jkerouac

At an auto show Bentley dealer exhibit .... a 60-ish executive-type shopper wearing a gold Breitling for Bentley. His wife (??) was sporting her own "nice ice."

The husband store: A store that sells new husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a new husband. At the entrance is a description of how the store operates: You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!" So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs." The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids." The third floor sign reads: "Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids and are Drop-dead Gorgeous." "Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads: "Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous and Help With Housework." "Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!" Still,she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads: "Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with housework and Have a Strong Romantic Streak." She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads: "Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the New Husband Store." To avoid gender bias accusations, the store's owner also opens a New Wives' store just across the street.......... The first floor has wives that love sex. The second floor has wives that love sex and have money. The third through sixth floors have never been visited.

I have purchased a few reps when they first came out -- Ingy, Pam 192, Santos 100, and PO come to mind. The first two were as good as they needed to be right off the bat, in my opinion, and remain two of my very favorite watches. The latter two were good first generation watches, but the versions of these watches that dealers are offering have improved considerably over time. In fairness, the latter two were at least half the price of the first two, so the quality is perhaps in line with "wtf" purchases. In general, though, even if the quality is 90-95% from the start, I think it is good to wait for a number of reasons: Prices typically come down Issues that escaped notice the first time around are fixed But most important, it gives you time to decide whether you really want that watch. There are watches that I practically dreamt about six or nine months ago that aren't even on my list any more. Sometimes you just get caught up in the excitement that surrounds a fantastic new model. That doesn't necessarily make it a must have, especially if you believe in wearing the watches that you own as opposed to simply keeping them in a display box or drawer. Having said all that, you'll have to excuse me now while I spend some more time deliberating whether to get in on the PT Evolution frenzy...

Thanks very much, Admin. Your insights are appreciated, as always. Cheers!

OK, I know we all like to make money and have lovely currency in our wallets -- until we spend it. But I am looking for some advice regarding collectable paper currency, and I am hoping that someone here can assist. My father gave my wife and me sheets of uncut currency for Christmas. He knows that neither of us are coin or currency collectors, but said that choosing the right gifts has become too difficult, and he figured that money is always in fashion. He got that part right, but he is in his 80s, and as his son (and power of attorney in case he becomes incapacitated), I hope to high hell that he didn't pay too much. But I'm also not going to ask him how much he paid. In any case, my wife and I each received sheets of singles, fives, tens, and twenty-dollar bills. These are uncut sequential sheets of four bills printed in the years between 1996 and 2004. As I said, neither of us are collectors, and although I am sure that these uncut sheets would experience a reasonable level of appreciation if we hold onto them for 15 or 20 years, the very notion of holding onto them for that long for that purpose alone seems unrealistic. My wife took hers to a bank branch and they didn't have a clue how to deal with them. That is probably just as well. I took one sheet, a series of four $1 bills, to a local coin shop and the guy offered me $6 for it, saying that it really doesn't have numismatic value, but that he could probably sell it for $10 to someone who would frame it and put it on their wall. He would also take the rest of my sheets off my hands, presumably at a similar markup, but I didn't ask since I didn't have the other sheets with me. The US Bureau of Engraving and Printing sells sheets of four uncut singles for $15.50 and series of four $20 bills for $112. That suggests to me that the fair market price is somewhere between the Bureau's price and the local coin shop's price. At the same time, I see many offers of uncut sheets for 20-25% markup on eBay which seem to go without buyers. I'm a bit perplexed what to do. I have discarded the idea of using the paper cutter to slice them apart to spend on their face value. At the same time, I don't expect that I could get the same price as the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It's hard for me to use ebay as a gauge because most sales seem to be fixed price, and those that do involve bidding are mostly without bids. I see references to "Star Notes," and my 10s and 20s have stars after the serial numbers, but I don't know what that signifies. I assume from the listings that I have read that star notes merit a premium at resale. Advice/suggestions appreciated. Thanks. This is such a knowledgeable crowd that I know that I'll get some extremely constructive advice.

I never really thought about, but then only once have I had to return a watch to a dealer. On the other hand I kind of like the conceit that someone in the US might be selling a rep watch to someone in China, etc. Somehow I don't think that scenario is at the top of customs' list of concerns.

Ishann, You are asking broad questions and there are tons of posts on the board to guide you regarding the reps you identified, the dealers on the board, and any other candidates you might be looking at. I assume you arleady know that all three watches you mentioned are terrific reps, and you probably wouldn't go wrong with any of them. If reliability is a big question mark for you, then I would stick to the IWC or PO, although with proper care and maintenance (same as for a genuine) any of the three should last many, many years.

One of the best things to happen to me in my working life was when the company I was working for was acquired. My "five-year plan" vanished in an instant, but I had an alternate plan and prayed that they would lay me off so I could get severance to pursue my alternate plan. I actually worried that they might like my work enough to find some crap cubby hole job to keep me with the company; I would have had to quit and dig a lot deeper to finance my alternate dream. Fortunately, they did the right thing and laid me off, and I was practically dancing down the hall the day that they broke the "bad" news to me. Hell, I felt bad for them because they had to stay there! That severance helped pay for the next nine months of unemployment, a move from the midwest to the west coast, and a new beginning for me and my wife. Admin, I admire your choice. I know it has not been an easy decision. Good luck, always.

Five or so years ago my brother gave me a Rolex rep that I thought was pretty decent, though it wouldn't measure up by today's standards. A few years later on a visit to Switzerland, where I visit regularly, I got the recurring bug to buy a nice genuine. I hadn't purchased a nice watch in some years, and visiting Switzerland always puts me in the mood to upgrade watches. But I just couldn't see spending the money, even at exchange rates at that time, so I decided to wait until I got home tp scope out a good buy on a genuine. Web searches led to rep dealers, and further research led to RWG 1. The result: over the last 2+ years I have spent more money on reps than I would ever have considered spending on a single genuine. And the watches I have collected are nicer than any gen I would have purchased. I am much more knowledgeable about watches than I was before. And I have found a tremendous community of people from around the world that I consider friends. And if I never purchased another watch in my life [note to wife: fat chance!] that would be worth the price of admission in and of itself.

I, too, am guilty. What is especially sad is that sometimes when I see an attractive couple, I quickly become more interested in what is on his wrist than fully appreciating the woman. It's a disconcerting hint that I am getting old. Another wrinkle to this theme is being in meetings and finding myself much more interested in what watches people are wearing than what is being said. It's pretty bad form to be asked a question at moments when you have no idea what direction the current discussion has taken. Fortunately this hasn't happened to me yet, but not for lack of inattention.

In keeping with forum tradition, shouldn't the snowman motif have stayed up for a few more months? Awesome job, Admin.

Vista is awesome. There are already several watch gadgets. I don't think you can add this one as a gadget, but I'd be delighted if someone were to prove me wrong.

It's an interesting dilemma. If I have a watch that I consider disposable, then I either don't wear it or it is a beater which I will wear doing yard work on other physical activity where I don't care what happens to it. But the rest of the time, I want to wear my favorites, the watches I have a passion for. So yes, I want to take care of them for the long term. Perhaps when they break down in two or three or four or five years down the line the passion will have died down. Or perhaps the passion will still be strong but a newer, improved version is available for the cost of a good service. I don't know, none of my reps have gotten there yet. But I would rather keep my collection small, fewer than 10 watches that I really care about, than have 20 or 30 that I consider disposable. I recall a radio commentary a few years ago on the subject of materialism. Americans, contrary to popular opinion, are not materialistic, this guy argued, because if they were truly materialistic they would value material things more than they do. To truly value and cherish material things is a noble, spiritual good, whereas the throwaway mentality is spiritually impoverished, he said. I've thought a lot about this commentary over the years. I like it because it offers an alternative to the "sackcloth" mentality of antimaterialism, which argues that to live a spiritual life you should live like monks without any worldly possessions. Things such as watches are good and beautiful and rewarding. If I didn't value them, I should just keep one or two -- Casios perhaps as someone else suggested -- or none at all and be done with it. But a good watch is absolutely amazing and beautiful. So if you have a fantastic watch with a quality movement that happens to break down, I would not hesitate to get it overhauled and fixed before tossing it aside for the "next hot watch."

No 3 for a sportier look, no. 2 for a more elegant look. If the choice were mine, it would depend on where I perceive the most significant gap in my collection.

We on the US west coast will be among the last to hit midnight, in about 7.5 hours from now. I believe London and England just celebrated the midnight hour (thanks to watches with GMT hands!). And I'm about to make a smoked salmon & chanterelle risotto dinner for myself and my beautiful bride. 2006 has been an adventure. I can't wait to see what awaits in 2007. Happy 2007 to everyone. Bring it on!!

Yes. Rongoms decided that it has served its purpose. Postings had declined to a trickle. He posted an announcement here and I assume on other boards regarding its demise.

Gran, I assume that is not the original bracelet. But it looks very, very nice. I haven't been wearing my RWG I much lately. But in the last couple of days I have worn my: * SMP GMT * Pam 063 (one of my Christmas presents to myself this year -- thank you Eddie Claus!) * IWC Ingenieur, another successful group project (thank you DT for your efforts that made this happen). All three are absolutely amazing watches, and I would recommend them without reservation to any of you. I still have a bit more than 24 hours left before the new year. I'll probably switch to the SMP or 063 tomorow morning so I can track the new year as it happens for my European relatives. Or perhaps I will switch to the RWG I myself if RWG I is indeed finally fading into the sunset. In any case, I wish all of my RWG friends a happy, fruitful New Year. Thanks for playing a very enjoyable and positive part in my life during 2006. Lets bring on 2007 and new adventures!

I am very happy with almost all of the reps that I own. Considering that most of my life (before I discovered reps) I would wear a single watch for 5 or so years at a time before getting tired of it, I would survive. Of course there will always be those "handful" of watches that I desire to "complete" my collection. I have neither the visual acuity, steady hands, or dexterity to tinker on my watches. So I would probably place greater priority on getting them serviced preemptively so they last the rest of my lifetime (as opposed to wearing them until they need repair and then having them serviced). Long live Joshua and Andrew and Neil and Eddie and River and King and Paul and Angus and Reg and .....

From the looks of the bezel screws I wonder if a spring bar tool would do the trick. It might depend on how much torque you need and how solid the spring bar tool is -- plus, of course, the spacing of the forks on the spring bar tool. By the way, congrats on a nice looking watch. The wrist shots always seem to help communicate the appeal of a new model.

Power supply/electrical system connector problems really rot and frequently seem to cripple electronics that otherwise would still have a few good years of service left in them. It's happened to me with a cell phone, mp3, and a few laptops. I recently got a Toshiba Portege with 2G of RAM. It can double as a tablet PC and I am surprised how well the handwriting recognition works (especially considering how bad my handwriting is!). Does a great job with Vista. Best laptop I've ever used. If you can expense it I would recommend something like that. If it's on your own dime, then the Dells look very nice to me as well. My wife asked for a laptop for Christmas, and although I didn't get her one, I'm hoping that the post-Christmas discounts make a month or so delay worth our while. Good luck.

I particularly like the white Seamaster GMT, but the gen version not the rep because the color of the hands is way off. If I were to buy a gen, this is the watch I would probably buy. The subtle wave pattern on the dial blows me away. You do realize that there is also an SMP GMT? I have this watch and it is fantastic. I have the ETA edition, but there is a version with an Asian movement for about $100 from Andrew. He calls it a 40 mm, but the most conservative measure would be ab. 41 mm.

I have to agree with RT. The Member trading forum has some fantastic values. But even new Pams can be had for good prices. I just received a very nice GMT with an ETA movement from Eddie Lee, whom I don't normally consider a low-priced dealer, for under $200. How can you beat that?

Take two or three high quality reps and look the part (like someone who could own two or three high-end watches) and you should be fine. Take a suitcase full of watches and/or parts and I might be a bit nervous.

Damn. And I just ordered one of Eddie Lee's sale watches instead. I could just kick myself.

Holiday cards for the disturbed.... * 1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear? * 2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are * 3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas * 4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me * 5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and..... * 6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me * 7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire * 8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why * 9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away? * 10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle,Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,