GRE阅读：男人如何选择手表(下)

　　For the extra outlay, you get more in the way of complications, the watchmakers term for any function beyond displaying the seconds, minutes and hours. The most common and useful are the ability to display the date, followed by day of the week, month and year. The most popular functions among collectors are dual time-zones, moon-phases andchronographs. Its a given that the cases will be gold or platinum. Above this, where the cognoscenti prowl, prices reach six figures for perpetual calendars,tourbillons and minute repeaters.

　　多花一些钱，在复杂性这一方面就可以得到更多。这是手表厂商用来描述除计时以外其他功能的词汇。最常见、最重要的复杂性是显示日历，然后是显示周历、月历和年历。最受收藏家欢迎的功能则是双时区、月相和计时器。当然表壳会是黄金或铂金。除这些以外，万年历、陀飞轮和报时器等功能更是受到行家追捧，其价格达到了六位数。

　　Pre-owned is the euphemism for second-hand watches. As with exotic cars, someone bought an esoteric watch, grew bored and traded it in after a short period. And like cars, watches -- unless they are very special -- do not appreciate in the short term. Thus, you have dealers such as David Duggan and the Watch Club who are able to sell you pre-owned watches, with boxes and papers, for truly substantial savings. The downside is that you are not buying from a main agent.

　　旧物是二手手表的委婉说法。像买各式新奇汽车一样，有些人买了珍稀手表后，不久也厌烦了，卖了再去买新的。同样和汽车一样的是，手表短期内不会升值，除非非常特别。所以你可以从David Duggan和Watch Club等经销商那里买到有包装和证书、价格非常实在的二手手表。缺点在于你不是从一家主要代理商那里购买。

　　The tag vintage is arbitrarily bestowed on anything over 25 years old. Vintage watches can only really be acquired by being in the right place at the right time. However much your heart may be set upon a 1930s rose-gold Rolex Bubbleback, you cannot go to your nearest dealer and order one as you would a Rolex DateJust.

　　任何25年以上的东西都称得上古董这个头衔。古董级手表，其实只有在合适的时间出现在合适的地方才能买到。不管你有多么想要得到一块30年代产的玫瑰金劳力士Bubbleback，你都不能像买劳力士DateJust那样找最近的经销商订购一块。

　　As for spares, dont even consider a vintage watch unless you have deep pockets and access to a master watchmaker. If your watch needs a part that cannot be ordered from the manufacturer, it will have to be made from scratch. And that means a costly repair.

　　如果是备用表，根本就不要考虑买古董级手表，除非你很有钱，并且有一位大师级的表匠来做维修。假如你的手表需要一个零件，又无法从生产商那里订购，那么这个零件只能从头做起。这意味着维修费用会非常高昂。

　　Watch auctions are increasingly popular. The rules are the same as for any other type of auction: study the catalogues, know your financial limits and attend viewings before the auction. Recent watches will sell for substantially less than in stores that stock used pieces. If you find yourself bidding for a relatively new watch with little competition, you could snag a bargain.

　　手表的拍卖正变得越来越普遍。要遵守的原则跟其他任何类型的拍卖都是一样的：研究拍卖目录，明确自己的价格上限，然后还要参加拍卖前的预展。新近的手表卖出的价格比古董店里卖的要低很多。如果竞标的手表相对新，竞争也不激烈，那你可以捡个大便宜。

　　If in doubt, the substitute for knowledge and experience is access to the services of an expert. A watchmaker, an enthusiast, an honest retailer -- any of these will minimize the risks of buying a fine watch.

　　如果有疑问，除了自己的知识和经验以外，也可以寻求专家的服务。不管是一位手表工匠，一位爱好者，还是一位诚实的零售商，他们都会让你减少风险，买到一块非常不错的手表。

　　But it is also worth keeping in mind the only two real truths about the watch market:

　　但同时也值得记住手表市场的两条真理，也只有两条：

　　-- If you buy with an investors mindset, only two brands are immune to fashion anddepreciation in the long term: Patek Philippe and Rolex.

　　──如果你以投资的心态购买，只有两个品牌不会受到潮流左右，长时间过后不会贬值，那就是百达翡丽和劳力士。

　　-- And, if you want only one watch to keep you happy forever regardless of the occasion, there is a timepiece that is immune to snobbery, criticism, taste or quality issues. Its the Zippo lighter or the BMW 3-series of watches: a stainless steel Rolex Air-King.

　　──如果你只想要一块手表，不管什么场合自己都很满意，那么有一款手表不会让人看不起，不会受人指点，经得起赏玩，也不会遇到质量问题。它是手表中的Zippo打火机或宝马3系：劳力士的不锈钢Air-King。