Suppose it was only a matter of time before I took the plunge

Hi guys (and girls),
I admit.. I've been a lurker for awhile. I have made a few posts here and there recently but nothing that could be considered a great contribution to RG. There is just so much information here that I almost feel inadequate! The community is so knowledgeable and I learn new things every time I come here.

I've been a fan of watches since I was young. My grandfather was an officer in the Air Force and he always wore a Vintage Omega Seamaster or a Breitling Superocean. He always stressed the importance of being on time and knowing the time, so it was important to him to have a good timepiece. I of course didn't understand the first portion of it until I was older.. but I sure did like to mess with his watches! (The bezel was my favorite part of course)

I'd imagine it was this early exposure that made me appreciate watches. It wasn't until recently that I really started to appreciate the movements and craftsmanship. When I graduated a few years back, a friend of mine received an Omega SMP 300 as his graduation gift. After seeing the elegant sweeping hand and incredible craftsmanship I was lost in the world of watches. After a lot of research and saving (years) I was just about to pull the trigger on a Gen SMP 300 blue wave dial. The Bond Watch. Then I stumbled onto this website and was engulfed. I've learned more here than anywhere else about watches.

Since discovering this place, I've held off on the Gen purchase. Simply because I had no idea there were so many quality watch brands to choose from. I never was big on Rolex, just because it is so recognizable and I'm not one to follow the herd. The Breitlings, Pams and Bell and Ross BR02's have seriously grown on me. I ordered my first rep UPO as a test run and I plan to order more reps in the coming months. When I find the watch that I truly love in rep form, I'll pull the trigger on the gen (or a few : )

My favorite watches ATM:

Omega SMP 300 (Blue Wave, The Bond Watch)
Omega Planet Ocean (Black Dial Orange Numerals)
Breitling B01 (Roman Numerals Black Dial)
Breitling Blackbird (Black Dial)
Panerai 292 (Love those sandwich dials!)
Bell and Ross BR02 (Numerals and I can't decide between PVD or Steel)