Comments on: A Guide To Wearing Men’s Bracelets (Tastefully) & The Bes

Controversial Instagram Rolex GMT-Master Customisation Proves 2020 Can Get Worse

Thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse? Well, it just did.They say you can’t polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter. But what is the opposite? What if you have something that is already so gorgeous and iconic in its looks, but you take away the glitter. Does it then become a turd?That could well be the case for this customised Rolex GMT-Master II “Root Beer” with two-tone Oystersteel and rose gold finish, posted to luxury watch Instagram account A G Watch Company. What you’re looking at is an incredibly iconic timepiece, and one we feel should feature in any watch enthusiast’s collection at some point in their life. Only, gone is the Oyster or Jubilee bracelet that it would have come with as standard, and in its place is a white rubber strap.

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A post shared by AG Watch Co. (@agwatchcompany) on Jul 22, 2020 at 3:32pm PDT

To be honest, we’re not sure whether to admire the courageous attitude of the owner or stab our eyes out with rusty nails.The very idea of customising a watch to make it more personal to you is nothing new, and we’re not certainly against it. Changing the strap, for example, is one of the easiest ways to take your watch from stock looks to something truly out of this world – and to help it pair better with your outfit, of course.Seikos are prime candidates to be customised and modified, and we fully encourage you to do so to make yours unique. But there are some watches we feel should be left untouched.We’ll happily admit the change of strap does indeed give the Rolex GMT-Master II a completely new look, but because it’s not something we’re used to seeing, we can’t get our head around it. Given the two-tone bezel, black dial and Oystersteel case, choosing the ‘right’ colour for the rubber strap isn’t easy. We would have at least tried a dark navy blue number to complement the bezel, at least.But it seems, judging by the few comments the post has received, we’re wrong:“Daaayum! Lookin good” and “Iconic piece” they read.Given the lack of further comment, people have quickly skipped past the post to avoid leaving a comment they’ll later regret.We’ll let you be the judge as to whether you think this is a good look, and indeed, if Rolex watches should be modified in any way at all.For us, we’re going to need some more convincing.

You must fill out an online declaration form before you go… but you’re not forced to?

“I filled out an online declaration form on the QLD Government website,” the ESCAPE author wrote.

Interestingly, she did this “not because the airline notified me (though Jetstar does have a travel alerts page), but because constant news reports about driver-side tete-a-tetes with police at the Coolangatta border made me think I might need to provide some COVID-free evidence.”

A swift Google search made the ESCAPE author realise this was a necessary – if ambiguous – step.

“After some basic question answering about health and location, I was emailed a Queensland Border Declaration Pass with a big G (for General) on it that would be valid for seven days. Was I free to fly? I guess so.”

The airport is refreshingly quiet

Arrived to a VERY empty @BrisbaneAirport… @SUBWAY is the only thing open pic.twitter.com/NkKhHLnjW5

— Lucy Ruderman (@LucyRuderman) July 30, 2020

Every cloud has a silver lining (and a rubbish free, freshly wiped down Maccas table). As ESCAPE reports, “I’d anticipated queues for questioning, ID checks and temperature taking. Nope. The terminal was eerily quiet. Self check-in was as basic as being offered two flight selections on screen, was I flying to Brisbane or the Gold Coast.”

There will be more selfies than usual… #pandemicaesthetic

“A woman snaps a selfie as we buckle in for our flight,” the Stuff author writes. “She may be smiling though it’s hard to tell, seeing she, like about half a dozen passengers including myself, is wearing a mask.”

Food services have taken a hit

“No meals were served on board – another Covid19 policy – but water and individually wrapped biscuit bars were offered as a snack,” Stuff reports. “I declined both – mainly because I didn’t want to remove my mask, but also because I noticed the crew were not wearing gloves when they poured the water into plastic glasses.”

Sydney’s latte line is back in play

“At bag drop off I was shown a list of about 60 Sydney suburbs. It might’ve been more. ‘Have you been here?’ No, we hadn’t. We were free to move on,” (ESCAPE).

There is a crazy – US-esque – show of force on landing, but none of the hand holding to go with it

The US has super-strong (some might say overzealous) security and super obvious procedures to go with it. From the two accounts of ESCAPE and Stuff it would appear Queensland has increased its presence but not made its procedures (particularly the need to fill out an online entry declaration form before you go) adequately clear.

“A wall, some 100 metres or more, of 1.5m-distanced uniformed officials including police, army and fire and rescue pointed us in the direction of policed tables to have our declarations and IDs checked,” ESCAPE reports.

“[But] when you fly to the US, the airline prompts you to fill out your visa details online and won’t let you board without clearance,” (ESCAPE).

“Currently passengers within Australia need to take responsibility for ensuring they can enter a state and have the correct documentation upon landing or vehicle crossing.”

There may be police interrogation on arrival

As ESCAPE’s correspondent reports, the police asked, “So, you’ve come from Coogee?” as well as for the purpose of her visit, what she’d been doing for the last 14 days and whether she’d been to any of the known places in Sydney (a list was provided) where there had been a COVID threat.

You need to renew your declaration after seven days

Just another annoying – but important – thing you need to do if you want to travel interstate right now.

Materials Maketh The Price

Pick up a watch around the $500 mark and you’ll usually notice a few consistencies:

Rougher edges
Simpler case shapes
Less detail
Less brushed and polished surfaces

Put simply, at the affordable end of the watch spectrum there are slight aesthetic differences in the material finishing.

“It can be materials, but the thing that accounts most for the difference in the prices is the finish of the watch. And it’s probably a bit more noticeable the more expensive the watch,” explains McSpedden.

“The finishing, quality of materials and treatments like non-reflective glass on a crystal, that kind of thing will add to the final price of a watch.”

Experts say that you may also find differences in watch straps when it comes to these two price points. At $500 you could be getting a stamped calf leather strap as opposed to genuine alligator leather – a minor but noticeable feel of quality.

Once prices hit the $4,000 – $5,000 mark, customers can expect to find things like deployant buckles and more intricate finishings used throughout the piece.

Complex Manufacturing Methods

One of the most contentious areas of watch pricing is the manufacturing methods employed for a watch and its movement.

Whilst McSpedden believes that “there’s been no correlation between accuracy and the price for a long time,” other experts swear by the extra precision that often commands a bigger price tag.

Based on the latter’s observations, here’s what you can expect for a watch in the region of $500:

Less manual adjustments
Less refinement in timekeeping (regulation process)

And here’s what to expect for a watch in the region of $5,000:

A movement that satisfies chronometer specifications even when it’s not certified as one
Better hand finishing, quality of materials and treatments used on the timepiece like non-reflective glass
Hand bevelling
Hand engraving
Hand enamelling

The general consensus is that the simpler the movement is to manufacture and finish, the cheaper it’ll be. A mechanical watch takes more time and labour to produce due to its complex mechanical movements that requires a person to assemble. Some parts can be way too delicate for a machine to replicate.

“There’s very little price difference in the movement in Quartz watches,” McSpedden explains. “They’re using a module and that module is not the most expensive thing.”

True Cost Of Design

Believe it or not, the design of a watch plays little into the final cost of a watch whether it be $500 or $5,000. That’s according to McSpedden who strongly questions the correlation between design and price.

“I don’t think it plays into the cost. If you’re talking about a well-designed watch, for many they would say a sub-$200 Daniel Wellington watch is ‘well designed’ because it’s not overly ornate or overly glossy. In fact, its simplicity is what defines it.”

“You would say the same thing for a German-made Nomos Glashütte at $5,000. Again, the clean design is similar but I don’t think it accounts for much with the price.”

Whilst this may be true for minimalist style timepieces, there are some noticeable differences between more elaborately designed watches at these price segments. This of course links back to manufacturing processes rather than the design phase it stems from.

Lower priced watches at $500 can yield:

Flatter dials that look more two-dimensional
Blued hands that are electroplated or hand painted rather than heated to a specific temperature to achieve the tinged hue

Higher priced watches at $5,000 can yield:

More textures across the dial – think hobnailing details and stylised numerals as found on Longines’ Master Collection
Ceramic bezels for scratch resistance as opposed to stainless steel

Branding & Reputation Costs

McSpedden makes a good point when he says that what you’re really paying for today in a watch is a piece of art on the wrist.

“It’s no accident that prestigious brands cost more because brands can charge more for them. What we’re paying for is the worth of having that pleasure of something nice to look at.”

“The current watch business is a profitable enterprise and if you’re a well respected brand, you’ll be able to charge more for it.”

Whilst this maybe true for some high-end watchmakers, certain standards need to be met in order to sneak into the $5,000 mark.

This can come in the form of hand assembly and hand machining. Beyond the $5,000 mark is where the line between craftsmanship and brand reputation can blur. Brands can charge more for watches but the difference in quality between a $5,000 piece isn’t as obvious at first glance.

“Sometimes there aren’t obvious differences in materials or movement,” adds McSpedden.

“Apart from at the high end, you can’t tell the difference from the finishing of the movement. Unless you’re looking at it from the back of the watch, that’s not something that you’re going to need to pay for.”

Watches From Both Camps

If you’ve gotten this far you should have an idea about what you want in a watch and how much you’re willing to fork out.

It’s no coincidence that some of the best value watches around the $500 mark are also the ones produced in large quantities.

Think brands like:

Seiko
Tissot
Movado
Alpina
Oris

In the $5,000 segment you can expect to see watchmakers like:

The post The Difference Between A $500 & $5,000 Watch, Explained By An Expert appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Surprising ATO Graph Shows Where Australian Taxpayers’ Dollars Really Go

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” Benjamin Franklin once wrote.

Australians on average pay slightly less net average tax than our American cousins (23.6% vs 24%), but that idiom still holds true. Like Americans, most Australians are incredibly skeptical of where our tax dollars go to – being called a ‘dole bludger’ is one of the most offensive slurs in the Aussie lexicon (unlike comparatively friendly terms like ‘dickhead’ or ‘wanker’).

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) recently added a new feature to your tax return which breaks down where your taxes go in a handy graph, showing exactly how many of your dollars support different facets of federal public spending: economic aid, housing, education and so on.

One Aussie taxpayer shared this breakdown on Reddit, sparking a lengthy discussion about the merits of the graph and what it reveals about the government’s spending priorities. /u/boobaer13 (who must make $44,000 a year, one savvy commenter pointed out) posted this screenshot of their tax breakdown.

While some expenditures might be in light with the public’s perception – we’re not surprised that the government spends so much on education or defence, for example – other areas seem incredibly underfunded. That so little is spent on immigration or economic aid would certainly counter the mainstream conservative argument about their burden on the budget, for example.

What’s immediately obvious is that welfare takes up the lion’s share of our tax contributions, but within welfare, the breakdown gets more complicated. That we contribute six times more to aged welfare than unemployment benefits would come at a surprise to most Australians.

“Weirdly enough this breakdown was originally designed to shit on welfare in the sense that dole bludgers are scum, but it accidentally showed the breakdown to be not quite as shit on the unemployed… Broken clock but there you go,” one commenter astutely pointed out.

“It’s great that they break down the welfare portion,” another agreed.

“You know it won’t stop people shitting on the unemployed, but it’s a start.”

Another perspective: “Before the pandemic unemployment, Austudy and youth allowance were 3% of welfare payments. Yet people were still raving about them.”

Other commenters pointed out that the graph is just as revealing in terms of what it doesn’t show than what it does. For example, a significant element of education spending is contributed by the states. On the other hand, this graph doesn’t display the extent to which tax avoidance as well as government tax forfeiture (e.g. negative gearing and franking credits) affects the overall breakdown. The ‘other purposes’ category is also similarly vague, and serves to further obfuscate.

Regardless of your position on welfare, we can all agree that this graphical breakdown is a step in the right direction for the government. It’ll be interesting to see how 2020’s chief headaches (the bushfires, COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout) will affect next year’s spend, too.

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