AP ROC is 16k gbp too steep for a SS watch

[Stringerb3ll]

Hi All,

I’m new to watch collecting, had a tag aquaracer and Raymond Weil Geneve for years and recently bought the Wimbledon DJ and have caught the bug.

Looking at adding an AP to my collection now but just feel that 16k is a lot for a stainless steel watch.

Can people throw in their two cents and remove the doubt from my mind please 😁

[Burlington]

The value doesn't come from the material, rather the workmanship and quality of finishing.

This was also the wow factor for the original RO, a steel watch that cost more than gold. Rather its the elevation of a simple metal into something which is worth so much more.

Think of it as a 3* Michelin restaurant serving up pork belly, low cost cut, but when handled with skill it can be transformed into something exquisite.

[tyler1980]

its £21,500... So consider 16k a sale

[Fat_ninja]

I could be mistaken but Genta made the expensive SS watches a thing.

I could be really really really wrong...

I mean you are looking at a ROyal oak.

[Jace]

Welcome to the torture my friend. If you are looking at this luxury non utilitarian item from a material cost stand point we are all freakin nuts.

So what are you paying for? Provenance, innovation, and finish quality.

Provenance: in the seventies the mechanical watch industry was in a free fall because of quartz watches. They were going under and fast. Even the venerable Patek started making quartz watches. AP, which was then and still is family owned, hired Gerald Genta to design a sports watch in “GASP” stainless steel. No one in haute horology did this. And then...they price pointed it at ten time the price of a Rolex, more than their precious metal watches. They literally gambled their whole company on the legendary a series nick named the Jumbo. It was all steel, modern and huge by the standard of the time even though it is a mere 39 mm. It changed the entire watch industry. That’s provenance. The Patek Nautilus is a derivation of the Royal Oak (which Genta designed as a women’s watch) as is the IWC Ingeneur.

Innovation: say what you want about AP and their unlimited number of limited editions, they have guts. More than any of the top brands they are constantly pushing the edge with new materials like carbon fiber, mixing titanium with platinum and ceramic. It will make you dizzy.

Finish: like every haute brand (Patek, AP, VC Lange, JLC etc...) every single part is finished and polished to a ridiculous degree, especially the parts that you will never see. It takes an incredible amount of time to do this. A Rolex would never come close to this. Put a loop on it and you will be stunned by the detail. True artistry.

Is it worth it? Practically, no. But for those of us with the sickness, who don’t want to watch the world through a tiny phone, who still write hand written notes with fountain pens, who marvel that people can actually build these incredibly delicate intricate machines that are accurate to an ungodly degree powered by your wrist...yes.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AK797]

I think that is a fair price today, altho a few years ago I bought a lightly used RG ROC for the same price. However last year I paid £10K more for a SS Patek so gotta move with the times and Pay to Play.

[RolexZen]

Yes, 16K GBP for a stainless steel watch is a lot of money. Too steep? That’s relative. The price you paid for a Tag is too steep for many. The price you paid for a DJ is too steep for many more.

[kurgan999]

Originally Posted by Jace

Welcome to the torture my friend. If you are looking at this luxury non utilitarian item from a material cost stand point we are all freakin nuts.

So what are you paying for? Provenance, innovation, and finish quality.

Provenance: in the seventies the mechanical watch industry was in a free fall because of quartz watches. They were going under and fast. Even the venerable Patek started making quartz watches. AP, which was then and still is family owned, hired Gerald Genta to design a sports watch in “GASP” stainless steel. No one in haute horology did this. And then...they price pointed it at ten time the price of a Rolex, more than their precious metal watches. They literally gambled their whole company on the legendary a series nick named the Jumbo. It was all steel, modern and huge by the standard of the time even though it is a mere 39 mm. It changed the entire watch industry. That’s provenance. The Patek Nautilus is a derivation of the Royal Oak (which Genta designed as a women’s watch) as is the IWC Ingeneur.

Innovation: say what you want about AP and their unlimited number of limited editions, they have guts. More than any of the top brands they are constantly pushing the edge with new materials like carbon fiber, mixing titanium with platinum and ceramic. It will make you dizzy.

Finish: like every haute brand (Patek, AP, VC Lange, JLC etc...) every single part is finished and polished to a ridiculous degree, especially the parts that you will never see. It takes an incredible amount of time to do this. A Rolex would never come close to this. Put a loop on it and you will be stunned by the detail. True artistry.

Is it worth it? Practically, no. But for those of us with the sickness, who don’t want to watch the world through a tiny phone, who still write hand written notes with fountain pens, who marvel that people can actually build these incredibly delicate intricate machines that are accurate to an ungodly degree powered by your wrist...yes.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

what a post ...

epic .

ty for this.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[diegohwang]

To justify the price could be subjective but I agree with a lot of the comments above. The craftsmanship, level of detailing, machining, and movement are all far superior components that come with the brand. This is why AP has been able to set itself at the forefront for boutique, ultimate luxury timepieces. Though of course from a cost standpoint, sure it costs a fraction to make a watch than what it retails for. That’s where the logic plays a role, but paying respect for the time that it takes these watchmakers to become the watchmakers they are today, it requires years of experience and skill. Some food for thought, but luxury timepieces are an art, and needs time to be appreciated and leaned in its own right.

Using Tapatalk

[Jace]

Aw, shucks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NicholasNJ]

But beware OP, once you buy one of these ‘overpriced’ SS watches you’ll soon enter into a spiral where being able to get one you want and paying a bit over retail is justifiable



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk