FRIDAY WIND DOWN: 11th September, 2015

Felix Scholz

Every watch lover has at least one. A watch that got away. Perhaps it was an eBay auction that went one bid to high? Or that time you needed to raise some capital quick. Or you might have had a misguided moment of thinking “I don’t need another watch, anyway, I’ll just get it next month.”

While the stories change the pain remains the same. That visceral feeling of having held something precious and beautiful in your hands, or even on your wrist – only to have it cruelly snatched away. We asked you to tell us about the ones that got away. Thank you for sharing your stories. Hopefully one day you’re reunited with your lost horological loved ones.

What happened?

Honestly, why do we do it? Open these old wounds – the watches you’ve lost, damaged and now that got away? We were asking ourselves again if there might not be a cheerier community question; the promise from us is that we’re trying. The next Instagram call out will be happier! Because, yet again, we found ourselves in territory that was just too real. Check these responses. OUCH.

“I had a Breitling Bentley GT given to me by my mother shortly before she died of cancer. It was stolen from my house during a break in. Gorgeous timepiece that I couldn’t afford at the time, made extra special as last thing my mother ever gave me. Miss her every day and the watch every time I don’t feel it on my wrist.” – @brian1210

“Years back, I was very close to scooping up a Panerai PAM36 at $8000USD, but as a student was a few grand short of cash! Darn it.” – @martinissing

“I had it and then I had to let it go! I sold my large Cartier Tank Divan to pay my rent… Difficult times five years ago. I miss it every time I see it!” – @captainmortsik

“I was offered a once in a lifetime price on a Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time in Tokyo, didn’t take it due to being sensible…” #regrets – @benjcrouch

What really mattered?

The team over at Worn & Wound told us what they really thought – each nominating a watch that “doesn’t do it” for them. And while we at Time+Tide don’t see eye-to-eye on all of their choices, and while there are definitely a few easy targets in the mix, it’s good to see some of the sacred cows of the watch world being expertly sliced up into a flavoursome tartare – turns out not all of us think Gerald Genta was all that #Spoileralert

And the latest development in the ongoing yawn-fest that is the smartwatch category is the Kairos – a hybrid watch with an automatic movement and an android powered transparent touch screen for the crystal. Sure, this sort of hybrid watch sounds like a great idea in theory, but we suspect the reality will be more like a Swiss Army Knife – dinky and kind of cool – but frustrating to actually use.

The week in numbers

10: According to this story in the AFR, this is the percentage of people in Australia who’ve shelled out for an Apple Watch don’t use them anymore.

4: The number of people (out of 30-odd commenters) who have changed their view on the Apple watch care of a fancy Hermès strap. These watches will range in price from $1700-$2300AUD.

49,000: The price in Euro of the yummy ALS Pulsometer.

721: Instagram followers wowed by the beauty of Montblanc’s Villeret movements.

1969: The year the chronograph went full auto.