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Post by richie22 on Sept 13, 2020 13:51:39 GMT
As the title suggests, is there any watch collectors/traders on here? I’m thinking of buying a high end number and after some advice...
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Post by FbrgVaStkFan on Sept 13, 2020 14:18:46 GMT
I have around a dozen watches, but I do not trade. I'm willing to offer my subjective views, but frankly I am no more than a person who likes watches for their looks and for their amazing mechanical beauty. I quit collecting a few years ago, but I do have an eye on a few more watches to round out my collection, but as I'm getting older, my justification for dropping good coin on a watch is getting harder and harder to make. Go to "watchuseek.com" and check out the forum there, lots of good material on that site.
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Post by richie22 on Sept 13, 2020 14:24:50 GMT
I’m thinking of buying an omega speedmaster professional. A sizeable investment.(4-5k) ... but is it worth it. Don’t want to buy it and it too lose money consistently on it. I currently collect g shock Casio’s , some of which are collectible but want to advance it abit
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Post by essexstokey on Sept 13, 2020 14:38:53 GMT
Was looking the other year for a mate found watchfinder more reliable than most the thing you have to watch out for is scammers and also fakes try and do your research and try to not put contact details in forms of sites that you don't know validity of . Also it might be worth considering contacting a good auction house for info on any specialist auctions coming up or contacts they know of just be careful and do your research like all investments they can go up and down depending on demand condition and amount produced
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Post by elystokie on Sept 13, 2020 15:48:24 GMT
Was looking the other year for a mate found watchfinder more reliable than most the thing you have to watch out for is scammers and also fakes try and do your research and try to not put contact details in forms of sites that you don't know validity of . Also it might be worth considering contacting a good auction house for info on any specialist auctions coming up or contacts they know of just be careful and do your research like all investments they can go up and down depending on demand condition and amount produced Yeh, I'd imagine it's very difficult for someone that isn't an expert to spot the difference between some of the copies you can get and the genuine article. I bought a couple of copy Rolex's in the Middle East in the eighties and I'd defy anyone to tell the difference from genuine ones without taking them apart and finding the Seiko workings inside
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Post by Cast no shadow on Sept 13, 2020 16:26:31 GMT
Not really got time for it.
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 13, 2020 16:29:48 GMT
I’m thinking of buying an omega speedmaster professional. A sizeable investment.(4-5k) ... but is it worth it. Don’t want to buy it and it too lose money consistently on it. I currently collect g shock Casio’s , some of which are collectible but want to advance it abit The focus of collecting attention, as regards the Omega Speedmaster, seems to be centered on the late 1960's and 70's models, if you can find them in good condition. The Speedmaster was first introduced in 1957, but secured its reputation in 1965 when NASA chose the Speedmaster Professional as its official timepiece, and the Apollo XI astronauts wore Speedmasters on the 1969 Moon Mission. The Omega worn by Neil Armstrong is the only watch in the world to have been worn on the surface of the Moon. There are several commemorative issies related to the Apollo missions, and some have official NASA inscriptions on the case back, and these are among the most collectable. If you find any their value is at a premium if there is the original box and packaging with it.Speedmaster watches were also worn by the Russian and American astronauts of the 1975 Apollo Soyuz mission. If you can find any of the special or commemorative issues you are on to a winner.For example NASA introduced The Silver Snoopy award as a special honour awarded to NASA employees and contractors for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success, and I have seen a special issue Omega Speedmaster Professional with the NASA Snoopy (Eyes on Space) award logo on the dial, from 2003, which commemorates the 1970 Apollo XII mission. There is of course huge interest in Omega Seamaster models as well, especially those connected with James Bond Film issues, but that is another area of collectable interest in its own right. Research is important, especially if you have a particular watch in mind, and you can look to see if there are any rare variations with different coloured hands or dial configurations. Of course contemporary issues and new models are much appreciated but the watch market is huge, and although a new Omega is a coveted and significant investment item, there is not always going to be an individual specification that might hold its value so you are on very speculative ground. Personally I would prefer a Breitling for their technical expertise, but then again I wouldn't mind a new top specification Omega either!
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Post by marylandstoke on Sept 13, 2020 17:11:04 GMT
I have a few I like to rotate around. Wife actually bought me a very pretty Hamilton for Christmas last year. Was promised I would be overrun by people trying to sell me fake Rollys in Hong Kong and never saw a one.
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 13, 2020 17:37:13 GMT
Was looking the other year for a mate found watchfinder more reliable than most the thing you have to watch out for is scammers and also fakes try and do your research and try to not put contact details in forms of sites that you don't know validity of . Also it might be worth considering contacting a good auction house for info on any specialist auctions coming up or contacts they know of just be careful and do your research like all investments they can go up and down depending on demand condition and amount produced Yeh, I'd imagine it's very difficult for someone that isn't an expert to spot the difference between some of the copies you can get and the genuine article. I bought a couple of copy Rolex's in the Middle East in the eighties and I'd defy anyone to tell the difference from genuine ones without taking them apart and finding the Seiko workings inside Generally a geniune Rolex and a fake are fairly easy to spot, once you've seen and held a real one. Weight for example is often a giveaway, with a much more robust and satisfying feel associated with a real one. Although there are a few official Oysterquartz electronic Rolex watches, they are otherwise all mechanical models with a continuously moving sweep seconds hand. Fakes have electonic movements and the seconds finger typically jumps one second at a time as the electronic pulse drives it, so if you see a Rolex that is not a quartz designated model behaving in this way, it is a fake. There are many small details on a Rolex that are not usually copied, like the R monogram on the winder, and on key models like the Submariner, there are often small but significant identifiers such as a small "T" letter to either side of the swiss wording in the 6 o clock position. Genuine Rolex watches also of course have a verifiable individual serial number on the case, which you can usually find quite easily on line.
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Post by richie22 on Sept 13, 2020 18:26:41 GMT
I’m thinking of buying an omega speedmaster professional. A sizeable investment.(4-5k) ... but is it worth it. Don’t want to buy it and it too lose money consistently on it. I currently collect g shock Casio’s , some of which are collectible but want to advance it abit The focus of collecting attention, as regards the Omega Speedmaster, seems to be centered on the late 1960's and 70's models, if you can find them in good condition. The Speedmaster was first introduced in 1957, but secured its reputation in 1965 when NASA chose the Speedmaster Professional as its official timepiece, and the Apollo XI astronauts wore Speedmasters on the 1969 Moon Mission. The Omega worn by Neil Armstrong is the only watch in the world to have been worn on the surface of the Moon. There are several commemorative issies related to the Apollo missions, and some have official NASA inscriptions on the case back, and these are among the most collectable. If you find any their value is at a premium if there is the original box and packaging with it.Speedmaster watches were also worn by the Russian and American astronauts of the 1975 Apollo Soyuz mission. If you can find any of the special or commemorative issues you are on to a winner.For example NASA introduced The Silver Snoopy award as a special honour awarded to NASA employees and contractors for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success, and I have seen a special issue Omega Speedmaster Professional with the NASA Snoopy (Eyes on Space) award logo on the dial, from 2003, which commemorates the 1970 Apollo XII mission. There is of course huge interest in Omega Seamaster models as well, especially those connected with James Bond Film issues, but that is another area of collectable interest in its own right. Research is important, especially if you have a particular watch in mind, and you can look to see if there are any rare variations with different coloured hands or dial configurations. Of course contemporary issues and new models are much appreciated but the watch market is huge, and although a new Omega is a coveted and significant investment item, there is not always going to be an individual specification that might hold its value so you are on very speculative ground. Personally I would prefer a Breitling for their technical expertise, but then again I wouldn't mind a new top specification Omega either! I thought it was buzz’ speedmaster that was the only one worn on the moon. I thought Neil kept his back in the lunar module.
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Post by dexta on Sept 13, 2020 18:29:26 GMT
You lot got to much time on your hands
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Post by FbrgVaStkFan on Sept 13, 2020 19:33:04 GMT
The two watches I've had my eye on for the past several years are: Stowa Flieger Classic 40and Sinn U1leaning more toward the Stowa though, but I'll likely never pull the lever on a purchase. Sometimes it's nicer to just want it. I guess I would say to the OP to find a nice mid-range watch (Hamilton, the nicer Seiko models, etc) and get it as a daily driver. Then when you want that little bit extra down the road, splurge and get yourself the one you want for special occasions. Case in point--I have a Breitling Colt GMT Chrono that I rarely wear. Would I buy it again? Probably not if you go by "price versus time worn" but it is a beautiful mechanical timepiece/art. My daily driver is just the Citizen Titanium Eco Drive that I put a leather Nato style strap on because it is so damn light and comfortable. Getting into watches can be highly addictive. Suggestion: look up Seiko "Land Shark" or "Orange Monster" I've never regretted buying those watches--although the Orange Monster is quite heavy.
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 13, 2020 19:44:41 GMT
Richie you are of course right in saying "I thought it was buzz’ speedmaster that was the only one worn on the moon. I thought Neil kept his back in the lunar module". I was generalizing from memory and got this wrong. Neil Armstrong left his watch in the Lunar Module, but Buzz Aldrin wore his out of habit.
There were also technical omissions in my quick comments.
Gus Grissom and John Young wore the first officially NASA qualified Speedmasters on Gemini 3 in March, 1965. In June of that year, Ed White made the first American space walk during Gemini 4 with a Speedmaster 105.003 strapped to the outside of the left-side sleeve of his suit.
In 1966, Speedmaster reference 105.012 was updated to reference 145.012. These two models would be the two Speedmaster references known to have been worn on the Moon by Apollo astronauts, the original "Moon watches." Speedmasters were used throughout the early manned Apollo program, and reached the Moon with Apollo 11. Ironically, these and prior models are informally known as "pre-Moon" Speedmasters, since their manufacture predate the Moon landings and lack the inscription subsequent models carry: "The First Watch Worn on the Moon".
Although Neil, the Apollo 11 commander, was first to set foot on the Moon, he left his 105.012 Speedmaster inside the lunar module as a backup, because the LM's electronic timer had malfunctioned. Buzz Aldrin elected to wear his, and so his Speedmaster became the first watch to be worn on the Moon. Later, he said it was optional to wear a watch while they were walking on the surface of the Moon ... few things are less necessary when walking around on the Moon than knowing what time it is in Houston, Texas. Nonetheless, "being a watch guy", he decided to strap the Speedmaster on.
Famously, in 1970, after Apollo 13 was crippled by the rupture of a service module oxygen tank, Jack Swigert's Speedmaster was used to time the critical 14-second burn using the lunar module's descent propulsion system, which allowed for the crew's safe return. In recognition of this, Omega was awarded the Snoopy Award by NASA, as I mentioned in an earlier post.
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Post by salopstick on Sept 13, 2020 20:04:59 GMT
I’ve got an omega seamaster like the model brosnon wore in a bond film. Got it second hand 5 years ago watch was fine box had saw better days. I doubt it’s worth more than I paid for it but it’s a nice piece. Somthing to hand down Saving up to get it serviced
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Post by elystokie on Sept 13, 2020 20:41:47 GMT
Yeh, I'd imagine it's very difficult for someone that isn't an expert to spot the difference between some of the copies you can get and the genuine article. I bought a couple of copy Rolex's in the Middle East in the eighties and I'd defy anyone to tell the difference from genuine ones without taking them apart and finding the Seiko workings inside Generally a geniune Rolex and a fake are fairly easy to spot, once you've seen and held a real one. Weight for example is often a giveaway, with a much more robust and satisfying feel associated with a real one. Although there are a few official Oysterquartz electronic Rolex watches, they are otherwise all mechanical models with a continuously moving sweep seconds hand. Fakes have electonic movements and the seconds finger typically jumps one second at a time as the electronic pulse drives it, so if you see a Rolex that is not a quartz designated model behaving in this way, it is a fake. There are many small details on a Rolex that are not usually copied, like the R monogram on the winder, and on key models like the Submariner, there are often small but significant identifiers such as a small "T" letter to either side of the swiss wording in the 6 o clock position. Genuine Rolex watches also of course have a verifiable individual serial number on the case, which you can usually find quite easily on line. When I bought them there was no online They were the best copies me and a few mates could find and we looked extensively! I bought an Oyster and a Submariner for my Dad and Bro in law, they had the identifiers you mention, both worked on perpetual motion and both 'swept' beautifully, the Oyster was convincing enough to fool one of the assistants in a jewellers in Hanley when my son took it in to find out how it worked years ago I paid quite a bit more than the going rate for fakes to be fair but I'd been out there a few times and had a good idea what I was looking for.
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Post by crapslinger on Sept 13, 2020 20:52:16 GMT
For everyday use invest in a CWC G10 dead simple dead accurate and dead reliable still got my military issue from 1982 seen a fair bit of action but runs like a dream not very expensive but well worth adding to any collection, for dress wear Tag or Bulova
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Post by FbrgVaStkFan on Sept 13, 2020 21:19:17 GMT
For everyday use invest in a CWC G10 dead simple dead accurate and dead reliable still got my military issue from 1982 seen a fair bit of action but runs like a dream not very expensive but well worth adding to any collection, for dress wear Tag or Bulova Nice. Wish the US Navy had issued me a watch. Is your watch lume tritium? If so, how is it holding up?--I think tritium needs refreshing after a couple decades...
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Post by crapslinger on Sept 13, 2020 21:24:15 GMT
For everyday use invest in a CWC G10 dead simple dead accurate and dead reliable still got my military issue from 1982 seen a fair bit of action but runs like a dream not very expensive but well worth adding to any collection, for dress wear Tag or Bulova Nice. Wish the US Navy had issued me a watch. Is your watch lume tritium? If so, how is it holding up?--I think tritium needs refreshing after a couple decades... Not bad mate probably needs a refresh but I would prefer to keep it original if I can, it has a few dints and a crack in one corner of the glass but still waterproof , the only thing replaced is the strap X10 and batteries obviously used daily never misses a beat.
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 13, 2020 21:38:08 GMT
For all of you, including elystoke, any watch that you yourself are happy with, and that tells the time accurately is a good acquisition. The good thing about having a genuine TAG Heuer or Rolex, is the satisfaction of ownership, and the sense of having "succeeded" in some way. Some people aspire to own a Rolex all their life without realising the dream. The downside is the fear or risk of losing it or having it stolen. Even with good insurance a replacement is never quite the same as having your first prestige watch. Unfortunately for many people, once you have one classic watch, you probably want another and it becomes an obsession.
Mind you some copies and replicas are very good, and the only person who might know that you are not wearing the genuine article is yourself, so you pay your money and take your choice.
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Post by marwood on Sept 13, 2020 21:59:41 GMT
Finally got myself a Tag Monaco Blue as worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans
And more recently by Drew Pritchard on Salvage Hunters
And
Given to Walter White by Jesse Pinkman I’m Breaking Bad
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Post by elystokie on Sept 13, 2020 22:22:26 GMT
For all of you, including elystoke, any watch that you yourself are happy with, and that tells the time accurately is a good acquisition. The good thing about having a genuine TAG Heuer or Rolex, is the satisfaction of ownership, and the sense of having "succeeded" in some way. Some people aspire to own a Rolex all their life without realising the dream. The downside is the fear or risk of losing it or having it stolen. Even with good insurance a replacement is never quite the same as having your first prestige watch. Unfortunately for many people, once you have one classic watch, you probably want another and it becomes an obsession. Mind you some copies and replicas are very good, and the only person who might know that you are not wearing the genuine article is yourself, so you pay your money and take your choice. My interest only ever went as far as gifts, I wore a Timex watch I got for my birthday when I was about 8 for one day, it irritated the life out of me, gave me a rash and I've never worn one since. A small digital travel clock was all I needed until mobile phones came along then I didn't need that either
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Post by foster on Sept 14, 2020 7:33:27 GMT
Had a DateJust Rolex (wedding gift) which got stolen. Next most expensive watch I currently own is a Tag Heuer, but to be fair, both that one and the Rolex just irritate me with constantly having to wind them up every other day.
Got about 12 watches (mainly Hugo Boss and Armani) sitting in a drawer all needing batteries now. I blame the fitbit I got as a Xmas present 2 years ago as once you start wearing those fuckers and monitoring your stats they're hard to get away from.
As it stands I stopped wearing the fitbit when lockdown started but now I don't have a single working watch (other than the Tag)... and I can't decide which one/s I should get new batteries for. Such a dilemma.
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 14, 2020 7:57:37 GMT
Re your stolen Datejust, sorry for your loss!
At one time in my career I worked for a specialist watch and jewellery appraisal company that did assessment and validation reports on claims for insurance companies. It was amazing that from all of the various burglary claims, and those involving missing holiday luggage, hotel thefts and so on, there was ALWAYS a Rolex (or 2) included in the claim!
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Post by foster on Sept 14, 2020 8:18:38 GMT
Re your stolen Datejust, sorry for your loss! At one time in my career I worked for a specialist watch and jewellery appraisal company that did assessment and validation reports on claims for insurance companies. It was amazing that from all of the various burglary claims, and those involving missing holiday luggage, hotel thefts and so on, there was ALWAYS a Rolex (or 2) included in the claim! This was a home burglary where they stole all the Ex's wedding jewelry and my watch just happened to be nearby. We got back around 20% of the value of what was stolen. I'm just glad I never paid for any of that myself. At the time we'd just had various works done on the house by various people and I think it was one of them since whoever it was knew exactly how to avoid the alarm system. We went out for new years and they came in via the garden, then up on the roof and broke in through the bedroom window. They then smashed up the bedroom (where the jewelry was) and didn't bother entering the rest of the house where the detectors would have spotted them. In any case, not possible to prove anything or accuse anyone without evidence.
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 14, 2020 8:27:03 GMT
That sounds like an awful experience. I had to speak to many people who had experienced burglaries and scams, and it was usually the case that the actual loss was not the big issue, although of course there was often a sentimental element attached to the missing items. What seemed to devastate the victims most was the sense of violation and intrusion into their homes, and that someone had been in rifling through their possessions. I heard of several instances where people moved from their homes at the earliest opportunity after a break in, because the episode had ruined their memories and enjoyment of the family home and the owners no longer felt safe or secure there.
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Post by nott1 on Sept 14, 2020 8:44:05 GMT
For info the Chinese company Wish.com (an extremely irritatingly slow site) sell all sorts of "top" watches such as "Rolex" and "Omega" for less than twenty quid although some are around £100 or more. They do have some nice other makes too and I bought a couple of really nice Citizen Automatic date watches for circa £13.One was a long time arriving and I got a refund (very quickly) and then it turned up two days later. I sent them a message to try and pay but they have never replied so I got it free.
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Post by frodekippe on Sept 14, 2020 9:33:02 GMT
For all of you, including elystoke, any watch that you yourself are happy with, and that tells the time accurately is a good acquisition. The good thing about having a genuine TAG Heuer or Rolex, is the satisfaction of ownership, and the sense of having "succeeded" in some way. Some people aspire to own a Rolex all their life without realising the dream. The downside is the fear or risk of losing it or having it stolen. Even with good insurance a replacement is never quite the same as having your first prestige watch. Unfortunately for many people, once you have one classic watch, you probably want another and it becomes an obsession. Mind you some copies and replicas are very good, and the only person who might know that you are not wearing the genuine article is yourself, so you pay your money and take your choice. This is great advice. For me the goal was just to get a nice watch with those magical words on the face: "Swiss Made". For my 30th a few years ago I treated myself to a Tissot and I haven't regretted it once. It's got a really nice, quality feel to it, the accuracy is incredible and everything that you would want from a Swiss made timepiece, and yet it wasn't so expensive that it makes me ever think twice about wearing it in certain situations. As that first step up into the world of luxury watches, I would 100% recommend Tissot.
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Post by questionable on Sept 14, 2020 9:57:51 GMT
Recall a number of years ago my father in law put two boxed watches down in front of me after returning from Hong Kong and asked me to take my pick to which one I wanted, obviously thinking what a lovely gesture for a present I opted for the platinum one, well until he said I could have it for what he’d paid, 5k.
Err no thanks...
Never been a watch person let alone jewelry but each to their own I suppose, I was told recently that insurers are insisting that expensive watches must be kept in a safe at home, that true??
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Post by somersetstokie on Sept 14, 2020 11:51:36 GMT
Recall a number of years ago my father in law put two boxed watches down in front of me after returning from Hong Kong and asked me to take my pick to which one I wanted, obviously thinking what a lovely gesture for a present I opted for the platinum one, well until he said I could have it for what he’d paid, 5k. Err no thanks... Never been a watch person let alone jewelry but each to their own I suppose, I was told recently that insurers are insisting that expensive watches must be kept in a safe at home, that true??[/b] There are certainly questions and issues. As a purely personal consideration, if a prestige watch owner feels happy to take a possible hit he/she can please themselves. If you can afford the item, can you equally "afford" to lose it. Most sensible owners and collectors take reasonable precautions and only wear their flagship watch models on rare occasions. Restricted wear of course theoretically preserves the watch in good condition, which is desirable. Most people however will insure their asset, and that's where problems arise. Different Insurers and policies will have different policy wordings, exemptions and stipulations. Typically owners might use their Home and Contents insurence, but most policies will require that items over a certain threshold value are individually identified and listed. Further to that there will then be a question about where the item is going to be kept or stored. If you say for example that your new Rolex is going to be kept in a home safe, and it was subsequently found that the timepiece was in the glovebox of your car, and the vehicle was then stolen, you are clearly going to have problems. But yes, insurers can go to great lengths to cover their risk, and perhaps suggest that you keep your Rolex in a Bank's safety deposit box, and if you want to take it out you have to get special or temporary insurance extensions. It goes without saying that you should read the small print. Security costs, and insurance companies will find any excuse to invalidate a claim. Most owners or collectors, if they own a timepiece running into a few thousand pounds of value will take out specialist dedicated insurance for that item, but obviously at a price.
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Post by foster on Sept 14, 2020 12:26:00 GMT
This thread's made me dig out my old watches and finally try to get rid of the ones I never use. Already got 30 for one (Fossil) and 100 for another (Citizen Eco-drive).
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