Desuetude

Maybe a CONUS and a CONEU pass around watch? More variety, fewer issues.

Tom, your picture makes me die a little inside. To have thought that there was going to be a bottom of the 9th rally... And I also don't know how you haven't seen PAMs in NYC. It's become almost obnoxious now. I saw 1 on my 5 minute commute to work today, and on monday, I saw not one, but two women wearing 44mm PAMs. I've seen a few women wearing them from time to time, seeing two in one day was a new one. Vbarrett, you are no longer unique in your PAM madness! I also can't remember one day in the last month that I have not seen at least 1 PAM on someone's wrist. Perhaps it depends on what location one happens to be in, but I must say, I see a ridiculous amount. Not to mention the fact that when I was in Cellini the other day, one of the salesmen was complaining to me about how PAMs have become so ubiquitous, that they're losing their enthusiast/cult appeal, and are becoming the new status symbol for people who only wish to display their financial and social status. Granted, I don't agree with the first bit (losing the enthusiast/cult base, come on, there are more rabid paneristi than ever), however, I can't deny the second bit. When I went over to my Uncle's house the other day, I saw him wearing a 212. Needless to say, he had no clue about any PAM history, let alone know that his watch was called a 212. He told me that he had been seeing more people wearing it, and that the local dealer said that PAMs are a really hot status symbol, so he got the most complicated and most expensive (non gold) one they had. I smiled, congratulated him, and told him to wear it in good health, while I died a little inside. Few things disappoint me more than ignorance.

Go to RWI, you'll find WBK there. Look in the dealer trade reviews...WBK is probably one of (if not the most) highly recommended dealers there. He also takes requests if there's a certain watch you want that he hasn't listed. FYI, he has had to take care of some family problems, but he should be back in full swing soon, and he always goes that extra mile to make his customers happy. I've gotten a few pieces from WBK, the experience has been second to none.

I have the Bond SMP GMT, and it is one seriously awesome watch...it really has withstood the test of time (no pun intended, lol). Unfortunately, the bracelet that it came with did not, so I replaced it with an Oyster-style bracelet, which, IMO, looks so much better than the stock Speedy bracelet. From the look of it, I'm sure this SMP GMT is equally good! Not to mention the fact that WBK is really a pleasure to deal with!

Haven't there been members here that have removed the second hands themselves? I'd be interested to hear them speak up.

This is true. According to her, there are some males (classmates) who resent her, and others who support her. She says that in a general context, since she says that she finds there is more opposition than she has experienced in the past. I suppose it's like that in any walk of life, however. Doc, thanks for the well wishes and the advice, I will be sure to pass it on to her, it is a great metaphor! Needless to say, she is extremely intelligent (albeit ditzy at times about practical matters), and I have come across few people in my life that are capable of her level of dedication and commitment to a goal, even to the neglect of other things. Ironically, she says the same about me. "German Norwegian, possibly rich gay Nazi". Any more superlatives that we can pin on this rather aloof individual to make him any more comical?

Yup, you hit on it...it's all about how you carry it. I would never wear a pink suit. However, I can wear things that other men might feel uncomfortable wearing, and yet my sexuality is never questioned. If one constantly doubts his own sexuality, of course he is going to constantly question or flat out reject anything based on the slightest perception of any elements that are remotely feminine. Men who know themselves aren't going to govern themselves based on such stringent standards. Just my .02

Precisely. I think my statements may have come off a bit coarse. That je ne sais quoi that we were both referring to transcends wealth, social stature, origins, etc. There are plenty of people of very, very modest means who project that air of refinement and sophistication that others couldn't hope to attain, even with the help of experts. I know plenty of people of great means who do not posses this elegance, this je ne sais quoi. They could not buy, nor rent it. I am fortunate enough (well, depending on one's perspective...I think I was fortunate ) to have the je ne sais quoi, a master of distinction, elegance, confidence, and refinement, who remains extremely approachable, sensitive and at ease with himself and others. Others may think that I'm a loony who takes himself way too seriously. Thus far, nobody has ever called me that (well, to my face!). My current girlfriend, as well as my mother both came from very modest means. Both posses all of these traits. Therefore, I think I should clarify...my initial statement pertained more to how a woman carries and presents herself, however, the main factor is the manner in which she compliments me. If a woman says "wow, your watch is stunning, is that a breguet?" when I'm wearing one of my benzingers (they are the most frequently complimented pieces in my lineup, and both are always mistaken for Breguets, which is totally understandable), she could be wearing a floral print moo-moo...I'm going to strike up a convo, simply because it was a genuine comment from someone who appreciates horology, not someone who appreciates the financial means needed to afford such trappings...I may be a bit shallow in certain respects, but I'm not THAT shallow! Regrettably, I have yet to run across a woman wearing a moo-moo compliment me on my watches...my life would be a little bit more fulfilled having had that experience. However, with someone like that, I'm not going to lie...it is much more of a "guilty until proven innocent" mentality, whereas a woman with the je ne sais quoi will get the "innocent until proven guilty" treatment. Not to mention the Paris Hilton types...they might as well be on death row in my book, I flatly refuse to interact with such types unless someone I know and trust can vouch for her legitimacy. Again, as I said above, wealth has nothing to do with it. There are plenty of women with money who are startlingly trashy. For what it's worth, I've never met a trashy woman of great means who earned said means on her own. I've met classy ones who did it on their own...I've met frumpy ones who did it on their own. I have great respect for women who fit into these categories, and everything in between. However, I have yet to find a trashy one who got it on her own. Like I said above, one cannot buy, nor rent class. Trashy women with money are able to be trashy with more expensive things. It has nothing to do with her means...trash is trash, whether black, white, latino, asian, or any other race one may find on this earth. Yes, you have met a gold digger; I'd venture to say that you've met many. In some cases, it is sheathed in a polished, refined exterior. In others, it is painfully apparent. In fact, in many of the former cases, money isn't the ONLY appeal to the woman...however, it is certainly of great concern. I have had the misfortune of discovering the painful, painful reality of girlfriends having significant alterior motives (money) in two long-term relationships at a young age. I am now watching this happen to my uncle. I pegged this woman as a gold digger from the start. She is nice, reasonably sophisticated (needed a bit of decoration and fashion coordination sense, but I overlooked that), and capable of holding a halfway decent conversation. I should also mention that she isn't destitute by any means, however, hers and my uncle's respective financial situations are in two different galaxies. However, the fact that she is a raging liberal, yet insisted on getting engaged before moving in with my uncle struck me as suspect. The fact that she flatly refused to sign the pre-nup, and has refused to see him until he PROMISES to not make her sign a pre-nup, really made her true colors shine through. Pretty sad. If money hadn't been her primary concern, she wouldn't have been half bad for him. I can't begin to recount the other blatant examples of gold digging opportunism that I have personally experienced. It makes the prospect of finding someone really daunting. Your parents raised you properly. My parents raised me and my sister in the same fashion. My sister is a pretty gifted and accomplished artist...yet she majored in biochem at UPenn, and is currently at med school studying to become a neurosurgeon. Art is a socially acceptable field for women. However, society still relegates most science and medical related subjects as male domains. Needless to say, it didn't stop her; it only inspired her to be the best, and to stand out the most. The vast range of interests/passions that my sister and I have are a testament to this. My opinions on golddiggers, however, comes strictly from experience. Not to mention the fact that my mother and sister both share even stronger views on such individuals, and are my primary screening resource. t

Funny encounter. Personally, if I was wearing a BP and a very elegantly dressed, classy, attractive young woman wearing a nice watch paid me a compliment, I would be caught off guard for a second or two, but would have already processed the situation by the time the reflexive "thanks" was said. I would then proceed to be cordial, compliment her on her watch and appearance, and strike up a convo about watches, etc. On the other hand, if a woman who was trashy/slutty/gaudy/tasteless in appearence and/or personality/conduct, the reflexive "thanks" would ensue, but that's where the convo would end, irrespective of the watch she might have been wearing. In my eyes, a compliment on my watch coming from a woman like that carries opportunism (golddigging) with it. Perhaps I am oversensitive, but I think I would be hard pressed to find any male who wholeheartedly disagrees with this statement. I should also add that the above qualifications do not include a woman who happens to be casually dressed, so long as she carries herself with a suitable air of elegance and class. That said, if a man compliments me on a watch, I still do cater my reaction a little bit based on overall impressions, but I am generally non-judgmental when it comes to receiving a compliment from a dude. It has been my experience that a man will usually only offer a compliment on a watch if he is relatively versed or interested in horology, particularly if he recognizes or is curious about the make. Call me sexist, but I simply feel that guys have little or no underlying motives when paying a compliment on a watch, whereas women are more likely to have some underlying motives.

My MBK/MBW does not have a screw-down crown...what gives? Also, Pix, are you saying the VCO is superior or inferior in finish by comparison?

Dammit nanuq, effin' A! I am now on that Kontiki! -Disclaimer: nanuq, i offer my sincere thanks for the link, everything stated above was purely in jest

That super kontiki must be the version that they gave to the special forces branch of the IDF. Pretty sure that the orange was only given to them.

Love it!

I believe that The Zigmeister does work on them, since he lists them in his current capabilities+price list doc.

Is that 2000/3000 RMB/day that they're quoting you?

+2

As the title asks, is there really such a thing? A co-worker of mine wears a datejust, which he told me is extremely rare version made of PT (even though the oyster bracelet is brushed???). I had been meaning to ask a question online confirming whether or not this was the case. Tonight, while having sushi and some drinks, it came up in conversation that he recently bought a new bracelet for it from Rolex, which ran to the tune of 9k. He also offered to let me hold it/wear it the next time I saw it. Obviously, the last bit will end any speculation on whether or not the watch is actually PT...I do know what a gen DJ feels like, and if it is truly PT, it will be a brick. That said, given that he was wearing his Cartier today, I couldn't feel it for myself. Therefore, I pose a question to all of the really serious rolex buffs out there...what's the deal with this? Was there really a full PT datejust made (he said there are less than 350 of them). That said, this guy would NOT be the type to BS me, nor would he be the type to buy it from a shady non-AD store (he said he got it when he was in france). That said, I just wanted to confirm, since my brief searches have turned up nothing. Can anyone shed any light on the matter?

Called Bipolar, V

But of course! Anyone who does otherwise is just.....off

I see your $210.....$220

People who don't wear watches have caused global warming, the proliferation of WMDs, Bin Laden, Kim Jong-Il, and....PARIS HILTON! Yes...PARIS. Do you want to contribute to continued global warming? Help Paris's lack of tact and class continue to be hammered into the minds of the innocent? If you answered yes to any of these questions...DO NOT WEAR A WATCH! I remember my first watch...it was a Timex Ironman. It was bronze and black, with hunter green accents, and a black rubber strap. I remember being extra proud of it having a rubber strap, since I was big enough to not need a velcro strap! . I was 6 years old. God only knows where that watch is. I still have the first watch I saved up money to buy...it was a gold plated "Hard Rock Cafe" watch. Quartz, cream dial with the logo printed on the face, fake brown croc band. I was 7 years old. I thought it would be worth alot of money someday, so I kept it in its original packaging. It had started turning green by the time I was 14. So much for that plan! I still have the G-Shock I bought when I was 10, and the #45 Michael Jordan comeback watch (I think that thing might actually have some memorabilia value). Long story short, time has always been of paramount importance to me, even though I'm not always the most punctual individual around. I will never, ever be seen without a watch.

But I love my scratch 'n sniff asbestos deployants! I love 'em almost as much as my DDTanned straps!

Wow, that is really remarkable!

I don't see why eta REPS would cost more, since producing ETA reps has no bearing on the production of actual ETAs. That said, I've been thinking about buying a Swiss V7750 for the hell of it while I still can...

Thanks for this awesome reference!