Cecil Purnell La Grande Date Tourbillon Watch
The market for really expensive toys isn't what it used to be. Don't get me wrong, that market for luxury play things comes and goes, but these days it is hard to promote a several hundred thousand dollar watch from a newer brand that looks like it was meant to appeal to fans of traditional watch making who are also weekend militia members. That is the case for this sportier version of the Cecil Purnell La Grand Date Tourbillon watch called the "Pit Lane V12."Cecil Purnell is a brand that is really trying to legitimize itself, but they only probably need to sell a handful of watches each year to stay alive. According to them they ONLY make tourbillon-based watches, and subscribe to the "true values of haute horlogerie." Now that sounds like a BS marketing statement if I ever heard one. To be honest, I would take them much more seriously if their marketing copy didn't sound like it came from a kid who was really desperate to fit in on the playground.Cecil Purnell's website is a joke and

Rolex Paul Newman Daytona Ref. 6241 Exotic Dial Watch Available On James List
The Paul Newman Daytona - next to the Submariner range, this is of the most well-known collectible Rolex watches out there. There is a sort of mythos around the watch given the ambiguous connection to the movie star/pop culture hero, and the extreme fame that the Daytona collection later had. The story of the Paul Newman Daytona is a bit convoluted and complex. There was not just one watch, and Rolex never officially called any piece the Paul Newman Daytona.Unlike some people out there I am not an expert of Rolex watch history or Rolex collecting. In fact, the high-prices that some Rolex watches fetch at auction make me chuckle. For a better historical observation of the Paul new Daytona I will defer to my friend Jake at RolexMagazinewatches-dealer. He wrote a nice summary of the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona here.My favorite part of the Paul Newman Daytona story refers to the indeterminable nature of collecting. People today strive hard to predict what will become a collector's item - and

Boucheron Bestiary Ronde Seconde Folle Collection, The Chameleon, Frog, And Owl Watches
I wrote about these watches individually on Luxistwatches-dealer but wanted to discuss the Boucheron Bestiary Ronde Seconds Folle collection as a whole here. I had a distinct thought when I first saw this collection. It took me back to being a child at Disney Land here in California. Disney had (and I don't know if they do anymore) the ability to create a distinct type of fantasy character often via anthropomorphic with the ability to create a fond sense of some type of ambiguous nostalgia. In a nutshell, that means classic Disney cartoon characters have a way of making you feel good and friendly, and you are not always sure why. I see a bit of of this sentiment in these cartoon-like animal character in the Boucheron Bestiary collection (really they could have used a better term that bestiary - seriously not friendly enough a term, plus we are talking about only three animals).This is especially evident in the frog and the owl. Is there not something a bit Disney-esque about them? Then

Rolex DD for a 5127? Pros and cons?
I'm interested in a PP 5127 (R or J) and I would likely trade my Rolex DD toward the PP. I understand they're different watches, but is this a good idea?I've seen service times on Pateks taking up to 17 months and people worrying about wearing them regularly. I'd expect mine to be (mostly) a daily wear watch. Is this crazy? Rolexes can be serviced fairly easily and quickly and they're not generally regarded as safe queen watches. Again, I know they're different, but can I expect a totally different ownership experience?Thanks for your thoughts.

Five years since I bought a watch... Explorer 1 vs Milgauss
Okay. It's been five years since I bought a watch. For me this is a big deal.I'm toying and torn between an Explorer 1 and a blue Milgauss.On the one hand we have understatement on the other we have blue, green and orange. I like both.It'll be a daily wearer, it'll get a bit wet and I won't fret if there's a scratch or two ... stuff happens.Views and reviews from long-term owners of either welcome. Let the enablement begin.PS: other watches of note in the box are a Mark XV pilot from IWC and a PAM372, although this latter may be the sacrifice to sanity and economics.