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Post by ianmedium on Mar 18, 2014 9:06:17 GMT -6
See, that there is why I love vintage! All the vintage I own now are watches I lusted after as a child and youth. I grew up around vintage car guys. I used to help my uncle restore them and go to rallies. Those guys always had lovely watches and my cousin Chris owned some lovely ones as well and they all influenced me.
Of course none of them looked shiny new, they were all practical things back in those days so to own similar models now with the patina just takes me back to those very happy days.
The Omega that is out for delivery (Yay!) is something my cousin Chris owned and this one is like yours Steve, a one owner from new and the owner just happens to have plied his trade in watch repair so the thing has been properly serviced and cared for all its life. As I said to you previously its that which we spend our money on I think, the watch just happens to be on our wrist.
I can understand why people collect antiques, the objects are nice but its the history they have witnessed that is where the magic is.
Just think on my Fusee, that was made in Queen Victoria's London while she was on the throne, it survived two world wars, the great depression, the birth of jazz and rock and roll, flower power and so on. I feel that every time I pick it up!
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Post by Jim on Mar 18, 2014 10:04:16 GMT -6
Beautiful watch Steve, looks like you have your grail now. My grail is a 18k yg Breitling Crosswind special with arabic numbers. But I don't want to start a "grail" post or thread.
From reading your post from this forum and another I know your really into the sub's, especially the older ones.
Wear it and enjoy buddy, looks great!
Jim
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Post by Nicko on Mar 18, 2014 13:41:10 GMT -6
Thanks a lot guys. I have always been a lover of Rolex and I really didn't know why until I sat down and started to think about it the other day. I remember a time when I was 5 or 6 maybe and I was in the car with my mom and I remember passing a sign of a big crown and asking my mom what it was and I can still remember it like it was yesterday--I was very young mind you--and she said to me that it was a sign for Rolex a watch that was one of the best watches in the world. I can still remember this today. Well, this must´ve been 1970 or 71 just about the time the Submariner I'm wearing on my wrist was purchased, just think about it, I could be wearing one of the watches that was in that shop that very time. Anyway, let's fast forward to 1984 and I remember staring at the Submariners in a tiny shop on the island of La Maddalena Sardinia--ironically where some of the early Bond movies were shot--and not having the money to purchase one, an entire year I was staring at these watches they were a fortune to me back then at least 1200 bucks or so and there was no way I could have ever saved up enough money to buy one, so I kept lusting. When I was to be transferred to another duty station I requested what at the tie was called "advanced pay" it was more or less an interest free loan that you could get to help defer the cost of moving. Back then I was making about 700 bucks a month so I asked for 2 months advanced pay, well after taxes etc. I think I was given about 1000 dollars, with that money I needed to pay other things and to make a log story short I had about 600 dollars left after it was all said and done. I went back to that small jewelry shop with my fist full of Lira to see what I could get, sadly the Submariners were out of my price range but I saw a nice little silver dialed Datejust and decided to buy that instead to quell my desire for the “the best watch in the world”. I’ve told this story here before but I’ll tell it again. I bought the watch and or course my 19 year old skinny writs were way too small and I needed the bracelet adjusted. I must have been the shop owner’s biggest sale in a long time because he actually closed up shop and took me to his house where his family was having lunch, as his wife commenced to tell me to have a seat and she started to heap pasta on my plate the owner of the shop went in the back and came back a few minutes later with the band adjusted. I finished my lunch and thanked him and left with my shiny new Datejust on my wrist. Sadly times were hard for me and my family back in the late 90s and I ended up selling my Datejust to pay bills. And I lusted after the Submariner ever since, which brings me to my personal quest of finding the perfect Sub be damned the cost. And now I think I can die a happy man. Thanks mom. The pic below is of me and my mom right after I left Italy in 1984, she passed away of breast cancer in 1988. I'm wearing my Datejust in the pic although hard to see.
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Post by daveathall on Mar 18, 2014 14:14:54 GMT -6
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Post by carl on Mar 18, 2014 20:43:46 GMT -6
Wonderful story. And, yes, I do recall hearing about the DateJust a while back. Stories like that one never gets tired of listening to! In my family, it was always Omega. My Brother now has my Dad's 50s bumper. And I have two vintage ones, and this year some time probably a new Speedmaster. As much as I love and respect Rolex, my heart is in Omega. Makes me able to totally relate to your love of Rolex after hearing your stories. I am bound and determined to make this, my 65th, a very special year. My Dad never made it to 65, and died an accidental death when he was only 63. Anyway, enough of my stories. I am very happy for you, and it's easy to tell how much you love this watch. But please, for Roger's and my sakes, please get the pearl for 12 o'clock! Cheers, Carl
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Post by Baco Noir on Mar 18, 2014 22:06:28 GMT -6
Wonderful story. And, yes, I do recall hearing about the DateJust a while back. Stories like that one never gets tired of listening to! In my family, it was always Omega. My Brother now has my Dad's 50s bumper. And I have two vintage ones, and this year some time probably a new Speedmaster. As much as I love and respect Rolex, my heart is in Omega. Makes me able to totally relate to your love of Rolex after hearing your stories. I am bound and determined to make this, my 65th, a very special year. My Dad never made it to 65, and died an accidental death when he was only 63. Anyway, enough of my stories. I am very happy for you, and it's easy to tell how much you love this watch. But please, for Roger's and my sakes, please get the pearl for 12 o'clock! Cheers, Carl That's funny Carl! However, I do like Steve's idea of letting his wife buy him one as a present. That adds some family history to it.
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Post by carl on Mar 18, 2014 22:12:51 GMT -6
Wonderful story. And, yes, I do recall hearing about the DateJust a while back. Stories like that one never gets tired of listening to! In my family, it was always Omega. My Brother now has my Dad's 50s bumper. And I have two vintage ones, and this year some time probably a new Speedmaster. As much as I love and respect Rolex, my heart is in Omega. Makes me able to totally relate to your love of Rolex after hearing your stories. I am bound and determined to make this, my 65th, a very special year. My Dad never made it to 65, and died an accidental death when he was only 63. Anyway, enough of my stories. I am very happy for you, and it's easy to tell how much you love this watch. But please, for Roger's and my sakes, please get the pearl for 12 o'clock! Cheers, Carl That's funny Carl! However, I do like Steve's idea of letting his wife buy him one as a present. That adds some family history to it. That's right! I had forgotten that bit. Glad to know it's really going to happen. Had a few sleepless nights over the pearl issue Cheers, Carl
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Post by vincent65 on Mar 19, 2014 4:34:01 GMT -6
Congrats Steve - lovely 1680, which you should keep. I reckon get a pearl, too. Mine is also 2.6 (I/70) early MKIV Enjoy!
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Post by Nicko on Mar 19, 2014 7:59:02 GMT -6
Thanks Karl the more I think about it the less I want to touch this insert. I did a bit of research and these MK1 kissing 4 inserts are going for almost $2k! I'm not sticking anything on it, just my luck is press too hard and crack it or whatever so it stays exactly like it is. Thanks guys but you'll just have to keep your OCD in check. Hell if I can hold on to this watch pretty soon the insert will be worth as much as the watch Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Post by ianmedium on Mar 19, 2014 8:46:48 GMT -6
You know Steve, Many of my friends say my middle initials are O.C.D and with new watches that certainly is the case but vintage seems to have cured me of that. I look at the little dings and dents, the patina of the dial and I see history not imperfections and I think thats why there are two camps, new and old. I have been thinking about your insert and have come to the same conclusion you have, keep it missing! Again, this is a line some don't understand and others do, it borders on the metaphysical in some ways and that is that each imperfection is a piece of history that adds to the value of the watch. Its one of the reasons I am really enjoying Ben Clymer's site, Hodinkee. He and the others there completely "get" vintage, now, they are not so extreme that a complete wreck of a watch is acceptable but things like missing pearls, spotting on the dial or hands a different colour to the dial because the hands have been replaced matter. I think its consistency, your watch shows a consistent history that has meaning. The old "replacement" bracelet was done when something like that was done for practical reasons by the original owner so it fits with the history. Likewise if the original owner decided not to replace the pearl there was a good reason, probably practical in seeing what Rolex wanted for one back in the day and practicality and prudence probably told him that there was no way he was going to spend that amount on something he hardly noticed, see, its the story that matters more than the missing or dinged bit. Now your adding to the history with practicality, not wanting to bugger about with such a valuable insert so as to retain originality, that adds to its history more than just plonking a new one in I think. Its one of those things you either get or don't get and if you don't get it then vintage is probably not for you and thats fine as there are loads of lovely new watches out there to have fun with. I guess I am lucky, I can stick my feet in both camps though to be honest I don't think new is the way for me any more. I have gotten more enjoyment this past year out of vintage than I have ever gotten out of new! Anyway, I ramble and probably make no sense but then,thats a bit like vintage, 95% of the purchase or chasing after "the right one" makes no sense and thats the main appeal I think, I am fed up with everything making sense, it seems to make life very boring to me!
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Post by Nicko on Mar 19, 2014 11:04:30 GMT -6
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Post by ianmedium on Mar 19, 2014 11:06:04 GMT -6
Thank you Steve, I did not realize it was a riveted bracelet, I love the sound they make! That dial is the best I have seen as well, just the perfect colour change on the hands and markers!
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Post by Nicko on Mar 19, 2014 11:12:40 GMT -6
Congrats Steve - lovely 1680, which you should keep. I reckon get a pearl, too. Mine is also 2.6 (I/70) early MKIV Enjoy! Thanks Karl, yours was my inspiration from the beginning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Post by vincent65 on Mar 19, 2014 11:30:46 GMT -6
Congrats Steve - lovely 1680, which you should keep. I reckon get a pearl, too. Mine is also 2.6 (I/70) early MKIV Enjoy! Thanks Karl, yours was my inspiration from the beginning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Cool - glad to be of service! The patina on yours is lovely and looks a lot like mine, especially with the original fat-font insert, which is not faded a lot, much like yours:
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Post by Nicko on Mar 19, 2014 12:27:49 GMT -6
Thanks Karl, yours was my inspiration from the beginning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Cool - glad to be of service! The patina on yours is lovely and looks a lot like mine, especially with the original fat-font insert, which is not faded a lot, much like yours: View AttachmentYour insert looks more like a mk2 which I suppose is correct as well. Not sure why mine is a mk1 but I imagine Rolex put on what they had at the time mk1 and 2. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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