury watches. I used to think an expensive watch was something pushing $10K until I picked up a general aviation airport that handled lots of business jets as an account on a sales gig. While waiting to talk with the manager, I was sitting in the lounge looking at some of the luxury magazines. That's when I learned a little bit about the "mega rich". Did you know you can get a watch made from metal salvaged from the Titianic? It will set you back a cool $795,000!
 
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CBus660R said:
I recently entered the high end watch world with the purchase of a Tag Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 Steven McQueen edition. Steve is my celebrity hero (I ride dirtbikes, he acted to pay for his dirtbikes lol) so when the time was right, I made it happen. Now it sits in my 2 place watch winder and I keep thinking of "what's next" to fill the empty place. A buddy turned me onto Chrono24.com and I'm leaning towards a vintage Seiko 5. Not too pricey, yet unique. Eventually I'd like to get a Breitling Navitimer, but I am in no hurry.

PS, just a funny story about luxury watches. I used to think an expensive watch was something pushing $10K until I picked up a general aviation airport that handled lots of business jets as an account on a sales gig. While waiting to talk with the manager, I was sitting in the lounge looking at some of the luxury magazines. That's when I learned a little bit about the "mega rich". Did you know you can get a watch made from metal salvaged from the Titianic? It will set you back a cool $795,000!
Click to expand...
Nice way to enter with the Steve McQueen edition! Yes, there are plenty of watches "exclusive" only to multi millionaires only.
 
ladder13 said:
Long story. My father was a letter carrier in Manhattan, 85th and Park Ave during the 70's to 90's. He finds a Submariner laying in the street one day, just the body of the watch, no band or bezel even.
The Chrystal was scratched and yellowed. The watch did not move at all. He gives me the watch in early 2000, and I sat on it for about 13 years.
One day I decide to see if it can be repaired and at what cost. One of my wife's co workers also owned a jewelry store, and they offered to take it in and see what they could do.
I was told it would be near impossible to source the parts and was offered $850 for the watch. I declined, to think it over.

A couple weeks later I go to Rolex in Manhattan to see what they could do for me. First class operation they have there.
First they checked to see if it were on their stolen watch list, it wasn't, or they would confiscate it.
They then took it to one of their watch repairmen and he came out 15 minutes later.
Parts would be hard to source, the watch was from the mid60's, and it would not be original. With that, $3700 to repair and look new. I said thanks and walked out.

Fast forward a couple more months and cruising the net I see Bob's Watches in CA buys watches. OK, I'm leery but what the heck it's just an email.
A couple hours later I get a request for pics. Next day I get an offer of $5-10,000 depending on an inspection by them. Still leery, considering what I was offered previously, I accept their request to look it over.
They send a FedEx prepaid box for me to,ship the watch to them. A couple days later I get a phone call with an offer of $7,500.
They would have given me more except something about the condition of the dials, they apparently were very rare and very hard to source.
I honestly couldn't believe they would give me that kind of money for a watch missing so many critical parts.
Anyways, I took the money and called it a day. The most expensive watch I now own is probably that Hamilton.
I have pics of the Rolex somewhere on my computer.
Click to expand...
I believe it, I was watching Antiques Road Show and they had this guy that had purchased a Sub in Germany during deployment in the 50s or 60s? This thing was beat to pieces, but with the box, papers and hang tags he'd kept it was appraised between $50 and $60,000dollars, his receipt said he paid like $1,200 or $1,400 for the watch back then (which was a lot of money then too)! Some of those old Subs are worth a small fortune. You probably had one, lol!
 
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03hemi said:
I believe it, I was watching Antiques Road Show and they had this guy that had purchased a Sub in Germany during deployment in the 50s or 60s? This thing was beat to pieces, but with the box, papers and hang tags he'd kept it was appraised between $50 and $60,000dollars, his receipt said he paid like $1,200 or $1,400 for the watch back then (which was a lot of money then too)! Some of those old Subs are worth a small fortune. You probably had one, lol!
Click to expand...

I wonder what they will sell it for if they gave me $7500.
 
My wife is more the watch lover than I am she has a few Rolexes (some MOP faces, Diamonds, etc) and others too.
I have one Rolex its the "Batman" watch. My wife got it for a 50th birthday gift for me. I have noticed that value has skyrocketed on the watch.

The Man From Gotham City: The Rolex Batman - Bob's Watches

I don't wear it often it seems too expensive for me...

For some reason, I have a liking for the Milgauss in Black.

I also have an Invicta copy of the "Pepsi" Rolex a whopping $79, I wear without care...
 
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The best I have remaining in wrist watches are two 24j Omega Constellations and a Ball RR standard 25j Automatic. The Ball will run rings around the Omega's in the accuracy dept. All three from the 60's.



Omega Constellation with Pie pan dial


Ball RR standard.


Pockets can get pricey too.
A 26j Pennsylvania Spl by Illinois that sells for around $15k with a good dial.
 
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