jkerouac

When I first posted this I hadn't thought about pawn shops from the rep angle, simply that people overspend on watches and then find it easy to hock them when they need discretionary cash for something they do not absolutely need.

Obviously you should always be completely honest when portraying a rep for sale or as loan collateral. But if you think about it, I presume the typical pawn shop customer (that is, someone looking to buy a watch or whatever) is a major league bargain hunter. With these bargain hunter customers, I'll bet a pawn shop operator could do a bang up business selling reps for a profit -- as long as they state they are reps and as long as they find a way to not risk being prosecuted for selling reps.

Thanks very much, Lello, for your hard work and dedication to this project.

I will keep my eyes open for your parcel.

Thanks Neil. That is a gorgeous watch. Let us know when the rep becomes available.

My context, as you deduced, has less to do with the $40,000 tourbys, but the much less costly, but still expensive (in my opinion) tourbys that you see every now and then.

I think every collector needs to decide at what point they intend to service their watches as they age, or simply replace them. For me that point would be somewhere between $200 and $300 original cost, although that could vary up or down depending on how fond I am of the watch. Even at the much lower price points for a rep tourby, I would not consider it a throwaway under any circumstances, so serviceability would be huge issue for me with these watches.

I'm wondering, if you buy a tourbillon, does it take unusual skills to service them? In other words, would any better than average watchsmith be able to properly service this kind of complication -- or would you have to find a smithy who has a more specialized skillset? And would the service charge be comparable to say a chrono, for example, would it be more expensive, or would it be less expensive?

For the premium that a tourbillon commands, and the unique (delicate even?) nature of the complication, I would not want to treat it as a disposable item.

It's probably better to wait longer and have a better final product.

By that measure it had better be one of the very best reps ever.

Use it to set/track the time in a second time zone, say if you are traveling or simply want to know what time it is in a different part of the world. Next to a date function, GMTs are my favorite complication because, unlike chronos, I actually use them.

It is an honor to be a member of a forum that includes gentlemen of Ubi's character, generosity, and insight.

I generally wear one watch for the entire work week; occasionally I switch out mid-week. I don't like to get caught up in choosing and setting a different watch every single day. I don't wear suits or ties, and usually wear jeans and polo shirts, so matching colors is not a bid deal.

On the weekend, however, I might switch between three different watches in a day between casual, chores/sport, and dressy.

I'm a bit surpised by this whole spat.

The monitor is not a benefit or advantage to RWG. It is a courtesy to visitors, you might call them "customers," of multiple sites.

It's not about RWG vs. RWI. I belong to both, as well as TRC and RWG I, for that matter. So I as a customer take it personally when the RWI "owner" calls for the removal of this innocuous feature.

I like the fact that the RWG admin puts thought and energy into little details that are of benefit to customers even if they have little or not benefit to him. I wish more board admins and business people in general did the same.

Looks and sounds like one hell of a great weekend.

But the watch weenies on the board want to know what what watch you are wearing during your training, and, ideally, some wrist shots.....particularly when you are practicing those landings.

Cheers.

Actually, I was hoping the picture would be of Hillary wearing the Pam. That would be a statement!

Gun control is an important issue for discussion, but I do not think it is the key issue here. What strikes me time and again is that we have developed a culture that is largely desensitized to violence, whether through live news, government and other social (religious) leaders who gloss over the impact of their policies on real people, movies, video games, etc.

We read about or see images of people being killed or maimed all the time. But does that really lead to an understanding of what it is like for a soldier on the front lines in Iraq, a woman simply trying to buy groceries to feed her family there or in Africa or elsewhere, or a student preparing for finals who suddenly is faced with death or severe injury to him or herself or to teachers and classmates?

The stories of maimed soldiers trying to rebuild their lives in army hospitals that are falling apart and run by the worst sort of bureaucrats, or children suddenly without limbs or eyes, those are images we should come to terms with rather than glossing over the body count in the latest video game or action movie (our hero James Bond included).

Until we come to terms with those issues, until society really feels and comes to terms with its own worst impulses and potential for inflicting pain and misery, then gun control remains a moot point.

Sorry to hear about the rep situation, but owning your own house is a great thing, as long as you plan to live there for at least a few years. Rather than focus on the loss, focus on what you will be gaining.

But excuse me, I guess I have to head over to TRC to see if I can help out.

In the US, all taxpayers have to file their income tax returns by April 15 (because the 15th this year falls on a Sunday, the deadline has been extended to the 17th).

I just listened to a radio report on pawn shops. One shop owner said they call the period leading up to April 15th as "the Ten Days of Rolex," in honor of the many customers who pawn their Rolexes in order to be able to pay the tax collector.

Cute.

Now you have to excuse me as I scrounge for spare change to pay MY taxes.

That's the Yin and the Yang of it,

The Thing 'an the Thang of it,

But I just never could get the hang of it:

This Rep Love just ain't the real deal.

My movement's dead,

My dial's a LED,

And my dealer's gone missin'

With all my WU dough

Does anyone know how I feel?

Can anyone tell me

If my Superlume is real?

Even my dog knows my Sub is a fake

Got bitten bad

By that rotten snake...

I'm telling you,

This Rep Love is too hard to take....

(Etc., La, la, la, and so on)

I hope some of the board musicians take the "mod" challenge by putting these touching lyrics to guitar, drums, piano....eh harpsichord anyone?

Most of my faves have already been mentioned, but I'm surprised no one included

Springsteen Live 75-85

or

Woodstock (that one dates me for sure!)

And how about the Grateful Dead's Live Dead ???

Another decent live album is 10,000 Maniacs Unplugged

I just submitted my payment. Thanks very much Lello.

It is important that the people who originally expressed interest follow through so that Lello does not take a loss on this project -- otherwise we shouldn't look to similar volunteer efforts in the future.

By the way, payment info was added to the first post in this thread. I didn't look there until after I had sent Lello a PM asking for his payment info.

Also, there is a small typo in this paypal information. He lists it as mail@ leonellocalvetti.com . You need to delete the extra space following the @ symbol.

For a wedding you should wear something like a PAM187 or PAM194, Omega Railmaster XXL, a U-Boat, Breitling Avenger Seawolf, Corum Bubble, or especially something like a Graham Chronofighter - that crown guard is lovely.

For the casual occasion, such as a pick-up basketball game, I'd recommend a Patek Philippe Calatrava, or an AP Royal Oak. Perhaps an A & L would be appropriate too.

Hope that helps everyone!

Thanks. I've memorized those guidelines and recommend that everyone else should do the same.

Happy Easter, and here's hoping the Easter Bunny visits your back yard!

Ditto. Please relay our regards and best wishes.

I had the pleasure of buying one watch from Dave during his fund raising auction for his mother's nursing home. Although the watch was a fantasy version that I no longer wear, it was worth it during my early days on the forum just to exchange e-mails and become acquainted with Dave. Needless to say the discussion ranged more interesting subjects than mailing info.

Ensuring That Your Cartier

Is Really a Cartier

Existing Efforts to Weed Out

Welter of Fakes Fall Short;

A Labor-Intensive Solution

By CHRISTINA BINKLEY

April 5, 2007; Page D1

With prices of designer handbags, high-end watches and crystal vases skyrocketing, some retailers envision a kind of Blue Book for luxury goods: Trade in your Orrefors decanter for a certain price and head straight to Bergdorf Goodman for the new model.

An established secondary market for luxury goods would not only simplify the resale market but encourage consumers to buy authentic, if used, goods instead of fakes.

This Jaeger-LeCoultre watch was identified as a fake because the word "automatique" was misspelled.

"Customers who might have bought fake can buy pre-owned. The beauty of it is it's an asset -- you can trade it again," says Michael Sheldon, a former private-equity banker who founded Portero, an online auction site for luxury goods.

Online sites like eBay were supposed to streamline the resale process for buyers. Instead of dragging your Balenciaga bag or Cartier watch to the consignment shop, you could simply post it online. But as anyone who's tried to buy such items online knows all too well, rampant counterfeiting makes the process treacherous.

"Luxury goods are particularly vulnerable to fraud online because they are design-intensive. It costs a lot to make the first one and it costs very little to make the rest of them," says Travis Brown, general counsel for Buysafe Inc., a company that bonds all sorts of online merchants.

The biggest problem until now has been that because of the deluge of items involved, most attempts to police Internet counterfeits have involved certifying sellers as honest, rather than certifying the myriad goods as authentic. The theory is that an honest seller will sell genuine goods -- or refund the money if they mess up. But this isn't always the case.

How Portero authenticates a Patek Philippe wristwatch.

Buysafe.com, for example, investigates online merchants much as a lender would, and has bonded 3,500 of them like an insurer. Buysafe offers a virtual mall of these insured sellers at www.buysafeshopping.com1 and it works closely with some vendors on sites such as Overstock.com's auction site (www.auctions.overstock.com2) and eBay. But just because sellers are bonded doesn't mean they are able to police every item they sell.

EBay, the world's biggest online seller, has a sort of finger-in-the-dike program that it calls VeRO (Verified Rights Owner). Designers and manufacturers may join VeRO. They are responsible for searching out counterfeits on eBay, and asking to have the items removed from the site. But this doesn't appear to have held back the flood of fakes on the site. EBay argues that it can't guarantee everything that trades on its site, so buyers should get to know sellers, ask for close-up pictures, and research the goods.

The problem with the Buysafe and eBay models is that they leave me, the dummy consumer, to authenticate my purchase and chase down a refund if necessary. After experimenting with this method for a Prada bag, I concluded it would be easier to get a second job and earn money to pay retail. There is just no way to ensure the real McCoy by inspecting photographs and emailing with sellers.

One of the best options on the Web for buying authentic merchandise right now is Portero.com3, an online auction site that does the dirty work -- manually authenticating every item that trades on its site. The solution is labor intensive for the company but not for consumers. At a warehouse in Armonk, N.Y., a team of authenticators evaluates jewelry, watches and collectibles. They are sold by Portero -- a name that means "gatekeeper" in Spanish -- or a consignor and are delivered with a money-back guarantee of authenticity. The company's claim to fame: not a single item returned as fake in 60,000 auctions.

Manufacturers see value in a healthy secondary market and Portero's approach. The Swiss luxury conglomerate Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA has provided financial backing for Portero, which sold $10 million worth of goods last year. Lalique is certifying its crystal and other items. Luxury watch giant Tourneau trained Portero's sleuths to weigh watches, open their backs, and inspect second-hand movements and placement of serial numbers.

Sellers display counterfeit goods in New York City.

Portero has been evolving for three years. It started out as DropShop on eBay. When Mr. Sheldon feared eBay's trouble with fakes was pressuring his prices, he changed the name, then abandoned eBay. The latest Web site launches publicly on April 26, but it is already up and running.

Portero's main drawback is that its selection is severely limited, at least for now. The other issue: don't expect the same kind of dirt-cheap deals that fuel the fantasies of eBay aficionados. There are no $50 Omega watches here. Most items range in price from about $1,000 to $20,000. Its revenues -- which include a roughly 25% commission on consignment goods -- have to cover the overhead required to authenticate and photograph the goods.

In return, Portero has weeded out anything that smells fishy, such as a fake cache of David Yurman jewelry whose five pieces weighed too little and whose soldering wasn't typically clean.

One of the Portero sleuths' all-time favorite fakes was a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch with a beautiful leather band. The only flaw was a biggy: the word "automatique" was missing its 'i'.

Heck, isn't Jimmy Buffett a billionaire by now -- and doesn't he live down in your neighborhood, southern Florida?

Actually, I'd wager you clean up rather nicely if given the occasion (as would I, though I generally try to avoid an excess of those occasions).

I just noticed that Pug is back and already climbing up the ranks of the top 20 daily posters.

It's hard to imagine how you survived the days without the board.

I hope we can assume that the move was smooth and uneventful, or at least that it is going smoothly and uneventfully.

Now, we're talking! I only do road biking, and I never do it for commuting. I appreciate the sport of cycling, and it is great exercise.

I have two road bikes.

One is a Colnago Extreme C. This is the commerical version of the bike used by the Rabobank team back in the 2005 tour de france.

I also have a Trek 1400 2006 version. I think this is the best value road bike out there.

Gooch,

Congrats on both. I also have a 1400, but my 1400 is around 17 years old. I purchased it after I bought my first condo and got my first tax refund check as a homeowner. I figured I could use the check to buy nice dining room chairs to go with the marble dining room table that I had just bought, or....I could use the money to have some fun. Fun and the bike won out. The 1400 is absolutely the best purchase of my life and has given me uncountable miles of pleasure and many, many good cycling friendships.

Thanks, Tim. Quite a few very, very funny bits. And I'm still listening.

Damn, I should get some work done.