SOTC # 7 of 16: ROLEX GMT-MASTER 2 16710 PEPSI

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ROLEX GMT-MASTER II 16710 PEPSI

As I frequently travel for business and pleasure, I wanted a good GMT watch to see the time in two different time zones - wherever I was and home in LA. And what better than the Rolex GMT-Master, which is the standard bearer for all GMT watches. I really wanted the older, aluminum bezel version over the newer ceramic ones. It’s odd - I prefer the the 16710 over the 116710 for the GMT models while I like the 114060 over the 14060 for the Sub. The 16710 is a bit more elegant, classically shaped and oh that Pepsi colored bezel…. In my opinion, the Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 with the blue/red aluminum bezel insert, is the one of the best looking Rolex watches ever made.

So I begun my search in earnest towards the end of 2016. Condition was important, preferably recently serviced but not polished and local in SoCal. After a couple of false starts, I finally found one from OCWatchGuy in Orange County in May 2017. It’s from 2005 and at the time, this one was serviced a year ago by its prior owner at the Rolex Service Center in Beverly Hills. He must have been a watch guy because he declined the case polishing, all cosmetic part replacements of the bezel, dial, hands. This one is also a bit special and rare because it has the stick dial, where the font of the II in GMT-Master II resembles two sticks instead of the Roman numeral two that the majority of GMT-Master 2 have. Some of these even have the modern 3186 movement, but I believe mine has the 3185 movement since it fails the wiggle test. I’ll know for sure come service time.

I picked it up during Memorial Day weekend of 2017 and I can’t think of a better time as it makes a great summer travel watch.

/ TOMMY

SOTC # 6 of 16: IWC INGENIEUR "LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD FOUNDATION" 3239-09

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IWC INGENIEUR "LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD FOUNDATION" 3239-09

I admit - I’m a sucker for sport watches from the 1970’s with integrated bracelets. When most think of these watches, Gerald Genta and his work around the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus immediately come to mind. Genta also designed the original IWC Ingenieur SL that was launched in 1976. The Ingenieur is often the most forgotten Genta design, highly underrated and why I love it so much.

The modern and purest version is the time/date only 3239 model. Compared to the SL, the modern Ingenieur is a bit more angular, with sharper lines. Fit and finish is surprisingly good and something that one has to see in person to appreciate. Of course, the biggest criticism is the use of an outsourced movement, a Sellita SW200. While I’m usually not obsessed with in-house only movements, I admit that for this watch, an IWC in-house movement would have been preferred, although it would be likely increased the thickness and price.

Mine is the “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation” limited edition, in blue, 1 of 1500 made. I purchased it in the spring of 2017, when I dropped by the IWC Boutique and was immediately enamored by it. At the time, it was the last 3239-09 that IWC had in all of North America and it’s mine.

/ TOMMY

SOTC # 5 of 16: ROLEX SUBMARINER 114060

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ROLEX SUBMARINER 114060

When I think of the word “watch”, Rolex comes to mind immediately. When I picture a watch in my head, I picture a Rolex Submariner. Rolex is the standard bearer in the luxury watch world. All roads begin and end with Rolex.

I admit, I didn’t always like Rolex. As I’ve found with many other watch enthusiasts and Rolex owners, it takes a while to understand its value proposition. I had once dismissed them as over hyped and over priced, like most naysayers do today. Then I came across this article on Hodinkee - “Inside Rolex”. I read it with an open mind, at least a few times, and over the years, I’ve read it probably a dozen total times. Then something started to flip, I started to get it.

Fortunately, right in time... I purchased my first Rolex, the Submariner 114060, in the summer of 2016 to mark a couple of significant career and professional achievements. When I decided that I was going to purchase it, I called my AD, he had one in the showroom case and one that just arrived, fresh from Geneva. I opted for the fresh one, picked it up on the same day, even received a good discount on a cash purchase. A year later, these watches, as well as all Rolex stainless steel sports models would become more difficult to purchase as demand exceeded supply.

I finally understand now what they hype is all about and in my opinion, it’s well deserved. But this Sub represents much more than just a watch to me. It’s an accumulation of almost 25 years of hard work, time, effort and sacrifice. It’s my career diploma, proof that I did pretty good for myself and that I finally made it!

/ TOMMY

SOTC # 4 of 16: IWC BIG PILOT 5009-12

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IWC BIG PILOT 5009-12 on an IWC BUFFALO STRAP

I’ve always had an eye on the Big Pilot for some time. It’s an amazing watch, with so much history, going back to the flieger watches from the World War II era. It’s a classic but modern design, with the iconic large diamond crown and orientation triangle marker at 12 o’clock for easy visibility. But being a few years late and a few dollars short, the original Big Pilot, the 5002, was already long discontinued by 2016 and I wasn’t much of a fan of the newest version. The 9 was missing, the fonts were thinner, it was on an alligator strap.

SIHH 2016 changed that with the announcement of the newest Big Pilot 5009-12 model. The 9 is back on the dial, it had slightly bolder fonts, and it was on a nice Santoni calf leather strap. This is the Big Pilot that I’ve being waiting for!

By this time, I had accumulated about 10 watches in total. There were five Omega’s plus five more affordable watches. To fund the Big Pilot purchase, I decided to sell two of the Omegas plus all five affordable watches to Govberg in Philadelphia for a new Big Pilot.

So on June 11, 2016, I took a red eye flight from LA to Philly using my miles with seven watches plus boxes and papers in tow. Landed at 6am, rented a car, drove to Govberg and waited. By 10:05am, I was an owner of a new IWC Big Pilot 5009-12. It was the most significant watch purchase to date at that time. I spent the rest of the day visiting the Rocky Steps, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and had a Philly Cheesesteak for lunch. It was a beautiful day in Philly.

That was a memorable trip and the most outlandish thing that I had done to acquire a watch yet, at least by my standards. That summer, I continued to travel heavily for business, virtually commuting to Dallas every week and flying back to LA for the weekends. It was a Monday morning 5am wake up call to go to the airport, 4 hour meetings over design and user experience, non-stop QA and testing, sushi dinners with friends, drinking past midnight, getting back home in LA at 11pm on Friday night, spending the weekend at the beach, then repeating it all over again. That was my life for several weeks. Then finally launching our new website, a new best in class experience that would eventually lead to new revenue highs. Through it all, the Big Pilot was my most trusted companion.

/ TOMMY

SOTC # 3 of 16: OMEGA SEAMASTER 300 233.30.41.21.01.001

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OMEGA SEAMASTER 300 233.30.41.21.01.001 on an OMEGA SPECTRE BOND NATO

I admit, I only used to collect Omega watches so here’s a third one - the Omega Seamaster 300. When this watch was first announced in Basel 2014, I thought it was atrocious. The bezel was too shiny, the faux patina on the dial and hands and the polished center links on the bracelet. Just no.

I finally got to see it in the metal, at the Omega Boutique in early 2015 and absolutely fell in love with it. Everything that I had disliked, I loved! Well minus the polished center links, but eventually those too grew on me a bit. I placed an order for one and it was on my wrist a couple of days later. And the Bond 007 connection is pretty cool. Although mine isn’t the Spectre Limited Edition, it is on the Omega Spectre Bond NATO. I really think that it’s one of Omega’s more understated and under appreciated watches in its catalog.

These days, I don’t wear it as much as I should. It’s my vacation watch, and I had great memories with it on our Hawaii trip a few years ago. I hope to go back soon and guess what will be on my wrist? That’s right, the Seamaster 300.

/ TOMMY

SOTC # 2 of 16: 1974 OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL 145.022

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OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL 145.022 on an OMEGA LEATHER NATO

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I recall hearing stories about the Apollo missions to the Moon, watching various Space Shuttle missions take flight. It was an amazing time to be a kid. I also remember finding my Dad’s Omega Speedmaster one day, and from that day forward, I would spend hours playing with it; starting, stopping and resetting the chronograph over and over again. I was shocked when my Dad told me that his Speedmaster is the same watch that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore on the Moon. In my naivety, I literally thought that my Dad’s Speedmaster was THE WATCH that they wore. And thus began my fascination with watches that later became a passionate hobby of learning and collecting.

So when the idea of a birth year watch came up, a 1974 Omega Speedmaster 145.022 was the natural choice. I spent a good six months researching, learning and scouring through listings on Chrono 24 and Ebay. I had very specific criteria on production year (1974), condition and the seller must be local in LA or SoCal so I can inspect the watch personally.

One day, on a lazy Sunday in March 2011, I found the perfect Speedmaster 145.022 on Ebay. It was from 1974, good overall condition with the case a bit over polished, nice patina on dial and hands, had the original bracelet, and the seller was local. All of the stars finally aligned! I contacted the seller, agreed to a cash price, met up a few days later and I brought home my ‘74 Speedmaster.

Supposedly it was owned by a veteran, who served for the Air Force and originally brought at a base exchange store in the 1970’s. To this person, I thank you for your service to our nation. When this gentleman passed away, the watch was passed down to his son. Apparently it needed service, so it was serviced at a jewelry store where it was a bit over polished. For whatever reason, the son didn’t want to keep the watch, so he sold it on Ebay to a gentleman in Orange County, who resold it to me for a slight profit. When it was up for servicing, I took it to the great guys at Los Angeles WatchWorks and asked them to restore the case to its original glory. The results are fabulous.

This is one of a few watches in my collection that I would never part with due to its sentimental value and the hunt to get it. And no other watch will ever have such a historical significance and connection to man’s greatest achievement to date than the Omega Speedmaster.

/ TOMMY

SOTC # 1 of 16: OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL 3570.50

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OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL 3570.50

In the spring of 2008, I had received my first bonus from a new company that I had being working for. With my new found riches, I made my way to Feldmar Watch Company, and purchased what else but an Omega Speedmaster Professional, reference 3570.50.

I later modified this watch with the OEM Panda dial from the Mitsukoshi Limited Edition, OEM broad arrow hands and an OEM stainless steel bezel.

I recently thought about maybe selling this watch, as I have a second, vintage Speedmaster. But with the rumor that Omega may be discontinuing the Speedmaster 1861-movement models, and the new 3861 movement making their way into the line up soon, I think it’s a keeper.

/ TOMMY

My 1st Luxury Automatic Watch turned out to be a FAKE...

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Over the next 16 days, I’ll show my state of the collection, one watch at a time with individual stories behind them. Before I start, here’s my first luxury automatic watch and a cautionary tale.

My Dad loved James Bond. He would go see every new Bond film and catch it on TV whenever possible. As I grew up, 007 was something we spent time together watching and discussing. So naturally, when I thought about my first luxury automatic watch, the Bond SMP was the chosen one. Not having a lot of money back in 2005, and not educated about AD vs trusted sellers vs grey market, I sought the cheapest way to buy this watch. It was online, from what I know now to be a grey market shop. 30% off retail, they said the watch is real, so I was all in.

Upon receiving the watch, I immediately noticed issues. There was no warranty card, or any cards, no serial number. I called the grey market shop and was told that they kept the warranty card and the serial number was polished off to prevent tracking of where the watch came from, a common grey market practice back then. OK, I thought. Then I noticed that the waves on the dial were jaggedly, especially noticeable at the dial markers, logo and text. The watch also ran very fast, was off by a few minutes per day, and made a loud noise when moving around (rotor whirl). I called again and was told this is all normal. OK.

Suspicious, I took it to Tourneau and asked that they take a look. Their watchmaker opened the caseback and in there was a cheap movement, not the ETA one that Omega used. FAKE. I was scammed. I called the grey market shop, and demanded a refund. They refused, insisting that it’s real, even started to yell and lecture me about taking it to Tourneau and they are the real scammers. And how dare I open the watch, they cannot resell it, or as they claimed.

I opened a dispute with my credit card bank. I informed them of the dispute and they eventually refunded me. I sent the watch back.

This is the watch in question…

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Notice the rough wavy pattern on the dial, especially noticeable at 12 o’clock and around the logo and text. Also the bezel is misaligned against the minute track.

A couple of days after I sent the watch back, Tourneau called to follow up. The sales rep said that she felt horribly that I was scammed, they coincidentally had the Bond SMP in stock and would sell it to me for the same price that I received from the grey market shop. Done!

Here is my very first luxury automatic watch…. The Omega Seamaster Professional, reference 2531.80.

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I later wrote about my terrible experience on an earlier version of my blog. The grey market shop discovered it and months later, I received a threat to sue from their lawyers for false advertising, sent to me just a few days before Christmas. Through a lawyer that I retained and from the legal advice that was given to me, I reached a resolution some weeks later.

This was by far the WORST purchase experience ever.

I urge extreme caution if you decide to purchase from a grey market shop. These shops typically get their inventory from overstock or aged stock, and customer returns. Missing the full box and papers set, lacking the manufacturer warranty, withholding the manufacturer warranty card are all red flags to be weary of. If you have any doubts, just walk away. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of your watch, you can always ask an AD to verify it or take it the brand’s service center and request for a service inspection. The brands will never work on a fake watch and will inform you if there’s an issue.

Personally, I only purchase from brand boutiques, authorized dealers, and trusted sellers. Trusted sellers are technically grey market sellers, but they provide new and pre-owned watches, usually with the full box and papers set so watches will come with the warranty card, just as if you purchased from the boutique or authorized dealer. The Rolex Forum has a running list of trusted sellers here.

/ TOMMY