It’s a Movado

thank you, looking at the website now, like their minimalist designs

funnily enough, the one thing i didn't like was that dot and that's their signature lol

really don't like their straps and think it's a little too small but otherwise this and that 24hour russian one i shared earlier are the style i'll be looking for when i finally get something

FINALLY, some impeachment coverage that is RELEVANT

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/n...ment-testimony

Looking at possibly buying first watch >300 ... this one caught my eye, and its available thru an online auction (christies) which has like $400 buyer premium + few other extra cost so I need to keep that in mind when placing a bid.


Franck Muller



Condition Report:

Few questions if ya'll dont mind.
1.) Do you like it? And what is Max price you would pay for it or what is a fair price?

2.) Does buying a watch without box + papers in this situation carry significant risk?

3.) Does it help that its being sold thru a reputable auction house for any resale?
note: I dont plan to sell the watch nor am I considering it an investment or anything like that, just curious how well does an item like this hold up in value if I did want to turn around and sell it?

And sorry for all these questions, but just want to make sure I get some feedback before blasting off lots of money on something I am far from an expert in. Always admired Franck's designs and I have a max price in my mind and its quite possible the auction price heats up and I get priced out. Cheers and thanks in advance for any advice.

Love most of his stuff; prefer these classic looks to many of the Mille-types. Some of my favorites were those art deco styles like the Gruen Curvex that he's drawing from. However, you do realize that this is a rather small watch at 35 mm by today's standards? I think it's considered unisex in the Muller line, whereas the gentlemen's collection is typically a beefier 44/45. I prefer smaller cases since so many of the junk watches are dinner plates but ymmv.

No box/papers hurts resale value but not sure about risk. Dunno what kind of protection a reputable auction house adds if any. Ask them and read the terms closely:

Based on these terms, you would almost certainly want to have it serviced. I have no idea what that costs on a FM, but I have some good news and bad news. The "good" news is that--as far as I know--most of the FM calibres are simply modified ETA movements. That means reliability with common parts and straightforward servicing by a competent watchmaker. That's also the bad news though. Why does a decorated ETA cost so much? Here's a shot of the FM Casablanca which is clearly stamped 2892A2 up top. That's about a $350 piece bought one-off and even cheaper to FM:



If you aren't familiar with the ETA 2892, you can read about it here:

https://orionwatch.com/blog/2018/6/4...d-the-eta-2892

I'm not sure what I'd be willing to pay but I think the answer is considerably lower than market rate given the components. By comparison, my Swiss daily beater has an ETA 2824 / sapphire / stainless / leather and I paid less than $300. The unusual case and crystal of the FM in addition to the modifications will add some cost, but I'm not seeing more than $1k-$1.5k worth of material here. So beyond that, how much is the premium of owning the art / novelty / scarcity / exclusivity of FM worth to you?

Joma has a similar piece listed new for $4,150 so I can't imagine paying anywhere near that for this used one unless I'm missing something.

Thank you so much for that in depth reply LawnMower Man . Very fortunate to get your perspective and I am a bit hesitant now to pay such a heavy premium on ETA movements after referencing your $300 swiss beater.

Assuming one was fortunate enough to get this watch for an out the door cost of around $1900- 2k (which admittedly the bidding could go quite over that) .... which for a Franck Muller seemed like a steal .... its still not that great of a price all things considered? ...and probably not worth paying over that to begin with?

I'm unqualified to talk about it on any other terms

But I don't like the look, having said that, I don't think it's distasteful, just not my personal preference

I don't think there's any risk in buying it from a reputable auction house. It's also not a watch for which I'd expect to see fakes. Auction houses do often sell items as is and aren't very forthcoming on how it runs or its service history.

As for buying a watch of its price. I think it just depends on how you feel about the watch. If you've taken your time, done your research and decided this is a watch you want on your wrist, then find the right buying option for you and get it. I have two watches that cost a few thousand. They're watches I decided I had to have, so I got them and I don't ever see selling them -- a Tudor Black Bay red and Omega Speedmaster Pro. But there are many, many more watches in that range I like but don't buy because it's a lot to spend on something you don't need.

Something for you to consider before buying a Frank Muller... if value retention is high on your list, you better be careful. Frank Muller was hot as all get out a decade ago, but like so many boutique brands, the flavor is not really palatable any more as they are more trendy than timeless. Brands like Panerai, ullysys Narden, Frank Muller and others are really suffering in those terms... value retention and resale interest. There is a reason that you can score a smoking deal on a 10,000$ watch for 3500$... it's because no one really wants them.

While watches are not investment vehicles, they also are not consumables... so when one spend thousands or tens of thousands on a piece, they expect some monies back when they decide to move on.

Just food for thought... because in the end, you're the one wearing the piece.

Faking auto-spell check

I knew there had to be a thread like this on here!

I was flipping through this thread and skipping 20-50 pages at a time and ran into one of my same watches twice! It was a Zeppelin and my first automatic movement. I wanted something with a power reserve and have been really happy with it.



I think my next purchase years ago was this Bulova. I have a rose gold wedding ring and wanted a watch to match. I've also always loved watches that dress up more than the average dive/pilot watch. It's a quartz movement, but I still love the look.



And my most expensive piece is a Day Date I inherited from my grandfather. I received it a little banged up (missing lume, damaged crystal) and had it sent off to Rolex for servicing. They dated it at about 1979.




They said I could change the color of the dials if I wanted. I wasn't a huge fan of the 'old man' gold on gold on champagne so I went with a blue face and it really struck me. I would've never bought this for myself, but having sentimental value and being able to create a unique piece really made me happy.



I also have a leather strap I can throw on it to make it even more subtle.

And for a little watch porn, my grail...

Must have been my Zeppelin you saw! Cool that you have your grandfather’s Rolex.

Marshman, you have good taste... Lange is many of ours trail.
That refurbished Rolie looks good to.

Up

Some of the ETA movements can command a premium. I would pay up for that COSC-certified 2824-2 from Breitling, but they are doing really high quality control to get top spec individual components for that movement. I'm not sure what FM is doing other than a platinum rotor on the non-crazy hours. That said, $2k is a good price. I mean, the market basically says so. It's just a matter of if you feel the whole is worth the premium paid over the sum of the parts when you start going north of $3k-4k on the FMs. The answer might be yes for you and no for other people. There are some pieces similar in style to the FMs that can be had for significantly less.

The real question is how much would you pay for a camo titanium G-Shock with sapphire? (MSRP: $1,600)

650-700... no more

Looking to get my first Submariner this year hopefully..

So the question is to get a new/used Submariner now?

Or wait 6-12~ months for the new rumoured 2020 Submariner to be debuted in a few months at Baselworld, which I guess would go retail summer/fall this year?

F*** my moon fell off

^WTF!

jesus... that's just not good. I dont think I have ever seen that in a timepiece of Vacherons legacy.

were you doing something aggressive or shocking when this happened? It's a Vacheron, not a Rolex.

what the next step?

there is an argument for either move. if you wait, could be 12-24 months, pricing might come down on the current 114060 (I would assume the new model with be a 124060)... but what are you planning on getting in the new model... additional power reserve more than likely.

the current 114060 is a magnificent model that has a bullet proof movement and tried and true quality. For me, I am counting on getting a 114060 instead of waiting for a NEW model... I can always get that later if I want.

I don’t think so! I broke up a fight in a club on Saturday night but it was fine after and it didn’t get hit or anything. I left it on my nightstand until work on Monday and I noticed it at my desk. It’s gone back to VC to get fixed, it’s under warranty so hopefully won’t be too bad.

Not going to blame the watch but I can’t think when I knocked it that hard. The rest of the mechanism was fine so it can’t have been knocked that hard. (Unless they find something inside)

Wearing my Zenith while it’s away, it fees so big and chunky, I hope it comes back soon.

I’m very lucky that Vacheron have a store 5 minutes from my office.

Id be interested in knowing how long it will eventually take to get back to you... keep us updated.

Got it back, was fixed in store presumably and it’s good as new. No charge.