The Watch Appreciation Thread (Reviews and Photos of Men's Timepieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe, Brei

[mimo]

the Philippines is nowhere near the per capita GDP of Singapore and yet it has boutiques for JLC, Hublot - even Patek Philippe. I guess if there's a large enough sliver of the population willing to shell out that kind of dough for timepieces...

Singapore population: 5.3 million

Philippines population: 93 million


Forget the per capita GDP. Even a poor country has numerically more rich people in its elite, than a tiny country with a higher average income. Filipinos might be generally poorer than Singaporeans, but I guess there are still more rich Filipinos than rich Singaporeans: the top 1% of Filipinos are still twice as many as the top 10% of Singaporeans.

It sounds obvious now I say it, but it's interesting: if I were opening boutiques in Asia, I'd probably think of Singapore before Manila. But thanks to you, now I think about it, I believe that might be wrong.

 

[no frills]



Singapore population: 5.3 million

Philippines population: 93 million

Forget the per capita GDP.  Even a poor country has numerically more rich people in its elite, than a tiny country with a higher average income.  Filipinos might be generally poorer than Singaporeans, but I guess there are still more rich Filipinos than rich Singaporeans: the top 1% of Filipinos are still twice as many as the top 10% of Singaporeans.

It sounds obvious now I say it, but it's interesting: if I were opening boutiques in Asia, I'd probably think of Singapore before Manila.  But thanks to you, now I think about it, I believe that might be wrong.

Yes, I did not mean this to be an extended discourse on income and inequality, and implications for market segmentation and strategy (I'm an economist so that is what I do all day) but just a comment on "prestige
goods" and different countries. I have lived in both Singapore and the Philippines, but not during the time when I was more aware of horology, etc. Now I guess I will be keeping a closer eye out for the sociology of it all. Always something new to learn.

 

[mimo]

My background is as a political analyst and I do a lot of advisory work on emerging markets (Middle East usually), so I also find this stuff very interesting. Sorry for boring everyone else; best I don't get started!

 

[johanm]



I love the look. I hate the price tag. Other comparable quality divers for much less out there.

Have you seen a RO Diver in the flesh? I did not understand the offshores until I saw them in person; the trademark AP finishing is really impressive and striking with the larger scale. I'm not sure there are any divers at or below its price bracket with comparable case/dial finishing and movement and overall "wow" factor, except maybe the Fifty Fathoms which has very different aesthetics and wrist feel. Here's another image:

My only reservation about some offshores is that the vulnerability to scratches of the brushed steel bezels is compounded by the case height. Would personally favor a rubber or ceramic bezel for an offshore.

 

[apropos]



Great review here not just of the dial/watch but of the boutique/location where you saw it being marketed.

"Prestige" is interesting: the Philippines is nowhere near the per capita GDP of Singapore and yet it has boutiques for JLC, Hublot - even Patek Philippe.  I guess if there's a large enough sliver of the population willing to shell out that kind of dough for timepieces...

RE: The dial coming alive.  Is it much like or comparable to the PP 5711/1A's blue/green dial?

Oh, it's not like the Nautilus dial at all. That one I would call somewhat matte and metallic its finish, which the Rouge isn't at all. The Nautilus also has (or at least appears to have) an actual colour gradation - the centre of the dial looks to have a different absolute colour from the edges, adding to its depth. This may or may not be an illusion due to the physical depth of the dial relative to the bezel - I am not sure.

Like I mentioned earlier the Rouge is a solid, even, opaque red, a lacquer red, but at certain angles it almost looks like it has a "wet" clear layer over it. The "railroad tracks" and hour markers around the dial are solid silver, and look to have been set into the lacquer when it was still wet - there are "dimples" where the metal appliques look to have broken the surface tension of the lacquer.

The 'Reverso' text is printed in a silvery-white ink - it looks stark white at certain angles, and silver at certain angles.

I can clearly see why the JLC aficionados over at PuristsPro went nuts over the watch when it first came out - it's most certainly not a watch for everyone but it definitely speaks to and emotionally connects with certain WISes, like girls with pale milky skin, red hair and freckles (ahem).

I'm just happy that I finally got to see the watch in the flesh given I'm from Australia, a very real horological wasteland with a population of 22 million and not a single JLC boutique. Or Hublot boutiques. Or Blancpain boutiques. Or Vacheron Constantin boutiques. Or hell, even Patek Phillipe boutiques. Sure, there are multibrand ADs, but it's so often a case of jack of all trades and master of none...

Well, the Phillipines has multiple JLC boutiques, not just one.

...but IMO the comparison is an apples-oranges one because not only is Singapore geographically a speck it is in economic terms a very very very very wealthy speck. Think sauce vs soup in terms of flavour punch and I think that is a reasonable analogy between Singapore and the Phillipines - sure there is quantitatively a lot of flavour in the Philipines but it is sort of spread out (soup), while Singapore while quantitatively not having much flavour has it all concentrated instead and so qualitatively packs a bigger flavour punch (sauce).

 

[in stitches]

gdl - thanks for the pics of the rotation, very nice to finally see that.

apropos - great patek, and the JLC is a stunner.

 

[johanm]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Oh, it's not like the Nautilus dial at all. That one I would call somewhat matte and metallic its finish, which the Rouge isn't at all. The Nautilus also has (or at least appears to have) an actual colour gradation - the centre of the dial looks to have a different absolute colour from the edges, adding to its depth. This may or may not be an illusion due to the physical depth of the dial relative to the bezel - I am not sure.

Like I mentioned earlier the Rouge is a solid, even, opaque red, a lacquer red, but at certain angles it almost looks like it has a "wet" clear layer over it. The "railroad tracks" and hour markers around the dial are solid silver, and look to have been set into the lacquer when it was still wet - there are "dimples" where the metal appliques look to have broken the surface tension of the lacquer.

The 'Reverso' text is printed in a silvery-white ink - it looks stark white at certain angles, and silver at certain angles.

I can clearly see why the JLC aficionados over at PuristsPro went nuts over the watch when it first came out - it's most certainly not a watch for everyone but it definitely speaks to and emotionally connects with certain WISes, like girls with pale milky skin, red hair and freckles (ahem).

I'm just happy that I finally got to see the watch in the flesh given I'm from Australia, a very real horological wasteland with a population of 22 million and not a single JLC boutique. Or Hublot boutiques. Or Blancpain boutiques. Or Vacheron Constantin boutiques. Or hell, even Patek Phillipe boutiques. Sure, there are multibrand ADs, but it's so often a case of jack of all trades and master of none...

Well, the Phillipines has multiple JLC boutiques, not just one.

...but IMO the comparison is an apples-oranges one because not only is Singapore geographically a speck it is in economic terms a very very very very wealthy speck. Think sauce vs soup in terms of flavour punch and I think that is a reasonable analogy between Singapore and the Phillipines - sure there is quantitatively a lot of flavour in the Philipines but it is sort of spread out (soup), while Singapore while quantitatively not having much flavour has it all concentrated instead and so qualitatively packs a bigger flavour punch (sauce).

The red reverso is beautiful in person. I hate the term "understated" as applied to watches since it's usually a euphemism for "dull" and "insipid", but on this piece JLC did a great job of achieving a sense of restraint/sophistication to balance the flamboyance of the red. If I were looking for a 2 hand dress watch in this price range, I would seriously consider it, and would have a hard time resisting the temptation of taking a risk that could pay off so big.

 

[Sander]

Does anyone know which watch Charlie Sheen wears in Anger Management? Here are the best two pics I could find:

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/pho...nagement-charlie-sheen-31636054-2560-1707.jpg
http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/Anger-Management-17-Charlie-Sheen.jpg

Seems like a 38-40mm chrono on a gray croc strap. I know Charlie Sheen wears PP, this might easily be one.

 

[johanm]



Does anyone know which watch Charlie Sheen wears in Anger Management? Here are the best two pics I could find:

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/pho...nagement-charlie-sheen-31636054-2560-1707.jpg
http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/Anger-Management-17-Charlie-Sheen.jpg

Seems like a 38-40mm chrono on a gray croc strap. I know Charlie Sheen wears PP, this might easily be one.

Can't see the first one but the second one looks like a vintage JLC memovox

 

[mimo]

That last page was popper prawn.

 

[rnguy001]

I actually really love the AP divers (and ROO in general). I like the robustness of the case and I think it works well with AP's Genta-designed case. The AP finishing and quality really elevate their divers IMO.

Have you seen a RO Diver in the flesh? I did not understand the offshores until I saw them in person; the trademark AP finishing is really impressive and striking with the larger scale. I'm not sure there are any divers at or below its price bracket with comparable case/dial finishing and movement and overall "wow" factor, except maybe the Fifty Fathoms which has very different aesthetics and wrist feel. Here's another image:

My only reservation about some offshores is that the vulnerability to scratches of the brushed steel bezels is compounded by the case height. Would personally favor a rubber or ceramic bezel for an offshore.

 

[in stitches]



Can't see the first one but the second one looks like a vintage JLC memovox

i would agree, but really hard to tell.

 

[Sander]



Can't see the first one but the second one looks like a vintage JLC memovox

i would agree, but really hard to tell.

Thanks, that seems to be it. Explains the two buttons.

 

[in stitches]

if not for the 2 hands i may have thought it was an old constellation. the memovox is great, you gonna get one?

 

[gdl203]

Yep, same watch that's at the forefront of the group shot I posted yesterday.

Other pics of the watch, from yesterday as well: