If I could go back in time…

[subtona]

I know there are many serious things one could do but on the lighter side,

It sure would be fun to have pre “list” access to watches with the benefit of hindsight.

Thoughts?

[Atone]

Originally Posted by subtona

I know there are many serious things one could do but on the lighter side,

It sure would be fun to have pre “list” access to watches with the benefit of hindsight.

Thoughts?

I remember being at Geary’s in century city mall and couldn’t fathom paying $9k OTD for a BLNR when they were easily had for $7500 from David SW and some of these other gray dealers (who everyone loves to blame for current prices lol)

[Mendota]

Yes, for sure. I am still kicking myself for not buying the 14270 Explorer 1 and the sub 16610 that I was looking at buying in 2002. I looked at them both seriously for my 30th birthday at the time and didn't actually buy either one. Dumb move... If I could go back I would buy them both, as well as the 16710. The sub and GMT were around $3,150 and the Explorer was around $2,700.

Then I would go back to 2008 and buy up all of the GMTIICs that were selling for $5,500 back then after the recession.

If I had enough plutonium for my flux capacitor, I would then go back to 1959 and buy up every single 6536/5508/6538/5510 small crown and big crown sub I could find, as well as every 6542 GMT Master.

The tricky part about that is how to pay for it with modern bills and coins. You would have to first buy gold or silver bullion before you leave the present, which has no printing to show it's from the future. Then you bring that bullion with you back in time and convert that into the current minted money being used. Then you buy up everything you can and there's no need to worry about having leftover currency, because once you are back in the future you can use the old bills and coins just fine.

I have thought about this a lot. How do you convert the bullion into currency at a bank in the 1950s without a 1950s ID? You would have to also find someone here to help create an out of state 1950s ID card for you to use before you go back in time. I am not sure if banks asked for ID back then to convert bullion into cash. You also need to be mindful about how much bullion you bring into the bank relative to the value it had per ounce back in the '50s. It's a fun thought experiment for sure.

[brandrea]

The year was 2014, I had an opportunity to buy a 5711 at MRSP

[Sperry]

5th grade ... Lori ... I was clueless, so she started dating another guy. The guy flunked 7th grade. She's married to a surgeon, looks like a supermodel ...

Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief . . .

Oh, watches? Bought a diamond pendent for my gal in high school; the sales guy said multiple times, "Forget the girl, buy yourself a nice watch". At this time there might still have been a few leftover 6238's ...

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by brandrea

The year was 2014, I had an opportunity to buy a 5711 at MRSP

Oh boy

I remember seeing them at €18k retail, small discounts to be had, +/- 2011. Now as a 17 yo that was impossible for me, but I wish I had bought one lol

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Oh boy



I remember seeing them at €18k retail, small discounts to be had, +/- 2011. Now as a 17 yo that was impossible for me, but I wish I had bought one lol

Those were the days indeed

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[Atone]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Those were the days indeed

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Well, take comfort in the fact that you can now buy a “Tiffany” dial OP for just $25k

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Atone

Well, take comfort in the fact that you can now buy a “Tiffany” dial OP for just $25k

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[subtona]

Originally Posted by brandrea

The year was 2014, I had an opportunity to buy a 5711 at MRSP

It was right around them I walked in to ad off the street asking for a 5711; the salesperson politely told me they didn’t have one and asked if I would like a 5712. I said no thank you and walked out disappointed

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by subtona

It was right around them I walked in to ad off the street asking for a 5711; the salesperson politely told me they didn’t have one and asked if I would like a 5712. I said no thank you and walked out disappointed

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[Greenp]

Originally Posted by brandrea

The year was 2014, I had an opportunity to buy a 5711 at MRSP

Sales lady pulled one out of the case to show me. $19,000. Of course I didn't buy it. :(

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Greenp

Sales lady pulled one out of the case to show me. $19,000. Of course I didn't buy it. :(

I was in Chicago on a business trip ... they also had a 5712

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[mannyv11]

i'd tell myself to buy apple like i wanted to do in college when it was 62 bucks a share

[Sperry]

Originally Posted by mannyv11

i'd tell myself to buy apple like i wanted to do in college when it was 62 bucks a share

Like I wanted to when I got my first computer, an Apple. Buddy who worked on them said, "Hey, I heard Apple is coming out with some new thing. It is supposed to be big. Like maybe a phone or something ..." But I could not afford an even 1,000 shares, only 971 ... so I waited and eventually never bought.

That investment would have been worth $2.2M at this point (I think)

[GradyPhilpott]

If I could go back in time, I wouldn't.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by brandrea

The year was 2014, I had an opportunity to buy a 5711 at MRSP

Originally Posted by subtona

It was right around them I walked in to ad off the street asking for a 5711; the salesperson politely told me they didn’t have one and asked if I would like a 5712. I said no thank you and walked out disappointed

Just so it’s clear, I’m laughing with you guys. Too funny.

I’ve been pretty lucky. No big regrets, watch-wise. A few years back I briefly toyed with trading my LVc towards a GV Milgauss. I’m glad I stayed with the watch I love.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Just so it’s clear, I’m laughing with you guys. Too funny.



I’ve been pretty lucky. No big regrets, watch-wise. A few years back I briefly toyed with trading my LVc towards a GV Milgauss. I’m glad I stayed with the watch I love.

Your LVC is a classic! I'm glad you came to your senses

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[Mendota]

Originally Posted by mannyv11

i'd tell myself to buy apple like i wanted to do in college when it was 62 bucks a share

I feel your pain. In the summer of 1997 Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. Gil Amelio had failed at his experiment with licensing hardware to other manufacturers. The rumor was that they were courting Steve Jobs to come back. Chip engineer friends of mine said the odds are really good that he's definitely coming back, so I loaded up on long term call options. The stock price was $7.50 at the time. Sure enough, Jobs came back as "interim" CEO and he brought his NEXT Computers OS with him, which saved the day. The new Mac OS based on that NEXT OS was a smashing hit and the stock price eventually doubled to $15 by the spring of 1998. I made 10x on my money in that trade during the approx 7 months or so I was in it and while I was patting myself on the back, I put those dollars into other shares of other companies. Oh man...

In hindsight, I should have immediately turned around and put all of those dollars into actual Apple Shares. By the time I actually started buying my first rounds of Apple shares back in 2004, the price was already up around $70. I don't even want to know what those $15 shares would be worth today had I bought the stock with all of those profits instead of those other companies. Lesson learned. LOL At least I had the good sense to buy a ton when I did and never sold. On my buddy's recommendation I also loaded up on two new companies at the time that were called Nvidia and Netflix! Ha ha. We used the DVD service and my engineer buddy/college friend had a grad school friend in Cali at Nvidia, so we built PCs with their graphics cards, loved them, and then all bought stock when we could. Best decision of my life.

[GB-man]

Lord. Let’s ignore the 8,000 shares of Facebook I sold at 30 bucks for an 4 figure gain or the time my brother in law spent 3 hours and a bottle of jack Daniels trying to talk me into BTC at 300 per coin.

My biggest watch in hand at AD regrets…

15305ST at Miami boutique (in the window 35k roughly)

5712/1A in the window at wempe nyc.

5164/A and 5726/1A in the case at Tiffany NYC

About 78 different 5980/1A they couldn’t give away anywhere

Stuff I wouldn’t have been able to afford

35-01 and RM-11 at Cellini NYC front window

Full ice baguettes and pave 116506 in the window at raffi

I was fortunate to have bought most of the stuff I wanted and could afford but lacked to foresight to hold onto it. I’ve honestly never believed in the watch market and didn’t understand the way Instagram would transform the market.

[AzPaul]

Around 1951 or '52, my father walked into the base exchange in Guam and bought himself a fancy watch (6036).
If I could go back in time, I'd encourage him to buy several more.

[Tri-Tip]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

Around 1951 or '52, my father walked into the base exchange in Guam and bought himself a fancy watch (6036).
If I could go back in time, I'd encourage him to buy several more.

My dad bought a simple OP in 1971 for $225 (including the upgraded jubilee bracelet). He said the gold day/date "President" was about $650, but he didn't like the date bubble.

[subtona]

Originally Posted by Mendota

I feel your pain. In the summer of 1997 Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. Gil Amelio had failed at his experiment with licensing hardware to other manufacturers. The rumor was that they were courting Steve Jobs to come back. Chip engineer friends of mine said the odds are really good that he's definitely coming back, so I loaded up on long term call options. The stock price was $7.50 at the time. Sure enough, Jobs came back as "interim" CEO and he brought his NEXT Computers OS with him, which saved the day. The new Mac OS based on that NEXT OS was a smashing hit and the stock price eventually doubled to $15 by the spring of 1998. I made 10x on my money in that trade during the approx 7 months or so I was in it and while I was patting myself on the back, I put those dollars into other shares of other companies. Oh man...

In hindsight, I should have immediately turned around and put all of those dollars into actual Apple Shares. By the time I actually started buying my first rounds of Apple shares back in 2004, the price was already up around $70. I don't even want to know what those $15 shares would be worth today had I bought the stock with all of those profits instead of those other companies. Lesson learned. LOL At least I had the good sense to buy a ton when I did and never sold. On my buddy's recommendation I also loaded up on two new companies at the time that were called Nvidia and Netflix! Ha ha. We used the DVD service and my engineer buddy/college friend had a grad school friend in Cali at Nvidia, so we built PCs with their graphics cards, loved them, and then all bought stock when we could. Best decision of my life.

Apple hits home. First computer I owned was the grey box McIntosh IIc.

Originally Posted by GB-man

Lord. Let’s ignore the 8,000 shares of Facebook I sold at 30 bucks for an 4 figure gain or the time my brother in law spent 3 hours and a bottle of jack Daniels trying to talk me into BTC at 300 per coin.

My biggest watch in hand at AD regrets…

15305ST at Miami boutique (in the window 35k roughly)

5712/1A in the window at wempe nyc.

5164/A and 5726/1A in the case at Tiffany NYC

About 78 different 5980/1A they couldn’t give away anywhere

Stuff I wouldn’t have been able to afford

35-01 and RM-11 at Cellini NYC front window

Full ice baguettes and pave 116506 in the window at raffi

I was fortunate to have bought most of the stuff I wanted and could afford but lacked to foresight to hold onto it. I’ve honestly never believed in the watch market and didn’t understand the way Instagram would transform the market.

We look back and ask what was I thinking

[Boothroyd]

I would have bought an Explorer II when I had the chance. Tried on many Rolex watches over the years. I wish people newer to hobby could do the same and decide what they wanted to buy....at list price or a slight discount, after seeing the watch in person.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Boothroyd

I would have bought an Explorer II when I had the chance. Tried on many Rolex watches over the years. I wish people newer to hobby could do the same and decide what they wanted to buy....at list price or a slight discount, after seeing the watch in person.

I feel for people who have just entered the hobby in the past couple years or just finally got the funds together. Its way less enjoyable. We use to all get together online the night before Basel and get excited because if you had the funds anything announced could be yours in 3-6 months.

[Chute]

I passed on a 15202 in 2016 from an AD and instead got a 15400ST for 20% off from David SW instead.

I passed on a 5167a in 2017 since I told myself I could just add a rubber strap to my 15400 ST for less than a $1000 ( and did)

I really regret not getting a white 5711 when at least two AD's said to pay a deposit and I would get the next one. I just could bring myself to pay $25k for a stainless watch and never committed.

As much as I should've gone back and bought DELL shares in the 90's I didn't have the money. Not selling some watches and buying more Tesla shares when it was around $100 is actual regret.

[ltmgeller]

This is such a huge rabbit hole for me. My mind may explode. There are so many.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by subtona

It sure would be fun to have pre “list” access to watches with the benefit of hindsight.

Thoughts?

Who in the world could that possibly be?

I plead the...

[donas]

Originally Posted by brandrea

The year was 2014, I had an opportunity to buy a 5711 at MRSP

I am in the same boat

I have also really been regretting trading my Smurf for $21.5 a couple years ago. Not only because the significant price increase makes re-acquiring one impossible for me, but the fact I actually miss it and truly just regret parting with it.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by donas

I am in the same boat

I have also really been regretting trading my Smurf for $21.5 a couple years ago. Not only because the significant price increase makes re-acquiring one impossible for me, but the fact I actually miss it and truly just regret parting with it.

If we only knew

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