Posted on 11/01/2014 8:23:12 PM PDT by servo1969
To pay tribute to its 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe created a collection of limited-edition commemorative timepieces, and one of them stands out in particular. It is the so far most complicated wristwatch of the eminent family-owned watchmaking company and decidedly one of the world's most elaborate wristwatches. This is due not only to the number of complications involved but also to the horological degrees of complexity, two of which have been added to the annals of watchmaking for the first time. Moreover, the Grandmaster Chime is the first double-face wristwatch presented by Patek Philippe that can be worn with either dial facing up: the one that focuses on the time and the sonnerie, the other dedicated to the full instantaneous perpetual calendar. Changing the face is very simple thanks to the ingenious reversing mechanism in the lugs. It is amazingly easy to operate and firmly secures the case in the selected position. Incidentally, the information for which a watch is most frequently consulted – the current time and the date – is displayed on both dials. The ultimate in user-friendliness and safety is assured with intelligent mechanisms that prevent potentially damaging manipulations and thus reliably protect the highly complex movement with its intricate cosmos of tiny parts.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
I’ll stick with my G-Shocks. I do have a couple of ‘dress-up’ watches, a Citizen Blue Angels Skyhawk and a Movado Museum Watch.
Man, are you ever right about that!
I like watches, they’re the only thing approaching jewelry that I’m comfortable wearing, and I feel naked without one on my wrist. I have a couple of decent watches, starting with a basic Rolex in stainless bought years ago on the cheap from an estate sale. The crystal has minor scratches so it could benefit from a little restoration. Not in a position to do that right now, so that will have to wait. Other than that, I have an older TAG, a Citizen Ecodrive, two Movados from the nineties and several vintage eighties Swatch watches. Not a particularly grand assortment but decent, they please me.
The Apple Watch intrigues me, but I’m not yet entirely clear on the benefits of owning one. And, this is coming from an Apple guy from way back. I like the clean, well-proportioned simplicity of the design and a deceptive simplicity at that, which is an Apple hallmark. I suspect I’ll have one eventually.
I’m currently concerned about the apparent thickness of the case on this Apple Watch. It’s certainly no worse than anything else out there that is even roughly equivalent and quite a bit better than the vast majority, but how it looks on my wrist is a major consideration. The looks of it override the function, for me. That said, I admire that mesh band with magnetic clasp, whatever they called it, Milanese I think? I don’t own anything quite like that, have several already with stainless link band, several with a leather band and several with functional inexpensive bands. So, from my point of view, that would be the one. Stainless is fine for this as well, I’ve never worn yellow gold, let alone rose gold, therefore I wouldn’t need to go into the top of the line. Would be looking at $4-500 dollar range as best I can tell. Not cheap but not so awful either.
Gotta have something that the ultra-rich can spend their money. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Great video. Fascinating.
Years ago, my former boss had a tour of the Audemars Piquet watch shop. A craftsman was showing him a ($20,000 or so) watch that he was working on. So my friend turned it over to see the face and all of the parts fell out onto the floor. That was the end of the tour.
I like Timex , always have.....
Keepin’ it Simple
I have one.
I’m thinking of buying the Bull Nose, which they released last year. Love how you move the bezel.
I’m Hollywood today and have an appointment with Omega this afternoon to pick up some lesther goods I purchased and see what’s coming up next year and for the next Olympic Games.
And that is the difference between quality and common.
If your argument were true Lamborghini and Porsche couldn’t exist because the luxury market would die.
Same for private jets and hotels like The Four Seasons, The Ritz and The Peninsula.
Quality, Luxury and Exclusivity are but a few elements.
For instance:
Are you an Ansel Adams type? That is; Photographs are more efficient and realistic. But, are they?
They can be and tell a story but, two different photographers can tell two different stories from the same where a picture is taken.
That is an art.
I love portraits and seeing how someone’s mind created a whole new thought or captured an essence in the brush strokes.
If we look at Picasso’s Death of a Bull Fighter, many people see blood everwhere and the Bullfighter dying.
The 1st time I saw it, I Picasso museum in France it took my breath away.
It looks grim and that was his intent but, it wasn’t what I saw.
I saw the duality of man’s intelligence against an animals brute force but, both by the very nature of living beings demand to live and for me, the outcome is not at all certain, yet one must prevail.
It should be man because we too possess the brutish nature of an animal but, have the advantage of the creative mind and rationally learn from an opponent their strengths, weaknesses, habits and that enables us to think, even briefly and formulate strategy to prevail.
The Bullfighter does die in the portrait but, it represents something else entirely to me.
Same with Musee Dorsay and one of my favorite portraits ever, Henri Regnault Summary Execution . Frckin amazing for its detail and the export of Moslem agitation . Trully, I spend a good twenty minutes studying that portrait each time I see it. Amazing detail and scary for the story it tells of Moslem desire to dominate by force and intimidation.
and intimidation.
Truly a adivistic belief system that isn’t able to evolve and become relevant in the 21st century.
That’s quality my friend and something to admire for it’s intricacy, subtleties and beauty.
Then again, I do appreciate a good old decent hammer to just do its job.
LOL
Fun talking with you.
And that, right there, is the deal.
You appreciate quality and it pleases “you” to wear it on occasion.
Not, for it outward expression of some extrinsic value but, for its beauty.
I believe I have the same Casio watch. Just recently had to replace the wristband as it started to crack after 10 years of daily use. That’s the only maintenance it’s required. It will certainly last until the Apple watch is mature enough to consider replacing it 3-5 years down the road.
But the Patek Phillippe isn’t a watch, it’s a work of art in the form of a watch. It looks completely impractical as something you’d actually wear and use, even if your insurer would allow that.
I’m reading Free Republic on my “watch.” I can watch movies on it too.
And it set itself back an hour while I slept.
Only 7 will be produced.
Wristwatches, with all their moving parts, the necessity to wind them up and set them forward or backwards when you change time zones, seems like too much trouble to me. Especially as "smart watches" - that connect with and supplement the functionality of your smartphone - appear to be ready to take off.
I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into constructing a watch. All those tiny gears and springs fascinate me. But old technology that is not digital. Everything these days is going digital.
Finally, some of the prices are astronomical. Are they really worth it? In my younger days, I had a Timex watch from Sears & Roebuck that cost me about $30 and it lasted me years. Then about 15 years ago, my wife bought me one of the more expensive ones that cost about $500. Nobody really noticed that I had a more expensive watch. I could have just gone on wearing the Timex.
Seriously, if I was to buy a $5,000 watch and wear it to work, nobody would really notice it. It's not like when a woman buys a $5,000 necklace and all the other women are swooning over it. People don't pay much attention to what us men wear. I could walk into a boardroom with a Timex or a Rolex and nobody will say a thing either way. But if I walk in there with the latest and greatest electronic gadget, well that will get people's attention. Everybody will want to check it out and play with it.
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