Victoria

We only just mentioned Delaurian's creations in another thread. This is his latest "Snake" strap. Cost: U$400 I'll tell you this much, whatever can be said of it, that strap took a lot of work. 100% handmade.

Hey! It's the Germans who are not supposed to get jokes, not the Dutch, Cats. And wilkommen/bienvenido Firefly!

I have wondered about this acronym for a week! Coincidentally, a non-related Google search yielded: Poor Man's Watch Forum http://www.pmwf.com/cgi-bin/Forum/webbbs_config.cgi "'Poor Man's' Watch Forum - Foro de Relojes Para el 'Hombre Pobre' - Horlogeforum voor de 'Arme Man'" Also, another bit of news -- my father agreed to let me photograph one of his older gens for this excellent thread. Photo coming up, but I think you gents especially will love it!

I bet no one has to tell YOU to clean the raingutters! What a man. Awwwwww. The little ones are more "versatile".

Predfan, you've inspired me to take out my NATO strap. I put it on wrong, from your photos, so I'm going to search Pugwash's definitive article on it. Here it is! "How to Fit a NATO strap" http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=291749

Great! We know our new anti-illegal slogan now. "Cross this border and lose 730 days of your life"

:clap: Oh God, ever since last night when I read Deltatahoe's WTB post, and saw Dluddy's Wristcheck, I've gotten the 24a itch, too...

Amazing. I don't think I'm much bigger than your wife! I think it's the shape of my palm, which is very square and flat, with elongated fingers. I am very grateful that I can wear these, with my wrist-size so petite.

Just Photoshop Kemal Atat

I did think of Panerai = Ferrari, but rejected it because even the least knowledgeable person about cars has heard the name, Ferrari. I think your market research analogy is spot on, though. @TeeJay's reply: "Until folks realize that, in the main, brandnames are a con, then prices will remain high." In this statement, contains your point-de-vue of the world. And where you and I differ, gently. To me, a brand is like a family name: if it's worth anything at all, it has standards, it has heritage, it has accoutability. I'm willing to pay more for that. I'm not a Benthamist, looking for utility. If I were, I'd be into Timexes. Of course, right now, that claim sounds hollow in terms of Panerai. But that will change, soon!

I think my grandma used to smoke that during the War...

No posts, and waited a full year to PM a noted member, bizarrely. WEIRD. This is definitely a duplicate account, or my name isn't Ethel McGillicuddy. :rofl:

Cojones. Mucho admiration, gringo loco.

Of course you know this, Teej, but just to say that Panerai are not charging 20k-25k for the Fiddy. That's the price appreciation between collectors. I think they got it right with their original price, TBH. It's a very special watch. However, on paper I agree -- I love Vacherons, but are they really worth $50,000? I mean, really and truly? It's all to do with the times. 500 years ago, men died on the High Seas for some pepper and cumin. Now we can buy them for a few pennies at the supermarket. Tout passe, tout casse, tout lasse...

Ah. I see. This "holes in condoms" factoid sounded too much like an urban legend to believe. But they lay themselves open to the charge since they're replicating EVERYTHING, and with shoddy "quality assessment" for extra craps and giggles. The watches, the lighters, the suits, the pens: that's one thing. But anything which affects human health, like rep cars, medicines and subpar condoms -- that's not even greediness. That's would-be homicide. I'm not much into Ralph Naderism, but this is what consumer advocacy was made for. A shame it'll take the Chinese YEARS to find it out.

Jeez, at first I felt I had posted superfluously (By-Tor had the gentlest retort along those lines). But if there is a guy or gal out there with this watch, who HASN'T checked their Tag's screws -- well, do it now. BTW, tonight I lost one Rolex springbar, and one of the DSN hands of 3. They just flew. It's St. Anthony time...

WOW! I just got my Daytona from Dave, and had to remove 4 links. I have removed up to 5, but I think I see 10 there. Bless her heart!

You lucky so-and-so! Is it better to be lucky than good? Because the watch expert is good, but the watch aficionado is lucky. Again I say, part of this is inductive reasoning, and just plain being able to sense a trend. Sometimes knowing too much about watches takes away the ability of the latter (due to too much reasoning).

Thank you, muchly! Come to think of it, State of Florida should pay me for all the advertising I do it for it. MIA, Mickey. All I need is to wear oranges in the photos, like Carmen Miranda!

I have a WTB post going on for a white strap. Whatcha got, Toots? Your photo isn't showing up (is it my computer...). EDIT: It's still not showing up, but I saw the link when replying. Nice, but a little too thick for my purposes! I want an all-white strap, including sides. Still very nice.

WEDNESDAY Still my big girl today! That's next to Miami International Airport, waiting for a freight train to pass. THURSDAY I'm going mega-girlie today. My beloved Mickey Mouse on my "Palm Beach" grosgrain D-ring strap! You can hear the guys in the forum breathing a collective happy sigh. ...to be honest, I am getting a little tired of the Fish. Weekend will be SFSO-free!

Massive reply, Kru. Just to piggyback on your point, I am reminded of my and Dani's posts on the RIDICULOUS price of the Fiddies today. $20k, easy. But you know, if someone had bought and kept their $400 Rolex in 1951, they'd be 180,000 dollars richer. I mean, Jeez, that's appreciation you don't see in many blue chip stocks. I think people who are into watches sometimes know TOO much about watches, and consequently say to themselves, there is no way I am paying 20 thou for a Fiddy. It's not worth it. But a wise man or woman could've made $11,000 in two years if they had bought one. Who are the losers now?

Very good points here and with your gen details below. Would people agree that sometimes watches are under or overpriced, given the average wage? In the 1950s, you could buy this Rolex 1951 beauty for less than U$400. And the average 1951 wage was $2,799.16. http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/AWI.html 50-something years later, and I wonder how much a similar Rolex with its complications, would cost if it were made? $9-10k? The average 2006 wage in the USA was $38,651.41. I think a Rolex DJ and a 111/112 Panerai are priced JUST right, for the average middle-class person, whether or not you agree they're worth it. That's why they sell. BTW, here is a Rolex price list: not Panerai, but I thought it might be germaine somehow. http://www.mkmotorsport.com/Rolex%20page_600M.jpg EDIT: Oops, correction. 1952 Rolex. It's from the Guido Mondani collection of 309 vintage Rolex watches: http://www.antiquorum.com/eng/press/2006/0...ease_result.htm "Lot 200 Ref. 8171, Stainless Steel, So-Called " Padellone" Rolex, "Perpetual, Officially Certified Chronometer". Made in 1952. Very fine and rare astronomic, antimagnetic, self-winding, stainless steel gentleman's wristwatch with triple date, moon phases stainless steel Rolex buckle. Sold including buyer's premium: 187,000 CHF" (U$180,189) Yipes.

Since July 4th, 2007, when I first held a Panerai in my hands, I've struggled with this very question: Is Panerai the next Rolex? Will it ever be as covettable, as awe-inspiring, as immediately recognisable as Rolex? Or has it already plateau'ed? And the answer is, I truly don't know. I don't think anyone can knock off Rolex from its unique perch with the masses. It's like the Mercedes-Benz, to Panerai's Alfa-Romeo (coming again to the US, in October 2009). We'll see... One thing I'd like to tell you, is that after wearing my Fish for 5 days straight, I'm starting to get a WEENCY bit tired of it. I still love it! But it's not Panerai.

No clue at all who this is, never having played Dungeons & Dragons. But RIP all the same. I looked him up, to get a grasp of the man. I was curious if he wore a watch. Most (99.9%) of the photos of him at conventions and the like, show him sans timepiece. This one was the lone exception.