Watches selected by professional appraisers Vol. II - Abe Edition

Hello everyone.

Do you remember that we previously wrote about the watch history of COMMIT GINZA executive advisor Kaneko? In fact, after that, we received many comments when customers came to the store or over the phone, such as "That was helpful!", "I didn't know you were wearing this model!", "What do you think will go up in price next?", "What's so fun about that? (lol)", etc., which is a great honor for us at Colamar. Thank you. We were surprised by the higher response than we expected, but we will take advantage of the positive reception and write about the watch history of "Shop Owner: Abe" this time.

Abe, the founder of COMMIT GINZA and a well-known watch appraiser, will be sharing his watch history in this article. As in the previous article, we will be sharing his buying habits and the feelings he had at the time, so please enjoy.

A history of luxury watches selected by professionals

❶OMEGA SEAMASTER 300 Ref.2531.80

Case diameter 41mm. Stainless steel case and bezel with 60 luminous markers. Caliber 1120 automatic movement with 44-hour power reserve. Beautiful blue wave-shaped dial is typical of Seamaster. Steel luminous hands and luminous dot hour and minute markers on the outer dial. Stainless steel bracelet with double push button and flip-over clasp.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The first watch he bought was an OMEGA Seamaster. He was extremely nervous when he bought it brand new at Marui, and the memory of holding a luxury watch for the first time still comes back to him vividly. When he serves customers who are buying for the first time, he tries to explain things to them as if they were his own self at the time, so that they don't feel anxious at all.

❷ROLEX EXPLORERⅠ Ref.14270 A serial

This is the ultimate simple model among the Rolex sports models. It was developed for explorers, and since its launch, this simple design has remained popular throughout the ages. Its appearance means it can be worn in any situation, and it has gained support from a wide range of age groups.

"Background at the time of purchase"
Abe bought his first Rolex after being influenced by Kimura Takuya, who starred in the TV drama "Love Generation" at the time. The Kimura Takuya phenomenon is really amazing, and Abe is also quite a fangirl. (laughs)

❸ROLEX SUBMARINER DATE Ref.16610 K series

The SUBMARINER was born in 1953 as the world's first diver's watch. It is a popular model that represents Rolex and remains one of the most popular models today. It has been a long-selling model for about 20 years since its release in 1989. The movement has been changed from Cal. 3035, which had a single bridge supporting the balance, to Cal. 3135, which has twin bridges. Stability and ease of maintenance have been improved.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The third watch was the popular Submariner, one of the most popular Rolex watches. I bought it because I wanted to try out the classic one. Although there was no guarantee, it was possible to purchase it for just 300,000 yen at the time.
Apparently he wore it often and was proud that he'd definitely gotten his money's worth.

➍ROLEX DAYTONA Ref.16520 (White * El Primero) N number reverse 6

In 1988, the Daytona was made automatic based on Zenith's El Primero, a masterpiece chronograph movement. The movement Cal. 4030 reduces the El Primero's vibrations from 36,000 per hour to 28,800 per hour, enlarges the balance wheel, and improves accuracy with a microstella nut, all of which are improvements unique to Rolex. The bezel is now a more durable stainless steel bezel, and the crystal has been changed to sapphire crystal, achieving 100m water resistance. The case diameter has been increased from 37mm to 40mm, a design that has been carried over to the current Daytona.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The fourth watch is a DAYTONA, which has the highest resale value by far. I wanted a slightly refreshing model, so I chose a white dial. (I know, I'm noisy (lol)) It was around this time that I started working as a watchmaker, and I bought it on a loan with a lot of enthusiasm. The price at the time was 800,000 yen.

➎ROLEX SUBMARINER Ref.16610LV (Green) D serial number

The Ref. 16610LV was released in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Submariner. Nicknamed the "Green Sub," this model uses Rolex's corporate color green. The size of the hour and minute hands and indexes have been increased to improve visibility. This model also has some specification differences that appeal to collectors, and early models have a pale green bezel called "lime," and some are known as "big Swiss," with a large "SWISS MADE" inscription at the 6 o'clock position on the dial. (There are also various other differences in usage.) Incidentally, "LV" is French for "Lunette Vert," which means green bezel.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The fifth watch is the so-called Green Sub, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Submariner. The premium price has now settled down, and he was able to buy a genuine, unused one for 450,000 yen. He chose this model, which uses Rolex green, because "I wanted a watch with a bit of play."

➏PANERAI LUMINOR MARINA Ref.PAM00005

PANERAI is currently under the umbrella of the Richemont Group. Models made before joining the Richemont Group are called "Pre-Vendôme", and models from that time have the "OP" logo engraved on the dial. Nowadays, it is difficult to obtain models with the "OP" logo, and their value has increased. The PAM00005 is an OP logo model of the Luminor Marina with a small second hand. It is equipped with the Cal. OPI manual winding movement based on the ETA6497-2. It has a design with two hands and small seconds.

"Background at the time of purchase"
Even before I started working as a watchmaker, I always thought that PANERAI was cool, so I decided to buy one, and this LUMINOR is my sixth watch. Looking at Abe's watch history, this is by far the largest model, but it still appeals to men and has a stable fan base. The logo model is really cool.

❼ROLEX GMT MASTER Ref.16700 (red x blue) A serial

The GMT Master was developed by Rolex for the international pilots of Pan American World Airways. It is the only pilot watch from Rolex that has the function of knowing the time in different places. There are two models of the GMT Master, "I" and "II", and this Ref. 16700 is the final model of the GMT Master "I". The red and blue bezel color is commonly known as "Pepsi" and is still a popular model today. As the bezel color changes over time as shown in the photo, it takes on various expressions, so it is fun to find your own one.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The GMT MASTER was the last genuine A serial number and in very good condition, so I bought it immediately. In fact, it was this GMT MASTER that first got me interested in Rolex, and I still have a strong attachment to it. The bezel has many changes, and it is very deep even among vintage Rolexes, and there are many enthusiasts.

❽ROLEX SEA-DWELLER Ref.1665 (Red Seed Mark IV 1978Y)

The Prospec Diver's SEA-DWELLER was born as a higher-end model of the Submariner. The side of the case is equipped with a helium gas escape valve, which automatically releases helium gas during saturation diving.

"Background at the time of purchase"
As the owner, he established Commit Ginza and the first watch he bought there was the ROLEX SEA-DWELLER Ref. 1665, commonly known as the Red Seed. This model is extremely popular among vintage watch lovers, and Abe himself became greedy at the time.

➒ROLEX DAYTONA Ref.16520 (black * El Primero) W Patrizio

In 1988, the Daytona was made automatic based on Zenith's El Primero, a masterpiece chronograph movement. The movement Cal. 4030 reduces the El Primero's vibrations from 36,000 per hour to 28,800 per hour, enlarges the balance wheel, and improves accuracy with a microstella nut, all of which are improvements unique to Rolex. The bezel is now a more durable stainless steel bezel, and the crystal has been changed to a sapphire crystal, achieving 100m water resistance. The case diameter has been increased from 37mm to 40mm, a design that has been carried over to the current Daytona.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The ninth watch is a DAYTONA Ref. 16520 W Patrizzi. The one owned by Abe is an undeniable gem, and it is sure to remain strongly in the memory of many customers! The sub-dials are very dark and evenly tanned, and the condition of the case is also impeccable. It is such a good watch that Kaneko even bowed his head and asked to write about it on his blog. Even now, Abe praises the watch, saying, "No matter how you look at it, it's the best one" (lol).

➓ROLEX SUBMARINER Ref.16610LV (Green) M serial

The Ref. 16610LV was released in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Submariner. Nicknamed the "Green Sub," this model uses Rolex's corporate color green. The size of the hour and minute hands and indexes have been increased to improve visibility. This model also has some specification differences that appeal to collectors, and early models have a pale green bezel called "lime," and some are known as "Big Swiss," with a large "SWISS MADE" inscription at the 6 o'clock position on the dial. (There are also various other differences in usage.) Incidentally, "LV" is French for "Lunette Vert," which means green bezel.

"Background at the time of purchase"
For his 10th watch, he again purchased a green Sub. Speaking of green Subs, they are famous for their beautiful lime-colored bezels that excite enthusiasts, but the one Abe purchased was a matcha-colored one, as you can see in the photo. He thought the indescribable color was "interesting" and bought it immediately. It's true that there aren't many green Subs with a color like the one in the photo.

⓫ROLEX DAYTONA Ref.116500LN (white)

Released in 2016. This is the current DAYTONA model equipped with ROLEX's patented black ceramic "monoblock Cerachrom bezel." The ceramic bezel is reminiscent of the plastic bezel from the manual Daytona era. It was sold at a premium price far above the list price, and at one point it was priced at over 3 million yen (about three times the list price), which is unusual for a current model.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The 11th is the current DAYTONA Ref.116500LN. It is a premium model that was priced at about three times the price at its peak. He happened to be able to purchase it at an authorized store and said he bought it as a souvenir. (What a nasty guy lol) However, the white dial is really popular and I'm genuinely jealous!

⓬AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK Jumbo 5402ST (C serial number)

Born in 1972, the Royal Oak was the world's first stainless steel luxury sports watch, said to have "overturned the conventional wisdom of luxury watches." It is a historic model that established the style of "luxury sports watches," which is now commonplace, and was nicknamed "Jumbo" due to its large case size of 39 mm at the time.

"Background at the time of purchase"
The twelfth and final piece is the popular AUDEMARS PIGUET model ROYAL OAK. This is the first generation, commonly known as Jumbo. There are serial numbers A to C, but Abe found one with serial number C in excellent condition, so he "immediately purchased it." Above all, this particular watch has a dial in excellent condition, with the K18YG base dial barely visible, and just like Patrizi, "anyone can see that this is the best watch" (no more quips).

summary

This concludes the watch history of COMMIT GINZA: Owner Abe. To be honest, I'm tired (laughs). If you've been into watches for a long time, you've had a lot of experiences. There are actually still many watches I haven't shown you yet, and I've recently replaced them, but I'll stop here because I'm running out of material for next time.

However, looking back, the owner's watch history is impressive. Even for watch fans, the "Patrizzi" and "Jumbo" models are of a level that would be difficult to find anywhere in the world. I feel that Commit is supported by good customers and that good watches are circulating. And because they visit auctions around the world several times each year, they have an accurate grasp of market prices, and although I cannot list the purchase prices, they are surprisingly low (lower than the market prices listed online). The stock list in "CVWD" (Commit Vintage Dictionary) that I told you about last time is also quite convincing.

Currently, the situation has eased considerably, but it is still difficult to go out as much as we would like. However, the spread of the Internet has improved many things and made things more convenient, so we hope you will enjoy the Commit Ginza website and CVWD.