Horological Meandering

The VC after sales service managed to ruin my love for the brand.
Most collectors buy a watch, I buy a brand!

I attribute it to Richemont.

And I picked it on... The city on the background... 

I remember those style pictures. There used to be a guy on vintage Rolex forums that always posted with a map background. He’s still around, but I don’t frequent that forum any more.

I’m thinking of an NYC guy. I’ll figure it out. He was super helpful when I was looking for something back then.

15400 Royal Oak 41mm

…and a great one to still have !

these were the only two wristshots I found on my phone

And both generations. Coincidence, selection bias, or does that say something about the watch.
On that latter point, it is definitely one of those aspirational watches for collectors. I wonder if that means many will own it, because they must, but ultimately move it on.
You are an exception to this of course, as you just upgraded to an even better Dato !

the original Dato is an icon and aspirational as you say but it just isn't for everyone. For me (simple person that I am) it ended up just feeling a tad too small especially after I bought the Double Split. The Datograph Perpetual hits the sweet spot for me at 41mm.
Best
Andreas

But that was the year this old GP Gyromatic came to me.



And this Baume et Mercier Copeland World Timer got a lot of wrist time.




I stumbled on this Concord Saratoga 20th Anno. Dual -Time Chronograph, with a La Joux Perret movement modified to provide column-wheel actuation of the 7750 base.






And I think my Ebel Tekton spent a lot of time on the wrist that year, too.




That’s four among dozens The Santos, El Primero, and many others enjoyed their share, too.

—Rick

It’s an eclectic mix, I don’t think I’d seen either the GP or that Ebel before.

I’m better about buying than selling in general, but wouldn’t be tempted to move these along even if I was more of a trader.

—Rick

Great selection of watches.

…I had a real issue with market value versus intrinsic value. Even when I bought it, at retail which was about 2.5x the price of a Rolex Sub at the time, it was overpriced for what it was. Several years later that disconnect was even greater and it made no sense.
There was also the problem of wearability by then. I used to travel with it all the time, that and my CB as both are super versatile watches. But even a stray dog on the street knew “that’s a Nautilus”, and so it was a risk.
It paid for my Lange Pour le Merite among others.

…as I mentioned my Journe CB in the answer it too saw a somewhat similar disconnect and increase in general recognizability. But I didn’t sell it.
Why? Because even at the same/similar retail prices (which was true in the early 2010s) and at similar market values towards the end of the decade the Journe just didn’t have the same level of disconnect.

which for me is ultimately easier to just say to myself “I sincerely like having and wearing XYZ watch too much to let it go.” And for the CB, it is truly a special and beautiful a piece to let go.

So you have a relatively young watch story. I feel like getting into this space in the last decade one was both blessed with the availability of information but cursed with the focus on market values and the increasing difficulty to just buy what you want when you want.

I was just hearing this on the radio about 2016 becoming viral....The 2 major events that year were Brexit and Trump.