For nice read (relatively) expensive. Turn 30 fairly soon and was thinking about a new watch, originally was going to get this and put a black leather strap on but gf found this (black and gold colourway) which has really grown on me.

Now there is a proper price difference but I could just about justify the expense as a one off for a big birthday. However, if I’m going to spend hundreds on a watch I started thinking maybe it should be an actual watchmaker rather than a designer that makes watches?

No doubt someone will tell you the insides of the proper watches are so much better….but who cares if they all work at the end of the day?

Worse than hifi cables…

Yeah the watch that kicked everything off for me is slightly more expensive..

Anyway the point in this instance is not so much that it costs and arm and a leg but that if spending that much should I really be looking at ‘proper’ watches. I’m looking at it as something that will hopefully be passed on in years to come.

get whichever Stowa is in budget. ive got the marine auto, fantastic watch.

I had this when i was 40, to wear and enjoy, but mainly to pass onto my son when i’m gone.

I bought this one recently, and I love it, customised Seiko 5 automatic:

@countzero damn that’s a good looking piece, NATO straps and dive/utility watches are just so perfect together.

They’re nice gents and both are proper brands which brings me back to my original question-if spending significant money should you stick with the big names?

Btw I would include stowa as a proper brand ie a watchmaker first and foremost it’s not just big names I mean by that

I’ve got a Monaco & it’s very nice.

Someone posted the Monza on the last one of these threads. That’s nice too.

Yeah the watch that kicked everything off for me is slightly more expensive..

Anyway the point in this instance is not so much that it costs and arm and a leg but that if spending that much should I really be looking at ‘proper’ watches. I’m looking at it as something that will hopefully be passed on in years to come.

Same for me, but I have a different IWC. The thing I like about it is nobody knows it’s a nice watch, it’s not bling like Breitling etc

I just bought a Christopher Ward to compliment an Omega Seamaster. I went for the C11 Automatic and I have to say the build quality is amazing and the watch looks great. I did heaps of reading and had a long look at Stowa (who I will be looking at for the next one in a few years) as well.

Looking at CW and Stowa it’s clear the big names add heaps to cover their marketing and endorsement budgets. Great watches yes, but looking at my latest purchase I’ll not be (indirectly) feeding any celebrity pockets for a long time. Have a good look at CW, they have a watch to meet most aesthetic needs.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_s5jp6Y6ynGE/TFlXVvymo2I/AAAAAAAAGkI/wrvEXDHnxsc/s1600/prs.jpg

Precista PRS20 ,Ideal if you fancy a Panerai but cannot quite stretch to the asking price.
The quality of the Precista’s is fantastic for the price,very nice quality bit of kit.
http://www.timefactors.com/precista.htm

The Uniform watch looks nice but £300+ for quartz watch without a big brandname ie.Tag or Omega,means you may struggle to move it on if you ever decide to sell.

If you like the look of the Uniform watches that take a look at “Brauns” range .
Sample below.
http://www.blessthisstuff.com/imagens/stuff/img_braun_watches.jpg

Didn’t find a CW that I clicked with tbh, nice though they are

In fact out of the uniform watches it’s only the 250 i like so the braun above doesn’t do much for me

As for the IWC, one day, one day (there’s a jeweller in Nottingham that stock them, not sure whether I’m happy that they look just as nice in the flesh…)

Buy what you think looks nice within your budget. At those price its really just fashion watches with mass produced Chinese quartz internals… They will go on forever and the only real difference is how they look.

I got addicted to buying watched once but now only have a couple of Breitling. 1) the first Swiss watch I ever bought an automatic Breitling Colt GMT, 2) Breitling Avenger Seawolf Chrono which is my diving watch so gets used for it intended purpose despite being a £4k watch.

The watch I miss the most is my Tag Monaco 24 with its floating calibre 36 automatic movement 🙁 bought as an investment.

I too have a significant birthday coming up and am looking for a nice new watch. At the moment I’ve git my eye on a Rolex Milgauss GV. Don’t usually like Rolex however love the understated look if these. The other in the running is a Panerai Pam 048. Decisions decisions.

At that price have a look at the Tissot range, specifically the visodate. In fact the tissot range is worth looking at in general.

@juanking just a word of warning about Panerai, they wear massive – I have a 44mm 177 that wears absolutely huge on my wrist. It’s a shame as it’s too nice a watch to wear as a beater, but too bulky for formal occasions. Currently favoring a prohunter explorer 1 on a black NATO strap, it’s lovely.

Breitling Avenger Seawolf Chrono which is my diving watch so gets used for it intended purpose despite being a £4k watch.

I love this, applied to bikes, cars anything really-high end kit should be built to do a job not just look the part imho

I’ll have a look at tissot

That Seiko 5 automatic looks exactly like my perfect watch, and at a price I may actually afford!

Oh no another thread full of temptation!

+1 for CW also take a long look at Steinhart, I have a Nav B in my basket as I type this. Same looks and quality as Stowa for half the price…

+1 for tag Monaco. Had one for four years now, worn most days to work. It’ll be passed down to little G on years to come. A very wise investment on my wife’s part I think.

This is my keeper:

This is my workhorse:

But I love your Seiko 5, Countzero 🙂

This thread seems to have turned into a ‘look at my expensive watch’ thread. Why are some of you recommending Monacos? Did you read the OP?

If you’re spending up to around £350 buy a Seiko. They are sturdy, reliable and keep great time. Ive had their automatics and kinetics and they are great for the money.

Tissot, as mentioned is, is also worth a look. As is Steinhart.

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/MARINE-CHRONOMETER-II-roman,284.html
http://www.nigelohara.com/seiko-watches/men/?page=1&numrecords=3
http://www.watchshop.com/Tissot-Watches.html

Archimede

Seiko range …

Up to £350 I’d go for a Steinhart or maybe a modified Seiko.

I’d always go for a watch made by a proper manufacturer rather than a fashion brand.

This is what my watch looks like as stock:

and this is the Photobucket site of the guy who does the mods:
http://www.yobokies.com/
Mine cost $144, if I recall. You have to contact the guy via email, and his name is Harold Ng, I think. I’ll check and put it up for anyone interested in contacting him.
Yeah, just checked, it’s Harold Ng, at yobokies@yahoo.com.hk
Ok, not the best photo in the world, but this is what it looks like on:

The strap has black finished stainless hardware, and I’ve got an orange one as well, from eBay, as well as the standard black it came with.

I bought a Tag Kirium F1 about 5 years ago and I wear it everyday. The stainless bracelet is obviously worn, (scratched, but can be buffed), but the sapphire crystal face is still in A1 condition. I had bought a cheaper watch to wear for when I was doing other things like working under the car, chain sawing, laying concrete etc but the faces all got scratched and straps broke. Either get a Casio G-Force or go the whole hog. Don’t forget if you buy an expensive watch it will ‘need’ to be serviced every 4 years at anywhere between £200 – £400…

I suspect Harold Ng will get a few orders after this!!

Fantastic

Be slightly wary of CW.

I was given a C7 by my other half & her family for xmas a couple of years back. Lovely bit of kit. Except you then end up bombarded with spam from them, including, 2 months after they’d paid full RRP for it, it was on sale for 1/2 price, which kinda devalued the brand somewhat. Especially as they constantly seem to have some kind of sale or special offer on. Still love the watch, but more for the gift it was than “because its a CW”.

(oh and stay clear of the silicon straps on the divers watches, they last a hair over 2 years then snap without warning, and aren’t warrantyable. Fortunately mine landed on my foot when it broke, I wasn’t up a ladder for once!)

Have a looka at this site
http://www.timefactors.com/precista.htm

Very good value for money
I like this one
Smiths Everest PRS-25

I really REALLY want a Yobokies Seiko modded to look like a Blancpain FF.

Gen:

Have a look at Hanowa Swiss military. Made in Switzerland, quartz and mechanical. Excellent quality.

Great to view something to pass down to your kids as an investment, but an investment is only an investment if you feel free to cash on it someday. I know it sounds ungrateful but I have an 18 carat gold bi metal Oyster Rolex handed down to me on my 21st by my old man, I couldnt possibly sell it, because of the heartfelt reason he handed it down to me on a ocassion and as something special to own. However it sits in a desk drawer amongst worthless clutter, because I tend to feel a twerp wearing a gold watch fearing I look like Bobby George or something of My big fat Gypsy wedding ! I know this is a first world problem, but I dont know whether to have a chat with the old man about it and risk hurting his feelings

Downthemiddle,

You could sell/trade it in for a watch you like and that can be passed on as an heirloom. You’re not cashing in and blowing the money, and you’ll still be reminded of your dad every time you check the time. I’m sure he’d rather that than it sat in a drawer never being used.

True mikertroid, but I’d need to have that chat with him before I did it. One small problem is that its half gold and half stainless steel, when he passed it down he bought another one for himself which is all gold !! So I’d be saying, Dad I wont wear this becausue its just too bling for my tastes, making his look like something BA Barracus would wear 🙂
Heres the bad boy in question

IMG_0097 by hughjengin, on Flickr

Of course you should ask him; I’m sure he’d rather you wear one everyday that you liked.

Once you got the new one, you could tell him what you really think about his penchant for bling!!

Forget mainstream, one of Eddie Platts at Timefactors models can be easily bought for that money.

Precista or Smiths Everest

http://www.timefactors.com/

the heartfelt reason he handed it down to me on a ocassion and as something special to own

Nah, he just spotted a handy upgrade opportunity!

…if you’re going to wear a Rolex, it might as well be gold.

My Dad ‘passed on’ to me a very ordinary Seiko Quartz, with a shitey strap from the market, which I wore a lot after he died. Not because I liked the watch, but because it was his.

Although I suppose in the same circumstances you’d have an all-gold watch to wear.

Sorry, this is sounding cynical now.