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Re: Sure but

 

First of all, let me say that this is a fascinating thread!

> Yes but you took the VC, not the PP. Why?

A lot of factors coming together.

I started out knowing nothing about fine watches other than that Rolex and Omega are popular, and that my uncle (a watch collector) loves PP. I wanted something not too big, slim, elegant yet discreet, and on a leather strap. In my first trip into a watch store, I quickly learned that those tastes make me an outlier. At the end of my visit, though the store had no VCs on hand, the dealer (an AD for VC, but not for PP) handed me a VC catalogue (among others). I soon decided that VC ref. 33093 was my favorite of the watches that I could buy at that store. Separately, a coworker (a few years younger than me) told me that if I was considering VC, I could afford (and should seriously consider) PP. Thinking even more, I added a transparent back to my list of criteria.

On the PP side, the 5196 has an appealing case and dial, but lacks a sapphire back. The 5127 and 5296 were outside my budget (at least if buying new). VC had some manual winds in my price range that met the criteria, but all of them had already been discontinued. My AD contacted VC trying to help me find the 33093, and I even started looking for used ones. (I also briefly considered a JLC Master Ultra Thin as the closest available substitute that wasn't discontinued.) In the process, I failed to uncover a 33093, but I found on this forum a listing for a preowned VC that met my criteria (ref. 87172) at a price that I couldn't turn down. It wasn't a perfect fit (a bit bigger and thicker than I thought ideal, though I've since come to like the 38mm size), but I liked that it was different enough from the 33093 that I could still get the other one eventually to complement it (I'm still looking).

Because the VC 33093 drew me in, I was spending more time looking for a VC. Perhaps I could have found a gently used PP 5127 or 5296 at the right price if I had looked harder. Or perhaps if I were looking a bit later in the future, the 5196 would have evolved into something with a sapphire back. I think the 5127, 5196, and 5296 are gorgeous, and suitable for both young and old, formal and informal.

There is one other reason I favored VC, though it has little to do with the watch itself. I noticed a much more vibrant market for recent-vintage used PPs, which suggested to me that people who buy a PP tend not to hold on to it as long. That is, however, a totally different issue from the design of the Calatrava.

Jason

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