[Closed] 'Designer Watches' are they worth it?

There was an excellent thread on this topic a little while ago......

paying for the brand IMO.

paying for the brand IMO.

Traditionally, isn't the brand a brand for a reason?

oh dear lord, not again!

(to save you reading the rest, what will now ensue is an [s]argument[/s] discussion featuring several stw-ers with thousands of pounds worth of omega seamaters and various permutations of rolex, versus several stw-ers who swear by a £6 casio from Argos.)

Watch nerds seem to despise branded "designer" watches.

You'd be better off with a decent Seiko or similar "proper" brand timepiece for similar money.

C'mon Julian that thread started out as a weak troll and went on to hit +300 posts. It makes fantastic reading.

Ok so most of the brands you mentioned: Boss, Chanel, Armani etc are what would be defined as fashion watches. Personally I don't think they have the same clout as an IWC, Omega, Panerai, Bell & Ross etc.
As such, I wouldn't buy one as your essentially paying over the odds for a relatively simple cheap watch mechanism with the word Chanel (or whatever) written on it.
If you've got the money to do it then by all means by a proper watch from a respected watch manufacturer. There definitely over priced trinkets, but if you buy wisely then it'll last forever. I have an Omega my parents bought me for my 21st that looks as good now as it did when I got it 13 years ago... Its been worn everyday, been all over the world and I've come to rely on it.

oops.. sorry didn't realise there was another thread.. will do a search!

Get a Rolex Explorer Mk1 - end of thread...
Wiill be a good investment - maybe..

I wont use anything other than a Seamaster nowadays. I've had designer watches before and I've noticed that over the course of maybe two weeks, they can lose a couple of seconds. Doesnt sound like much, but when you work it out over 27 years (the amount of time I've had my seamaster), that works out to be alot of lost time.

My Omega, handed down from my great-great grandfather, who wore it as a sumbmariner in both the Boer War and WW2 (Desert Fox campaign), can only be criticised for the fact that it is actually better now than it was when it was new, despite needing the time corrected on a daily basis, an a £500 bi-annual service.

🙂

I buy the most expensive watch I can afford, purely so I can calibrate my Gadgetia Super Pro espresso machine more accurately - trust me, the several thousands of pounds I've invested in both are more than compensated for by the exquisite Creme Caramel Frapuccinos I produce. The other essential ingredient is soncically perfect hi-fi equipment blasting out 'Money For Nothing' by Dire Straits. Yes, people will argue that all those items are an extravagance, but what do they know? I buy Superstar sintered pads to balance the branding scales.

Wow an omega wris****cj in 1900.

BWD, you sound worryingly close to the Genesis monologue in American Psycho

BWD - 😆

My girlfriends mum treated me to a Rolex datejust, it's a limited edition one and more bling than I would have picked for myself (I'm not complaining) I used to have a Tag Heuer F1 that I had for over 12 years, it's still ticking away in my drawer, I like watches and wouldn't buy one purely for the name but I understand how some people do as a status symbol. Depends if your the kind of person who would buy a ferarri as you like driving/engineering/motorsport or because it's a ferarri.

LOLs at Dire Straits & high end hifi reference - funny because it's true.

LOLs at Dire Straits & high end hifi reference - funny because it's true.

I wonder if women argue about their chosen jewellery in the same way.

"Well Sandra, this bracelet has five Marquise Diamonds, all 2 carat and rated VG or Ex."

"Bah mine has six one-carat Cushion Diamonds in open claw settings, butted with emeralds and surrounding a central three carat Asscher Diamond"

"Listen girls, I got mine from Lizzy Dukes for a tenner. It has five cubic zirconia and it does the job just as well as your fancy pants expensive bracelets - though the strap does turn my skin green. "

that works out to be alot of lost time.

Designer watches are indeed shite. I am sort of a watch nerd and not really into dressy watches. Something like a rolex sub is the perfect allrounder as does dressy and tool with aplomb. Sinn watches are my vice though as they are superb value fir money.

I've got 2 watches - A Seiko diver's watch I bought in 1993 and an Omega Seamaster my then girlfrield bought for my 30th birthday.

If I had neither and had to buy myself a similar watch, I'd go out and buy today's equivalent of the Seiko which is about £300 I think. It's not fashion branded or a status symbol, just a good dependable watch that looks alright.

I wont use anything other than a Seamaster nowadays. I've had designer watches before and I've noticed that over the course of maybe two weeks, they can lose a couple of seconds. Doesnt sound like much, but when you work it out over 27 years (the amount of time I've had my seamaster), that works out to be alot of lost time.

Given that you presumably alter the time twice a year for daylight savings then (assuming it always drifts in the same direction at the stated rate of two seconds in two weeks) the maximum error you'd be faced with would be around 31 seconds.

Terrifying. That's a problem that is easily worth spending thousands of pounds to solve. 🙄

Traditionally, isn't the brand a brand for a reason?

Yes, they make expensive, in most cases quality clothes. Watch Brands such as Omega, Rolex etc make expensive, quality watches, I wouldn't buy a Rolex coat.

The posh makes are overpriced too. If you're not bothered about the name on the dial there are plenty of high quality makes that use the ETA2824 automatic movement a la Omega & Oris but don't have the reputation and charge much less. Sinn (who make Bell & Ross watches), Glycine, Doxa, Eterna, Lemania etc. Big problem is they're only available on the net so you can't get a look at them and I'll admit I haven't been taken enough looking at a screen to chance it yet. I'd love a Sinn U1 though, Loddrik. Where do you get yours from?
My best watches, modern & vintage all came from auctions, boot sales & autojumbles.

branded designer watches like chanel, hugo boss etc are a complete waste of money

they are no better than a cheap casio or seiko

I think if you want a really good expensive watch you have to look at watchmakers line Tag, Rolex, Patek Phillipe, Omega, Breitling etc

Lots of money to be made in watches if you know what you are doing, specially at the moment with low savings returns.

Yet you still can't get more accurate than an atomic/radio synching watch made by someone like Casio.

just get a fake.

http://www.****/home/moslive/article-1019598/An-idiots-guide-buying-fake-Rolex.html

Look a knob and spend less

Most designer watches are quartz and as such they probably lose less time than the more expensive proper watch brands. It really depends on what you want from a watch.

It really depends on what you want from a watch.

This may be a little controversial but...

...tell the time?

It really depends on what you want from a watch.

Ah but Matt, if you accept that for some people a bike can be more than a means of getting from A to B (or A to A for most of us), that a car can be more than a means of transport, that a piece of fabric can be more than a means of keeping you warm and decent, that food can be more than sustenance then what's wrong with saying that a wris****ch can be more than a means of keeping time?

Surf-Mat - Member
Yet you still can't get more accurate than an atomic/radio synching watch made by someone like Casio.

An atomic watch??? 😯

Hang on, I'll just start my count down timer for this boiled egg...

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Look a knob and spend less

lol

I think the "tell the time" element of a watch is less important these days given that most people carry a mobile phone everywhere they go, so don't really need a watch anyway. Yeah, a good watch should keep good time, but most people probably buy on what it looks like and brand cachet than actually how much of a precision piece of kit it is.

Yes, an atomic watch.

thepurist - well a fairly cheap digital watch will do way way more than a big bucks Omega/Breitling/whatever and probably be more accurate 😉

I know the main reason people get flashy watches - and it took a while to realise.

It's something on you at all times that's a bit "shouty" You may have left your 911 outside, your big boat may be at the marina, your huge house might be miles away but fear not, the flashy watch shows that you are well and truly loaded at all times.

In many cases though, the car, boat, big house, etc don't actually exist... 😉

Cheap Casio keep perfect time and are extremely robust.

Anything else is a fashion item.

D4declivity - Member
The posh makes are overpriced too. If you're not bothered about the name on the dial there are plenty of high quality makes that use the ETA2824 automatic movement a la Omega...

How do folk KNOW this or that Sunn watches are good value? Been in the industry or something...or just read it in magazines/forums?

auctions, boot sales & autojumbles.

What on god's green earth is an autojumble.

FFS.

look at www.timefactors.com for good value watches... Also look at Sinn.

Tag are overpriced - it is what the company stands for - when they took over Audiolab they put new front panels on and hiked the prices up.

If you get a mechanical watch be prepared for servicing costs and loss of accuracy.

Swatch own a large chunk of the watch market, many brands and most movement makers.

A sieko divers watch would be a good compromise, or an omega quartz seamaster. Or if you want mechanical an omega speedmaster is worth a look.

wearing a watch causes stress and depression.

Designer watches from the big fashion brands are often made in generic chinese factories, they use cheap quartz movements and are fairly low quality, they sell via looks and brand association rather than quality. The resale value of a watch in this sector is close to zero and can cost hundreds of £.

Mechanical watches from famous watch brands are manufactured to a higher standard and are usually made in switzerland or japan can cost from anywhere from a hundreds to thousands. They're serviceable and when looked after will outlive their owners so can be passed to the next generation. These watches may also rise in value over time unlike their cheaper fashion counter parts.

Both types of watches will do the job of telling the time and looking nice perfectly well so it comes down to you what you want out of a watch.

To answer the question no they are not this is true of the branded craap like gucci and stuff like IWC Bolex etc too.

In material terms they are not
In functional terms they are not
from any prespective they are simply not worth the money even the niche makers of ltd editions would have a job selling them on actual value..

I have several and I don't know what's wrong with me, I just wanted a watch other people didn't have vanity or something I suppose

I had the cash spare and bought a stupidly expensive watch...what? It's waterproof to 3000M which I reckon will come in dead handy at some point!