TZ-UK Forums TZ-UK Forums Topcat30093
Sorry, regarding the length of the thread, but it has covered a very active 
passion and hobby.
But I never really thought, I had reached the end of my passion for watches.
This I now feel has arrived.
My love of watches first stirred in the 70’s when, I use to scan through my Dads motoring magazines, and for those of who remember, at the end was adverts for not only cars, parts, but also watches for sale.
And it was there that my love of Chronographs was formed.
I was just mesmerised, by the fact that you had dials within a watch, and the pushers could be used to time events, sooooo cool.
My first watch at around the age of 8-10 years was “Boys” Timex watch.
However, my first “Adult” watch was the orange dial Seiko “Pogue” 6139 – 6002, I loved this watch and remember badgering my Mom to order me one from her Kays Catalogue, and I would pay her back each week from my pocket money.
I wore that watch, for many years, though the seeds had already been sown for wanting to own 2 other watches – A Rolex Submariner and a Day – Date.
I joined the Army in 1975 I joined the Army and after passing out from Pirbright, for those who may not know, while you were training, you were only allowed a limited amount of money, just enough to buy your essentials from the NAFFI, the rest was banked for you, to be issued when you had your first proper Annual Leave. During the first couple of days with a wad of notes in my pocket and my middle brother for company, we got the train to Exeter, where I purchased in full – about £247 an Omega Flightmaster.
This saw me through my time in the forces, if only I had known what other watch brands begining with the letter “R” were available to me!!!!
During the 80’s as the Quartz became the new watch, I sold the Omega and sort out all the latest Seiko Quartz watches, with all their funky features, like having a calculator, alarm, multiple chronographs, timezones etc.
Then in 1989, while visiting London with my then wife, I saw in a shop window display in Oxford Street, would like to say it was H. Samuals, Ratners or similar, one of the Rolex watches that I had admired all those years ago, having spent years admiring them and reading how they were made from a single bloc of metal, with a triplock winding crown and accutate to +6 -4 seconds a day that Rolex advertised on all the magazines, with top sport personalities, such as Jackie Stewart, Arnold Palmer, Jacques Cousteaua, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to name a few.
So, in I went and after a quick visit to my bank to secure a loan, I was the the very happy owner of a 16610. I was over the moon.
I wore that watch every where and didn’t take it off for nothing.
Then in the mid nighties a new angle to the quartz world was introduced by Longines, when they bought out their VHP – Very High Precision Conquest, accurate to, I think 12 seconds a YEAR, I was hooked. So a visit to a pawshop in Exeter, actually, it was a tiny little booth, and bye bye Submariner and hello VHP. And that is how things remained for many years. with the exception of the odd Casio G Shock which was now becoming popular. Eventually, I gave the VHP to my brother who diddn’t have a watch, he wore it until the battery corroded into the watch.
Also during these years I wore a number of Seiko Diving watches, including the huge, on my wrist, Seiko 6159 -7010 Tuna, which ironically, I lost while swimming!
As I was SCUBA diving I bought a Citzens Aqualand Promaster, which was really cool as it had an in built depth gauge.
Time moved on into the 00’s and while walking past Goldsmith’s in Torquay, I saw my second Rolex watch that I had always dreamed about.
It was a preowned Y/G Day Date on a President bracelet, cost was £5,000
Having tried it on, I then went for a coffee to mull it over, but to be honest, there was never any doubt, that I wasn’t leaving Torquay without it being on my wrist. My G/F at the time was flabbergasted on how much I spent that day.
Over the years the owner and most of the staff became good friends, it was from the store that I purchased a new DD, with the upgraded bracelet and clasp, a GMT and other pieces of jewellery.
And that it WERE the story SHOULD of ended!!
As the proud owner of the DD and the recently introduced 116710 LN.
But all that changed on the 2nd day of 2005, when while visiting Stratford upon Avon, I eyed the Rolex Dealer (Pragnells), wanting to show of my DD, as you do while visiting such dealers. I happened to speak with the then Watch Manager, “Nice watch” he said, but then went on to introduce me to other brands which were consider much higher up the Horology chain, I was crest fallen, as Rolex, I thought was the top dog.
So, I was introduced to such Brands as Patek Philippe, Lange & Sohne, Breguet
Well that I was the end of one chapter and the start of several others.
Over the years, I have worn many of them and some models I have owned more than once.
Rolex Submariner 5512 or 13, 1680, 16610, 11610 & 12610 Seadweller 16600 and the 4000 DJ 116234, 126234 & 126334 ( three of which my daughters now wear) & Vintage, Day Date all Y/G most fitted on a President Bracelet which includes both modern and vintage pieces, GMT, Explorer 1 & 2, Skydweller I did have a Daytona, but sold it straight away, one of the few watches that I actually made a profit on!
Patek Philippe 5146 R,J & G, 5140G, 3940R, 5205G 5196G, 5127 R & J 5227R, 5167A x2 5711
Omega Flight Master, Planet Ocean and 5524
Lange & Sohne Platinum 1815 Up & Down
FP Journe Calendrier (Black Label) Platinum which was an Annual Calendar ,Chronometre Souverain R/G
IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph IW3750 and Pilot XX and Vintage
Tudor Black Bay 58 & Pelagos, Bronze
Other brands that I have had the pleasure of owning and wearing have included Panerai, Gashutte Senator Perpetual Calendar (Platinum), Habring2, Zenith, Vratislava Conceptum, Grand Seiko, Christopher Ward, Cartier, Bremont, Steinhart. There are likely to be others, which I have forgotten.
My biggest regrets were selling the stunning FP Journe Black Label Calendrier and the beautiful Patek Philippe 3940R
Any thread is boring without photos.
So below is a combination of my own photos and stock ones, so you can see which models I am referring too.
If this causes a problem, than I am happy to delete them.
As, I am now retired, have different pirorities and sadly the way that the industry has changed, imo, much for the worst, I no longer enjoy it.
So, its time to move on.
I have been very fortunate to have owned and worn most of these watches, and looking back, it amazes me how I was able to do.
It not even worth contemplating, how much money I have spent, so I don’t.
Over the years the passion has bought me much pleasure.
If I could do it over again, would I?
Definitely NOT, I would have stopped, as I mentioned previously, and not walked into the shop.
That all said, I have enjoyed many years of partisipating not only on this forum, but many of the International ones.
If I was asked, which watch would you love to have bought, my answer is simple an Philippe Dufour, Simplicity, back in the 00’s there may even have been a moment when I could have afforded one!
Thank you if you have made it to the end.
Anthony
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