addingwatch Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Another of my long hard project watches... Does Vacheron Constantine compare to Patek? You decide... 18K Rose Gold case - working repeater (beautiful chimes) with working date. Movement is accurate to about 1 min a day. Movement restoration was a huge pain. The date wheel had lost two notches and took six months to get a replacement. I will post movement pictures (if anyone is interested), but after all of the stir on my Patek post... Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guinea Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hey, no teasing! Movement shots please. Pretty please? If they're as good as the last we need to see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dluddy Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Absolutely beautiful piece. Love to see the movement shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidestro Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I am curious what your purpose is in posting these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceberg1459 Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 stupid title, gorgeous watch would love to see a movt. shot also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slickdick Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Yes, please, give us the upskirt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addingwatch Posted March 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 @Fidestro - My purpose is just to share my addiction & love of watches with everyone else. I just like watches where the functions work correctly. The repeater movement is originally from a 1901 pocket watch. Rare in that it in addition to the repeater function, it also had a date capability. For it's age, it is amazingly reliable and accurate. The case was made in the 1930s for the movement. The dial I had custom made for the watch. Additional pics... Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omni Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Beautiful rep, classic........................makes you stop and think though, as these addingwatch rep projects are all vintage, gives you pause to think when you are searching for a vintage watch to purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addingwatch Posted March 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Very good point. My first efforts were just redialing an old chronograph. After that you just engrave the movement. I have a Rolex 6036 that has been declared authentic by three large Rolex dealers, but I am still not sure. Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I'm speechless, that is a true thing of beauty. Bravo Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shundi Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Very nice...it's cool that you found a pocket watch movement with all the proper features! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Don't get me wrong as I certainly appreciate any nice watch, but when I got a sense of typical costs for these high end reps I can't help asking the age old question of how much is too much? That said, I am certainly not a frugal watch buyer by any stretch. Quite the opposite and have spent upwards of $25K on a watch just from impulse. Actually, I did a string of those approaching that price point just last year but finally got it under control. Junkie. Anyway, I digress... I'm not saying I'm proud of that but what I'm getting at is before spending many thousands on a reconstruction of a vintage complication I can't be alone in that I would probably just buy a lesser gen instead. And I'm a pretty good test case in many ways being someone who has purchased and modded a pretty fair amount of reps and well into the six figure range on gens as well. If I have more than about a couple thousand burning a hole in my pocket I'm usually not thinking mods or even franken. I'm thinking let me find another few and buy a real gen. When Trailboss showed me that link of the Patek Perpetual Calendar Chronograph from the other thread for $15K I couldn't help but wonder how many buyers there are at those price points. Maybe the OP can clue us in there too. I realize that cost is a bargain considering a PP 3970 in good shape will fetch a hundred grand or so. But if it were my money I would simply buy a new $20k watch at a discount instead. Then again, I have never bought a used gen or rep in my life either. But of course we aren't talking about say Freddy or other of our esteemed members doing their own franken Rolex projects and spending upwards of a grand to recreate something vintage. In short, there is a big difference between a grand and ten or fifteen grand. At some point it has to stop making sense and I'm just wondering where that point might be for the rest of you. I guess the other part that sort of nags at me is the fact that they are complications. It just seems so risky. Especially when even robust vintage movements have been modified as in the case of the Patek calendar to the point of a new lever system being created and new bridges made. I don't know, something just nags at me that is beyond the money... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addingwatch Posted March 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 I understand your issue and over the years I have gone a little crazy chasing perfection. As to your point though, if you put in the time and effort, it does not need to be that expensive. This repeater took a long time to find the parts, but I was able to get the project done for about the same as a VDB Angelus 6152. A true working repeater watch (that is under 50mm pocketwach size) is normally untouchable for any mere mortal. In the past, I have put together a very good working patek chronograph with a 18K gold case for under $800. There are so many unwanted 18K vintage watches that can be modified to build a classic. The key is starting with the right movement. As an example older Gallet chrono are inexpensive and have outstanding movements. Regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Adding- Big congrats on both projects. I love these projects. I get far more pleasure from frankens than reps or gens. The hunt for or fabrication of the parts necessary to make these watches is where the pleasure comes on my end. I have frankens with thousands invested and they may or may not have been brilliant investments and I have some put together for a few hundred dollars but I wear those with far more pride than any gen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 Well for $800 it is a winner for sure. What is the great divide with that source someone posted in your other thread where they were well over ten grand? I would gladly pay what you did and more for a watch like the Patek calendar. The think about column wheel chronos such as the V23 is despite the mods it really should run forever if it ever ran at all if you know what I mean. Bullet proof really. My next gen will either be a Malte Chrono or the new Patrimony Traditionelle chrono which replaces the Malte. I just love the 2310, or rather 2320 now with the swan neck. Perfect. Always have. I'm also a sucker for Lange's 951, but a $50k Datograph isn't in the budget at the moment. Not that it is superior to or much different than the 2310 variants really anyway. There are better Lange choices IMO. That said I would love to persue a dress watch project of some kind like what you are doing as well. Thanks for giving us all something new to think about project wise, but please, do give more info as to how to go about it or if you can recommend anyone who can source and/or build for the more lazy consumers like myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Adding- Big congrats on both projects. I love these projects. I get far more pleasure from frankens than reps or gens. The hunt for or fabrication of the parts necessary to make these watches is where the pleasure comes on my end. I have frankens with thousands invested and they may or may not have been brilliant investments and I have some put together for a few hundred dollars but I wear those with far more pride than any gen. Yeah Kruz - and many here are like you in that respect. The process is what you love the most. I used to love it alot more than I do now, but I find sending out for work like AR and lume, etc. to be no fun really. I have kind of evolved more into getting pleasure from researching and shopping for gens and enjoying those experiences - especially coupled with travel and sourcing a watch at an AD somewhere and flying to go check it out. I also like giving extra thought to categories and what I really need in the collection to be sure I have no waste or senseless duplication. With that I have enjoyed the process of selling watches as much as buying them from the personal triumph of knowing I am more efficient now and not wasteful. Down to five pieces from over thirty. And you are right in that the investment doesn't matter. Man, I couldn't say any watch I own is a good investment either, but I know what you mean in that the ones you somehow put the least into tend to end up the favorites. Weird. Anyway, interesting how we all have our processes and what we enjoy. I think I have steered away from frankens as the gens seemed so close I always figured why not just pop for the extra and get that. But now thinking of these dress watches and what I might be able to score that is truly out of reach in the gen world for me seems really interesting. I think a big issue for me is I was never into vinatage Rolex watches alot per se as a true historical or collectable motivation nor was I ever into vintage or modern Panerais. I tried to be cool for a while and be a PAM guy enough to find a spark but they never did it for me. But vintage Patek's or Vacherons? If the price is truly right after all which reamins to be seen I might finally have found a mod/franken world that will interest me again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addingwatch Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 @RobbieG - The Lange Datograph is an awesome watch. If you are looking for one, I know two that are available at an incredible price right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceberg1459 Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 I have a Rolex 6036 that has been declared authentic by three large Rolex dealers, but I am still not sure. 85-125k$ we need pics of yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailboss Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Robbie: The difference is the ones I posted are all new cases and (mostly) reworked gen MVTS. Look at it this way, The real thing is 80G plus. The rep is just as good and allmost no tells between it and the gen even at an AD level. Big difference. Like the PN 'tona. six and a half Gs compared to what, 60+? I can't help but wonder how many of them get bought to scam folk tho. It would be very easy to be scamed by somthing as good as those by J&W. The Brit horological soc has ostrasised the guy BTW. What the OP is doing is different IMO. The're beautifull, stunning and highly desireable but they are not an exact copy of the gen down to the last screw like the J&Ws are. The amount of work going into these is amazing. You, sir, are an artiste. And I do not use that term lightly. /me goes to find GregR Regards, Col. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg_r Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 I'll second Trailboss's post - stupendously good work and an absolutely stunning VC. I'm seriously envious (being something of a VC nut). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailboss Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 I thought you would like that O Glorious Leader Now, put that chk book down or I'll have Oscar tell Mrs R! Me, I'mm drooling over the pre D. Yum! Col. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.