WN1112.BA0332
Forgive me if you're getting a feeling of deja-vu seeing this blue dial 2000 Executive once again, I didn't actually realize but I've done two 'Spotlight On' posts about it in the last few months... so perhaps it was inevitable that I would buy one. I think in the last one (which was only a couple of weeks ago) I said that I'd really like one but that if I bought another watch so soon my wife would explode... well, surprisingly, she didn't. Which is odd, considering this isn't even the only watch I've bought this week! But in my defence, the prices I managed to secure these watches at meant buying was the only sensible course of action. :)
This is of course my third 2000 Exclusive, which is quite amazing considering I only bought my first one towards the end of last year. That watch was also my first foray into two-tone ownership and I definitely have a soft spot for that one. I added my second in January when I traded my Grand Carrera GMT in for a black dial quartz chrono (along with a blue dial Aquaracer chrono quartz). That's a watch I haven't worn as much as I should, which is a shame because its a real looker in near mint condition. We didn't get off to a great start as that one had to go back for repair as soon as I got it; somewhat undermining Watchfinder's claims that all their stock is tested etc, etc... but, to be fair they got it fixed and back to me quickly. But, you know how it is, once something's been 'fixed' it plays on your mind for a while.
The watch as it arrived...
I've known for quite a while that I wanted to add another 2000 Exclusive, and I was pretty much set on either a blue or a tapisserie dial (but I think that was only made in a silver dial, and I already had a silver dial on the two tone model so that wasn't ideal). I wasn't in any great rush to buy one either really, since 2000 Exclusives are pretty readily available on eBay for pretty stable prices (anywhere from £350 up to about £500 for three handers). But then I came across this one and I couldn't really justify not buying it. I managed to secure this watch for just £255, which is ridiculously cheap from what I've seen.
The watch came pretty quickly and exactly as described. I am still a little confused about the bracelet as I counted the links and thought it was shorter than the ones I already had (but I had two or three links spare from my chronograph so I wasn't concerned about that) and yet it fitted straight out of the box! The other main issue was that the polished raised part of the bezel appeared quite scratched, and indeed when it arrived it was pretty beat up. But I spend about an hour and half at it with a cotton bud and some jeweller's rouge and improved it greatly. It's not perfect, but it's a dramatic improvement and good enough for me to wear as a daily work watch.
An hour and a half of fettling later...
I did have a go at trying to get the bezel off to do the polishing, but I couldn't get the damn thing to budge and I wasn't really that keen on the idea anyway to be honest, so in the end I put electrical tape over the crystal to protect it while I did the work. The glass arrived, and still is, in perfect condition, which is more important than the bezel really, I could always send it away and get it polished properly if it bugs me too much. As yet I haven't had a go at cleaning up the bracelet, it has a few scratches but nothing bad.
So far, I must say I'm more than happy with my purchase. The scratches are a little bit irritating, but that's always the way when you first get a new 'used' watch, and at the price I paid I really cannot complain with the condition overall. The blue dial is absolutely stunning and the lume, as on all my 2000 Exclusives, is very strong considering it must be at least fifteen years old. No box and papers with this one, but I'm not overly concerned about that to be honest. The clasp is also excellent and if I remember correctly it had a new battery not too long ago (no receipt though, so that could be hot air).
I guess I could have waited, but the price seemed too good not to jump on, and I knew I was going to get one of these sooner or later, so it might as well be sooner, after all I'm not getting any younger am I? :)
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