Victoria

Whereas ... I'm the one with the invites to Mrs Pugwash's cousin's wedding that sounds like a porn title: Lesbian Nurse Wedding.

Gayness is also in the eyes of the beholder. Mind-altering info, I realise.

My cousin Tarquin (yes, I know, what can I say) is now serving in Afghanistan after a young life of dissolution with wine, women, cocaine and Chelsea FC, but whenever he came to see me in Miami, people flat out asked me if he were gay.

I said, no he's just British.

Come on, you know that's true.

We do androgynous-effete very well, even in the working-classes. I mean Jude Law looks like a prince, and was chosen because of his elegant air to play the role of Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr. Ripley, but he's from Lewisham. Try that with someone from the Bronx. My ex-boyfriend (who gets a second mention today!) used to swear he was gay.

Right, tell it to the nanny.

No, I don't have any spare tickets.

Drat. I have the Doc Marten boots too. Ah well, always the bridesmaid, never the lesbian bride.

No comment. I hear admitting to crime on the internet is as good as a confession.

As for this year's movies, Die Hard 4 was astounding. Highly improbable plot with a complete lack of understanding about how the internet and computers work, it still kept me throwing virtual popcorn down my gullet as scene after scene of bequipped action unfolded on my screen.

Favourite film of the summer, bar none. Die Hard 4 is everything a summer blockbuster should've been. Even the comical Batman-Robin flavour worked. Bruno's still got it!

lso, am I the only one who finds it ridiculous when people take cover behind 1/2 inch thick wood tables, flimsy sheetrock walls, etc during gunfights, and the bullets somehow magically never penetrate? That always gets to me. Ridiculous. Also, am I the only one annoyed at the fact that whenever someone in a movie is using a computer or something, for every last click, input, process, result displayed, change in CPU load, memory occupation, PMS levels, etc, that it requires a beep?! If my electronics did that in real life, I'd throw everything away and join the Amish.

Heh, Defacto, you sound like my old boyfriend who used to grab his head during "Run Lola Run" (Lola Rennt) and whisper during the film, "GIVE THEM A FRIGGIN CELL PHONE. END OF."

He also used to scream, similar to your electronics-gone-amuk rant, during films where computers were taking over in 2001: A Space Odyssey-fashion, "UNPLUG THE FRIGGIN CORD. END OF."

Oh God, he was so funny and yet made me cringe during movie dates.

You know what always gets me?

What email programmes do film characters use? I almost died when I saw Nicole Kidman use Yahoo in "The Translator".

Every other time, it's some fancy-schmancy prog which doesn't exist, but I keep thinking, wow that would be SO cool if it did. Flying mailboxes, a HUGE text alert on your wallpaper when you receive incoming email "YOU HAVE MAIL", or the super-cool government email with CIA TOP SECRET written on it bold capitals so anyone can see.

Come on Bill Gates, you know you can!

A cinema-thread kind of weekend for RWG, I see.

UPDATE

Have watched

The Bourne Ultimatum The last of the summer blockbusters, in what was an exceptional summer of high-charged, heavy-action and FUN films like you remember as a kid, The Bourne Ultimatum rounded out the end of the genre nicely. Despite underwhelming acting by the supporting cast, even the always excellent Laura Linney (who I swear played the same role in "Breach", down to the hard stare look of the lady FBI agent trying to be taken seriously), its fast pace and action was spot on. Slightly preachy in the ideological department, and that's why it doesn't get a higher rating. B+

Superbad Even if you think this is one of those American Pie type of coming-of-age teen flicks, and stayed away because of the rauchy humour, it's PERFECT. Flawless characterisation by the two young leads, and the nerdiest side-kick in filmdom since Jerry Lewis put on a pair of glasses, alongside two rogue coppers who have a Blues Brothers cool. One of my favourite of the season. The Rogen-Apatow connection hits paydirt again in a film which never talks down to you. A-

Haven't watched

Rush Hour 3 - Intend to watch given the rave reviews on RWG.

Hairspray - Don't intend to. John Travolta in drag? Not even if he wore a Breitling...

Wow. WTF.

That's even WORSE than the one I received, which possibly Jawo received, in turn. Look at the pink screw near where the Officine Panerai Firenze is supposed to be in gold.

It actually looks distressed -- like someone took a Swiss Army knife and rubbed it all around. Oh dear...sorry, Antonio...

I guess you have to buy a second watch to read the time...

It looks like an ashtray

God, that's so true! Like a George V H

As we all know, George Clooney is a Watch Queen extraordinaire. Anyone who saw him change timepieces in almost every other scene in Ocean's 13, knows that for a fact.

But in his latest project, which opened in wide-release in cinemas all over the USA last weekend, he sticks to one watch.

Here are two photos, and an extra one of the spaghetti watch (as I call those kinds, which I loathe) on that extra-terrestrial beauty, Tilda Swinton.

Care to guess what they're wearing?

I say Omega on George, but only because of the basketweave type bracelet (otherwise it looks like a VCO), and given the stodgy, neurasthenic character played by Tilda, a vintage Hamilton or Gruen on her.

Other watches spied were a Franck Muller Conquistador on another lawyer, and an SS Tank Fran

You were right man!

Perhaps you'd like to take a look at my Fiero on my own PAM 111h and 177?

Wear it well!

Victoria

@Raymond: Oh, oh. Hope this isn't what I think you're saying it is...

Nice watch but the strap sucks. Anyone have any good recommendations while it is away being serviced? A nice leather with double stitch would be nice....

LordRasta, you may want to check Golfman's SWEET strap in the Weekend Wristies Ahoy thread. Love it. He still hasn't revealed the source, but I think that's a perfect colour for the RG St. Ex.

Also, I just saw this on the Risti site. Is this our own J

The 111h was expensive but well worth it considering the cost of our other reps now.

It is am OEM cashmere....you are right.

I am probably only going to keep one....

Yay, got it right, kinda.

I would say, sell the Croc. The OEM Cashmere may get you more money (too bad it's not the 26mm Fiddy size, because that commands amazing moneys on Risti's Accessories Corner), but the OEM Croc sells lightning quick.

Not interested in either, but good luck! Great straps.

I finally got my new strap in so I can wear my new DSN ultimate 111h proudly

Davidsen was very very helpful with his communication and answered all my questions and made sure to double check all parts of the watch and movement before sending...no stripped screws for me.

THANK GOD. I am sure I echo a lot of people's feelings when I say that this is a welcome breather from the horrendous QC issues we've had recently. Hopefully, he's turning it around.

And I told you, Khurram. When you open a Davidsen and there are no probs with it, the feeling you get is indescribable. It is sooo beautiful!

(Who was it who said his Crowns are getting better? That fat one looks even better than mine!)

Fuzzy pic and all, I love it. What lume!

And what can I say about the Fiero that I haven't said before.

Congrats, darling!

The Sultan of Brunei will love it...

(Wow, a new low for Hublot. Hey, that rhymes, wonder why...)

(One more parenthesis afterthought...is it me, or do you get a sudden urge to go ice-skating when you see that? It also looks like the glass wall dividers in a dentist's office)

... and the name for that person is The Loser.

sorry, you did say it's a funday.

This is one of those guy things right?

I walk away, having made my point, and I feel like I won. I won because not only did I make my points, but I showed self-restraint, moderation, and elegance.

So now you know.

Ahh, I never got far enough into the immigration process to find this out Oh well, at least I have a momento which serves to keep me vigilant of others

Indeed. There are some tough customers out there.

I remember hearing about that, but didn't realize they'd identified him as it pretty much drifted out of the news... Any other details on who he was?

This is curious. I am fairly sure I remember when the story broke that he had been shipped back to Bavaria, and that his name was Klaus or Karl. His family were happy he was back. Hmm.

But apparently, he turned out to be a Czech musician called Tomas Strnad.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/29/uk.pianoman/

"On Sunday the Mail on Sunday newspaper quoted Klaudius Kryspin, a fellow member of the Prague tribute band Ropotamo 20 years ago, as saying: "When I saw the picture I know it was Tomas."

Friends told the paper Strnad's age -- around 35 -- matched that of the Piano Man and he was a classically trained pianist whose first love was always Chopin, Mozart and Liszt.

Kryspin's twin brother Richard, a computer analyst in Columbus, Ohio -- the band's guitarist -- told the paper Strnad had mental problems."

Blimey, he washed up in the Isle of Sheppey! LOL. Went there once. Deadly dull, as all of Kent is, but sweet, as all of Kent is.

Smart lady

Lord Mountbatten's sister, BTW, and thus the Duke of Edinburgh's auntie.

Lol. If you enter the US you are scanned...IDed...fingerprints...what the [censored]... they would have IDed you

Yes, it's easier for legal aliens such as I was, because of the full complement of fingerprints, background checks, physician vettings you have to go through.

It would be doubtful that TeeJay here would have been in a John Doe situation, even if he were just in a confused state and had to be admitted to hospital -- which however, might've taken a few days to resolve.

I mean, is there any country with more ID cards, more police checks, etc. etc. than Germany, and remember that Piano Man mystery some years ago? Lasted for MONTHS.

He was a Bavarian.

But good thing anyway.

Queen Louise of Sweden (British-born) loved to shop in London, like anyone else, and went totally alone to Harrods, etc. No ladies-in-waiting, no police, nothing.

But she too was concerned that something might happen to her, for example, be run over by a car, and no one would be able to identify her (LOL).

Lightning struck one day, and she put inside her handbag a long white piece of paper with this message in black capitals:

I AM THE QUEEN OF SWEDEN

So this is a complete custom watch from vaccum.

* Dial and hands relume off-white when uncharged

* dial font dyed to light off-white not bright white not cream

* ETA cannon pinion upgrade with flat top polished

* crown guard lever pin flat top polished

* new asian swanneck movement full serviced

* thick AR sapphire crystal

* Palp Crown

Magnificent work. If only I didn't suspect that this costs a heck of a lot more than Davidsen's out-of-the-box PAM, I'd rush to Vac like THAT. I'm guessing this is $500-600 worth of work, and I don't pay more than $400, tops for any rep, sadly.

I love it.

I think davidsen watches are the most overrated items in the rep community and this is an excellent alternative that does not have a canal street quality dial.

Brilliant stuff nonetheless.

BTW, for my own merriment:

You put the OEM Croc on the rep, and what looks like a custom-made HKTAN strap on the gen, right? Or is the 005 strap the OEM Cashmere?

And yes, 005 is absolutely gen.

Hey! Voting after they've been tallied only counts in Chicago!

Kru, PamMan, and Sssurfer -- amazing thread. Eye-opening and hopefully, one day I will have your "eye" for details.

This thread proves again and again how ever much we think we know, some truly can't tell a gen from a rep. However, for ME, the finish of the 005 seemed far and above the 111h.

I mean, when you look at a gen, you get, I don't know, the same kind of tingle you get inside the pit of your stomach as when you hit a golf shot cleanly.

Without sounding like Kevin Costner in Tin Cup, it's a feeling that is indescribable, and makes you want to do it/look at it, again and again, because it's perfection.

Just confirming... I will be there. Been a little pre-occupied the past few days. Trying to make sure my brand new house doesnt fall into the Pacific Ocean!

Yeah, I heard about the La Jolla pits from hell. And those homes are multi-million dollar ones too. Hope all is well.

Post pics of the GTG!! Of the watches.

Have fun yawls!

And maybe this ....

FGD! I can't believe it, you have the watch I have always covetted -- PAM 115, is it? Did you get it from DSN?

Only I once inquired and he told me the lume on his PAM 115s are C1, not C3, so I went with the PAM 112. He's the only chap who makes destros anymore, of the trusted collectors, because as Andrew told me, the man who used to make 44mm destro cases retired.

Perhaps an euphemism.

@Golfman: I'm with Rower. I NEED THAT STRAP! I'll get a Big Pilot just because. Luscious...

Fellas, it's Saturday -- funday!

We're in good health, thank God (Allah). We're relatively well-fed, clothed, shod, and housed, thank God (Allah). We've got a few coins in our pockets, and by some miracle, we're surrounded by people who share our precise enthusiasm.

Haven't been following what's happening, so don't know exactly what is what, but I do know that these kinds of disagreements are easily resolvable.

It just takes one person to walk away, having made their point, but counting their other blessings.

Now, how's about it? Let's be happy, yes?

Thanks for your interest, appreciation and encouragement, Vicky. And for another thing too. Actually, even if you did not know, you played a crucial role in the development of this project.

Io??

I'm stunned, but happily so.

After about a year since May 2006 when the 1st version was ready, I was feeling a little bored with it. The mini fiddy option had not yet come to my mind. I have even been on the edge to sell the watch.

Why is it that the most time spent achieving/receiving something, means almost instant boredom immediately afterwards?

It's a human curiosity.

Then your unfortunate experience with the miny fiddy brought my attention to that watch. I began thinking that a mini fiddy look might complement the watch nicely. Just, considering your experience, I was not willing to waste my money on a mini fiddy before having any clue about how the final look with a domed crystal might be.

Intriguing. I wonder how many of us influence each other, in various ways here? If only we would say!

So I decided to preliminarly have a test on how much a domed crystal would add to the watch look.

It took some time to find a source for a domed crystal fitting a 44mm case (cousinsuk), a little more time (three orders) to find which diameter was correct (36.2mm), a little more time to select a correct cyclops, and some more time again, and three crystals wasted, to learn about the differences between plexi and glass/sapphire in glueing the cyclops.

Sssurfer, may I confess to you and others now that I had no idea one had to glue a cyclops to the crystal? I simply thought they came 'cured' that way, in the firing of the glass process.

In the end, almost a year and half after the 1st version, the 2nd version is ready and the result is encouraging, I feel.

So the project is alive and running again.

Thanks to you, Vicky!

Amazing time spent on a project. You have endless patience, my dear Sssurfer. I don't have what it takes to be a self-modder, but I have loads of respect for those who are.

(And thanks! I will look up this cousinsuk person)

P.S.: that minifiddy / grasshopper combo is exceptional. It makes me wonder if I could use a grosshopper too on this project...

No. Too gay.

P.S.: If only you knew how scared I was of grasshoppers growing up, given your profession, you would be proud of me for taking that close-up.

wtf, 3 days and 5 pages and no Cazzomir pics

:lol:

Cazzo schmazzo! Who can forget the real 44 prototypes?

:clap2:

Have you been working on this project since May, when you finished the other 104? (I think you misstyped 144 above).

In the end, I love this project at the point that I am now even considering to get a mini fiddy just to take its case, crystal (current crystal is plexi) and hands. I would put in the movement, dial and cyclops. What would you think?

Go for it! I don't like my own Mini-Fiddy (my first ever PAM from Paul, do you remember how much advice you gave me way back on 4th of July, Sssurfer?), and never wear it.

But given the results I've seen above, you would possibly have one of the best Mini-Fiddies around! Love the strap, BTW. Dadog13 is to be commended!

3 rings, gold chain on my right wrist and a gold chain around my neck and of course a watch...........bliiinngggg

Seriously? Wow! I never would've credited you with being a bling-y kind of chap, Ken.

Well, then, you will love those things, you know...what. Soon!

An indiscrete question -- why don't Mods ever or rarely post Wrist-checks? Is a security thing, which is understandable, given the sensitive nature of the business? Or do you perhaps not want to influence others by noting from whom you buy your rep watches?

"In conversation with Panerai’s CEO, Angelo Bonati

By Wei Koh (REVOLUTION)

“Lo comandante del tempo” is the slogan expressed by Panerai in its advertisements. But the “commander of time” would be a fitting nickname for Panerai’s CEO, Angelo Bonati. Not because he’s an imposing man like Russell Crowe, a fan of his watches, but because he has waged a decade-long campaign for global domination and emerged victorious. In so doing, he has staged the final transformation of Panerai, from being the world’s fastest growing luxury watch brand, to becoming the youngest, but most exciting legitimate manufacture.

At what point, since taking the brand’s helm, did you know that Panerai could be a real manufacture?

The vision, from the moment Richemont had acquired Panerai and wanted to transform it from a military tool into a high luxury icon, is exactly what you have seen over the last ten years, culminating in our three new in-house calibers. Because in the beginning, those of us involved in this brand allowed ourselves to dream. We would say, “It would be fantastic if… It would be fantastic if…” And in the end, we realized everything we’d dreamed of.

So right from the beginning, you wanted to have an in-house caliber?

Yes. It was from the very beginning that we had the ambition to transform Panerai into a legitimate manufacture and not just a brand. When we first analyzed Panerai, we saw that the brand was full of values. We had an incredible history, an incredible story, and a family that was still alive and deeply connected to Florence. From the perspective of the product, the shapes of the cases were already iconic. The signature features like the crown-locking device on the Luminor, the lugs on the Radiomir and, above all, the dials were highly distinctive. Panerai had pioneered technical advancement in luminous substances, but we did not have any technical values in watchmaking. For US to add something to the enduring story of this beautiful brand, we had to bring it to its next stage of evolution.

Please tell us how you’ve evolved the technical content of Panerai over the years

There has been a gradual evolution. First, in terms of the finish we applied to movements and the increase in reliability with the addition of swan-neck regulators; then, to the creation of movements exclusive to us with highly functional complications; and finally, to the advent of our own movements. The prices for the pre-Vendome watches and the pre-A and A-series watches are very high at the moment. But this is based on their historical place in our story. Looking at the technical content of the new watches, they are taking a big step forward.

How important is for you that the movements express the identity of Panerai?

It is criticalthat the movements express our identity. We conceptualized and built up these movements based on our identity, and not just thinking of what would be nice functions. I remember when we first conceptualized the movement, we put all these different functions on a piece of paper. As we went through them, we made sure that every one of them was something that fit perfectly within our identity. Even the way the movements are mounted inside the watch cases has been optimized to be as stable as possible because Panerai may be luxurious, but they must still express an emotional connection to our past as a tool for heroes. This is why Panerai has an established reputation for being very reliable. Even visually, there is strength and robustness, which you will immediately recognize as a Panerai movement.

How does zero reset express Panerai’s identity?

Zero reset (where the watch’s small seconds hand jumps to zero when the crown is pulled out to set the time) is very important because when the military divers were synchronizing their watches for a mission, they would need to set them as precisely as possible, and zero reset is the only way to do this. It is a part of who we are. The old watches may not be able to do this, but if they could have done it, they would certainly have done so.

Why three barrels to achieve the eight days power reserve?

The three barrels are exactly what we needed to achieve the optimal stability for the amplitude of the watch for an eight days power reserve. As you know, one of the famous movements used in our watches was the Angelus eight days movement and our legitimacy to create long power reserve watches comes from here. So we worked backwards. If we want to have an eight days power reserve, what is the most logical and robust way to achieve this? It was the three-barrel configuration you see today.

How does a GMT indicator express Panerai’s identity?

The use of the GMT indicator in our watches is related to the understanding of our client base. The Panerai owner is an adventurer and a traveler. The GMT hand allows for you to always have a sense of orientation, regardless of where you travel. As such, it is in spirit similar to the compasses we’ve created to guide divers through the water at night.

Eric Klein, the head of Richemont movements, seems to be particularly inspired by Panerai.

Panerai is a passionate brand and Eric is a truly passionate man for horology. Through Panerai and our collaboration, he’s found a great way to express himself. You can see that the relationship is very dynamic based on how much we’ve accomplished in a really short time. It’s true that Eric works for several other brands. But for him, it is really important that the CEO is directly involved in the movements he is creating. Because this way, the process is very short.

How did you come to work with Eric Klein?

I’ve known Eric for a long time - Panerai was in the process of developing its movements. So, when we were conceptualizing the P.2002, we went to another very famous company to advise us on the project. We drew out everything and gave a brief to this company, and they realized the first prototype. They did a good job executing everything we wanted: the linear power reserve for optimal visibility and the three barrels for long power reserve, but there was a big problem. This movement was impossible to industrialize. So, when Eric came on board, the first thing he had to do was to examine the movement and figure out how we can feasibly industrialize it and, if possible, even enhance its quality.

What is the risk you take when you create your own movements?

You take a big risk when you create an in-house movement, because the reputation of your brand will largely be defined by the reliability and performance of this movement. We now have movement projects all the way until 2011, and we will launch something new every year. But with these first four calibers, yes, we definitely took a risk. But I am confident that the risk has paid off, because it brings the brand to the next phase of its life.

Why did you create the tourbillon?

The tourbillon was created to raise the brand awareness of Panerai. Part of Panerai has always been the creation of special edition watches. These are rare and are part of the tradition that we have established. Now, we wanted to enter the high complication segment with our own in-house tourbillon. But the challenge is this: if you fail in this segment, you will have lost your credibility. What do you need to succeed? You need a movement that is a statement of who you are – your creativity and your ability to bring something more to horology.

[ed. vbarrett: Confirming completely what Docblackrock said just last week]

But first, let’s discuss the sequence of how we’ve built this movement. From the beginning, Panerai has had a tradition of high complications, initially using the NOS movements of others. At the same time, we began to build a foundation with our basic and semi-complicated in-house movements. Where these two paths converge, is the tourbillon.

Now, I would like to say something about rarity. From the beginning, Panerai has expressed the rarity concept and we have created special editions to this effect. But we wanted to go beyond creating a Luminor Marina with a special dial. Yes, if we make 300 of these watches and then stop producing them, they will automatically be rare. But we wanted to give something more to the consumer, and evolve beyond simple rarity in design by providing rarity in content as well.

This is why we undertook the tourbillon. From the beginning, our goal was simple: it had to be a real, functional tourbillon and not just an aesthetic tourbillon. Our roots are in performance and chronometry, so our tourbillon had to embody this. To emphasize that performance is at the core of the watch, we put the tourbillon at the back of the watch, where it belongs.

How did the tourbillon develop into a watch with a revolutionary vertical rotating regulator?

We started thinking about the tourbillon in 2002. This was before the tourbillon craze swept the watch industry. I started talking to this very talented lady engineer from within the Group who has a specialization in tourbillons and explained that it has to express who Panerai is. Then, she called me and explained to me her idea. A tourbillon where the bridge rotates 360 degrees vertically to enhance the chronometry of the tourbillon, specifically for a wristwatch. I liked this idea because Panerai, unlike many other brands, did not start with pocket watches. In a pocket watch, a regular tourbillon is useful. But Panerais were worn on the wrists from the beginning and this was expressed by her tourbillon. It was perfect. I said, “Go ahead.” And that was how we got our tourbillon caliber P.2005.

Why did you wait so long before issuing a modern black-cased Panerai?

It’s true that we have the greatest legitimacy to create black-cased watches such as the PAM 4 and 9 that we made earlier. Now, those early cases that we made using PVD proved too fragile. They scratch easily and once that happened, you can’t do anything about it. For me, that was unacceptable. Because reliability has to be one of our core values, and issuing something that I know cannot last easily goes against that. Because if you ensure reliability, you ensure your business for the future

We have done PVD watches only once in our recent history and that was for a group of collectors (the PAM 195 created for Paneristi.com). The watches were sold with the express knowledge that these cases are fragile, so buyers know perfectly what to expect. But you cannot put this kind of watch on the normal production. Otherwise, some innocent guy may buy this watch and wear it, and when it scratches, he’s going to be very unhappy. This will affect our reputation and we will not allow this to happen. We understood that there was a hunger for black Panerais, but we had to find a way to create a highly reliable product for our collectors.

Why ceramic?

We started focusing on ceramic four years ago simply because it is the only material that is very robust. After we stopped making our PVD case watches, we had to continue to try to find materials that had this very stealthy feel. That is why we created the Panerais using titanium and tantalum. So, ceramic is the only way to provide the black-colored cases, yet ensure their full reliability.

How are your cases made?

There are different ways of creating ceramic cases. Ours are not molded, but made by machining. And considering the complex shape of our cases such as the Radiomir’s distinctive cushion case, you can understand that this is a very costly process. But it ensures a stronger case.

How did the Submersible with depth gauge come about?

Panerai was famous for making depth gauges in our past, so it makes sense that we would want to make a diving watch with a depth gauge. We’ve spent four to five years on this project. We started on a project related to a mechanical depth gauge, but there are problems ensuring the reliability of a mechanical depth gauge. Now, when it comes to making a diving watch with a depth gauge, you must be sure that what you are creating is 100-percent reliable because people are going to be using it for diving, and their safety becomes your responsibility as it relates to the watch. Our depth gauge in the Submersible has been officially certified by a third party institute that specializes in diving tools, so it qualifies as a professional-level diving equipment.

Will you release the ceramic 1950 that we’ve seen you wearing?

We are currently testing a ceramic 1950 watch, but at the moment we still cannot ensure the reliability of the lugs. Because the 1950 is a massive watch, we need to make sure that the lugs can support the weight before we can consider introducing the watch into the market."

...we'll find out at the Panerai SIHH in April, won't we. For the record, a ceramic Fiddy for me is.