The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have been contemplating consolidating my collection, I had many pieces accumulated over the years that I was so so about. So I decided to only keep a watch if it put a smile on my face every time I wear it.

I found a grail of mine on watchbox.com, operated by Goveberg, and approached George for a trade. He really did me no favors as far as value on my watches, on average offering 20% less than I theoriticaly could have gotten for them if I had the patience and was willing to deal with the risk and low ball offers. I decided to just go with George, they are professionals and offer exceptional service.

Here is what 12, high end watches including JLC, IWC, Panerai, Rolex, etc will get you:






So is this single watch, the Lange Double Split, worth a collection of 12 grail watches?

I really do believe it is! The watches I traded in where nice, and each had an aspect that appealed to me, but this single beast of a perfectly executed and finished chronograph has an aura that can’t be expressed in images, and has to be seen in person to be appreciated. I have always been a fan of the Datograph, but it’s 41 mm case always seemed small for a sport chronograph, this piece however, with its 43.2 mm case and thicker profile, plus the added complexity and engineering prowess make it a perfect fit and a step in my dream collection, an example of what Lange can do when they go all out! This is one deal I am very happy to have done, and special thanks to George for facilitating the trade.

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Certified watch nut.

A couple of pictures on the Lange and another piece I traded for:





My collection is down 15 watches plus some cash, but I would not be able to acquire these two pieces if it wasn’t for that decision. I have to say the Journe is holding up quite well next to the Lange! Phenomenal watches and the quality is unbelievable considering the brand is independent and relatively new. Although their early 2001 examples had a made at home feel to them the newest examples are indistinguishable from Lange or Patek in terms of quality and feel. Very impressive! I am looking forward to see how this brand progresses.

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Certified watch nut.

If only you could wear it "inside out". Absolutely beautiful, Congratulations on the acquisition!



A topic for another day! Enjoy the new watch!

Thank you. Yes I do agree the movement side is phenomenal, I frequently take the watch off to stare at it!

Regarding Watchbox, just to clarify I am very please with the transaction. Their service and turn around are top notch! The question is do we go about selling and buying from other members directly or through a third party? Considering where the market is right now, and with two bad experiences under my belt ( once a stolen watch 8 years ago and a fake one recently) I would rather buy the convenience and peace of mind of dealing with an established company. I must say Govberg are the best between those I have tried.

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Certified watch nut.

Congrats Altair! If you're going to consolidate, that's something that is totally worth it. I know we can all argue quantity versus quality, but I think you made the right call.

In regards to the trade in, obviously I'm biased in this, but getting full market is going to be tough to do for someone as big as they are. With their size, you have to consider the overhead they have. There may be other places out there where you could have gotten more, but they do make it pretty convenient and their selection on preowned pieces is pretty tough to beat. I'm glad it worked out with George in the end and that you're happy with everything.

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Justin
Please contact me via PM for the contact details for Govberg Jewelers
Govberg is an AD for over 50 fine Swiss and German watch brands.
Visit them on the web at http://www.govbergwatches.com or call 800-528-8463

That’s a good point J, the chances of finding this specific piece somewhere else and to negotiate a trade are next to nill. George did give me a fair price on it as well. All in all I am definitely trading with them again and recommend others consider it.

Sorry to ask, but why are you obviously biased?

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Certified watch nut.

Congrats on the pickups! Those are 2 incredible pieces that will always bring more of a smile to your face than the dozen or so you traded. With pieces like these you will quickly forget and will never miss the departed ones. The movement on that ALS is absolutely incredible!!!

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

This is all your fault!!!

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Certified watch nut.

Thanks. Yes very pleased with the trade!

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Certified watch nut.

I only say I’m biased because I consider George a good friend and I’ve been helping out Govberg for years across the forums.

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Justin
Please contact me via PM for the contact details for Govberg Jewelers
Govberg is an AD for over 50 fine Swiss and German watch brands.
Visit them on the web at http://www.govbergwatches.com or call 800-528-8463

Oh I see, I thought you might be affiliated in some manner. Great company and George seems like a great guy and a fellow watch nerd, aces in my book!


Back to the watch, although I am very impressed by the ALS strap quality, they lack character although they do exude quality. I felt the piece deserves more and married the Double Split to an IWC Santoni strap. Truly a match made in watch heaven!







The strap was a tremendous upgrade, and I don’t think I will change it for a very long time. I can’t say how happy I am with this watch, it is a true testament to human ingenuity and a reminder of how Germans can combine spectacular engineering with strong elegant design with a fine eye for detail and quality. Every time I look at my wrist as I am just in awe!

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Certified watch nut.

Big congrats, Altair. Sounds like you were able to consolidate in a way that yielded a watch that you truly appreciate. Well done! The view through the case back of the Lange double split is a sight to behold!

You raise a couple of interesting points. First off, although selling to Watchbox might yield less cash, to me it would be worth it -- less hassle, no risk, and no waste of time and energy on selling to a third party. Since Govberg's is a reseller, it makes sense that their offers will be lower than the price that a third party sale might bring in -- and that's OK, so long as the result is reasonable.

The other interesting point you raise is the whole notion of consolidation -- something that, thus far, I have been unable to bring myself to accomplish. I guess in my heart of hearts, I know that, at some point, I'll need to start winnowing things down. That said, every piece I own was purchased after considerable thought. Put differently, each piece in my collection means something to me -- so, I find it incredibly hard to come to a decision to part with any particular watch. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this dilemma...

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Cheers,
Jim

incredible watches, Altair; huge congrats!

I'll second the comments above by adding my congratulations to some incredible additions; really stunning timepieces there! I'm also a big proponent of quality over quantity; I honestly don't know how you managed 20+ timepieces at any one time; so a big plus in that regard. No doubt you left some dollars on the table but given the low-stress and efficient ease in which the transition occurred, it seems more than a reasonable trade-off.

Your collection has really evolved into a different category Altair. Very nice indeed.

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Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"

those are two truly remarkable timepieces altair. great collection and well worth the trades