Watches

[northernboy]

Seems to be a few days since the last one, so...

Despite not really being in the market for one, I was browsing Rolexes on the web, and thought that the Yacht-master looked realy nice. I looked up the cost, and was pretty surprised at the £4,000+ list price.

Anyone on here got one, and can anyone say how they differ from the explorers, which are also nice, but cost much less.

Being a bit of a geek with respect to timekeeping (I like to get back to my seat a couple of seconds before the data release), what is the expected error on a reasonably good mechanical movement like this? I am lucky in than my old quartz watch keeps within a second a month (I must just have one that happpens to be close to bang on right), but how much accuracy do you lose with a Rolex.

Just to ameliorate the inevitable abuse, I will say again that I am not about to buy one, I am just curious, and plenty of people on here seem to have them.

Edited by northernboy on Sunday 11th March 23:15

[northernboy]

princeperch said:

So it's not so bad. Depends if you are anally retentive on your timekeeping or not...

Yeah. Sadly, I really am. My job revolves around economic data releases, and I like to know exactly when to wander back up in an nonchalannt way that still sits me down just as the headlines appear.

I guess, though, that you get to learn which conditions speed and slow it, so can at least anticipate the drift.

Academic of course, as I definitely would not spend so much. No way. Nosiree. not me.

Do you think, then, that the "cheap" range has a worse movement?

[northernboy]

princeperch said:

ETA: I don't have the watch you ask about, although I do own several mechanical time pieces in my modest collection, and if you do a bit of digging you will find Rolex and Omega, although I'm not so sure about TAG, house the same movements in their watches...

Edited by princeperch on Sunday 11th March 23:18

My TAG has a quartz movement, as I did not buy one of the more expensive ones.

Still costs 120 bloody pounds for a basic service, though, and 400 for a new strap. Cvnts.

Edited by northernboy on Sunday 11th March 23:21

[northernboy]

andmole said:

I have one.
I am very sad
I should get out more

Edited by andmole on Sunday 11th March 23:25

That's not sad, it is geekchic, which the ladies dig.

I assume so, anyway. I doubt it is my personality or looks that does it...

Edited to say that I looked, they are cool, and I must have one.

Although...

When these clocks were new, I remember seeing a coouple in a shop in Grreenwich. I said to the guy in there "Are these the clocks that use the time signal?"

"Yes" he said.

"And they are accurate to milliseconds, yes?"

"Yes, he said".

"So", I said "Why are they showing times 40 minutes apart..."

Edited by northernboy on Sunday 11th March 23:31

[northernboy]

princeperch said:

The mark up on watches is very high. Therefore I always buy (new) watches in the states to get value. The same goes for servicing and maintaining them. Send it to the big boys, and you'll be billed for it...

I will admit, though, that the shininess calls.

Not going to spend taht sort of money this year, though. I am getting my Tag repaired, and getting something cheapish, so I do not end up wearing the Tag every day and damaging the strap again.

[northernboy]

princeperch said:

Depends if you're a magpie I guess.

I don't like bling myself, I prefer understated pieces and warm patina..

Well, if I were to change my mind...

I personally like the plainer watches in the range, but do like the look of a decent bezel.

[northernboy]

cyberface said:

As to your question, the Yacht-master to me always struck me as the 'bling' end of the Rolex spectrum, with all the 'lifestyle' baggage (unless you are a keen sailor and like to show it off, I guess??) I preferred the image of the Explorer (and the styling, which isn't that far off the Daytona without the chronograph) - and if their marketing is to be believed, should be more accurate across different altitudes / temperatures...

I've only really seen the two-tone / gold Yacht-masters though, whereas I'd only ever wear a steel Rolex, so I'm prejudiced.

IMO the Explorer is a damn fine watch, not too big (current fashion is taking the piss size-wise - I love the IWC doppelchronograph but it's too damn big for my wrist and looks preposterous), cleanly styled and has its own pedigree.

If you prefer the Yacht-master style then I'd suggest a Sea-dweller... not as ubiquitous as the Submariner but with real practical credibility. Not that any of us are going to dive a kilometre under the sea of course, but it's fun

For ultimate accuracy the watches that synchronise to atomic clock signals are unbeatable. Accuracy is largely dependent on beat frequency, and a quartz crystal oscillates much faster than a mechanical movement (even the Zenith El Primero, which runs at 48k and is one of the faster ones). However cheap quartz movements can be adversely affected by temperature changes - Breitling for one specifically make an 'augmented' quartz model that compensates for that, ensuring even more accurate time.

If you must have a mechanical watch for watch-geek or status reasons

I don't really go for the status thing much with wtches, having recently been wearing my "waving chairman Mau" one, or my copy of the first digital watch (which I think was £30).

I like the 200m rating in my S/EL, and was surprised that many of the rolexes don't have it (although I had to have a new face and hands on the tag after water ingress...).

The yacht master I likes was all silver, with a silver face, so not really one of the more flashy ones. I need a small faced one, too (mine is the mid-size), as big faces just look wrong on my wrist.

Anyway, it is all academic. I was just broowsing for interest, and thought that they looked nice. I will not buy one when I go to NY next week. Oh no, not me.

[northernboy]

dazren said:

Reason for the apparent uplift in price over the other steel sports watches is the SS yachtmaster has some platinum in the bezel.

As you seem to travel a bit the SS Explorer 2 may be the one to go for as a you have a second hour hand with a 24hr sweep. Similar to the GMT series but with a plain stainless bezel.

Edited by dazren on Monday 12th March 13:19

It would be nice if they diid the Yachtmaster design without platinum in the bezel, but, alas, they do not.

The explorer II is very nice too, but, were they the same price, I'd probably pick the yachtmaster, so it is a difficult choice.

As I am definitely not about to buy a Rolex, though, it is definitely academic.

Definitely.

[northernboy]

swerni said:

I would go along with this.
I have a submariner and before that a GMT
Wife has a Yacht Master

and none of them are great at keeping time

Having said that still think they are great watches and in August the replacement for the submariner finally arrives

and yes it's another rolex

It is strange to me, that I used to think that they did not look nice, and now suddenly find myself thinking that they really do look great.

Jewellery for men. Cool.

Edited by northernboy on Monday 12th March 22:04

[northernboy]

Just edited to say, thanks very much for all the advice. Back at the start it really was academic interest. By this afternoon, I boight an Explorer II.

Edited by northernboy on Thursday 15th March 23:04