What A Watch Review Can Never Tell You

roadwarrior

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In today's podcast (audio only, I'm afraid - I don't fancy any libel threats given the subject) I would like to discuss what a watch review can never tell you. No, I don't mean that a biased review will mislead you - that's just a fact of the trade. What I am referring to is the myriad of problems which can go wrong after you buy the watch and which can leave you out of pocket and (understandably) aggravated. These range from poor customer service to poorly designed components.

 
I can really relate to this one. I have owned some of the supposedly "best" watches according to some watch experts reviews that IMO never lived up to their review, reputation or marketing claims. When I posted my thoughts on them all I got was crap so now I just stay away from commenting on watches I owned for years and years that were nothing but trouble and happened to be some of the most expensive watches I ever owned as well! The literal 1000s I spent on servicing and repairs in less than ten years on those watches I could have bought a decent new car. Hence the sell off of the majority of those high end watches several years ago.
 
I can really relate to this one. I have owned some of the supposedly "best" watches according to some watch experts reviews that IMO never lived up to their review, reputation or marketing claims. When I posted my thoughts on them all I got was crap so now I just stay away from commenting on watches I owned for years and years that were nothing but trouble and happened to be some of the most expensive watches I ever owned as well! The literal 1000s I spent on servicing and repairs in less than ten years on those watches I could have bought a decent new car. Hence the sell off of the majority of those high end watches several years ago.
Yup, that's always been my worry, and it's similar to other feedback I've read, that has kept me away from spending more. The most I dropped was for my entry level Breitling, which has a rather sticky clasp. Lume is outstanding, but my SW200 powered Oris (less than half the price) is more accurate, despite the COSC rating of the Breitling. Shoot, for that matter I have a Sea-Gull that has maintained nearly flawless accuracy, going on seven years or more now.

While I've had my disappointments under a grand, they are pretty easy to live with, especially when under half of that. I've found that my "nicer" buys around a thousand, give or take a few hundred either way, have been very gratifying, and are certainly well made enough, and from "respected" brands, so it's been difficult to consider going any higher.

I realize my re-sale position is somewhat limited, but I've never bought a watch to sell it, so that doesn't bother me, plus, affordables means lots of watches, which works for me, since I like the variety.

Appreciate you sharing your experience!
 
I never made money on my expensive so called "investment" watches. Between depreciation and costs for servicing etc I never made a score a very few like my Hublot Big Bang I broke even on but I bought it at about half the MSRP like I did with many of my high end watches but I wasn't that lucky with most. I have actually bought and sold way less expensive watches under 500 bucks and actually made money on them. It might not have been 1000s of dollars but when you sell it for more than you paid IMO it makes it a plus. I really should be looking out for watches I could buy on deep discounts and Ebaying them for profit but I have a hard time parting with watches once I buy them. It's a sickness!!! I am still trying to work out a deal with a jeweler I know that retired and stock piled a lot of watches in his basement. I am sure none of the battery powered ones will still be ticking but I am willing to put in the time to get them running and toss them on Ebay if he will eventually make a deal. Of corse I will probably keep many for myself but anything I do not like any Woman's watches and all the multiples I will sell or auction. I have yet to see them and the brands but I do know there are Invicta ,Seiko, Citizen and a few other common brands he has. I remeber when I decided to buy more expensive watches people would tell me you have to by X brand it the best, blah, blah, blah. Well I have to say they were very disappointing they were the first to go. I have watches that are older than my kid he's 33 that still work flawlessly that people love to hate on and they were very affordable.
 
I never made money on my expensive so called "investment" watches. Between depreciation and costs for servicing etc I never made a score a very few like my Hublot Big Bang I broke even on but I bought it at about half the MSRP like I did with many of my high end watches but I wasn't that lucky with most. I have actually bought and sold way less expensive watches under 500 bucks and actually made money on them. It might not have been 1000s of dollars but when you sell it for more than you paid IMO it makes it a plus. I really should be looking out for watches I could buy on deep discounts and Ebaying them for profit but I have a hard time parting with watches once I buy them. It's a sickness!!! I am still trying to work out a deal with a jeweler I know that retired and stock piled a lot of watches in his basement. I am sure none of the battery powered ones will still be ticking but I am willing to put in the time to get them running and toss them on Ebay if he will eventually make a deal. Of corse I will probably keep many for myself but anything I do not like any Woman's watches and all the multiples I will sell or auction. I have yet to see them and the brands but I do know there are Invicta ,Seiko, Citizen and a few other common brands he has. I remeber when I decided to buy more expensive watches people would tell me you have to by X brand it the best, blah, blah, blah. Well I have to say they were very disappointing they were the first to go. I have watches that are older than my kid he's 33 that still work flawlessly that people love to hate on and they were very affordable.
Yup, selling over the buy price is always good, at any price point, and that's unfortunate to hear that money was not made on the higher end ones, given that it's kind of gospel with a lot of self-proclaimed watch experts who insist on the perk of resale value and scoff at affordables as a waste of money.

It's never been a waste for me, because I don't buy them to sell them, which is how I've wound up surrounded by watches, even though it would be considered only a modest collection, at two hundred plus, next to the racks of hardcore buyers.

It IS a sickness, lol, although an enjoyable one with few drawbacks, other than someone seeing the collection and wondering on my sanity.

The stockpiled basement find sounds fun!

I think too, for me anyway, I am just not enamored enough with the features of watches at seven to ten grand or more, or just not appreciative enough of their value aspects to want to buy them. Watches that make me drool are more like a quarter million on up, so, something for twelve or even twenty grand just doesn't tend to excite me much.

And, I always feel ripped off when I don't see the value in what I'm being charged, for price point. And, long power reserves, COSC's, heritage brands, ceramic, sapphire, even meteorite dials now, so much is available for so much less. I'd rather be surprised at how much watch I bought, than let down.

Servicing, yes, another issue. My Maurice LaCroix needs it, and ML wants $550. Found a cheaper place, thanks to @roadwarrior and I've sent it off for first aid, but, geez, my lowly Miyota powered Invicta from a dozen years ago runs like a top, and hasn't seen a service call yet.

There's the factor too that, if a watch does disappoint me, I'd rather it be one that was easily afforded. I tend to keep a bias that spending more should get more, in terms of reliability and relative perfection, yet I continue to hear that the same issues affordables have, are also found at the high end.

Of course, I'd never be one to mistake an affordable for being "just like" a twenty grand watch, lol, by any means, but I've been so happy around that thousand dollar plus mark at my comfortable upper end that they suffice for touching the outer edge of the "nice watch" world and I DO appreciate them, as having tangible elements above my lower priced affordables.

I mean, watches as simple as my Seiko SBDC061, my Oris Big Day/Date, even my Longines HC Ceramic, with the 65 hour power reserve, or my Mido Ocean Star GMT, they are enough to please me as the higher end of my collection, and I just don't feel I'd get "more" by spending five to ten times as much. I certainly do admire the higher ranges, of course, but to pull the trigger and be no more impressed than I am with something for $1500 or so? That would be a let down.

I still want a Planet Ocean Seamaster, some day, just because, well, just because Omega, haha. But, every time I've nearly bought one, I wind up finding something for a fifth of the price, usually along with another something else as well, and, it's like, hmmm, two or three great watches, or just one great watch??

The higher cost ones just make the thousand dollar range feel even more sweet, to get something comparably well made, without shelling out a lot of coin for it.

And, yes, the hate, so bizarre. A watch that is still going after three decades deserves respect, no matter the cost or brand.
 
2manywatches, sickness is putting it mildly. I probably have a little over 1000 watches by now. I lost count ages ago. I bought 7 or 8, 6 slot watch boxes around Christmas and I filled them up by the first week of Feb. LOL I said somewhere I won't be buying any more watches for a while and less than an hour later I boguht 2, bid on one and made an offer on another and considering buying a vintage Rado! To top it off this morning a friend of mine that services high end cars called me on a deal for a 2004 Rolls Royce Phantom for less than the cost of cheap new pick up. Nothing wrong with it he got bought it from a customer who just can't afford to keep it up, he did the work and just wants to unload it! I just can't do it as much as I LOVE the car, like a high end watch the service and maintenance costs can be crippling to your bank account! The reason why his customer let it go. I have had quite a few of the big brands a few of those were in the 20K range and truthfully I have watches that cost a fraction of what I paid for them that run like tops and never gave me any trouble and people still tall me they are garbage. If they cost a few bucks and last 20 to 30 years without issue I take all the garbage watches people do not want all day long. IMO I think like a lot of stuff people are just fooled by marketing and because it cost a lot so it must be good or the best. Then there are the people who like to show off they can afford an expensive watch and really don't know a thing about them. Now I admit I still have a few high end watches in my collection 4 Cartier watches, vintage Jager Reverso and a couple others that have sentimental value like my Tag. I am still trying to get my Ex to let me sell the Rolex I gave her. several years ago. She barely wore it and now it looses close to 20 min a day after the first few years it slowly started loosing time more and more. They told her $800.00 to service it and she just tossed it in her jewelry box. I paid big money for that thing I would love to unload it for her let her take the cash or even donate it to a charity! It funny I rarely look at reviews these days especially when a lot of sites do not even require you to prove you actually own the product. As far as the watch experts they seem to have their favorite brands or do not want to piss off watch companies maybe loose their sponsorships. Even though I might not agree with a lot of reviews I still like to see them. If anything it's entertaining although I kind of get bored just watching I would prefer to be in an actual conversation. I really do watch a ton of watch related vids on Youtube.

One of my pet peeves is some watches that use common movements like Myota and Seiko auto movements or even Swiss quartz movemnts that are only a few bucks to buy charge 1000s for their watches that have the same exact movement a $35 or $50 watch has. I am not impressed with Super Lunova IMO it's not that expensive I have two bottles of it and it didn't cost that much at all, it's probably enough to do a few hundred watches! Sapphire it might not scratch easily but it sure does shatter easy but costs a lot more than any of the synthetic sapphire crystals out there! Even with the high end watches most stuff is done by CNC it not like they have guys milling cases by hand that much or even making gears by hand. Over the years I have seen better and better stuff coming out of Japan and now China is making strides.
 
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2manywatches, sickness is putting it mildly. I probably have a little over 1000 watches by now. I lost count ages ago. I bought 7 or 8, 6 slot watch boxes around Christmas and I filled them up by the first week of Feb. LOL I said somewhere I won't be buying any more watches for a while and less than an hour later I boguht 2, bid on one and made an offer on another and considering buying a vintage Rado! To top it off this morning a friend of mine that services high end cars called me on a deal for a 2004 Rolls Royce Phantom for less than the cost of cheap new pick up. Nothing wrong with it he got bought it from a customer who just can't afford to keep it up, he did the work and just wants to unload it! I just can't do it as much as I LOVE the car, like a high end watch the service and maintenance costs can be crippling to your bank account! The reason why his customer let it go. I have had quite a few of the big brands a few of those were in the 20K range and truthfully I have watches that cost a fraction of what I paid for them that run like tops and never gave me any trouble and people still tall me they are garbage. If they cost a few bucks and last 20 to 30 years without issue I take all the garbage watches people do not want all day long. IMO I think like a lot of stuff people are just fooled by marketing and because it cost a lot so it must be good or the best. Then there are the people who like to show off they can afford an expensive watch and really don't know a thing about them. Now I admit I still have a few high end watches in my collection 4 Cartier watches, vintage Jager Reverso and a couple others that have sentimental value like my Tag. I am still trying to get my Ex to let me sell the Rolex I gave her. several years ago. She barely wore it and now it looses close to 20 min a day after the first few years it slowly started loosing time more and more. They told her $800.00 to service it and she just tossed it in her jewelry box. I paid big money for that thing I would love to unload it for her let her take the cash or even donate it to a charity! It funny I rarely look at reviews these days especially when a lot of sites do not even require you to prove you actually own the product. As far as the watch experts they seem to have their favorite brands or do not want to piss off watch companies maybe loose their sponsorships. Even though I might not agree with a lot of reviews I still like to see them. If anything it's entertaining although I kind of get bored just watching I would prefer to be in an actual conversation. I really do watch a ton of watch related vids on Youtube.

One of my pet peeves is some watches that use common movements like Myota and Seiko auto movements or even Swiss quartz movemnts that are only a few bucks to buy charge 1000s for their watches that have the same exact movement a $35 or $50 watch has. I am not impressed with Super Lunova IMO it's not that expensive I have two bottles of it and it didn't cost that much at all, it's probably enough to do a few hundred watches! Sapphire it might not scratch easily but it sure does shatter easy but costs a lot more than any of the synthetic sapphire crystals out there! Even with the high end watches most stuff is done by CNC it not like they have guys milling cases by hand that much or even making gears by hand. Over the years I have seen better and better stuff coming out of Japan and now China is making strides.
Yikes, over a thousand, ahahahaha. I always feel better when hearing of a collection that makes mine look like a few watches in a shoe box, so thank you, good Sir!

LOL, the watch boxes do fill up quickly, and, my weird brain, my one recent box had two slots left, which clearly meant get two more watches, because....watches.

The snobbery is disheartening. I've shared a few times on the forum here that this place really saved my enthusiasm. I was all happy in my watch world, years and years back, then joined a forum where negativity and judgement seemed to rule, and, since it was my first foray into trying to learn about this new hobby with which I'd become enthralled, I looked to the seasoned "experts" there and tried to be a better watch buyer, lol, and kind of ended up just feeling glum.

Wound up ruining my interest in watches, which has always been just for fun, really, but I'd gotten to worrying about whether I was buying a "respected" watch, and fell out of love with it all. Stopped buying and quit that place. Looked around to join anywhere else and didn't find much.....

Then I saw a watch I liked one day, and followed a deal on it over to here, courtesy of the Deals Master, @leelovesbug and found all the outstanding folks here who just love what they wear, and it woke my enthusiasm right back up, and I wound up more than doubling my watches and really loving everything I was buying.

Ha, always an interesting mix, cars and watches. Passions that go hand in hand, it seems. And, yup, the pricier the car, the pricier it is to own, I've been told.

I've never been at the place to where I could drop what is, to me anyway, big bucks on a watch. I could pick up something toward the ten grand mark, but, as I say, I just haven't felt it to be worth it, and may never, even if current financial projects wind up paying off in a big way. About the most I'd spend would be Planet Ocean money, I'd think. And that's more because of the Bond connection. I tend to buy watches I feel a connection to, whether it is the style, the brand history, the model story, etc.

I am looking to get an Aquaracer. I've always loved the brand, became interested in its backstory, and, while some despise them, it is an appealing watch to me, personally, and being here has certainly reminded me of the value of buying what we love, and not worrying who doesn't like it.

And, yes, there is certainly a market for the status seekers, and I've run into a lot of them over the years, who feel they are superior people for some wrist bauble. Sad. I can't imagine being that insecure, lol.

I love it that here, whether it's a twenty grand piece or twenty bucks, it's presented with grace and enthusiasm, and nobody is bashing anyone else for their choices, even if they personally don't care for the same brand or style. In fact, I've come to appreciate higher end watches more, because of the unassuming way they are shared here. If somebody tells me I suck because of my watches, I tend not to want the kind of watches they wear, haha.

I remember at another forum, I guy telling me his watch was "infinitely better" than mine, haha, and he was a better person than me for having bought it. It was too bad his character was not equal to his supposed watch game.

But, yup, this is honestly one of the better communities I've ever been involved with, online, even including car forums.

Sure appreciate your insights, as someone who is deep into the watch world! And, yes, it's like sapphire and ceramic are now a staple on stuff coming out of China for a hundred bucks or less, and, overall, I just don't feel to pay high end prices for the same specs on an affordable watch.

Production seems to have come a long way, for sure. I've got a couple of Ali Express ones incoming, just to see what they are about. I like the designs, and, really, that's what I like most in a watch. I'm not wearing the movement on my wrist, lol. So, case something up in an interesting and different style, and it tends to grab my attention.

As much as people despise Invicta, I find their stuff entertaining, and so different from the mainstream. And, for me anyway, the lack of failures has kept me going back, considering the price points. My very first one is scratched and beat to crap, but still runs, from nearly two decades ago. Nothing to complain about there.

It's not a hobby that should stress people out, lol. If it's no longer fun, there doesn't seem much point. Buy what you love and love what you buy.

Good to chat with you.
 
In a strange kind of way the financial crisis of 2007-2008 woke up a sleeping monster in me. The amount of money one day I had and the next was lost in the blink of an eye. I was lucky enough to have substantial years ahead to recoup some of the funds. Unlike the sad turn of events for many senior folks who had their entire life savings wiped out with time working against them.

It made me realize that as long as things are paid for, don't take for granted the rest. I was teetering on the edge anyhow from my younger brother drowning back in 2006. He had worked so hard to build up his own truck route and one night left and never came home. Questioning the uncertain everyday things in life beyond our control. One night a switch turned on and I have yet to flick off the switch on this impulsive addiction of burning money with time.

If I fall into financial ruin, I would rather it be self inflicted from my own addictions. In the meantime I'll make my kids cringe each time I show them a new trinket I buy. I can enjoy all of my watches from Android to Zelos, regardless of the cost or the likes and dislikes of others.
 
In a strange kind of way the financial crisis of 2007-2008 woke up a sleeping monster in me. The amount of money one day I had and the next was lost in the blink of an eye. I was lucky enough to have substantial years ahead to recoup some of the funds. Unlike the sad turn of events for many senior folks who had their entire life savings wiped out with time working against them.

It made me realize that as long as things are paid for, don't take for granted the rest. I was teetering on the edge anyhow from my younger brother drowning back in 2006. He had worked so hard to build up his own truck route and one night left and never came home. Questioning the uncertain everyday things in life beyond our control. One night a switch turned on and I have yet to flick off the switch on this impulsive addiction of burning money with time.

If I fall into financial ruin, I would rather it be self inflicted from my own addictions. In the meantime I'll make my kids cringe each time I show them a new trinket I buy. I can enjoy all of my watches from Android to Zelos, regardless of the cost or the likes and dislikes of others.
When my child died in 2003 my wife and I were a damn mess. I'd always had watches and my dad collected, that's the time I went full bore nutso into the hobby. It was and still is a distraction. I found looking at watches and how they move and how many different ways I could watch time pass calmed me down. Still does to this day. Kind of like losing your brother led you down this road. Need something in life that is a calming influence. I've rebuilt my retirement portfolio as our thrift savings is tied to the stock market so the crash hurt, but rebuilt it has been. I'm four or five years from having my house paid off, then it's retirement time. The reason I don't sell my watches is I've built a ridiculously diverse collection. Over 100 brands and about every type of dial or movement and way of telling time I can realistically afford. While I don't add many a year anymore I still mess with my watches all the time and on a Saturday night go to the mancave, dig out a bunch of watches, crank up the music, get drunk, play darts and pool, and spend some alone time even if the wife is just upstairs. It helps tame the savage mind and keeps me in the semi-sane lane.
 
Great reads from all the posts.

If I may, let me add my two cents. Bit long so say 10 cents. 😜

I personally started many years ago. A coworker had this big silver/rose gold watch that I really liked. It was an Invicta Subaqua specialty model 5215. Loved the watch so much that I found and purchased one on ebay. This led to many nights watching and purchasing watches on shophq or whatever it was called then. Those were the nights - Watches and Jim Skelton. Fast forward to today and I now have a very modest collection compared to some of you of somewhere between 75 and 80 or so watches.

I have also gone on to getting a few relatively speaking higher end brands (Ball, Tag, Breitling, etc.) but I still wear and enjoy Invictas, Aragons, Renatos, etc. This includes the first Invicta that I bought. Well actually, the movement on that one broke but, I managed to find it again on ebay and...you get the picture.

I also can never understand individuals who wear watches just to try and impress others. And then they take it further by belittling other brands or individuals.. Saw a video where one of the comments was Tags = shit. Really? How someone can be so insecure is beyond me.

Buy what you want and, wear it/them proudly. I know I do. I buy watches I like not ones that others would be impressed with. I have seen some new watches (looking at you Invicta) that I would never wear but if I saw someone with one on I would be happy for them. Me personally, I would love to get a Navitimer but just can't justify the cost for what you get.

Finally, interesting side note. Well, to me anyway. Having retired for good a couple of years ago, I was a little bored so, I turned my watch collecting into watch repairing. I now have a completely stocked workbench (tools, oils, timegrapher etc. - spent a ton but only a little at a time. My wife would probably not be pleased if she saw the total 😲) and have disassembled and serviced some of my Etas and Seiko movements as well as have done movement replacements. Am I an expert - absolutely not. I'm still very inexperienced but, I am enjoying the hell out of the time I spend on them. Plus, there is nothing more fun than being on your knees searching for ages for a tiny spring that just happened to fly off the bench. I am already advertising to do battery changes, bracelet adjustments and limited servicing of movements. Maybe a new small business that I can do on my time. Hmmm? Albeit no expensive ones in that I would hate to replace them if I uh messed one up.

Almost forgot, condolences to those who have lost a loved one. I too lost a baby many, many years ago. He would be in his 30's today. I still think of him to this day. So I know and understand all that you have gone through and the need for distractions to ease the heartache. We can just carry on.

Ooh-Rah and Semper Fi!
 
Moving, to say the least, the people behind their watches, and thanks each of you for sharing your stories.

Just one more aspect of this wonderful community.

Funny, I was doing some research a few days ago, on some watch I was considering, and came across a prior forum, and, immediately, I was stunned at the hostility toward, and belittling of, the OP on the thread. It's no wonder my watch love was dying over there. Thank you sheer chance, and Lee's deals, for leading me here.

For sure, this watch thing has been an unexpected grounding for me, and a kind of consistent hum to the otherwise chaotic mess that life can sometimes become. Definitely was a calming habit to lean on through the loss of my mom, and even through COVID, and the near loss of everything when the business phones stopped ringing, and then, even after managing to save that necessary endeavor, just not having any of the usual stress relievers, nowhere to go, nothing to do, it was, again, a soothing kind of familiarity, to have a little piece of happiness on the way in the mail every now and again, despite the difficult days.

And, then the great people here, even if virtually through a message board, the stoic and kind wisdom, the humor, the camaraderie, the congratulations, just a happy place in a sometimes very unhappy world.

So, yes, certainly, it seems there are a whole lotta things a watch review can never say.
 
caesarg, I have been retired for at least 20 years I was forced to retire young because of an injury at work and when I got bored I just got back into painting and light contracting work. All my friends were saying your so lucky but doing nothing gets boring fast and when all your friends etc all work a 9 to 5 there isn't anyone to do anything with the days get long fast! Long before I retired I was always into watch repair, back when I started seriously collecting watches I took my high end stuff to a local watch repair shop. Over the years Lucas and I got to be great friends and he started teaching me watch repair etc and I learned a lot from him. He was taught and trained in Switzerland even built watches while he was employedd at Rolex and a couple other high end Swiss watch companies. I always got a kick out of him because every time I brought in one of my newest high watches for him to check out he would frown point at the Timex on his wrist and tell me to stop wasting my money! LOL Everytime I buy a watch on some crazy deal I always see him in my mind with a smile on his face. I never got to learn more because he was getting old himself and his eye sight was going, he closed up shop and moved back to Switzerland long before I even retired. I guess something a lot of watch repair and watch builders suffer from later in life if failing eyesight. He gave me a ton of watch tools including a vintage Rolex branded pressure tester. I sold off the pressure tester to another watch nut but still have all the hand tools etc. He did save me a lot of money over the years of my high end obsession and he taught me enough so that I can some what maintain my collection. The good thing is and I must say it my less expensive watches aside from sizing and the obvious battery change never break! caesarg I agree this is a great group. I was on a few others and gave up walked away because of too many watch snobs always ragging on this brand or that didn't like the fact that some were not all that enthralled with their favorite brands etc. I enjoy this groups and the very eclectic bunch of brands people post and I never see any hate.
 
caesarg, I have been retired for at least 20 years I was forced to retire young because of an injury at work and when I got bored I just got back into painting and light contracting work. All my friends were saying your so lucky but doing nothing gets boring fast and when all your friends etc all work a 9 to 5 there isn't anyone to do anything with the days get long fast! Long before I retired I was always into watch repair, back when I started seriously collecting watches I took my high end stuff to a local watch repair shop. Over the years Lucas and I got to be great friends and he started teaching me watch repair etc and I learned a lot from him. He was taught and trained in Switzerland even built watches while he was employedd at Rolex and a couple other high end Swiss watch companies. I always got a kick out of him because every time I brought in one of my newest high watches for him to check out he would frown point at the Timex on his wrist and tell me to stop wasting my money! LOL Everytime I buy a watch on some crazy deal I always see him in my mind with a smile on his face. I never got to learn more because he was getting old himself and his eye sight was going, he closed up shop and moved back to Switzerland long before I even retired. I guess something a lot of watch repair and watch builders suffer from later in life if failing eyesight. He gave me a ton of watch tools including a vintage Rolex branded pressure tester. I sold off the pressure tester to another watch nut but still have all the hand tools etc. He did save me a lot of money over the years of my high end obsession and he taught me enough so that I can some what maintain my collection. The good thing is and I must say it my less expensive watches aside from sizing and the obvious battery change never break! caesarg I agree this is a great group. I was on a few others and gave up walked away because of too many watch snobs always ragging on this brand or that didn't like the fact that some were not all that enthralled with their favorite brands etc. I enjoy this groups and the very eclectic bunch of brands people post and I never see any hate.
Great story! I wish I had someone who I could sit with to enhance my skills. Maybe once this virus deal is over I'll check with some local places to see if they could use a free old Marine as an assistant.

And, I too have seen watch makers/repairers who also wore pretty cheap watches. After doing some movement work, I personally was a bit annoyed when I found out that I had high end watches that had the same movements in them as the low priced ones. Yes, they were modified a bit but basically they were the same Eta's. It makes me think even more now before I buy.

Finally, wish I had gotten some free tools. I refuse to add up what I have spent because I don't really want to know.
 
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