Either I recognised your image post style or your camera, but that had to be you.

Back in the day... BC (before children) we used to do a lot of scuba diving.

People would buy a brand new Canon PowerShot camera and dive housing then forget to check, clean and grease the gasket, or improperly seal the housing and it would flood on the first dive.

Or worse, a Nikonos 😓!

I can't mention Jaeger-LeCoultre without the obligatory nod to the JLC Compass camera, which I'd much rather own than the watch, though I'd use it even less.

www.hodinkee.com/articles/jae...

This Patek Philippe Aquanaut or Panerai Goldtech PAM01112 would out-gold even the JLC if it weren't for the strap. The PP is too small; the Panerai too big. The JLC is in the Goldilocks zone. Or Goldilocks' friend zone, because I can't afford any of them.

I'll end on a market observation. Watch prices are generally falling slightly. But gold is high.

This Tudor Le Royer generally trades for only $500 but our reserve is over $800 because there's more value than that in those little 18K centre links.

Many watches are now worth more as scrap. 😱

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grande GMT. I wasn't prepared for this watch's masculine wrist presence or how much gold was involved. I pity the fool... no I don't I'm reluctant to leave it in the auction. How did they fit so many complications in there?

I'm normally not a Bulgari fan, but this Rettangolo R749PT is something special. Tourbillon, though-skeleton, solid rectangular curved platinum case.

I gotta hand it to Cartier, they don't copy others'. This results in fantastic watches that make a statement.

The theme is curvature. Cartier will seemingly do anything to avoid a classical flat disc watch shape.

Nice!

It's a Gen-x phenomenon; we've seen the world go from mechanical, through electronic, to microprocessor and cloud.

We still appreciate the old ways and the gear.

Brian, buy a WD1680Q. Thank me later. I just did a post on it. Quite apart from the price difference, I have a hard time choosing between the two on a daily basis and it meets your stated budget.

This Addiesdive watch was HARD to hydromod. The dial was so well sealed from the movement that it held on to a big air bubble.

My last resort would have been to assemble it submerged, but instead I pulled a vacuum and degassed it that way.

The result is hilariously good for a $45 watch.

That would make an excellent joke gift.

No. But I'd be interested in a three phase kettle.