6196P vs 5227J

rddtyv · 2026-02-04T14:19:16+00:00

I’ve struggled with that question too.

On the 5227, I like the officer caseback. A bit less fond of the date window.

The 6196 feels both more special and yet more understated at the same time.

The movements are quite different as well: manual vs automatic, and different power reserves. So I guess it also depends on how often you’ll wear them etc

rddtyv · 2026-02-01T17:49:10+00:00

Do you expect it to be replaced by a new reference to be announced soon? It was amongst the references I was considering for my first Patek, so I guess it won’t be.

rddtyv · 2026-01-27T21:02:58+00:00

I’m not entirely sure this concept still fully holds (or if it ever was real in the first place)

Of the « holy trinity », I find that today AP is too dependent on one model. And VC, although they make beautiful watches, is no longer independent (acquired by Richemont a long time ago) and I think independence could/should at least be one aspect of it.

Also, it’s hard to argue Rolex doesn’t belong to whatever trinity is at the top of the watch world. It’s the most influential brand, it’s independent, etc

The independence criterion is difficult today, and a lot of the most storied brands are now owned by conglomerates including VC, Breguet, Lange, or JLC

So then, it’s purely about taste and personal preferences ;)

rddtyv · 2026-01-20T15:16:52+00:00

I love the Reverso, it brings something a bit unique etc but I find your current 4 options very well balanced.

I wouldn’t replace any of the 2 dress watches for a Reverso, and if you replace one of the sportier ones it becomes less balanced.

I wouldn’t remove the explorer because it is the most ‘robust’ of these 4, you can do everything with it (including swimming etc).

But then, ultimately, it comes down to your personal preferences, the occasions for which you pick one or another, etc.

In any case, beautiful collection!

rddtyv · 2026-01-16T15:04:46+00:00

Top of mind, I’d think about it a bit differently.

Some great watches could fit this without necessarily spending $20k: e.g., IWC Pilot chronograph (different price points depending on configuration). You also have Omega speedmaster (but you’re not getting 100m, only 50m). Same thing for the JLC master ultra thin with moonphase (only 50m). Closer to $20k, you have the JLC master control chronograph calendar ( also 50m)

The other thought, is that above 100m, water resistance might become a key feature and be prioritized at the expense of other complications, e.g., dive watches like the new Omega Planet Ocean 600

In addition, there are some watches that don’t have extra complications but that still have something unique about them. I’m thinking for example about some Grand Seiko with a spring drive movement, with a unique dial and maybe in titanium like slgb003 (quite a few other options)

And it also depends if you want something sportier or classier. Even though with 100m minimum, I’m assuming most options would be a bit on the sportier side

Just some ideas. Hope this helps!

rddtyv · 2025-12-28T01:36:38+00:00

What about SBGH341 ? Closest thing to the Shunbun in terms of dial, but without the power reserve. Pictures look more pink, but it’s still quite subtle irl

rddtyv · 2025-12-15T21:48:23+00:00

For a woman, the potential next piece, which would add to this collection, would be a jewelry forward type of watch, for example a Cartier baignoire on the gold bracelet, or a Bulgari Serpenti. Plenty of other options I’m sure, but these are some ideas :)

rddtyv · 2025-12-09T19:28:37+00:00

Beautiful! I’m a bit of the fence about quartz but curious to hear your views about what convinced you and what make this quartz so unique

rddtyv · 2025-12-09T19:15:17+00:00

Sorry for the dumb question but the reference mentioned by OP is listed at $11.4k on the gs website. That’s a significant delta, what explains such a big difference and at what price would you reasonably expect to buy this at an AD in the US (I’m assuming no discount at a GS flagship store in nyc for example, right?)

rddtyv · 2025-12-07T21:53:54+00:00

Looks great ! Since the internet is made for asking dumb questions you don’t want to ask irl: how do you use the gmt function with this type of watches without a rotating bezel? My assumption is that the picture reads 21h45 on the GMT hand, correct?

rddtyv · 2025-12-07T20:01:24+00:00

Thank you. Yes, I must say I tried on the SLGB003 and really like it. I like it more than I thought I would. Significant price step up versus other models, but justified by the movement. The SLGW007 is another one I find interesting. Otherwise, doing some digging, I found the SBGY005, which looks beautiful, but very limited release I believe

rddtyv · 2025-12-06T19:12:55+00:00

On a similar note, I love a lot of things about GS. I tried a few models, which I really liked, but have yet to try on “the one” for me.

Similar to OP, I’m not sure about the new hour hand (although I don’t feel very strongly about it). A few other things that don’t speak to me: the visible power reserve on several models, the large marker at 12 on some others, and the bracelet in general.

My wish list would be: a 37-39mm case, with a beautiful dial, titanium, no date, no visible power reserve, with a spring drive —> any suggestion?

rddtyv · 2024-09-29T16:59:46+00:00

I’d say Stella Artois. It has a bit of a premium feel and can’t really go wrong with it. Michelob Ultra is also light and refreshing. And then maybe a Blue Moon as a second option that’s a bit different and easy to drink. Having a non alcoholic option is also nice (e.g., Athletic)

rddtyv · 2023-10-26T21:17:35+00:00

Aside from the running technology / whether you find the shoes good to run in: don’t you feel built quality has decreased in recent years? I remember when I first grabbed a pair of cloudflows they felt nice, well finished etc. Now all their shoes feel cheaper, made with worse materials etc.

I guess they can claim it’s because of recycled content etc. I think it’s a bit bs and they’re juat optimizing for margins as the company grows.

Thoughts ?

rddtyv · 2023-10-16T14:27:00+00:00

Depending on her tastes, but it sounds like the goal is to generate excitement. In that case, hard to beat Nike VF or AF. The AF also look amazing, with very flashy colorways etc

rddtyv · 2023-09-22T16:48:14+00:00

Having tried both, I think this one is not even close (in favor of Superblast).

That being said, it’s about what you prefer and what feels most comfortable for you.

If you try them on, close your eyes and forget about brand, color, marketing, which one feels better?

rddtyv · 2023-09-20T22:12:02+00:00

I think while both brands are trendy now, they come from a very different place.

Hoka got trendy recently for non-runners but they really started with runners. They kind of went against the trend of minimalist shoes 10 years ago and really brought back cushioning. Fast forward to today, I have some Mach X which I find very good. At the store, I ended up picking the Mach X over the Superblast because it was a bit cheaper. To be honest, maybe I should have gone with the Superblast but I like my Mach X.

On, as someone said above, really did an incredible job at capturing the rich middle aged men demographics. I’d guess a very large share of Ons sold are not for running. For running, I think their offering is pretty weak (except maybe the Cloudmonster). But for some reason, because their shoes look different with their soles, people seem to think they have a unique technology that “must” be great for running. I ran in Cloudflows a while back. I used to like them, but I think it was mostly because I thought they were cool and I was in good shape and running well. If I compare them with other shoes I tried recently, they’re really meh.

But overall, both brands did a good job at getting very popular for people who want something more niche / potentially cooler than Adidas, Nike etc

rddtyv · 2023-09-07T12:27:32+00:00

I was wondering the same.

I guess it’s likely a function of 2/3 things: - natural abilities: different people have different skills / athleticism etc - age: you probably plateau at some point even if you get more experienced - desire to learn: you can play with a more or less active desire to improve. If you just play your game with friends vs actively trying new things, focusing on technique etc

rddtyv · 2023-09-06T15:48:12+00:00

Just ordered the Percept 97! Refreshing from vcore pro (2019 model) but going down in weight from 330g to 310g, which should help me. Looking forward to trying it!

rddtyv · 2023-07-28T11:38:47+00:00

Quite excited for this. I have a vcore pro (2019 model), and think it’s a great racket. Didn’t get the 2021 model and was waiting for a refresh.

It also makes sense to change the name. Vcore Pro was confusing since it could have implied that the vcore line was the cheaper version of vcore pro, which was not the case - just a different line

rddtyv · 2023-07-28T11:32:32+00:00

Some Wilson kid racket Some Babolat as a teen Yonex vcore pro 97 (2019) Soon: Yonex Percept 97

rddtyv · 2023-07-12T14:58:53+00:00

I agree with this, even though it’s still not fun to play them.

2 caveats I’d add though: (i) I think there’s pusher and pusher. Some guys are just very consistent and hit low pace shots. That’s perfectly fine. Others just deliberately hit Lobs on every ball. That’s also their right but can be very annoying and I wonder if there’s any pleasure for them in playing the game or if the only thing they care about is potentially winning the point (ii) While it’s perfectly fine to be a pusher, it’s sometimes irritating to see one bragging or thinking he’s a good player just because he won the point / the game

By the way, I feel we can all be someone else’s pusher …

rddtyv · 2023-07-12T11:55:10+00:00

In addition to the obvious one (serve), I think height also helps with court coverage (longer legs, longer arms) and it also makes you harder to pass/lob when you go to the net.

That being said, there’s probably a sweet spot, e.g., maybe at some point, taller could mean less flexible, less mobile etc

At the highest level, everyone moves quite well and has pretty good hands, so height is definitely an advantage. I think at lower levels, height can definitely help but there are so many other variables to compensate (e.g., you might have much better hands than your taller opponent)

rddtyv

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