The difference of Vacheron Constantin Overseas Generation 1 Ref 42042 and 42040

 On and off we can see there is Overseas ref 42042 and 42040 which state also same 37mm diameter.

So what is the difference between this models? We can refer to the attached table. More ever 

according to the official reply to one of their watch fan, telling that Ref 42042 has a stronger and thickness movement which is more suitable as the movement on a sport watch.

As for dial, the early one is sigma, then T Swiss T, and the replacement dial Swiss made.

So the price of Ref 42042 and 42040 has a big price difference of about 30%.

How to tell your watch is Ref 42042? You can check the bracelet is engraved with "423J" that should be 42042.

How about Ref 42050, that is having a 35mm diameter Overseas. So the price is even lower.

HK Snob

When Rolex price will start to get back to normal?

 Today I visited some of the watch shops at CKE, TST of Hong Kong.

We talked about when the next Rolex price up will be?

I think September as by then the Russia Ukraine war should come to an end if not should 

be come to a resolution to stop.

Biden should find a way o sit down talking to President  Xi on how to get things moving on such that his seat at White House would be kept warm in November.

If that Russian war is settled , European, USA inflation will be having a way to be reduced. 

By then China had been fully recovered on it production capacity to regain momentum for chasing best GDP for the year.

And if so, the people will start to spend money on more or less more on luxury goods .

I pray for that... Let's see, only two months to go.

HK Snob

When Rolex price up?

As more and more people is asking me when Rolex Price is up again.

Is it the lowest price now?

What I see that when HSI is at this 22000 point, US and UK inflation is highest over the last 40 years. 

No such good news of Putin will hand shake with Ukraine President?

I think the Rolex price is still going down further in July at least

I can't tell as I don't have crystal ball on when Rolex price is up again.

When you can afford and when it is not lowest, there is a good deal found, it is time to buy. IMHO

HK Snob

Watch bubble bursts?

 Until the day I am writing, watch price still does not stop dropping.

Always if the market is bad, people is scary to buy and the whole dealer or seller or grey dealer may go for panic sale. so this avalanche effect would further spoil the market.

Johnson is facing large scale strike in UK led by the trainer worker across the country, they have been facing the work inflation over the last 40 years, on the other side of the continent, Biden is scratching his head what should he do on one side putting sanction on Shinjiang Uyghur products into USA and other side knee down begging to meet Xi. On the other side USA is sending his Japanese little brother to join with  Korea with the new president to give trouble to the Eastern water, don't forget Korea and Japan is never a friend for the last 100 years. so internally there are Okinawa citizens coming up protect again Fumio Kishida. and South Korean are not happy with Yoon Suk-yeoi's new move. 

Watch price will not be affected by world political situation, to certain extend is less as prominent as stock markets and consumer's products because it is classified as luxury product which is by right the last resort of monetary asylum.

Both Eastern and Western countries are in great trouble, and Russia does not seem to stop the war now as one way to change the world, and China and Russia seems getting closer...

anyway this is purely mu opinion on the world current situation, back to the watches.

I see trade between dealer on these watches

Patek Aquanaut 5167A is $595,000

AP 15500ST Royal Oak auto 41 mm white dial is $370,000

Daytona white 16500 is now $270,000

Comparing with 2021, it has been dropped over 20% on PP, AP and Rolex as an average, vintage even worse no one watch to buy 1680, 1665, 16520 at the market price unless very special watches.

What s next? 

Watch out for next two months.

HK Snob

Unit here is HKD

Courtesy picture from Italian Watch Spotter

AP House visit with my Royal Oak Ref 5402BA

This is my second time re-visited AP house, I had another experience. As for this time I feel I was being properly treated. I was meeting with a supervisor who actually I knew her when she was with other watch brands 5 years ago. 

She could say this is a 5402 A series! Surprisingly this is a difference between a supervisor and other staff. knowing me that I like vintage watch, she gave me two heavy books for my reference. Then she mentioned that this watch may be handled by la brassus factory for complete service. I saw a decent  service there, immediate i put down my another 1997 Offshores for completed service.

She told ne the service charges of the 5402 is about HK$100,000. Well, regarding the sentimental value and economical value of this watch, I said OK. 

The issue is 6 months, I told her I have no concern on the delivery time just not to further polish that watch and don't change the dial as this is the soul of this watch...

Well, to be a successfully company, customer handling is key... I think this time AP is doing the right thing.

HK Snob

When watch price will go up again?

Many people questions when watch price will go up again.

This is a big topic which is also a challenge o many of the financial guy for watch trades.

I think the basic need for watch to regain its price momentum is, no more war, no more crazy inflation at like US nowadays. 

Also people will have good political stability in all major Western and Eastern countries.

If US is still treating his up coming second strong country as an emerging target of conflict then this watch price will never go up again!

Uncle Sam should sit down talking to Chinese on how to create a better community of shared future of the mankind, instead of using sanction or military threat to stop other country's development and growth... stupid.

Anyway this is watch log not political forum. 

HK Snob

HK Watch Fever's Carousell site

 If you wan to see what product I am let go , you can follow my Carousell "@Paul_ip2020"

Thank you for your support.

HK Snob

Rolex Price keeps dropping

Rolex Daytona white 116500LN was selling at $460,000 beginning of the year, today they are worth about $280,000. 

Hulk Ref 116610LV NOS was $280,000 and now it is about $200,000.

Hulk used one with Ref 116610LV is now $140,000 which is 30% lower than January 2022.

What is Patek and AP price, well, they are also affected too.

Many people ask me when the price will be up again?

I think it depends when the Russia-Ukraine war will come to an end.

And COVID is being not an issues in Asia, the economy will be pushed up and people will be having their money released for spending.

take for an example, Hong Kong, it is the place we are looking for cancelling the 7 days quarantine after coming back Hong Kong. then the whole Asian economy will be boosted like a Viagra to an horny old man.

I am expecting by end July the Russia Ukraine war shall come to a peace, I pray.

HK Snob

A visit to AP house with my Royal Oak 5402ba Jumbo

 After I made an appointment to AP house, I went with this Royal Oak 5402ba to see a young lady there at 5pm on 29 May 2022.  I was intended to overhaul the movement and change a new gasket only. She told me the watch is old and she had to find out their record, she had never seen this watch in he life. Well, I told her this is 5402, the first Royal Oak that changed the destiny of the Audemars Piguet against the Quartz crisis. She went to other area likely talking to some other staff three times, after 30 minutes and told me there there may have no spare parts for this old watch, And they need 6 months to do the job as AP is busy. Well, I told her what parts? She said spare part! I told her Audemars Piguet is supposed the No. 3 high end watch house in Switzerland after Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin... How come no spare?
Patek Philippe's CEO Thierry Stern had once mentioned that whatever Patek Philippe watch even back to 19 Century they still can provide spare part for it. I don't  blame her as she may be too new in her job, she is young about 28 wearing an AP white gold Perpetual Calendar watch worth HK$600,000 as she told me during the chatting. She asked me if I want to change a new dial, (how come she know that AP does still have the dial?) I said No, I need to keep the original dial. She asked if I need to polish the case and bracelet, I told her no, I wanted to keep the original condition of the watch. Preferably no polishing. 

She said, that watch can not be polished anymore as it is too thin already! (I told myself really too thin to polish? How much do you need to polish? 0.005mm? 0.02mm? 0.2mm?

OK after I saw the document , the description was NXX  (XX is my watch S/N, it should read No XX on the back of my watch. on the Watch Description; it was written "39mm gold watch with bracelet. I told her should be "Royal Oak 5402 39mm with bracelet... : it too late as it was 5;55, 5 minutes before they closed. So I told her well, I would like to take it back and make another appointment for visit again.

That was a wonder experience, i feel a bit hesitate to send the watch to AP House to overhaul. But After all who can do it for me? Private watch smith I guess. But I do like to send it to AP Switzerland for best attention on it.

Aftermath

I remembered I was invited to join a new watch fair at Audemars Piguet IFC back in 2018, And I saw a 5402 Royal Oak in yellow gold was housed inside a window box for display. I talked to one of the VPs from Switzerland who told be me still have three NOS (new old stock) JLC 2121 movement under his own possession. This is the movement being used inside the 5402. The 2121 movement is very reliable and one of the best movements in the 70s. Later in 1976, Patek Philippe also took the same movement to be housed in their legendary watch "The Nautilus 3700". I don't know what spare they don't have again,. this puzzled me until now...

Anyway I shall have another appointment in AP House again soon... let's see if that could be another wonder experience for me.

HK Snob

The new Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.,

To the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.,                           

First of all, Congratulations of your success by the majority of the wills of the People of the Philippines; you won 31.6 million votes or 58.8% of the total, making you the first president in decades to secure a mandate from a majority of the electorate.

You will be able to lead the country for another prosperity of 5 years and more years to come under your great leadership. 

With my warmest regards and wish you all the best.

Paul Ip

What does this AP Royal Oak worth?

 An original water colour sketch of a Royal Oak by Gerald Genta in 1972 was just sold with HK$4m in a recent auction, I don't know one of the first 100 pieces of the actual Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in solid 18KT gold would worth?

HK Snob

Watch consignment for sale

Only serious consignments are welcome.

Require HKD$1,000 deposit, returned after a one-month selling period.

Can be extended for free or when the watch is sold.

Exclusive selling rights.

HK Snob

Common response of "no-buy" from client

With these communications, more or less 80% your customer will not buy.

1. Can I have more picture?

2. Can i see the box also, I said, allow me 1-2 days to get it and send you.

He said, no hurry!

3. Quoted price is HK$100,000., he can can be lowered a bit?

If your new quote is HK$99,000 or HK$80,000, he will not buy 

4. Where is the original warranty paper?

5. Thanks!

6. OK good, give me two days to think about it!

7. What is the best price for me??

HK Snob

這一些對答有80% 他吾會買的

 這一些對答有80% 他吾會買的。

1.有冇多一些相片看看，看完説謝謝。

2.可否比個盒我看看。我説過二天拿出來比你看，他說.好的不急的！   

3.原價十萬，他問可以平多一些嗎？

你如果覆價佢九萬九或者八萬。佢都吾買的！

4.為什麼無原來出世紙的？

5.謝謝！

6.好的.比我考慮二天！

7. 最平可以幾多錢?

HK Snob

Any surprise on Watches & Wonders 2022?

What is the mostly discussed topics on W & W 2022?

Vacheron Constantin 222 retro. It is an awesome piece as a replica as of the one introduced in 1977 as a 222th anniversary of the Vacheron Constantin. It has no second hand, 37mmin diameter, the size that makes many people feel questionable small, why ? Yes 37mm, as Vacheron Constantin is taking a lead for going smaller watches. in 1977 , there were 100 pieces of solid gold 222 made, plus another 400 stainless steel. Those are all collectible item now. 

Audemars Piguet is also introducing a “34mm Royal Oak” watch this year. It should be a right size ofor ladies.

Rolex declared to discontinue the three OP41 Tiffany Blue, Coral Red and Yellow from the list.

Reason unknown, but I don’t think these OP41 Tiffany blue will be an evergreen item on Chrono24, let’s watch for a year.

Rolex introduced a Left hand version of GMT Master II, even the date window goes Left! It’s not right!

Patek Philippe has no surprise at all.

The rest of other brands are just so so…

This 2022 watch year is not as excited as 2021, probably COVID-19 had an impact even on launching new design of watches…

HK Snob

Luxury watch is the latest currency

 Aftermath of US EU countries with all-round sanctions including German agricultural seeds for Russia.

Chinese are learn to keep physical goods and not paper money, thought there is not official announcement on this but we can feel that people of China are awakened.  There will be a huge round of inflation as the US, Japan, UK, Sweden, etc, are printing more and more money.  So the Chinese are planning not to accept USD but only their RMB for payments.

 When the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic broke out and there was no effective preventive measures and control for a long time…  the country’s populations were isolated, production stagnated, and stocks of supplies quickly dwindled, and the Federal Reserve desperately cut interest rates to stimulate the economy including printing bank note for the so-called quantitate ease. 

The Euro, the US dollar, the British pound, and the Swiss franc are all such currencies and will gradually become useless paper.  When the country’s inventory is extremely running low and scarce.         Everyone understands that whoever exchanges real physical things for these spirit money is insane.

Just within this quarter, the United States has issued an additional 1.9 trillion dollars, and the Japan also printed a large amount of money. Banknote becomes as cheap as toilet paper or spirit money.

Many people including Eastern Europe as majority understands that in any country where the epidemic is not under control, they will no longer exchange physical objects for foreign currency.

Many people are using watches as for their latest tool for money laundry. As anywhere anytime you can cash and there is no customs restriction when you travel anywhere in the world.

We have taken this action, and it is estimated that Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Indonesia other than China and other producing countries will also adopt similar "CLOSE DOOR" measures.

In view of this, I think many of the people will use their extra money buying/selling luxury watches as an investment fortress for the reasons:

1.       Easy to cash

2.       As an alternate security of their properties other than Bitcoins, NFT

3.       Easy to move around across countries

4.       No Lawyers service charges, no commission fee

5.       The higher price of the watch the higher the demand

6.       The Big Three, Plus RM and Rolex

 

Why not? As these are the new currency now.

 

HK Snob