A lot has came and went.
But mainly I'm still in deep love of the dive watch.
Recently I have made a saddening flip of a Steinhart Ocean Vintage Gmt due to being unable to fit my wrist.
Denial
You are 90 years old but you still drive a coupe and your girlfriend is a fraction of your age and is being referred to by the general public as an arm candy/trophy more than a girlfriend.
You have a small head, but you wanna wear that stupid looking flat baseball cap (most people in Singapore wears that hideous thing backwards and it is incredibly stupid)
You have no money but you still want to go out and be a brand whore down to your pointless Armani underwear.
You buy a gucci messenger bag worth over 2 thousand but you ride in the MRT.
And me buying the Steinhart and wearing it.
The "official" sgwristlove photo of this piece. Its so very lovely with the orange GMT hand, buttery smooth winding and 300m water resistance (I do dive. For real. In the water. Open water of more than 10m depth.)
Anger
Soon, I was starting to find the watch heavy, the bracelet's weight was very well built and solid that it weight more than my pencil wrist could take. I was using the least amount of links and still have to put it in abit more using the micro-adjustments on the clasps.
I managed to find a Seiko bracelet for the watch that fits Steinhart's own end links perfectly (the only fitting thing in this watch)
Bargaining
I was in denial still. but you can see why I indulged. I have 44mm pam homages that i wear alot. Despite being bigger, it still works because of its cushion case and curved lugs whereas the Steinhart has a straight out, thinner-than-omega-lugs lug.
This is how a 44mm watch fits my wrist, as you can tell, this is much bigger, but it has a better fit and comfort with the curve lugs. I trick people into thinking it isn't that big a watch by moving around alot so people will just think it is thick bodied.
The Steinhart quickly and silently fell from the daily wearer to my other staple watches I have.
Depression
I had want to get a GMT watch for a very long time. No one out there was selling the early versions of explorer II and Rolex's model is more than the price of a DSSD.
The final thought that pushed me off the cliff and decide to flip this watch is this: I have to sell it or I won't even wear it because it is too big.
Acceptance
I turned to my girlfriend for some worldly advise on whether to sell this watch or go exercise till I have the wrist for it. Deep down I know the latter is impossible so I have to sell it.
I traded off the watch with its often compared rival. This piece has various attributes I love in a watch.
Italian
Classic timeless design
Diver's watch based company
Most importantly, it fits my wrist.
Squale 20 ATMOS
I know what everyone is thinking with this watch I got. But hey, who's gonna give me the extra SGD 5000 to buy a used one? Plus I just knocked this watch against the table the other day and got over it soon, I'm pretty sure I'll do a Bollywood-isque outcry when I introduce a new Rolex sub to a table edge.
If you go out and find another sub homage (tudors don't count) you're gonna find that the date magnifier is just for fun, on this piece, you'll find that the magnifying is serious business. Maybe not 2.5x like Rolex (because they are king or so they say) but at least its more than 2.4x. You'll be hard-pressed to find another watch where the date window fills the magnifier's lens.
S vs S
The watch is basic and works and behaves as per reviewed online which everyone just re-phrase, comparing to Steinhart:
Steinhart is better made as this piece I have has a older production date and it was the beater of an engineer (previous owner). I have handled a brand new Squale 20 ATMOS but it doesn't possess the finess of the Steinhart (movement I wouldn't know but they both houses ETA so its ok)
This is a good and bad thing, for the uninitiated into watches, looking at Steinhart OVGMT will think that it is any other watch, but they'll mis-recognise the Squale as a sub. I don't care but I am too lazy to explain.
Squale, not that is bad, is like getting a UAG/Otterbox iPhone case. Its beautiful without having to be shiny and have chamfered edges. Its a tool watch.
Both possess the same finger nail breaking clasp although Squale wins alot on its divers extension (real unique thing going on there).
I wish squale engraved their meaningful shark logo in greater detail on the caseback. (it's rather cold looking caseback) or if I ever keep this for more than 10 years I'll engrave something on it.
Heritage
This is actually a heritage model which is why it has gold wordings and hands (although hands are not so gold in the metal).
Photo credit: ggVGd, from his WUS sale post of this watch (already sold)
Its sort of a black bay homage. I'm quite digging this style and I might just walk into Gnomon to get one end of this year.
As far as wearing this watch goes, it fits me like a glove, I love the submariner look alot more now and if the finances allow, I'll definitely get a proper sub.
Side thought: Big brands should give permissions for microbrands to use or create watches in their style. This will enable the potential buyers of their watch to get into the look better. Its kind of a double edge sword but profile driven companies might not like this idea.
For Singaporeans reading this, I think rolex submarners is not a uncle (for the rest of the world, uncle style as the name suggests is to denote the style is for people beyond the middle age and the sub-culture of rolex are for old people) watch (if you still have that mindset).
Rolex submariners are forward thinking, classically designed and versatile watches with very very good movements (for those wondering, although I love panerai styles, I still think that for the same amount of money, I'd rather get a rolex as the movement is extremely durable like the case and modern panerais are very much machine made.)
I was sad that I had to give up Steinhart OVGMT (I was eyeing it for a long long time). This is the exact (90% almost) plot to the movie The Hottie and the Nottie.
I'm glad I was able to find the squale and get over the loss of the Steinhart which is a very very good watch.
This Squale will be here for awhile I hope.
