Horological Meandering

Dear Anthony, et al,

I was unsure about the best way to ask this question and was going to PM you, but if I have some uncertainty about this issue then my fellow Forum members may be unsure as well, so I will raise the question openly here.

I noted that you recently locked a Panerai thread on straps because a specific aftermarket brand was mentioned.

 

While we happily discuss and dissect the minutia of specific watch brands, why can’t we talk about brands of winders, watch boxes, straps, polishing cloths, screwdrivers, etc., etc.?

 

Just as I like to read about Purists experiences with specific watches, I find personal comments about these ‘non-core’ products very helpful in my purchasing decisions as well. If I wanted to buy a watch winder, for example, I would search for posts that provided information about the different winders on the market.

 

Like the rest of you, I imagine, I also enjoy discovering new products. It doesn’t help me if someone writes about a fantastic strap removing tool that eliminates any chance of scratching the lugs, but can’t tell me the name of the company that makes it.

 

This is different from providing direct links to other websites.

 

I am just a bit unclear about where the line in the sand is.

 

Can you give us any guidance to help future discussion?

 

Kind regards

 

Andrew

From a previous post:

"These are the types of posts I do not want in our Panerai forum because I do not want this forum to turn into a strap forum.

Please read the sticky post at the top:  panerai.watchprosite.com"

Andrew, since you are not familiar with Panerai community and its past, let me give you a very brief rundown of what happened when Thomas used to own Paneristi.com.  There were many strap posts where members would shill for strapmaker's straps and they would get kickbacks of free straps, buckles, etc.  The forum was rampant with strap posts where it became, at least for me, strap overkill.  Aftermarket straps dominated the boards instead of the actual Panerai watches itself.

Since I am the co-moderator of the Panerai forum along with Alec Yin, we've set up the strict guideline of prohibiting the mentioning of strap makers due to what happened in the past.  There are many Panerai forums available today where you can discuss different strap makers, but we do not want that here in our Panerai forum.  PPro's Panerai forum will focus mainly on the watches, not on the plethora of aftermarket straps available today.  That's just the guideline we have, and it won't be changing anytime in the near or distant future due to past history.

Every moderator in all our brand forums has the decision on what type of guideline he wants to enforce in his forum.  For example, Jerome has set a no pricing guideline in the Patek forum.  I support whatever guideline any of our moderator wishes for his brand forum.

Best,
Anthony

I lived these years too, and I noticed the same thing.

When the accessory comes stronger than the principal ( the watch ), the forum is dead, dead of interest, of value ( well, in the good meaning eeeeh! ), so this rule is for me very good.

Best.

Nicolas

Hi Anthony,

 

That’s very helpful.

 

I had recently been expounding my satisfaction around a strap purchase from ABP in Paris on the Omega Forum and then I noticed your locked Panerai thread. I was concerned that I may have broken a rule that I wasn’t aware of. Your history lesson is therefore reassuring.

 

It also wasn’t entirely clear to me before that the different fora can have their own specific turf rules. So all of this discussion has been enlightening and hopefully useful for others.

 

It is apparent, then, that it is OK to mention brands of aftermarket watch-related ephemera and paraphernalia, provided we don’t link directly to web sites and that these types of posts don’t over-run the watch posts?!

 

My thanks,

 

Andrew

 

Ps.  I was always suspicious that there was something different about those Paneristi. The problem is that I am starting to hear the call as well!  J

discussion of watches is Panerai, so you shouldn't feel worried about strap posts with any other brand.  Panerai fans are the only ones crazy about straps

Cheers,
Anthony

Listen very carefully....

S-l-o-w-l-y step away from the strap and place your hands in your pockets.

Feel your wallet gently and walk away......

MTF

Well said, Master MTF

The dark side looms ahead, but the force is strong.

It is HOME you must stay , for this is where you will learn the way