Collection
Halgedahl shares a deeply personal journey into watch collecting, culminating in the acquisition of a Grand Seiko SBGW003. This post explores the emotional significance of a watch purchase, linking it to a five-year medical recovery milestone and a thoughtful deliberation process that ultimately led away from a planned Rolex Explorer.
These past three years of horologic undergraduate school also coincided with a medical recovery which had begun two years earlier, in 2013. At that point—the conclusion of chemotherapy—the goal was survival for five years, when the odds of recurrence would be reduced to a very low number. New Years, 2018, signaled I only had four months to go. And since then I’ve been impatiently anticipating the purchase that would commemorate my successful recovery.
The watch is an icon. I have a background in hiking and climbing (if not mountaineering, per se) which matches the watch’s early history, and I didn’t want something flashy. I view the Explorer as the “plain-clothes” Rolex. However… which model? I imagine most of you are familiar with a script similar to this one: “Hmmm. A vintage 5500 in good shape might fetch close to $10K. Damn! Hey, honor the past with a 114270 instead! It’s got the upgraded caliber 3130, but is still small by modern standards at 36mm. Nah. the 214270 is really the perfect size for my wrist at 39mm (and it has the 3132, as well, with greater accuracy and additional resistance to magnetic bother), but…the hands are too short! (What were they thinking???) 214270 second try? Afraid not—the decision to lume 3,6,9 when upgrading the length of the hands has, imho, limited the versatility of the watch; now, sadly, it looks like a sports watch only….” And so on, and so forth.
Thus, as I was treading water (to put it mildly—more like thrashing about, really) and consulting WUS each day (I’ve been a member for three years and have made numerous purchases on that forum—including the 003), I began to be attracted to Grand Seiko—a world of its own. (So many models! So little time!) Little by little I was pulled in another direction, and after my official “graduation” from medical oversight in April I found myself looking for something altogether different from that “run of the mill Rolex” I had been planning to buy. The SBGA111, Spring Drive 10thAnniversary, in steel, seemed a “perfect” choice—thoroughly modern, with advanced technology and a dial as comfortable with jeans as with a business suit. (Maybe a tad large, but….) Bingo!
I’m sure you’ll all agree, looking at this stunning image from iadxb’s post, I couldn’t have gone wrong with that timepiece. But during the week in which I found one for sale, yet was subsequently disheartened by photos of its condition (a nice example is not easy to find), I ran across the (far rarer) 003. “Wow, that’s interesting,” I thought. “I know I’ve seen that before. But where?” And so began a search for more information about this unusual watch.
Enter “Cazalea.” In no time I was reading several of the moderator’s excellent posts, feeling more and more a sense of urgency to strike quickly if I were to acquire the prize before someone else snapped it up. I quickly joined the WatchProSite, and read every word he had written about not only this watch, but about its cousins, as well.
And the more I read, the more I wondered if the 003 might be merely a starting point—that the other references in this series might call me as fatefully as the Sirens did poor Odysseus! This clear danger notwithstanding, only a day or two later, after pleasant negotiations with a most trusting seller, the 003 was on its way to me. (Only time will tell whether or not my wife will have to “bind me to the mast”—read: freeze our retirement accounts!—to prevent the alluded to catastrophe!)
How can I thank you enough, Cazalea! Not only beautiful, I’m finding the watch practical, as well. It’s still a surprise on my wrist in the morning, seeming too nice for the flannel shirts of my retirement. Yet, it doesn’t look entirely out of place, either. It feels a bit like I’m wearing my father’s watch (though he never had a nice watch, himself), principally because the dial’s “eggshell” coloration gives it a vintage air. And it looks stunning with khakis and a sport shirt (I rarely wear a suit or sport coat any more).
The fellow I bought the watch from, a terribly affable man—a Mainer—had been looking for one for some time, and found this example on the ’bay from a dealer in Japan (full set: registry card, hang tags, inner/outer boxes and all).
There were no service papers included, and he felt the watch probably had not been serviced. But despite being pleased with the watch’s rate and consistency, after living with the piece awhile he realized that, all things considered, it just wasn’t his cup of tea. And so…thence to Iowa, to me.
As you know, the watch is not the cute cheerleader who was every boy’s heartthrob in high school. She’s a more exotic beauty, and I’m only now beginning to feel comfortable with her. Seiko made some daring choices with this model, which eyes more used to indices and a uniform choice of color might puzzle over at first. (One mustn’t fail to acknowledge those wild blue hands right up front!) Add to that the fact she fell, quite literally, into my lap—rather than having been the object of my desire for many years—and it’s entirely understandable that the relationship might need some building over time. For once again, as was the case with the Hamilton, I’ve found myself the recipient of a “mail-order bride.”
My impressions follow, in Part III
FH
Rolex Air-King Reference 5500
The Reference 5500 represents the black dial steel variant within the Air-King model range. Produced from 1972 to 1989, this reference spans nearly two decades of Rolex's catalog, offering the Air-King configuration in stainless steel construction with contrasting black dial presentation.
The 34mm stainless steel case houses the automatic Caliber 1520 movement, providing 42-48 hours of power reserve. The watch features a fixed bezel, acrylic crystal, and 100-meter water resistance. The black dial is paired with a steel bracelet, creating a monochromatic steel and black aesthetic throughout the watch.
This reference appeals to collectors seeking vintage Rolex pieces from the 1970s and 1980s production era. The 34mm case size and automatic movement position it as an accessible entry point within vintage Rolex collecting, while the extended production period means examples can be found across various condition grades and price points.
Please enjoy your time here, and keep sharing with us! With best wishes.
The best of health to you going forward. And enjoy your pursuit of bankruptcy here very day! Like many others of us!
Interesting it is, but much more rewarding when we can share our good fortune with others. I look forward to learning a great deal here.
Yep. I've got to put several things up for sale. But looking at many pieces I've collected just be cause they seem a good deal I see that each one has taught me something about this pursuit. Oddly enough, I don't feel like beating myself up about them. Instead, each one is precious in a way because of what I've learned from spending "time" with it. Then again, there is that 'ole mission creep with which to contend: "a gradual shift in objectives [during the course of a military campaign], often
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