1st time visit this mall in Bugis area & found this shop that sells Used Watches. Wow! a dream watch at less than 1k! Upon close examination, Hmmm... the crown & plastic or other material outer case were not original! 1 of the markers half faded! The back & side of the case were poorly polished! Name of the owner, an angpow, was engraved onto this 30 or 40 something years old manual vintage.
The aged owner explained that watch is liked human. Once aged, many parts may need replacement! And don't expect much from old thing! If you want nice watch, get new one! If you can find its original crown, used piece, i pay you $300! And don't expect him to remember exact age of each watch! The replaced crown showed how rough the x owner was. What about the parts inside?
Well, he's soft spoken & acceptable attitude BUT I unlikely will buy it for I've to spend easily another 1k for Restoration etc! This isn't the first time I buy Vintage Watch, uncle, don't try to fool me!
Photo show a Vintage Watch at its Most Original Condition that I can accept.
Happy Watching, 19/7/2013, 7.30pm
This Page is Dedicated to Rolex & her Key Founder Mr Hans Wilsdorf
Sudden idea to put in & explain their Chinese Names! 23/7/13, 6.10pm.
Rolex, 劳力士， laoli means Work that Need Strength, Hardwork, Hardworking. shi is The One. To
comfort one Rolex is The Hardworking One!
Tudor,帝舵，帝铊，di is Emperor. tuo could be the part that control the ship or mean old fashion weighing scale (balance). Such could mean the King is in Control or A well-balance Ruler!
Cellini, 吃了你，chileni, Eat You Up my interpretation for humour sense. lol.
TUDOR is affectionately known as the Little Brother of Rolex. Among the Chinese, Little Brother, could also mean 2nd Class! Read in a Western Forum, they called it the Poor Man's Rolex! Well, many very good Japanese Vehicles are known as Poor Man's Benz, BMW etc! How about calling it God Son?
Even in the Rolex Family, some models are King, Son, & Grandson!
The late Founder's objective was to have an equally Reliable & Good watch as the Rolex but at lower price. ETA movement was used. Some older Tudors used Rolex cases, crowns & bracelets.
His love of the Tudor dynasty or era, 1485 - 1603, inspired him to use the word Tudor. March 6, 1946, saw the birth of his 2nd Love, Tudor. When Panerai first went commercial, it 'borrowed' Rolex movements. I always feel that many Panerai models looked like Oversize Rolex.
Earlier Tudor watches could be mistaken for a Rolex Precision, Date Just or Submariner. It's long do away with such 'clone'. Its Heritage Black Bay & Pelagos are greatly in demand! Often on waiting list! This year it launched the Fast Rider Black Shield, a beautiful Chronograph.
This's a 1992 Tudor Half-Gold Mini-Submariner Prince OysterDate, Rolex Crown & Case, Automatic, Date, 34mm. A Vintage Stainless Steel model, 28mm, priced around $2,000. Doesn't it look like its Big Brother, the Rolex Submariner? In the resale market, The Big Bro of the 80s costs around $8,000, one 2010 model costs $15.000 up! A brand new would cost about $22,000!
Rolex has caused the Resale Market to be Rich! Many 2nd Hand Shops trade Rolex only!
CELLINI a lesser known series of Rolex. No information (perhaps I missed out) shown who & when Homage was paid to Italian Sculptor, Goldsmith, Draftsman, Soldier, Musician & Author Mr Benvenuto Cellini of the Renaissance period, 1500 to 1571. Rolex classified Cellini as 'Dressy' Watch. I love Cellini too although find it rather 'Feminine'. A new one costs $9,000 up, & a Vintage one costs about $2,000. Rolex dealers carry few Cellini. Its Prince model is Fabulous!
I'm not a snob or super rich guy to wear Rolex, I'm merely a Fan, who appreciate & admire her Founder's Innovation & Visionary Spirit. Also enjoy Rolex's Style, Elegance & Reliability. Well, Status Symbols, sure, just like Mercedes Benz, it's a Good Car as well.
Interestingly, a friend asked me to recommend a watch for her hubby's birthday, when i said Rolex, her reply was younger brand preferred! heard of cases that when the old dad wanted to pass on his Rolex to the son, or buy for the son, was refused for as old brand! haha, will they mind if it were the Solid Gold or Daytona models?
Some new Unbelievable Inventions: 2005 - Blue Paraehrom Hairsprin Movement, unaffected by magnetic fields & up to 10x more resistant to shocks. 2012 - DeepSea Challenge, a watch that went down to the sea depth of 12000m; Brand New Innovation, the Sky-Dweller, a technological masterpiece intended for world travellers.
Happy Watching, 9/7/13, 3.00pm.
