Truth and Watch Collecting Philosophy

Bernard Cheong's 2014 post, "The TRUTH? This passion of pursuit is good for many things," delves into the philosophical underpinnings of watch collecting and personal integrity. He challenges conventional notions of truth, honesty, and the motivations behind collecting, particularly through his unique "collecting by philosophy" approach. This introspective piece sparked a significant community discussion on ethics, transparency, and the nature of online discourse within the watch collecting world.

The "TRUTH" is that some, and on occasion myself, would define truth as "relative to" or "depends on".

Absolute truths? These are few, and found mainly among mathematics and philosophies that have 100% need of mathematics. In medicine, for the last 2 centuries, less than (empirically speaking) 1 % may have been truths.

In this mood, I am sure that truth eludes hobbies and passions.

Just as collecting watches by numbers, or by themes, or by philosophies (that's me), and any parameter is GOOD, it can also be found wanting, and possibly bad. However, that would often be by design and intent.

I guess by now: many will use OPINION as an answer.

I usually did so in the past. Today, I wish to refine that: I will always publish words as my opinion, but I hold on to my opinion as what I personally believe is closest to the truth.

Have I lied in the past? YES.

Will I lie? YES. Not by design, but if cornered. Hold on....I would always try 90% not to lie.

Will I praise and buy a watch which I personally do not like, but do so to endorse it? NO.

This one is because I find collecting by a narrow, strict philosophy, to be good for ALL.

It is good for my friends to know why and what I bought, and it helps me make peace with those who dislike me.

 I have told students that it is GOOD to have enemies, but do not CREATE them.

They exist to validate your opinion and relevance. Creating one is often being evil/mean or just silly.

The older looking man below, 2nd pic, is 6 months YOUNGER than I...and most of my cohort already look like that.

Have I ever been SIGNIFICANTLY branded a criminal? NO.

Have I broken the law? YES. BUT, the truth, never to my own gain. I may be lying, but not by intent.

OK. Enough of 2 cent philosophy.

Here, today, I wish to show you how "collecting by philosophy works for me".

(1) I buy what is a signature work or process that was and will go down historically as MY generation , baby boomers.

(2) It has to be relevant in either building or destroying my lifetime/generation.

(3) It was either discovered or magnified/improved to a factor of 100 or more...that it altered what "days of futures past" extreme limits.

(4) It created whole new industries that did not exist prior to.

(5) It altered the definition of what was "the best". I don't wish to go into the worst, but I did so only once...because the message and content balanced the madness that would have come...the fecal watches from ARTYA.

Now:

Hublot has a lego look in the dial. That's truth....and to me, its cool.

YES. Breitling is to the USA what Rado was to the Swiss.

Looking at this 10 year old, 250 gram of gold beast of a watch...beast in a good way, lok at how well made the entire case and dial and very marker is cut and assembled.

Damned good.

Not intellectual food, but a darn good watch that I wear.

Is it to boast? YES. Why not? It's not meant to sneer or to put down, but to have some irresponsible fun, and to support some big guys.

Hell...although I bought patek and Lange bracelet platinums and golds...they do not bring out the beast.

They are too filled with melancholy and reflective thought...nonetheless, I bought them too.

BUT

a MONTH ago, I stopped by window shopping and saw the BEUBEN & Zorweg's ONE perpetual.

Martin Braun with some good hand work.

Aided with CNC cutters, but if you hold the watch in gold , 99 pcs, and I believe they cant make more, unless the market can accept their prices....you will wish you bought the platinum.

Martin's team have come up with a finish that is unique, thus good and clever to avoid comparisons.

BUT...the finish, to me, is GOOD, because it's clean, precise and SOLID...right down to the most difficult to make solid...the regulator collar!

It is a MASSIVE watch.

Enough to make all the Panerais almost metro masculine!

The thickness...if in platinum, makes you KNOW why you work hard.

It restores you.

There are few B&Z dinners, so you do pay for the watch...and not the dinners that you were not invited.

A platinum power reserve bar!!!!

Now man...that's cool.

Which I did.

It costs about $120,000 USD after less....and I think you can get it for a bit less...but to my surprise, they had only less than 20 left...uncased, un numbered.

VERY expensive!!!

Crazy?

The TRUTH is that I tell all my patients NEVER to live life in moderation. You drink moderately or gamble likewise...but living? NO.

BUY the thing if you love it.

You might.

I was blown away when it was delivered Greubel Forsey style.

SUPERB box, not china made...but german.

Winding machine for handwind watches included with crocodile hide, complete with zoology certificates.

I will write about it when I have it for some months....but NO REGRETS.

You cannot sell this watch in 2015. You will loose money, a lot of it.

BUT...if you have no intent to sell, it tells VOLUMES about you to your decedent's diaries, Pateks cannot...because they are too common...I may be wrong, but at such volumes, and I myself do buy Pateks, the Pateks that are in this price range of $120,000 USD are high in demand, and a wealthy guy who never worked a day will have one...so would a heart surgeon. They are well known, the Pateks, and good with resale.

So they will find homes on BOTH the financially secure and insecure.

BUT speaking of GAINS. The Greubel Forseys fetched $530,000 USD before commission during auctions, a gain of $50,000 or more! This for a watch still made each month...less than 100...all models.

Even after 25 years, there will be less than 2,500 in total of Greubel Forseys made.

Seriously. I feel lucky that I have ALWAYS loved them...and they are every bit as precious as my love for MBF.

Even at ENTRY levels, this rare...I mean really rare white dialed platinum wearing full WG livery, already finds offers above my buying it..brand new.

My only brand new GF.

Until this Friday...when I get a 10 year old restored Vision 30.

The platinum invention 1.

I am a third owner.

Both made money before I paid for mine....that's good to know.

I played with this when it was opus 6...and you can find the post here in the purists.

Did I abandon MBF?

Of course not!!!!

I am saving to rebuild my mbf collection...yes, another box of 8.

Don't even think of envy....I would place myself at the BOTTOM of Greubel Forsey owners. Because I guess I am the ONLY one who had to save to buy one.

This brand will bring back the ghosts of arguments for and against investing.

Never forget, money remains only as paper until used.

Question is: can you get it back?

And do you even need to ask. Well..I do.

Enjoy or hate.

I hope I didn't waste your time.

OH..I forgot.

Perspectives:

Cars.

My $110,000 sgd Toyota estima...13 years now.

Pay $40,000 to renew ownership license.

In Singapore, go to SGcarmart website and you can see what cars cost, for 10 years to own.

A small 6,000 sq foot home to house your dog? Well, it begins at $3,000,000 USD and tops off at $8,000,000 USD for 6000sq feet.

Singapore is beautiful, but expensive. I worry if the passion for other things besides cars/homes fade.

But..that's for 2050.