Sunday, June 16, 2013

Money or Rolex, Rolex or Money? Collector's Dilemma!!


             Rolex OysterQuartz DD Ref 19018 with Birch Dial

                                Western Electric WE300B Vacuum Tubes 1995

                                   RCA Victor 1959 The Royal ballet LP Mono Two LP Album

                                               Telefunken 1958-1965 ECC803 Vacuum Tubes

Teresa Tang LP all Printed in Japan 1973-1979

                                 Rolex DD Ref 18049 White Gold with Dimond bezel

When you have no money, try to find it, when you have found some money, you should look for something you like!

Buy a Rolex for you wife, your daughter, you brother, Father and mother, but most of all, buy the dream Rolex for yourself. That is the best reward to your hard working in the past, and most of all Rolex has a good power to work again inflation. It won’t earn money for you but I think Rolex is better than bank to keep money sometimes.

I should say this way, you won’t lose too much, at least you will earn the “Daily wearing of it” That is my attitude toward Rolex.

I bought Telefunken ECC803 Vacuum Tube at about $2,000 with Box 10 years ago, now the market price is $5,000 no box. NOS with box is $20,000 a piece. Once I had 26 pieces of such great tubes and I was so nervous that price would fall and I sold some of them to Audio Space some 6 years ago at cost. Now I feel regret as there is no way to buy at $5,000 a piece. So sometimes stay Calm, the Physics is right, the old good stuff will becoming less and less, that is why Vintage Rolex price soring high.

I bought Western Electric WE300 vacuum Tubes at $6,300 a pair at Audiotronics 7 years ago, now they are selling $24,000 a pair. I bought two pairs, but will I sell it!?

I bought my Teresa Tang Japanese Release Vinyl about $500 to 800 12 years ago, now , it is about $1,500- $30,000 a piece!

I bought the Royal Ballet at $5,000 four years ago, now it worth more than $15,000!

I bought a few Rolex OysterQuartz each at $56,000 3 years ago, now it price is $65,000- $75,000 for good colour dial.

I bought a AP Royal Oak 1972 Jumbo at $120,000 4 years ago, I think now If I sell it I can get at least 80% more.

But the problem is, Will you sell it. That is a Collector’ dilemma, “Always it is very hard to find, and even harder to sell!”

Another funny things I saw is that when there are so many pretty ladies in front of the sailors at Mona Lisa Massage Parlour, they could not make a choice, but when the ship was moored at Siracha more than 1 month,,, I bet an old lady of 40 can be the queen for the night!

Same as Rolex, I had order three Ref 116610LV for friends, but when the watches arrived AD, They all disappeared and after the next day when those Gem are sold, someone came to me again asking for the Watch!

So Today, be calm, work hard for money, and when you have spotted good Rolex, go and buy!

Take your time to search and find it, I feel that the process of searching something is more enjoyable than the time you have bought it…

Sham Shui Po Snob

Audemars Piguet Quantieme Perpetuel





AP is another brand of watch that I like, this is a Pepertual Calendar watch made of solid 18 KT gold.
The No. 88 is perfect for Chinese, we call it "Double Rich"!

HK Snob

Father's Day special, Rolex ref 18238 and Patek Philippe 5170




There are many studies to tell the average life expectancy of father is shorter than mother.


As being a Father has to face thee pressure from the job, society, his never ending demanding bosses except I as I treat people with respect at least…, and had to work hard to maintain the income for the family…

Though we cannot underestimate the work of the mother, the 9 month pregnancy is a torture and I was told the consequency is that that mother would love her kid more!

Old Chinese Saying: The furious tiger won’t eat her kid… as she know they are her kids. Nothing would be changed since the day they were borne.

That is to be fair Father day should be treated with same importance as Mother day!


Wish all fathers could be happy and wish all kids understood how tough father has to support the family.

And I hope My children would buy me either one of these watches to me on this special Father's day.

WISH YOU ALL HAD A WONDERFUL HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

HK Snob

The Rolex Watch Ref 19018




This is a close up of OysterQuartz Ref 19018 Yellow gold DD!
HK Snob

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Rolex Ref 1803 Fat Boy



This is one of the so called "Fat Boy", an early issue from Rolex under the model Ref 1803.
It looks bigger, and in fact, it is wider on teh case!

The black Roman Numerals on champange dial is a good match.

Worst thing is Paul always say: "Not for sale!" , likely because it is "Near Mint" condition.

It is a Classic Relex DD!

Sham Shui Po Snob

Watch Fever by HK Snob

Many People asks me who am I and I can tell you that I am a blogger. The reason I started blogging was one of my bosses criticized my poor commercial English and I decided to start blogging to pick up my writing. I always thank him as he is my trigger for my blogs!

I found that Still my English is Rubbish, but that is no a matter, as it keeps me writing. That is my Hobby now.. glad to hear that People sometime found my story was funny! I like that comment as Life is Boring, we should make more fun out of boreness everyday every time…

I started my first Watch as My father showed me his Grand Seiko, and he bought me a Citizen manual winding watch when I was first in Class in English in Form 1. I started buying my first Rolex Date Just stainless steel when I earned my own money back in 1980. Since then I found Rolex is the opium and I started smoking Rolex Opium every day, and I am having more cure for it.

I am A watch Maniac, Rolex Lover that would consider sell one of my Kidneys to buy Rolex Day Date if that is Lapis Azuli Blue with Bubble Diamond and Diamond bezel.

I am HK Snob that has no money but has all kind of expensive Hobbies and Collection such as Fountain Pen, Vinyl or LP, Wine (inside my Stomach), Vacuum Tubes, Tie Clip and Cuff link..etc.

I am An Analogue Audio Supporter, Listening to all kinds of Analogue music from 50’s 70s; The Entire Audio Chain as no Transistor or any IC as the perfectionist’s music source. A good TurnTable and Vacuum Tubes amplifier does the best job in conveying the original music format from the recording media LP into our ears!

I earn money by working as sales manager in a Semiconductor equipment supplier company, I fly to Manila every week and come back on Saturday. I take care Philippine market. If you are in Manila, Please call me for a coffee and a SPA!

Well, I am not a Watch Dealer, I am not a Watch shop owner, I appreciate good watches and I appreciate talking to friends on Watch and Watch stuff, Blogging is my new hobby.

I start to helping people to find the New Rolex from Rolex AD at reasonable price, I like to answer questions that people asks me about watch although I am not an expert but I like them asking me that I will find the answer by consulting expert and friend. Through the Questions, I know more about watches!

I wrote everything about my Blogs all by myself… and I can say if you have passion on something, you will make is successful! Though I can not say my blog is successful, i like Jakes Rolex as he got the stuff, very interesting stuff.

And I you can share your watch picture to me, I will be glad… send them to my yahoo mail account feverip266288@yahoo.com.hk

And most of all thanks a million for your support, my watch blog just hits a 626,389 page views minutes ago. It is nothing comparing to international watch blogs. But I am armature, part time blogger and I have limited sources of information, this will be nice rewards to me… 
Sometimes I call myself Sham Shui Po Snob because Sham Shui Po is a great place to go, and most of all, though average people is poor, but they are the honest and hardworking grass root HK People! And they are the real nice people! That is why I encourge myself to buy pre-owned watch at Lung Shing  as they are good stuff.... People there is honest!

PS
My Rolex Polo Shirt was a gift from Alfred, a Hi Fi DIY and Expert on Audio from UK.

The watch is a Tudor Red Chronometer 1990, I sold it to one of my good friend in Singapore as I had no money to pay the rent!

I like to stand near a Piano because I think I can pick up some musical
Inspiration by doing so... I cannot play piano.

I wish you all had a wonderful weekend!

Sham Shui Po Snob

PS
You can simple find me just typing “ Watch fever” in Google or Yahoo search engine, the first One is my Blog!

Clerc hydroscaph Limited Edition Chronograph "500" pieces




Clerc Hydroscaph Limited Edition Chronograph
This is an unique, massive, all weather wearing Watch from Clerc, a tiny Swiss small company that could produce such a fine watch. It weighs about 150gram which gives me a feeling of Invincible, Solid and Sturdy. The whole case is solid hi carbon steel and is black DLC coated to give you a satin smooth surface and I believe with just a whip of your hand, the water will be gone and dry after diving.

The Small window at back does allow you to peep the fine polishing quality and those Blue screws, a sense of Hi end Movement. The rotor is smooth noiseless which is important to tell the precision of the bearing assembly. This is Numbered “2” out of the limited 500 pieces…

“Two” means “Easy” in Chinese,… That is why I see the watch owner can be so Easy to manage his income and his Collection of Watches. Believe no one would like to sell this watch with “2”. Wish him all the best… with this "Easy" Watch!

Retail Price HKD$90,000.00

HK Snob

Rolex Day Date Ref 18238 White Dial with Bubble Diamond


An Rolex Day Date with White Epoxy Dial and bubble Diamond.

Ref 18238 is very rare to have bubble Diamond!!

How do you like it!? Beside is the one I am wearing Today, Ref 19018.
Ref 18238 is double quick set DD, POA.
HK Snob

Friday, June 14, 2013

Some Killer Rolex Day Date

                                   Rolex Ref 18039 White Gold DD with Special Circular Hour Index
                                                                    (owner is in HK)

                                                 Rolex DD with Lapis Azuli (Owner in Begium)

                                                     Ref 18038 YG DD  (Owner in HK)


                                             Ref 19018 YG OysterQuartz Oak Dial (Owner in hk)

                                         Ref 1803 Black Roman Numerals Dial, Classic! (Owner in HK
)
Killer Rolex 1804  WG and YG with alot of Sugar Cubes

Ref 1804 DD



More and more Rolex DD, more and more beautiful dials and a lot of shinning stone embedded on it.

What is your choice? My choice is still the Blue Lapis ...and the green!

HK Snob

Thursday, June 13, 2013

What's Wrong with a Quartz Watch?

 
Top: Rolex Daytona stainless stell Ref 116520
Bottom: Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date Ref 19018 Yellow Gold

What is wrong with a Quartz Watch?

When I was working on a merchant vessels in 1980-1983; time keeping was solely done by a manual Winding maritime clock, Nardin, Zenith, Seiko and PateK Philippe. The second or Third officer had to take record on the watch every day on a log book to track the time. The Watch has 7 days power reserve and there is a big wing-nut key to do the winding.

I have noticed that it was within the range of +6 to – 4 seconds every day. Do not forget the watch does not have tourbillon and had to experience cold and hot weather. It was -25 degrees in Dalian and +36 degrees at Bangkok. That is a real chronometer.

The time is important to be used to check the position of the Ship through Sextant through some logarithm table. Of course the ship has been equipped with some other positional finding system Like Loran C, Omega, and the latest Satellite navigator system after 1986. Still there must equip a Chronometer and I can see all the Chronometers was Quartz driven after 90s.

The beauty of Quartz is accuracy that no mechanical watch can beat them, as it carry a 32,000 Hz (Cycle per second) Vibration frequency Quartz whereas mechanical watch movements used by Rolex, Breitling, and Omega, the movement calibers that obtain most of the COSC certificates are the Rolex 3135 (since 1988) (and variants 3155, 3175, 3185, 4130) and 2235, the ETA 2892A2 (and variants) and Valjoux 7750, each of which operates at 28,800 beats per hour.

Grand Seiko and Zenith El Primero has a higher frequency of 36,000 beats per hour. Even though, comparing with the Rolex OysterQuartz is 32,000x3,600/36,000=115,200 times Higher in beats per second.,

A Rolex OysterQuartz has a 115,200 times better in time keeping than ordinary mechanical Watch.

look at the COSC standard here, mechanical watch which is built to certify the Standard of COSC has an accuracy of +6 and -4 degrees every day, whereas a OysterQuartz watch is in the range of an average 0.07 second a day.

Don't forget we are talking about Chronometers that has been built with jewel bearings and precision parts to achieve that accuracy, most of the non COSC watch may have an accuracy of +15 -12 seconds a day. That can be 5 minutes a month!

COSC aka C.O.S.C. is Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, which is the institute responsible for certifying the accuracy and precision of wristwatches in Switzerland. There are about 1,000,000 watches submitted for certification each year, large portion is from Rolex,, Omega, Breitling, Tag Huer and Panerai.

These are about 3% of the total watches Swiss made a year.

COSC not just serve mechanical Watch, but also Quartz Watch, refer to the following table.

 


Considering the fact that mechanical watches are almost never used for real timekeeping and navigation anymore, and that practically any quartz watch is vastly better in accuracy, certification may be considered a historic relic by some, but it verifies the accuracy and quality of a mechanical movement.
Though quartz is almost always more accurate, mechanical movements are preferred by some watch collectors and enthusiasts.

To me, sometimes it is easier to wear a watch that is very accurate and very reliable, besides, the Watch MUST be very beautiful!

The Choice is Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date Ref 19018 and Ref 19019.

But the Ref 19019 is very hard to get nowaday, and it very expensive, it is in the range of HKD$80,000 to HKD$100,000 depending on condition and type of dial.

As for Yellow Gold, it is more friendly in pirce, it is in the Range of HKD$65,000 to HKD$85,000 depending on condition and type of dial.

Of course, if that is a Tiger Eye, or Lapis Azuli dial, it will be very very Expensive no matter yellow gold or white gold, as the dial itself is already a piece of art!

Did Rolex ever made some QysterQuartz Day Date with these gemstones?
HK Snob

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Rolex DD Ref 18038 on Sale



An next mint Rolex Day Date Ref 18038 Black Dial. Already replaced with Chinese Day date display, had been serviced for case cleaning at RSC HK. Have Rolex Service record. 
Black is beauty!
POA

HK Snob

My Dream Rolex Day Date Lapis Azuli Dial

                                         Courtesy picture from http://rlxdd.wordpress.com/

                                     Courtesy picture from http://rlxdd.wordpress.com/



This is a watch I always looking for and I believe One day I may have a chance to have one.

I still I recalled I missed one yellow gold Submariner with Lapis Azuli Dial.
This Smooth bezel Yellow gold Day Date is simple, clean and all eyes focus will be on the Blue dial that has gold dust, what kind of beauty it is!

The same shape, style and  fame as Pen Collector' dream Pen: Waterman Patrician Turquoise.

HK Snob

Killer Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date Ref 19018

                                                            An Hummer H3 Orange

                              Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date Ref 19018 and My Nunchaku



                                           Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date with Birch Dial

OysterQuartz Day Date and Hermes Lizard Skin Fountain Pen Case


This is another one with oak Dial and Box
Killer Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date Watch Ref 19018

For 25 years Rolex produced the Oysterquartz in Datejust models (17000 stainless steel, 17013 steel/YG, 17014 steel/WG), and Day-Date models in all gold (19018 YG, 19019 WG). Special models of the Oysterquartz were also produced with jeweled dials, bezels, and bracelets. It has been estimated that in all less than 25,000 Oysterquartz watches were ever produced by Rolex.

Who kills the Electric car? The Oil company or GM?

Who Kill the Rolex OysterQuartz? No one knows, probably the new 90’s Swiss Manufacturing of Hi end watch gone too far away from some of the Electronics technology including Quartz. Again, time piece is used to keep time as the basic need, what's has wrong with a Quartz watch? Probably to blame low value image as there are Quartz watch selling HKD$20 a piece at Ap Liu Street!? Don’t forget that there are also HKD$60 for a mechanical Watch!

Probably the development cost of an accurate, durable Quartz watch is not as CHEAP as mechanical watch arena?! As Rolex OysterQuartz is one of the best Quart watches in the WORLD. Besides, the unique “tick” for every second it runs!? The mechanical Structure is sturdy, the watch case is so sleek and pretty and seem it is timeless.

It carries with the similar base plate design of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, with a weight of 148 grams on your wrist give you a sense of massive Watch like driving the

legendary Hummer H3X with a 5.3L V8 Engine!

It runs of battery cells that could last for 2.5 years. Most of all, the battery Replacement is free at Rolex Service Centre.

The number of Yellow and White Gold Rolex OysterQuartz Day Date is estimated to be less than 5,000.

To a Collector point of view, this is good as they are Little in number of Production, it is pretty, It works perfectly with proven record on Mt, Everest.

And Most of all, the price is VERY CHEAP as of Today’ Gold watch. Average Selling price is About HKD$55,000-HKD$90,000 depending on material, condition, dial material and Colour.

As I can imagine, one day the Car running on Road will be 40% Battery powered by 2020, and at that time who knows those Rolex and Patek Philippe would be mostly Quartz? Who know that Obama would be the president of the USS in 2008?

When we see good dial, Day Date OysterQuartz, Buy it…

QuartzOysteregret- new word I use myself, it means if you do not buy Oyster Ouartz now, you will be Regret soon!

HK Snob

A great Web site for us to see more Rolex DD


The Picture was obtained from this Great Web site

A Great Website for More RlxDD

http://rlxdd.wordpress.com/

Go and see, I am glad that Friend of mine shows me this great site, that is a collection of the important and Killer Rolex DD!
Those colour kept me awakening all night long!


HK Snob

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Ask for Rolex DD with Awesome Colourful dial

We have a few maniacs of Rolex Day Date, and We would like to see if you would like to offer your Day Date with Colourful Dial and we will like to buy if price if Right. or share pictures with us so as we can publish and share with more Rolex DD Collectors.
Colour We are looking for
Lapis Lazuli
Green
Stella Red
Bloodstone
Marble
Birch
Oak
Purple
Orange
yellow
Torquise

HK Snob

Panerai PAM0023a T-dial


PAM 23A T- dial


Awesome 23A Panerai Luminor GMT.

Watch is simply stunning with a beautiful Tritium dial turning colors naturally and markers a nice cream color.

Watch has automatic movement, date function, originals straps. Original two screw buckle, all papers and boxes (see picture), 44mm diameter.

Price HKD$65,000

HK Snob