Upcoming Projects

[JoJo35]

It's funny how over my short period of time here (and other forums: it was a learning process that brought me here ), I have gone from someone who knew very very little about watches in general, to becoming someone having avid interest in this hobby.

At this point in my life, I can certainly afford gens. In fact, I have quite a few, including one very very rare and expensive vintage. However, I have found more interest in the search of parts, researching, and figuring out what would work. I'm actually quite surprised at how many gen parts are still available.

Of course, I can't possibly forget some of the wonderful friends I have met here as a result of this hobby and common interest. I know there are many terrific people over on the gen forums, but much like the cars I have owned over the years, I have found the best friends in people who have modified, and changed, and built something very different than what someone can just go out and buy.

Now my upcoming projects are waiting in boxes full of genuine parts, including 1570, 1530, 1520, and being "Frankened" as we speak, a 1030 movement watch. I ask myself what's next? Will I get bored and just move on to buy only gens? (I hope not!)

I was just wondering if anyone else here ever thought the same things? Cheers everyone!

[Stephane]

Jojo, it's funny you post this thought.

I went exactly the same way and started to think at a certain point "get genuines only, they will keep value".

But sourcing gen parts, sharing time and experience with "virtual" or "real" friends on RWG, waiting for crazy projects to be done, wearing the watch and then trying to improve it again, ...all this simply doesn't exist in the "gen world".

Gen is "Pay, pick it up, wear it".

Our hobby is "Read, chat, learn, wait, sweat, share, hesitation, frustration, risks...".

Both worlds are about the love of time pieces of course.

But this hobby adds adrenaline to it.

Oh, I agree. If seen as investments, a fully modded Vietcase with 100% gen parts will never keep the value of the money you put in it.

But I'm pretty sure that for most of us it's not about investment, only about pleasure and dreams.

At least that's how I see it.

Cheers

Stephane

[vlydog]

Jojo, it's funny you post this thought.

I went exactly the same way and started to think at a certain point "get genuines only, they will keep value".

But sourcing gen parts, sharing time and experience with "virtual" or "real" friends on RWG, waiting for crazy projects to be done, wearing the watch and then trying to improve it again, ...all this simply doesn't exist in the "gen world".

Gen is "Pay, pick it up, wear it".

Our hobby is "Read, chat, learn, wait, sweat, share, hesitation, frustration, risks...".

Both worlds are about the love of time pieces of course.

But this hobby adds adrenaline to it.

Oh, I agree. If seen as investments, a fully modded Vietcase with 100% gen parts will never keep the value of the money you put in it.

But I'm pretty sure that for most of us it's not about investment, only about pleasure and dreams.

At least that's how I see it.

Cheers

Stephane

word!

[alligoat]

This week I shelled out $4200 for a matte dial 16800. But I'm still thinking about building a rep of the same watch- just trying to tie down a case- will probably have to drill the lug holes on a TW Best to get one. I enjoy the gens, but as you say, you can only wear them. With the modded reps, there is always the satisfaction of knowing that you built it, and for a whole lot less than the gen.

I do find my collecting starting to slow down- or a least my building projects are slowing and I only have a couple of more watches to build. I don't get in a hurry these days, it's more like when I get around to it, oh well. But I still appreciate the creativity that I see around here, enjoy seeing what people are putting together- rep, franken and even gen.

[dluddy]

Jojo, it's funny you post this thought.

I went exactly the same way and started to think at a certain point "get genuines only, they will keep value".

But sourcing gen parts, sharing time and experience with "virtual" or "real" friends on RWG, waiting for crazy projects to be done, wearing the watch and then trying to improve it again, ...all this simply doesn't exist in the "gen world".

Gen is "Pay, pick it up, wear it".

Our hobby is "Read, chat, learn, wait, sweat, share, hesitation, frustration, risks...".

Both worlds are about the love of time pieces of course.

But this hobby adds adrenaline to it.

Oh, I agree. If seen as investments, a fully modded Vietcase with 100% gen parts will never keep the value of the money you put in it.

But I'm pretty sure that for most of us it's not about investment, only about pleasure and dreams.

At least that's how I see it.

Cheers

Stephane

Sums up perfectly how I feel about this Stephane. It is a hobby and the sport in it is the hunt for parts, etc...

I suppose there is a bit of hunt in finding the right genuine but nothing like what we go through to build our Frankens as JoJo points out!

[torresp]

+1

[jetzeus]

Historically, I have only been a WEARER of watches, and of course before wearing them, a BUYER of them!

This thread is great because I just told my wife the other night that I want to start building them! Knowing me as well as she does, she laughed her [censored] off...she knows that I am one of the least mechanical people on the planet!! But that doesn't make me want to do it any less. I am a perfectionist, so I know once I learn how to take them apart and put them together again, whatever I am going to make someday will be incredible.

Oftentimes, I wonder just what it is about watches that fascinates me so much. I think time is such a finite commodity for all of us...at some point, each of us will run out of it! Why not have the correct time displayed on our own personalized, beautiful little timekeepers while we still have some left?