"Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

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Amor Vincit Omnia
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"Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I could have entitled this "Sub Radar", but "Sub Rosa" has a more medievally mysterious ring to it, though the meaning is roughly similar.

This is really about those superb and slightly "secret" watches that don't get noticed by people who are not watchie types. I know CW is still pretty unfamiliar to most people out there, but I placed this deliberately in "Other Brands" to see what else we come up with.

Now I guess a lot of people would recognise at sight many of the products of Rolex and TAG Heuer, Tudor, Omega (especially the Bondy types) and the rectangular Cartiers to begin with. So let's discount those.

When I look on the forums I frequent I see wonderful watches that most people wouldn't have a clue about. I see watches by Dornblüth, Moser and the Glashütte houses, for example. Outstanding watches that just wouldn't be recognised by most people but would have true watch fans salivating. That's just for starters.

What (if anything) do you have that falls into that category? They don't have to be mega-expensive, but top quality and under the radar are the sine qua non criteria here.

This is my only one at the moment, I think...


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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by kiter65 »

Sorry Steve, I can’t add to this thread, apparently I only own overpriced ordinary watches :( :lol:
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

^^^ :lol: :clap:
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by Dickchins »

Ive a few id class as better build quality, design, and overall look than their price range suggest. Traska Freediver, Draken (any!), and Steinhart Apollon to name some.

My epic offering to this party is Zero West.
Admittedly, I may be cheating a little by throwing this particular one in the mix, but as a brand, they are as perfect as any watch ive seen. Design, build, feel, look are all superb. Match that with the service and willingness to work with the customer that Andy and Graham have, its an unbeatable combo imho.

20210620_163447.jpg
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by 0uatiOW »

Dickchins wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:37 pm My epic offering to this party is Zero West.
Admittedly, I may be cheating a little by throwing this particular one in the mix, but as a brand, they are as perfect as any watch ive seen. Design, build, feel, look are all superb. Match that with the service and willingness to work with the customer that Andy and Graham have, its an unbeatable combo imho.

20210620_163447.jpg
I second your plaudits for ZeroWest. Their secrecy is partly due to the fact that they’re a bit like hen’s teeth. The quality is high, the passion of the owners is infectious, and they are quite unlike every other watch out there as far as I know.

You forgot to mention that this particular model is both a custom model & has a superb laser-etched case back. I took this photo on a visit to their studio last year.

81CBB8D5-385F-44A6-B901-37861FAF3F74.jpeg

I have the RAF-C model, but there are easily 3 or 4 other models I would be pleased to own (alas unlikely because a couple of those are already sold out).
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by Dickchins »

^^^ I know im very lucky to get my grubby paws on this watch, as it was Grahams own personal watch!

Because they focus on small runs of each individual watch, they can fiddle with every tiny detail until its perfect..... and they do!

And yes, the caseback is that nice, I wish it was a reverso....!!!! :-k
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by H0rati0 »

Well Steve I'm afraid you have chosen my "specialist" subject as it seems I am inevitably attracted to the obscure and befuddled:

Firstly, I give you Zenith, other than the El Primero (and even that is unknown outside of WISes) nobody ever gives them a second glance:
IMG_0943.jpg
Next, Chronoswiss - who?
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I'll raise you a UN GMT± of course:
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Then there's Fortis - just maybe they might get a mention for the 1990s Russian Space Program? Nah.....
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And the most undercover of all, Grand Seiko, especially the Spring Drive. To the "untrained" eye just another $100 Seiko:
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To finish, my Sunday best. A 127 year old hand made British masterpiece by JW Benson, still keeping time to a few seconds a day. Just a crazy old guy living in the past...
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by iain »

I think anything outside of Rolex and Omega and you’ve lost at least half the population. Stretch to Tag and Breitling and you’ve probably lost most of everyone else.

When I bought my first mechanical watch, a Tag, quite few people who knew I’d treated myself for my 40th and asked what I’d bought and had never heard of them.

Most people only know what they see in jewellers windows and if they aren’t watch fans that look at everything, just look at those they think they should look at and then move on. I suppose I’m guilty to some extent, I’ll look at the usual stuff but never look at the likes of Baume and Mercer or Tissot in a shop window.

Most people don’t know anything about watches so I suppose brands that have many of us drooling will be Sub Rosa to almost everyone else.
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by StrapMeister »

0uatiOW wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:29 pm
Dickchins wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:37 pm My epic offering to this party is Zero West.
Admittedly, I may be cheating a little by throwing this particular one in the mix, but as a brand, they are as perfect as any watch ive seen. Design, build, feel, look are all superb. Match that with the service and willingness to work with the customer that Andy and Graham have, its an unbeatable combo imho.

20210620_163447.jpg
I second your plaudits for ZeroWest. Their secrecy is partly due to the fact that they’re a bit like hen’s teeth. The quality is high, the passion of the owners is infectious, and they are quite unlike every other watch out there as far as I know.

You forgot to mention that this particular model is both a custom model & has a superb laser-etched case back. I took this photo on a visit to their studio last year.


81CBB8D5-385F-44A6-B901-37861FAF3F74.jpeg


I have the RAF-C model, but there are easily 3 or 4 other models I would be pleased to own (alas unlikely because a couple of those are already sold out).
+2 :D
ZERO WEST S1 05.JPG
ZERO WEST L1 03.JPG
But I would also add my ANONIMO Nautilo with regards to this thread
ANONIMO Nautilo 009.JPG
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by Richard D »

This......


077B7AC9-BE9A-4C2E-95EE-A966A261298C.jpeg
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by nbg »

A couple of mine.
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by downer »

I’ll add my UX. An ordinary looking quartz watch with extraordinary legibility. Nobody knows how such a feat is possible…

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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by 0uatiOW »

I would nominate the wonderful Brellum DuoBox. There aren’t many out there, and only the cognoscenti would recognise them, but they are first class with excellent finishing & an exquisite boxed sapphire sandwich revealing a decorated chronometer.

AB274A04-D5BB-4B6A-82B1-76F3E984CC06.jpeg
2F64C9FB-3E03-496C-8258-167435A40170.jpeg
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"Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by gaf1958 »

Well you did say only rectangular Cartiers, so here’s my round entry (Clé de Cartier)... along with two others that may qualify; firstly a non-black dialled Panerai (although me thinks that any Panerai probably qualifies) and a Sinn, a brand very few non-WIS would have heard of.

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The Paneristi in particular qualify as true watch fanatics, not just the shorter fan version...
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Omega Ω 11xSpeedy+14xSeamaster+4xConnie+DeVille
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Re: "Sub Rosa"...those secretive gems.

Post by Thegreyman »

Thanks to Gary's post above, I'll go for my Panerai also Halios.

My Omegas, Rolex, Tudors, Tag, Hamiltons I guess would be recognised by most. I reckon though we might be surprised by how many non-WIS wouldn't recognise a Black Bay let alone something like a North Flag.
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