Looking to buy my wife a “proper” watch. She has had loads in the £10-£50 range and they break, discolour, plating wears off etc, so looking to get a proper watch by a watch manufacturer (rather than a fashion house) for somewhere around £500, but no idea which manufacturers
I should be considering

Please help, I know nothing about watches!

Christopher ward might be worth a look

http://www.christopherward.co.uk/women.html

Seiko.
Seiko.
Seiko.

Simple, really. Brilliantly made watches.

Why not take her shopping and let her choose one.

If someone want to buy me a watch for £500, please don’t hold back…

Having said said, my Mondaine one was only £150 and I’m really happy with it. Stays nice and bright and I have a couple of different straps to colour it up on occasion.

Rachel

or Seiko

What sort of style?

Twinw4ll I will be going with her and she will be choosing but neither of us have much of an idea and watches seem to be a big thing on here so thought I would ask.
IHN she is slightly smarter and less utilitarian than the Casio (I have one though!)

Stylewise a traditional steel bracelet watch or possibly leather at a push. Small faced. She is not convinced by automatic movements. Nothing sparkly

She is not convinced by automatic movements.

Why? I’ve got two automatic Seikos and they’re brill.

In best STW tradition…

http://www.johnlewis.com/mondaine-evo-quartz-women’s-analogue-bracelet-watch/p89245

Rachel

Seiko is worth a look as is Christopher ward. If you’re going skipping then Tissott or Hamilton would be the 2 I would look for, both offer good value at that price point.

I understand the lack of interest in an automatic as well, I love mine but Mrs Lunge doesn’t see the point as a quartz works just as well in her eyes.

I understand the lack of interest in an automatic as well, I love mine but Mrs Lunge doesn’t see the point as a quartz works just as well in her eyes.

Until the battery needs replacing; auto’s just keep going. And properly adjusted, are just as accurate as a quartz.

You can’t buy her a bloody Seiko! Nothing against Seiko, I had one for years and liked it, but this is a special watch we;re talking about and seiko make a lot of ordinary ones.

She wants a ‘designer’ brand…Gucci or similar!

http://www.johnlewis.com/gucci-women’s-guccissima-stainless-steel-bracelet-watch/p587156?kpid=232301764&s_kenid=0b8951a2-b65c-a388-b2ae-0000266f479d&s_kwcid=ppc_pla&tmad=c&tmcampid=73

this is what she’d like!

lol at the Casio. That’s my watch of choice these days – sometimes get a fancier one (i.e. not the £5 item).

however you may want to be aware of this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13194733

Tim Gould is the Casio UK marketing manager? Who knew.

Quite fancy Shinola, but not available in the UK yet.

She wants a ‘designer’ brand…Gucci or similar!

Er, no. As stated in the OP;

looking to get a proper watch by a watch manufacturer (rather than a fashion house)

Try a nice 2nd hand watch from one of the major dealers.
These are nice

It’s still a quartz so that should keep her happy 🙂

I don’t want to say it but £500 won’t get you out of the ” fashion watch ” price bracket, unless you go for a nice used example or vintage.

You can’t buy her a bloody Seiko! Nothing against Seiko, I had one for years and liked it, but this is a special watch we;re talking about and seiko make a lot of ordinary ones.

They make exceptionally good watches costing a couple of thousand, too. My SPORK cost me £350, and there are plenty costing more than that.
She wants a quality watch, not a bling watch.

Longines have a nice range of ladies watches, good established swiss brand.

Er, no. As stated in the OP;

She wants a quality watch, not a bling watch.

God, you two are really showing up your lack of knowledge of the opposite sex! Ask your Wives/Girlfriends/Mistresses this question:

Darling, if you had the choice of a Seiko or Gucci watch….which would you prefer?

Darling, if you had the choice of a Seiko or Gucci watch….which would you prefer?

Seiko please …. Gucci is bordering on chavvy

Seiko please …. Gucci is bordering on chavvy 😯

Are you a woman?

Take a look at some of the Tissot range or perhaps Michel Herbelin or even Bulova.
Having Just bought the wife a watch for her 40th the one real piece of advice is get her involved in picking it. After all it’s a big investment and you may be surprised by what she chooses.

Are you a woman?

Nope!

Gucci 2400S stainless steel bangle watch. Beautiful piece of engineering and a lovely piece of jewellery.

Bought one for my partner about 10 years ago around that price range

Solar powered, radio sync with the atomic clock signal, waterproof, indestructible. Fit and forget. My wife is now always on time, and doesn’t ask me what time it is every 5 minutes. Recommended.

My missus is very happy with her CW W60 I got her for Xmas. Her other watch is a Gucci. They are quite unusual watches in style and she is very happy with it, I don’t think they are chavvy looking at all. Not like those DKNY pocs

Until the battery needs replacing; auto’s just keep going. And properly adjusted, are just as accurate as a quartz.

Ha Ha Ha Ha etc. I love my automatic watches but I never claim they were as accurate a quartz.

How about:

Proper watch manufacturer

Longines £535

or a bit more fancy

Rado £570

at £500 new, Longines or Tag Heuer for quality and well known/major swiss brands.

Steinhart,or Davosa for relatively unknown but super good quality swiss watches, or Marcello or MkII for the same but American made (with swiss movements)…actually MkII maybe be too costly.

Or if you have a good jewellers nearby, £500 would by a good quality vintage watch, a Tudor, an Omega, possibly one of the lesser Rolex watches.

Ha Ha Ha Ha etc. I love my automatic watches but I never claim they were as accurate a quartz.

My Seiko is currently around ± 5 seconds/month, far, far better than the quartz Casio I have, and at least as good, if not better than my Series 1000 TAG, although I haven’t worn it for a long time, I have a recollection it gained around thirty seconds/month.

http://www.davosa.com/index.php?id=34&cid=3&fid=42&wid=133&L=0

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/OCEAN-One-Vintage,817.html

okay its a mans watch…but I can’t resist, its luuurvely!

I nice homage to a ‘Bond’ submariner

Watches can be wasted on women. Bought my wife a tank francaise that she wore every day until the battery ran out. Since then she has put her 1990 Casio back on and spent the money I gave her for a new battery on hairdressing. I would buy myself a classic submariner and just think nice thoughts about my wife 🙂

😀 Leenightgale, a man with style!

I would buy myself a classic submariner

The budget is £500 not £5000

A winner?

Omega Jeux D’Argent Solid Silver – £495