Interesting minimalist look but it seems to be an overpriced quartz watch that also lacks a sapphire crystal.

that jj redick video was great. both his video and mayers had moments where I found myself saying "yes! exactly".

I tried on his patek a few days ago. got to check out the movement with a loupe. so sick. I'm surprised he doesn't just have his dream watch considering its not that much more than the 5170.

Watch hunting (and eating) plan in Japan:

http://seiyajapan.blogspot.jp/2013/1...an-in.html?m=1

(The hugest watch shop in Japan)

Was looking at this watch, anyone have anything to say about the brand etc.

http://shop.hamiltonwatch.com/gents-...rono-1986.html

I think you will find the consensus in here is that Hamilton's are very solid value. That is expensive for a Hamilton. I assume it is to do with the new eta H51 movement with a 60 hr power reserve. Someone more knowledgeable than me may be able to chime in how the market has received the movement (its a variant of the 7750) and what other watches would be competitive in that price range.

Hamilton has a solid reputation as one of the best brands for watches under $500. When I tried on a Hamilton and an Oris, I went for the Oris despite it costing 2.5x more because it felt that much more quality. I'd be generally hesitant to spend $1,775 on a Hamilton compared to other watches I could get at that price point, but who knows maybe that model warrants it. Stylewise, it's not my cup of tea but it's definitely different with the overlapping circles.

This is just a watch I noticed today that hadn't seen here: the Tudor Heritage Black Bay. I'm liking it, particularly the bezel and splash of color on the crown stem. That color red with the gold-edged hands and hour markers reminds me of my alma mater USC. Apparently Tudor, a Rolex brand, just returned to the U.S. after nine years. I guess they're known for having Rolex quality but with cheaper eta movements, making them less expensive. This watch has the same movement as my Stowa, and the Steinhart I bought for under $500, which I could see being bothersome for a $3k+ watch.

Vegas Watch Shopping TR/Guide

5 days in vegas by myself means a tour of the strip to test drive some watches.. Here's a quick summary of what I saw and where to go.

Bellagio

Tesorini - Rolex, Patek, Panerai. I stop by every vegas trip and I'm never disappointed by the level of service. Always friendly, well informed and accomodating. Tried on a Patek 5170 in two metals along with a SS 5712. <3

There is also a Breguet boutique which I didn't check out.

Palazzo

(Totally forget the names of these spots)

- A new pre owned shop opened up the corridor between the V and P. It had some older daytonas and interesting pieces..
- Directly across the pre-owned spot is the dealer I'm always used to. Breguet, Vacheron and IWC (for you internet watch hipsters). They're getting Lange soon (!!!)

Venetzia - Richard Mille, AP. Located between front desk and the casino floor. Had a great visit where I tried on a RM29 and RM10. when the RM10 first came out it was about 35k sticker, now you're looking at 80k. insane.

Caesars Palace - Forum Shops

Tourneau - Had a surprisingly nice visit where i got to try on the brand new PLATINUM DAYTONA! Sick piece. I was told it was very rare and would be very hard to find going forward.

Place across from Tourneau - some APs, blah.

Rolex Boutique - Platinum daytona also in stock (lol)

Crystals

Richard Mille boutique is open. I don't think I need to say much else, just go.

Wynn

Service is hit and miss for me in the Wynn in both shops.. Sometimes I get great service, sometimes it's incredibly cold. Given my appearance I find this very confusing.

Rolex - This location was recently renovated. History of Rolex walkthrough display at the back left of the store, very easy to miss.. Last year I got to try on the mythical rainbow daytona and leopard daytona.. It appears that in the last 12 months both these beauties have been snapped up.

Wynn & Co.. Patek and Lange dealer.. Tried on a Datograph up/down amongst other beauties. <3 Datograph

There's probably 50 other stores I didn't visit on the strip, these are just the ones that align with my interests.. No matter what you're into though, check out the Richard Mille boutique.

Thanks for that!

Can you expand on this a little more? I assume that most of the LTW crowd dresses a little more presentable than the random 2p2 poster, but are you just in normal vacation type clothes (i.e. jeans, polo/golf shirt, etc) or are you more dressy? I'm something of a newb when it comes to trying very expensive (>$12K) watches on and would love to take an afternoon to walk around and try Lange/AP/RM/PP models on. Do you just walk in, have a conversation and ask to try them on? I probably shouldn't care, but is doing so with no intention of buying frowned upon?

what's the list price on the platinum daytona?

$50k iirc

I was there on business but dressed "vacation". shorts, polo shirt and boat shoes. I'm also asian and wear a Rolex Daytona. In Vegas, you probably want to at least be cordial to guys that look like me. This doesn't always happen which is what I find mind blowing.

There's no need to be dressed beyond this IMO. What's important is to go in, act respectful and demonstrate some knowledge. Ask for stuff by model/reference #. Mention you are a collector and any pieces you may have that are remotely related to what you're looking at (if that happens to be the case).

edit: Also go directly towards the more collector type brand displays. Lange, PP, RM, IWC, Breguet, etc.. They get guys that beeline towards the Rolex/AP/Panerai and gawk all day, don't be them.

"no intention of buying" is probably correct in terms of the near term but maybe not so in the long run. High end sales is about building a long lasting relationship. For every whale that's walking in and snapping up a 100k piece there are many other discerning shoppers who do their homework and prefer to give business to stores that treat them appropriately.

the platinum daytona is 75k. nbd.

looks fantastic in person.

Great advice, thanks.

Not going to be able to pull off the asian part of the attire, but shouldn't be any problem to not look like a broke degen.

There's nothing worse than that reverse retail snobbery. It's happened to me on car lots as well. **** them. ****ing retail clerks ffs.

Here's a photo of the Breitling I mentioned, PM me if interested (I can get better photos too, first photoshoot attempt = meh, lighting was tough)

[IMG][/IMG]

Also if you're interested in the Breguet Marine, the Baume and Mercier stainless steel, or the two-tone TAG Aquaracer PM me as well!

How much roughly do those Breitlings loose in value second hand?

50%ish off RRP, with box and papers and is solid condidition.

What model patek is this?

Patel Calatrava 5127 I think..

For a brief period, I owned both the Stowa Marine Automatic and the Steinhart Marine 38, so I thought I should get some pics of them together and give my thoughts on each. I bought the Steinhart new and ended up selling it to obi1jabroni from this forum when the Stowa with the exact specifications I wanted came up on the used market. This isn't a perfect comparison since it's the Stowa without date.

When the Stowa first arrived, I thought I might have made a mistake because, in dimmer indoor lighting, the dial appears boring next to the Steinhart. The Stowa silver dial looks very plain without good lighting. The Steinhart's pearl white dial still shines, and the raised numbers and engraved logo make it stand out.



However, under direct sunlight the Stowa dial really sparkles in a way that can't be captured in a photo, while the Steinhart can get too shiny. The Stowa has heat-tempered blue hands rather than the chemically induced on the Steinhart, and I do like the bluest angle of the Stowa better than the Steinhart. Straight on they look similar. I wasn't sure if I would like the blue crown on the Steinhart but I did, as well as the blue rotor which I felt dressed up the movement, though the Stowa movement (which is the same movement) has an advantage with its blued screws.



The case and strap on the Stowa feels much more natural to me, the biggest reason I'm pleased to have gotten the Stowa. At 13mm, I think the Steinhart's case is too thick for a 38mm watch. The Stowa at 40mm and 10.4mm sits better on the wrist for me and the strap is so comfortable. The Steinhart strap and deployment clasp looks great but felt very stiff to me.



In conclusion, for half the price with the same movement, I think the Steinhart is a good deal and has some advantages over the Stowa. I favor the Stowa mostly for feel. Perhaps others would find the Steinhart more comfortable. It's important to me how a watch feels on the wrist. That's why I spent more than twice as much to get an Oris Artelier Date over a Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic when I tried them both on, and that's why I know I would have shelled out more for the Stowa over the Steinhart if I could have tried them both on before buying. If I could, I would take the Steinhart dial, Stowa case, Stowa hands, Stowa blued screws and Stowa strap. But the hands and screws aren't that big of a deal. What it boils down to is if the Steinhart had the Stowa case, I would take it and save the money.

Really nice post mate and glad you're enjoying the Stowa. I've been thinking about going for that Steinhart as my first watch so it's interesting to read a good unbiased review.

Nice review/comparison of the Steinhart and Stowa. Thanks.

i believe it's a patek 5107 in platinum. the 5107 has a wider/flatter bezel than the 5127 (which replaced the 5107)

the platinum was black faced, the white gold was white face..

some other examples..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PATEK-PHILIP...-/230840138214

http://www.astorlive.net/platinum-pa...-discontinued/