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I have a budget of £400-£450 to spend on a new watch for work and generally looking spiffing. Been looking at a few JDM watches and a Christopher Ward or two but am in need of a bit more inspiration as i'm not up to speed on too many brands.
has anyone got any thoughts on CW watches or ideas as to what else i should be looking out for in this price range?
somewhere in and around this type of thing
Thanks 4130
I find Christopher Ward an acquired taste. I have one of their Makaria Pro watches, but I fancied that precisely because it was so different to their usual stock in trade which is the sort of historic-type thing.
I like their Trident but it is an unashamed rip of the classic diver's watch. Good prices in their sale though.
After 20 plus years of not wearing a watch, I was given a Bering Titanium | [url= https://beringtime.com/uk/titanium-brushed-grey-11937-007 ]11937-007[/url] for my birthday last year.
It's a little below your price range but is very understated and wonderfully lightweight.
Stop messing around, man the **** up, and get a fenix5.
I did look at the Alpiniste but i'm not really a fan of gold. which is unfortunate as it's a lovely watch.
One Bad Mofo, i like that, it's very Skagen which is another brand i was looking at. but i fancy something a little more chunky (but not too chunky).
Jakester, i did see their Tridents were 30% off, that's what got me looking around their site.
Thanks all, keep the ideas coming
Personally, I'd be looking at the Orient Watches on [url= http://www.creationwatches.com/products/orient-watches-252/index-1-3d.html ]Creation Watches[/url]. Something like this perhaps:
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Elliot Brown have released a few new models recently, well worth a look.
I have an Elliot Brown Canford for daily duties. I LOVE the styling and it's slightly ott chunk.
It is expensive for a Quartz, but beautiful things are often more expensive. They are also lovely guys to deal with.
Thanks Ivan, i quite like the Canford, that's another for the list
Hard to see beyond the Tissot Visodate at this budget in either gold or SS
Or these pair from citizen one for good and one for a beater...
No personal experience, but some of the [url= http://www.timefactors.com/ ]Timefactors[/url] designs are nice, and reasonable value. How about their [url= http://www.timefactors.com/smithsprs38.htm ]Black Shadow[/url]?
Why not a calculator?
http://www.creationwatches.com/products/casio-calculator-264/casio-classic-quartz-calculator-ca-56-1df-ca-56-1-mens-watch-2699.html
I also have a Canford, lovely watch, only issue is the glass scratches easily.
If you don't mind used have a look at the Longines Hydroconquest. I had one and I think it's a stunning watch. Classic looks, just like a Tudor/Rolex and has the lovely sweeping second hand too. You could find a mint one for that money. I wear a very nice TAG Aquaracer Calibre 16 every day and only sold the Longines because I couldn't bare it just sitting on a watch winder even though I have other nice expensive watches doing the same.
In true recommend what you own fashion; you could have a look at Magrette. You need to put down a deposit and wait for them to make it but you get a good watch for the price imo. It all depends on whether or not you like the cushion case / Panerai look...
[url= http://www.magrette.com/shop/all/370040261 ]Magrette Timepieces[/url]
Otherwise, you might find some inspiration here:
[url= https://www.ablogtowatch.com/tag/watch-reviews-under-500/ ]watch reviews under £500[/url]
Oh, and [url= http://www.maranez.com/watches.php ]Maranez[/url] have some really interesting stuff too - I considered them before buying the CW.
beanum - Member
In true recommend what you own fashion; you could have a look at Magrette. You need to put down a deposit and wait for them to make it but you get a good watch for the price imo. It all depends on whether or not you like the cushion case / Panerai look...Magrette Timepieces
Hmm, those Magrette are nice..
There’s a lot of crap at that price point.
Look at Tissot or Citizen for a decent brand with decent movement, neither will give you much issue. You may struggle with the styling you like - Citizen will be better for that, 6 year guarantee and no batteries, or you’ll get a Tissot automatic for that.
For left field, Magrette. Excellent watches for the money but you can’t try one on First unfortunately and there is a lead time.
i am liking a few of the Magrettes, and i expected them to be a lot more expensive than they are which was a nice surprise.
thanks for all the help, while more choice is just making it a more problematic decision it is good to see there's more out there.
I’m orderig the blue magrette, not going to be here until May but I’ve fancied one for a while and for a small run watch, Swiss movement with titanium case and ceramic bezel, sapphire front and back it’s very good value for just over £500. Will knock spots off the £500 fashion watches.
Have a look at Certina and Hamilton. Both Swiss made and part of the Swatch/Omega group. Some nice automatics around or slightly less than £500. Uhrenlounge.de have good prices - I' got a nice Certina DS Podium automatic for about £400 a couple of years ago.
at that budget you're strictly in 'fashion' territory for anything new. In which case I'd just go for something nice, simple and cool like a Braun and pocket the rest of the cash.
If you're keen on something decent and potentially different spend the time to dig out something from a proper brand. Here's a very quick example... https://www.vestiairecollective.com/men-accessories/watches/iwc/silver-steel-iwc-porsche-design-iwc-2160799.shtml admittedly not to everyone's taste, but shows that there's stuff out there.
Have a look at Steinhart and Junghans watches. They make some lovely watches in that price range
Look at Tissot or Citizen for a decent brand with decent movement
I'd agree with that and add Seiko and Orient too, very good watches at that price point.
For that budget I’d look no further than Seiko.
FWIW I recently bought a Seiko 5 SNZG17K for £135 as a daily beater for travelling and it’s a fantastic watch. They do some really nice watches for your money with more sophisticated movements but the 5 is perfect for my needs.
Seiko SARB033 gets good reviews (lots of videos on youtube).
Nice classic design with a diameter of about 39mm. Some people don't like the standard steel bracelet but I like mine. If you have massive wrists the bracelet won't be big enough though as it is sized for the japanese domestic market,
You can find them for about £240 new on ebay.
So many at that price but I’d encourage you to look at Nite watches and Seikos at that price are impressive. Orient is part of Seiko and I’d challenge the comment above ‘at that price point it can only be about fashion...’ . I’d even go as far to say that above that price point it’s all about fashion!
‘at that price point it can only be about fashion...’
Which begs the question, looking at the variety of different styles, which fashion are we talking about, exactly?
I’d second (smirk) Seiko watches, because I’ve got two, currently wearing the SPORK, but it gets swapped for my Yema, and occasionally for the Seiko 5 mod, or my 80’s TAG Series 1000.
Another Elliot Brown Canford owner here.
No issues at all and I love the quietly cool, understated styling
That Sekio Alpinist on the brown leather strap is s lovely looking watch. If I had spare cash - I would buy one based on the reputation and that picture.
I can't answer your question, but the first watch you posted is stylish and beautiful, and the second is gopping.
HTH.
I don't want to like that Eco Drive due to all those angles but having seen it from other views it is growing on me.
So far i've whittled it down to the CWard, EB Canford, Seiko SARB033 and one of those Mickey Mouse ones where his arms tell the time.... 😆
This thread piqued my interest and some fantasy eBay browsing. Does this represent value for money?
There's a few here for you to browse through [url= https://www.watchitallabout.com/category/reviews/250-500/ ]£250-£400 watch reviews[/url] I have a G. Gerlach which are a bit left-field and great VFM and I do like the Melbourne Flinders
Hamilton
[url= http://www.watchsleuth.com ]seiko watch finder[/url]
Use this to hunt through loads of Seikos range across the 5 main styles.
I'd be wary of anything from the Swatch group as they are limiting spares for repairs and increasing service costs.
Going with the standard STW rulz, I bought one of these Redux COURG titanium watchs when it was a Kickstarter project so I am obliged to recommend it.
You can pick the numeral styling you want from about four. Nice mix of diver and pilot for me as a work watch.
Why are timefactors watches popular on here?
I have a couple of Timefactors watches - a Speedbird GMT and a Smiths Everest. Great watches!
My favourite, that I keep coming back to is a smaller-sized B-Uhr- style German pilot/navigators' watch. There are LOADs out there - mine is an Archimedes (as they do a 39mm and I have the wrists of a girl), but there are affordable ones by Steinhart that are fantastic too. Both companies do a range of sizes.
https://www.steinhar****ches.de/en/flieger-watch/nav-b-uhr-44-automatic-a-muster.html
That Nav B-Uhr 44 Automatic A-Muster Chipps linked to is a lovely classic design, and one I’d be perfectly happy to own and wear, although I’m not so keen on the riveted strap, but that’s easily replaced anyway.











