Day 15 WRUW Saturday October 15 Your Longest To Find Watch

[cd_god]

OK

It is October 15th (somewhere)

Day 15 of the October WRUW daily theme.

Today's theme is “Wear the watch that took you the longest amount of time to purchase” either due to finances or the model never comes up for sale.

What watch have you always wanted but couldn't afford?

Or even if you had the money couldn't justify spending your retirement savings on it.

Or couldn't find one for sale at any price?

[Rod]

These ANA’s were only available on ANA flights and are very hard to find, I particularly wanted one that had little or no damage and the ANA logo on the case side had to be unworn! I’m not really sure how many were made but I don’t think there are many around, mine is number 699.

[trilo]

I looked this for a long time. Even in bad condition, when working, these  run for around 100e, good ones 200e and NOS 400-500€. 

I got mine for 40e and managed to fix it. Bezel is two directional, it's not stainles and the back goes on with 4 screws. Also the circuit in 894x series is prone to malfunction. So IMO 100e and above would be way too much for one of these.

Still I love it! Battery happened to run down.



Watch I want but can't justify buying just yet, is Citizen AQ6020-53X (0100) quartz. Maybe some day.

[rossr]

Quite a number of years ago a bought a Citizen Certified Chronometer on EBay. Now this was the pre-YJ era, when these type of watches were very rarely seen. Nice watch, but the case and crystal were not in great condition. I looked for years for replacement parts at a reasonable price - I didn’t need to buy a complete watch. Then one day a replacement case with a crystal in very reasonable condition (no movement or dial) came up for sale. I was the only bidder (unsurprisingly). It was just a drop-in replacement, and it completely transformed the watch. Pretty much a new watch.

[leffemonster]

I’ve never really waited that long to ‘find’ a watch as I’ve never really been on the hunt for a specific model, so I’m going with the ‘longest time to receive a watch’. When Seiko announced the Presage Limited Edition homage to the 1964 Crown Chronograph, I immediately wanted one. I was torn between the ivory-dialled SPB127J1 and the green-dialled SPB129J1 but eventually settled on the 129.

In mid-February 2020 I emailed the Seiko Boutique in Knightsbridge to enquire about availability and was advised they would be getting an allocation and, if I wanted to, I could reserve one with a 20% deposit. So in between meetings one afternoon I phoned the Boutique and out came the credit card. The staff didn’t have an expected date as to when they would arrive in the UK, but they were on their way.

And then, on 22 March, the government announced the UK was going into lockdown. Almost everywhere was closed, including of course the Seiko Boutique and the Service Centre. They were not allowed to receive, dispatch or work on any watches until advised it was safe to do so.

A month later I received an email from one of the Boutique staff advising that they had recently re-opened their warehouse and had received the watches. All I had to do was pay the balance, and the watch would be on its way to me. So out came the credit card again, and I purchased my first and, to date, only Seiko watch at full RRP.

[inboost]

Well crud leffemonster - you've stunned me with another amazing green dialed watch

(I just bought a copy of the Bulova 96B322 he was sporting on Diving Watch Day because I couldn't stand not having it anymore)

Today for me is the Seiko 9983-8000 Superior Twin Quartz. Now mind you, I was after the -7000 as it's got a fantastic bracelet, but so is everyone else. I found a bracelet in a 15# / 7kg bulk lot on YJ and figured it was all mine (it was a very big pile of bracelets and you had to look very carefully for it). In the last hour the auction went from $23 USD to my high bid of about $250 USD to just over $600 USD with 71 bidders so clearly I wasn't the only one who saw it. Needless to say I missed out on that one.

Back to the 9983 - this is Seiko's finest high accuracy quartz piece of the day and delivered +/-5 seconds per year accuracy in 1978 with it's clever twin quartz oscillator design. The moment I learned about it I had to have one. With my recent acquisition of a Seiko QT-2100 quartz tester that specifically has a mode to test and adjust both crystals it was just a matter of time before I got one. Yet these were really out of my price range, rough examples typically selling in the $800-$1200 USD range here in the states on Ebay and far more if it was as nice as mine.  I cruised YJ then and now and finally came into pursuit of this one.

It had a broken clasp but was otherwise extremely nice. I won it for a fantastic price against 43 other bids, I just don't know how that happened!? Yet here it is! It probably needs a service as it's lost 1.4 seconds in the past 3 months but it's running so well I've got higher priority projects that keep jumping ahead of it. Even more awesome is that I scored the totally non-existent workbooks for the 99 series movement (All in Japanese) so I'll be able to work this over like a pro when the time comes.

[pip]

I’m in a similar vein to Nick in that I don’t often hunt specific models, I browse and buy what appeals. However, after buying a bamboo dial KQ from Japan I stumbled across the tatami dial version. Far too expensive for my meagre budget. So I hunted and hunted and eventually found one in my range, albeit as usual it need some serious work (and a proper bracelet), which again as usual I’ve been far too busy to tackle. But just look at that dial!

[cd_god]

Today's Seiko golf tip of the day:  most three putts from inside 30 feet are the result of the first putt stopping a long distance past the cup.

2 X $aturday

Game starts in 30 minutes.

Unfortunately I am stuck at work

Hotty Toddy

[dapellegrini]

This:





A (mostly) Stainless Steel Rolex at MSRP from an Authorized Dealer.

I’ve alluded to it in previous WRUW’s this month… I’ve had my sights on (more than one) Rolex for a while. What is the plural of Rolex anyway?

I have a deeply conflicted world view of Rolex these days.

On the one hand, being offered the opportunity to buy a Rolex from an authorized dealer is like being offered $20 in exchange for $10. I'd have to be broke or foolish (or both) not to take it.  On the other hand, I absolutely loathe what is going on in the market right now - where you have to be privileged not just with enough money to be able to afford (and decide to spend your hard earned cash on) a Rolex, they also have to decide you are worthy. Or pluck off and pay 2-3x on the gray market, fueled by some other schmuck who apparently was more worthy than you and is taking advantage of the situation.

This has led me to formulate a stronger than usual (and not entirely logical) opinion about all things Rolex, including the acquisition process. Among other things, I’ve decided that :

I hope to own several Rolexes (is that the plural?), at some point
I will not pay more than MSRP for any of them
I will not beg for a shot at them 
And I will not buy a Rolex I don’t actually want to wear and flip it, instead I will leave it for the AD to (hopefully) offer to someone else who really wants it to own and wear

Now this Yachtmaster was not my first choice (full disclosure - it was my 4th), but it is one that I genuinely like and it has already got a lot of wrist time.  It also now has a nice scratch (gasp).  Hazards of wearing a watch and actually living life I guess…



The way I see it, now I could pick it out of a crowd, and I know it is mine.  I’ve long been drawn to silver dials, and this one is truly top shelf. Still a fetching watch IMO.

I finally got this (4th option) after nearly 4 years on a waiting list, giving up, then having a friend - who is obviously more important than me - get offered one by his AD - which he bought on my behalf. I am clearly not an important person in these circles … alas, love the watch, if not the people

[suntzu]

[babyivan]

[raz]

From vintage category, it took me 1 year to find a Willard. Sadly had to let that one go … it was this one




From modern ones, after I realized I won’t be getting “the call” from the Rolex AD (that thing got to me a while ago…) I used my savings for the Air king for other watches. This Tudor BB Harrods edition was one of them. Waited 8 months to get the call and since my buddy in UK was not available (you get only one week to collect the watch from Harrods) … I went there myself. Just realized now that this is the second watch I got from a brick and mortar AD

[HiBeat]

The elusive SKX169.  On it's model specific 4278GI, too.

Magical dark blue dial (like SKX009 / SKX175 color, same chapter ring too), needed it to complete my all variants of the SKX007 collection.

At least 3 years of hard, daily, multiple source sleuthing, endless WTB posts that finally produced a lead.  The fellow knew it was special and saw I would appreciate it so he offered me the chance.  And yes he took me to the cleaners but I must say I heard one other sale not advertised between 2 WIS buddies in Europe exchanged at an even higher price.

[ouroboros]

This puppy took me ages and just like buses I now have 3.



*Away from home so this old photo will have to do.

[HiBeat]

Oct 15, 2022 9:22:13 GMT -8 raz said:

From vintage category, it took me 1 year to find a Willard. Sadly had to let that one go … it was this one


From modern ones, after I realized I won’t be getting “the call” from the Rolex AD (that thing got to me a while ago…) I used my savings for the Air king for other watches. This Tudor BB Harrods edition was one of them. Waited 8 months to get the call and since my buddy in UK was not available (you get only one week to collect the watch from Harrods) … I went there myself. Just realized now that this is the second watch I got from a brick and mortar AD

wow really like that one.   I would grab that in a HiBeat heartbeat.  Stunning.

BTW I have an interesting story about the day I went shopping at Harrod's in London, but it's for another day.   Titillating story actually.

[SteveX]

Oddly enough, this one took me a long time to find a good example. Got it way back when. Given my affinity for odd/loud/colorful dials I saw one online and thought it was cool. First one I bought didn't turn out so well, gambled on some poor pics and lost. Lume was rotty (as on a lot of these) but was able to return it.

Probably took another year or so before I found this one. Original bracelet with "SEIKO 5 SPORTS" clasp.

[59yukon01]

Life is a ball. [emoji16]

[SteveX]

Oct 15, 2022 8:47:45 GMT -8 suntzu said:

WOW I like that one. Love the inner bezel color track. Ugh, look out google here I come... must resist....


EDIT: Lol, the bezel did sort of remind me of DOXA, hit Google and saw it referred to as "poor man’s Doxa SUB on ACID" no wonder I like it...
oceanictime.blogspot.com/2017/06/nth-devil-ray-500m-poor-mans-doxa-sub.html

[suntzu]

Oct 15, 2022 11:51:42 GMT -8 SteveX said:

Oct 15, 2022 8:47:45 GMT -8 suntzu said:

WOW I like that one. Love the inner bezel color track. Ugh, look out google here I come... must resist....


EDIT: Lol, the bezel did sort of remind me of DOXA, hit Google and saw it referred to as "poor man’s Doxa SUB on ACID" no wonder I like it...
oceanictime.blogspot.com/2017/06/nth-devil-ray-500m-poor-mans-doxa-sub.html

Thanks! It’s a real heavy beast. 316 stainless, sapphire crystal, 500m depth rating, NH35 movement, insane lume, circular saw tooth bezel, solid bracelet and end links, milled clasp. The whole bezel lights up with lume and even the logo on the crown. Love the colors, stadium style chapter ring, pops of color and that 70’s vintage diver look. Keeps excellent time. Was an impulse purchase a few years ago.

[rainier]

Always wanted a Sub since I first saw one as a kid - I also wanted a 7548 Pepsi. I couldn't afford either.

Fast forward to my young adult life, after seeing James Bond wear this Seamaster, I had to have one. I owned this Seamaster Pro for 15+ years then sold it along with several other Seikos (including a 7548 Pepsi) to fund a 5-digit Sub.