Bananas watch day - pic heavy

[Golden Palomino]

Hi all, visited Stephen Silver in Menlo Park today and was fortunate to handle a bunch of bitchin timepieces. Thought y’all might enjoy!

Starting with Moser, which is what brought me there. Picked up the blue small seconds. The salmon perpetual was also way more awesome than I expected.














Laurent Ferrier - this one wears really really nice



Greubel Forsey’s everywhere





















And this very nice MB&F exclusive to this shop. This time, I paused to thoughtfully consider the way it wore on my 18 cm wrist, and I gotta say it feels and wears incredible for a 44 mm









Cheers!


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[brandrea]

Wow, a feast for the senses

[FrugalGreubel]

So many wonderful watches.

That Jade Moser just never clicked for me but I like that Moser tries different things and never keeps it boring.

I didn’t like the Salmon dial at first but it’s grown a ton on me. Looks slick as hell with the perpetual.

Omg the Balancier Contemporain. That was my grail for a long time. I thought about selling my whole collection and making some other dumb financial decisions to make it happen. But I just couldn’t swing it. I love that watch. It is just badass.

And damn when doesn’t an MB&F look fun?

Thanks for sharing all these great pics. Also congrats again on the Moser!

[enjoythemusic]

Ummm, you need to add a NSFW to the subject line.

Wonderful pics, wow!!!

[77T]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Ummm, you need to add a NSFW to the subject line.

A Perfect Day for Bananafish too...

Those are some special watches and many share the elegance of haute horology.


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[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by FrugalGreubel

So many wonderful watches.

That Jade Moser just never clicked for me but I like that Moser tries different things and never keeps it boring.

I didn’t like the Salmon dial at first but it’s grown a ton on me. Looks slick as hell with the perpetual.

Omg the Balancier Contemporain. That was my grail for a long time. I thought about selling my whole collection and making some other dumb financial decisions to make it happen. But I just couldn’t swing it. I love that watch. It is just badass.

And damn when doesn’t an MB&F look fun?

Thanks for sharing all these great pics. Also congrats again on the Moser!

I wasn’t into the salmon either from photos. But my impression of it in this pc concept variant was strong and visceral. Of all these watches, it was the biggest surprise to me vis-a-vis how much I liked it, I was kinda blown away.

I’ve never seen a greubel with my eyeballs before, so these were a treat to play with 4. Tbh, most of them were frankly gargantuan, and they wore as such. They’re amazing, but not remotely wearable for me. The Balancier Contemporain was the exception and it was exquisite. But even if I sold everything to get it, id still be out of pocket enough that Mrs palomino would be justified in murdering me for the insurance money

The MB&F of course is guaranteed to make you smile. The watch gives off the same good vibrations that Max and friends do. I personally prefer less forward facing madness (did I mention I like the moser pc?) but I’m interested in either the LM101 or a SE EVO as a kind of end game HH watch, and it was nice to handle the EVO form factor so casually, and to soak up the general design philosophy

[FrugalGreubel]

Originally Posted by Golden Palomino

I wasn’t into the salmon either from photos. But my impression of it in this pc concept variant was strong and visceral. Of all these watches, it was the biggest surprise to me vis-a-vis how much I liked it, I was kinda blown away.

I’ve never seen a greubel with my eyeballs before, so these were a treat to play with 4. Tbh, most of them were frankly gargantuan, and they wore as such. They’re amazing, but not remotely wearable for me. The Balancier Contemporain was the exception and it was exquisite. But even if I sold everything to get it, id still be out of pocket enough that Mrs palomino would be justified in murdering me for the insurance money

The MB&F of course is guaranteed to make you smile. The watch gives off the same good vibrations that Max and friends do. I personally prefer less forward facing madness (did I mention I like the moser pc?) but I’m interested in either the LM101 or a SE EVO as a kind of end game HH watch, and it was nice to handle the EVO form factor so casually, and to soak up the general design philosophy

I’m totally with you on the Salmon perpetual. It really needs to be seen in person.

I’ve only seen GF in person twice both at a NYC AD. I agree with you on the size issue. They wear so damn big. That’s part of the reason I loved the Balancier Contemporain. The size was doable for my wrists even if still a little big. But yea the price is just too much. I really wanted to make it work on my end. But as I said even if I sold all my watches and made some bad financial decisions it still wasn’t feasible for me so I had to sadly move on. Doesn’t help when all the watches I buy lose value lol.

Also can’t blame your wife if she did that. But imagine how awesome it would be to own even if for only a short while lol.

Even if you don’t like MB&F how can you not smile when seeing one? I’d love to own one of their horological machines but it’ll most likely end up being a legacy machine down the line if I can make it work. But it’s gonna have to be at least 7-10 years before I can really consider it unfortunately and who knows what MB&F availability will look like around then. I think both the LM101 or a SE EVO are excellent choices. Hope you’ll be able to get one.

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by FrugalGreubel

I’m totally with you on the Salmon perpetual. It really needs to be seen in person.

I’ve only seen GF in person twice both at a NYC AD. I agree with you on the size issue. They wear so damn big. That’s part of the reason I loved the Balancier Contemporain. The size was doable for my wrists even if still a little big. But yea the price is just too much. I really wanted to make it work on my end. But as I said even if I sold all my watches and made some bad financial decisions it still wasn’t feasible for me so I had to sadly move on. Doesn’t help when all the watches I buy lose value lol.

Also can’t blame your wife if she did that. But imagine how awesome it would be to own even if for only a short while lol.

Even if you don’t like MB&F how can you not smile when seeing one? I’d love to own one of their horological machines but it’ll most likely end up being a legacy machine down the line if I can make it work. But it’s gonna have to be at least 7-10 years before I can really consider it unfortunately and who knows what MB&F availability will look like around then. I think both the LM101 or a SE EVO are excellent choices. Hope you’ll be able to get one.

I think it’s reasonably accessible assuming I pay a deposit. It’s just a matter of making that commitment and hoping the price stays level. Or the secondary market drops

[Rebel]

Sweet.

[Pw92676]

Wow, what an awesome experience.
You got a great watch.
I LOVE perpetual but the moser PC is too challenging for me to comprehend lol.

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by Pw92676

Wow, what an awesome experience.
You got a great watch.
I LOVE perpetual but the moser PC is too challenging for me to comprehend lol.

The moser pc hit me unexpectedly on a few levels. The way it seems to work mechanically is frankly better than your grandma’s perpetual calendar, ie +/- adjustment with the crown, no danger of breaking it, instantaneous date and month change, etc. legitimately water resistant. Not covered in sub dials, shows just what you need, with the date (which is really the main thing you’d want to be prominent) being a big date (a cool complication in it’s own right). So the works are probably challenging, but it may be the simplest pc on earth to use

But we already knew those bits. In front of my face it was the appearance and fit that blew me away. The dome of the crystal is just right, and I like how it distorts dial features at the edges when viewed obliquely. I for one very much prefer the date and power reserve placement here, although I know it’s not for everyone. This wasn’t a compromise to accommodate some existing movement, it’s a deliberate design decision, and for me it nails it. And the dial color … holy frijole y’all, it’s not worth trying to describe, you just gotta go see it.

[Guppydriver]

WOW!

That's a lot of coin on your wrist in one day.

Thanks for posting pics of gorgeous watches I don't see often. As in never.

[NardinNut]

Originally Posted by Golden Palomino

Laurent Ferrier - this one wears really really nice

First off congrats on the new Moser pickup! That’s a fantastic piece.

The LF Sport Auto is likely my next purchase. I don’t have the ability to try it on prior to purchase, and there’s a lack of owner reviews here. Do you mind providing a little more detail on your impressions of it? My wrist is fairly similar size to yours. Thx!

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by NardinNut

First off congrats on the new Moser pickup! That’s a fantastic piece.

The LF Sport Auto is likely my next purchase. I don’t have the ability to try it on prior to purchase, and there’s a lack of owner reviews here. Do you mind providing a little more detail on your impressions of it? My wrist is fairly similar size to yours. Thx!

Sure thing. The size and square-to-circle ratio worked nicely. It’s a little thick but the back is domed kind of like a Rolex so it sinks down in just the right spot. All in the fit is awesome, it’s not mega flashy, but it’s elegant and classy as all hell. I like the look of the bracelet. It has a bit of play, not much, but somehow I expected it to be super finely toleranced. This may be intentional, it’s not rattly and it’s comfortable. The polished titanium surfaces on both case and bracelet are very fine, and the movement looks pretty freakin rad. Gave it a wind and the touch was nice. Date turns over slowly across maybe an hour or 2? So not instantaneous anyway. Dial depth was cool. My impression of the dial color/texture was kinda meh, but I didn’t take it into the courtyard where they have sunlight.

[Golden Palomino]

@NardinNut - couple more impressions - it’s super light, more so than the govberg pioneer on the bracelet. And I liked it more than I wanted to. I’d love to own one someday. I believe Thanh has a new one presently at a decent price

[NardinNut]

Originally Posted by Golden Palomino

@NardinNut - couple more impressions - it’s super light, more so than the govberg pioneer on the bracelet. And I liked it more than I wanted to. I’d love to own one someday. I believe Thanh has a new one presently at a decent price

Thank you for the info! I’ve read articles that talk about disappointment with the bracelet tolerances, however a light, draping bracelet is what I’m hoping for, especially as it doesn’t have micro adjustments.

Thanks for mentioning the Moser as I have that model.

I’ve actually been in talks with Thanh regarding his listing.

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by NardinNut

Thank you for the info! I’ve read articles that talk about disappointment with the bracelet tolerances, however a light, draping bracelet is what I’m hoping for, especially as it doesn’t have micro adjustments.

Thanks for mentioning the Moser as I have that model.

I’ve actually been in talks with Thanh regarding his listing.

I tend to agree that the apparent lack of tolerance may be intentionally introduced gaps, which in fact would require very fine machine/hand finish tolerances to get Goldilocks consistent on every link of a tapered bracelet. And the drape is very slick here. And I’m sure you know Thanh is a good dude, but in case you haven’t done previous business, I’m here to say he’s a good dude!

[Cru Jones]

Quite a day! Congrats on the Moser and many thanks for sharing these photos

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Quite a day! Congrats on the Moser and many thanks for sharing these photos

Thanks! And happy to share. Handling these watches is a rare thing for someone like me and sharing a bit of the experience with like minded nerds is fun.

[Golden Palomino]

Thanh’s pics don’t show the little car btw, you should verify it’s included with the package.

[NardinNut]

Originally Posted by Golden Palomino

Thanh’s pics don’t show the little car btw, you should verify it’s included with the package.

Apparently they stopped the car add on in 2023. I emailed LF to verify.

I’ve done several deals with him. He’s one of my favorite greys to deal with.

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by NardinNut

Apparently they stopped the car add on in 2023. I emailed LF to verify.

I’ve done several deals with him. He’s one of my favorite greys to deal with.

Bummer about the car. It was kinda goofy I guess but I still thought it was cool

[NardinNut]

Originally Posted by Golden Palomino

Bummer about the car. It was kinda goofy I guess but I still thought it was cool

Me too! I’m on the fence about holding out to find one that has it

[WatchEater666]

What did you think of the S series Greubel with the light blue strap you tried? Is the newer smaller one or the older larger one?

Even though the finish on that series is a step down from previous Greubel, it's still eating away at me lol

[Golden Palomino]

Originally Posted by WatchEater666

What did you think of the S series Greubel with the light blue strap you tried? Is the newer smaller one or the older larger one?

Even though the finish on that series is a step down from previous Greubel, it's still eating away at me lol

I’m not familiar enough to comment on the models and subtle deltas re: which vintage. But I can say that I loved the architectural nature of everything going on inside and outside the case. and the quality of the craftsmanship was quite apparent even to my troglodytic eyes and hands. The dimensions were hugemongous, both literally and (I felt) on my wrist. Even if I could buy it and survive the ensuing wife attack, I would personally find it unwearable, which is a primary requirement for my relatively tiny collection.

Interestingly the gentleman working at the shop had it on for a while and, despite having smaller wrists, I thought it looked good on him. Still too big to wear on the reg if it was me, but it looked cool for sure.

[ajw45]

Originally Posted by WatchEater666

What did you think of the S series Greubel with the light blue strap you tried? Is the newer smaller one or the older larger one?

Even though the finish on that series is a step down from previous Greubel, it's still eating away at me lol

I think the one on the light blue strap is the original / bigger S2 and the carbon one is the new smaller case.

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by Golden Palomino

I’m not familiar enough to comment on the models and subtle deltas re: which vintage. But I can say that I loved the architectural nature of everything going on inside and outside the case. and the quality of the craftsmanship was quite apparent even to my troglodytic eyes and hands. The dimensions were hugemongous, both literally and (I felt) on my wrist. Even if I could buy it and survive the ensuing wife attack, I would personally find it unwearable, which is a primary requirement for my relatively tiny collection.

Interestingly the gentleman working at the shop had it on for a while and, despite having smaller wrists, I thought it looked good on him. Still too big to wear on the reg if it was me, but it looked cool for sure.

Originally Posted by ajw45

I think the one on the light blue strap is the original / bigger S2 and the carbon one is the new smaller case.

Ah right makes sense, it does look quite large.

Really hoping the newer small ones end up on the used market at a good discount like a lot of the Greubel stuff does. The difficulty is that Greubel definitely lowered the quality of finish on them, so a big discount is needed for the math to math in my head hehe

[quattro98]

Congratulations on the Moser! I'm glad they've been moving towards smaller watches. It will be interesting to see what develops around the new movement.

I take every chance I can to try on a Greubel Forsey. In addition to being big, they are most definitely not in my budget.