4,760 Discussions and CommentsMember since Dec. 18, 2006
What a wonderful watch Antonio, a great find! Just like the others, I am very interested in the story. In the meantime enjoy this wonderful piece. May I ask if you will also be wearing it carefully every now and then?
5,440 Discussions and CommentsMember since Dec. 22, 2006
Congratulations Antonio. The only surprise is it has taken you so lomg to have such a very special iconic IWC in your collection. Like the rest I look forward to your story.
2,692 Discussions and CommentsMember since Sept. 20, 2007
I have seen this watch. Had it in my hands - and can tell you this is a maginificent watch in amazing condition AND there can be IMHO no more deserving new owner for this piece, than Antonio. As a Pilot - yes, as a true and passionate IWC Vintage Collector UNDOUBTABLY!
1,935 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 4, 2001
Beware what you ask for; you may get it. You asked for it. Here it is. (Names and places have been omitted to preserve privacy. If you figure them out, please do not publish them.) During one of our irregular FaceTime chats, A pointed out this B-Uhr for sale at a well-known site, and we agreed that the asking price was outrageously high, and that we would not pursue it. Right. As if life were just this simple. I kept checking the site regularly, rationalizing that it was just out of curiosity, in a vain effort to fool myself. But the B-Uhr was not moving, though. And then I said to myself: why not try a probing contact and see what happens? I’ve done this before so I had a pretty god idea of the outcome. With A’s approbation, I did just that, and after a rapid negotiation, the price went down considerably, from outrageous to just plain expensive. BTW, the seller turned out to be an active F-16 pilot, and we exchanged flying “tall tales” while negotiating the conditions of sale. Perhaps the “bond” between airmen was instrumental in getting a better price.
I was now happy, if considerably poorer. The B-Uhr was now mine. On the flip side, I would have to sacrifice one of my Ref 325s to raise funds. It was a difficult decision but life is about choices. One can’t eat the cake, and have it. I know the saying is the other way around, but I find this version more accurate. But I digress. In an effort to keep the Ref 325 within the forum family I offered it for sale to some forum members, individually, but all declined for one reason of another, mostly because my asking price was too high. I agree it was on the high side, but I had a good reason for it, as I was going to pay a high price for the B-Uhr. I was not in charitable mode. I meant to contact more of you, but some of those I contacted took a longtime to decide, and I was running out of time. My apologies to those I did not contact, especially if you were a potential buyer. I put the Ref 325 for sale at the same site where the B-Uhr had been for sale, and it was sold in a couple of days, at my asking price, no negotiation. Anyway, the price was firm and any attempt at negotiation would have been pointless.
The first serendipitous event about all this is that the Ref 325 buyer lives in the same city where the seller of the B-Uhr is located. The second is that B, also lives in the city in question, and agreed to receive the B-Uhr, and the third is that C, who would be scuba diving in the region, agreed to bring the B-Uhr to Europe, after visiting B. The forth is that we, the new owner of the Ref 325 and I, on B’s advise, decided not to ship the Ref 325 directly to the buyer, as there had been at least one case of a watch disappearing in transit there. C could not hand carry the Ref 325 because he was already scuba diving while all this was happening. Enter D, who was at the time in Europe on vacation, but we decided that his host country, and location, was not the best to receive expensive (rare and almost irreplaceable) merchandise. Eventually the Ref 325 reached D, for onward delivery to B, who delivered it to the buyer.
The B-Uhr and the Ref 325 were briefly together and D immortalized the moment with his Leica. BTW the new owner of the Ref 325 showed up to pick it up wearing an IWC Minute repeater. I know she is in good hands, which easies the pain of separation. He and B vowed to remain in contact. All the above coordination, involving five forum members, in three continents, and several cities, and holiday resorts, was made via the applications in the iPhone, in real time and at zero cost. I am very grateful to all involved. This forum is definitely more than “just” about IWC watches, vintage or new. ☺
Once again congratulations, to you and to all of those involved in this complicated double transaction. Well done!
Regards,
Jeronimo
Omar Khayyám (Persia XI-XII Century) offered that Time should not only be measured in length but also in width due to the intrinsic difference between a minute or other depending on what is happening to the beholder... I wonder how a watch would look like...
Last edited: 17 May, 2013 - 09:58
Best regards,
Jim
"We are the other people, we are the other people...you're the other people too!"
Frank Zappa
Kind regards,
Clemens
Fantastic. I am very happy for you.
Andrew
andrew.thomas1@mac.com
Cheers,
Ben
Time is something invented by the Swiss to help sell more watches
Best regards
Mark
Last edited: 16 April, 2013 - 00:36
(Names and places have been omitted to preserve privacy. If you figure them out, please do not publish them.)
During one of our irregular FaceTime chats, A pointed out this B-Uhr for sale at a well-known site, and we agreed that the asking price was outrageously high, and that we would not pursue it.
Right. As if life were just this simple.
I kept checking the site regularly, rationalizing that it was just out of curiosity, in a vain effort to fool myself. But the B-Uhr was not moving, though. And then I said to myself: why not try a probing contact and see what happens? I’ve done this before so I had a pretty god idea of the outcome.
With A’s approbation, I did just that, and after a rapid negotiation, the price went down considerably, from outrageous to just plain expensive.
BTW, the seller turned out to be an active F-16 pilot, and we exchanged flying “tall tales” while negotiating the conditions of sale. Perhaps the “bond” between airmen was instrumental in getting a better price.
I was now happy, if considerably poorer. The B-Uhr was now mine. On the flip side, I would have to sacrifice one of my Ref 325s to raise funds. It was a difficult decision but life is about choices. One can’t eat the cake, and have it. I know the saying is the other way around, but I find this version more accurate. But I digress.
In an effort to keep the Ref 325 within the forum family I offered it for sale to some forum members, individually, but all declined for one reason of another, mostly because my asking price was too high. I agree it was on the high side, but I had a good reason for it, as I was going to pay a high price for the B-Uhr. I was not in charitable mode. I meant to contact more of you, but some of those I contacted took a longtime to decide, and I was running out of time. My apologies to those I did not contact, especially if you were a potential buyer.
I put the Ref 325 for sale at the same site where the B-Uhr had been for sale, and it was sold in a couple of days, at my asking price, no negotiation. Anyway, the price was firm and any attempt at negotiation would have been pointless.
The first serendipitous event about all this is that the Ref 325 buyer lives in the same city where the seller of the B-Uhr is located. The second is that B, also lives in the city in question, and agreed to receive the B-Uhr, and the third is that C, who would be scuba diving in the region, agreed to bring the B-Uhr to Europe, after visiting B.
The forth is that we, the new owner of the Ref 325 and I, on B’s advise, decided not to ship the Ref 325 directly to the buyer, as there had been at least one case of a watch disappearing in transit there. C could not hand carry the Ref 325 because he was already scuba diving while all this was happening.
Enter D, who was at the time in Europe on vacation, but we decided that his host country, and location, was not the best to receive expensive (rare and almost irreplaceable) merchandise. Eventually the Ref 325 reached D, for onward delivery to B, who delivered it to the buyer.
The B-Uhr and the Ref 325 were briefly together and D immortalized the moment with his Leica.
BTW the new owner of the Ref 325 showed up to pick it up wearing an IWC Minute repeater. I know she is in good hands, which easies the pain of separation. He and B vowed to remain in contact.
All the above coordination, involving five forum members, in three continents, and several cities, and holiday resorts, was made via the applications in the iPhone, in real time and at zero cost.
I am very grateful to all involved. This forum is definitely more than “just” about IWC watches, vintage or new. ☺
clepsydra
ad fontes...
Last edited: 24 October, 2012 - 13:38
Once again congratulations, to you and to all of those involved in this complicated double transaction. Well done!
Regards,
Jeronimo
Omar Khayyám (Persia XI-XII Century) offered that Time should not only be measured in length but also in width due to the intrinsic difference between a minute or other depending on what is happening to the beholder... I wonder how a watch would look like...
Last edited: 27 October, 2012 - 08:54
rgds
kee siew