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I'm not typically a fan of non-watch brands making/branding watches but I can appreciate the craftsmanship that's gone into them. The only one I'd actually wear on my wrist is the first one here but the rest are "neat". Some of my favorites are actually from Japan, Grand Seiko, Seiko, and Citizen has a couple automatics that I really want, as well. But yes, the whole "made in Swiss" thing is a little absurd...

Thank you! I got lucky with the timing and with the in-laws owning a jewelry store, I only paid cost for it. It is used but there were zero scratches/scuffs on it and it was only a year old at the time. I think it's a 2019 and I got it in 2020. They came across a customer wanting to sell it to them, they bought it to sell it and when I saw it, it was exactly what I wanted. Stainless case and bracelet, white gold fluted bezel, blue dial with diamond indices, and the jubilee bracelet. All of those were exactly what I wanted and I more than likely would have never came across that combo without paying a few grand more. I do not make Rolex-money but I had saved up some and had a cheaper, older Rolex(90's black Datejust - I'll try and find a picture of it or of one like it) that I "traded in" so I "only" had to pay like $3500 more than my older Rolex. One good thing about quality, higher end watches is they don't really depreciate a whole lot. If you had ran into financial problems, you could sell them for pretty good money. Buuuuut, to get to that point, you pretty much need to get to the 5k and up watches. Most anything below that will depreciate quite a bit more. That's just a general rule, certainly not a definitely rule. I've actually always wanted a scale car collection as well but the space required I knew would be a tough sell. Maybe one day I'll get into that as well...like I need more hobbies! Hahaha

After seeing a bunch in parking lots and in traffic, I really like the design of both of those. Really like the Ionic 5 for its shape and quirky lighting details.

Its NOT about the watches nor the car. Its about the WHOLE picture. About the watches first. The brand: Pargiani Fleurier. A new Swiss watch company. Made in...Switzerland. The land of fine watches. (rolls my eyes as watch snobs have this place as some sort of mythical watch making land) Tis true that Switzerland is home to many fine watch makers. Almost all are of the high end. Careful and precise horology engineering. OK...ALL watches posted are of the watch maker Parmigiani Fleurier. And ALL of them are under the Bugatti name and were specifically made for the car. The Veyron, The Chiron and all other successor variants of... I ONLY like the first watch posted. I HATE the middle one and I appreciate the last one. BUT...the middle and last one will always be appreciative with me. Not about the looks or the c=very very very high price tag, but for the very precise and out of the box thinking for a watch. And I LIKE that kind of wierd thing for watches. The cars themselves: I never liked the Veyron and the variants of. But the engineering IS insane on them. But...if we glance at the WHOLE imagery of the pics posted: elegant with old mansions, in France, Paris in some instances. Elegance and arrogance in a European kind of way. Elegance and Arrogance in an American kind of way was kinda already done when I posted the watch theme with the Rolex and Cartier a while back. I could revist this theme. Actually I will. With an American arrogance of luxury and privilege!!! I may include songs too... GREAT IDEA. I I WLL DO THAT!!!

Hahaha thanks! Yeah, legitimately lucky because I believe I paid 6k for it and the MSRP was 10,500 at the time and there's still so much demand for it, the asking prices are still north of MSRP, by a couple grand. Same exact watch, USED they're asking for 12,500. https://www.chrono24.com/rolex/rolex-steel-datejust-36-watch---fluted-bezel---blue-diamond-dial---jubilee-bracelet-126234--id26444272.htm Oh no, this one isn't old at all. My other one was the older one that was 90's I believe. It looked just like this but it didn't have the jubilee bracelet. It had the standard/cheaper 3 link bracelet.

I have to say that I am liking the Performance versions of both Hyundai and Kia SUVs.

The bolded parts. In a sarcastic, jealous tone. "wooooooo. lucky for you!" No. Seriously. Good on you. Paying cost. On a Rolex. Lately, Rolexes, no matter what vintage go for a mint above and beyond fair market value. And your Rolex aint exactly old either. A couple of years old is still new to me. ESPECIALLY if no scuff marks are on it. Its pretty hard to scratch up the crystal glass as well. So Id say, a very smart and awesome purchase. I am positive you ARE enjoying it. So...ENJOY IT!!!

We have had prolific egg shape on wheel styling since the 1990s. Ill agree that it has become old and outdated and perhaps archaic? But Im not hatin' on the Aehra design language. Im not full on enamored by it. Im accepting of it. I am GRATEFUL that whether its the SUV or sedan, they do NOT have the stereotypical crossover look to them. They got the new crossover CROSSOVER transition of the CUV to look like a sedan... A sleek sedan. But sedan nontheless. Like this KIA for example. Except the cab forward design taken to extreme like how you said @Robert Hall.

I'd rather see more front structure for crumple zones and crash engineering... not a fan of the egg on wheels shape.

Just like this story, buying an ICE auto is pretty much like building a horse barn in the early 1900's as auto's took off on sales and the build out of gas stations was underway. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/buying-a-gas-powered-car-in-2030-will-be-like-building-a-horse-barn-in-1910-rivian-ceo-220253.html Wife is wanting to go check out the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Rivian, so might get out there this coming weekend and see if I fit. I do love the fact that the Ioniq 5 gets an N Performance edition at the end of this year. AWD with 478 kW or 641 HP in regular N mode or 650 kW / 872 HP in boosted mode. IONIQ 5 - Hyundai Newsroom

Should electric vehicles follow the styling elements of internal combustion engined vehicles? In an EV, there is no huge block of iron (or aluminium) to HAVE to be accounted for in the first third of the vehicle and then to stylize and prepare for the cabin. I mean, designers and engineers, cant they have carte blanche to design an EV with a brand new way of thinking and engineering? Do they need to be shackled by old engineering and design standards? When the automobile was first concieved and the body of the vehicle that housed the passengers was directly lifted by the horse and buggy carriages. It took a couple of decades to get off of that idiotic way of engineering the 'horseless carriage'. I think, today's engineers and designers are smarter, wiser, keener than our forefathers when they done the first automobiles... I also think its wiser to design and engineer EVs like they are their own entity. Because they are... Stylistically. There is nothing wrong with it. And if EVs start plopping out looking like that, inherently, there is nothing wrong with that either. Smartly, they would be engineered this way to look exactly like that... I presume, inherently, because of the lack of a huge iron or aluminium block up front, lends itself for there to be more cabin space for the passengers... Something that was thought of 20 some odd years ago...I might add. From General Motors as it were... Those Italian car pictures mimicking the HYWIRE pictures...

cab-forward taken to extremes...

1. We wont know the Ultium platform Bolt's msrp until it comes out. Whenever that will be. Nothing has been announced . At least Im not informed of anything. 2. The Equinox EV's starting msrp is said to be around $30 000. 3. But...GM is pulling an Elon Musk move and will not sell that 30 000 dollar version tout de suite. GM will sell the higher trimmed versions first. Not a bad move per se... But shytty none. the. less. 4. I have a sneaky suspicion that GM will further copycat Elon Musk and wont offer a 30 000 dollar Equinox EV. And this is where a 30 000 dollar Ultium Bolt comes in... Its starting msrp now is $27 000. So yeah, its possible that the starting price tag for the Ultium Bolt will be 30 000. And the Equinox will be bumped up to 35 000 or maybe even 38 000... But in a world where avg US transaction prices for new cars has hit 50 000 American smack-a-roonies... The American consumer is just as much to blame for this mess as is the car makers that sell cars in North America... American and Canadian car consumers dont seem to want cheap, stripped cars... We want all option boxes ticked even in the most cheapest cars available to us to buy. Its like going to Micky Dees. We NEEEEEEEED to supersize everything. We need just about all the shytty phoquing tech in our most basic of transportational cars. Maybe with inflation being sky high as it is, maybe we could live life a little bit more humble? But nah! That will never happen as we American and Canadian consumers are spoiled phoquing little brats!!! But we sure like to whine a lot, dont we???!!! PS: Canuck rock RULES!!!

The adjustability is quite understanding. I got hairy arms myself. Not too hairy though. I guess that is why I prefer my watches to be loose fitting. I cant stand them being tight on my wrist. The customization that these straps lends themselves to is fantastic. Fairly inexpensive to buy several different styles and colours its like you have a different watch with each different strap. And easy to fit on. I definitely see the upsides and the popularity for them.

I dont want to discuss the reasons of me selling. Too painful, still. My ex-partner is no longer with us. By choice... Im on vacation. I took about a month off. Ive got another couple of weeks. I got another job lined up. It wont be paying me as much...obviously. Its still income. I dont want to discuss where just yet as the job aint secure yet. Ive got to prove my worth... Its in management. So its a decent paying job. I wont get my hands dirty anymore. More slowpaced. Im still a boss. But not THE boss. My wife also has gone back to work. She started today. We have to compensate in the income. (cash flow). She, the last 3 years, she wasnt totally a stay at home wife. She needed and wanted to get out of the house. She has a bachelor's degree in finance and in special education. Before we met, she was quite the intelligent young lady. I made her drop of few IQ points. LOL. Anyway, 3-4 years ago, she started working at a primary school nearby our home helping out teachers with special needs children. A few hours a day. Well, with the advent of me selling the restaurant so fast, she asked if she could have a more fulltime position and the school agreed. She is very much needed. Actually, they kept on asking her for more availability...