phaedo

Thanks for the replies so far everyone, the green card is going to be the biggest hurdle I think. That and deciding where to actually go. I already have a SS number, so that isn't going to be an issue, but it is the rest of the green card bit. @ Victoria: only $375k for a house in Florida? Try here where I am, 2 bedroom apartments starting around $400k. @hikeUSA: the reason to leave NZ is the reason so many of us leave: money. With a population of under 4 million and an infrastructure that has been aimed primarily around agriculture, there isn't much opportunity there. The cost of living is nearly as high as Sydney, yet the average wage is around half. @jfreeman: I doubt I would be doing any of the jobs you mentioned, as I am not from one of the foreign countries where turbans are compulsory

Hot on the tail of The Zigmeister asking the question about living in Paris, I have another, much broader question for you all. As this is an international forum, I am sure to get a few good responses, and maybe some that I had not thought about. I feel like moving countries again. Now, originally I am from New Zealand, and have done what a lot of us do, move to Australia. It is easy and cheap to do, and not much hassle when it comes to work visas, as we are basically treated like natives when it comes to that type of thing. So it was more like moving to another city in that respect. But now I feel like I have had enough of it here, and am wanting somewhere fresh again. I spent a few months after university in the USA, working in Connecticut, which was alright, I was nice and close to New York, middle of winter, which rocked. But, as I get a bit older, I don't think I really want the hustle and bustle of the likes of NY any more - at the time I wanted to stay there, but I only had a 4 month work visa. Short of hiding from immigration, I was coming home again. So I have been thinking about where I might like to go. I would quite like to 'retire' to Italy, but have never been there, and don't speak any language other than English (unless you can call counting from 1 to 10 in French and Spanish being fluent in foreign languages). By the time I do move on, I will be 30, or just a couple of months short of it, so it may be harder to get the right visa's from that perspective too. Places I have thought about would be any of the 'island resort' type places, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cabo, Jamaica, anything that is a tax haven beach holiday type of place; or I had thought of London, but unsure of that as although I did once want to head over there for a couple of years, it just doesn't really appeal that much any more. Although it would be a great base to be able to travel around Europe and see what is out there. And the same for somewhere such as Miami - I have not been there to know what it is like, but I did have a weeks holiday in Ft Myers in Florida, which I liked. Miami might end up being too busy also, but would have that beach atmosphere to it, and be close enough to all those islands I would like to live on, plus only a 4 hour plane ride to New York. So again, it would be a good base for travel. I do like those southern accents on the ladies too But I also know it is likely to be difficult to just pack up and move to the US these days with work restrictions. Unless I can find someone who may want to get married in a hurry and a few dollars to go with it with a quickie divorce a couple of years later Anyway, by way of qualifications I have an undergrad degree in finance, but have found it difficult to get work in the field - as I was primarily wanting to work in finance, I didn't do many accounting papers, just the compulsory ones to do further finance ones; I discovered on leaving uni that the firms that were hiring for finance jobs didn't seem to care if you knew anything about finance, more that you were on the way to becoming a chartered accountant. I was a lot more qualified than most that got the jobs I was going for, just had done what was considered the 'wrong' papers by employers. In the end I basically gave up looking for work in the field, and am one of the managers at a department store now. As long as I can find some work initially when I get to where I am going, I don't really mind. As long as I can find something reasonably fast initially, I can always start looking for something better once I am more established. So after all this, my questions would be any suggestions from people living in the places I have mentioned? I know there are quite a few from Miami around the board; but I am also sure there will be people here who could possibly throw out some places I have not even thought of, with impassioned reasons as to why to move there. I would not be looking to move before September, but at the moment trying to figure out where I will move to, and also figure out how to go about actually making the move with regards to immigration and the like. Thanks in advance for any input guys.

MX5 forum, options trading, photography, other rep watch forums, but this is the only one I spend much time on...

Feet and inches But actually, I thought Sydney was up there as one of the most expensive places to live (relative to income).

Good question there The Zigmeister, something I would like to know too - not that I speak French really, so not really sure it is a good idea for me though... But good luck to you if you do make the move. UB&: And when the average income is

Thanks for that reply, with further reading I assumed there would be no papers, and after all, I buy a gen, I want papers! That daylight is definately a nice watch, I would think of the white face actually. But is it 3 times the price of the omega. As I said, still a while before I make a decision, have no cash for it just now.

Thanks for the replies so far guys, to answer a couple of points raised. Rubberducky: I like the look of the PO a lot better than the seamaster, so will rule those out, archibald: a gen, even if the rep is very accrate, is still a gen and I do want something that in 50 years time is the real thing, just a case of what - something I like obviously. Yellomen, unless I can find a real bargain, I would prefer new, but for some stuff I do agree trying to find something on the second hand market is better. Had a look at jomashop and they sell the 2200.50 for under $2500 US, with todays currency rates I could get it for under $3,000 AU shipped - quite a saving than getting it locally, although no factory warranty. Anyway, still early days of looking right now.

Hi all, So I have been planning on getting a gen for a while, and the last couple of reps I have got have been to size up whether they are what I want for a gen. But so far, no luck. When I got the panerai bug, it was what I thought would be what I would get, but the question was, which one? But after a few weeks, even having a Davidsen 113, I had decided that although I do like them, I don't see the value in them basically in the gen - yes, I would pay the $500 odd for a fully kitted out rep, but as for paying more than that for a real one, I don't see it is worth any more than that. Especially with the base unitas movement. So the next one I thought could be me, and I say this coming from a perspective of never really 'getting' rolex, was the yachtmaster. But after the bigger watches I had been wearing, it was just too small, and not me. Next up, I came a cross a VC retrograding calendar in the sales section, and again, it is a smaller watch, but thought maybe that would be the sort of thing I could go for - a classy watch, not for every day wear, but I do have my reps for that Well, I do like it, but not to spend the cash on a gen. Recently I have been looking at the Planet Ocean (The 45mm one). I don't have a rep of it, at least not yet, but they have been growing on me. They didn't really look that big, but I went into the AD today, and tried it on, and they are bigger than I thought. But as of now, it is on the short list. I am still thinking, and one reason the get reps is in case I would get bored with it and have buyers remorse, but definately something I am liking now. And actually, not a bad price either for what I found - retail here is $4800 AU, they would take 20% off straight away, bringing it down to $3700. I recently saw one advertised locally at a dealer who trades second hand watches, almost a year old, looking at $3500 but that would include both the bracelet and a rubber strap. Not much cheaper really, considering I wouldn't want rubber anyway. One thing I do think about, I don't swim, so I am hardly going to need the 600m water resistance or helium valve, so is it worth buying one with these features? I think it would be a watch that would suit most occassions, at least these days with anything goes in fashion I could get away with a diving watch wearing a suit, but it would go well at the beach or gym, and a sportier watch would be a better thing to get at this stage in my life (I am a little under 30) rather that a more dressy watch. Anyway, I have rambled enough, would be interested to hear what others have to say about it.

Dude, judging by your time zone you are in Australia, you can pick up a 12 month old planet ocean (gen) for around $3,000 AU. At your age, most people should be able to afford a gen watch at that sort of price. So don't worry too much about that, but perception can be an interesting thing, I was working at a gas station when I first arrived over here, and the wages you can make just doing that you can afford a decent gen watch here. But as I said, it is perception to a big degree, who would think someone working at a gas station can a fford a decent watch like that. Even at the moment, I am working at a department store, yes as part of the management team, but still I do think at times that people would look at my watch and wonder if it was a gen or a fake just because of where I am working. But just because I do that as a job right now, doesn't also mean I don't have other things going on after hours whre I can be making enough to buy a good watch, or whatever. And to be honest, the only watches I notice around this area are the Tags, nobody seems to know much about watches here except Tag, so if they buy something 'expensive', that tends to be what it is. I have yet to even notice anyone wearing an Omega around the place, let alone anyone with the more exotic brands, like Breitling, Panerai, AP, etc... Hope I didn't ramble too much, all I can say is it was beer o'clock an hour ago...

Good news, The CD and DVD arrived today. Damn Australia post, 9 days (sure some of it was holidays) for it to get interstate - have had stuff arrive from other countries faster! But it has arrived now, thanks a lot Offshore, looks to be a lot of information on there. Could take a while to get through it all, but at the end of it maybe I can open up my own repair shop. Or not. At least I should be able to give my own watches a proper service and know it has been done right! Cheers.

With all he has on the go with his watch contacts, I am waiting for the local source ajoesmith to start doing AR runs

Why bother repping an $800 watch? Cheap enough to go and buy the gen when some recent reps are over that price already!

Face it, this was just a cunning way to post some random ass pics

Although I would chime in with go for the BCE, it sounds more like you want the omega a lot more so go with what you really want to get.

Good work OS, looking forward to it, although I am not too sure how much use it will get at the moment with my lack of skill... Quite surprised that so few people actually signed up for it though.

After getting my BCE, it definately took a bit of getting used to, but within a week I found going back to anything smaller felt like going back to a kids watch. Now, I am not a big guy or anything, but anything smaller than that and I just don't feel like I am wearing a watch these days. But then, I don't have the UPO to wonder if it is too big for me... Maybe someone with one they find too big can send it my way to find out

After the Jetmid thread, thought I would have a search to see more about him. But not much luck. However, I ran across this thread that, well, lets just say I wasted a bit of time reading it with the 'occasional' chuckle. http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=1339

Group buy!

I am sure you Aussies just telling sheep jokes about us Kiwi's to throw the rest of the world off track because it is really you lot who are into it... and don't even get me started on those Kangaroo's - isn't the song 'tie me kangaroo down sport' a love song over this way Ken?

Time to buy a hot glue gun I think... This should also work on CG's that are so floppy they don't actually stay closed too, right?

Looking good, but I think it might be a rep - I doubt the gen has a 6 @ the 3 o'clock position

Now if anyone asks why I am drinking I can say it is in celebration for you!

The Zigmeister, all I can say is don't go. Or come back real soon if you have to leave. This community needs the resident watchsmith calling BS on those bad mods and servicing. I never sent you a watch to work on, and with you living so far away I am not sure I would ever just because once being properly regulated it may not arrive back in the same condition because of the international travel, but you would be the only one here I would consider sending it to. A great asset to the community.

Why not just pull the rotor off the 7750 making it a manual?

Hey CS, put me down for the lot!