#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Watch Snob on Price Bubbles, the Appeal of Steel and Grand Seiko

Bubble or Bias?

I am writing to you because I feel my collection needs something to begin to shift it from rather mundane, to slightly more interesting. I currently have a Rolex Submariner 116610LN, an early 50’s steel Omega Seamaster caliber 342 (possibly my favorite of the bunch), a Tag Heuer 2000 Series CK1110 Chronograph (High School graduation gift from my parents) and a gold filled, manual wind LeCoultre (recently inherited from my grandfather).

As far as where to go, I’m a bit torn. I would love a vintage 321 Speedmaster, though I’ve begun to think a bubble has formed in that market and I’m trying to add an interesting watch I enjoy, that will hold its value. The rumors of a new stainless 321 Speedmaster makes me want to get friendly with my local Omega dealer, but I fear it will be an overpriced be let down unless you're a diehard #SpeedyTuesday type. So I’ve also begun to think of alternatives.

RELATED: Last Week: Watch Snob on Why Watches Cost What They Cost

I think something with a less typical, but still affordable complication is what my collection needs and I’ve recently found myself drawn to large date watches. Since a Lange 1 will probably always be out of my price range, I’ve been looking towards a Glashutte Original Panomatic. I think a PanoReserve or PanoMaticLunar with a blue dial fits the bill, and will add a bit of color to my collection as well.

What's your advice? Any alternatives I should consider that I might be overlooking? I’m open to new, pre-owned, as well as vintage. Thank you.

People have been talking about there being a price bubble for certain highly desirable, highly collectible vintage watches for some time now, and while this may be true it is far from a cut-and-dried matter. Prices, yes, have gone through the proverbial roof for some especially collectible vintage Rolex models (the same is true for Patek and Omega) but the upward trend for the most avidly collected and traded watches has been going on for long enough that it may very well be a trend rather than a bubble. It’s simply impossible to tell; no one called a bubble a bubble until after the fact and by then, of course, it is too late.

If you are interested in buying a caliber 321 Speedmaster in steel (and aren’t we all) it might be worth waiting a bit and seeing what they look like, and what the price looks like, before deciding between a vintage or a modern watch housing the movement. Omega has said that relatively few 321s are going to be made in any given year; they are going to be assembled in what sounds like a pretty artisanal, and therefore expensive, fashion. Demand will probably be quite high, so I don’t think there will necessarily be issues in terms of value depreciation, but until Omega actually shows its hand in the matter, we have to forego judgement. At a reasonable price and for everyday use, I personally would prefer a new one — less to go wrong and more apt to give satisfaction under daily wear circumstances.

Glashutte Original is a worthy company in many respects — it represents, in point of fact, greater continuity of history in watchmaking in Glashutte than Lange, which went completely out of business at the end of the war. GO is the descendant of the Glashutte watchmaker’s collective which came about when the Soviets forced them to merge into a state-owned entity at the war’s end. All that said, some of their watchmaking for quite some time has felt derivative of Lange, and the Panomatic Lunar and Panoreserve are especially egregious offenders. It is a shame because the quality is good, but at the price asked one ought to be able to expect some originality in design. Like most watches, value retention if purchased is also not impressive.

If you’re looking for a watch with a big date complication, but which has an original design language, I’d suggest taking a look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Grand Date. The Reverso is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you find the basic design attractive I think it represents one of the most interesting and original uses of big date complication, in a watch from a reputable brand, currently in production.

This Bargain Cartier Is a Steel

I wrote to you a couple of weeks ago, looking for a suggestion for a travel watch — one which can work in different settings, smaller sized and has a decent water resistance. My current collection includes a Reverso 8 Day, GP Richeville Day/Night and a Jules Audemars 25955. I absolutely love the GP and the Jules Audemars (and wore it at my wedding too). The Reverso is a bit thick at times.

Anyway, I don't like the Rolex so much, as it's so ubiquitous here in India, that people around me would know what it is. I like watches which only I know the value of, enjoy in private and which can pass off anyone else's sight without noise. For my travel watch though, it's been quite difficult to find the right watch, here are a few options I have considered:

Omega Globemaster — Love the fluted bezel, hate that it's better with a strap than a bracelet.
Audemars 14790, Vacheron Constantin 47040  – Both out of my budget of $6000.
Creux — Nice looking watch, but relatively unknown brand.
IWC Ingenieur 3239/3227 — Can be chunky.
Piaget Polo S — Slightly bigger in size, but I like the look.
GP Laureato 38mm — Decent looking, but I wonder if I should get another GP.

With all this information, I am not particularly intrigued with Grand Seiko. and I have also learnt in the limited time so far is that small and slim watches fit me much better. Given that I have quite a small wrist, what would you suggest?

You seem to be using the phrase “travel watch” in a rather broad sense — generally when folks ask me to suggest one they are looking for a two time-zone or GMT watch, whereas you seem to be looking for a watch which is versatile enough to wear while traveling, and you seem to want one on a bracelet. It is rather more difficult than not to deduce anything further from your missive, although you seem to have an affinity for stainless steel sports watches with integrated bracelets, if not the budget for some of the more expensive ones. I have nothing but the greatest admiration for Grand Seiko, as you are no doubt aware, but it is also true that their bracelet models can have rather thick cases and for the gentleman with a more gracile frame, they can seem a bit heavy.

The Laureato and Piaget Polo S are both worthwhile watches (from what I understand, the latter in particular is finally beginning to find an audience after a somewhat slow start) but there are a number of other possible alternatives worth considering. You’ve probably noticed that there has been a significant increase in the number of stainless steel bracelet watches in recent months, driven of course by enormous market demand, but one of the best options, which is just within your budget, is a design that is over 100 years old, and from Cartier: the Santos. A Santos-Dumont, medium-sized, is currently $6,250 and it is one of the finest versions of the watch Cartier has released in a long time, with one of the most elegant steel bracelets made by anyone at any price, and at its price, it is in my opinion a bargain.

A Grand Discovery

I have enjoyed your articles tremendously both because of your depth and breadth of expertise, obvious passion for horological, as well as for your wit and humor.

I grew up in a family of very modest means where I thought Citizen and Seiko were luxury brands and I was vaguely aware of watches made by a company called Rolex — although I’d never actually met someone who owned one. Because of some good luck with a business I started 15 years ago, I have had the good fortune over the past seven years to build a collection that would have been beyond my wildest dreams 20 years ago.

But I am still but a neophyte in the horological realm. Until I began reading your articles, I did not realize that beautifully made watches existed outside of Switzerland, and it was not until I had repeatedly read your references to Grand Seiko that I finally considered investing in one of their watches — the SBGH269 Grand Heritage Autumn.

Having worn it on my wrist now for a week, I have to say I am astonished by the workmanship, quality, and attention to detail. The sweep of the second hand is simply mesmerizing (granted my wife does say I am easily amused). I first wanted to say thank you for opening my eyes to this brand. Second, I wanted to ask if there are other brands you consider to be somewhat under appreciated but on a par with Grand Seiko. Thanks very much.

First of all, allow me to thank you for taking the time to express your appreciation; it has been my experience that, like a guide whose client forgets how much assistance has been rendered once the trophy is bagged, most of my correspondents seem to neglect to express their appreciation once advice has been given but perhaps that is simply the nature of the beast when you have an internet advice column.

Especially in the case of Grand Seiko, it is always a pleasure to be able to recommend them and to assist someone in discovering them. I have over the last year or two, found myself somewhat concerned that they do not forget how they made their reputation — some of their most visible timepieces at Baselworld, as well as some of their most touted announcements, are for extremely expensive watches — but at least thus far, the increase in prices at the higher end of their collections, has not been accompanied by an abandonment of their more affordable offerings; I hope they may continue in this vein.

Grand Seiko, in the quality it offers for the price, is something of an anomaly; I cannot think of another brand that can make such high quality timepieces at prices GS does, with starting prices still under four thousand dollars. There are a number of brands which I think offer wonderful value for the price as well — I think, for example, of NOMOS Glashutte (their square Tetra models are especially underappreciated) or of some of the more classically inspired watches from Longines, or Hamilton. But I can think of no company other than Grand Seiko which makes producing watches of great beauty and real aesthetic and spiritual depth, a priority for all its watches, rather than for a few.

Send the Watch Snob your questions at editorial@askmen.com or ask a question on Instagram with the #watchsnob hashtag.

You Might Also Dig:

11 Best Watches Under $1,000 The 7 Best Pre-Owned Rolex Watches You Can Buy At Walmart 12 Best Watch Winders to Keep Your Automatic Watch on Time

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Watch Snob, Khareem Sudlow