Originally posted by pegasi
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besides the vast network of service centres, why do you like seikos and omegas and rolex?
for example: i love vintage omegas but i do not believe in the "slimline" version of george daniel's escapement that omega had originally adopted. as such, it is extremely difficult for me to accept buying/keeping any watch that features omega's old co-axial design (i've tried and failed). i also abhor their beat rate of choice...
why do i like the parachrom blue over the older hairspring? because the heart of every watch is now entirely rolex made. this does not seem like much to most people - as my friend says, the old spring works just fine. to me, it is important that as many of the parts in a watch were produced internally as possible when a premium is being charged. i can therefore appreciate the efforts undertaken by rolex to integrate everything. the blue spring + microstella balance wheel perfects rolex's "heart".
these little reasons (and probably a fair few more) shape my beliefs (which is not etched in stone) when it comes to watch collecting/buying/wearing. they allow me to understand what a mass market brand can provide, and what they cannot. the reasons why i buy rolex/omega/seiko makes its way into how i question a watchmaker's work/ethos. i do not buy an unusual piece only because it is exclusive - because i know i would be happy to buy it if that piece was made by rolex.
but this is pretty much impossible because rolex does not make watches for the sake of watchmaking, but for the sale of making sales. i, therefore, need to look elsewhere.
i should stress that independents does not = full customization (at least not in many cases). at the end of the day, we are wearing watches that someone else has created (whether with or without our input). if you know what the watchmaker's philosophy are when it comes to watchmaking, and his vision for his brand, you are able to know if his products are the ones for you or not because you know what he wants to achieve.
if you are purely driven by quick saleability, minimal loss and resale value, the world of independents is extremely difficult if not impossible to sell to you. but this is unlikely to be true for most people that buy watches as a hobby. i therefore invite you to share what you like in the watches that you have, or like in the watch companies/pieces that you appreciate.
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