I was picking up a Panerai 233 GMT a few days ago and I saw this ROC 39mm with one of the most beautiful guilloche (mechanically engine turned carved) blue dials I have seen.
Asked about the reference, its a 26022 (ref.#26022BC.OO.D028CR.01) made in 2005. It was going at almost half the retail price, no scratches, never polished, with box and papers (extract of archives). Then, asked if I could try the watch, wind it up and run the chrono they let me
. It winds butter smooth and the actuators for the chronograph felt solid but still very smooth. The watch sits super comfortably at the centre of my wrist, guess its due to the proportions of the 39mm and the weight of the WG.
Has a deployant clasp with croc blue leather strap, it was a bit awkward at first and I nearly dropped the watch when trying to put it on. Once on it felt super comfortable and I could stop playing around with it under the light, trying to see the different shades that it could change to. At every shade, I held my breath and could not stop getting closer until my nose was almost touching the dial.
I decided at the time to be reasonable and not get it. But as I left the shop, went home, walked to dog, and read a bit the watch was constantly on my mind. Funny thing was, I wasn't thinking of any other watch, as where I live you see plenty of pretty fantastic watches both in stores and on people's wrists.
I never understood what is a grail watch, but I think then I understood what it meant. Its a watch you can't get out of your head, not just something you think is nice but a watch that you feel attached to with almost a certain level of reverence. I love my 15300 blue dial its my daily watch but this watch made me feel like Gollum and the one ring. I had a similar feeling when I got my 15300 and its something I never regretted it. I also could not shake off the price that it was selling at compared to other RO Chrono's from the current AP collection and other haute horology chrono's. It was basically the price of a Gold Calatrava for a RO white gold chrono.
I learned that when a deal is good and you know that its under value you have to pull the trigger. Now I am the proud owner of a beautiful 18k WG AP royal oak chrono. Some shots under different lighting conditions, indoors under artificial light the dial is darker pastel blue and while under a more natural light the dial turns light pastel blue. During full blown daylight its a blue that really pops, I will take some pics tomorrow.
It fits nicely in the collection next to my RO 15300
. Collection full for now until I get a bigger box.