Hello from Switzerland!

[Nav01L]

Hi folks!

My name is Fred, I live in Zurich, Switzerland, and I am fairly new to the world of Rolex.

Owning a 70ies Tudor Oyster Pince I inherited from my grandfather, I have a definite soft spot for the Oyster case.

Now, I haven't been able to resist this affinity much longer, so I have finally given in, taken the plunge and gone for a Rollie.

Being the great friend of aviation that I am (hence the Breitling inspired alias. Which I have carried over from another forum) I did look for something which has wings in its DNA.

From the getgo, I have to rule out the Sky Dweller here as being too complicated and expensive and chiefly, as not having a very tangible history to go with it. It also was quite plainly inexistent when I started to think about all of this and thus missed the party pretty much altogether.

This left me with the AirKing which, not having a date, was missing a vital characteristic for me (I work with deadlines a lot).

So that leads me to what used to secretly be on the very top of my wish list and is now, plain and simply, on my wrist as I type this: the GMT.

It is my first ever proper Rolex and I find it is absolutely gorgeous.

I had at first sought to convince myself that, as I wanted a pilots watch with a maxi-dial, a beefy case and a steel bracelet, I'd need a Breitling Chronospace Automatic. However when I tried that on, nice though it was, it didn't feel like the thing I wanted, it didn't feel "real". And upon thinking it over, it isn't. The Chronospace is a real pilots watch, an instrument at the top of its game, rough, useful and chiefly, a quartz. The Chronospace Auto isn't that. Sure, it has a chronometer movement and a build that's second to none, however, when you hold it, you get the feeling that it isn't what it should be. It isn't the best instrument modern watchmaking can offer a pilot, because it isn't a quartz (that may sound weird but please bear with me). In that way it defeats it's own purpose and makes itself sort of an homage to a modern pilots watch while not ever really having been one, neither now, nor over its very short history.

It could then, not be a rival to what I really wanted, it could not hold me with Breitling and not hinder the purchase of this grail watch of mine that is the GMT.

The GMT is the "other pilot's watch", it is the watch of PanAm, of the Huey pilots, the Concorde, it is a watch that taps into aviation not in being a modern interpretation of the Navitimer, but by way of how it came to be created. It has wings in its DNA like only a handful others and in that regard I love it.

It is also a bit more mature and majestic than the somewhat more playful Breitling.

Oh, and it comes with the benefits of being a Rolex which means that chiefly, it is superbly built and finished :)

Now, please forgive that somewhat lengthy story of how I came to be a Rolex-ista (can one say that?), but it is what brought me here.

I'm looking forward to having a good time and many interesting conversations with you guys and gals. I'm sure I will learn a lot!

Best regards,

Fred

[dddrees]

Welcome to TRF.

Congrats on your GMT, enjoy your stay.

[dysondiver]

hi , nice intro , i hope you enjoy the site , lots of great reading , and some outstanding pics here.

[MonBK]

Welcome

[TSW]

Welcome

[Blue Owl]

Hi Fred, welcome aboard......

[joejitsu]

Welcome to the forum Fred!

[rolexguynfl]

Welcome Fred.

[chicagofan]

Welcome to TRF.

[Watchonisto]

Welcome

[Andad]

Nice choice Fred.

[HL65]

Welcome!

[LeotheLion]

Wecome Fred.A nice introduction..

[swatty]

Welcome Fred

[Johny]

hi fred...welcome to trf.

[Alexus]

Hi Fred und au uss Züri es herzlichs Grüezi :)

[sea-dweller]

Welcome!

[77T]

Welcome to TRF

[nick c]

welcome

[shaark]

Welcome to TRF Fred!

[eric23]

Welcome to TRF!