Time Is On My Side: Passionné D’exception . . . (A Selection of Watches)

[Saltine]

Water resistance is not a underwater watch. Like you said, the first "divers" watch was made by Omega, but they only thing diver about it was the fact that it had a case that protected it from extreme pressure and temperature. It actually had to be removed from the case to be wound.

The first true underwater watch was made by Panerai in 1936. They not only made their cases water proof (note proof, not resistant), but the over sized their dials, over sized their numbers and used their luminating compound to make the watch visible in murky and dark waters.

And I had given you more then one thing Panerai has done.

[Posh]

A very impressive post Posh! It's obvious from the detailed info that you took a great deal of time to write this and you actually know what you're talking about. Hell, it's tedious work for me to post photo links let alone write up a long post like that. Thanks for the incredible write up and thanks for taking the time to do this. Someone should sticky this.

Thanks, Bro! You rock, bro! The hardest part about my other posts was the damn pictures, not the written content. This post was killer in that way plus the extra words. I mean, this IS a watch forum first so I would need to keep that in mind. This post is just shy of 10,000 words, more than some of my others posts COMBINED. A least the two McQueens and the suitcase post anyway.

Finally some writing about real watches Extraordinary article!!!

Take care

Thank you, Dapri! This means a lot. Please keep reading and I'll keep writing! In this place and my other publishing endeavor as well! Thanks for the PM; I replied back!

Water resistance is not a underwater watch. Like you said, the first "divers" watch was made by Omega, but they only thing diver about it was the fact that it had a case that protected it from extreme pressure and temperature. It actually had to be removed from the case to be wound.

The first true underwater watch was made by Panerai in 1936. They not only made their cases water proof (note proof, not resistant), but the over sized their dials, over sized their numbers and used their luminating compound to make the watch visible in murky and dark waters.

And I had given you more then one thing Panerai has done.

First off, Panerai didn't make the first waterproof watch. Rolex is considered the first. Period. You could take their watches underwater to the SAME depths as Panerai models you keep bringing up. They were the first with a waterproof watch. I am using the term "water-resistance" because that's the term favored by watch historians. Omega made the first diver's watch. Panerai was merely doing as the Italian Navy wanted in the only way they knew how because of patents held by other watch companies. The Italians were always late to the table on a lot of things historically!

And all those things you mentioned about them? Those aren't technological firsts. THEY ARE ANTI-COUNTERFEIT MEASURES. Why? Because they are SO easy to counterfeit due to the very things that make them popular to modders around here. People split hairs around here because they are trying to pass these bad boys off as real. The real fact of the matter? Some modded Panerais around here, if placed in with genuines, couldn't be distinguished from them. They use movements, cases and bracelets readily available to anyone, especially before 2007. I actually think this is why modders like them. With a Panerai you can fool yourself and others into thinking you have the real watch because for all, intents and purposes, YOU DO! Because there's NOTHING that makes them really special which is why collectors stay away from the brand now like the plague. They just got their fourth in-house movement.

They are not an important company. The are a resurrected old watch company that was purchased and reissued simply because Richemont wanted a pure casual/sport upscale watch brand with higher price points and thusly better margins, because they really didn't have one. They bought it simply as a niche company. They don't expect it to really rival too many others brands in traditional sense. Their CEO, Angelo Bonati, couldn't really even describe their competition ten years ago and couldn't possibly describe it today. He actually went on the record and says his brand is between Rolex and AUDEMARS-PIGUET?! Is he SERIOUS? Where'd he come up with those mileposts? I would say he's on the level with Rolex, and maybe not even them because most of their movements are from Swatch. They seem to be in their own world, which is fine.

I will give you this though: watches are so enormous today because of this brand. Bad eyesight? Good watch.

[DVS]

They are not an important company.

I would have to disagree with you here... Richemont has made an incredible profit increase (18% overall and 37% only the watchbrands) this year, wich was mostly driven by Panerai and IWC.
I wouldn't say Panerai is not an important company.

[Posh]

Great read. While I'm not much into the "high horology" reps, I have to agree about Breguet (as a brand).

In my eyes, it's the top watch brand in the world, even more legendary and prestigious than Patek... and Transatlantique Type XX is my dream watch... and not even completely "out of reach" for an average guy like me.

Did you know that Breguet started by designing watches for people like Napoleon, Louis XVI (king) and Marie Antoinette, the queen of France? They also invented tourbillon. Very impressive watches, though I'm not personally too fond of all their extra simplistic "dressy" models.

Thanks for this composition, it was entertaining read. This kind of posts keep the community "rolling"!

They TT XX is GREAT watch, By. Thanks for liking my post. Means a lot coming from you!

I love tourbillons and that's one of the reasons why I included Breguet and mention tourbillons in the post. They are just tiny little marvels!

Posh, You are truly the queen of RepGeek another fabulous post, is there nothing you are not good at? you make the rest of us lady geeks look bad.

x Mrs H x

You girls all have families and duckilings so you wouldn't have time to become grade-A, Financial Geologist with a concentration in luxury goods and paydirt!

Thanks for enjoying the post!

I would have to disagree with you here... Richemont has made an incredible profit increase (18% overall and 37% only the watchbrands) this year, wich was mostly driven by Panerai and IWC.
I wouldn't say Panerai is not an important company.

They are important to only Richemont in that respect. So maybe you're right, D.

[Posh]

Updated with a bit of corrected info, typographical errors and slight editing! Enjoy!