An interesting parker question from my wife

[Spin Drift]

Just some facts on Rolex. They make 3/4 of a million of them a year. They also don't keep the greatest time. I'm an amateur horologist and could never justify the cost of Rolex. They get the price because they spend the most on marketing. China is the biggest market because it is seen as a complete status symbol. You can also get a fake one in Shanghai for $30 to $350. The $350 fake one is a better watch than the Rolex.

I'd buy the Parker. I was going to give my daughter a Rollie for turning 21. I gave her the 20ga GH instead. She will keep that for the rest of her life. Besides you can caress a Parker in a duck blind and nobody will bat an eye. Do that with a Rollie and you are going to get some funny looks.

[King Cobb]

So what kind of self winding watch do you suggest? I just have cheapo invictas.

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by Bill Holcombe

So what kind of self winding watch do you suggest? I just have cheapo invictas.

I like manual wind mechanical watches because I like the ritual of winding the watch by hand in the morning. Probably anachronistic, but so am I. I even like manual shift cars.

But for auto wind watches, a used 1960's or 1970's Omega ,Rolex , Longines, Eterna, is a great value and parts can be obtained if they ever need anything. For new watches, about anything with an ETA movement is fine. Eterna, Sinn, Hamilton, lots of lots of varieties depending on the case you want. True watch lovers want in house made movements such as those in Vacheron, Patek, etc, but those watches are costly to buy used or new and costly to maintain. Rolex movements are made in house, but they make so many of them that parts are always available. Patek and Rolex are the only watch brands that have consistently maintained value on the used market to keep pace with inflation and often gain above inflation values. A Rolex Daytona variety that could be purchased for $3000 in the 1970's can reach up to $70,000 today. I have a base model Rolex that I bought for $160 in 1972 that sells used today for $2500.

Sinn watches are made in Frankfurt Germany and use ETA movements. The US agent is in Raleigh NC. Can't go wrong with an ETA movement. I just bought a Sinn pocket watch, sterling silver with an ETA movement, one of the few quality pocket watches made today. See if you like anything in the Sinn or Eterna lines. They are reasonably priced and high quality.

By the way, watches don't shoot birds, but people who shoot birds and have nice guns sometimes have nice watches, nice cars or trucks, nice homes, etc. Its choices.

[Bruce Day]

I bought a new Rolex for $160 at the Base Exchange at U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand in 1972. Its been cleaned and oiled a couple times and still keeps great time. Its my daily wearer. I have and use my great grandfather's gold Elgin watch from 1895.

Still shooting my grandfather's PHE 16 ga and Mod 12 which I acquired in the early 1970's.

Well made and designed things last if maintained and not abused. I wish we had kept the family Mercedes sedan from that time period but I do have my dad's 1980 Mercedes 450SL. I have friends who still drive the cars they bought as seniors at the Air Force Academy during the late 1960's, such as a 1966 Corvette roadster, another with a 1970 Mustang, bought new.

[Spin Drift]

Self winding mechanical:

Really good value is a Seiko Sports 5, these are 23 to 25 jewel automatics, usually a date window sometimes a day, exhibition back. Movement is made in Malaysia in Seiko plant. Street price is from $95 to $140. Water resistant to 100m.

A tank of a value is the Seiko Monster series. These are 200m dive watches. they can be had in mechanical, Kinetic (quartz) and solar (quartz). Street prices of $250 to $350. Almost indestructible.

A bigger tank of a value is the Seiko Tuna Can dive watches, 600m waterproof. Large and heavy they are hard to find at a big discount. Indestructible.

Swiss watch quality at Asian prices is the Grand Seiko. About $6,000. equal to anything from Basel. Only just now coming to the US. Typically these were all bought in Japan so no official exports until 2015.

Swiss watch affordable mechanical is going to be based on the Valjoux 7750 or ETA 2892 movements. Swatch owns both companies so they dictate who gets them. The Swiss watch industry sued under monopoly laws to keep them from doing that. A deal was struck that gave the industry time to develop their own movements or to use the Stellita movements. This is what Omega, Panerai, Hublot, TAG Huere etc have done. The movements sell for $200 to $600. Hard to justify in watch retailing for $10,000 - $20,000. Valjoux and ETA make "top" level movements with complications and embellishments, even then they are kind of the Ford and Chevy of the industry.

Note that the Swiss watch guys crap all over Seiko and Citizen. If you want to go American, Kobold, RGM and Shinola use Swiss movements from the above named guys.

[C.O.B.]

How many Grouse, Pheasants, Woodcock, Quail ect can you get with a Rolex???

I have NEVER seen show and tell at a SXS shoot involving a Rolex or any other watch.

The Parker embodies American craftsmanship and an era of our history that although gone isn't forgotten. They still make Rolex's Parkers are history in your hand.

[Mills]

I like the manual winding ones too.

[Dean Romig]

My dumb brother gave me a "Raulex" for my birthday one year long ago.... I don't think I have ever worn it and I don't think it is worth more that $29.99


But my Parkers certainly are


Watches - Smatches


On the other hand, a beautiful lady about my age, who was a client of mine a couple of decades ago, has kept her 1965 Volvo P-123GT and drives it a couple of times each year "for old times sake." I asked her why "for old times sake."? She said it was the first car she ever got XXXX in.





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[Fishtail]

Spin Drift, that is an interesting overview, thanks.

Here's the deal IMO....shooting a Parker, as well all know, is greatly different than a Mossberg or even a Winchester pump. A Parker, with only minimal care, can last more than the lifetime of a man. While it might not kill a bird any more dead than a Mossberg, it's fair to say that your chances of hitting the bird are greater.

A fancy wristwatch doesn't tell time any better than a cheap one. In fact, probably less reliably. It requires periodic and expensive maintenance by a third party (unless you happen to be a watchmaker) and is really non-essential to a person having a good time. Lots of us will rejoice over the Parker we used in a hunt, but who revels in the fact that they were wearing a Rolex while they hunted?

[Fishtail]

But...all this talk of guns and watches makes me think of a great old story.....

One time two kids - Tony and Hymie - were hanging out together. Tony Looks over and says, "Hey Hymie - what's that on your wrist?"

Hymie replies, "Why, it's my new Rolex. I got it for my Bar Mitzvah."

Tony can't keep his eyes off it. A few minutes later, Hymie spies something in Tony's coat pocket. "Hey Tony - what's that in your pocket?"

Tony replies, "Oh, it's my new chrome .38 Special. I got it for my Confirmation."

Hymie is fascinated by it.

A few minutes go by and they each blurt out "Wanna trade?"


That night, as Tony get ready for dinner, his father notices the sparkly watch.

"Hey Tony - what's that you got there?" he asks.


Tony shows him and tell him "I traded Hymie my .38 for it!"


Tony's father is dismayed.

"Tony, Tony!", he cries, "Some day you gonna be rich and powerful like your old man. Some day you're gonna live in a fancy house with a beautiful wife like your old man. Then one day, you're gonna come home to your fancy house and find your beautiful wife in bed with another man"

Tony's father holds out his right arm and starts jabbing at his wrist. "What are you gonna do Tony - yell "Hey -Time Out!!!!???"