Agree.Originally Posted by theancientmariner
Using the same analogy, as an aircraft geek, my ‘dream’ aircraft isn’t an ‘attainable’ PA28 - it’s an original Spitfire - something worth many many millions and few get to even fly, let alone own.
I view my above list of watches (aside from the AP) in the same way. I will never be able to spend £500k+ on a watch, so that’s why it is a ‘dream.’
J.
Last edited by RedsBluesGreens; 05-27-2020 at 09:53 AM.
Yea, I also don’t think my dream watches are necessarily my favourite watches. They are just the watches that are vastly elusive to me. If price wasn’t an issue I would of course go for the most expensive pieces I could find!
I agree.
That said, one of my dream pieces is a new 116610. It's not even financially unobtainable, but it is literally unobtainable (aside from the grey market or WELL above list!)
I've been offered them £1-2K above list, but let's not start that conversation..!
J.
Last edited by RedsBluesGreens; 05-28-2020 at 08:36 PM.
I'm curious, what is it about the AP that appeals as a 'dream' watch. I like them but still see them as fairly ordinary from a design perspective which is not something I would want in an expensive watch.
I'll try and avoid getting drawn into the Rolex conversation as that is one watch brand that I have just never seen the appeal in. I can't knock their marketing as they've created an incredible demand for something that in my view is nothing particularly special when compared to other watches at the same price point.
Sounds good to me. I think that favourite watches would be ones that you would consider wearing if you could afford them. Dream watches on the other hand you may never see yourself wearing even if you could afford them, there's just something about them that catches your eye and that's not just the price tag.
I don't deny it being a fairly ordinary looking watch, but the finish and quality is exemplary - from the dial, to the case design and shape, to the movement (with engraved bridges and finished with a 22-carat gold rotor.)
On the subject of the design though, in my opinion the AP design is somewhat iconic. It's a small slice of Gérald Genta magic and my inner watchnerd loves that - hence it making the list.
I agree - their marketing machine is a thing of immense power, and their market tactics somewhat intriguing. Just look up the recently exposed dealings with AD's and the grey market in (if I recall) Hong-Kong. Staggering!
J.
Last edited by RedsBluesGreens; 05-29-2020 at 07:45 AM.
Just to be clear, I do like AP watches. However, none has really stood out to me, in fact when I first started taking notice of five figure watches, what was immediately obvious was how similar AP and Hublot watches looked. I like both brands but it's more 'like' than 'love'. Of course, it's just a personal observation and both brands, in my opinion, make very high quality watches. To be perfectly honest, I'd struggle to choose a watch from either brand over a Bremont at half (or less) of the price.
I think what Rolex done - and exceptionally well at that - is to convince the market that you must have one of their watches. I still think of them on the wrist of a 70's footballer (and hence they hold little appeal) but they created a demand, created a belief that they were the watch to have to show you had wealth and then constantly affect the supply so that the demand is always higher than the supply. Then it becomes self perpetuating. If the demand is higher than the supply, the cost of pre-owned goes up as wealthy customers fight over them and while that happens Rolex stifle the supply. The demand keeps going up as do the prices and then 'power' comes in to play. If it were being discussed by the police you could almost be describing the supply of illegal narcotics. What I don't quite understand is that despite Rolex often being negatively commented on in regard to their sales tactics, the same customers who complain about them stay on waiting lists and inevitably buy into the brand.
Indeed. Given the choice, I'd take an EP120 or P-51 over almost any equivalently-priced watch. But I know a LOT outside of these very small collectors circles would vehemently disagree!
J.
I agree and I think it's an interesting discussion point. In many cases it's simply a personal choice and that's fine, we all have different tastes. What I'm interested in are those who would choose a different watch brand for either technical reasons or perceived brand value. That interlinks with my Rolex comments. An example of this is perceived pre-owned values. I know someone (and see comments from many) who owns a few Rolex simply because he believes that over time the value will rise. He likes the watches but isn't a watch fan and doesn't really have any knowledge of other brands, he just decided he wanted a Rolex. On the other hand, there are lots of comments online of how low the pre-owned value of a Bremont can be. I've recently seen someone selling a DH-88 SS for around £5k which is quite a reduction from the RRP and in my view, surprising, as the DH-88 in my opinion is the best looking watch that Bremont have produced, both front and back.
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