RobbieG

I like the one on the right. Sort of a hybrid TAG / Breitling bezel, an almost Ebel style shaped case, Jubilee bracelet and most important it is not water resistant, it is water PROOF. lol

Yeah, what a movement. Lange really does some interesting stuff - and of course is right at if not on the top in the hand decoration department. Nobody does tighter, sharper hand beveling than Lange. And the screwed gold chatons are a nice touch. Moving right along... IWC's internal rotating bezel mechanism is certainly important in that it is less likely to be bumped out of position - especially if the watch is worn on the right wrist as many divers do given the left being occupied by other instruments. It is also very unique to the brand and is unmiskably Aquatimer. I was really surprised they chose to abandon that in the new 2009 series. I know they figured they had it covered with the Jubilee, but still - iconic to the brand. But I have devoted enough energy to that discussion on enough forums at this point. Suffice it to say it is a cool innovation...

Yup. +1. It is all about opportunity and opportunity cost. Each factory, for timing reasons of labor for manufactuer and developement in the case of 1:1 projects has a finite number of releases they can do each year. They constantly search these forums (which they use us as test market guinea pigs) and gen forums to see what watches are being talked about, are hot, new, etc. They don't just look for watches that they think are cool or would be easier to replicate or whatever. Their reasons are 100% economical. If I can put out say four 1:1's a year, which ones will I sell the most of? And therfore the bigger known luxury brands will always win the race as long as they have do-able releases - Rolex, IWC, Breitling, Omega, AP. Plus, for some of the brand repeats they can reuse tooling like in the case of many Rolex and Breitling's for instance with identical cases, bezels, etc.

No not yet. I wanted to get my "regular guy" list taken care of before I go messing with the really expensive stuff. When it comes to that stuff, I feel I have to learn more to decide what I really want to be in the high end watch collection. It is also going to proceed at a snails pace comparitavely as each watch is BIG money and unless you are dead loaded which I'm clearly not it is awefully tough to justify spending thirty or forty K on a timepiece. Kind of once in a lifetime decisions for a guy like me so I will never get anything unless I'm 100% sure I really love it and will forever. I'm holding that code now on 5K pieces and it is a challenge so I can't imagine what going up to this level would be like. Most everything I like in the high end are handwinds of course (no surprise there for anyone who knows what makes me tick). Believe it or not, I'm totally nuts for Lange as I like a lot of Swiss design elements more than German ones. Lange's have their own vibe for sure though, but more for a "basic" watch for me instead of a complication or wilder stuff like the Chain and Fusse movements. I'm sure a Lange 1 is in my future someday. Very classic but also unique. I love the Datograph too, but I will only have one handwind chronograph and I think I would rather have a 2320 based watch like a VC Patrimony Chrono or a Patek 5070 or something. Which brings me to another interesting Lange contribution. The Lange 31 (day) power reserve watch with the amazing Caliber L034. The movement is handwound of course and houses two massive mainsprings. The watch comes with a tool - a socket key which fits onto a head on the back of the watch with a ratchet mechanism. There is so much tension force required to store the energy that this is the only way to get full reserve - by ratcheting it up a few clicks at a time. Of course for normal power reserve one can just wind the standard crown a bit. But 31 days is a feat of biblical proportions for sure. Not sure how practical it is really. Kind of a clunky watch at 46MM. 16MM in height and weighing 230G in platinum...

Excellent responses guys - keep them coming and lets hear from more of you. Here is another one: Ulysse Nardin patented the GMT+/- and then the GMT +/- Perpetual. The first is on my Dual Time watch. The hour hand jumps in one hour increments by clicking pushers on the left side of the case - one forward and one backward. When you get to midnight, the big date display (which is another complication with two discs making it tougher) moves forward and BACKWARD depending on which direction you are traveling. This was extended to include ALL perpetual calendar functions eventually. In that instance, if you were to be traveling on New Years Eve / Day, even in a leap year, all month, day, and year displays will smartly adjust forward and backward across midnight smartly, no matter what type of year it is. Another very cool but also very practical invention...

Oh sure, that too and it is beautiful like she in the day - but she also had to know they called it 'Fat Lady' also, so I'm interested just in how she feels about that and if she ever went on record about it.

Amazing Lani. So what, you are like the new gen guy around here now? What's next a Sub perhaps? I see a theme developing... Hey on another note, other than 'Fat Lady' the 16760 was also called the Sophia Loren. I always wondered if she has ever been interviewed about it, etc. Meaning I wonder how she feels about essentially being compared to something known as fat or thick by collectors of the most popular luxury watch brand in the world. I'm sure she can't be any different than other women - they tend to not like to be refered to as fat...

Can I just add here that the phrase 'swollen, veiny, sagging teats' conjours the most disturbing images I have had in my mind for some time. Thanks Spidey. I can always count on you...

I don't know how I missed this thread. But anyway, I have had a gen DJ of some kind at all times for the past 20 years or so. It was my first really nice watch I ever had and while the look of them has changed over the years I have always had soft spot in my heart for them. The DJ/DD are equally and easily the most iconic wristwatch ever. I have one rule, and that is not to wear a Datejust with short sleeves as it takes away from the 'pop' of the watch as well as its intended use by design really. But 36MM is not as small as some think. I have 7.5"wrists and when worn with the proper attire they will never look small, dainty, or femine in any way which is a common misconception. In fact, just the opposite. It is the smallest watch I own and easily the one that still gets the most compliments. I would also like to note that while it works with a suit, I usually prefer a straped dress watch for a suit as I think it more elegant. So I guess I don't really think of it as a dress watch. When wearing mine I'm most likely wearing a colored Armani (or Zegna or Paul Smith - you get the picture..) long sleeve dress casual shirt worn untucked with jeans or slacks and more casual shoes. In other words, it wants to be seen and not hidden under a cuff and jacket! I was excited to upgrade to a new M serial 116200 recently. For many who don't know, Rolex recently introduced some changes for the watch which make it all the more luxurious and substantial. First, the lugs (not the lug width, the lugs themselves) are slightly larger which gives the watch a considerably bigger appearance and more square shoulderd lool. Second, the new solid center link bracelets and Rolesor clasps are just to die for. Totally luxurious finish and feel. No more flimsy feel and clasp rattling around. Finally, although not specific to the Datejust, the new 904L steel Rolex uses is just off the charts good looking. Rolex has always had the best looking gold and platinum - mostly because they have their own foundry and make their own alloys. In the case of gold, the colorfastness is amazing since they mix a small amount of platinum in to lock in the color and patina. The 904 is no exception in the good looks department. It is just so much whiter than 316 and just pops off the wrist like you can't believe. So for me, it is the combination of the luxuriousness of the 904 with its white hue, the polished center links on the Oyster bracelet and Rolesor clasp, and even the understated 36MM size itself that actually makes people notice it without thinking the wearer is obnoxious. That is one phenomenon I have noticed about bigger watches with a lot of shine - they can kind of look like "too much" and draw negative attention (including mine). But because the watch is not so big, the extra shine of the polished parts and the 904 is welcomed as it adds to the richness without being silly. I can't say it enough, when worn just outside a nice black sleeve, the watch is just unreal. People notice it all the time in restaurants where I usually am when wearing it - severs, other patrons, people I'm meeting with, etc. but I can see why. It just launches itself off the wrist. It is just uncanny how much attention the most known and mundane design can get. Meanwhile, I can be wearing some 44MM thing and nobody says a word. True story. So without further delay, may I present my dear and current Datejust M with Rhodium Roman dial, domed bezel and Oyster bracelet. The smallest watch in the box with a most powerful punch...

Now you are just showing off Boss. I miss mine. And isn't it fun to be just walking along all of a sudden and yell 'Numerus Clausus' at the top of your lungs in public just to see what they do?

I just want to say how touching it is to read all the effort that has gone into helping our fellow man. As I said in the other thread I have already given a sizeable amount to the cause in addition to my annual disaster allotment worldwide, so I won't be going the RWG route myself. But I write here to help in urging anyone reading this to please help them out. A lot of people don't give because they are afraid the amount will be and insult or something for being too small. I know, I used to be one of them. No amount is too small - even five or ten dollars can a feed an entire homeless family for a day, so noone here should feel that even the smallest donation is not extremely worthwhile. So please give as much as you possibly can - and it will also give you great personal reward in the end which is immeasurable as well. .02

I should think your fav dealer might hook you up by sending you a complete parts movement on your next order even? They are dirt cheap and plentiful.

Either I type too fast (incorrectly with 6 fingers) for my mind to catch up, or I'm just a dumb trader with a 6th grade education and a p*ss poor vocabulary - you decide.

Great idea Lani. Ever since Hurricane Charlie devastated Florida a few years ago and I was reminded of the destruction of nature which is possible I started giving a quite sizable amount to ARC nationwide every year. Although I wasn't hit with that particular event I saw what those folks went through literally living on the ground on dirt floors for a year and more afterwards. It just crushed me and I vowed to give a certain percentage of my income every year to the less fortunate. More importantly though, I used to use the excuse that I couldn't afford to give and I did it at all different income levels always finding some justification not to. Then I realized one day how lame an excuse that was and snapped out of it. Everyone can afford a small percentage no matter how much money they have and no amount is too little - even if it is five or ten dollars. That is a few meals for someone for a day. Truly. Anyway, please everyone consider giving in whatever way you see fit - RWG related or otherwise and to the charity of your choice. Giving is a really good thing and when you do it comes back to you in droves. Not that it would be a reason to give, but I always tell people that as it seems like too much of a coincidence to me otherwise. Food for thought...

Here is something new for an interesting thread idea. Tell us about an interesting innovation that you think made and/or makes a significant impact, or if you prefer ones that you just think are cool. Obviously tell us the manufactory that came up with it and a little background information about it as well if you can - year, where, why, etc. It can be very old or brand new and everything in between. You can keep coming back as you think of new ones and add to it with new posts if you like. Instead of doing a bunch of my favs at once, I'll start with this one... A. Lange & Sohne patented an interesting and very practical function in the year 2000 that is present on each and every watch they build to this day. Since they are an obscure high end brand, many don't know about this feature but Lange took the hack feature concept one step further... We are all familiar with the hacking function, whereby the timekeeping is stopped when the crown is pulled out to permit more precise setting of the time to an outside source. Any who have done any rate testing knows that what you have to do is manually try to time the "hack" just right so you stop the watch just as the second hand is crossing the sixty/zero index, so when you restart it the time will be accurate to the second. But Lange takes it one step further by patenting the Zeroreset Hack Mechanism which not only stops timekeeping when the crown is pulled out, but also resets and freezes the second hand to zero. A very cool, practical, and little known invention.

Thanks turbo - and I'll gladly accept the historian post. I just love the historical significance of our hobby in many respects. Some items and ideas are just so rich and it is great to see form following function and then function following form and back again. There are not many things on this earth that are perfect, but mechanical watch movements are one of them. There is no better moustrap. Every one is just a mainspring for power and an escapement ticking time. Everything else is just this wonderful art and archecture expressing individuality and personality. Just f'n awesome, huh? I am truly passionate and it nice for that to be noticed by such esteemed members. Cheers back to ya!

I used to have a bong (20 years ago) that kind of looked like whatever that thing is the watch is wrapped around...

I was asked today if there were any other handwound column wheel chronos that really knocked me out. The answer is yes - just two others and they are both of German and not Swiss heritage. By contrast, they are more complex in design and both carry the tradmark of German movement making which is to jewel pretty much all parts instead of just the necessary ones so to speak. This "overdoing it" rarely shows up in Swiss movements. In contrast to the 2310/20 and 175 which are each 17 jewel movements, both of these exceed 400 parts and are 40 and 47 jewels respectively! Also plainly obvious is that many of them are fitted with triple blued screw gold chatons (Swiss movements tend to use press fit chatons only). So without further explaination, here are my two other favorite handwound chronograph movements. The first is the Glashutte Caliber 99 seen in the Senator Rattrapante Handwound Chronograph. Of note the second column wheel used to control the Rattrapante or split seconds function... The second is the A. Lange & Sohne Caliber L951.1 seen in the Datograph Chronograph and as the L952.1 base for the Datograph Perpetual which adds the calendar functions. The latter has 556 parts and 45 jewels BTW! Also of note is that the bridges of the 951/2 and all Lange movements are made of untreated German silver which has a unique color to it when new and eventually ages into a deep gold patina over time. And note the balance [censored] which is completely engraved by hand with each movement having a one of a kind design to the engraving...

Exactly what I was trying to say with my trading illustrations and the folley of what consensus of value really does and doesn't mean all at once. Not in trading really, but as it relates to the whole pool of issues. If anyone didn't quite get the connection - fat.tail is right - this is what I was trying to ellude to. And speakin of fat tails, let's not even talk about how those abnormal distributions can interact with consensus of value in times like these...

Some kind of Chinese fashion watch like from a mall? Kind of like a Nautica or something maybe? Nothing really nice I can assure you. Probably not even an automatic movement. But...the dial is sort of trying to be like an all silver/white dialed Breitling Navitimer sans chronos. Might I suggest sourcing one of those big wristband watch straps and mounting a Navi on it. Might be cool and a conversation piece for the forum... You can find straps like this by searching 'wide leather cuff watch bands' and the like... ...and you could mount a standard Navitimer or even a Navitimer World to it if you want something huge and can find a cuff to accept it...

Yeah, you gotta watch the accidental pull out...

Ask Pugwash where he got his - maybe The Bay? I forget...

Your photochops are getting better brah. You keep working at it and I see the imporvement and also more artistic stuff creeping in at each new shoot...

Be warned - that is a problem with the gen too - and even a problem with the gen MMD regular version on bracelet like mine. You have to do some no-perm Loctite on UN's. There was a guy on TZ who had a gen MMD special edition in WG fly off his wrist while jogging and land on concrete. Cost him five grand to get it fixed and completely restored. One of those little brand quirks. It is actually because the machining is so good and the threads are so perfect the screws can move. Anyway, be careful with UN bracelet screws - rep or gen...