SOTC What's left and why

[Java]

A few months ago my collection was more than twice this. It had to be reduced because my life took me from the UK to Bangkok, where I now live and will likely live for the next few years. It would have been crazy to expect to get close to 30 valuable watches into Thailand without massive customs problems and costs. I do not want own watches and leave them in a safe deposit box for years. So a reduction to the 15 watches we took with us and one I bought since being here.

Ok First is my Glashutte Original Calendar week. The calendar week for me is one of the most interesting watches GO have made. GO are basically movement makers, they never made their own cases and dials, although recently they bought the companies who make them. GO have what I believe to be the best Grand, double digit date ever made. the two digits are on one level and run concentrically (Unlike the awful Lange Grande date, a legacy from JLC with one digit about 3 KM above the other). It is a delight to see, and with the Calendar week you get two of them. The calendar week movement (Based on their 100 series) gives you Day date and week number. It has over two hundred parts dedicated to the week function , including a centrifugal brake to slow the transition at the end of the year to 01. On a recent visit to the GO factory It was explained to me that the movement was more complicated to build than the Perpetual Calendar. They made this model for a very short run and you don't see too many , especially the Rose Gold version.



Parmigiani Tonda Hemispheres and kalpagraphe

Being a bit OCD it often bothers me that multi timezone watches tend to work often in only one hour increments. there are many significant areas on the globe where the time difference is not a complete hour. The Parmigiani Hemispheres has two entirely independent time displays which can be set minutes apart if required. I am great admirer of Michel Parmigiani's work. Since leaving PP, where he was responsible for some of their most magnificent restorations of complicated watches, he has built an incredible and completely integrated manufactory, where they make even their own balance springs. The quality of their movements is magnificent and I find their designs very pleasing and non-derived.

The Hemispheres is in RG and the Kalpagraphe is in Palladium Both are fitted with Hermes straps, which are in themselves exquisite. The kalpagraphe is a beautifully shaped Toneau Chronograph It functions extremely well. On both watches I like what they have done with the date. The use a three digit window, but show only alternate digits, this allowa for larger digits and therefore a more readable date. On the Hemispheres the date has a small cyclops style magnifying window under the crystal . I like the us eof Palladium on the Kalpagraphe. Those who tell me White gold Platinum and Palladium are pointless because they look the same as Stainless Steel leave me in despair . To me they are not the same at all. All have a different mass weight ratio therefore feel completely different and they handle light very differently and have a different whiteness and lustre





Seiko Gallant GMT

I have spoken about this watch in a recent post. It is here because I bought to prove the Seiko fanboys wrong about the extreme quality of the Seiko High end product. I ended up proving them right and I love the watch



Piaget Dancer Automatic Date and Upstream

The Piaget dancer usurped Gerald Genta's Golden Shadow to become the thinnest Automatic watch in the late 70s The dancer I have is the rare Date model. Most were three handers. Since then Piaget have continued to make magnificent cases and movements, all in-house. they have also continued to chase the thinnest watch goal with continued success to this day. I care little for what the established WIS party line says about watches For me Piaget are one of the truly great manufacturers of our time. The upstream is one of the very few Piaget watches to be made in stainless steel. It was made for a short time and it's claim to fame is the bracelet. the bracelet on the Upstream has no clasp opposite the watch head. the bezel of the watch is the clasp . Besides that it is a beautifully made watch with a lovely in-house automatic movement.

Dancer



Upstream






Zenith Chronomaster

One needs no better reason to own this watch than the fact that it is a classic example of the El Primero with full Triple date moon Chrono complication. The enamel dial presents this complication in sober classical elegance. Probably the best all round movement ever made, even though it lets itself down a little in terms of finish.



Moser Monard

To my eye. This is the best three hander watch in the world. The beauty of the sculpted Platinum case, the wonderful hands against the pure grey of the Ruthenium dial . The magnificent architecture of the movement from the great mind of Andreus Strehler . The 7 day hand wound wonder is the best watch I have ever owned.





Rolex

Daytona TT with Tahitian pear Dial

This is a true beater. I wear it on leather, on its Bracelet and on a rubber B (Mostly). You can wear it with anything, you can jump in the pool with it, it has a great 72 hour PR If it had a date i'd marry it. It is no surprise that the Dayton is so popular. It is amazing. I like to buck the WIS partly line once more by not feeling I must own it in SS. I like a bit of gold.





Yachmaster in 18CT with Tahitian Pearl dial.

I never wear this but my wife loves to



Omega

A beautiful Manual wind Seamaster from 1967. Because it is what it is.



Corum

Once again bucking the whole WIS school of thought. I love what Corum have done over the years. I love the integrity wit which they have done it. The originality of their design work is admirable

The Admirals cup series is Iconic in its own right. The admiral cup Tides is a very special watch. The tides module was developed over a tree year period between Corum, Dubois Depraz and the French aquanautical society. It is a unique and wonderful complication

The Bubble series. Once again a unique and very special design and brilliantly executed. I have the Bubble Skeleton The ETA 2892 is fully built by Corum and every part DLC coated. They even adapted the movement plate to show the Corum Key emblem.
The Idea of a skeleton with that incredible magnifying dome crystal is genius







Blancpain FF White

My Wife mostly wears this. The FF is the diver of all divers. I don't dive and don't need to hide from sharks, so i am happy to have it in White



JLC

Another watch which was a very long time in development by one of the greatest and most prolific movement makers . This Reverso Column wheel retrograde Chronograph is one of the finest examples of their work.




Girard Perregaux

Richeville Bi Compax Chrono

Love Tonneau watches Love the bi Compax Chrono

[jjnd08]

Very nice and well rounded collection; love that GO!

[B. Doggy]

Nice post!

[kilyung]

Cool post. Very interesting collection.

[GB-man]

I really enjoyed your post and your eclectic group of watches. Some of my favorites are the moser, omega and white FF.

Oh and that shot of the corum with the skyline is magnificent

[mps354]

Very nice collection, definitely unique. I love that moser

[Psmith]

Great collection - interesting and varied

[capote]

Thanks for sharing, amazing and interesting collection. I really enjoyed seeing these unusual picks

[paverman]

I love your collection. While not filled with all the "usual" models, it's quite unique and very diverse.
Very nice.

[ELITEVIDEOGAMES]

Beautiful and nicely rounded collection. It's good to see your brave and buy what you like as opposed to what is "safe", look forward to seeing what you pick next.