Pugwash

You want a statement? Get one of Reg's Silbersteins.

Ok, the Rolex example ... Rolex was family-owned and decided to weather out the Quartz revolution (they were more of a trust than a company at this time) and in doing so kept the mechanical market alive. The difference we're having is that I see a company as more than just a benefit drive for shareholders. Shareholders in general don't care how a company makes a profit or what they make a profit on, and that can lead to ... um, on-topic, Ferrari Panerais. I'm not saying I'm right, but that's the way I see it.

I disagree. It's a terrible way to run a company, but a good way to make money. Shareholder revenue isn't a mark of success, it's merely a mark of making money. Shareholders care about their returns, not the success of the company. It's a subtle difference, but it's there. For example, Rolex, and therefore most of the modern mechanical watchemakers, wouldn't be here today if they'd relied on listening to the shareholders. You can't have a decent long term plan post-yuppie boom.

sub-MAH-rih-nuh not sub-ma-REE-nuh

The problem with boards of directors is that their sole responsibility is to the shareholders. Their job is to increase shareholder value, which leads to outsourcing and short-term gains. It's a stupid way of running a business, to be honest. But that's an argument for a different day.

I disagree. Panasonic have the non-SLR middle ground quality for me. It's all about the glass.

See, I knew he'd mention it too. He rates these cameras, as does Narikaa, and for all the right reasons.

Odd, but I definitely like it.

Not yet, no. I can tell you were disappointed with this watch, but I'm enjoying the parry/riposte ragging on each other's watches.

If you're interested in following the trends, try http://www.flickr.com/cameras/

I can see that. I'm currently trying to find accurate pictures so I can mix some acrylic paint and completely redo my bezel by hand. Yes, it's that bad. Still, it looks the business, flaws and all, and still beats the Inge.

Just to clarify, my first photo tutorials were taken with a PoS 2.1MP Fuji Finepix. The photos of the camera were taken with my good camera, but the watch pics were taken with the crappy one. Sure, looking back, I've got a lot better, but if you just need a camera for taking watch shots, get the best 5MP camera with the biggest hunk o'glass on the front you can afford. Another thing to take into consideration is weight. Do you want to have to carry a camera bag when you go walking or would you rather wear a camera round your neck? If neither of those appeals to you, go for an in-the-pocket Compact from a good brand.

Yeah, the Inge looks like its bezel fell off. Can you tell I'm not that big a fan?

Me too, but it's not going to happen.

Don't buy a Panasonic purely on the strength of my photos, just don't rule it out. SLRs are great for changeable lenses. You also get better quality internals on the Nikon/Canon DSLRs. As has been said before, read DPReview (you'll see I even linked to it on my Panasonic post) as it's the number one resource for comparing cameras.

Just got mine, so paws off! I think the Inge is a better rep, but the 2000m is a better watch.

Anything Zappa says is gospel. The man was a god.

I use a non-SLR camera for my pics. It's a Panasonic DMC-FZ20 and can be bought new for cheap. The replacement models (much better) are around $500 for the 10MP version.

That Sea-gull ST19 movement is a copy of the Venus 175. Cheers. I hope to get rid of a few of the less-worn pieces just to tighten up the collection and make it harder to decide what to wear.

UPDATE 28-11-2006 Chrono Madness There was a group buy recently organised for the IWC Portuguese Chrono from Silix Prime, and this watch was an absolute must-have. I ordered it in standard configuration, but later got the black moocroc to make it perfect. After this, I saw the Breitling Navitimer sold by Ruby and, after a lot of down-time, I finally got it on my wrist on a Bob For Breitling strap. Another IWC On my long list of must-haves, there was always the IWC Aquatimer 2000m and I recently got one off Precious Time. For all its faults, it's a gorgeous watch and is earning serious wrist time.

The wider one is a link-and-a-half, for fine-tuning the size.

I'm a big fan of the modern Fortis watches.

No, I wiped out that possibility with a new laptop instead. My camera is perfectly adequate for now.

A couple of photoshop sketches for fun while the rapidograph design goes too slowly.

Today is new watch day. Check out what this has benched: My collection is getting rather large.