Buying a Rolex or Chronosport

[Mr. Keoki]

My goodness... no way I'd pay that much.

I like the chronosport, but only for the magnum connection.

Recently I was seeing people buy a property for say 600k and then immediately re-list it for 1 million. They're probably thinking if people want to throw their money away, throw it my way!

[eagle]

After I was introduced to the Steinhart Pepsi GMT (earlier in this thread), I bought mine on January 9, 2018 - 5 years ago this weekend. Then I bought the Chronosport about 1.5 years ago. I collect antique phones, and I'd like to start collecting the phones that were used on the show.

Anyway, I do wear my Chronosport regularly, but not to places where it might get damaged (not while working with tools, or in the pool). It is a great watch.

[eagle]

This is kind of off-topic, but it does show my Steinhart and Chronosport watches, and I thought some here might appreciate this.

My collection, posted on WUS.

[To The Regiment]

This is kind of off-topic, but it does show my Steinhart and Chronosport watches, and I thought some here might appreciate this.

My collection, posted on WUS.

Nice collection! I spotted your Chronosport first thing.

Cheers!
To The Regiment

[eagle]

This is kind of off-topic, but it does show my Steinhart and Chronosport watches, and I thought some here might appreciate this.

My collection, posted on WUS.

Nice collection! I spotted your Chronosport first thing.

Cheers!
To The Regiment

Thanks. I like it, and other than the Maen and Omega, I wear these quite often. I'm going to get a new strap for the Omega, and wear it to church and special events. The Maen is for my son, whose name is Hudson. I'll give it to him when he turns 16 or graduates high school (he's 11 now). I just replaced the battery in the Seiko yesterday, and now it works 100%, so I'll add that one back into the rotation.

[To The Regiment]

Here's a question for my fellow horological sleuths: Was the tropic strap that came on the Chronosport Sea Quartz branded Chronosport or Tropic?

Cheers!
To The Regiment

[Styles Bitchley]

They were branded "Tropic" in most of the examples I've seen. I've never seen one with Chronosport branding. Those vintage straps were supplied to a number of watch companies and I'm pretty sure it was the same supplier, whether Rolex or Chronosport or whatever. Here are a few examples of original straps.





This one is slightly different, however.

[To The Regiment]

They were branded "Tropic" in most of the examples I've seen. I've never seen one with Chronosport branding. Those vintage straps were supplied to a number of watch companies and I'm pretty sure it was the same supplier, whether Rolex or Chronosport or whatever. Here are a few examples of original straps.





This one is slightly different, however.

Absolutely fascinating. Great to see an original Chronosport on a vintage Tropic Strap.

Cheers!
To The Regiment

[eagle]

Absolutely fascinating. Great to see an original Chronosport on a vintage Tropic Strap.

Definitely! I have an original Chronosport, but it is not on a vintage Tropic Strap. It's on a 1.5-year-old Tropic strap.

[502-to-right]

I owned a Rolex 16710 GMT Master II Pepsi. One version newer than Magnum's GMT Pepsi but extremely similar. I felt like I wasn't wearing it enough compared to its value so I sold it in 2021 (at a nice profit).

Now I'm watching the entire series of MPI and seeing Magnum's GMT Pepsi and not having one is killing me. And the price has gone up even higher since I sold and I just can't justify reacquiring the watch at current prices .

[eagle]

I owned a Rolex 16710 GMT Master II Pepsi. One version newer than Magnum's GMT Pepsi but extremely similar. I felt like I wasn't wearing it enough compared to its value so I sold it in 2021 (at a nice profit).

Now I'm watching the entire series of MPI and seeing Magnum's GMT Pepsi and not having one is killing me. And the price has gone up even higher since I sold and I just can't justify reacquiring the watch at current prices .

You could do what I did -- buy a Steinhart Ocean One GMT Blue-Red. It's quite nice, and I wear it frequently.

[Styles Bitchley]

I owned a Rolex 16710 GMT Master II Pepsi. One version newer than Magnum's GMT Pepsi but extremely similar. I felt like I wasn't wearing it enough compared to its value so I sold it in 2021 (at a nice profit).

Now I'm watching the entire series of MPI and seeing Magnum's GMT Pepsi and not having one is killing me. And the price has gone up even higher since I sold and I just can't justify reacquiring the watch at current prices .

We hit a point a while ago where there is really no reasonable relationship between a Rolex GMT and Magnum - other than its historical significance. Any typical military man couldn't afford a Rolex at current prices and they're not even what they once were. Magnum wore a perfectly appropriate tool watch for a guy who spent time in Vietnam (despite the backstory slip up with his dad gifting it to him in the early '50s), but since the mid '80s they've just become luxurious investments.

I still struggle to figure out what a truly comparative contemporary watch would be. I lean towards Tudor, maybe...but I think I did the numbers a few years ago and pegged MSRP for a '70s GMT adjusted for inflation to be in the $2,500 range - so even the Black Bay is more expensive (relatively) than a vintage Rolex GMT. And do soldiers even wear mechanical watches? Quartz is way less susceptible to damage from impact.

That's my roundabout way of trying to make you feel better... Do you want a watch that you can enjoy or do you want an investment?

[eagle]

Speaking of Tudor -- apparently they now have a Pan Am version!

https://www.tudorwatch.com/en/watches/b ... 830rb-0010

Man, that's going on my wishlist!

[502-to-right]

We hit a point a while ago where there is really no reasonable relationship between a Rolex GMT and Magnum - other than its historical significance. Any typical military man couldn't afford a Rolex at current prices and they're not even what they once were. Magnum wore a perfectly appropriate tool watch for a guy who spent time in Vietnam (despite the backstory slip up with his dad gifting it to him in the early '50s), but since the mid '80s they've just become luxurious investments.

I still struggle to figure out what a truly comparative contemporary watch would be. I lean towards Tudor, maybe...but I think I did the numbers a few years ago and pegged MSRP for a '70s GMT adjusted for inflation to be in the $2,500 range - so even the Black Bay is more expensive (relatively) than a vintage Rolex GMT. And do soldiers even wear mechanical watches? Quartz is way less susceptible to damage from impact.

That's my roundabout way of trying to make you feel better... Do you want a watch that you can enjoy or do you want an investment?

I'm a watch guy so I totally get where you're coming from. Rolex used to be a high quality tool match maker and now they are a luxury brand. Kind of like how Land Rover has evolved.

I have plenty of nice watches, so I'm only mentally put out by not having the GMT anymore. My current daily is a Tudor Black Bay 58 blue. The reason I was inclined to give up the GMT is because I prefer a dive timer for daily life rather than a second time zone. Not because I dive but because I can time cooking pasta, hard boiled eggs, parking meters, how long a walk I've taken with my dog, etc., etc. I use it nearly every day for something.

I've thought about the cost of a Rolex from the 60's and 70's compared to the inflation rate and you are correct that prices have shot up way more than inflation. That said, the watches made today are of such higher quality and complexity compared to the 60's and 70's. Sapphire crystals, solid end links, milled clasps, on the go clasp adjustment, silicon hairsprings, Breguet overcoils, longer power reserve, greater water resistance, tighter timing tolerances, ceramic bezel inserts, and the list goes on. I'm not saying the improvements account for all of the price increase--because let's face it, most of the price increase is due to marketing and demand.

And finally, I will add that you are correct that most people in the military would never wear a mechanical watch today. I was in the U.S. Marines from 1996 to 2006 and I wore a Timex Ironman. In my 10 years I don't think I ever saw someone wearing a mechanical watch.

[502-to-right]

You could do what I did -- buy a Steinhart Ocean One GMT Blue-Red. It's quite nice, and I wear it frequently.

Actually, I own a Steinhart Ocean 39 GMT Pepsi with the aluminum bezel insert. I owned it prior to the Rolex. I still wear it from time to time to scratch that Pepsi itch.