Diver Watch Flying : Steinhart Ocean Forty-Four

One of the watches I owned that garnered the most e-mail queries was the Steinhart Ocean Forty-Four. Most of the parties were interested to get a Steinhart, particularly this "Teutonic DSSD" but were afraid of the servicing and maintenance.

Well, for me, I would opine that Steinhart was a very value-for-monies watch and it generates a fair bit of interest too. I frequently travel by business class so I am used to striking conversations with a person next to me whom may be wearing a PP, AP, Rolex, etc.

And of late, when I wear my Steinhart "DSSD", the watch managed to catch their attention and most simply find it hard to believe on the price when I revealed it. The Steinhart "DSSD" may cost less than 10% of the Rolex DSSD's price, but it certainly wears well and don't give the I-have-a-cheap-watch-on-my-wrist feeling. In fact, one chap whom owned the Rolex DSSD later e-mailed me to thank me for introducing him to Steinhart and that he had just made an order online!

So, to the rest, live life a little; after all, what have you got to lose?

In fact, I am making orders for a few more pieces from Steinhart across different genres...

Integrity of the Seller

For pre-owned watches, I normally "buy" the seller rather than just the watch. Replicas and counterfeits are a big scene in the pre-owned watches' secondary market these days, so we buyers have to be careful in our purchases. Granted that it may not be the rule of the thumb, but buyers of luxury watches are normally quite established career-, social-, or political-wise so that they could afford the watches in the first place. And when they sell of flip off these pieces, you could "read" that these were quite established people. Hence, chances of you getting a ripped-off watch from them has a lower probability.

That said, there are still experienced con-artist around.

When you have a young chap who knows not much about watches wanting to flip watches at very low prices, you would need to exercise caution. Of course, the young chaps could have rich fathers to finance their horological hobbies.  And I have met one before- the chap wanted to sell a few-months old luxury watch at 40% of its purchased price, with full box, warranty card and receipt from the AD. Of course  I was sceptical; but checking at the AD revealed that it was a genuine item and I later gathered from the chap that his parents only let him have a limited no. of luxury watches at any point in time, so he would sell them off whenever he sees a newer piece he likes, in order to keep to the quota. Bad news for his parents, good news for us collectors.

A reader pointed that there was a Rolex Submariner going at a very low price of RM6,800. He contacted the seller and asked if it was a genuine Rolex. The seller replied that it was a genuine Swiss watch. Now a genuine Swiss watch doesn't automatically translates to a genuine Rolex.

Probing further revealed that it was a replica although the seller insisted that it was a very good copy from Dubai (last i checked, that was not in Switzerland) and that no one would be none the wiser. When the reader declined, the seller revealed that "his friend" normally sold the Dubai Submariner at RM10,000 by claiming that it was stolen properties so it was his loss if he didn't get the seller's cheaper Dubai Submariner.

I looked at the advert and it was indeed mischievous. If it was a replica or copy, just state that it was a replica and copy. He shouldn't pass it off as a genuine article. People like this has no integrity and I wouldn't buy from them or touch them with a 10-foot pole. All they wanted was your cash and they don't care if your cash was hard-earned monies that you have saved for your horology hobby.

There was another chap selling a Rolex Master II GMT blue-black bezel some weeks back. I can't quite remember the price but it was for around this Dubai Submariner's chap's price. I called the seller and he too claimed that his was a Swiss watch and that he got it cheaper as it was OEM from Rolex. What the heck did that mean? In the end, I told him that I was a watch enthusiast and that I know my Rolexes; and if he allows me to open the case and it was a indeed a Rolex movement in there, I would buy it without bargaining. He backed off of course.

Be careful buying pre-owned luxury watches from these unscrupulous sellers. Read the sellers as much as the watches. When in doubt, just walk off. Good luck and good day...

Maiden Wear : Edox Les Vauberts

As promised earlier @ http://andywristwatches.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-surprise-gift-edox-les-vauberts.html, here are some pictures of the Edox Les Vauberts in her maiden trip to office on yours truly's wrist.

And the more I look at her, the more beautiful she looks in the eye of my mind. Truly a great buy and well-worth its RM3,500 price.

Well, do enjoy these pictures...

Tudor Submariner Snowflake @ RM3,800?!

One of our readers pointed me towards an advert from a collector letting go his Tudor Submariner Snowflake at RM3,800 as per below :

This is definitely a steal of a price and I have also e-mailed him for an opportunity to view and purchase the said watch from him if the watch was an original piece. Lets cross our fingers and see if I could get my hands on the Submariner model no. 9411. It normally comes at a premium so at that price, I dare deduce that many other collectors would be approaching him too.

This feels like balloting towards a house purchase. Pictures to follow suit if I do get a chance to "win" this antique piece.

Video-log : Rolex Submariner Watch Repair Guide

To Get List : Submariner Types

There are a few Submariner types that I would like to add into my collection when the right time comes (no pun intended :) or when some excess funds are freed in future. In the meantime, these pictures would spur me on...

1) Rolex Submariner 116610LV (aka Hulk), which could be have for app RM28k new; or Rolex Submariner 116610LN (app RM25k new); or Rolex Submariner 116613LB (app RM34k new); or Rolex Deep Sea Sea-Dweller 116660 (app RM31k new). All 3 Submariner models are 40mm and utilising Rolex Caliber 3135 with Parachrom Bleu hairspring, while the DSSD utilises the same movement but has a larger 44mm case (the latest Sea-Dweller 4000 116600 has now shrunk to 40mm same like the Submariner, and is technologically more advanced but at a more wearable size, thus well-worth the consideration too).

2)  Vintage Tudor Submariner Snowflake. There are a few models to choose from but I am focusing more on the 9401/9411 models from the 1970's, which utilised the dependable ETA movements which would be relatively easy to be serviced by most competent watchsmiths. Oh, and the patina on these vintage Submariners should looked really attractive by now and prices would be more on a willing buyer-willing seller basis.

New Purchase : Edox Class 1 GMT (Model No : 93003.TIN.AIN) @ 22/5/2014

Pursuant to my spouse's purchase of the Edox Les Vauberts Automatic @ http://andywristwatches.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-surprise-gift-edox-les-vauberts.html, I had a request vide e-mail and PM from a fellow reader looking for a similar Les Vauberts watch in silver case and black dial.

I ventured back to the shop to see if I could help the reader to find a silver case-black dial Les Vauberts, but instead found another interesting piece. It was the Edox 93003 Class 1 GMT Titanium. The watch kind of remotely looked like a Seiko Perpetual Calendar (http://andywristwatches.blogspot.com/2013/03/seiko-perpetual-calendar-52mm-model.html) that I had many years ago, which brought back memories of the days when my wife (then-girlfriend) and I were a courting young couple.

There were basically 4 versions - black dial titanium case with titanium bracelet or rubber strap, and white dial titanium case with titanium bracelet or rubber strap. The white dial version was selling at a cheaper price, and a quick check on the Net showed that the premium piece was the black dial titanium case with titanium bracelet. The rubber strap models cost much lesser than the titanium bracelet models.

Black Dial Titanium Bracelet RRP : RM14,520

White Dial Titanium Bracelet RRP : RM10,900

Titanium Bracelet model's specifications.

Rubber Strap model's specifications.

I decided to go with the white dial titanium bracelet, which was the middle-range in the Class 1 GMT Titanium series.

Boy, does the actual piece looks very enticing and special! The dial especially, looks really different and you have to hold in in your hands to appreciate the details. The case measured 45mm without the crowns. Movement was via the reliable and dependable ETA 2893-2 workhorse.

It is very light, of course, given its material. But it still felt solidly-built and the right crown controlled the home time, GMT time and date. The left crown was the helium valve release. Well, yes, it was necessary as it was good for 500m water resistant depth.

There were 2 pieces in black dial (titanium bracelet and rubber strap), but only 1 piece in white dial. The shop highly encouraged me to go with the white dial since I liked it so much.

Unfortunately, the GMT hand felt a bit loose but the salesperson informed me that the shop could arrange for a relatively quick repair so that it felt precise the way that a Swiss watch should be. I was okay with the arrangement.

Oh well, I'll just keep this short. Real pictures to follow suit.

Time to stock up on the instant noodle then ;p

Watches Flipped Since the Start of This Blog

Like many watch enthusiasts, I have been flipping watches for a while. But just out of curiosity, let's examine some of the more memorable watches that I have flipped since the start of this blog in 2013 :

1) 2007 Seiko Perpetual Calendar (Out of warranty);
2) 2012 Oris Artelier Date (Out of warranty);
3) 2013 Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Calibre 16 (Wristwatch Annual 2013) (Under warranty);
4) 2013 Seiko Sportura Aviation Alarm Chronograph (Wristwatch Annual 2013) (Under warranty);
5) 2013 Seiko Monster Dracula (Under warranty);
6) 2013 Citizen EcoZilla (Under warranty);
7) 2013 Ball Fireman Night Train DLC (BNIB);
8) 2014 Oris Aquis Date (Under warranty);
9) 2014 Casio G-Shock Riseman Wave-Ceptor (Under warranty);
10) 2014 Certina DS Podium GMT (BNIB);
11) 2014 Orient Mechanical Force (BNIB);
12) 2014 Hamilton 3828 vintage chronograph (new old stock);
13) 2014 Steinhart Ocean Forty-Four (BNIB);
14) 2014 SevenFriday P3-01 (LNIB);
15) 2014 Edox GMT-Class 1 Titanium (LNIB).

The monies from the sale of the above watches went towards the purchases of some interesting pieces. Amongst them were the following :

1) 1972 Rolex Datejust vintage;
2) 2005 Tag Heuer Kirium Ti5;
3) 2013 Tudor Pelagos;
4) 2014 Edox Les Vauberts;
5) 2014 Seiko SKX009JI Pepsi;
6) 2014 Ball Hydrocarbon "Mad Cow".

There were some other watches purchased as gifts for family and friends, but these don't count as they were not really for my own consumption.

And since the start of this blog, daily accumulated readership has crossed the 14,443 threshold and hopefully would be increasing still.

It shall be interesting to see where this journey continues from hereon. Here's wishing that all of us wear our watches in good health!

A Surprise Gift : Edox Les Vauberts Automatic (Model No. 80081.37R.AIR)

I'll be frank that this is my first piece of Edox timepiece. And I wasn't even expecting to get my hands on this piece when I received the gift from my other half.

For a long while, I had been looking for a simple white-dial classic watch with reptile leather strap that appeals to me. I've tried a few but they simply did not quite tick all the boxes for me to hand over the cold, hard cash for the requisition; and the closest pieces that appeal to me were the Tissot Heritage Visodate and Orient Bambino.

However, I find the Tissot Heritage Visodate's gold to be "too yellow", for lack of a better description. And the watch was very light such that the wearer (for me, at least) hardly gets the feeling that you have a good piece on your wrist. At RRP : RM2,200, it was an affordable entry-level simple dress watch and would be my next choice if I was unable to find a piece to scratch the itch.

The Orient Bambino looked the part, had nice rose-gold case which I simply adored; but also suffered from the "oh-so-light" watch syndrome. Of course, at RRP : RM960, it was simply a steal of a price and you couldn't quite go wrong with this purchase.

If only we could mix-and-match both the aforementioned timepieces characteristics, and then some, to get the following :

- white dial,
- rose-gold case,
- Swiss brand,
- heavier automatic movement,
- reptile leather strap,
- affordable pricing.

then, we would have a winner on hand. From my research vide the Net, I believed that I had found a timepiece that fulfils the above criterias, however the timepiece was a discontinued collectors' edition and therefore, hunting for a piece in Malaysia may not be that easy a task.

I am, of course, referring to the Edox Les Vauberts Automatic (Model No. 80081.37R.AIR).

It was retailing new at RRP : 3,700; but since it was discontinued, even pre-owned examples in excellent condition were going at higher than the original price. The piece below in silver colour was going for Euro1,028 (circa RM4,500).

The dial measures 39mm without the crown. The inner movement is the dependable and reliable Swiss ETA 2824-2, which also powers quite a few other pieces in my collection including the latest acquisition (prior to this) being Steinhart Ocean Forty-Four.

The case-back is simply a piece of art with a small skeleton look-through hole depicting the decorated movement, and a message honouring 4 centuries of Swiss watch-making including a picture of a Swiss cottage industry.

Well, my other half decided to use her free time to trawl the Net in search for this elusive piece and lo and behold, she has managed to track down a shop that has an unsold piece in its safe. It had been discontinued for a long while, so the shop manager explained that they can't find the original box. But the manual and warranty card were with the timepiece and so, the 2 years of warranty were duly-stamped and a transaction dealt.

And now, I am a proud owner of this Les Vauberts piece. Happy as bird, if I may so add. Real pictures to follow suit.