Jay (Eire)
9172
I think your two choices here are superb, I'm a closet Centigraphe Sport fan myself!
Aug 18, 2018,10:51 AM
And the Freak, I have no words, just a great piece.
I don't know however if I support the view of ditching the popular pieces. I totally understand what you are saying, Nautilus, RO and every sports Rolex are (in certain circles) very common. This is true, no doubt. And it was in part a factor on my move towards the Independents also (Journe, and recently Urwerk) 5 or 6 years ago. However I never thought of selling my Nautilus, or any of the Rolex references in my collection. In fact maybe 2 years ago I bought my first new Rolex (a Hulk) in more than 15 years. And I wear it all the time.
Modern Rolex is somewhat under appreciated it seems in certain circles of the collector world. These are superbly engineered watches, built to be bomb proof, reliable and carry an unmistakable design language which is close on perfect (even allowing for the cyclops!). I'm not sure the same applies to the Nautilus, especially if weighted by price, but the 5711, like the Royal Oak 15202, is also an icon. Both important markers in the modern history of mechanical watchmaking, and like the Submariner both have designs which have stood the test of time.
The distinction I make personally when thinking about these watches is that the reference truest to the original, the purest in design usually, is the one to have in the collection and the one which despite its "commonness" maintains enough allure to want to have it.