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The Patek really does hit ever. Single. Mark. Just a stunner. Wear that in good health.

IMHO there is a 1) lot of fun looking and 2) a lot of value in the pre owned/vintage market. Like cigars, it helps to really know your product and if you can buy the seller (or in watches factor in some repair expense and be happy when you don’t have it). I have an ever growing collection of watches. Mostly omega but also Ball, Bulova and now quite a few Seiko. With rare exception they are vintage and great for everyday use. My wife got me a 15 year old omega chron 8 years ago. I have worn it for nearly every day and only recently brought it in for a service because I figured it was time. There are a lot of unloved watches out there with a ton of life left. I have a collection around movements used in space (and watches that appeal to me). Omega, Bulova and Seiko automatics. My father wore an omega constellation day date as his every day. I have that watch, and also found a similar one that my son now wears. I wore his watch all last week - it kept perfect time after years and years of use (and periodic maintenance). watches are a deep hole. It can get expensive if you go Rolex/AP/Patek route. Can also be a ton of fun with other less expensive brands. Don’t watch the repair videos unless you want an even deeper hole. 😂 FWiW when I was a kid I bought a Lanco wind chronograph. The salesman apparently did me a solid and the watch has a Valjoux 7733 movement. I’m hunting down a Balance, complete on that movement to fix it myself - a great movement but with labor costs where they are labor will cost as much as the watch is worth to repair. I mention this to be sure you check in service history and that all functions of a used watch are functional. Also mention in that going too inexpensive on a vintage can leave you with a paperweight that most would only want for parts, even with a highly regarded and well produced movement that is straightforward to repair. A service can run 3-500 depending on complications before parts. there are a few really good watch forums out there, some w a marketplace. Easy enough to dip your toe into vintage if you want.

My last stick, smoked with @messi & @morningdew last nightAlways a good time.

Hello everyone, You dreamed about it, I made it happen. The long-awaited review of my Raching C380A. Enough talk, relax, and let's dive in! If you want some context, I invite you to read my first post: https://www.fohcigars.com/forum/topic/144193-review-raching-humidor-ca330-humidty-and-temperature-controlled/ So now I have 3 Rachings. The CA330, the C380A which I will analyze, and a third one that is quite old and does not have temperature control. I don't intend to review the latter. Let's go! My habanos point tobacconist, who is a friend and, who is a collectionar, decided a year ago to sell part of his private collection. I don't want you to wet your pants, it would be bad while you read that in your office, so I won't list what I managed to get (Tons of limited editions (maybe some Monte DC 2001...), Regional Editions, special humidors, books (maybe a sublimes...) and Reservas (maybe a Siglo 6 GR in the mix) 😉). Brag time over. However, I ended up with about 60 boxes and no space. My other two Rachings were full, so I decided to invest in a new one. In the mean time, the boxes were going to be stored in jumbo boxes, in the cellar with Boveda packs. Being very satisfied with my other two Rachings, I naturally turned to them. Sheila from Raching was of great help. She offered me their latest model with the largest capacity. 2990USD + 800USD for shipping, and in less time than it takes to say it, the humidor was on its way to my house. After two months of endless waiting, I received a call: it was going to be delivered (September 2023). I was lucky at that moment! Since my house was under renovation, the workers used a crane to put this beast on my terrace, and they helped me put it in my living room. It weighs about 120kg (250lbs). To thank them, I bought them sandwiches, cigarettes, and dessert. Everyone was happy. Thanks to my dad who is always there for me, who doesn't give a damn about cigars, but who always listen to me when I pationnatly talk about my sticks. I let the humidor stand for 24 hours before unpacking it. Then... there it is. It's here, big, beautiful, sturdy, shiny... it gave me a glance, I blushed and fell in love at first sight! What a beast! But now... it's time to make it work. 24 hours on, 24 hours waiting, then the ultimate moment: filling it up. I even took the opportunity to make an Excel list for all the boxes that would go in. Raching humidor C380A review (10-point system): - Interior 10/10: Like the others, interior made of cedar. The smell is amazing and still holds after 9 months. Out of the 8 drawers, 3 can be pulled out and are on rails. 5 drawers are not on rails and need to be "lifted". I like this in-between. According to Raching, putting rails on each drawer would reduce the interior capacity. From my side, I prefer more space than more rail drawers. There are dividers for the drawers that can be removed. The drawer dimensions seem to have been designed to fit the maximum number of boxes. The height is perfect for any box. The problem with my other Raching CA330 was that the 50 cabinets were too high. - Look 10/10: I love it. Less kitschy than the other models. I really like the chrome gray. The exterior is solid stainless steel. It's quality and durability. There is also an LED inside the door that really lights up the cabinet and is not just for show. Overall, it's my Rolls Royce, I love it! I also like that the water tray is now hidden. - Ammonia removal 10/10: The best news from my purchase. I was skeptical, thinking it was a marketing gimmick. But amazingly, it really works very well. Some boxes, when not aired well enough, smell like old shoes to me. And that's where I find it incredible. After 2-3 months, the cigars no longer have that smell, or just a little bit. The ultimate trick is to leave the box slightly open, or if it's a slid lid box, just remove the lid. This thing is really surprising and I really think it works. What a surprise! - Habanos sommelier 3/10: I find this aspect totally useless and I don't know if it really works. You put your cigars in it, press a button, and it should have the effect of dry boxing. The humidor lets you know when it's done. However, I don't notice any difference. None! - Screen touch 10/10: Like the previous ones, clear, precise, fast, efficient. - Longevity of water 7/10: With my previous model, 7 liters of water lasted about 1.5 years. With this model, 8 months. It's much bigger, but it's something to think about and not neglect. Coming back last week, the humidor was beeping beep beep beep. - Capacity 7/10: A little less than advertised. I don't know exactly how many cigars I have in this one. I didn't total it. They advertise 450l for up to 4000 cigars. I would say more like 1500-2000 with boxes. However, the drawers are well designed. I expected to have more interior space... - Noise 9/10: Rather quiet. - Humidification system accuracy 10/10: Incredible. Oh boy! I want to rate it 100/10. Little variation, super precise, and worry-free. I placed 10 wifi sensors in the unit, from top to bottom it reads 65%, between two boxes, in front, behind 65%. I almost thought my hygrometers were broken. It's perfection. In front of the glass, it's at 61%, but everything on the shelves holds at 65%. However, when it arrived, I had to calibrate it. It was at 61% when I had set it to 65%. After a few text exchanges, they explained to me how to calibrate it and since then it has been working like a charm. Compressor 9/10: Rather quiet. I find it runs more often than my other models. However, everything works wonderfully. - Air circulation 10/10: I think this is one of the most developed aspects since the last model. The air circulation is really effective, just like humidity management. There is a mini breeze blowing throughout the unit, but without wind. Really well balanced. I have a doubt but I would say there are 8 mini fans. You can, thanks to the control panel, change the fan strength. But for that, you need to contact Raching to explain the method to you. It's the same for other aspects of the device. It is really customizable in the smallest details but nothing in the user manual. - Temperature 10/10: Overall as consistent as humidity. Very consistent. My sensors indicate 18°C as I programmed. - Other: Has a lock. Comes with a funnel and a cable to purge the water container. This last modification is superb. Very practical to completely empty the water basin with a tube. The water basin is hidden and is under/behind the wood. You can't see it. So to purge, you have to insert the tube into a hole, press a button, and voilà. Finally, and this is not negligible, the humidor is on wheels. Very practical for moving it. Once in place, there are removable feet that can be mounted and adjusted to ensure the unit is stable. Overall 10/10: Is there room for improvement? Absolutely... am I satisfied? Yes. Do I feel reassured? Absolutely, and that's priceless for me. Set and forget (almost). I recommend this unit and also the company in general. I only speak from my experience and cannot speak for anyone else. There you go! I hope I didn't forget anything. Looking forward to answering your questions.

Well as @BrightonCorgi said, each fill a need. I can't really go deeper on that subject as i don't quite understand what "complexity" means. I don't rate cigars according to tastes or flavours, it's more about how i feel through the smoking experience. Of course taste is important and i've had my fair share of horrible sticks (i can still taste a Don Tomas i lit a few years ago just thinking of it 😅) but there's something beyond that for me. For example i like the taste of a good Connie A but it doesn't fulfill my needs and i can't tell you why. Without going any further, imo something beautiful happens within smaller rg that doesn't happen as often with other cigars the same size but with bigger rg. For what it's worth 😅

Been thinking about this one for months before pulling the trigger

Lobster tails poached in lemon butter

*Eat some caviar either before or during your drink. No it does not have to be that $85 to $110 an ounce stuff. Just the plain ole' Romanov whitefish, etc. caviar off the grocery store shelves for about $9 to $12 a vacuum packed jar. You won't get that hangover from over-imbibing.

the one thing he got right was hating the pies. utter filth. the equivalent of dallas in the NFL (and iggles, and for that matter, giants), manspew in the EPL (and spurs), England in the ashes, nsw in super rugby, brothers in the brizzy rugby comp, kyrios in any sport, nsw in origin (that is a biggie), nz in pretty much anything unless they are playing england when we hope for a 0-0 draw or better yet, an earthquake. i may have gone slightly off topic.

You're partially correct. As I said above if the cigar is absolutely packed rock hard it is difficult for the barbs to pull anything out. The barbs end up tearing through whatever it has ahold of. And as mentioned above most people are simply not using the PD optimally. Even Rod's instructional video on the site isn't perfect IMO. No criticism of his insertion technique but I think he withdraws it far too aggressively. I've found the most success withdrawing as slowly and gently as possible so the barbs don't tear through what they've grabbed on the way out. But as I said a rock hard cigar will just not allow any room for the leaf the barbs have grabbed to be pulled through. Those are the toughest cases.

True! I need to start exploring the Desnudo offerings next

Me and my girl are booked for a few days in Charleston and are in! Looking forward to catching up with you guys!

Well, given that there are only 2 cigars in the MOFOH lineup, I think you have made good progress in trying them all.

I love the MOFOH Trinity. So far my favorite from the MOFOH lineup, but I’ve yet to try them all!

Little canazo nudie action last evening

Proof that bad storage < bad construction 😁 Flight home from Amsterdam by KLM and my Habanos turning to Box pressed Habanos. They are so tasty, even better than other boxes I smoked 2-3 years later.

I'm hoping they got sick again! Lol. I'm starting to think this batch of 2017's are just a bad batch.

I'm guessing its a typo on PDF. I see PLM for 2011 at PdR where Trinis are rolled.

I have a couple nice Breitlings I bought between 2000-2006 for about $1500+/-. They were bought at bargain basement prices in Boston. They are nice and probably have some collectible value. Not sure if pandemic ruined those pricing possibilities or how hard it is to still find bargains in the wrist-watch world.

In Brazil they have this thing called ENGOV. I have no Earthly idea what’s in it, but if you take two before hanging with your buddies all night drinking whatever suites the mood, in the morning you feel cheerful and awake. They don’t sell it in the U.S. because… Because of that reason. 😳

at 1500 USD price point a Seiko and Citizen will go further than any swiss watch brand IMO for example look at this beauty the citizen Tsuyosa - 399 USD - infact I am gonna buy one myself Or this Citizen Royal Oak - 899 - WOW ! these are stellar daily driver - more value for money in any watch for me personally

Now you've opened a Pandoras box for me personally. I see you mentioned daily driver. I'll ask you 3 things: 1. Do you travel often? Would you like a GMT function? 2. Whats your wrist size? Do you prefer bulky or lighter watches? 3. Do you prefer Quartz, automatics or mechanicals? 4. Is brand also really important to you or is it just a piece to tell the time?

So I'm not sure if it's a typo but I was grabbing a Fundadores for the pairing show I'm guesting on tonight and I have a box code that isn't in the PDF:

Nomos Club would be my pick if it had to be new. In house movement, solid engineering, character. And some options to suit your taste.

Judge Mehta also.