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Grail watch: Does yours more or less stay the same, or does it continually change/ evolve?

4K views 40 replies 36 participants last post by  cmac06 
#1 ·
Okay, the reason I ask this is beacuse I thought that I'd finally settled on my preferred watch aesthetic (classic styling, modest dimensions: think ALS 1815 Auf/ Ab, VC Patrimony Small Seconds, etc). And then BAM!, along comes this newcomer from way out of left field, and all my preconceived notions of what I considered desirable/ lust-worthy leap right out the window! Am I in a small minority here? Or are others equally as easily swayed in their tastes and preferences?

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#2 ·
Sadly, evolve. My personal taste tend to be affected by trends around me (and horological study)

I was all about Lange (2011), switch to Panerai (2013) and currently revering Overseas as a grail. For some point of time this year, I almost trying to get my hand in Mille (or at least CVSTOS) thankfully sanity prevails.

I hope my personal taste would finally matured and stay where it is, though
 
#3 ·
Socrates, I've been the exact opposite of you.

The Mille appealed a few years ago, and it is still an exceptional watch, but not really my aesthetic anymore. I was at one time (early on) convinced that my collection would be perfect with a Hublot Ice Bang as the crowning achievement, and would wonderfully compliment a Breitling for Bentley monstrosity and a Panerai Luminor in the largest size possible (think Stallone or Arnie).

Now, I recently sold my Rolex DSSD, and everything in my collection is under 40mm. I used to think a watch was better or worse based on its number of subdials or gaudy features, now I prefer 3 handers... or 2 handers if possible. My daily wear pieces switch between an AP Jubilee Jumbo 14802, a JLC Geophysic 1958, and a few others of the like, and my next big purchase will either be a FPJ Chrono Bleu or a Patek 5124G with a nice blue dial. Five years ago, I would have said all of these pieces were boring, and now I look back in disgust at some of my early watch purchases. That said, it took every one of them to get me to where I am today.

Tastes most certainly do change, but I think I've found my sweet spot, and I'm hoping that since the collection I'm building is IMO made up of mainly classics, that I can be happy with it in the long run. I just hope I don't have anything come out of left field on me.
 
#4 ·
No, you are not alone, I have a 'selection' of grail watches that seem to rotate. Some stay, some go, some come back after a while. Some choices have evolved as my knowledge of movements and finishing techniques has grown, others stay purely on their aesthetic merits. I have taken the time to try on almost every watch I am vaguely interested in (and some not, just for kicks) and taken pictures. I find this helps because I believe that particular pieces will just work or generally look and feel right when worn, this helps narrow choices down. For me, regardless of how classically designed and technically impressive a Lange Double Split is, after trying it on, it will always look over-sized and ostentatious on my wrist.
I have also subscribed to Jorge's 3-4 (6?) watch theory so I tend to think in terms of variety, what I would really like to own and what I would actually wear. There doesn't seem to be much point in buying two watches that have similar appealing traits because I would end up only wearing one of them.
Lately my thinking is that, unless you are a serious watch collector, most purchases are for a 'tool' watch of sorts. With a few exceptions, the practicalities of owning any watch older than 20 years don't seem too appealing. The servicing costs will increase, tastes change as will the technology that is used to create various designs (some of the details on todays vintage styled watch cases simply couldn't be made 20 years ago). There may be some 36mm, yellow gold watches with beautifully finished movements that are collectible but I doubt many watch enthusiasts would actually wear them. I certainly don't see many wrist shots being posted. I guess the question I ask myself is: Will I wear this for 20 years or more and if not, do I want to spend that much on it?
How 'grail' is a 'grail' really?
On another note, I did notice that new RM and thought it looked pretty interesting as I find them a bit thick in general. The dial is certainly interesting, not completely to my taste but would be interested to see what other pieces they make in that line.
 
#5 ·
Never really had a "Grail" lots of watches I have liked over the years, most of which I have bought.

Never really thought I would be able to wear a mega expensive watch in every day life without worrying about damaging or losing it.

That said would probably give up an internal organ for a Panerai Bronzo ;))
 
#6 ·
There are many watches that I aspire to own at some point, and the short list has remained relatively stable over the last few years (a blue-dial AP 15400, a white-dial GO Observer, a BP Fifty Fathoms, an IWC Big Pilot, a champagne-dial JLC MUT Moon or GO Panomaticlunar, a Rolex BLNR) and I figure that, given enough time and discipline, I might be able to eventually acquire all of them.

My true grail is so far out of my current financial reach that it remains largely irrelevant, yet it hasn't changed over many years: a Lange Datograph Up-Down, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
 
#9 ·
My Grail watch changes once every 3-6 months.
First was Lange 1, then VC Overseas Chronograph, then VC Patrimony Small Second.
Now that I am ready to make my big purchase, I have lost my interest in all of these.
I am now eyeing a Patek instead. I was never a fan of Patek, but still, I guess all road lead to Patek.
 
#10 ·
I've been lucky in the sense that my grails have remained grails until I own them, then they just fit right in. And of course, then I discover a new grail. When I got my AP Jumbo, my first thought was "Oh my God, I'm free now. I can stop."

Two weeks later I started looking at what would be next. That seems to be the trend - acquire a 'grail' piece, have a two week honeymoon where I am totally satisfied, and then start planning for the next move.

What a sickness.
 
#11 ·
I've never really had one "grail" watch, just lots of watches I've been really interested in. As I've learned more, my tastes have changed a little, but not radically, possibly because I still like a variety of different styles and functions. The only thing that's been consistent is that my "maximum price I'd be willing to spend" for a watch philosophy has crept up alarmingly. :think:
 
#12 ·
Pretty consistent overall. Listed below have been on the list all around the same time.

UN MMD - for 10 years and just got it. Yay!!

AP ROO or of their RO line in some flavor, emphasis on the ROO though......a ways off.

That's it for long term Grails.

Ones that came up in the last few years would be a Zeitwerk and some sort of PP.

Really current would be a FF. Really wish they made the thing in ceramic....


Der ya goes ☺

Sent On The Fly
 
#14 ·
For the sake of being more accurate, perhaps I should have posted 'broadened tastes' instead of 'evolved/ changed tastes'. Reason being that whilst my positive and favourable reaction to the the Richard Mille Ultra-Flat (IMHO his most conservative model to date, which still is a bit like saying 'the most conservative Lamborghini'! ) came as a complete surprise to me, it didn't in the least bit decrease my liking for and appreciation of conservatively styled, modestly dimensioned models from the likes of JLC, ALS, GO, et al. I'd like to think that with all the browsing/ reading/ increased knowledge and awareness I've acquired over the year and a half I've been on the watch forums/ sites have enabled me to appreciate far wider and more diverse styles than my natural inclination and original preferences might have confined me to.
 
#15 · (Edited)
My grail hasn't changed for the past 18 months, which means that it will likely stay that way until I pluck up the courage to spend the money on it. My opinion is that the grail should be something relatively out of reach, not just the the next watch that you really must have. I find that if I'm still thinking about a watch after a year then it is the one for me. I prefer to look at watches over the space of a year or so, that way I buy something that I genuinely like and not just the flavour of the month.

The designs that I like haven't changed either over the past 11 years since I started the watch thing and I doubt my tastes will change any time soon.

This thread has a distinct lack of photos, so here's one of my grail:
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#16 ·
Agreed, definitely some more photos needed!
These 2 'grails' I am trying to decide between:
A Breguet 7337 - I'm a big fan of Breguet's guilloche dial design this one is stunning in the metal. The design is fairly unique and probably not to everyone's taste but appeals to me.

VC Traditionnelle Small Seconds Boutique - Another guilloche dial, a more conservative design but beautifully executed details. Different approaches but both very nice and hard to decide between

And of course at some point I need a manual wind Chronograph with eye-candy movement, either this:

Or this:

Apparently the guideline is: the amount of gold in your watch should match the ratio of grey hair. At some point I might qualify for one of these:
 
#18 ·
My inputs:

1) Instant love and shortly fade of that love do not make a grail watch. A grail watch must hold your love longer than a certain length of time. Therefore, everybody's grail watch don't change too often or the question should be: do you get bored with watch easily? That is a NO for me.

2) Technically speaking, Grail implies unattainable and thus a grail watch changes to a beloved one right when the purchase of it is done. It is no easy and takes certain qualities for it to maintain "beloved" status - what matter the most IMO are "aesthetically durability", wearing comfort and how all round it is to your life. My list -
1. Tissot Le Locle - in my closet, still loved for emotion reason.
2. Tag Aqua Racer - out, not loved as my taste went to upper levels.
3. IWC 7 day auto - out to my brother as a gift, still loved VERY MUCH.
4. Blancpain Villeret Moon phase and complete Calendar - in rotation, loved. Its blue serves super GREAT when matched to correct attire.
5. Tudor Black Bay - in rotation, loved though very little part of me is thinking I'd have a "higher end" diver. Superficial I know.
6. Breguet Classic Chronograph - in rotation, loved very much - simply not replaceable.

All of things above were not impulse buys, that being said, they were grails by definition.
 
#20 ·
I think the term "grail" is too often used. How often has the holy grail been found? In here, you'd think every other day. A grail is, to me, something to hope for but only get 1 chance in 10 lifetimes at getting.

Only 2:

The Henry Graves Patek Grand Complication

The newly unveiled Vacheron Gran Complication

Everything else is just noise between my current situation and having both of them. At once.
 
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#23 ·
I don't have a "grail watch" that I'm explicitly trying to obtain. I identify traits I hope to capture in one or several watches. I then seek to buy the one(s) that qualify. I don't often see the point of defining targets that are "super set in stone." Doing so, IMO, greatly boosts the odds of my being disappointed (for whatever reason) when it becomes clear I won't achieve the sought after end. I find the approach I use makes it very easy to "move on." No whining and pining over what might have been.

All the best.
 
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#28 ·
I identify traits I hope to capture in one or several watches. I then seek to buy the one(s) that qualify.
It makes a lot of senses on paper but normally works the other way around in the real world. Many people, including so called WISes decide to love certain watches without prior knowledge of the desired "traits" or the qualities. Some timepieces just "invent" the traits or qualities to capture. That's close to what this thread calls the grail watch.

Tony, you seem having been making all the informed and educated love/purchase decisions but did you ever been like the way said above?
 
#27 ·
Wow that Datograph is gorgeous.
Having bought 3 grail watches recently (I didn't realize they were that until I discovered the forums), I'm not convinced of the concept. Now that I've acquired them I want more... perhaps then I don't really know what a grail watch feels like because I'm still a noob.
 
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