Horological Meandering

AP is more embraced or worshiped as more higher end brand, but the target is different for AP and Hublot and Hublot is closer to the mass market, also in terms of price point.

As for why I am not so fond of PAM.  It is just too big.  40 or 42mm is sometimes okay for my weekend wear, but I was told the real PAM is upper than 44mm and I can't follow.  I do not like to flash watches I wear and those who do on business are, IMHO, laughable.  I am not a big fan of watch flasher, either.  I go to office of a conservative company and there is no day of the week I can wear PAM.  My shirts are custom made so that the watch does not appear beyond the sleeve even when I raise my hand, at the same time it fits nicely with the also custom made suits.  No one sees or asks what watch I wear and it is very comfortable.  I do not want to be asked and explain what watch I wear and people suspect or wonder why this guy can afford such expensive watches and the boss or customers might get upset.  Also my watches are all white metal - also important factor for conservativeness which do not draw attention.  On weekend, I can wear AP Diver and that is the upper limit.

Different lifestyle and taste.  Not which is good or bad.

Ken

..because i dont wear french cuffs and my shirts are not custom made. I dont intentionally wear them exposed from my cuffs, just that i dont like my cuffs to be too loose, i like them closely wrapping my wrists but comfortable. The only watch which can hide under them is the 36mm Exp. Most of the time the watches get exposed. Here my watches dont get noticed cos my friends already know i like them. They will only ask if i have a new one. Most of them also like watches. I dont show purposely show off cos there is no need to. I wear them relaxed and dont care whether people look at them or not as long as i feel good wearing them. Hey btw, PAM does have 40mm watches Radiomir maybe 45mm, but its fllat enuff to maybe get tucked underneath the shirt but with the leather strap combined, no, i think u may need to further custom make your shirts and suits...

...because there are many who shows watches beyond sleeve in here, too.
I have tried 048 - 40mm PAM, but didn't like it...  So, I DID try

I guess I am just a conservative chicken when it comes to what watch to wear

We have each preference and taste and that is what makes this hobby more interesting.

Ken

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and a lot of highly interesting information I did not know previously. Thank you!

Best,

Filip

I can actually understand the allure of PamRooBang actually. Used to buy quite a few of them. Beyond collecting the latest and newest...there is also value retention and the relative liquidity of PamRooBangs, and the scalabilityof these I.e....moving up the "value" chain from say a pam 292 to 335 or a Black theme to a bubblebee to a grand prix.ditto fr RM. Do you see Japanese collectors adopt the same scalability in collecting?

Best,

Horo

The today's high-end lover/collectors seem to have entered this world from "inside".  Some I asked or have met mentioned that they started having interest in watches from the internet or books or magazines.  Then they started studying more to details - history of the brand, what is the movement and who designed it, when, where, and such, for example.  Then they start collecting.  Sure, they start off from the relatively affordable ones, but they do have in mind what they want from this hobby.  So, "going up the value chain" may not be the right word.  Of course, some people enter the same way, but some are rich already and climb up the ladder quickly, but both types know what they want or expect from the watches and are happy with what they have within their means.  Did I answer your question?

Ken

It seems quite universal approach. Most of the collectors start off with affordable brands eg, Zenith and/or models of a brand, eg IWC spitfire to Big pilot and then "scale" up, either in complications eg modular chrono to QP or gravitate to one of the Big 3 - PP, VC or AP.

Thks fr sharing your thoughts.

Best,

Horo

Classical watches do well but avant garde ones like Urwerk and MB&F much less so. Large watches like the Offshore sell less well than in other markets.

At the mass market level, limited editions are created to eke out growth in a large and saturated market, especially at the sub-USD10,000 price point. Remember this was once the largest watch market in the world (and for all luxury goods) so everyone who wants anything probably has something already. Hence the need for differentiated limited editions.

- SJX

But what about the younger generation, who hasn't even bought the "regular stuff"?? Have they jumped straight to ltd editions?

Also a friend of mine who is in luxury trade also opine that the japanese market, despite market saturation, then to buy the bigger and more expensive, if not higher dollar value stuff, whilst the chinese, emerging markets largest purchasers, then to go for lower dollar value items, but in quantity?

Best,

Horo

examples:

In 1998 IWC produced an edition of  their classic Mark 12 pilot watch in a platinum case, approximately 500 examples.  Most of these
 watches featured a blue (rather than black) dial, however within this edition they created for Japan distribution a subset of 80 pieces
 (numbered 300-399, not including any numbers which would have included a "4") with a very special dial.

Like the regular Mark 12 at that that time the movement was an excellent JLC 889/2, but the special series for Japan had a Spitfire-style
 dial, matted like a proper military watch, with historic-style hands, numerals and legend, and without date:





Another creation especially for Japan is this JLC Duo II.  Using the then-large GT case, this watch features a unique combination of
 colors; the primary face is salmon, with silver hands, while the GMT face is charcoal with pink hands.  Also, the carrier is of mixed
 metals, being white gold on one side and pink gold on the other!  This results in a truly striking dress watch:

is an amazing piece. Never heard of it before.

Thanks

Andreas

IWC with full numerals, nice outstanding crown, and a bit of Speake Marin Picadilly hour hands. Excellent choice to use platinum giving a nice weigth to the smaller diameter Mark series. And the JLC Reverso salmon dial looks very tasty and exclusive. Like a Champagne / Salmon dial Rolex. Thx for sharing both very nice editions, imo
This message has been edited by KCKL on 2011-03-19 18:15:49 This message has been edited by KCKL on 2011-03-19 18:24:32

Your collection and photos have been my inspiration for a long time...  Very nice indeed!
Thank you.

Ken

special edition Reverso really is outstanding! You've got two completely different watches on a single strap . Both sides look excellent.

Cheers,

Filip

The Credor Sonnerie.

Why ? Because it is a pure Japanese watch, inspired by the Japanese culture with a beautiful horological work which shows all the skills from Micro Artist Studio.

This watch doesn't strike like a swiss watch, it strikes like Japanese bells...

The constant work of the second hand brings a quiet atmosphere: you feel harmony when you wear and hear this watch.

A true beauty.





Fr.Xavier

This message has been edited by foversta on 2011-03-19 15:35:02

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as i recall that was a japan only piece?