How to Take out the Ceramic Bezel of GMT Master

First of all, question is why I have to open the GMT Master bezel?
For the perfectionist like I, I may like to clean it regularly, I may need to re-align its capillarity, or angular position. Knowing from some one saying that the ceramic bezel was fixed on to the bottom ring by means of double sided self adhesive tape!? Is that Right? A HKD$62,100 watch is using adhesive tape to fix the bezel, I still have puzzled for this unbelievable concern, well not until I open it to see the real situation is!

This has to be done either via removing the entire bezel or the ceramic bezel. Removing the ceramic bezel seems to be the easier way since the bezel construction is a little different from the normal submariner bezels. But removing the ceramic bezel does pose some challenges in removing it cleanly and safely without destroying or scratching it.

I came across website telling us using a plastic sheet as the opening tool to wedge off
Through trial and error. The piece of plastic is those mounted on shirt's collar.Insert at the gap between the bezel and the crystal, work your way around the bezel. The bezel is attached using double sided tape and therefore it is quite easy to separate it.

Any crystal alignment can be done easily after the bezel is removed. We can clean by apply gasoline to remove the double sided tape adhesive residuals and fix it properly by
new adhesive tape. People may question why use tape and I will find out more. Thanks to the Orginal Blogger mentioned this to us as I have no time to open the Watch and check. It is a good topic for further investigate. I think Rolex has well thought about it.

HK Snob

Tudor Ref. 79090

This is Tudor 79090 Submariner 40mm.
Rolex case, Rolex Crown, acrylic Crystal Black Dial and powder coated dial.
No more in production and is hard to find in good condition, it is selling about HKD$18,000-28,000 depending on condition. Don't miss it.

HK Snob

Swatch Full Turn Night SVAZ104S

Designed for men, build in high-tech ceramics black light, surrounded the Carousel movement, with the parts to 25 ruby bearings through the sapphire crystal glass, clearly visible. The mechanical device is placed on the watch with all the components disk movement, such a design, a movement to consolidate the operation of parts in each group, with the balance wheel escapement and a perfect match to ensure that accurate when the meter is running. Gear and control system placed in the transfer tube, and to rotate twice per hour, the operation of the whole, the balance wheel and escapement, as the satellite-like, walking around the center of the watch, full of beauty. Diaphane One Full Turn Night encoding the global production of 200 limited edition.

Diaphane One Full Turn Night luxury mechanical watch making is definitely the best example for the style in the world only store a limited post-coding of individual SWATCH sale, Hong Kong has been placed two, number, respectively (N ° 80) and (N ° 81 .) Limited number engraved on the light inside the black ceramic, as well as watch the bottom of the case, and highlight the unique and noble identity.

As a Christmas Special 2010. with list Price tagged at HKD$82,000.00, butonly a few known nunits were sold in HK.

HK Snob

Watch Trend 2012-2017

Watch has been designed with change in size, the choice of different material, thickness, the way to display time…and design on the movement, from simple manual winding movement, Automatic winding, Day and Date display, Chronometers, Repeater, Alarm , Tourbillon, 2 Dimensional Movement tourbillon, Double Tourbillon, Diamond Like Coating case, Brass, Titanium, Carbon Composite material and Ceramic Composite compound…etc.

Size from 33 mm in the 50’s, moving up to 36 and 39 mm in 1970’s then going to smaller one like 23 mm for man and gradually increasing size in recent ten years and now even a size of 55mm an be found… A thickness of 20mm and a weight of 300 grams. It is almost the size of a Small Clock for your desk top!

Well, the trend is keep going, to maintain a comparatively large size even Rolex had to announce to go for 40mm for their Major production model Date Just, and The Explorer II new release has a size of 42mm..

What we can see is that more and more people have fed up with too many fancy but non-functioned features on a watch… moreover the watch has becoming more expensive with unreasonable price… A Simple Solid gold watch is in the range of HKD$220,000. a Skeleton Tourbillon is easily HK$2,000,000. a Double Tourbillon Skeleton in PT is HKD$4,500,000.

Is that a price for a Porsche, a Lamborghini or an Aston Martin? But the watch is weighed just about 150 grams.

Each gram of substance is costing about HKD$30,000.
Where as each gram of Ferrari Substance is just HKD$1.73 for a HKD$2,600,000 Ferrari!!

When I wake up tomorrow there will have more 10,000 Millionaires in China.. Who will be surprises if you not mark up your price that Higher!? How can you suck up all the money from these rich big spender who may buy the high end watch just looking at the high end price?… Now the highest market segment of Rolls Royce is in China., No more HK, US or Saudi Arabia…

Well, what is the trend of Watch making in the coming year?
I think there are a few streams

1. More and more people will look for thinner and Simpler watch dial design. like three or even two hands manual automatic watch. This can take up 10% of the High end market. This will be supported by Piaget, IWC, JLC, and VC.

2. More and more super complicated watch made in limited number for the collectors and act as show case for demonstrate the power of the Watch Company.

3. More cheaper watch plus a lot of add on function will be made for the rest 80% of most of the watch user from Mid Low Range of Swiss, Seiko, Citizen, Timex, Casio…

4. More and more Yellow or Rose Colour Gold will be made as comparing with the White Colour gold.. as we have been seeing enough White gold or Stainless watch in the past 10 years, we feel bore!

5. More and more individual watch maker will emerge as an independent watch brand to go for Higher end markets. The make small number of watch with stunning design and moderate complexity.

6. PP will be a did hard classic watch maker with less bold change on the major design , they are slowing migrating to the younger watch buyer esp. from China. A big more sportive image will be add on the basic Series. As young Rich Chinese below 30 will not appreciate the Classic Look of PP. They go AP and VC…

7. Swatch , once was the King of the watch hit in 1989-1995, and I believe they are making a Plastic Tourbillon for giving me a surprise of What A price for what’s a real pride!?

8. More fun watch will be made in the Easter Asian new designer like HK, Korea and Japan. And they will be made as a trendy stuff for the youth for low end or give-away items.

9. Rolex will be maintain his usual way of making different casing, new gadget on case and dial design , seeking new material for make their watch more durable and more reliable, rather than going in parallel with the higher end completion with complicated watch. Rolex Will never make any Tourbillon before 2016.

19. I am still a Fan of Rolex and this trend will not change.
HK Snob

A Thought of Time

Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects. The function of watch is used for telling the time. Time is the all datum for every event to be getting started, halted ongoing, and stop in this World, but not too sure if there is another Time used in other Universe?

No matter the world most Accurate and likely the most expensive Clock at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).It's accurate to one second in about 3.7 billion years. Or the one you are wearing on your wrist… No matter a few thousand dollar gold watch or some two dollar cheapo you bought from the Sham Shui Po hawkers. They function the same: tell the time…
Time seems to be abstract, time moves on second by second, day by day, year by year, can only have one direction, as displayed on your watch so called Clockwise direction.

There is numerous scientist had been spent life time effort to retard the time, not to mention to reverse it. So far, there seems have no way to do anything about it. I saw Nicholas Cage movie "Next" that he could possibly see the future that it would happen two minutes later and that seems he can control the world as CIA would track him down for helping US Governement to defuse a terrorist nuclear bomb! This is in the fiction or movie but in the real life.

We can count time on our watch, every tick tac of second represents that you have been aged exactly for that amount. We have been lucky survived for that moment. And in present time of moment we should treasure it. Many Watch collector keep their expensive, limited and special with in the safe. While the power reserve indicator show “Zero” it has no power start the fly wheel. I do think it is pity, as the watch maker has been spending tedious effort to make such a great watch, but it becomes an investment article in the dark and cold safe.

If I were him, I will put it on my hand and every moment I see the seconds hand moving it tells me our life is going on, and the left our known friends, lovers are going on. What a wonderful moment and seconds we can hear this little piece of watch movement keep time accurate, never steal you a second.

Let's enjoy our life and let' pay a little bit of respect to the Time. No matter is displayed by the triple complication Patek phillippe, Paul Newman Daytona, an Audemars Piguet, Swatch, Seiko It does not matter to you, they work almost the same. As different people has their own way to appreciate time and his watch. It is important that you have to treasure it, as by tomorrow, my watch may still moving but my life won’t go on!

Treasure your time of every second with you watch, your family members, your lovers, fiancée, or mistress.
HK Snob

Roger Dubuis Velvet

Since 1995, Roger Dubuis has earned appreciation from the Chinese big spenders, discerning Watch connoisseurs, private collectors, and Celebrity. With fine Swiss horologer achievement and Company strategy to offer every watch made for qualifying for stamping “Genève Seal”.
This is a new design to offer those sophisticated ladies a time piece on her writs at same time a piece of jewelry. But not too much as a show off of glittering of precious gems.
The way they inlay the diamonds are just for the right design need. And not to uncover the precise Movement under the case.
The Velvet Watch is employing the RD821 movement which is made of 172 components. The Whole watch is entirely developed, hand-made assembled in the Roger Dubuis Ateliers.
Exterior was a black Technical prowess of black DLC treatment solid Titanium. An audacious and unseen combination of colours, reflecting the dramatic and dark beauty of our "Incredible Diva" universe.
· This Velvet watch design is made in Titanium with DLC feature;
· 36mm in diameter.
· One round of Amethysts and Black Diamonds on the side;
· 100% In-house automatic movement;
· With Genève Quality Hall Mark and COSC Certificate.
This watch is selling at HKD$308,000.00.
PS
Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coatings are a particular area of expertise on surface treatment for both colour and hardness. Among PVD & PaCVD coating compositions and technology, DLC coatings stand out as a particularly distinctive category. These coatings exhibit a desirable combination of a low coefficient of friction and high micro-hardness, making them extremely effective in many tribological and wear applications.
DLC coatings are formed when ionized and decomposed carbon or hydrocarbon species land on the surface of a substrate with energy typically 10-300eV. DLC films may possess exceptional mechanical (high hardness), optical (high optical band gap), electrical (high electrical resistivity), chemical (inert) and tribological (low friction and wear coefficient) properties and can be deposited at low substrate temperature (<200°).
It is a new way to apply the treatment on the surface of the metal like Stainless steel or Titanium, this will ensure the metal surface to be hard enough for durability, black as the desire colour of the watch designer, and smoothness for extra wearing comfort.
Roger Dubuis made it on Titanium has a ultra light weight for the lady to wear. It is an expensive process and the yield is low, so as the cost will be high.
AP, Hubolt, Richard Miller Panerai and Cartier has a few launched models using this DLC process on their watch.
HK Snob

World's Most Expensive Watch Ever sold!

Sotheby's experts estimated that this watch would sell for between $3 million and $5 million, but due to intense competition, bids soared to more than $11 million in 1999. With 24 complications or functions and two faces. This 18kt yellow-gold pocket watch took four years to build and still holds the record for the most expensive watch (non jewelery watch) ever sold. It is Patek Philippe Cal. 89. Only one is known to be produced!
If Patek Philippe produces two pieces, the auction price will not that high, it may reach 3 millions only... As this is a very heavy pocket watch which you never want to wear it in your pocket!
HK Snob

What’s the best Rolex for investment?

Many people talks about using Watch for an investment, yes that is right if you go for certain limited production for some branded watch like Patek Philipe, Audemars Piguet, Rolex… we can check out the hot items in the watch auctions. An investment watch has certain basic requirement:
1. Limited units available
2. Beautiful design or feature.
3. Sophisticated movement
4. That Watch will not be produced as a retro version as new anymore.
5. Timing (factors like Trend, preference on colour, size, material) *
If you said buying a new Rolex and put it in safe waiting for the price to go up and earn money, that may not be practical, as they are production watch, and those are new, you may have to wait for many decades to see that watch could offset inflation to return you some dollars.
Simply as I say No Rolex should be purchased with a perceived notion of investment....
They should be worn and enjoyed! Or more precisely having said that, almost all Rolex watches will hold their value in the long haul, but will loose out in the short term.
Watches should not be bought as an investment. Buy the one you like and enjoy it. If it goes up in value that's great!
If buying with the sole reason not to loose money on a future resale then buy second hand as most of the depreciation would already have been taken.
Your best bet to buy a Pre Owned Submariner, GMT or SS Daytona. They seem to hold their value pretty good in the used market.
I bought a 1950 bubble gold 14K Rolex in 1986 at HKD$5,000 from Kiu Tai Yu. After using it for almost 8 years and then I sold to some one with HKD$18,000 … and that watch price kept going up to HKD$38,000 in 1996. but due to the trend for watch size was going BIG, that Bubble back Rolex was not able to further appreciate much after 1997.
If I were you, at age over 38. I have no hesitation to recommend you to buy a used Day Date Ref. 18038 (Rolex Flag ship model). For your daily uses,
This is one that has its own specialty, the dial is beautiful, even colour, brown orange colour that is eye-catching even from a distance, Sapphire crystal for scratch proof, watch proof is not a question for Rolex, Day date is best for man like I to remind me the important of the day and time. Perpetual Auto rotor keeps power reserve for min. 42 hours. Price, estimated to be HKD$44,000…and I am sure the price will move up with inflation.
It is not an investment item, but after 10 years, you may able to get back at least HKD$35,200. So it costs you HKD$9.6 a day to own this watch.
If you don’t like Day Date, simply go for s used Submariner, GMT Master I or II.
Talking about real investment, we have better go to buy some blue chip when Hang Seng Index goes down to 18,000 points.

Note * a very ugly colour like Mandarin Yellow or Stella (Red) in the 60's which no one wanted, and was made only a few units... now it is likely to be very rare and expensive.

HK Snob

Jaeger LeCoultre Futurematic

 

I have seen a lot of Gold plated Jaeger LeCoultre Futrurematic. This is Solid Gold just has been restored.

It is very Stylish with Art Deco design arrangement of Dial.

Red Indicator on the left is power reserve Indicator. An interesting Watch with hidden crown. However if you are easy to sweat in Summer, you had better do not wear it, as the sweat will easily goes into the watch through the gap between the crown and the case.

The Automatic winding is running by a tiny swinging hammer with two spring dampers on both end of the rotating axis. The Winding up efficency is low comparing with centrifugal rotor.

HK Snob

Britian's Most Honest Man!?

The 28-year-old Aaron Large spotted the first timepiece while jet-washing a roadside drain a week ago! Striking gold: Mr Large was cleaning a drain near Chalkwell train station in Essex when he saw a glimmer amongst the dirt. He found a Rolex Daytona, Well., the watch as in the ditch!? That would be a good ad or Sales gimmick for Rolex as it is not being spoiled by the dirty water and contamination. Will you return the Daytona to Police station when you pick up a Rolex!? He later found two more; OneFrank Muller and an Omega.. Can I say Aaron Large is Britian’s most honest Man!?
Britian Snob

The Thinner The Better: Piaget

Piaget was founded in 1874 by Georges Edouard Piaget. Piaget is widely known for its magnificent jeweled dress watches - and for its Polo line of watches which has been redesigned into various incarnations over its 25 year history. In 1956 Piaget launched the first mechanical ultra thin movement with manual winding 9P calibre. They became the masters of ultra thin movements. Later on in 1960 they manufactured another ultra thin movement the 12P which landed them in the Guinness Book of Records as the thinnest self-winding movement (2.3 mm) in the world. Piaget is also recognized though for its watch movements and parts that are often used by other watch manufacturers (particularly Cartier and other brands in the Richemont watch group)
Attached Picture shows Altiplano manual 9P (1957) and automatic 12P (1960)

The other is the world's thinnest Auto movement 12P from Piaget!HK Snob

The Thin Cult Classic Universal Gold Shadow

In the 60s, Universal has made the thinnest watch I have ever seen, remember I went to see a displayed Universal at Swiss Watch Company at Central, I stayed there for 10 minutes from side to see how thin it was. That is so thin that is not thicker than one HK dollar coin. The price was about HKD$1,300, don't forget that an Rolex Date Just Two Tone was selling at HKD$1760 in 1976, So you can tell that this watch is very expensive in the year of 1965. That was Universal Golden Shadow and White Shadow were first produced in 1965 and were the thinnest automatic watch movements at the time, with a thickness of only 2.3mm. This record was held until 1978. The Shadows were also designed by Gerald Genta who invented the Famous AP Royal and PP Nautilus and were available in 18K yellow and white gold as the Golden Shadow, and in stainless steel as the White Shadow. Both watches contained the Caliber 2-66 micro rotor movement up until the late 1960s.
These GOLDEN SHADOWS are highly sought after and very difficult to find, I would go as far to say they are considered to be a cult classic amongst collectors. Universal Geneve was founded in 1894 and today produces EXTREMELY expensive watches. in If you are seeking a slim, spectacular looking and high quality dress watch; and also want it to be modest in size-here it is!

HK Snob

Vintage Rado SeaHorse and the latest Rado made of Ceramos Material

Rado Seahorse is a High grade Swiss automatic with Rado's famous rotating anchor. This Swiss made watch is an automatic, and has the date at the three o'clock spot. The watch also features a sweep secondhand. I bought Rado Seahorse in 1970, I remember the sea horse was blue. It was HKD$120.00.
It was a very durable watch, I had put the watch in the top Cold storage compartment of my Refrigerator overnight and next day I put it in hot waterr to study how durable the watch could be… and it was passed. I used to play watch Tug of war by resting the watch ‘s crown on my other watch’s crown and see which watch was going to stop first, It was a common Game we played for watch in the 70’s.
The next picture is the latest Rado Ceramos material to make watch, There seems has some shadow of the 70’s Seahorse. I had found another Art Deco Design Oval shaped Rado. That is a good example of beautiful Rado!
Anyway, the Rado was one of the watch I had in the 70.
HK Snob
Ps
Ceramos® evolves from the platinum-coloured high-tech ceramic which Rado introduced in 1993. This ceramic and metal composite was designed to have the optimal properties of both components. Today Ceramos® accommodates a unique platinum steel look for use in sharp, edgy designs. It is a light material, which adjusts quickly to skin temperature, offering unrivalled comfort levels when used to make watch bracelets and cases. It is hard as up to Vickers hardness at least 1200, which is harder than Gold, Steel and Platinum. Ceramos is super resistant to scratches. Hardness of Diamond is Vickers 10,000.

This is my first Omega Classic De Ville.

I bought this watch at one small watch shop in Kowloon City with HKD$1,080 in 1981. After 5 years, I sold it to one of my best friends KM Chan at HKD$800. He has been using this watch for many years. Omega had once produced the best watch in the 60's till 80's. You know that Omega was once more expensive than Rolex in the same category and class. But After 80's Rolex overtaken Omega in price and also in quality.
Today, whilst we had a tea with KM in the morning, I saw that watch again, he knows and every year whilst we meet, he worn that watch and showed me! But he never want to sell it back to me!
This is the first Omega I had first purchased. I can see the plating of gold is so thick that it looks 80 microns; is that Older is always better!? Note Also the Art Deco dial Design, it is beautiful, classic, simple, accurate and thin! What else you want from HKD$1,080?
HK Snob

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

In 1952, the French "Nageuers de combat" (combat swimmers) was instituted by the French government as an elite team of tactical soldiers - the NAVY Seals of France. Captain Bob Maloubier was at the helm of this group, whose missions included underwater intelligence, sabotaging operations, and clandestine port-attacks. The team was already using tools such as compasses, depth gauges, and yes, watches, but none were specifically designed for the rugged tasks at hand. He was the original Designer for Fifty Fathoms, and he approached LIP and then the very small company of Blancpain to make this diving watch for him, that was 1954. Today there are about 20 variations of Blancpain and I used to have one A "No Radiations" Model From 1966. but I looked at the case carefully, and saw that there are very rough case profile and I suspected that was a fake,, and in fact I had not so much knowledge at that time, so I sold it to some one, Today, I fell regret as that is a rare watch, and that is beautiful. How Can I get this watch again!?
The picture shown here is the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms limited to 500 pcs Only.
Blancpain had announced that they produce mechanical watch only and never will make any quartz watch! This may be the only one swiss company that can definitely say they produce Mechanical watch only.
HK Snob

Breitling Navitimer

Breitling Navitimer is a great name that went back to 1954, The original Breitling Navigation & Time was developed as a navigator watch for Pilots, who could use the slide rule to calculate remaining distance, fuel consumption, beside the time keeping.
It can be classified as one of the most important watches for flying professions besides Rolex GMT Master and it has gone through so many years and likely four generations of Design Changes, It is one of the most durable, beautiful and presentable cult watch for air borne flyer.
HK Snob
The Picture was taken at HKIA by Nolia N97 mini Hand set.
Ps This gentleman has a complete collection of Breitling Navitimer.
http://people.timezone.com/breitling/bfaq/Reviews--Navitimer.html