Hi everyone,
My wife and I recently spent a week in Bangkok, and I was able to look at a fantastic variety of watches while I was there. I have a hard time in Seattle because brands like Zenith and Carl F. Bucherer do not have dealerships anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, and even more common brands like IWC and GO have a very poor selection among the limited number of dealers.
At the IWC Boutique they had a truly excellent selection...better than the boutique in Las Vegas. I was able to see a model I have been lusting after: the Big Ingenieur Chrono, pictured here:
I have to admit, though, after seeing it in person I am not as impressed. One of the things that turned me off was the color of the chrono subdials. In the photos I have seen, they look silver. However, in reality they are white. This just doesn't match tone the stainless steel, and somehow ruins the magic of the look. The chrono pushers where not quite as perfect as I had expected, too, from a $13,000 watch. They had a slight bit of play in them, and you actually had to work to push them and do it at just the right angle.
It's a shame because the depth of the dial beneath the crystal looks great. You really get the 3D effect. But you really don't notice the rest of the beauty in the dial because the subdials are just too "loud." Sadly, I have have now ceased to lust after this timepiece.
My wife and I both agreed that the regular BI is much better looking, so I am going back to lusting after the BI rather than the chrono. Another example of how one really needs to see these things in person.
///M
And me no likey Tag much!