Life and Times of a Horolo-holic

 
Here at The Watch Review Site we would like to welcome our latest contributor to the team, Dieter Schanzer whose everyday life as a Chartered Surveyor led to an alter ego as a Timepiece Consultant. His enthusiasm and drive is surpassed only by his knowledge and love for watches, Hence we have named Dieter the Horolo-holic….

Hope you enjoy this series of articles by Dieter about the life and times of a worldwide timepiece consultant with a few reviews thrown in for good measure along the way.

Part1 The Begining – My Love of Watches Saved Me

Written By Dieter Schanzer

Have you ever sat in a meeting and let your mind wander and then suddenly…..wham!!…you look up and everyone around the ever so corporate table is staring intently  at you for an answer…..normally, I would panic….but on one serendipitous occasion when this actually happened to me, I casually raised my left eyebrow ala Roger Moore, cocked my head to one side and looked longingly at the CEOs wrist….

“Beautiful Audemars Piguet”,  I said…..

His face lit up and the course of the meeting tacked completely……

“I’m very impressed Dieter, very impressed……you like watches?” said the CEO

The remainder of the meeting (to my relief) was taken up by me and the once ever so corporate CEO talking Audemars, Parmigiani, Vacheron, Girard, Rolex,  ETA  vs in-house, whilst the remaining board members looked, well, bored.

My love of watches had saved me on that day twenty years ago.

I could never have imagined that also on that day a new parallel career as a broker of fine watches would find its’ way to me.

My life up until “that  Audemars meeting”, as I now call it, was as a somewhat “maverick” Chartered Surveyor; exploring new territories where my expertise in corporate real estate strategy and Valuation techniques for lending security allowed me to travel extensively and advise mainly Banking Institutions as what to do and what not to do in terms of lending – they rarely listened.

However, it paid handsomely and allowed me to indulge in some beautiful watches……..In short, I quickly became aware that I really didn’t derive much intrinsic satisfaction from my day job as a Chartered Surveyor, so after “that” meeting I began telling Surveying Clients that what they really needed was “a watch like this or that”….and out would come a box or two of watches…..and that’s how I started a private brokerage for fine watches .

How I got Hooked on Timepieces

But it really all started in Dortmund Germany in July 1973 at the age of 7 when my Aunt gave me and my brother Kienzle watches each – mine had luminous minute markers and hands, an orange face (very 70’s!) – that watch absolutely fascinated me I would wear it in bed and stare at those illuminated hands until I fell to sleep……

Thereafter the first sight of Telly Savalas and his LED Hamilton and of course then there were the classic Pulsar PS1 and 2, now those really set my pulsar racing.

My father god bless him, also indulged in a square-faced 18k yellow gold serpentine bracelet black face Beuche Girod in 1977 which I thought was just beautiful as no doubt the thief did who stole it in 1985.

I also remember being “besotted” by a Raymond Weil in 1979 that was a tank shape, black  face with two rows of vertical diamonds which was worn by a waiter in my Father’s restaurant…..it was “la passionata”…I was hooked.

Present Day

Back to 2012… some watches, or should I say the people who wear without regard “any” watch, really depress me – almost always these are male.

What saddens me most is that I know of some £1m per year salaried Savile Row suited, Lobb shod, Hilditch & Key shirted city boys who will wear, well, a piece of crap on their wrist but as mentioned, the very finest of everything on the rest of their body!

Why do I find it so nauseating that some people “don’t care” about what watch they wear, it’s beyond me, beyond me, completely….but it shouldn’t be beyond me, as we all know, a person’s  choice of timepiece truly reflects them as an individual – if they’re happy to wear a plastic-digital-mass-produced $5 watch with absolutely no personality (note the “no personality”), so be it……you can never convert “those” types into aficionados.

Women on the other hand, are much more in tune with wearing a “quality watch” and adore being told about the lasting appeal of a Cartier Tank or a Jaeger leCoultre Reverso….I sell a lot of watches to ladies.

One of my Little Adventures…

But getting back to awkward meetings, one of my first Client’s was an Uzbek gentleman not noted for his sense of humour ( by his “victims” shall we say as I later found out).

Imagine this, Tashkent, the middle of nowhere, a blacked out Mercedes arrives at my Hotel and out steps Mr Black (made up name) and a super model which I assume to be his significant other.  I greet him with an outstretched hand and he doesn’t reciprocate, “fine” I thought. One of his (two) henchmen tells me to “sit” as we enter the lobby….Gulp…his beautiful Amazonian wife faked a “sort of smile” and extended a seemingly never-ending leg and entwined it so gracefully over her other leg as she got comfortable, I was instantly distracted…ahem..

“I always get what I want Mr Dieter, and if I don’t, “we” get unhappy, especially my wife, she get very angry with you…..” said Mr Black

“Of course” my newly falsetto voice replied as I tried not to make eye contact with his beautiful wife, but failed….

“…Okay you show me all watches, I hope you bring me good watch” said Mr Black

“Of course” I squeaked and opened up my case of beauties handing them to him one by one with a loving introduction to the maker, model, and specification of each…

“No, no, I don’t like, no, not this one , nor this, no, not that either…..” said Mr Black

“Oh dear”, I thought…..

Then, in the style of an Uzbek Matt Lucas in a Little Britain sketch  he uttered the immortal words ” I want that one”, he was pointing at my wrist.

What could I say other than “Of course”,  whilst smiling as his wife had done when we met. I handed “it” over – a deal was done, papers and box soon followed by courier. “It” was a rather special Rolex Submariner with a rare dial in 18k gold. Boo Hoo!

However, Mr Black and his wife were happy and I was still alive, but in need of a new watch …..excellent. Win/Win.
More tails of high jinx, watch deals and maybe a review or two next time……….

This Article was written by Dieter Schanzer for The Watch Review Site you can follow Dieter on his Facebook Page Schanzer Timepieces Consultancy here  but we will surely be providing you with the rest of Dieters adventures here on The Watch Review Site so stay tuned…

How to Collect Rolex with Eric Ku

A matter of taste; a unique Rolex Day-Date

Mike Mellia – The Latest Watch Photographer in Town

As we all know Photography is big news at the moment, and in horology circles Watch Photography is becoming more and more important, Photographers are all turning their hand to it, but only a few have the eye and inginuaty to get it right.

In  Mike Mellia, The Watch Review Site thinks we have stumbled across one of the few exceptional photographers within the Watch World. I say stumbled, more like it landed straight on our desk (or laptop screen in this day and age) from one of our contributors. So thank you Meehna Goldsmith for introducing us to Mike Mellia’s work.

Mike lives in New York City and in his spare time he is an avid watch collector and pianist. But the interesting stuff comes now, His profession is as an advertising and fine art photographer based in New York City. His passion for watches and photography have led to the photography of some lovely timepieces and Mike has  several wristwatch clients including Christie’s New York, several wristwatch magazines and Altamarea Cinturini.In collecting watches, as all collectors Mike has his favorite brands, which include Patek Philippe, A. Lange & Söhne, Rolex, and Officine Panerai.

This passion for watches has led to a specific section on his website being dedicated to wristwatches, www.mikemellia.com/wristwatches.html. As a Wristwatch Advertising Photgrapher, Mike Shoots the wristwatches in the studio and on location, using multiple studio strobes and lighting generators to achieve a flawless, glossy composition.  It is often the case that clients are interested not only in portraying a particular wristwatch with extreme clarity, but also how the wristwatch itself adapts to suit the personality of the individual wearing it. The final shots can often lie anywhere on a spectrum between photorealism and extreme surrealism. Mike always seeks to translate his passion for life and horology into his final photographs.

Along with his great eye for Watches, Mikes other photography assignments are great pieces of art and really worth a look on his website www.mikemellia.com, some of my favourite pieces other than the watches are amongst Mike Mellia’s ‘The Psychological Portrait Gallery http://www.mikemellia.com/thepsychologicalportraitgallery.html

Now for a few more pieces from Mike Mellia’s Watch Selection

Rolex & National Geographic Congratulate James Cameron on successfully completing The DeepSea Challenge.

Further to our report on the Rolex Deepsea Challenge we can report that James cameron has succesfully completed the challenge and travelled to 6.8 miles down into the deep…. James is the first person on this earth to ever do this solo and he managed this task with a Rolex Deepsea Challenger on his wrist.

We know its not specifically watch related but it is interesting and a watchmaker did sponsor the exhinition. We have taken this opportunity to provide you a brief script from the deepsea challenge web site for your perusal along with some links to the story….. its all interesting reading

Rolex – The DeepSea Challenge Watch

Written by D Constant for The Watch Review Site

20th March 2012

On viewing this video and following the link, this deep sea challenge is some feet pardon the pun…. Did you know, That???

“Twelve men have walked on the surface of the moon and maybe 500 have traveled to space, but only [two] have visited the very deepest point of the ocean, which they reached on January 23, 1960.”—Daily Mail, September 17, 2010

And now some 52 years later national geographic is trying it again, with James Cameron the man attempting it…. P.S and only one official watch and that was a Rolex back then too.

For me the fact that a watch has been made to attempt the mamoth task with him is a story in it’s self and to say it will withstand depths of 12,000m (in old language that’s 39,370ft) thats some 8 miles down now thats a long long way down…

I for one am going to sign up to keep notified of how James is doing with the expedition to the deep deep deep deep deep blue sea and so can you by following the link to http://deepseachallenge.com

Oh and the watch the Rolex DeepSea Challenge, it does look a nice piece of work… I am assuming there will only be one made, well i can’t see them taking two down space must be a bit tight in the challenger. It  CLASSIC ROLEX in styling just a hell of a lot thicker and with a lot more tech and manufacturing involved.  The Black Face and bezel compliment the watch exceptionally.

Now for the bit provided by Rolex below….

52 years after a Rolex watch accompanied the Trieste on its historic descent to 10,916 metres (35,800 feet) in the Mariana trench, National Geographic explorer-in-residence James Cameron, on board the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, prepares to go even deeper.

This time again, a Rolex watch, the Deepsea Challenge, is part of the expedition.

Gain a unique insight into the skill and unequalled know-how that went into making this experimental watch.

Discover more about DEEPSEA CHALLENGE on http://deepseachallenge.com

Written by D Constant for The Watch Review Site

Video and part of article provided by Rolex

Written by: Martin Green

15th March 2012

Basel 2012 is a wrap! The new models have been introduced and very soon it is time to see how they are going to perform at the box-office. Sometimes it is very difficult to figure out what will be hot and what will be….not, but of course we do already have our preferences based on personal taste.

The Omega Z-33

Omega starts off very daring with the new Z-33. If you thought the X-33 was extreme when it was introduced then the Z-33 will rock your world even more. For this watch Omega revived one of their case designs from the 1970’s, gave it way too many buttons and added two windows to the dial to display the digital readout in retro red. It gives the watch a space age kind of look, but does give you the idea that unless you fly the Thunderbird 1 for a living this watch is kind of out of place.

Video of Citizen EcoDrive Satellite Wave

Perhaps Omega should have taken the approach of Citizen. They showed the Citizen EcoDrive Satellite Wave at Basel and that is a very good and high end looking watch. Don’t worry, Citizen might have made the watch more upscale, but it is still a unique piece of technology since this is the first watch that actually doesn’t sync its time though radio waves, but with a direct link to a GPS satellite. This means that even in the middle of the Russian Tundra or the Sahara you can get the correct time down to the precise second!  It’s price is also a very adult around £2,600.

The Omega Speedmaster 1962

To get back to Omega, they fortunately make up the Z-33 with the introduction of the Omega Speedmaster 1962. Another lovely variation of the so beloved chronograph and maybe the best looking Speedmaster yet. This one pays tribute, and looks of course a lot like the second generation Speedmaster. That one was introduced before we landed on the moon, so it is not exactly a moonwatch, but  it was worn in during a space flight and is nevertheless a watch with a lot of character.

It is now officially more difficult to keep all these moonwatches apart than the different Rolex Submariners.

Official Rolex Sky Dweller Video

But talking about Rolex! What a surprise they had in store this time! The new Rolex Sky-Dweller forms a unique combination of complications and user friendliness, in a packaging that for Rolex is a revolution instead of an evolution. It might take some getting used to for some, but in the end I think Rolex will have a true winner on its hand with this one. The only thing they got a bit wrong is the name. Sky-Dweller sounds a bit odd….Sky-Walker would have been much better!

Tudor Neoprone automatic adjustment bracelet Video

Sister brand Tudor was also on a role, and hit two solid homeruns. First is the Pelagos, a divers watch made out of titanium with a nice 3D dial design, typical Tudor hands and a very innovative clasp. Not only does it have an easy to use fine-adjustment, but it also compensates for the effects water pressure has on the body and diving suit by tightening up automatically thanks to springs inside the clasp, so that the watch is always safely around the wrist.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay

If you prefer a more old school model, then the Tudor Heritage Black Bay has it all. Domed sapphire crystal, gilt dial, burgundy diving bezel. How delightful can retro be? Especially with a name that immediate takes you back to the time of pirates and buccaneers, and makes you want to enlist on a big sail ship…or take a cruise!

Harry Winston Opus 12

High expectations were there for the new Harry Winston Opus 12. The unique collection of watches has a certain status to uphold at being a frontrunner when it comes to innovative watch making. Granted it was very hard to beat Opus 11, yet Opus 12 doesn’t seem to live up to the high expectations. Of course it is a technically very advanced and complicated watch, but also quite an impractical one. The system reminds me a bit of  the Frederic Jouvenot Helios, but instead of turning cones and the minutes in the center the Harry Winston Opus 12 actually has hour and minute hands that turn but are only accurate within 5 minutes. Do you want to know the exact time then you can check how far it is to the next 5 minutes by a little retrograde indicator in the center of the dial. Great technology that makes it possible but just like the Hermes Arceau Temps Suspendu, and Chanel J12 Tourbillon Retrograde Mysterieuse it’s more inpractical than truly adding something to the mix.

 Hublot $5 million dollar watch

Who is also adding something to the mix is Hublot. A new Baselworld means a new Hublot million dollar watch, which is now worth 5 million dollars. How did they do it? The only way possible: larger diamonds. Of course there is room for improvement, and larger diamonds, so Basel 2013 will probably be the place where the brand will introduce the long expected……6 million dollar Hublot!!

Breitling Transocean Unitime Chronograph

Breitling didn’t seem to know that the large watch trend is slowing down a bit. They introduced a beautifully styled Transocean Unitime chronograph. The version with a cream white dials is especially stunning and could be the perfect travel watch. Could be because with a diameter of 46mm  it isn’t  and you almost have to call ahead to your hotel to check if the night stand is large enough to put this watch on when you are going to sleep. Less is more Breitling!

Official Antoine Martin Video

The return of Martin Braun with the brand  Antoine Martin, is, of course, very pleasant news. It reminds us a lot of the path Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth have traveled when they left the companies that bore their names. Braun also seems to be back with a vengeance, judging by the Quantieme Perpetuel au Grand Balancier that is the first watch to be launched by his new brand. The styling of the watch has some hints of Ateliers deMonaco’s design language but is mainly a bold mix of sportiness and classical design elements.

Amazing is the complexity of the case and dial as well as the movement. With a balance wheel of 17.5mm in diameter, this watch houses the largest balance wheel ever used in a wristwatch, but that is not all this watch has to offer. The layout of the perpetual calendar is beautiful, with a big date at 6 o’clock and a vertical display of day and month. A leap year indicator is also included with a day/night indicator as a bonus on the dial side.

A power reserve meter is “hidden” on the back of the watch, which has runs from 6 to 0 days! Only one remark for this young brand: If the classical time of 10:10 to display a watch in pictures and videos doesn’t work for you, because it blocks both the day and the month windows of the watch, please break free from tradition and opt for a different time, since this watch deserves to have all its features seen!

Original Review can be seen on http://www.watchmatchmaker.com/2_womens_watches/basel-2012-the-ups-and-downs.html#more-7482

A crown for the wrist

By Michael Karam on March 05, 2012

The perception and prestige of Explorers, Submariners and Air Kings

Ask anyone on the street what he or she thinks the world’s most luxurious watch brand is, and they will probably say Rolex. They’d be wrong. But perception is everything, and the timepiece that is regarded as the sign that you have made it — a person to be reckoned with, a person imbued with a hint of rugged glamour — is indeed a Rolex. There are more accurate watches, more expensive brands and more prestigious brands, but Rolex has captured our imagination like no other.

Don’t get me wrong. There is no sleight of hand here. They are not, in luxury watch terms at least, overpriced (unlike some brands I could name). They are supremely well made and they will last forever. I should know; I have a steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust made in 1963. It still keeps immaculate time and has been serviced a maximum of four times in its life. It also looks almost identical to the current model — the only difference is an extra 2mm in the diameter, a sapphire glass and a quick date changer. So in a global luxury watch market that has gone bonkers in the last 20 years, Rolex has both pedigree and consistency.

The company was founded in London in 1905 by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis and moved to Switzerland in 1919 after the First World War. By 2003, Rolex was earning revenues of $3 billion annually, according to Stern Business, with BusinessWeek ranking it the 71st most valuable brand in the world in 2007. Like Patek Philippe, arguably the most prestigious watch brand in the world — and unlike other luxury brands such as Vacheron Constantine and Jaeger Le Coultre, both of whom are owned by the Richemont Group — Rolex is still a private company, a factor that arguably adds to its aura of distinction.

So what is it about Rolex’s enduring appeal? Luxury aside (Rolex caters to all tastes, even producing some eccentric designs for those who like a bit of diamond-encrusted bling), I would wager it is the fact that no other watch has as much history, glamour, sex appeal and adventure, allied to reliability and looks, wrapped up in one brand.

Take the Rolex Submariner, the iconic diving watch that was worn by Sean Connery’s Bond on a fabric NATO strap — to lady-killing effect — or the Explorer, the equally famous black-faced chronometer. You aren’t just buying a watch, you are buying into the very fabric of 20th century achievement. Omega is the only watch brand that comes close to matching this heritage (its Speedmaster was famously worn on the moon) but Rolex, with its functional designs and almost onomatopoeic name, has captured more of the public’s imagination, allying itself with sports stars, musicians and scientific pioneers the world over. Not surprisingly, Rolexes are among the few brands with a strong resale value, especially for the iconic Daytona Cosmograph with its famous Zenith “El Primero” movement, and the other professional models.

But at the end of the day, it’s all about owning the item that you love. And as my wife found out, Rolex watches are very desirable. She does not share my obsession with watches, but over the years has faithfully tramped round showrooms or stood patiently as I peered in shop windows like an excited schoolboy. For her a watch is a watch. It tells the time. Who cares if it’s manual, automatic or quartz, or if it’s a 36mm or a 45mm? But on New Year’s Eve, while I tried on a new Explorer II (now 42mm and with an orange 24 hour hand, if you must know) in the Rolex showroom in Beirut, she pointed to an Air King in brushed steel with subtle blue numeral batons on an off-white face. “I like that a LOT,” she said. It was the first time she had ever really expressed a genuine interest in a watch. What could I do?

Source: http://www.executive-magazine.com/getarticle.php?article=15215