MY WATCH HISTORY:
I've been a watch collector for 15 years now, when I got my first Seiko diver. (great watch, still have it)
I have a variety of watches now, ranging from humble Casio digitals, some heirloom mechanicals, and the rest firmly in the $1k range.
I had an Omega Seamaster Pro 2254 10 years ago. Liked it and sold it to fund something else.
I had a couple Rolexes before: Explorer I, 36mm and a Datejust with the 3035 movement. (early 80s)
Once in awhile, I miss the Seamaster Pro, but these days, I miss the Datejust about once a week.
BUDGET: $4k
WHAT I'M CONSIDERING NOW:
Re. Datejust: I liked my Datejust before, but being an early 80s model, it had a junky bracelet. I wound up wearing it on a strap. I also was living in fear that the acrylic crystal (esp. Cyclops) would be scratched if I wore it outside of the office. I would really like a gloss black dial with polished Roman markers. Tuxedo is tied with that though; they both look like pure class to me.
Re. Milgauss: I would like a Milgauss with the green crystal; I love that style; just beautiful. But the lack of a date feature killed the Explorer for me, which I loved otherwise. Would it kill the Milgauss for me too, or would the love of the general style overcome that lack of functionality for me? I think it's out of my $4k budget, unless I get one with the regular crystal and maybe add a green one at its first service. Should I stretch to get this? Will I get used to not having a date and actually be able to keep it in my head if I have this watch? In its favor, the Milgauss has the wow factor of the seconds hand and the superior magnetic sealing. (I'm an electrical engineer, though I have never had a problem with a watch taking a charge...)
Re. Subdate: Since I have two Submariner homages now, I feel like it's a safe bet, and the timing bezel is dead useful. But these are just EVERYWHERE. Out of ever 10 Rolexes I see in the wild, 6 are Submariners, 3 are Datejusts, and there's 1 of everything else combined. I feel like I'd get bored of this and regret it.
I could save a few bucks and get a Oyster Perpetual Date instead, as I have a small wrist (6-3/4" / 171 mm) and 34mm is perfectly fine for me. Looking at the 40mm Squale on my wrist now, it looks just a bit big... They're a LOT less expensive, as guys seem to like huge watches these days.
I don't think I want vintage again but might make an exception for an Oysterquartz. (but they're so boxy, right?) I feel like mechanical Rolexes are already vintage enough, with their jeweled winding rotor design. I may consider a Cellini quartz, if I could find one with Roman numerals. Having a quartz one would also drastically reduce the overall cost of ownership, as I would probably buy a case opener and change batteries myself.
Here's my current collection: Watch Collection by Jeremy D | Photobucket
Help me out guys, what do you think? What could I buy that I'd never want to sell?
I've been a watch collector for 15 years now, when I got my first Seiko diver. (great watch, still have it)
I have a variety of watches now, ranging from humble Casio digitals, some heirloom mechanicals, and the rest firmly in the $1k range.
I had an Omega Seamaster Pro 2254 10 years ago. Liked it and sold it to fund something else.
I had a couple Rolexes before: Explorer I, 36mm and a Datejust with the 3035 movement. (early 80s)
Once in awhile, I miss the Seamaster Pro, but these days, I miss the Datejust about once a week.
BUDGET: $4k
WHAT I'M CONSIDERING NOW:
- Datejust with Roman numeral dial and 3135 movement
- Milgauss
- Sub date with sapphire but w/o Cyclops
Re. Datejust: I liked my Datejust before, but being an early 80s model, it had a junky bracelet. I wound up wearing it on a strap. I also was living in fear that the acrylic crystal (esp. Cyclops) would be scratched if I wore it outside of the office. I would really like a gloss black dial with polished Roman markers. Tuxedo is tied with that though; they both look like pure class to me.
Re. Milgauss: I would like a Milgauss with the green crystal; I love that style; just beautiful. But the lack of a date feature killed the Explorer for me, which I loved otherwise. Would it kill the Milgauss for me too, or would the love of the general style overcome that lack of functionality for me? I think it's out of my $4k budget, unless I get one with the regular crystal and maybe add a green one at its first service. Should I stretch to get this? Will I get used to not having a date and actually be able to keep it in my head if I have this watch? In its favor, the Milgauss has the wow factor of the seconds hand and the superior magnetic sealing. (I'm an electrical engineer, though I have never had a problem with a watch taking a charge...)
Re. Subdate: Since I have two Submariner homages now, I feel like it's a safe bet, and the timing bezel is dead useful. But these are just EVERYWHERE. Out of ever 10 Rolexes I see in the wild, 6 are Submariners, 3 are Datejusts, and there's 1 of everything else combined. I feel like I'd get bored of this and regret it.
I could save a few bucks and get a Oyster Perpetual Date instead, as I have a small wrist (6-3/4" / 171 mm) and 34mm is perfectly fine for me. Looking at the 40mm Squale on my wrist now, it looks just a bit big... They're a LOT less expensive, as guys seem to like huge watches these days.
I don't think I want vintage again but might make an exception for an Oysterquartz. (but they're so boxy, right?) I feel like mechanical Rolexes are already vintage enough, with their jeweled winding rotor design. I may consider a Cellini quartz, if I could find one with Roman numerals. Having a quartz one would also drastically reduce the overall cost of ownership, as I would probably buy a case opener and change batteries myself.
Here's my current collection: Watch Collection by Jeremy D | Photobucket
Help me out guys, what do you think? What could I buy that I'd never want to sell?