Desuetude

Without divulging information not fit for a public forum, here is my rebuttal. I'm not saying that every last man at the top is a humble saint. For any man to be driven to such heights, he must have an ego. It has been my experience that for many who have amassed wealth and accomplishments matched only by a handful of others, beating their chest is the least of their priorities. Do they feel embarassed about their accomplishments? Hardly, they are proud that they have been so fortunate. Do they feel a need to run amok, beating their chests? In a word...no. Here's an example...three weekends ago, when I was at a polo match being sponsored by a good family friend, one who happens to be a very successful individual in the industry I work in. I was introduced to an individual who happens to be a mid level guy at a 3rd tier company in the industry. He was at the match with his wife, who is the daughter of a well known, very successful local businessman who I know through another hobby. After becoming irked by this individual's relentless attempts to belittle me by bragging about his business "achievements" (which were one stop short of laughable, btw), I politely excused myself, and proceeded to return to my seat next to my family friend, and resume the pleasant conversation that we had been having. Ten minutes later, the braggart returns, and after giving me a condescending greeting with an aroma of sleaziness, he zeros in on my friend, and was so rude that he made the mistake of failing to ask his name...he only mentioned his own after asking my friend a few questions that he thought would've been rhetorical. His statement that iced the cake would have been like an Air King owner belittling another man because he thinks he can't afford a rolex...when the other man happens to be wearing a Patek 5101P. Instead of decimating his ego in front of an entire audience, he simply says "Nice Rolex", and nothing more. Although this was a metaphor for the actual statement the braggart made and the exchange that followed, I think you get the point. My friend could've beaten his chest, and as a captain of industry, he would have every right to. Instead, he was graceful, acknowledged the braggart, and resumed his conversation with me. He had his acquired 5101P on, and his alloy-bodied 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB in the parking lot...needless to say, he is pretty secure. Why bother belittling the braggart? The people in the industries that I know would have done the same. Most people in his shoes follow my mother's advice, which is, "if the other guy is so low that he feels he needs to (attack, belittle, etc) you, why stoop to his level? You're the one up top."

No disrespect, but I'm not going to validate the success of an athlete based on the fact that they're an A-hole. They built their success on their own determination to win, whether or not they're a d*ck about it is their own problem. What I'm saying is that the truly successful do not feel a need to BRAG about their achievements. I will never go around gloating to others about my success in the industry I'm in. That kind of behavior is not only unbecoming, it demonstrates to others that you posses a character flaw, which they may see as weakness. I see it as compensation for feelings of underachievement. In business, I am an "iron fist in the golden glove" (no, i did not mean velvet), which my father and mother both hammered into me at a very young age. Agressiveness and grace. It's served me quite well; it commands uncompromised respect, I.E respect without resentment. Do I go around to other people who may not know me and tell them about how amazing (or not, LOL) I am? Never. I feel no need to. I let my reputation do the talking.

That holds true in just about any walk of life. Those who are truly successful/capable let their actions speak for themselves.

Excuse me, I think you're being very unfair. I think that musicians tops the whole list. Kanye West's ego outweighs all of the above 5 combined.

I live in the US, and most of my shirts have french cuffs *shrugs* Personal style, perhaps?

Those are AWESOME! Bought them...can't wait to get 'em! They'll definitely be the coolest $125 cufflinks I've ever owned!

I love visiting MWF, and would love to acquire some WWII era stuff, but I just don't have the patience to start a whole new realm of the hobby, one that requires serious knowledge in order to prevent being burned. Going to MWF constantly reminds me that I have next to zero when it comes to historical military pieces. Therefore, I will keep reminding myself to get a Marathon SAR and a PRS-2 Dreadnought. Both of them are currently in service, but are perennially awesome.

I can't argue with you on any of those points. It's like how I love the RG Montoya and Barichello, but I could never justify paying the absurd prices that they go for. As of right now, the only other limited ROO I could justify would be the Volcano, simply because they haven't shot miles past their MSRP yet. Also, the fact that the ROO heavy hitters put me in Lange 1, FP Journe and Ulysse Nardin Freak/Sonata territory, I can't justify spending that kind of money on them. To be frank, I'd rather go pick up the Platinum UN Sonata sitting in my AD's case...or pick up one of the newer UN Freaks in RG, and have something that is distinct beyond reproach. I love the ROO, but when it comes down to it, I doubt that I'll still want any L.E ROO in 10 years (as much as it kills me to say that), whereas I doubt I'd ever wish to part with one of the aforementioned pieces. I also agree with you about buying on Ebay...I wouldn't care to "buy at my own risk" for something of that nature.

I did not, since the only omega logo buckle that I have is the deployant that came with the watch, which tapers down to about 20mm IIRC (I can't remember what it was since I got the watch in Nov '06, and basically threw the strap in the garbage as soon as it arrived, and put the buckle in my case). See pics below for an idea of what it looks like; sorry that there really isn't a good shot of the entire watch with the strap . I love that the XXL accepts 24mm straps. It is just as chameleonic as a PAM when it comes to straps, IMO. V, given that you're pretty comfortable wearing sizable watches, for what this cost, I would give this a go. It accepts 24mm straps, and like I was saying above, is incredibly versatile, and is remarkably accurate (as long as you ignore the lack of AR, and don't look at the movement in the back, since the bridges in the 6498 on the gen are very different). Especially after softening the edges of the case, I don't think it's any more cumbersome to wear than a 1950. Anyhow, see pics below for Bony Croc+Railmaster XXL:

I have that strap on my Railmaster rep...it is great! You will definitely be very happy with it.

I've always been so enamored with the Safari that I never even considered whether or not it was lumed. I would like it to have lume, but I really have very few watches with lume, so I suppose that it really has never been a huge consideration. It still wouldn't make me love the safari any less. . I still am upset that I missed it for that price, I can't seem to find them for anything under 18k nowadays.... Live and learn, I suppose.

You should get one anyway. My Seiko 6139-729A from 1976 is still one of my favorite watches, and gets significant wrist time. Along with my Seamaster GMT (21J), it has been to hell and back, hasn't been serviced in 15 years, and still runs +8 seconds a day. They are truly timeless...not only because of the style, but because you simply can't kill 'em!

Today I returned to my room to discover that the dial of my PAM wall clock (ordered from River) was pretty darn warped; it was pretty heated from the sun exposure from my window. I took it apart, and have the case+crystal apart from the dial and backing. It's a sandwich dial, and the top part of the sandwich separated from the bottom layer of lume. I think that I can reunite the two layers, and subsequently re-flatten the dial, but it is rather difficult to do with the dial locked in by the hands. Does anyone have any clues as to how to remove the hands from this wall clock, or any wall clock for that matter. Because the scale is way bigger, I figured that some people would have some insight, but I don't want to mess the clock up before even having a chance to try and fix it because I borked the hand removal. Any help is extremely appreciated!

Either way, it is one heavy hitting piece. Manfredi in Greenwich had an AP ROO Safari that was in 97% condition for 14k about 3 months ago. I had the credit card in my hand, but I shied away. I've been regretting that decision ever since.

I really wouldn't worry about it. Newark is usually too concerned about not losing your luggage in the first place.

Yes, it is. Good buddy of mine has the ROO rubberclad with the black dial. It has some serious presence.

I'm glad so many people appreciate my sense of humor!

Precisely. I disassembled and reassembled pretty much everything in my house until...well basically until I moved out I shouldn't even get started with the borderline felonious things I did with cars as a teenager. I generally buy things because I have a genuine appreciation for them. I own some watches that are totally unknown to anyone except the true watch cognoscenti. Do I find that others are often interested in what watch I happen to be wearing? Absolutely...but I certainly didn't buy the watch to get that reaction. If they happen to react the same way I did to a given watch, then I give them respect for having good taste . If not, it's fine...I didn't buy the watch for them anyway. And I don't feel overworked...I'd go crazy if I wasn't working hard. I am happy, emotionally fulfilled. I'm certainly not unlucky in both platonic and romantic love. I just think that the writer is bitter, and feels a need pat his own back. He's the one who appears to be emotionally unfulfilled.

Ah, a woman after my own heart! I wish my girl would be more daring like you...valentino is lovely (her usual), but there is something so alluring about a woman with the self-confidence to wear something truly bold. Clothing is a horrible habit of mine...I'm probably pushing close to 100 charvets alone. Suits and shirts usually have to be fully bespoke (46-32L is pretty difficult to find off the rack, ), fortunately I have a florentine tailor that comes to my office once every two months to help me with my fix. My latest "thing" is a real trip back in time, but with a major power spin...for example, today was a 3 button navy w/pinstripe, white collar and french cuff turnbull+asser shirt in royal blue, maize over indigo Charvet, heirloom onyx+diamond WG cufflinks, and....wait for it....maize silk suspenders, LOL. Based on the reaction of the females around me... I succeeded.

I've worn some pretty ostentatious straps with my 112...I have an awesome time doing so. I even wore around the pale pink calf that I got for my girl to wear on my 112, simply for the hell of it. Then again, most guys aren't built like me. And when I go out wearing it, it gets nothing but the most positive reactions from the fairer sex. Then again, I do many things for the hell of it. Like the time I decided that whenever I would wear red Charvet ties (love those things!) that I would wear my (since departed ) ABP red stingray strap with my 112. I thought that I was going to get looks of disgust from people. I have never had so many high-powered individuals compliment me on a combo before. My partner says that only I could pull that off though. In the opposite way, it seems like you are very much the same, Miss V.

Not rushing you at all, buddy! Just excited to get my watches!

This is why TWP is the man! Now, if only I had a few TWP specials in my hand to shoot! PS, it's an awesome idea!

My girl steals my gen 112F way, way, way too often. She always puts a BOB orange or red croc strap on it though. Suits her personality

Agreed...if it didn't have Yacht Master II emblazoned on the bezel, I think that people would be singing a very, very different tune. It's a great new in-house movement with a unique layout, and very fresh, yet classic style...minus the #$)@*(#$)(ing YMII slathered on the damn bezel! If only they had found some way to make the bottom part of the bezel functional, just using more numbers, markings...SOMETHING! I should develop a new line of bezels for the Gens that either rearrange the functional layout of the current one, or just uses the same look/style as the yachtmaster 1. In concept, I would think that people would line up around the block to buy the new YMII if they knew they could rid themselves of that ugly bezel...but then I breathe a sigh of dismay as I realize that there are already waiting lists for 1 year and growing. What has this world come to!?

There was the time a grown man with his children in tow deliberately threw a football at my car while I was in a lovely, quiet suburban town, making a left hand turn at a 4 way intersection, which he and his children were crossing approximately 10-15 feet away from my car. Apparently he said that I almost hit his kids (like I said...they were a legit 10-15 feet away). I saw the inflated pigskin launch out of his hand toward my 1 month old car out of the corner of my eye. When the thud of the impact reverberated through the moving car (approx. 15 mph), I had already yanked the handbrake. I popped my seatbelt and grabbed the door handle just in time for my left foot to kick the door open. I was later informed that my car was still moving as I leapt out of it. At that point, my memory gets kinda fuzzy. I was later told that I verbally lashed out at the offending individual with unprecedented venom and volume. I do remember his children grabbing their father's legs, shaking in fear. I actually felt pretty bad for them; it wasn't their fault that their dad lacked any common sense. At that point, I began to calm down a bit, and realized that my mother, who had been riding with me in the car, was standing next to me, trying to mediate. I quieted down...then the dad had the nerve to insult my mother. After dishing out another round of even more vicious insults broadcast at ear-splitting volumes while the father and his children scurried away, I got back in the car, shaking, started the car back up, and proceeded to stall it...damn adrenalin! That was the first time in years that I became "blind with rage". What was so wild about the whole experience was hearing my mother, who is proper, yet laid back, retell the entire incident at the sushi restaurant that we had been traveling to before the incident. We both laughed hysterically at it, however, hearing her retell it made it that much funnier for me. I should also mention that 98% of the time, I am an extremely calm, easygoing individual; for the most part, I am not predisposed to any sort of inappropriate outbursts of anger. However, as seriously as I take my timepieces...I take my cars that much more seriously. Throwing a football at my car (deliberately) is nearly equivalent to someone hitting my girlfriend. I really did feel bad for those kids. I hope that my actions didn't cost them too much time on a therapist's couch. There's my one and only road rage story, and a good laugh. That said, the few rage stories I have are great laughs...like the time the teenagers were spraying water guns at me while I was at a cafe with my family in Siena... Vic, that story is truly saddening. There are so many people in this country whose negativity is only exceeded by their cowardice. I am not a supporter of the inferred candidates/party, however, I really don't care what political persuasion someone claims...calling an individual who made a significant sacrifice to protect his freedom to be an ignoramus is downright inexcusable. Had this happened one century earlier, you could have shot him for treason, and you probably wouldn't have been charged with a crime. My, how times change!