Victoria

TOO LATE!!!!!!!! And yes, there is a perfectly rational even comical explanation of my profuse usage of the exclamation mark -- even though we all know any exclamation mark used in excess of 5 times is a sign of a psychotic episode.

US-AMERICANS!! She just won the South American vote, right there! (I'm not kidding...big problem..."American"...inferiority complex...argh...I am beginning to ramble like her...and in conclusion SOUTH AFRICA!)

Chess sounds sexy. Although I'd prefer a game of Scopone, like the conde or marchese Vittorio di Sica (who was always playing a conde or marchese) played with a little boy during a whole film, whose title I sadly forget. And he's my favourite director! Chess or scopone. Sounds like a good way to be captured by the man of my dreams.

GOOD DECISION! I have drooled over these photos since you posted them. I was salivating over this deal of 2 ammo strap for the Fiddy size, and one "Famous Strap" which in their parlance means anything by Mario Paci. Both for $100!! Jebus. But I am rationing myself, so can't pull the trigger. That is an awesome deal, though. I've spent hundreds on one ammo strap alone. Again, alter urls from xx to tt: hxxp://www.network54.com/Forum/353393/thread/1188065632/last-1188065632/FS-++2+Straps+for+the+price+of+1%21%21 And don't look now, but Greg Stevens is having a massive blowout: hxxp://www.network54.com/Forum/353393/thread/1188060298/last-1188067779/GregStraps+Anniversary+Sale+MegaPost%21%21%21%21%21 This is a great Fiddy strap, as are all his selections. Drool away, Doc!

I got the Grigio too! I think if it had been a TOUCH darker (leather/thread), it would've been perfect with the bigger bezel brushed PAMs, like the Arktos or the 024a, but as it is, I love it. Congrats! @Pugwash: So, what was the difference?

From the IMBD "filming locations" section in the Amelie entry: Abbesses, Paris 18, Paris, France (subway) Canal Saint-Martin, Paris 10, Paris, France Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany Eaubonne, Val-d'Oise, France (Amelie's father's home) Gare de Lyon, Paris 12, Paris, France (station) Gare de l'Est, Paris 10, Paris, France (station) Gare du Nord, Paris 10, Paris, France (station) La Chapelle, Paris 10, Paris, France (subway) Lamarck-Caulaincourt, Paris Metro, Paris 18, Paris, France Montmartre, Paris 18, Paris, France Paris, France Port de Lilas, Le M

And apparently, car salesman are HUGE into Panerai in the West. There is one chap on Risti who fits that bill, and when someone snarled about used car salesmen being a bunch of rip-off artists, all the car salesmen on the board challenged it indignantly in their replies. I counted about 5 or 6 of them. Do WE on RWG have 5 or 6 car salesmen who post/read us regularly, I wonder? And that's on a non-speciality watch forum. But that's the thing. When I first saw a Panerai watch on the forums, I was put off by how unblingy it was. It has minimalist lines, and tiny details which separate it one from the other. I cringe just thinking of that Radiomir with the diamonds for markers. Okay, it's blingy in the sense of it being outsized, and show-offy, but other than that, it has understated lines. YES! In retrospect, now I realise what those "big watches" were in the streets of Tokyo. Well, if Joseph Marie Fran

But see, this is a kind of attitude that is either seen as noble, or crankish in life. I'm not saying you are either, TeeJay. I value your opinion, and have seen the person you are in the few months I have been on. That's not it, at all. This whole thread, however, is about what we as individuals can tolerate from collectors, trusted or not. We make compromises with them about their fudges, their mistakes, their claims. E.g.: If they drop-ship or not, which one collector ASSURES me he doesn't, but do I believe him? I don't know. I would like to though. And that's it right there. I WANT to believe him because he's been an exceptional merchant to me, trusting me as a client. The ball bounces both ways, you know. How many times, never mentioned by people here out of embarrassment maybe because they didn't buy the tracking, did a watch we send them not arrive in their destination? The collectors ate that cost. And you don't hear them whining about scammer-buyers, as I am sure they get ALL the time. No, they stay silent, perhaps out of simply not having time to post anymore, or it just not looking professional to out these people on boards, whereas WE have a medium like rep forums to complain about them all the time. Boy do we, too. Just look at what I have said about Paul, whereas he's never once presented his side of the story (there are ALWAYS two sides of the story, as we recently rediscovered, right?). So, there it is. I think the thread is dying a death -- famous last words! -- but the crux of the matter is that either you are comfortable dealing with increased profit-margins by businessmen, and can tolerate a few squiggles of truths now and again, so long as the collectors are reputable in general, and offer good customer service. Doesn't mean you can't out them, and in fact, should when they are wrong, TeeJay. But just know that it's almost a losing battle because they feed us our addictions... You're like the Don Quixote of the rep world, my darling. It must not be pleasant to be in that position, how ever noble, but I respect your efforts and convictions nonetheless, without sharing them.

In the Kruzer00 thread about Panerais beginning to be noticed by dealers in NYC (a followup of sorts to the "It looks like Panerais are the "IT" watch in the Hamptons" thread), I mentioned the geographic importance of that marque in the West of the US, versus the East and South. As ever, that was an opinion based on observation, but I acknowledge I could well be wrong. So my question to you is: Do you live in a town or city or even country where people are into watches? That is, appreciate them as status-symbols or mechanical wonders, as well as comment on them even if they don't know what model you are wearing, etc. I recently read a thread on RWI where a Singaporean poster said that Singapore is watch-conscious, whereas in Malaysia no one gives a rip about watches. And the other day online, I read a similar comment from a TimeZone poster about Denver not at all being a watch town. Again, his or her opinion, but I found just hearing that fascinating. Given the international flavour of RWG, I think this topic could yield many interesting anecdotes, so please post a reply with your experiences. My experience: I have lived in many countries, and I would have to say that Japan was the most interested in luxury watches, given the amount of questions one gets from complete strangers, and the plethora of watch mags and ADs there, whereas Brazil was the least (because of many reasons, not just financial). The French adore watches, whereas in Britain, one can find people unusually partial to and knowledgeable about one marque or another, and stay that way for the rest of their lives. South Florida is not a watch "town". Florida is a car State and jewelry State, BIG TIME. But no, not necessarily watch-centric like Los Angeles, which has a very similar "vibe" as a warm-climate touristy area. Maybe JFreeman or Ssabripo and others can chime in with their impressions on SoFla.

Fascinating! Allow me to segue a question about the East Coast v. West Coast Panerai interest. Surely, to anyone who has ever read the Panerai-centric US boards, you will note that Panerai is hugely popular in California, Arizona, Nevada, etc. Not so much in the East Coast, with Panerais only just now really taking off (you hear much less of GTGs on Risti in the East Coast, than anything remotely approaching San Francisco, Carlsbad, LA, etc.). I know what people will reply. In part, that this has to do with the laid-back, niche quality of the Panerai, which is a sporty watch, not perceived as a dressy, status-conscious watch unlike Patek Phillipe, AP, Vacheron, etc. which are huge in NYC, because it's a status-conscious town par excellence. Then there's the Sly Stallone/Schwarzenegger/Hollywood factor, which blossomed specifically in the West because of this. But EVEN SO, I'm shocked at this imparity given the international crowd one has in the East Coast, the amount of money which flows there, and the backgrounds of the people, what with the amount of Italians like Stallone there, especially. And in the South? We won't even talk. Only once did I think someone had picked me out for wearing a Panerai. It seems no one who is "just folks" in the whole of South Florida knows what watch I am wearing (exaggeration! I know, but so far, the truth). I have yet to experience that tingling Panerai-moment of raising a fist with a PAM on it, in silent, happy acknowledgement from a fellow Panerista. I don't care if the man in the street doesn't know about Panerai. Half of me is glad of that, in fact... But I do care that the marque is not better known by watch aficionados, like those in NYC!

Guys, just in case any of you are interested in Clive's suggestion: http://cgi.ebay.com/Leather-balsam-leather...1QQcmdZViewItem "Leather balsam leather polish Lord Sheraton 75" @GBP 2.99 Dead cheap I'd call that. Bought two, not realising he had only 3. Had I known, would just have bought the one... By the way, the *bayer has two varieties of the Lord Sheraton. It's the one in the white box not the yellow which is the one for leathers. I asked.

Ahh, the one you had made? Very nice. The whole watch is fantastic! It looks suitably aged, and your strap is the perfect choice to offset the numerals.

I know they will. My parents are both professionals, and all during my childhood, they were rarely able to give me a lot of time -- my father especially. That's a big price people pay in the modern age, when you are go-getting types, wanting successful careers. Even so, every Sunday was family day. They condensced 6 days worth of fun, memories, physical affection (very important), and family intimacy into that one day. My mother established a hard rule -- no one argued on a Sunday, and never at the dinner table. We saved that for the other days. Thank you so much, Raijor. Whenever I saw news footage of the mothers going crazy over Cabbage Patch dolls in the 1980s, I laughed, agreeing it was crazy consumerism. But a little part of me understood 'cause I imagine disappointing your child is the worst feeling a person can have.

(First, thanks for the tip of bending the strap above) Lexol has an odd smell, and as mentioned by Lanikai, it tends to darken lighter leathers (which I have always felt don't ever stay as light afterwards). I don't mind patina, but a darker look due to chemicals I do mind. Mind you, I've used Lexol only a handful of times on things other than straps. Definitely. But as I had nothing else... But not, would you say, in the case of Clive's ruined, beautiful strap above? That seems irreperable. @the guys above: Thanks for the tips!

Simply amazing, QUALITY collection rather than a million rubbishy pieces. There are some people who buy reps and leave stuff as is, but I see you are a perfectionist. No wonder your shots in the Wristies are so crisp! I also ask, what next on the agenda?

Soonermatt, as you can imagine, people in the forum field questions like this several times per day. It's not a question of unfriendliness, but of hoping the person might hit "Search" first, since the questions are all answered there. Such info is often confidential at that, because of the nature of the business. I'm sure you get me. And although I personally think people should be given leeway as newbies, but just so that you know, the VIP upgrade provides you with tonnes of info, immediately. Good luck!

HEY JIRO! May I take this opportunity to welcome you to the forum, and to compliment you on your amazing watch choices. You have extremely varied, and from what I can see, good taste in watches. Not only that, but you also have good energy, posting great comments. Today, RWG is a better place for you having joined. And even if it turns out we don't agree on one thing, I'll stay think that! Enjoy your stay.

OMG! WTF! CIA! ...sorry, I ran out of catchy 3-letter acronyms. P.S.: EWWWWWWW.

Lanikai, don't worry about it. Things won't change with people who have a personality conflict with another member. No matter what that object of irritation says, they will find it a way to turn things around, and get you, because it's not about what you say, it's who you are that gets to them. I've found that people with big personalities have to put up with this, but I won't entertain conversations about myself on this or any other forum. It brings down the tone of the entire place, and leaves people numb. If you wish this forum well, don't do it. If you continue, just be aware that I will come out smelling like roses, because my first and last instinct is to ignore this behaviour by taking the High Road, whereas that person comes out looking like an obsessive schmuck. Now, back to the cartel talk...UHH. NOT! The only thing I'd call you is "Muscles", and I believe they're charging a buck forty for that word these days.

Aww, man, what's wrong with us today. Sorry about the late reply to a fellow n00b, but we're engrossed by Part XXI of a contentious thread -- so much so, other threads with more pressing matters are going unreplied to. First, Russ, I'd counsel you to contact the dealer you got it from. If it's one of the reputable collectors (harrumph!), they should be able to send you a replacement, often free of charge. If you got it from a member trade, then it's trickier. I would try to contact Davidsen (one of the collectors here, who has a gallery -- look there for contact info), and ask if he could sell you a sapphire crystal for your 177. There are Western Union fees, and the like, but his sapphires are guaranteed legit. Good luck to you, either way!

Heh. You must be great at playing poker. (Off to dine. I'm fairly certain when I come back, there'll be 8 pages worth of replies to read. Ahh, the lure of the internet...)

I'm going to avoid the inference, and simply say this: When someone is giving out potentially damning information to a board, THEN their status is key, as in any argument the added weight of being a known quantity becomes very important. You always trust those you know better than those you don't -- which includes myself (edit: I wouldn't expect to be trusted over, say, Pugwash, or Clive, i.e.). Why? Because the person with a beef could well be someone with an axe to grind, or God forbid, a regular poster with a second ID hiding behind it to slander people because they're a coward. I have an almost photographic memory, but I admit, I don't even remember who it was that quoted Jos Nana (who I see is now reading this thread...and Trusty) as having written that in an email. But putting on my Historian cap, I need proof not second-hand info. Might not change my opinion, but facts are facts.

Enough. I am no one's punching bag. When you don't care for someone, what they write, how they are, where they come from, you state your peace and that's it. You will not get a single reply from me, again, so I suggest you move on.

That is true, but I hate to break it to anyone who doesn't know (not you fishgodeep!) , but we are not the end-all, be-all of the rep world. From what I can see, Joshua and Andrew's business has grown to massive proportions, in part but NOT IN TOTALITY, due to forum members' support of them for years. But maybe they've outgrown their need on us, let's be honest. I do know one thing for sure, is that if I were in their shoes, I wouldn't like to post in a board which considers what they do, and the risks they take, on a daily basis. @Fishgodeep: Thanks! Reading the thread in reverse, so only read what you wrote before replying here.

And in that time I have purchased over 50 watches from several dealers condenscending YEARS worth of experiences into those self-same 2 months; posted to the best of my limited ability to make this forum a better place; and kept my whinging and personal attacks to a minimum. From what I can see, this is much more than you have done in this one thread alone, so I'll thank you to keep your ad-hominen attacks to yourself. If not, please avoid me in future.