...scrutiny a Heuer ever could be. Some of the most informed collectors in the world, from Europe, the US, the Far East, Australasia and more, checking a watch for all its details and comparing it to the prices they have seen elsewhere. No fees means no compunction to list a bit under the desired amount to attain a sale, so prices might tend to be on the higher side but typically I find them more reasonable than, say, Chrono 24 to give one example.

Everyone is welcome to express an opinion here, and I hope we make allowances for a number of different mother tongues, but when someone comes along with a potentially controversial opinion, it's only to be expected that there is some pushback and questioning of that statement. Especially using examples that don't match with other readers' recent experience. For me, to get a Silverstone under €3000, you need to go back to before the re-issue and probably to 2009 or earlier. To get a good one since then under that is fortunate; to suggest they are routinely under that is disingenuous.

When I see watches making four or five times what I paid for them not all that long ago, I don't launch into a rant about the crazy prices, nor do I rush to cash in. Instead I smile drily, happy that I still want the watches for the same reasons I bought them for originally and look forward to interesting input from new members of the community. There was a time when I would never have thought to pay over €1000 for a second gen Carrera - now there is little choice, and the better ones are more frequently clearing €2000. Others priced over that stick around without selling in some instances, but then nobody is forced to buy, here or anywhere else.

As I said on the main forum recently, it's not a competition over who can amass the most watches for the least money, it's a passion. Perhaps everyone's motivation is different but we should at least allow for all those different reasons.