Congratulations Bill . I was staring at same watch at Jomashop ,after your last astonishing episode. I am so happy to feel your happiness. I feel like I have it myself. Congratulations again.🎉🎉❤ Big love and appreciation Nizar
Congratulations on your new purchase Bill. As you rightly predicted, the Alexi looks to be of excellent quality for the price. And as for playing about with the innards, well you're a braver man than me.
Another way of putting it, Tuna, is that I don't have any good sense when it comes to monkeying with a watch to find out out the movement! And you'd be right! Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill! Beautiful timepiece, loving the dial. Like they say, it’s the journey…now you have a piece with a chicken on the back! Not many can say that😅
Jack, I feel bad for picking on ETAs because their top two grades ['top' and 'chromo' grades] are regulated to 5 positions. It's just that they're all too often passed off as "in-house" by some brands. Take care, Bill
Usually the rotor is held by the the 3 screws, once taken off you fall on the automatic module! I personally would go see my local watchmaker for other interventions! Screw heads are easily mangled by ill fitting screwdrivers & other nasty scratches! Congrats on your new fine acquisition! 👌❤️👍 Keep us posted with what’s underneath the rotor! Nice pictures by the way!👌
Hi Bill, same thing has happened to me although I ended up paying 400€ for a Nomos Tangente (asking price was 650€ and new this watch would have been 1500€) and not $4.500 🤣. It was not from a private seller but a business one. I have asked them why I got this good of a deal. Nobody wanted it because it was engraved with a name but the original owner never wore it. It says "Manfred" on the back but I mean 🤷
Hey Thomas! Getting a watch on a lo-ball is both a surprise and a shock [to our bank account]. Getting a great watch because someone doesn't like "Manfred" on the back (where no one sees it) or Fabregé on the dial because it's a "Luxury Brand" doesn't make any sense. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci The thing with the "Manfred" at the back is that Nomos replaces the case back for not that much money if you really don't want to have someone else's name on it. But I don't really care and think it is quite funny. A watch I will never sell 😂
Stunningly beautiful! I don’t understand the relative small movement in this oversized case. Wish it would come in a smaller size, 34/35 mm. It would add more sophistication.
Fabergé doesn't make movements and the Frédéric Piguet 1150 did the job ... so it was used.They also used the same movement in other, smaller (less than 40mm) watches. Frédéric Piguet
Looks like you hit the horological jackpot, on this purchase, well done! It's a shame that Faberge didn't include a see thru case back. That back side is just as interesting as the front, including the funky chicken.🐓
Thanks Tardis! I suppose it's ok, and it's made me re-new what I learned in the watchmaking courses. I got a better picture of the Imperial Russian Chicken Roadkill ... and it is actually a brilliant piece of engraving. (See the picture of it on the FB site 'High Horology Lounge.' Take care, Bill
Hey Leigh, I may end up with an engine-turned guilloché by hand and a solid gold case ... housing a suspicious movement; possibly an ETA 2892-A2 adjusted to 5 positions. Or not. Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill. Did you say, hold my beer while placing the bid!! Lol Would look nice with a see through back. Say, on the watch bands, do you have problems getting them to fit. I’m hesitant on buying from the secondary market because I have a 21.5cm wrist?
I've got a 19cm wrist and if a band is too big or too small, I just get one that fits. If I save $12,000 on a watch, I have no problem spending a few hundred on a new gator strap from Jean Rousseau or ABP Concepts Paris.😉. Take care, Bill
Yep, Velvia Man, those Roman numerals are unusual, and the CU pictures (see High Horology Lounge shots) provide the detail of the dots in-between the guilloché lines. Take care, Bill
Yes, Mell, and most Calatravas now have silicon hairsprings ... about 1/5 the price of a Calatrava automatic. However, when I had my Calatrava, it was wonderful. Take care, Bill
No, it's not in-house. Fabergé doesn't have in-house. I thought it was Frederic Piaget, but it may actually be a modified ETA. We'll see Aleksandar when I remove the road-kill chicken they over-decorated the rotor with-if that's the Russian Imperial Seal, I wonder if they got the idea from a chicken run over by a steam-roller?🤔 Take care Bill
Hey Bill. I bought a NOS Faberge Agathon Rose Gold watch (FAB 676) in 2019. Unlike your Faberge watch, mine comes with a display case back and the rotor is a standard rotor and not the 'chicken roadkill' rotor. I am quite certain that the movement in my watch is a Frédéric Piguet movement with 72 hours of power reserve. I suspect your watch is from pre 20212 era as they revamp their watch lineup in 2012 and omitted the 'chicken roadkill' rotor then. Anyway, I personally feel that my Faberge watch is a step up in terms of quality and finishing when compared to my Rolex Submariner.
Hi Fahmy, you're probably right about mine being from an earlier date, but mine is an Alexei; not an Agathon. If anyone's should have a plain rotor, it's mine with the solid case-back. For a brand new [NOS] solid gold watch with the FP 1150 movement and the Russian Imperial Eagle rotor (white gold?) it ranks among the best deals I've ever made. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci Hi Bill, What I meant to say earlier was that I have seen two other pre 2012 Faberge watches with the Russian Imperial Eagle rotor which lead me to believe that your Alexie belongs to the pre 2012 era. My bad on stating that my Faberge watch rotor is standard. It is actually an engine turning guilloche rotor.
@watchartsci Hi Bill. The dial is guilloche with small seconds design. When I bought the watch, the shop told me that Faberge used real sapphire for the crown and buckle, unlike Cartier watches, which use synthetic crystals
G'morning Bill ☕☕ 😎 . Not only was nmthat a good deal, you made a great score, congrats 😎 . Although I'm not as fancy as you, ine of my all-time favorite cartoons is the Bugs Bunny Roadrunner show. Well, I've been after a Fossil roadrunner watch for awhile, because they're probably the highest quality Roadrunner watch you can buy if you can find one & they're way nicer than the cheap Chinese Armitron Warner Brothers watches. Well, I guess somebody smiling down on me because I finally found one & while I was at it I also found a nice Musical Tweety Bird watch for my GF 😇
If your Tweety Bird gets flattened by a steam roller, Idle Time, you'll have one like the rotor on my Alexei! No one would be able to tell the difference! Take care, Bill
At least you got the value of the weight in gold. It has more movement surrounds than movement itself. Like looking at F1185 in a big Royal Oak case or a 3120/Dubois-Depraz in an even bigger Offshore case. A movement should match its case. The Frédéric Piguet derived Blancpain cal 1315 with its gorgeous beveled edges looks nicer. That stem of yours must be a mile long to reach the winding mechanism, and the shock springs look like a KIF reference no.3 absorber.
Truman B, I'm getting a lecture about a movement fitting the case? You're right about the shock absorber-KIF; not KIV. Now I'm worried that the movement is really an ETA 2892-A2 ... but the jewel count is different. Take care, Bill
Hi Bill, love your video's sir, great watch you have found here! Now you've had the Alexei for a while, does it find enough wrist time vs. your other watches or did the novelty wear off? Would love to hear. Kind regards and have a good day.
It's one of those watches that I came to like more and more Kratozz ... the movement, the engine turned guilloché, and even the Imperial Russian Eagle on the rotor hidden under the back casing. Take care, Bill
@@eelco3112 I'm happy to hear you like it-you're right; in the 'flesh' it's gorgeous. I keep liking mine better every day! Hope you got a great deal on it. Take care, Bill
MDO, it wasn't an auction, but a well-known dealer on the secondary market. It was a brand new watch and it went through Chrono24 'safe-sell.' Had anything been wrong, I would have immediately let C24 know, and they would not have released the funds from escrow. Take care, Bill
P&M, it wasn't sealed and no gaskets were broken; however I'm not even sure if it's age voided the warranty - I usually don't worry about warranties even though I probably shout! Take care, Bill
Bill, I was being a little facetious! But I once took a back off a new watch to put a display back on and the AD would never speak to me again!🤪@@watchartsci
I thought it was another Daniel Roth... The moment I saw the writing on the carton box before the blue box, i knew it was Alexei lol But you didn't know it was a solid caseback before you made that low ball offer? BTW, recently I made a low ball offer on the apartment and got clobbered 😢😢
Road kill chicken Bill, I haven't laughed so hard in quite awhile. Taken a few watch backs off in my career never a Faberge. Mainly to change batteries.
Not at all Robert, but I do like exhibition case backs, but not so much now. The watch has that secret ingredient that makes me want to wear it ... unfortunately I have too many of those. I know, I know... Take care, Bill
So awesome! What a gem. A beautiful dial, a cool movement, and gold, too.
Thanks Ced.Once I determined that the movement was a F. Piguet 1150, I was much happier! Take care, Bill
Wow Dr.! Congratulations on another beautiful piece!
I got lucky Javi! Instead of buyer's remorse ... I got buyer's delight! Take care, Bill
Congratulations on your new timepiece, Bill! Wear it in the best of times and in great health!
Thanks Eli! I like it better everyday! Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill. I’m so happy you picked it up. It is a beautiful watch !
Best regards, Brian
Hey Brian, thanks man! Take care, Bill
Beautiful, Bill, big congratulations!
Hey Jon, thanks man! Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill .
I was staring at same watch at Jomashop ,after your last astonishing episode.
I am so happy to feel your happiness. I feel like I have it myself.
Congratulations again.🎉🎉❤
Big love and appreciation
Nizar
🤔
A very nice watch Bill, congrats 👏! Breguet has nice engine turning that I always admired.
Chris
Love everything about Breguets ... except those stupid silicon hairsprings. They do have great dials. Take care, Bill
Congratulations on your new purchase Bill. As you rightly predicted, the Alexi looks to be of excellent quality for the price. And as for playing about with the innards, well you're a braver man than me.
Another way of putting it, Tuna, is that I don't have any good sense when it comes to monkeying with a watch to find out out the movement! And you'd be right! Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill. You followed your own prescription 😊
Thanks Webbezzy ... still worried about the movement, though. Take care, Bill
Another wonderful discovery!
Thanks Clyde, but you know I've got to starting attending Watch AA meetings! Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill! Beautiful timepiece, loving the dial. Like they say, it’s the journey…now you have a piece with a chicken on the back! Not many can say that😅
Not only a chicken, Big Sal, but a road-kill, Mack truck-flattened chicken. Surprised they let it go for that low price. Take care, Bill
Bill, Half the fun of watch messing is the time you spend on your knees trying to find the screws in the carpet!😂
Alan, I dropped an hour hand on my hard wood floor and it disappeared ... my carpet would eat and digest wayward parts. Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill! Nice one👍
Thanks O Bud! There'll some left for you....😁 Take care, Bill
Wow, congratulations Bill, this is an awesome addition to your collection 👏
Hey William, thank you. Turned out to be just what I wanted too. My only real guilloché! Take care, Bill
Wow very nice watch Bill! Another amazing find very cool lots of value your the deal maker. Enjoy
Thanks Dominick! These finds just mean I'll go broke buying watches a little slower...🫣 Take care, Bill
@WatchArtSci This exploration is fantastic brain exercise keeps you young so you deserve a bonus once and a while. All the best Dominick
At 09:55, a fantastic slogan for a t-shirt: MY NEMESIS THE ETA. 😂😂👍
Jack, I feel bad for picking on ETAs because their top two grades ['top' and 'chromo' grades] are regulated to 5 positions. It's just that they're all too often passed off as "in-house" by some brands. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci Yes, I was already aware. Was just really funny.😁
Great buy! Congratulations!🎉🎉👍 She looks really amazing! 😎
Hey Jack, thanks man. So far so good! Take care, Bill
Congrats on growing your collection! Nice...wear it in good health!
Ardi, look closely at the 'addresses.'🤫 Take care, Bill
Usually the rotor is held by the the 3 screws, once taken off you fall on the automatic module! I personally would go see my local watchmaker for other interventions! Screw heads are easily mangled by ill fitting screwdrivers & other nasty scratches!
Congrats on your new fine acquisition! 👌❤️👍
Keep us posted with what’s underneath the rotor!
Nice pictures by the way!👌
I probably should go to my watchmaker, John. I'm not sure that I have the good sense to do so.🙃 Take care, Bill
Hi Bill, same thing has happened to me although I ended up paying 400€ for a Nomos Tangente (asking price was 650€ and new this watch would have been 1500€) and not $4.500 🤣. It was not from a private seller but a business one. I have asked them why I got this good of a deal. Nobody wanted it because it was engraved with a name but the original owner never wore it. It says "Manfred" on the back but I mean 🤷
Hey Thomas! Getting a watch on a lo-ball is both a surprise and a shock [to our bank account]. Getting a great watch because someone doesn't like "Manfred" on the back (where no one sees it) or Fabregé on the dial because it's a "Luxury Brand" doesn't make any sense. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci The thing with the "Manfred" at the back is that Nomos replaces the case back for not that much money if you really don't want to have someone else's name on it. But I don't really care and think it is quite funny. A watch I will never sell 😂
7:56 😅😅😅
Brilliant
Koji, I think it's the kind of watch that you'd like ... a lot. Take care, Bill
Stunningly beautiful!
I don’t understand the relative small movement in this oversized case.
Wish it would come in
a smaller size, 34/35 mm. It would add more sophistication.
Fabergé doesn't make movements and the Frédéric Piguet 1150 did the job ... so it was used.They also used the same movement in other, smaller (less than 40mm) watches. Frédéric Piguet
Congrats! Nice addition
Hey Andy, thanks man! Take care, Bill
Congrats for the watch, Bill! Chicken? You have some serious balls to open it! I’d have a heart attack 😂
Cesar, horological curiosity seems to overcome watchmaking ineptitude. I bet you'd do the same! Take care, Bill
Looks like you hit the horological jackpot, on this purchase, well done! It's a shame that Faberge didn't include a see thru case back. That back side is just as interesting as the front, including the funky chicken.🐓
Thanks Tardis! I suppose it's ok, and it's made me re-new what I learned in the watchmaking courses. I got a better picture of the Imperial Russian Chicken Roadkill ... and it is actually a brilliant piece of engraving. (See the picture of it on the FB site 'High Horology Lounge.' Take care, Bill
Grats Bill, glad you pulled out a low ball and it worked)
I didn't think they'd accept it, Anton! Very happy they did! Take care, Bill
The gem was hidden indeed, bravo.
Thanks Roman! Take care, Bill
Oh My Gosh. You didn't lol This was like "Who's Your Daddy Day" in Fracking Gulch!!!! Hey you did get a chuck of gold with that solid back.
Hey Leigh, I may end up with an engine-turned guilloché by hand and a solid gold case ... housing a suspicious movement; possibly an ETA 2892-A2 adjusted to 5 positions. Or not. Take care, Bill
Great video Bill !
Hey Stoneiful, thanks man! Take care, Bill
Congratulations Bill. Did you say, hold my beer while placing the bid!! Lol
Would look nice with a see through back.
Say, on the watch bands, do you have problems getting them to fit. I’m hesitant on buying from the secondary market because I have a 21.5cm wrist?
I've got a 19cm wrist and if a band is too big or too small, I just get one that fits. If I save $12,000 on a watch, I have no problem spending a few hundred on a new gator strap from Jean Rousseau or ABP Concepts Paris.😉. Take care, Bill
I like zee Alexei! 🤣 Wear it in good health, Bill. 🙂
Hey Gilberto! Thanks man! Take care, Bill
Nice Watch Bill 👍
Hey Frampton, thanks man! Take care, Bill
Congratulation on a great deal but you sure do put in the leg work trawling through the internet.
Love the rotor ,strange Roman numerals not so much.
Yep, Velvia Man, those Roman numerals are unusual, and the CU pictures (see High Horology Lounge shots) provide the detail of the dots in-between the guilloché lines. Take care, Bill
What a lovely watch at a 1/4 of the price of a calatrava
Yes, Mell, and most Calatravas now have silicon hairsprings ... about 1/5 the price of a Calatrava automatic. However, when I had my Calatrava, it was wonderful. Take care, Bill
Congratulations Neighbor awesome watch. I’m bit confused reading comments… Is it in-house or ETA movement? Dial looks fabulous…
No, it's not in-house. Fabergé doesn't have in-house. I thought it was Frederic Piaget, but it may actually be a modified ETA. We'll see Aleksandar when I remove the road-kill chicken they over-decorated the rotor with-if that's the Russian Imperial Seal, I wonder if they got the idea from a chicken run over by a steam-roller?🤔 Take care Bill
Hey Bill. I bought a NOS Faberge Agathon Rose Gold watch (FAB 676) in 2019. Unlike your Faberge watch, mine comes with a display case back and the rotor is a standard rotor and not the 'chicken roadkill' rotor. I am quite certain that the movement in my watch is a Frédéric Piguet movement with 72 hours of power reserve. I suspect your watch is from pre 20212 era as they revamp their watch lineup in 2012 and omitted the 'chicken roadkill' rotor then. Anyway, I personally feel that my Faberge watch is a step up in terms of quality and finishing when compared to my Rolex Submariner.
Hi Fahmy, you're probably right about mine being from an earlier date, but mine is an Alexei; not an Agathon. If anyone's should have a plain rotor, it's mine with the solid case-back. For a brand new [NOS] solid gold watch with the FP 1150 movement and the Russian Imperial Eagle rotor (white gold?) it ranks among the best deals I've ever made. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci Hi Bill, What I meant to say earlier was that I have seen two other pre 2012 Faberge watches with the Russian Imperial Eagle rotor which lead me to believe that your Alexie belongs to the pre 2012 era. My bad on stating that my Faberge watch rotor is standard. It is actually an engine turning guilloche rotor.
@@phelan771 Wow! Sounds even better. What is the dial like? Lacquer? Guilloché?
@watchartsci Hi Bill. The dial is guilloche with small seconds design. When I bought the watch, the shop told me that Faberge used real sapphire for the crown and buckle, unlike Cartier watches, which use synthetic crystals
G'morning Bill ☕☕ 😎 . Not only was nmthat a good deal, you made a great score, congrats 😎 . Although I'm not as fancy as you,
ine of my all-time favorite cartoons is the Bugs Bunny Roadrunner show. Well, I've been after a Fossil roadrunner watch for awhile, because they're probably the highest quality Roadrunner watch you can buy if you can find one & they're way nicer than the cheap Chinese Armitron Warner Brothers watches. Well, I guess somebody smiling down on me because I finally found one & while I was at it I also found a nice Musical Tweety Bird watch for my GF 😇
If your Tweety Bird gets flattened by a steam roller, Idle Time, you'll have one like the rotor on my Alexei! No one would be able to tell the difference! Take care, Bill
At least you got the value of the weight in gold. It has more movement surrounds than movement itself. Like looking at F1185 in a big Royal Oak case or a 3120/Dubois-Depraz in an even bigger Offshore case. A movement should match its case. The Frédéric Piguet derived Blancpain cal 1315 with its gorgeous beveled edges looks nicer. That stem of yours must be a mile long to reach the winding mechanism, and the shock springs look like a KIF reference no.3 absorber.
Truman B, I'm getting a lecture about a movement fitting the case? You're right about the shock absorber-KIF; not KIV. Now I'm worried that the movement is really an ETA 2892-A2 ... but the jewel count is different. Take care, Bill
@@watchartsci 😆 This hobby makes us all paranoid thanks to the Swiss secrecy about everything.
Hi Bill, love your video's sir, great watch you have found here! Now you've had the Alexei for a while, does it find enough wrist time vs. your other watches or did the novelty wear off? Would love to hear. Kind regards and have a good day.
It's one of those watches that I came to like more and more Kratozz ... the movement, the engine turned guilloché, and even the Imperial Russian Eagle on the rotor hidden under the back casing. Take care, Bill
I got my Alexei today Bill, thanks for showing this amazing watch to us! Absolute stunner and even prettier in the flesh! 🎉🎉
@@eelco3112 I'm happy to hear you like it-you're right; in the 'flesh' it's gorgeous. I keep liking mine better every day! Hope you got a great deal on it. Take care, Bill
Huge case tiny movement and large movement supports.
Yes, Ivan, they're mismatched, but there really isn't a large movement support. Take care, Bill
Surprised that a seasoned watch buyer like yourself did not message them about any concerns not pictured in the auction. lesson learned for me.
MDO, it wasn't an auction, but a well-known dealer on the secondary market. It was a brand new watch and it went through Chrono24 'safe-sell.' Had anything been wrong, I would have immediately let C24 know, and they would not have released the funds from escrow. Take care, Bill
Thought you bought the sketchy Octo from Florida for a moment. You sure you want addresses shown?
No worries Anthony ... those were phony addresses.🤫Take care, Bill
Thank you this Bill! But did you void the warranty by taking of the back? Or is that just a poor man (like me) concern?😋🧐🤓
P&M, it wasn't sealed and no gaskets were broken; however I'm not even sure if it's age voided the warranty - I usually don't worry about warranties even though I probably shout! Take care, Bill
Bill, I was being a little facetious! But I once took a back off a new watch to put a display back on and the AD would never speak to me again!🤪@@watchartsci
@@pmimagery1295 AD quit talking to you? Lucky 🍀 you!
@@watchartsci 😄
I thought it was another Daniel Roth... The moment I saw the writing on the carton box before the blue box, i knew it was Alexei lol But you didn't know it was a solid caseback before you made that low ball offer? BTW, recently I made a low ball offer on the apartment and got clobbered 😢😢
Sorry about the apartment, Alexander! Worked for my watch, though! Take care, Bill
Road kill chicken Bill, I haven't laughed so hard in quite awhile. Taken a few watch backs off in my career never a Faberge. Mainly to change batteries.
I suppose Eric, that I should have a more sober description of the Seal of Imperial Russia.🤔 Take care, Bill
I *need* a roadkill chicken in my life…
I thought for a second you'd found one of the lost egg's 🥚 turned out to be a chicken 😉
😅
i feel like you are disappointed somehow. if so, my simpathy for you. otherwise, enjoy it in good health. cheers
Not at all Robert, but I do like exhibition case backs, but not so much now. The watch has that secret ingredient that makes me want to wear it ... unfortunately I have too many of those. I know, I know... Take care, Bill