Big Hello From Me and My New Sub

[Dick Jones]

Hi All:

I'm the proud owner of a one week old 116610. It's been a long journey, it's not done, but I deeply thank TRF which has been my lighthouse for at least the month or two.

At the risk of veering rather too far from Horology and too close to psychology, watches have always been about love and conflict for me. The love, which I've had for as long as I can recall, is for the watches themselves, the way they look, and the complexity of the machinery behind them. The conflicts were many. As a guy who takes pride in spending money wisely, could I justify spending more money then necessary on a timepiece? Even if I wanted it? Was it OK to buy prestige? Or was that the wrong kind of attention? As someone who loves function why should I buy a mechanical movement when a quartz, or better yet, a quartz that could receive atomic time, was available for less money? These push-and-pulls have sent me careening across the horological landscape.

A brief history of my watches since college
- At graduation in 1987 got a Seiko 6533-5039 TT (thin, square Seiko men's dress watch). Was very proud of it at the time, still have it, though now it looks strangely small, not something I'd wear now. 25 years is a long time.
- Picked up Tag Heuer 4000 Quartz around '92. Liked it fine but somehow wanted more. Sold it for a pittance, should have kept it.
- Bought a Pepsico Submariner in 1998. Liked it at first but the lack of accuracy really got to me (combination of a hyper-punctual phase I was going through and lack of always there cell phones in the 90s) I sold it to a relative for almost nothing. Wish I'd held onto the watch, or had the grace to just give it as a gift.
- Bought a succession of cheap watches, the most notable being the Citizen Titanium Promaster. Light, strong, accurate, driven by solar power. My wife said it looked like it came from Gundam (the Japanese roboto anime/comic) and she's right
- Bought a Breitling Aerospace in '99, which I love. Super quartz for hyper-accuracy, looks good, light, takes a pounding. However, had some issues - can't see it well in dim light (a problem for me in early mornings), the bezel would rip out the linings of jackets. Still, it's a watch I'll hold onto for a long time.
- Got a Tag Aquaracer Quartz a few years ago. Didn't really like it, was happy to get rid of it after about 3 months.
- Got two Nite watches last year. These British made things were rugged as heck and had the worlds most powerful glow tubes so you could almost literally read by them. But they weren't comfortable and while they were OK looking, I didn't love them. Ebay'd after a few months.
- Between an August birthday and a few other major life events decided to take the big step and go Rolex. Bought a used Yacht Master from a well regarded dealer about two weeks ago. Took it to a local Rolex Official Service Center who said it was having amplitude problems, loosing 11 seconds a day, need a new spring. That watch went back the next day, together somehow with my notion that Yachtmaster was right for me, at least as a daily watch. The watch was a disappointment but they did issue a full refund quickly.
- Last week... I became the owner of a brand new, beautiful, Submariner. I'm hoping it will be as accurate and reliable as it is attractive.

No plans to give up the Sub anytime soon, but I could see a Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT (long story, worth of a separate post) and maybe a Yachtmaster at sometime in my future.

Now that I'm out of lurk mode, look forward to hanging out here and getting to know everyone. And for those of you that sat through this novel, thank you!

[Lol-x]

Welcome and its good to know that after a long journey you have finally reached your destination

I hope you will enjoy the forums and of course your new SubC

[Art 1]

Hello.

[chicagofan]

Welcome to TRF.

[DiverAsia]

Nice read, Welcome. We seem to have traveled close to the same road to our Subs.

[MonBK]

Great introduction, welcome to the forums.

[TSW]

Welcome to TRF Bill!

[PatekCollector]

Welcome to this great community, Bill.

[caryyee]

Welcome to the TRF community!

[malarky_hk]

Hello and welcome.

[Nitedeuce]

Nice intro, welcome!

[HL65]

Welcome

[rolex170]

Welcome

[Dick Jones]

Thanks All!

[sea-dweller]

Nice story and welcome from the Bay Area!

[brfst6]

welcome

[dddrees]

Welcome to TRF.

Great story and I think you'll find in the many years to follow you'll look back and find that you are very happy you decided to make this purchase.


Congrats.

[77T]

Welcome to TRF!

Nice story!

[Silvio Mosiello]

Welcome and cograts

[mrbill2mrbill2]

Welcome to TRF from MrBill.

[nick c]

welcome!

[Watchonisto]

Welcome

[Psmith]

Welcome

[mjclark32]

Congrats and welcome!