ryyannon

What's real is that getting a WM is less than certain: he'll only deal with people he alredy knows - or who have been recommended by trusted clients - and you can never know exactly what he's going to be offering. Fine if you have the patience and/or luck (not to mention $) but personally, I've been waiting more than a year to see the same 2533 reappear - and frankly, I don't think it ever will. Several kind-hearted members with access to WM have offered to query him on the possibility of doing another of the same, but none have received an answer as yet. Narikaa's model may not be a WM, but it certainly would be an acceptable alternative for me - if it weren't for that strap and the fixed lugs (not to mention the solid back). It's still the best looking non-WM 3646 I've ever seen, and gives me hope that we'll be seeing others like it soon......

As clever as the old bird is, I'm sure that Miss Understood knows how to use a Blackberry or a laptop and find a WiFi hotspot - even in the wilds of Alaska.... :-) Now that I think of it, with her delicate little fingers and the magnifying powers of those glasses, she could even post from her cell phone... ....Not to mention the fact that Miss U. might even have a particularly literate sister that we don't know about - a bit like Ann Landers, back in the days.... Eh wot?!

At this very moment, Narikaa is offering a stunning Vintage... it really looks good and I'd buy it in a minute if it had the specific features I'm holding out for... Check it out and get it before it's sold....it's the best I've ever seen other than a WM!

Nice, Nanuq, nice. Thanks for sharing... :-)

My dear Bress, You certainly have an inquisitive mind... Back in days, I was a music magazine editor in NYC. After seeing Zappa in action one night at the Fillmore East, I was impressed. Not so much by his music, as by his intelligence. Using the pretext of the magazine, it wasn't hard for me to arrange a meeting. We more or less hit it off. At this period in his life, he had created his own label, called Bizarre Records, whose artists included Beefheart, Wild Man Fischer, The GTOs, and as I remember, even Alice Cooper. To make a long story short, there was a position open in Los Angeles for an artist and media person, and I got the job, which as his very professional record company execs explained to me once I was out there, consisted of two things: 'getting some air-play for these freaks' and 'getting the local DJs laid.' My initial idea of working for Zappa was qute naive: I imagined I'd be sitting around talking all kinds of interesting [censored] with him and getting paid for it. In reality, Zappa hated the whole Hollywood scene with a passion. He never even went to his offices. But business-wise, he was one very smart cookie, while his people were extremely professional show business sharks whose eyes never left the ball. Their game-plan was to create a label of all the weird musicians and groups that Zappa affectioned and then sell it off to a major - which they ultimately did when they unloaded it on Warner's for a tidy profit. As for me, I fit into this organization like the proverbial square peg. Even going up to Zappa's place in the Hills was little fun: the guy was actually a weird kind of Puritan, and very full of his own idea of the importance of his music. He'd play me tapes of stuff he was working on and talk about Varese. It was boring. Since I loathed the office, I started spending more and more time hanging out in the wilds of Ventura County with Beefheart, who was an authentic mutant. We'd smoke dope, he'd talk to the trees, and we'd sometimes end up making music, with me playing his upright piano. I know nothing about playing the piano, and probably knew even less then, but it somehow sounded pretty good to all of us - Beefheart, his wacked-out band members, my girlfriend, who was amazed by my unsuspected musical talents, and probably the tress as well, since none of them lost their leaves or toppled over after our sessions. Needless to say, after a few months of this horseshit, Herbie Cohen, the guy running the company, observed that I was not getting any air-time for the artists, not to mention getting any DJs laid. I couldn't argue with that, and we parted ways. I stuck around L.A. until friends back in New York told me there was an editorial position on a new publication opening up, and that it was mine if I wanted it. They didn't have to say it twice. I had had my fill of both Zappa and Los Angeles - which was a pretty provincial place at that time compared to New York. I was out of there in a minute, and never looked back.

If you mean the Cortébert, that's understood. I'm talking about a standard CN or 'Swiss' ETA...

The pics are of a genuine, circa 1936. Other vintages and prototypes can be seen by following the link provided by Gander, in an earlier thread on the origins of the California dial: http://vwmann.de/Vintage/prot_6152.html in which the often confusing question of the dial and movement in the pre-40s Panerais is answered with excellent info and illustrations.

Willith, I would hope that if Davidsen decided to do a batch of them, he'd keep the price in line with his other models: $250 - $300 with an ETA movement.

Tempus fugit....

Funny you should mention La Locataire: I identify strongly, except that it's taking longer for the French to drive me to the same point of suicidal despair as the character portrayed in the film. One thing for sure: Polanski really knew what he was talking about. No desire to hide LIttle Joe away - he was certainly born to ride - my wrist, and who knows, eventually someone else's.... As for pics, I don't even own a camera. Maybe Pugwash will be kind enough to take some the next time we meet up.... La Locataire....wow....I wish you hadn't reminded me.... @Eddy: Little Joe is a powerful watch and I have no idea if our two personalities are going to be compatible. In the event that they're not, you'll be first on the list in the case that I decide to pass him along, and in the same gentlemanly way that Spaghettiman passed him on to me.

It's lucky you're here to keep me honest, Bress. I can't imagine what I'd be inventing if you weren't around..... The watch in question is indeed a WM Vintage with a California (and not a 2533) dial and very fat hands. I call it 'Little Joe.' Little Joe is in Chicago, pending his trip over to Paris in the suitcase of a friend: I didn't want to take the chance of something going wrong during a transatlantic shipment from the U.S. Little Joe notwithstanding, I still want a 2533.

For the record, that was 38 years ago. It's a miracle I can still remember my own name, let alone his.

Tunisians :-) Should be ok...have fun!

Good grief. I didn't know the 217 came in a 54mm case.... Or did the Datejust shrink in the wash?

And isn't www.google.com a wonderful thing....I had no idea of where your lyrics were coming from until I Googled a line from each - no merit for me, just curiosity as to what the ol' keysersoze was getting off on.... The .com uploading site worked miraculously well until just a few days ago, when it appeared to have crashed definitively. I moved dozens upon dozens of music files all over the world with the greatest of ease - a pity it didn't work for you, particularly since several months back, I also sent you around fifty titles via your gmail address. Must have gotten lost in the shuffle... Lastly, I put out a call for a replacement here after the site crashed. The most apparently viable alternative is this: http://www.yousendit.com/whyyousendit.php Which looks good, but I haven't yet tried. That's all the news that fits.

@TTK: Tom Waits: Gun Street Girl (N°2) & Walking Spanish (N°1)

Not all at once please. Ok, I guess I'll just have to get one custom-made... :-)

Ever since I saw WatchMaster's version of this on the RWG board more than a year ago, I've wanted one. WM's version (I have his pics - which I've already posted several times before - but out of courtesy, I don't want to use them here while discussing the possibility of someone else taking up the same idea) is incredibly classy: he presented the 2533 as a 'new' rather than as an artificially aged watch. The result was astounding. Irresistable. But I did resist until it was sold, and I've regretted it ever since. The idea here is not something like the 47mm models with the Moljina movements and the riveted straps, but a little more civilized and smaller-wrist-friendly watch, such as a standard 44mm Radiomir case with display back, good lume on a non-aged dial, removeable lugs, a flat (yes, flat, and not domed crystal) and a decent movement. More in the spirit of a hommage than an exact replica of the original, but if I wanted that, I'd go for one of the other 47mm higher end reps of this model sold by some of our dealers. In short, if 'someone' (namely Davidsen, whom I'm trying to get interested in this project) were to offer what I've just described, how much member interest would there be in purchasing one? It's to be noted that the same case and movement could also be fitted with the California dial.... With Davidsens gold hands, a nicely lumed dial and a decent strap, there's no way I would say no to one of these... What's your opinion? As for the purists, I can already imagine your responses, but feel free to add your comments. :-)

Johnkaz, if you'll permit me, I'd like to suggest making the last line rhyme with the first two - gives a more resounding ending to your admirable ode to our fascinating Miss Understood Were it mine, I might have said something like, 'She's open and honest...and....' well, it's up to you or someone else to find the ending rhyme.... Not easy.

It's because they're all getting ripped on Absinthe, Dani :-)

Did the Nissan have Thin Red Lines across the hood? If so, it was definitely him. Are you (italics) sure you didn't take a picutre, Nanuq?

Paris is definitely not what it used to be. That said, travel insurance (if you have it) or even your apartment insurance might take care of that. You could always force your lock and say you were burglarized (not that I'm suggesting insurance fraud, mind you) - or if you have a really good policy, street robbery just might be included. Check out all the fine print. The upside is that you've outed yourself as another Parisian RWG member - if ever you'd care for a bit of tea and sympathy, you can always contact our two-member support group (Pugwash and myself) and we would be happy to commiserate and generally chew the fat over a drink.... Sorry it had to happen to you, but think of how much worse it could have been: much of the violent crime that happens here never even gets reported, and people are ending up at the hospital every day and night for infinitely less. Best of luck in overcoming what's certainly a traumatic homecoming.

Bad link :-(

No need to defend myself. For the record, let's just say that I knew Don Van Vleet both professionally and personally. Same for Zappa, but I preferred the company of the Captain.

If you're using Visa or MasterCard, my experience in Europe is that they usually apply the Interbank conversion rate, which is always extremely reasonable (within 1 percent of the exchange rate on the date of purchase-. I've never had any problems with getting hit with additional charges or exaggerated dollar-euro exchange rates. Do some enquiries at your bank and with your credit card company to lfind out what the situation is where you live....