Ethan

Try this thread, HikeUSA: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=21785&hl= It should help you out.

Actually, we are in the process of hiring someone you all know and respect from the board. A stand up guy. But it's his private business and he'll make it public if he feels like it. It can't hurt to send a resume avitt

Many thanks for your support Gents; I'll put it together and get it up here. That's absolutely correct Pug. You hit the nail right on the head. While Etiquette is specifically what I was talking about, the specifics of Style do tie-in to an underlying psychology and hidden language (much as Body Language does) that applies in ALL situations, business or not; I suppose that it simply has a more tangible effect in the boardroom than it does at a barbeque... For example, I feel much differently about a guy who shows up to a barbeque in a casual linen shirt, cargo or Bermuda shorts, plain brown slip-on sandals, and a big, loud TT blue sub, than I do about the same guy with the same watch in a big navy suit and French cuff shirt in my boardroom. What the guy at the barbeque is saying to me with his clothes is that his TT sub is not a precious work of art, and he's cool wearing it casually. Because the rest of his dress is understated, he let's the watch show for what it is; beautiful. The guy in the boardroom, however, is telling me that he's either arrogant, insecure, clueless, or all of the above. The watch is just too much, and will likely compete with the rest of his outfit. In a boardroom, I shouldn't be paying attention to his watch (that's not the point of the meeting), I should be paying attention to what he's saying. There's an old adage in business that goes something like, "After the meeting, no one should be able to recall the specifics of what you were wearing at all, only that you were extremely well-appointed, clean, neat, and conversed with poise and confidence". Great point! I should specify that I am referring to European business etiquette as it is applied in the general global business community. Certainly, I have colleagues who are devout Muslims who do not shake my hand; I don't consider that rude at all. Nor would I consider a Sikh rude for wearing his turban at my dinner table. Each is a tradition, and should be preserved as well.

Sadly, reference material on this subject is growing rarer and rarer... As you can see from this thread, there are few who care anymore in the 'screw-you-I'm-too-proud-to-learn' generation. To answer your question, I have an extensive library, and two of the subjects that I collect on are etiquette and dress. I also studied the psychology of dress as part of one of my Masters' degrees. You know, I was planning on doing that soon. I was going to put together a By-Tor/Pugwash-style guide on business dress and watches, and include photos of each example for a situation in which you might find yourself. I had planned to use only my reps, and only un-modded reps at that (the exception being the straps, which I ALWAYS replace with custom straps from Aaron) to illustrate how well they could serve in a discriminating corporate environment; watches available to everyone regardless of budget. I was going to include the underlying psychological statements that are made by such simple things as what watch is chosen for a given interaction, and what the color of your suit/tie/shirt/shoes says about you to the people with whom you are interacting. I'd include a little about the psychology of colour as well, as it pertains to your clothes. I though it might be interesting to the members, and would satisfy my need to 'give back' to RWGII; after all, as member number 65, I've been here enjoying the boards for a while... But after seeing the response from this thread, I am not so sure that that is such a good idea after all. I don't really feel like having to defend my position over and over again in a thread I'd create just to help out - and intend to be informative and fun - to a bunch of folks that feel the need to peacock by attacking me. It'd be like if the response to By-Tor's guides were, "Oh yeah? Well I have a friend who knows everything about watches, and he says Omegas SUCK". Can you imagine? Sad, really...

You know what? It is insulting, and starkly out-of-place in a thread about etiquette. I apologise, eddhead.

Jesus... This is exactly why I was hesitant to post in the first place; no good deed goes unpunished, or so the saying goes... Really and truly, I was just trying to help, and now it's turned into a chest-puffing, I-know-more-than-you, my-d*ck-is-bigger-than-yours BULLSH*T waste of time. If the above is your experience, phoband and slowlearner - fine. Super. That's great. We are DEFINITELY not spending time in the same circles.

With that vocab? Yeah, okay - sure. You win. Let me ask you this; in this dream of yours, were there any talking pumpkins or dancing fish?

Nice! That Seiko dial is... SALMON?? That's crazy. I love it.

I've started taking a liking to the coloured dials on the odd watch I've seen; they open the door for some great co-ordinated strap and stitch opportunities, but I admit I'm not that familiar with many reps that fall into this category, so chime in and let's see what your favs are! I've got a Blue Navi, which I admit is pretty conservative, but nothing else 'coloured' in the Steinhausen. Pictures would be great!

The Zigmeister is in Canada, and you'll need to open a discussion with him about what he would charge for the work. He's easy to find in the forum. That's a tough call; it depends what you're looking for. I own the Breguet skeletonized flying tourbillon rep, which I strapped with a genuine black ostrich and is absolutely beautiful. But it's a rep of a $100,000.00 watch... You do need to be able to 'walk-the'walk' - so to speak - with this thing on your wrist. It is also available without the Breguet logo; you don't need to be as concerned with what you're projecting if the brand name isn't there. There aren't many good reps of either House, actually. Plus, as I've said above, you're talking about watches in the $30,000.00-$100,000.00 range, so if anyone looks your rep up online and sees the retail, you could get called out pretty quickly. That said, it's good to keep an eye on these as there will be changes, and versions and models come and go, so you might get lucky. There are better Jaegers than either Pateks or Breguets to be had rep-wise; the Memovox, Reserve de Marche, Duo Time, and straight-forward basic Master Control are all very close. Hope that helps.

So does my driver...

Totally agree with you. There's all kinds of sh*t that's completely pointless that nonetheless finds its way into our lives in the guise of dress and etiquette. Take the cumberbund, for example. When you strap this ridiculous-looking thing on, do the pleats point up? Or down? They point up. Why? Because it's from a time when your tails-jacket did not have an inner pocket, and the pleats conveniently held your opera tickets... Like, are you f*ckin' kidding me? There are parts of my business existence that I like, and parts I don't. I like some of the etiquette, because I'm a sucker for traditions (I grew up an inner-city kid, and we didn't have any). But the Brioni, or the Ferarri, or the West Palm villa? Gimme a break. That's how I found my way here. There's sh*t I'll pay for, and sh*t I won't. I'd rather donate ten grand to WSPA than spend it on a watch. But in my world these things aren't just expected, they're required. Such is life. Like you, Pug, I too look forward to a day when what you wear and where you wear it is ONLY about what feels and looks good. Can't it get here while I'm still young?

Again, I'm sorry Pug; you're simply not correct here. I cede to your experience in all-things-rep-watch, but this is my area of expertise. I'm giving my insight and advice on a topic I know very, very well. It's not about being right here; I see it as a kind of responsibility that we post something that can benefit the whole board as a ‘thank-you’ for what we take out of it. But what the hell can I help out the board with? I'd love it if my contribution could be about movements, or vintage Rollies, or photography; I just don't have as much experience with those segments as the experts - yourself included - and would merely be cluttering the board with speculation and nonsense. But I what I can help with is not looking like a complete tool in a multitude of global business environments; I can help with the business psychology behind what you wear, with what watch, and in what situation. Now, I know what some of you are thinking: you’re thinking, “I know what the hell to wear, you smarmy asshat! I don’t need you to tell me how to pair my watch with my clothes! Who do you think you are, anyway?” That’s a valid question; after all, Rob proves his expertise with every watch he services. So let me tell you a little about why you can trust the advice I can give you… I own eleven companies; they’re stretched from the Isle of Man, to Nevada, to New York, to Toronto, to the B.V.I. I build the software that drives International web-based financial transactions. I make feature films. I create the television programs that you watch everyday. I have sat in boardrooms with everyone from Ted Turner, to David Geffen, to Steve Bahmer, to Tim Gannon, to the Bad-Boy from Down-Under himself – Rupert Murdoch. Yet I am neither famous, nor of any global consequence; were I gone tomorrow, ten other entrepreneurs would take my place before the seat was even cold. The point is not to brag about my accomplishments; the point is to give you the confidence that what I’m telling you is valid and real, and that the application of the underlying psychology will actually get you farther in your business life. So let me help.

Yeah, but you did say Reagan-era, didn't you?

Absolutely. Only there's a key difference... On my side, I've got a hundred years of established etiquette. On the Wardrobe Mistress' side, she's got a tied sponsorship between the franchise and Omega. Let's not forget that wrist watches (on men, at least) were unheard of prior to the very end of the 1800s; soldiers were the only ones to wear them, as pocket watches (which were the timekeeping device of choice for all Gentlemen) were a nuisance on the battlefield. They did catch on, and started becoming more common by 1905-1915. That trend, and the etiquette that accompanied it, has progressed into what we have today. There's no question that in my lifetime the leather-strapped dress watch will share equal acceptability with (and may actually be supplanted by) the all-metal watch in an EC environment. Such are the tides of change. But for right now, at this moment, tradition still holds for many the time-honored rules of etiquette intact. And those rules say "no PO in the Boardroom" - Bond or not. You can do it if you like - there's no friggin' machine gun that drops out of the ceiling and blasts you to bits if you try - but the psychology of business tells us that what you're saying if you do to those that DO know is either, "I have no idea", or, "I really don't give a sh*t". And neither is a good start to whatever you want to accomplish in THAT room...

It's I who am sorry Pug; still a no-go. I was waiting for the whole Bond-sub-Omega-thing to pop up as an example (as it invariably does in these situations). The funny thing about Bond in a tuxedo with a watch (and a metal one, at that), is that it is improper etiquette to wear ANY watch with a dinner jacket (or tuxedo, or tails). Semi-formal (tux or dinner jacket) and formal (tails) are to be worn at State functions or high-festivities; you are to be unconcerned with the time, because you're having such a good time. The wearing of a watch is rude to the host, as what you're saying is that you (at some point) have somewhere better to be. Either that, or you are at someone else's beck-and-call, and are required to wear a watch so that they do not have to. Either way, it's a faux-pas. With Bond it's okay, because he needs to use it as a laser, or garrote, or keep an eye on what time something's going to blow up. For him, it's practical. For you, it's just plain rude. Great. Super. Good for you. If your boss comes in tomorrow with a balloon on his head, does that make it acceptable? As I said, if he's the manager, and you're the minion, then it's just barely acceptable. But with the Board? No chance. Look guys; style is an ever-changing subject, and it's open to interpretation by anyone. But the fact of the matter is until we're all wearing plastic-wrap to the office, there are established protocols for business dress. And I for one like 'em. They're part of our traditions, and I hate to lose our traditions. I'm sure that there's a whole bundle of etiquette about who can wear a kilt, in which occasions, in what tartan - and all the accompanying accessories. I have no idea what those protocols are, but I know they're there; they're part of tradition. Is Fat Bastard the arbiter now of Scottish dress? I'm a Bond FANATIC, but there's no way the Wardrobe Mistress employed to dress the actor in the movies is going to subvert business etiquette and tell me how to dress. Period.

NO; I would not. You certainly can if you like, but if you care at all about business etiquette, the dress calls for a watch with a leather strap. Business casual has gone too casual, and the metal watch with a suit is too pervasive these days. If you're middle-management, or will be spending your day with subordinates, then go ahead and wear your PO, sub, Navi - whatever. But if you're sitting with the EC or are in a closing, wearing a metal watch with your suit simply indicates that you don't know any better.

So... You think that ALL Panerai and ALL Rolex watches are... ugly? Hold on; let me check your pulse. Nope.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and agree with Neil. I have always, always hated the Nauti - and I'm a Patek-guy for crying out loud! But that's what's so great about personal style and diversity of tastes; I can't stand Baz Luhrmann's movies or the new VW bug, but I'm happy I live in a world where that kind of artistic expression and unique aesthetic is encouraged. So, for those who love the Nauti; good on ya!

Yeah; good luck with that. Offshore baby!

No, it's actually not available anywhere. I'll post some pics; you'll see what I mean.

No probs, Pix. You'll love it, for sure. If you're into classic dress, you should check out the soft white-faced Jaeger Reserve de Marche; it's VERY close to the gen. The 3 o'clock dot marker (instead of the mini-arrow) is wrong, but it's hard to notice. The real giveaway is the red-tipped seconds hand at 6, but a very easy mod to do to fix a glaring error. Of course, the display back is all wrong, but on your wrist you can't see it anyway. Strap it up with a custom gator double-stitch and you've got a $12,000-looking watch for ~$300 (incl. the strap).

It's a stunning watch; the alarm works great, the finish is fantastic, and it keeps good time. I replaced the strap (as I do with all my reps) with a black calf with grey stitch from Aaron. It is the black face Cricket. The world-time dial is rotated manually with the center crown; it is not automatic. Just an FYI - there are currently no reps with an automatic 24-hour dial like the Cricket or the Breguet Marine. At least, none that I have ever heard of nor seen. This is one area where I'd be super-happy to be wrong, of course! Cheers.

Bingo! He's right, kshurdler; now thank nice sailboat641 for 'showing you the way'.

It's a vintage Patek 130; not something you can find floating around. In point of fact Jeff (addingwatch) had it modded by Zig; I picked it up when he offered it for sale. I'll be adding a custom Patek gator 19-14 strap from Aaron and a gen vintage buckle from eBay to complete it. If you're talking about the 5070G, I'd stick to SS. White gold is easier to fake with polished SS than solid gold is to fake with plate... Andrew's 5070 DOES have a cream face; I know it looks white in the photos, but if you really look carefully, you'll see it's cream. It's the same 5070 that Josh carries, and you can see the actual color better in his photos. I like it anyway. I have had no problems with the Lemania movement, nor should I; it's a solidly-good hand-wind movement. It's all in the details, Pix... Besides the BASE which is missing, the subdials intersect the 10, 8, 2, and 4 at the wrong points, the color of the numbers is wrong (in the white gold gen, they're black with a faint sheen; a semi-gloss - not silver), and the subdial color is WAY off. The chrono pushers are also the wrong shape, as is the crown. All that said, it is very close as far as Patek reps go. If you want closer you can always get it and send it to The Zigmeister to have the numbers painted black semi-gloss, and see if he can apply the missing BASE as a decal. As I said earlier, tricked-out with a custom PROPER Patek gloss gator strap (think $120; NOT $20...) this will be an awesome dress watch you can wear with pride. 99% of people who examine it - even closely - will not know it's a rep. Just don't wear it around anyone who seriously knows their Pateks/Breguets/Jaegers because the cream dial and mishapen pushers are dead giveaways. Best of luck; glad to see someone into the dress exotics and not just endless PAMs... Oh no wait; I have three of those myself. Oh well.