BUYING EXPERIENCE: Aquagraph 500M Watch

CN211A.BA0353

Back in 2014, I wasn't nearly as 'educated' about watches as I am now. Not that I'm any sort of expert now you understand, but back then it never even occurred to me that you could buy a watch with a mechanical movement... I know, sounds ridiculous doesn't it! Embarrassing as it is to admit, I thought it important to share this with you as it gives some context to my buying experience for this watch.

It all happened very quickly. I'd had my Formula One Kirium for about ten years at this point and still loved it, but also kind of wanted another one. Then one day my wife informed me that we had an insurance policy which was maturing and would give each of us a windfall of £1700. She suggested that we should do something with the money rather than just putting it into our savings, and quicker than you can say 'diamond spot' she was cruising the internet for watches, eventually settling on a Formula One Ceramic with diamonds for about £1400.

My original plan was to visit Bicester, buy a Formula One for about £900 and wear it every day (saving my Kirium as a dress watch), and pocketing the balance of about £600! Of course it didn't work out like that...

I did go to Bicester, but found the selection of Formula One watches on offer a bit underwhelming. But then, right at the far end of the case, was the Aquagraph. It was easily the coolest watch in the shop (that was a reasonable price anyway) and I absolutely loved it. I'd never heard of it before, never seen one, but it's presence was obvious. 

It was priced at £2100 (reduced from £3000) which meant that rather than pocketing a nice little wad of cash, if I wanted to buy it I needed to add a further £400 to my insurance money. That was a hard pill to swallow at the time, but once I'd seen that watch I had no interest in anything else available and I just knew that if I didn't buy it I'd regret it.

The F1 Kirium had been the same, once I'd seen it I knew it was 'the one' and I knew that compromising and buying a cheaper watch would be a mistake. That approach had stood me in good stead, and continues to do so. So I walked around Bicester Village for an hour mulling it over in my head before finally going back and purchasing my first dive watch.

It was only after they had sized the bracelet for me that they started talking to me about winding the watch... oh, er right, no battery then? Who spends £2100 on a watch because it looks nice? Me, that's who. :) It was only afterwards that I realised just what a cool and unique watch I had bought (admittedly by luck rather than by judgement!) and I still love it to this day.

Of course, I would never buy a watch like that nowadays. But even so, I can't think of anything that was available at the time for the money that would have been better. I suppose it really was a case of a 'fool' and his money being easily parted - but without a hint of regret and a very lucky outcome for me! 

Needless to say I didn't wear the Aquagraph every day, and it lived in the drawer with the Kirum. In fact it would be another eighteen months before I got my hands on an 'every day' TAG.