RobbieG

So true. I forgot about the collar beofre with all the rest of the stuff. One more variable to factor in. The bottom line is it ain't just the knot...

Cool man. Unique for sure. I was maybe considering getting that whiskey brown croc for my black bezel version. It used to be available as a new configuration option but they now just offer steel and rubber. They are still available though of course seperately with deployant. I always liked the look of it. Between that, the steel, and the rubber I would have quite a versatile piece. What did you end up getting for a discount after all? I know those crocs can be a bit expensive...

I found these for you as well TJ. Two Armani suits for illustration - one 2-buton and one 3-button. Notice how much the shape and size of knot can impact the look of a suit. These pics are from a wholesaler so the tie choices are not important - just the imagination really. A bigger knot belongs on the 2-button for balance and a thinner knot belongs on the 3-button. The small "shirt" area doesn't want to be filled with a giant knot on the 3-button - and also you can see what I mean in how all but the lankiest guy is going to look like the Pilsbury Dough Boy in that with or without the big knot. LOL. Meanwhile a skinny guy and a skinny knot in the 2-button will be ready to tour with Duran Duran so that is no good either, even though the 2-button will be more formal with the right choices. Tricky stuff sometimes all this - and you only get married once (hopefully) so you have to give it some thought...

It depends on your build. My neck is a 16, but pretty long and I have that kind of lean, longish body that lends itself well to slim suits with flat front trousers like Armani, etc. So for me a Windsor or double Windsor is all I wear on the rare occasion I have a tie on. The idea is that the big knot shortens the neck and blends the shirt into the jacket perfect. My neck is wider at the base and is a bit longish and gets slimmer closer to my head. But if you have a husky build usually it is best to try and blance out the other way. Rounder or thicker guys look better with suits that aren't so form fit like a lot of stuff from Canali, Boss, etc. Pleated trousers have a slimming effect on bigger guys too where the flat fronts can sometimes over exagerate bulk in the thighs if the waist fits right. And as for the knot, a slimmer not trims the neck down and blends it into the shirt and jacket better for that build. It is also worth considering whether the suit is a 2-button or 3-button. Only the tallest guys ever look good in 3-buttons IMO. They just look too boxy and don't show enough shirt. Besides, the 3-button fashion fad is kind of past its prime anyway. It is also of note that 2-buttons are always dressier and a bit more formal - like a Tux. All tux jackets are 2-button never three. I say all this about the buttons because depending on which side of the fence you fall on, the Windsor can really be a disaster with a 3-button jacket if you are a husky build guy. I'm not clothing expert but I have an edge. LOL. The edge is I have always liked fine tailored clothing and due to some health problems earlier in my life I have been as little as 130 and as much as 205 lbs at 5'9". My opinions were formed from noticeing how my weight changed what looked good on me in terms of brand, flat vs. pleats, two vs. three, and the type of knot that looks best. Hope this helps, but let me know what you are thinking for a suit and what your build is and maybe I can help steer you in the proper direction. You can never trust store attendants either usually. They only know the brand they sell by name and usually have no idea how to put things together for your body type. Maybe my trial and error can save you some time...

Nanuq's dog barking at in intruder... Nanuq and his dog after a good day's hunt posing for a picture. The dog was hungry so as you can see Nanuq let him eat the kill...

Yeah, I forgot - the software offshoot logo. Let me give it some thought again and I'l give you some ideas. And good for you regarding the job. There is nothing worse than a leader who knows it all. What we need are more leaders that only know success comes from nurturing talent and that you are only as good as your weakest link. Surrouding yourself with those who know more than you is the only way to truly achieve anything great in life. But if they aren't able to allow your own ego to step down. Half the time my right hand speaks I tell him he makes me feel stupid and then he will say something like yeah but he doesn't see the big picture of how to get it all humming and pay us off. And we really aren't blowing smoke. We both mean it and appreciate each other. They say you should respect your own intellect. and in this case, details aside, we try to operate on the level of knowing that we are each just smart enough to know we couldn't do what we do without each other, nor could we duplicate it with a substitution. I think what I'm talking about exists in all things. It reminds me of that great old line: "You see that dog over there? He's the best hunting dog I ever seen or heard about and I didn't teach him a damn thing..." The best things is life - ideas, freindships, success, etc. are never made - they just are as they should be given the components and the result of the marriage of them. Gargage in, garbage out. But if you put evolved thinking in, evolution comes out. Cool how that works. Or as Carlos Castaneda would say, "The Universe is unfolding as it should."

Oh yeah. I get all that brother for sure, but I think these things should be looked past in interviews and one should look for other information. You can use someone's demeanor as an information tool and what you find isn't usually inadequacies - Usually quite the opposite. All I'm saying is that that is kind of the problem with nice things. There is always going to be a big number of people who are going to perceive it as flash if it isn't their thing. Nothing you can do about it and so I think it is not worth worrying about.

I guess I see things a bit differently than many here but I tend to look at things the other way around. I hire people who want, not need to work for me. Need? Ouch. Maybe for charity work but not here. In my experience, needy people are usually needy for a reason. And that reason isn't usually a good one. The brightest and most talented people I want to surround myself with don't need me or my job. Again, they want it because they want to be part of something that can take them to the next level. I personally would never consider hiring anyone who wasn't very successful already. To that end, I tend to look at things like where a guy lives, what he drives, and the watch he wears as a way to help paint a picture of where a guy is at in his life. Shallow to be sure, but astoundingly accurate. Make no mistake - it makes no difference to me the answers to any of these questions, nor do I judge people on these things. I'm just saying for the purpose of this thread that if I'm interviewing a guy who wears a nice watch and drives a fancy car (as my lead guy was when I hired him) it is obvious to me that the guy isn't looking to me to make him a success. He already is. To me, the best interviews are the ones that I don't have to even talk about the specifics of the job with a guy because I just know he is the one. I know it when he shakes my hand. I am more interested to see what we have in common in tastes and interests to see how we might get along and whether he has a certain killer instinct to go with his brains. When I hired my right hand man the whole time I was thinking about how I could convince him to come with me and how much I would need to put on the table to get him to take the job. Part of that was because he was wearing a gen VC at the interview which was WAY out of the league of people in his type of position. He bought that watch because he made a ton of money being the absolute best in the world at what he does. Lucky me. He nearly doubled my drop since he has been here. I guarantee you, anyone worried about what an interviewer thinks or says isn't at the top of the heap. And anyone who is at the top of the heap isn't ever going to give a second thought about what his new boss thinks of his car or watch or how he carries them. What is the old addage? If you have to ask, you ain't got it - or something to that effect... To that end I think most interviewers are just suckers if they are wasting time wondering why a guy is wearing a Rolex and whether he is being "flashy". I just don't get it. I'm thinking the opposite. If the guy is flashy he must be confident and if he can back it up by proving has made some dough doing what he does even better. Maybe that means he might be pretty good at it and I need to pay closer attention to him. And he usually is. Certainly more than the next guy who is nervous, and or timid, and or seems to interested in what I think. The guys I hire come in and tell me I need them because they are smarter than me. Literally. Push me around and show me you are the sh*t. I love it. Because if you aren't I have no use for you. That is the kind of house I want to run and that is exactly why we have become so successful. I have surrounded myself with confident, opinionated, think-tank oriented geniuses who are more than capable of doing everything I do and more. Good for me huh? I'm the dumbest guy here. Look as you can see I'm passionate about this topic and it is for a good reason. I this whole world unraveling in hands of idiots because of this very issue. Entirely too many positions are decided by a*s kissing the "interviewer" and other senseless nonsense. The bottom line is less than 1% of all interviewers are ever going to hire the smartest guy because they are too busy looking at the wrong things and/or being threatened and trying to prevent being upstaged. To that end, too many companies are run by chumps too insecure to surround themselves with greatness. I do realize that in finance it is a little easier to measure these things than in other industries in that the guy who can make the most money with the least risk will always be the best, but similar measures can be used in most businesses. And in closing I would offer this evidence of what I speak to any interviewer who would judge someone based on what he wore to the interview. The lowest member of my crew right now is single handedly responsible for doubling productivity in the last year. He is also by far the youngest and has the single most expensive wristwatch and the highest dollar car of all of us. And he bought them (no, not inherited) by working in the very field in which he was hired here for. He drove to meet me in that car and wearing that watch. I loved every minute of the interview. He interviewed me...

I like Szechwan and the Peking versions as rule, but of course the General Tso's is great too...

In the office early today and put this on...

My egg nog recipe is kind of like a martini recipe. 1. Fill a shaker with ice 2. Pour 3 oz rum into shaker 3. Locate store bought egg nog and waive unopened over top of shaker 4. Realize you are too drunk to be having any new ideas 5. Pour contents of shaker into rocks glass and discard shaker 6. Top off glass of ice and rum with a splash of Coke and consume 7. Repeat until belligerent and stumbling aimlessly about the streets of suburbia mumbling horribly out of tune Christmas carols

Good score Robert. Looking forward to seeing the completed project. I for one have always actaully prefered the patina of the TiAlN coating. That steely grey color is just the nuts...

They are already quite collectable and Rolex AD's all push them as such and always have as I remember from pre order on out. Watches that have deviant color schemes don't usually get much wrist time for obvious reasons yet collectors continue to get sucked in knowing full well ahead of time and then judge it for the same later as if it is some new information or something. Those silly little watch collector types. LOL. In other words, it is only the color scheme that makes it weird really. I don't really like them either per se but I wouldn't say they were ugly. I'd just say it was kind of orange and green. In fact I think there are quite a few design elements that are cool with this piece, but I think many sort of miss them because the color scheme is such a commitment. To that end it sort of locks out anyone who simply doesn't like orange and green which is kind of unfortunate for its survival as an important part of the brand. And because of that I certainly wouldn't put it in with the Daytona in any respect. That watch has been iconic for quite some time and was never about a color scheme. I doubt the Milgauss will ever be iconic, although cool enough as a watch for any collection for sure if it is your bag. Iconic no. Ironic maybe. PS: Cool watch and cool pics Doc! I really wish they would have developed these with more choices and sort of made the "Milgauss line" instead of wrecking out with the Day Date II which makes no sense. No reason to cloud the DD or the DJ with a new case size. Just make the Milgauss in a million different options with the second hand shape as a hallmark of the design. Sometimes I wonder about Rolex...

Always loved this. They knocked this rep out of the park accuracy and feel wise. I have a 7753 hanging around. Anyone know if I could get away with a transplant and broach job? I'm pretty sure the tricompax layout would work no?

Yeah I heard all that, but why did you say she would have liked my picture or whatever? I didn't quite get that part.

Nice collection and the pics are fine too. Might I make a suggestion? A lot of people like more efficient browsing and as such not having to open pic links. It is real easy to set up a free Photobucket account and then of course just post the links and they will display automatically. Plus, PB will only display a maximum size and as such will take care of not having the pics be too large, which is the only issue with yours. Instead of spending the time in resizing them before posting, you could spend the same time putting them in your bucket. Then you can post at will without having to keep attaching files. If you already know all this I don't mean to insult your intelligence BTW. Maybe you don't want a bucket. But I'm just saying that I know I much prefer just seeing pics automatically display and I appreciate it more. I'm less likely to open attached pics most of the time unless I just have to see it. Food for thought brother...

These days that doesn't mean much to me. Labor is love for this watch nut so as usual I'll be working quite a bit this weekend. I hadn't given it much love lately, so this morning I'm sporting the mighty Planet Ocean. I also realized while glancing at the cover of GQ in the bookstore last night that while we share similar taste in watches, there are two other major differences between Michael Phelps and myself: He gets paid to wear his PO and he has alot better abs than I do. But then again I just found out that I'm almost as old as Godzilla, so what difference does it make really in the end?

I have found that there is always more than one watchmaker in any town glad to work on reps. In all cases it will be a repair shop that doesn't sell anything for the most part. Just a repair shop. I live in a county of approx. 200K people and there are two (in a town of 30K year round residents I might add) even here. I should think in LA, you will find many, many on the north side of LA or in the Valley my freind. Here is what I could find for you and if you need more, grab the yellow pages and call and just ask if they work on watches with Chinese movements. As you can see from my Google search return there are 9600+ entries from "watch repair Los Angeles". Wow! http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=...esults&cd=1

Yeah, I forgot about these. The classic 60's design from Jack Heuer. Note the design elements seen also from Doxa in that period. "Beaded" style bracelet links and and almost "square shouldered" look to the lugs.

I'm in Lani. Let me know what you want to do. Maybe we should get on the phone as I have maybe an idea of something we can do that will work for all the Mods internationally as well so...

Yeah, time capsule for sure. Speaking of which, what do you think the chances are one could find boots like those on the bay. Steel tips and heels. That can't have crossed decades, right?

I'm pretty opinionated on this subject, but then hey - this is an opinion forum and aren't we all opinionated about things right? So to that end I'm sure many will take issue with what mine are and I'll look forward to hearing your and taking it all in. That said... I have a big wrist and anything over 44MM looks stupid on me too - and most everyone too IMO unless they are really big dudes in terms of overall stature. Size is absolutely a trend and it is already starting to come off a bit. Actually, it has been quite some time since its peak according to manufacturing consensus. Even Omega is leading out with a 42MM watch in the current edition of what is no doubt THE watch movie of the ages. Rolex has and probably always will lead the pack in terms of setting the standard and the baseline sizes from all brands will likely float around the two general median sizes that have been for quite some time, 40MM for sports watches and 36MM for dress watches. Despite all the "hot" and "in" watches - even in the boom, the vast majority of watches made for men continue to fall in the 34-42MM range with most dress and otherwise slim strapped watches being 36-38MM and most sports / casual falling in the 40-42MM range in terms of sales - even at the peak contrary to popular belief. No offense to those who love big watches, but it really is a fine line and most people look pretty silly with giant watches on. Not to mention huge watches especially in SS or gold with bracelets aren't very comfortable to wear either. Fashion doesn't always make alot of sense. It was also considered cool (and maybe it still is) to wear jeans below your a*s cheeks with your boxers in full view. While that fashion may be correct it certainly doesn't mean it won't look or feel silly. I would also like to offer that I think there are exceptions to these generalities of course. PAM's are a great example in that they are historically big by design for function and for robusness and readability. But mostly, they didn't grow into a fad. They were always that way. That makes them much different in my eyes than most of the large watches out there that are (pet peave of mine) just wonderful original designs from brands that literally just blew them up in a boringly linear fashion to meet the perceived size requirement needed for market share. For pity's sake if you are going to put out a big watch - so be it, but at least take the time to design the watch to be big and to always be that size. Smaller watch designs do so why should big ones be any different? Don't just take a perfectly good design and add 4MM to all the parts for crying out loud. I won't pick on anyone on particular here, but I'm sure we can all think of about a hundred that fit that bill. Some brands WAY more guilty than others... Lately I like to ponder and share these two photos as examples of how wrist size and/or overall size conception is usually not all that objective and that a less drastic range of smaller to larger gets the desired effect without going overboard and risking looking like a clown. Not that you always will or anything beyond a certain size, but why run the risk? Anyway, the illustration here is that given my wrists are 7.5" I doubt many would say the Datejust looks small on me - although I think the watch looks smaller without long sleeves for the record. Likewise, I doubt many would say that in order to be stately and masculine and powerful and sporty - my Aquatimer need be larger than its 42MM size. I think the contrast of these two photos shows that even for guys with fairly big wrists in terms of raw numbers, the range of options between 36MM and 42MM is more than adequate. And as I said, at least you don't run the risk of ever looking silly because your watch is obscenely big. .02

I didn't know Victoria was shall we say, stuck on 80's metal or something? What exactly is the story with her - other than her other fame in the rep world - do tell...

No US extradition from Belize...

Yeah, I can honestly say if I were to ever own a quartz watch again, a NOS one of these would be one and of course the other would be the Breitling Emergency. Speaking of emergency, how much of a fashion emergency by today's standards would I be in the 1986 pic?