Great deals you missed out on.
Discussion
A good few years ago I was in the Trafford Centre and Goldsmiths had a GMT Master 2 in. At the time they retailed for £3200. AD said that he would do it for £3000 if I bought it there and then. I wobbled and said no. X years later I ended up buying a pre-owned BLNR for considerably more. Ahh well.
Anyone else let a deal slip through their fingers only to regret it?
Anyone else let a deal slip through their fingers only to regret it?
bigandclever said:
erolb said:
Anyone else let a deal slip through their fingers only to regret it?
In 2010 I was looking at getting a Dornblüth regulator. Can't remember the price but it had all sorts of funky 'extras' after a few chats with Dirk. I got a frigging mortgage instead. Still annoys me 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Le-Coultre-Futurematic-...
Missing out due to the strains of trying over pay two mortgages & of having recently shelled out for both an eye wateringly expensive pair of varifocals
& a new camera and lens whilst still part furloughed. I could afford it, but I choose not to. My rule for purchasing watches is that I shouldn't notice the expenditure, this time I would.
Bloody good deal, even with the import duty.
Missing out due to the strains of trying over pay two mortgages & of having recently shelled out for both an eye wateringly expensive pair of varifocals
& a new camera and lens whilst still part furloughed. I could afford it, but I choose not to. My rule for purchasing watches is that I shouldn't notice the expenditure, this time I would.
Bloody good deal, even with the import duty.
Fortunately I've not made any major screw ups, but I have a story to share.
I have a friend who doesn't know much about watches, he was offered a Silver Snoopy at list price when he was at a dealer in the Middle East. This was back in 2015 when they were new. He turned it down, opting for a normal speedmaster as he preferred the black dial.
He had no idea what he'd done until a conversation we had earlier this year.
For those who aren't familiar, list price on a Silver Snoopy was around $6000USD in 2015, they now sell for around $40k. Quite the return in 5 years.
I have a friend who doesn't know much about watches, he was offered a Silver Snoopy at list price when he was at a dealer in the Middle East. This was back in 2015 when they were new. He turned it down, opting for a normal speedmaster as he preferred the black dial.
He had no idea what he'd done until a conversation we had earlier this year.
For those who aren't familiar, list price on a Silver Snoopy was around $6000USD in 2015, they now sell for around $40k. Quite the return in 5 years.
TimLam7 said:
Fortunately I've not made any major screw ups, but I have a story to share.
I have a friend who doesn't know much about watches, he was offered a Silver Snoopy at list price when he was at a dealer in the Middle East. This was back in 2015 when they were new. He turned it down, opting for a normal speedmaster as he preferred the black dial.
He had no idea what he'd done until a conversation we had earlier this year.
For those who aren't familiar, list price on a Silver Snoopy was around $6000USD in 2015, they now sell for around $40k. Quite the return in 5 years.
I managed to buy a Silver Snoopy at double retail in 2016 (paid £8,500) and was really apprehensive about it as it had doubled in price in a year. I was offered another 2 at £9k but thought it was too much money. I’ll never sell mine but hindsight would’ve been a beauty as I’d have had all 3!!!I have a friend who doesn't know much about watches, he was offered a Silver Snoopy at list price when he was at a dealer in the Middle East. This was back in 2015 when they were new. He turned it down, opting for a normal speedmaster as he preferred the black dial.
He had no idea what he'd done until a conversation we had earlier this year.
For those who aren't familiar, list price on a Silver Snoopy was around $6000USD in 2015, they now sell for around $40k. Quite the return in 5 years.
JapanRed said:
TimLam7 said:
Fortunately I've not made any major screw ups, but I have a story to share.
I have a friend who doesn't know much about watches, he was offered a Silver Snoopy at list price when he was at a dealer in the Middle East. This was back in 2015 when they were new. He turned it down, opting for a normal speedmaster as he preferred the black dial.
He had no idea what he'd done until a conversation we had earlier this year.
For those who aren't familiar, list price on a Silver Snoopy was around $6000USD in 2015, they now sell for around $40k. Quite the return in 5 years.
I managed to buy a Silver Snoopy at double retail in 2016 (paid £8,500) and was really apprehensive about it as it had doubled in price in a year. I was offered another 2 at £9k but thought it was too much money. I’ll never sell mine but hindsight would’ve been a beauty as I’d have had all 3!!!I have a friend who doesn't know much about watches, he was offered a Silver Snoopy at list price when he was at a dealer in the Middle East. This was back in 2015 when they were new. He turned it down, opting for a normal speedmaster as he preferred the black dial.
He had no idea what he'd done until a conversation we had earlier this year.
For those who aren't familiar, list price on a Silver Snoopy was around $6000USD in 2015, they now sell for around $40k. Quite the return in 5 years.
I can't think of another watch that's seen such crazy price rises from new? There are bubbles immediately after release like with the ceramic Daytona, but the Silver Snoopy has just risen consistently it's wild.
3 Years ago I was walking past my local grey dealer with my wife and saw a BLNR in the window. I was wearing my GMT at the time, and my wife said "change your watch for that one if you like it"
So we went inside and the dealer, said he would take my GMT as part ex against the BLNR, and it would cost me £1500 to change.
My wife was pushing me to do it, saying 'It's only £1500, if you like it just buy it".
I wasn't totally sure I liked the colours on the BLNR so I just said no.
So we went inside and the dealer, said he would take my GMT as part ex against the BLNR, and it would cost me £1500 to change.
My wife was pushing me to do it, saying 'It's only £1500, if you like it just buy it".
I wasn't totally sure I liked the colours on the BLNR so I just said no.
In 2018 I saw a Hermes In The Pocket for sale on Chrono24.
The watch was produced as a very limited run of 28 in 2012 or 2013. They're a pocket watch with a palladium case, and a strap that allows it to be worn on the wrist.
They originally retailed at £25K, which is why I didn't buy one, but this was going for $10K.
Unfortunately I was between jobs, so I didn't want to blow a large chunk of my savings on something frivolous, so I passed. A month or two later, the watch sold.
The watch was produced as a very limited run of 28 in 2012 or 2013. They're a pocket watch with a palladium case, and a strap that allows it to be worn on the wrist.
They originally retailed at £25K, which is why I didn't buy one, but this was going for $10K.
Unfortunately I was between jobs, so I didn't want to blow a large chunk of my savings on something frivolous, so I passed. A month or two later, the watch sold.
Not that long ago when I still thought that an expensive watch would make me feel complete, I hovered over a Sinn 903 Navitimer when they were around £1,900 new always promising myself a treat if I had a 'good year' business wise - those years came and went and some were 'good'.
Still have slight regrets every now and then but settled on £750 being the maximum I would ever pay for a watch. A £500 Glycine does me just fine, the rest I spend on Konis and similar automotive upgrades.
Still have slight regrets every now and then but settled on £750 being the maximum I would ever pay for a watch. A £500 Glycine does me just fine, the rest I spend on Konis and similar automotive upgrades.
june 2017- connecting flight in heathrow on my way to vegas. quick wander round the rolex shop, guy asks if there’s anything in particular i’m looking for- yeah a rolex sub.
goes over to the cabinet, brings over a rolex sub date. asks where i’m flying, says i can have it list price and VAT free, but obviously I should declare it when I come back to the uk........
I’d just bought a flat with mrs malks, was already in the bad books for going to vegas on a boys holiday when we should’ve been buying stuff for the day, decided it would’ve only got worse spending £5k on a watch before i’d even landed in vegas.
goes over to the cabinet, brings over a rolex sub date. asks where i’m flying, says i can have it list price and VAT free, but obviously I should declare it when I come back to the uk........
I’d just bought a flat with mrs malks, was already in the bad books for going to vegas on a boys holiday when we should’ve been buying stuff for the day, decided it would’ve only got worse spending £5k on a watch before i’d even landed in vegas.
erolb said:
As with houses, the best time to buy a watch is five years ago.
7 years ago for me... on holiday in Singapore I walked past (and then into) a Rolex dealer as they had a lovely watch in the window that I really liked the look of.Exchange rate at the time made it just under £5k but having done no research I figured it would likely be cheaper in Dubai (where I was living at the time) so I walked away.
You can guess the rest.... £8k minimum in Dubai, so a Rolex still remains an unticked box for me!
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