My watch evolution …(Rolex, Breitling & Omega content w Rolex happy ending) - long

[simonthepilot]

I guess that I have been weak for watches since I was a very young boy, in the late 80:s I remember having a Casio digital watch –with a integrated phone book that emitted tone dials so you would not need to actually use the number dial. Very much a 80:s thing but it was really something back then.
In 1992 my parents got me a “nice watch”, a Olympic Seiko limitied edition which I do still have but it was not until 2003 I discovered the finer timepieces. As I’m also a pilot by training, the Breitling line was very close to my heart. During a vacation in Rhodes, Greece I decided to pull the trigger on lovely two tone Breitling Aerospace.



After a year or two (can’t remember exactly) I sold it due to our second baby was on the way, and we where planning to buy a house. So during these years, until 2008 I lived with a cheap very basic Seiko quartz. In late 2008 I decided that I was in need of a nice timepiece, once again a Breitling Aerospace. During a business trip to New York and Montreal I visited many Breitling retailers and finally got a good price at La Swiss in Montreal. A Breitling Aerospace Advantage with a grey dial.



I was really into the black dial (not a single one in stock in Canada at the moment) – so I never really bonded with the grayish dial, and that period of time was rather tuff as I got some issues with my health and was undergoing extensive examinations so in some strange way the watch in my mind came to be associated with the difficulties I was going through.

During this period I was heavily into watch magazines, different forums as well as window shopping during my different business trips in Europe. I guess it was also a way to divert my thoughts on other things than the issues I was going through. Being into watches means that you can’t avoid Rolex, and I grew more and more found of the Rolex Submariner LV with the green bezel.

I extensively searched different forums and tried to learn more about the SubLV. Even though I now can say that the SubLV was my first love, I kept reading that the GMTc was a superior watch with the parachrome hairspring, cheracrome bezel and the all new solid bracelet. And yes, it was very much appealing when I first tried it on at an AD in Stockholm. The SubLV was nice to, but the green bezel doesn’t really do well in a spotlight intensive environment – as the GMT does. The Stockholm AD said that the GMT was superior and that there where a four month waiting time after putting down a 20% down payment.

So during spring last year
I was very ripe for my first Rolex acquisition, even though I wasn’t completely clear on which one. During a business trip to Germany (via Amsterdam Schiphol) I had the chance to once again try on the SubLV at Schiphol, but not the GMTc as it was not in Stock. They day before I called Wempe in Cologne to see if they had the SubLV and the GMTc in Stock, and they had the GMTc.

So there I was, between flights at the airports, having only 50 minutes to decide – the SubLV at the airport, or the GMTc at Wempe in downtown Cologne.







I went for the GMTc. The SubLV:s green does not it’s best in an AD-environment. And the handling at Schiphol (where they sometimes are not very gentle with their merchandise can be perceived as a tad cheap IMHO). However I can only recommend them as they do have good service other than that.

I really loved that GMTc. A solid, massive piece of art. Actually a perfect watch, everything was just…. utterly perfect. I got plenty of positive feedback, the watch really caught the attention of lots of people, colleagues, friends, family. I have only good things to say about the GMTc, but the PLC where a bit hard to care for.

The following summer I decided to sell my grey dialed Aerospace as Breitling released the new teck-like Vulcano black dial. This was also a mental full stop for the health issues I was going thorugh so I flipped it and went for the new black dialed aerospace as in a manifestation. To keep costs down I ordered the watch with a rubber band.





However, just after a few weeks I decided I wanted the full titanium bracelet.

As time passed by I was quite happy with my watches. As we celebrated our ten year anniversary I bought my lovely wife an Omega Constellation Two-tone.



I also had a short réunion with an pre-used Omega Seamaster GMT, but flipped it away shortly after I acquired it, more of a parenthesis in my watch evolution.



My watch interest was peaking now, and I kept having feelings for the SubLV, my first love.. It started to become more clear that the Rolex I really fell for was the SubLV. Sure, the GMTc was overall a more modern construction and I’m sure a better watch, but in some way it was to perfect for me. I realized that I really wanted the SubLV.

So I flipped the GMTc to a nice gentlemen being the CEO of a listed company. He was kind of funny and gave me a investment advice, buy stocks in my company – that could easily be the best investment you do…
So after a few weeks I was once again at Amsterdam Schiphol airport and trying on the SubLV and a few other watches. As we also where extending our house I was quite hesitant on once again plunging out with that kind of money. I tried on the Rolex Explorer and the salesperson immediately gave me a “extra, extra good price” and as I had a connecting flight to catch the decision was solely taken on the good discount. I went for the Rolex Explorer but as soon as my connecting flight took off from Amsterdam I regretted what I had done. This was my second chance to buy the SubLV and I blew it.





As soon as I was back I put the Explorer out for sale. Even though I must admit it’s a lovely watch. I liked it very much, I really did. But it was the Sub LV I really loved.

It was not very easy to flip the Explorer, but finally a very nice gentlemen, a pediatrician who was looking for a simple, durable, high-quality timepiece showed up and basically paid the same money I paid for it. The watch was BNIB, even the stickers where on as I realized it would be much easier to sell it was those on.

The pediatrician put down a down payment on the watch, and wanted to wait with full payment until end of the month. The very next day I was once again off for a business trip, via Amsterdam. And there it was sitting in the window, the SubLV. Now I was completely sure – nothing could change my mind. Even though they had several others in stock (the new SubC TT) and all for real tax-free prices (MSRP – 19% in EUR) I went for the SubLV with the new random serial no.





And now almost a month afterwards I am so happy, so completely satisfied with the SubLV. I’ve sworn never to flip it if I don’t have too. The green bezel is fantastic, especially in natural light.

So what’s the moral of the story? Nothing is like the first love! Even though I may feel that the GMTc was better in many aspects, it’s the SubLV which makes me smile the most