Geneva road trip & tour of JLC Manufacture

[v8woollie]

v8woollie +1
yeti
jonby
AstonZagato
Niki M +1 (tour x 2)
DavidV12V
Behr
Neil1300R +1 (tour x 2)
Threesixty + 1
jamesc12 (+ 1?)
AMDBSNick
V8 PLL +1 (tour x 2)
Robgt +1 (tour x 2)
Mac355 + 1 (tour x 2)
B4rnst4ble + 1 (tour x 2)

Manufacture tour reserve list (you can still come on the trip):

Dougie81 +1 

Only one place left on the tour but moved up b4rnst4ble +1 even though two for the tour. Still plenty of time left for changes to the list.

[v8woollie]

CraigV12V said:

Can you add me plus Mrs as provisional? Will let you know if missus is interested in tour and firm up commitment asap.

v8woollie +1
yeti
jonby
AstonZagato
Niki M +1 (tour x 2)
DavidV12V
Behr
Neil1300R +1 (tour x 2)
Threesixty + 1
jamesc12 (+ 1?)
AMDBSNick
V8 PLL +1 (tour x 2)
Robgt +1 (tour x 2)
Mac355 + 1 (tour x 2)
B4rnst4ble + 1 (tour x 2)

Manufacture tour reserve list (you can still come on the trip):

Dougie81 +1
CraigV12V + 1

Only one place left on the tour but moved up b4rnst4ble +1 even though two for the tour. Still plenty of time left for changes to the list.

[v8woollie]

marceltay said:

I'd like to join in for the drive and the tour if spaces become available. The Mrs is a maybe for now. No JLC watch yet, but can probably arrange to bring one along if required :-)

No watch required

v8woollie +1
yeti
jonby
AstonZagato
Niki M +1 (tour x 2)
DavidV12V
Behr
Neil1300R +1 (tour x 2)
Threesixty + 1
jamesc12 (+ 1?)
AMDBSNick
V8 PLL +1 (tour x 2)
Robgt +1 (tour x 2)
Mac355 + 1 (tour x 2)
B4rnst4ble + 1 (tour x 2)

Manufacture tour reserve list (you can still come on the trip):

Dougie81 +1
CraigV12V + 1
marceltay + 1

Only one place left on the tour but moved up b4rnst4ble +1 even though two for the tour. Still plenty of time left for changes to the list.

[v8woollie]

jonby said:

I'm double checked and am definitely OK on those dates but a bit confused Yeti - surely it's leaving Calais on the 9th to Beaune, then going from Beaune to Geneva on the 10th for a tour on the 11th and a drive back on the 12th/crossing into the 13th ?

Or are you building in a day of leisure in Geneva on the 10th ?

Aim is to leave the UK on the 9th, overnight stay on the way, arrive in Geneva mid-afternoon on the 10th and have the factory tour on the 11th. We can then either leave Geneva on the 11th after the tour or stay another night and leave on the 12th. If the factory tour is in the morning then leaving on the 11th PM may be OK.

[v8woollie]

Tony V12V said:

Could you add me to the list (trip plus tour) please.

Just got to get 'permission' to go on another EPIC trip - Will remove myself from list if pass is revoked

v8woollie +1
yeti
jonby
AstonZagato
Niki M +1 (tour x 2)
DavidV12V
Behr
Neil1300R +1 (tour x 2)
Threesixty + 1
jamesc12 (+ 1?)
AMDBSNick
V8 PLL +1 (tour x 2)
Robgt +1 (tour x 2)
Mac355 + 1 (tour x 2)
B4rnst4ble + 1 (tour x 2)

Manufacture tour reserve list (you can still come on the trip):

Dougie81 +1
CraigV12V + 1
marceltay + 1
Tony V12V

Just to clarify, if you are going alone then I am assuming you want to do the tour of the Manufacture. If you have a +1 then you need to state if the +1 will also want to do the tour, hence the tour x 2 indication.

[v8woollie]

If we're getting a morning Eurostar or ferry I would leave home early that morning. I'm only 90 minutes max from either.

[v8woollie]

DavidV12V said:

I should be coming down from the NW as well, and figure on night stop-over in Kent area would suit, but happy to go with whatever anyone else is doing....probably wouldn't mind a meal and a couple of that night though after all those miles..;)

Really looking forward to this already (thanks Wollie for organising!!) as it'll be the spring wake-up for the car (like getting a new one every year ) and a nice long drive with something really great at the other end with good company...

It should be a great trip. If you like the engineering in cars then that in watches is a marvel of micro mechanics. The constant running of a watch movement is likened to running a car engine continuously at top speed. Incredible, especially when you consider the service intervals are around every five years.

[v8woollie]

robgt said:

Molly and I are really excited about this trip. V8 Woolie, thank you very much for organising it. My daughter is getting married a few weeks before we go so the trip will cheer me up. I suppose I will be gaining a son though!!

My pleasure. I have three daughters and, judging by the young chap with whom my eldest seem to be enamoured, I am not relishing the thought of gaining three sons!!

[v8woollie]

You have mail

[v8woollie]

yeti said:

This 'un - http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/GB/en/luxury-watch...

Looking forward to it, but it means another must go in its place... Probably my IWC Portuguese, I don't wear it and this replaces it rather neatly.

IWC Portuguese Rattrapante anyone?

Excellent choice. Please wear it on the 9th at the D&D.

[v8woollie]

Two good choices. Personally I'd go for the Fifty Fathoms too but maybe because I have the EWC and the JLC Navy Seals is too close in style.

[v8woollie]

George H said:

Never really been a Blancplain fan to be honest... I'm saving for a Richard Mille RM008 for the time I'm 40

Enjoy the next ten years of eating ramen then

[v8woollie]

A lesson I learned very early on in my watch collecting - never think of a watch as an investment that will hold or increase its value. Very few do and only Patek has a solid history of doing so, apart from the really high end pieces from other manufactures. That said, part of the reason a Patek will hold value is that they add a 10% price increase every year, so you can almost always get your money back (albeit it is worth less due to inflation etc.).

Add the two factors of:

- the secondary market dealers that buy up stock and (as an example) now it is hard to get a Rolex Daytona without paying over retail (unless you want to wait a few years)

- the fact that many watches can be purchased for up to 20% below retail from authorised dealers and boutiques

and then you find that the used market expects at least 30-40% off the new retail price before considering a purchase. So your lovely new watch that you paid full price for is instantly worth 40% less as soon as you walk out of the shop (unless it is a Tour de l'Ile (my personal grail watch), Gyrotourbillon, Tryptique or some other high-end watch).

Edited by v8woollie on Tuesday 2nd October 13:59

[v8woollie]

jonby said:

ss rolexes are the one exception to that rule. not high end in this company but partly because like patek, the new price keeps going up, they make an amazing investment

Edited by jonby on Tuesday 2nd October 14:32

True. The old style Sea Dweller is a classic for me. God only knows that the designer was thinking when he designed the Deep Sea! One day I will have a Comex Seadweller

[v8woollie]

AMDBSNick said:

Is it supposed to be serviced

Treat it like a car. Mechanical watches should be serviced at least every five years even if just to repalce the lubrication in the movement.

I've had my EWC for over five years. I took it to the JLC boutique in London and put it on the machine to test the rate and the amplitude. The rate was +0 and the amplitude was 279. So my watch is spot on accurate and has the amplitude strength of a new watch. I therefore decided to leave the servicing for another year at least.

Worth checking before sending a watch for service as the rate and apmplitude are good indicators of the oils coagulating or wear in the movement.

[v8woollie]

To offset the costs Nick you could always supply your own lubricating oil

[v8woollie]

yeti said:

Molybedenum grease

Seiko are, I belive, the only manufacture who make their own..?

Or better still is JLC's pioneering use of Easium carbonitride as seen in the Extreme LAB. No grease at all

[v8woollie]

I never use Cartier for servicing. They charged me £185 once to put in a new battery as they said it HAD to be cleaned and resealed. Got it done at a competent high street jeweller for £30.

Best place is a good watchmaker or a Watches of Switzerland branch that has an on-site watchmaker there. Many independents also offer servicing such as Carrs in London. Even Richard the watchmaker at the the JLC boutique in London will service other makes if asked very nicely

In the watch world (barring some of Cartiers high-end in-house pieces) they are a lot of style over substance and you pay Cartier prices for servicing.

Lord only knows what they charge for the oil

[v8woollie]

That is a very kind offer and I am sure there will be time to stop by the club and join you and your friends there for some drinks and maybe dinner (not sure on the dinner arrangements yet). Mr Yeti is route planner and I am hoping we will arrive in Geneva around mid afternoon on the 10th April.

I will be updating this thread as I get the itinerary confirmed so hopefully we can discuss at that stage and incorporate your idea into it.

Thanks for contributing and wanting to add another special component to the trip.

[v8woollie]

v8woollie +1
yeti
jonby
AstonZagato
Niki M +1 (tour x 2)
DavidV12V
Behr
Neil1300R +1 (tour x 2)
Threesixty + 1
jamesc12 (+ 1?)
AMDBSNick
V8 PLL +1 (tour x 2)
Robgt +1 (tour x 2)
Mac355 + 1 (tour x 2)
B4rnst4ble + 1 (tour x 2)

Manufacture tour reserve list (you can still come on the trip):

Dougie81 +1
CraigV12V + 1
marceltay + 1
Tony V12V
George H
PauloV12V +1

PauloV12V, you are only on the reserve list as far as the tour of the Manufacture goes. You are of course very welcome to join us on the trip.