A Liberating Experience : 6-A-Week

As the adage goes, "Rome was not built in a day."; so too with us hobbyist's collection of timepieces. We all have the 1 piece that started the craze; and with that spark igniting, a passion burned on. And over time, you would have watch cases and winders stacked up in your safe.

Building the collection could be a long (albeit fun) process, but consolidating the collection could be a really fast process. I wrote about a food for thought piece yesterday @ http://andywristwatches.blogspot.com/2014/12/food-for-thought-xmas-watch.html, and I had quite a few e-mails coming in from individual collectors and watch shops.

And in just one morning, one gentlemen came to view and carted off the watches and boxes back to his shop, leaving me with the collection that I had in mind and a big fat cheque in hand.

And so, as of this morning, my collection stands as the following :

1) 1972 Rolex Datejust 1601;
2) 1978 Pagol Sub-Second Date 3055;
3) 2005 Tag Heuer Kirium Ti5;
4) 2013 Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean XL;
5) 2013 Tudor Pelagos; and
5) 2014 Seiko Prospex Field Monster Limited Edition.

And now for the rationale for sticking to the above pieces :

1) I adore vintage watches. This Rolex Datejust 1601 is both a vintage and dress watch, hitting 2 birds with a stone; plus the fact that I spent a long time looking for a mint piece like this.

2) I adore vintage watches. And this hand-winding Pagol Sub-Second Date 3055 was a cherished gift from my Dad, which he kept aside during his watch smith's days.

3) The Tag Heuer Kirium was the most technologically-advanced series of its day for the brand, and the Kirium Ti5 was the cream of the crop. Titanium case, carbon fibre dial, F1 sports legacy (before the Carrera series debut), and packaged in a diver watch. And a one-of-a-kind Swiss-made bracelet that was retro-fitted through my Dad's creative means, which looked as though it came out from Tag Heuer like that. Need I say more?

4) A gentleman's diver watch worn by Craig Daniel's James Bond. Dressy enough for functions, and large enough to be sporty to the core. I must say that the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean XL is a truly versatile watch- you just need a wrist big enough to carry it.

5) Make no mistake- the Tudor Pelagos would not be mistaken as anything else but a professional toolish watch. It doesn't have bling-bling bits (unlike the Heritage Black Bay that I had) that would catch the straying eye, yet it has an under-stated presence when worn on the wrist. A real modern classic through and through- I see it achieving cult status like the DSSD's in time.

6) I have always liked Seiko's Prospex and Monster series, and this Seiko Prospex Field Monster Limited Edition combined styling cues from Prospex, Monster, Fieldmaster and Aviation Sportura in one LE package. And in faux bronze colour. I'm just like, W-O-W!

And the Contendors for Watch #7 : 
Seiko Prospex Tuna Monster vs Citizen Promaster Aqualand Depth Meter 2014

Going forward, I like to add the newly-released Prospex Tuna Monster, when it hits overseas online or Malaysian brick-and-mortar stores next year. The only dilemma is Black & Yellow, or Full Stainless Steel.

And there's no doubts that the Citizen Promaster BN2024-05E is a macho and handsome watch, complicated as it is. It's an evolution from the Citizen EcoZilla, and is still out of stock on most major online stores since its launch during Baselworld 2014.

No doubt I'll be picking up some pieces from time to time, and flipping off some pieces too. But that's the essence of the horological journey, and it's for us WIS to enjoy the process.