Victoria

Well I had not problemns taking pictures with an $18k Chopard on my wrist during a getaway to the Bahamas, the saleswoman and shop keeper did not mind at all. I guess they were sweet on me. It's all about how you approach and ask.

Men are usually sweet on me, and I always choose a man when a register/till opens up e.g. at a supermarket, but they had two women and one rather effeminate chap as AD assistants. No luck.

- V Barrett, nice mani.

Thanks! Great chopper. Awesome pic.

hey guys, just another update about uni. I'm getting to know people but at the same time everything is so new. The homesickness wont fade and that makes it tough. Lectures start tomorrow and my brother is coming over on Friday.

I know you feel that that is a good thing, but IMHO, it's not. Trust me on this, as a veteran of boarding schools since the age of 8 and a half. You should take the plunge, and feel homesick for a month. Then it'll go away.

My mother kept calling my school every day, to comfort me, until my father (also a boarding school lad once) told her to stop. Calling me just made me pine worse for all I loved and cherished, and made adapting to my new surroundings that much harder, and longer.

The people on my floor havent really warmed up. I feel like they dislike me for some reason, like I'm an outsider.

NO NO a million times NO. It's nothing to do with you, Dutchy.

It's a quirk of our British social norms. I know it seems that they don't like you. I know they give you the cold shoulder. I know sometimes you are thinking as you read this, "Vic, they're not cold, they are HOSTILE".

YES, that's how we are. Sad but true.

It'll change. Believe me. Outsiders have written your very words since time immemorial about the British. What can we do? It's the way we are. If you lived in a village, it would be WORSE. Then you'd really feel what being an outsider is like. That's why minorities stick to cities, my dear. Life in Britain isn't for everyone. You have TO EARN your place. Island peoples are like this, as I said.

But when June rolls around, and you have one year under your belt at a British university, you will see, I promise you -- it's the best. The balls, the friends, the swotting up for revision. It's all worth it!

I've tried talking to them but its still tough because they dont really want to hang out with me. I hope time goes a little faster once lectures start.

Lectures, wassat?

No one goes to lectures at Oxbridge in Freshers year. Can't miss a tute though. Even if you look like death warmed up, binging from the night before, and anyway, the Dons have fridges in their offices, full of booze.

(Try that at an American PC-nazi university! No offence!)

Hang in there, Dutchy. It'll get better, promise............

Nice pics! These your watches, or were these taken @ an AD?

Heh.

Thanks for the unintended compliment! But Viennawatch is certainly correct in his sarcasm. That is an AD. They wouldn't let me take pics inside (I didn't ask, I just raised the camera and the guard immediately said no), but I took 4 or 5 quick snaps outside. Had a friend shield me.

Hos and breaking the law. What I do for RWG!

looks like sunset place...

They have the best cinemaplex in Miami*!

I stick to Aventura, Merrick Plaza, and especially Bal Harbour, because there are no "anchor" department stores at Sunset Plaza (Plaza, isn't it?), especially Nordstroms, Saks, etc. Seedy area just behind it though. There's a sign on the moviehouse which says "No weapons".

*Miami Beach has the best cinemaplex in all of South Florida. Just to note for those who aren't of the area, Miami and Miami Beach are NOT the same city.

@Pugwash: Best of luck! I'm guessing it's already over, but every good wish to you anyway. The PAM was a perfect choice, and the "distressed" strap certainly must describe anyone's mental state, seeking a job. Been there, done that...

@DocBlackRoc: Perfect analysis of why not to wear Rolexes to job interviews, if not for Pugwash, for SOME kid wanting to do so reading it.

@Jiro: Thank you so much! Your dazzling pics of it on RWI were the clincher in buying that Albion strap. I wear it with both the PAM 113 but I find it looks slightly better ON ME on the DSN PAM 112, than the white face as your wife wears it. It has more "bite" with the black-dial. Strange, huh?

@Freddy: I never tire of seeing that photo of your shirt-cuff, matched perfectly to your Rolex. Never mind Cher and the tattooed ladies. I march to the beat of my own drummer!

@Maxi: Thanks!! The compliments keep on pouring, in real life, and I'm VERY happy.

They just GLOW. Oh well.

Yachtie

Subs

Tags (So thought of By-Tor when shooting this)

Even Tiger has left his Quartz behind.

Reminds me of a time I was at a gas station in South Florida and a man in Ferrari was next to me, I said wow cool car (I was driving a volvo rental car). He was the same style as the South Beach dude, "yeah thanks" and thats it....

Norwegian style is more reserved that average American. Who knows maybe he thought it was shallow that the first thing you noticed is the brand name of his watch (unlikely in an area like south beach where everyone seems to be showing off something)...or maybe he's a just a jerk. I noticed in that some wealthy people there is a tendency to not want to be bothered at all, some are just aloof.

I bet some of the people who have a reps of that watch actually appreciate the design of it more than snobs like that tourist who can afford the genuine.

Or, World Traveller, as I later reflected, he was one of those people who are just not quick on their feet. You know how it is.

When you have a a good personality, even if you're not fluent in the language, you just radiate it, even with a smile or a wink.

But to give him the benefit of the doubt, I'll go with Ajoesmith's suggestion of his being taken aback at my gesture. Had I been a guy, he might've decked me.

That crazy hours looks great on you VB.

Awww, thanks so much! Means a lot to hear that from you.

I just love how diverse and eclectic your collection is.

No ten different models of Submariners for you thank heavens!

If you ever see a black Sub on my dainty wrist, bend over and kiss your booty goodbye, Dangerman. The World Is Coming At An End.

And the wannabe ho looks good too.

HAH!

Just for that, some freebie extras for my RWG Males.

Miami Beach has loads of women with great bodies in skimpy attire, including myself (well, at least the skimpy attire bit):

Great cars:

But being South Beach, it also has this. I believe this is called "being in transition".

I can't leave you with that visual! So back to the hos in skimpy attire.

(She actually bent down so long, I had time to root around for my handbag, take out the camera, centre the photo, and shoot it. Where are the cute guys doing this in front of me??):

@DBR: That pizza was U$25!! Damn right I was going to wolf it down, even if I realised it read better on the menu, than what I got............oh yeah, that's another thing. SoBe isn't for the cheapos amongst you. The Hos cost MORE money too.

@Golfman: Work. Wassat?

@All: See the two hos in the "Fragrance & Vacuum" pic? They were British (I could hear them from my car. Posh birds too). As if you can't tell, by the obvious Victoria Beckham clone to the left.

MONDAY

My Franck Muller Cintr

Last one of the weekend for me...

God, Andreww, another seriously sexy man-watch. Just imagining you on a motorbike or inside your cockpit, wearing that...'nuff said.

I can't wait until By-Tor or someone posts the new Wristies for Monday! I have stories.

I wish I was less shelfish

They don't call you the Mussels from Brussels for nothing.

Magnificent suggestion. If I had my druthers (what are druthers anyway? Maybe I have them), I would choose an IWC Cousteau Divers 2007 as the PAW.

OTOH, maybe that one may never see the light of day again. Especially when it gets to me.

Seriously, though -- thanks for piping up. I'm all in, baby.

Great hols for you and the family!

I dig the building for the technical challenges in it's construction. Near the edge of a tiny island, barely more substantial than a giant sandbar, we have 60 gold covered floors balanced above an aquarium sitting upon a cavernous, below sea-level theater where no one's view is obstructed by posts, as there are none.

Being a fan of the golden age of "moviepalaces", as they are called in America, I don't mind the poles which sometimes blocked the view -- but the other technological feats certainly impress me, and open my eyes, POTR.

Makes the heart beat a little faster when thinking of it, no?

Good eye on the pearls.

As to my own appearance, blue-eyed, beefy blond would fit, but I am from thoroughbred country. My wardrobe? More than one watch for every day of the year and a simple,

Mmm, a man who is aware of his surroundings, and appreciates architecture (my maternal granddad's profession), is a Southern gentleman, and has a treasure chest of watches.

single strand of nice black pearls.

Never mind.

On a sunny day in the park:

Exceptional photo. Really, I mean it SD. K

Truly a wonderful gesture of support to the Forum...

Extraordinary gesture, which I think few of us could match. Which is not to say that any bid in future won't be as good, and well-meaning too -- but some things in life transcend, you know?

I'd take the funds from the PP account pronto, just in case PP get "funny" again...

Something about the "close enough" factor just screams "china" all the way to me...

You see, Corgi. You just proved my last point in the above comment. The name has become synonymous with a lack of solidness. It's mass production at its worst.

Thankfully for the future of China, Japan used to have this PRECISE reputation of shoddiness: cheap goods produced in backrooms by sweaty men. From the 1950s to the 1970s, "Made in Japan" was a joke.

And look at them now.

P.S.: Yes, it would be interesting to produce these photos! I think it ties into the whole "glaring faults rep" which another member posted recently.

You're missing the point. The poor sap putting together the watch is not getting $390, he's getting a few cents. Oh, and bad spelings don't hurt sales, apparently. We still buy them.

Up to a point. Maybe newbies do, but I myself only recently turned down an IWC Cousteau Divers because Divers was misspelt.

I'm still a newbie, but not newbie enough to tolerate such a horrible error. It becomes an insult to one's intelligence, after a while.

And this is yet another reason why China will not catch up to the West, in quality control, for a good long while. There is a language barrier, of course. But the reason behind the whys are equally telling. No motivation. Sloppiness. And lack of concern if they're still selling.

That's not intelligent business practise, or acumen, either in the short or long run.

WOW AWESOME PRICE -- big time congratulations!!

TT...you've offered too much of your own. It's too generous of you..

nobody has any kooky pics? comon

Baby, it's Saturday night! You'll have more replies on Monday morning, promise.

Please dont take this wrong way but if a stranger reached out and 'tapped my watch crystal', i would be quite annoyed

I know! I don't know what came over me, Ajoesmith. I'm not a handsy person at the best of times, either.

I'm guessing it was a combination of being somewhat excited at having someone near me with a Big Pilot, in that specific situation, and his being somewhat handsome in sort of a Norwegian way.

Now that I am HYPER aware of watches, as I wasn't before, it's all a bit clumsy for me. Like a 4th former writing "Mrs. Ajoesmith" on her notebook, over and over.

@Ratchpot: LOL! Cleavage?

Counterfeiting? Forget about counterfeiting and try a real-world example: Just imagine you were typesetting a Chinese restaurant menu. Could you proof it?

A) I'm allergic to MSG.

B ) Of course not! But then I'm not charging $390 to people just so I can misspell "Officinnne Panerai".

Ultra-Portable MP3 Music Player Puts 1,000 Condoms in Your Pocket

pPod from Apple

The problem is that the type is set by people to whom the letters mean nothing. Could you tell the difference between Chinese characters?

I don't know. What needs counterfeiting in Switzerland that is Chinese?

In my first post I tried to include a photo. It came out as a tiny image which needed to be clicked on to be made bigger. Rather like the one below.

However, I have seen in most other posts, particularly 'Mid-week/Weekend Wrist Checks' that members can add their photos in a way that doesn't need clicking on - they are displayed first time, nice and large. How do you do that?

Well, err, King Charles (some hopes) here's what you should do.

I personally use Image Shack, so I only know how to do it there (I'm sure Photobucket, and Flickr, etc. have similar capabilities):

On the main page, you Browse to your photo of choice, and tick "Resize Image?" just below -- I choose 640x480 as a personal preference.

Recently, Image Shack has been opening up another page with your resized image. You browse down to "Hotlink #1" and copy-paste the bit between urls etc. I usually take out the second line, which gives you information on what camera one used, etc. It's "cleaner" that way.

Then, when you preview your post here, you'll see a nice big photo ON YOUR POST, instead of an attachment, and bob's your mother's brother.

Frustrated of England

Typical England supporter. We have a rare glorious double, and still we moan!

Does anyone know if there are any plans for a Rep of the Bigger Bang? One of my favorite watches.

Here is a pic.

How uncanny. I just saw this Hublot Bigger Bang in a magazine a few hours ago, at the beauty salon...didn't like, Lee, sorry.

Looks like a haddock just filleted.