Luxury Watches 'In The Wild' - LA PuristS Discussion

Dr No · 2013-12-08T09:56:01Z

Explore the rarity of spotting luxury watches 'in the wild' and community insights from a PuristS gathering in Los Angeles.

Dr No

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

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Dr No initiates a fascinating discussion on spotting luxury watches 'in the wild' following a PuristS gathering in Los Angeles. This article explores the rarity of encountering high-end timepieces outside collector circles and prompts reflection on market dynamics and regional watch preferences.

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. . . watches with each other. There were more than a few special pieces present: UN tourbillon, McGonigle Tuscar, Patek 3970J, G O Sixties Square, FPJ, GS, et al. While driving home, I tried to mentally list all the comparable watches seen 'in the wild' over the last few years, excluding the ubiquitous manufacturers like Rolex and Breitling.

Here's the score:

Lange=1 (seen on the wrist of a fellow coffee-drinker at Starbucks, and yes, we had a long conversation!)

Panerai=1 (seen on the wrist of a woman sitting in front of me at the Department of Motor Vehicles last year)

AP=4 (all ROO, two at a local casino, two at my favorite nightclub)

No Omegas. No Hublots. No Vacherons. No Cartiers. Certainly, no Glashüttes.

No nada.

This got me thinking:

Why?

Bemused,

Art

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2013-12-09 20:20:03

Key Points from the Discussion

The LA PuristS dinner at Lawry's in Beverly Hills hosted 17 members, featuring a selection of fine wines and a festive atmosphere with holiday carolers.
The visibility of high-end watches varies significantly by location and timing; in Japan (c.2000-2006), luxury watches were common on weekends, with specific brands popular among men and women, especially in areas like Ginza.
Modern horology's high prices have largely excluded the general population from ownership, making sightings of high-end watches rare, even vintage pieces have seen substantial price increases.
Personal sightings of luxury watches 'in the wild' are rare, with more frequent encounters occurring at work or during international travel, where watches like Richard Mille, Breguet, and Patek Nautilus have been spotted.
The author expresses astonishment at the high proportion of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore sightings compared to other brands, questioning if it's mere chance or another underlying factor.
The LA PuristS gathering featured a 30-year-old Port, carefully selected and enjoyed by attendees.

The Discussion

MichaelC

Dec 8, 2013

Interesting information Art.

Guess it depends on where you are at. I do not frequently see many fine timepieces out and about in the Denver area.

Dr No

Dec 8, 2013

In a literal sense, yes, it depends on the place - after all, one wouldn't . . .

. . . expect to see Pateks on every wrist in Brownsville! But I'm still astonished that two thirds of recent sightings in the wild were AP's . . . is it just chance, or is there another factor at play here? Art

AnthonyTsai

Dec 9, 2013

Here are the photos I took from our LA Year End PuristS Dinner at Lawry's

Dinner was at Lawry's in Beverly Hills. We had a table in the Wine Cellar room for our party of 17 PuristS. Holiday carolers walked around the restaurant serenading songs that each table requests, so it was very fitting for the holiday spirit. First course was a salad which was surprisingly extremely good. The salad dressing and croutons were great. At my end of the table, it seemed as if most of the wine drinkers were there and we had 3 bottles to share with each other - a 2007 Pine Ridge Petit

ocwatching

Dec 11, 2013

for the 2nd year in a row!

missed this GTG due to another kids related conflict.. looks like a great time as always.. hopefully next year and Happy Holidays to all PuristS worldwide...

mrsnak

Dec 11, 2013

The bottle at the other end of the table...

...was a wonder 30-year-old Port, selected carefully by the Purist who brought it. Needless to say, those of us down here at the other end benefited very nicely :-) (Thanks Michael)

patrick_y

Dec 11, 2013

An enjoyable evening with a great group!

It was great to see everyone! Not only did we have watch enthusiasts but we also had other interesting individuals with different but still artistic perspectives. A great and strong community. Thanks to all on PuristsPro!

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Luxury Watches 'In The Wild' - LA PuristS Discussion

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