Quotable quotes $1000

Nov 17, 2017,08:51 AM
 

As Thanksgiving is quickly drawing upon us, let’s think deeply (or shallow) with my two all-time favorite American writers. What’s the best part of the holidays? The alcohol….um, I mean family. Francis & Papa understand me.

Advance thanks to those PuristS for letting me “borrow” your pics.


(1) “Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

That watch in your box that stands out now for the wrong reasons. You wear it once a year on a Sunday when you’re feeling sentimental and convince yourself it wasn’t a mistake to waste $xxxx on it.

Me at about 26: a fool who bought a Bedat rectangle watch when I should have bought the genuine original —> JLC Reverso. The Bedat is now my wife’s and even she doesn’t wear it.

Robin’s pic of his brilliant blue Rio de Janeiro Reverso







(2) “How did you go bankrupt?"
Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

This damn watch hobby.

The Vlad Archduke, Amanico, posting his vintage watches that I want for myself.
Nico’s sublime Rolex 6542






(3) “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Wild Years

Are you skeptical of how often someone is called a master watchmaker/maitre horologer in these last years? It’s like “Editors” are 3/4 of the staff at a watch blog that wants to be taken seriously.

I like my master watchmaker and editors to be white-haired and/or bald, comes into the office dishevelled wearing the same outfit 4 out of 5 days, has zero pictures of him at any social events floating on the internet — and it’ll f***ing stay that way buddy boy, and will absolutely end slick-haired Charlie, who used to be his apprentice and is now just a weasel, if Charlie makes that g*dd**n mistake one more time.

MScott’s picture of the master Philippe Dufour






(4) “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
― Ernest Hemingway

I can only imagine that in the mind of this Frenchman below, this Hemingway thought is interpreted quite differently. Credit to Horogasm for this idea.

picture of the Invenit & Fecit man himself





(5) “She’s got an indiscreet voice,” I remarked. “It’s full of–” I hesitated.
“Her voice is full of money,” he said suddenly.
That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money–that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

When you walk into a watch boutique with a rich friend and your friend gets the fawning back-slapping salesperson while you get the other one with the constipated face.

And how many times has any type of salesperson looked at your shoes? I wear running sneakers frequently and it’d be funny to know what they presume about me.





(6) “No, that is the great fallacy: the wisdom of old men. They do not grow wise. They grow careful.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Phillips Bacs & Russo auction catalogue



Here’s the great truth: Rolex & Patek Philippe are the blue bloods. Certain wealthy guys only buy the blue bloods. Rolex & PP have been safe to buy (and sell) over decades now, more than anything else. It’s the careful choice. It’s just what is done. Like adding a roman numeral for the son’s name. Who else knows this, but of course, other older wealthy guys - Dealers & Auction departments - and those filthy aspirational poors.

And you think Richard Mille has entree into the high-society ball? Sorry champ, RM is the mistress in the downtown apartment you go see when the Missus is on a European shopping trip. That downtown apartment has skeletons. You just hope Miss RM won’t lose excitement like Miss Franck Muller did 15 years ago. Oh my, Miss FM, you fondly remember those crazy hours in Miami, a cigar never tasted so good afterwards; but towards the end there were too many histrionics, she had become the master of complication and you wanted a simpler seduction.

Audemars Piguet? That’s uncle Christopher, who wants to be called Topher nowadays, and his wife Morgan and they dress like they’re still 25 and go to the same nightclubs every weekend. They smoke pot too. You stay in touch but it’s not your scene anymore.

Vacheron Constantin? That’s old aunt Beatrice who’s been a widow since the war and still lives up in the far, far north. Everyone you know with a pulse stopped going up there but she won’t move. Lately, aunt Bea has had the company of a young dinky hipster fellow. The May-December affair befuddles you because aunt Bea has always been such a prude. The little chap does blogging which you think is definitely along the lines of grifting or probably he’s a seaman.

A. Lange & Sohne? Oh yes, old family friends of dad’s or was it grandpapa’s? Can’t remember, it’s been so long. They once had as much money as your family but then they lost it and somehow now they’ve come back into wealth again. But they live too far east to be in your inner social circle.

Breguet? The neighbors down the street. Perfectly nice & staid old money people in the ornate mansion. Interesting landscaping though, every bush and shrub has a neat coin-edge trim. Not for you but pleasant to look at.

The high-end independents? That’s offbeat Richard, called Dickie-boy when you were kids, who moved to California years ago and started investing in tech companies. Dickie is really passionate about tech. Always been a bit too eager to beat his own drums. He’ll talk your ears off. You nod along but it escapes you what he’s worked up about. “Disruption?” “Machine learning?” “The Cloud?” Good heavens, it’s all so tiring to talk to Dickie. He just doesn’t have the decency to talk about golf, yachts, and real estate.

There’s the Thanksgiving watch family, who are you sitting next to?


(7) “Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The Swiss mindset since the birth of their watch industry.

MTF’s 2017 GPHG winners pic






(8) “I’m a slave to my emotions, to my likes, to my hatred of boredom, to most of my desires.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

What every marketer at every watch manufacturer knows too well about us…

The now classic Patek Philippe modern ad campaign.






(9) “Nothing is as obnoxious as other people's luck.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald

When a guy you know reveals in a post that he’s gotten the same watch ref that you already have.
You introduced him to this reference.
His is in great condition, probably NOS.
Much better than yours.
And his is a complete set.
Bought for less than you paid for yours.

So your terse reply is “Congarts bro”
(Hell no, you’re not fixing that misspelling.)
And he ain’t getting the smiley emoji.

Later it’s all water under the bridge when the GTG rolls around.
alphabeta81’s GTG picture




More posts: DufourFranck Muller

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Comments: view entire thread

 

Again well chosen 👍

 
 By: Alkiro1 : November 17th, 2017-09:06
The first quote is so true. We all have our “watch mistake(s)” 😊 Best wishes Alkiro

Very true. Or maturity and wisdom 😊

 
 By: Alkiro1 : November 17th, 2017-11:01
Best wishes Alkiro

Brilliant, dude.

 
 By: TheMadDruid : November 17th, 2017-10:00
You say you never read?!

Wow, ROASTED turkey anyone?

 
 By: JFT : November 17th, 2017-11:03
Well, just kidding... It's just brilliant!

I’ll take mine with some ham & stuffings... 😋

 
 By: Joepny : November 17th, 2017-16:34
thanks jeviar. 😆

I'm out back with Uncle Topher rolling up a joint...

 
 By: psychotic : November 17th, 2017-17:49
Great post, my friend. A very enjoyable 5 minutes reading (especially when I'm procrastinating from doing actual work!) Happy (American) Thanksgiving! Alfred (the crazy Canuck who had Thanksgiving back in October)

Well hello Vancouver, glad you could join the party 🍾🎉🎉

 
 By: Joepny : November 17th, 2017-19:52
Brownies on the kitchen island. 🤪😎 Cheers Alfred! -joe

Hahaha that’s the most poignant (and best) post

 
 By: Julian C : November 17th, 2017-23:17
I’ve read in a long, long time! Thank you for the inspiration to actually put down what many of us just think in those whimsical moments we all have. Bravo, bravo (and brave at the same time!). Julian

Hehe...thanks Julian. 🙏. the moderators tolerate me. 🤨

 
 By: Joepny : November 18th, 2017-06:45
or it’s too long for anyone to bother to read thru...😅 all the best, joe

there is a profound message in here!!!

 
 By: Hororgasm : November 18th, 2017-06:52
initially, i thought was a wristshot of a JLC, only to discover a delightful article with humour and self deprecation. thanks for the honorable mention! best, Horo

thanks Horo! 🙏

 
 By: Joepny : November 18th, 2017-08:52
very kind of you, I am not as clever as I pretend to be...🧐🤓😃 HAGWE -joe

So clever and ejoyable

 
 By: emcquillan : November 18th, 2017-18:31
Thank you for the great read and a nice chuckle. From your canuck neighbour (with an "o"), who celebrates Thanksgiving in October before it gets too cold and so we have enough time before Christmas to lose those extra 5 lbs we gained feasting in October..... 

haha...welcome another canadian friend

 
 By: Joepny : November 18th, 2017-20:05
I see you are a man of finer tastes in Lange so the top shelf liquor is down the hall on the left. Avoid the brownies, the rowdier Canucks have laid their paws all over them. 🤣 Now I’m going to have to make room for Habs friends who do not call themselves... 

Although I went to McGill in Montreal

 
 By: emcquillan : November 18th, 2017-20:32
I LOVE that the Leafs beat the Habs 6-0 tonight. We hate each other for about 3 hours and then are friends again.... until the next game.

👏👏👏let’s toast to that

 
 By: Joepny : November 19th, 2017-06:37
...  

Hahaha [nt]

 
 By: emcquillan : November 19th, 2017-07:56

Here's a quote for you Nico.

 
 By: Joepny : November 19th, 2017-14:55
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” My favorite novella by Hemingway. It had a big impact on me when I first got a passport and ... 

Brilliant post Joe!

 
 By: Tim Jackson : November 20th, 2017-11:50
thoroughly enjoyed this read. Keep up the good work, and have a lovely Thanksgiving. Cheers, Tim

thanks Tim! 🙏

 
 By: Joepny : November 20th, 2017-15:00
All the best to you too for Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble🍗🍗🍗