If you don’t want to push the budget, have a look at some of the high end Tissot watches, I maintain that for pure value there is nothng better.

Sinn as mentioned before are nice as are Mondaine if you want something out of the ordinary, though it won;t be close to £2k.

My only suggestion would be to buy one you really like,regardless of price.
If that happens to be a tag heuer or seiko , so be it.

It’s about having something I can wear most days for life,

My wife gave me something like that when we got married.

A smile.

🙂

An Omega Speedmaster Professional (aka Moon Watch) from your year of birth – classy, tough as old boots (mine’s still going after many many years) and won’t lose most of its value as soon as it’s been purchased.

OP
I’m currently in Hanoi and I can get you any watch you want. Email me what you want and I’ll get it at a tenth of the price. I’m back in the UK on 14th, so can get it to you soon.

LOOKY LOOKY, YOU ENGLISH? YOU WANT TO BUY NICE WATCH YES?

It’s about having something I can wear most days for life,

Days of the week underpants?

My wife offered me the same. This place as some great second hand stuff.

http://www.watches.co.uk/

Something like this is your range:

http://www.watches.co.uk/watch/11649s/breitling-grand-premier-a13024/

This is a very elegant looking watch without being too “bling” and well within budget of the OP
http://www.dreyfussandco.com/the-watch-collection/limited-edition/dgs00027-02.aspx

I can wait until Jr’s 16th birthday then I can give it to someone who might use it…

So why is it that you don’t wear a watch? Given you’re an old fogie who grew up when watches were the only portable way of telling the time, why do you think somebody growing up when that’s not the case is more likely than you to wear one?

As for the OP – go to your local fake market and buy one you like. Get your wife to buy you the original one of those, then flog it for bike bits 😈

Breitling Emergency
it’s a tad over budget, but as she’ll love you for ever and ever and wants to show it, dos that really matter?
And if it turns out she doesn’t and at some point in the future decides to leave, so long as the watch is registered in her name, you can activate it and when the rescue helicopter arrives and finds out it wasn’t a real emergency, she gets hit with the fine. Which is $10k I believe.

It’s about having something I can wear most days for life,

My wife gave me something like that when we got married.

A smile.

I just sicked a little in my mouth… 😉

DrP

I believe you can get some good deals at motorway service stations

It might if anyone actively monitored 121.5Mhz any more, but they stopped that three years ago. Breitling maintain the line that it might be useful for finding you if you’ve already raised the alarm via some other means.

Breitling Emergency

Dear god.. lol.. just frickin lol..

Have a look at the Oris Chronoris Grand Prix ’70. My mate got one for £2k

just get a £30 watch and give the rest to charity or put it aside for your childrens future or take a trip..

this is definitely a test of how much of a bellend you are.. if you are seriously considering dropping £2k on a flippin bangle then you are going to fail the test..

this is definitely a test of how much of a bellend you are.. if you are seriously considering dropping £2k on a flippin bangle then you are going to fail the test..

❓

that’s an intelligent response wallop… excellent.. you can have a lolly 😀

Ooh, goody!

I was just a bit confused by your comment, that’s all. It seemed an odd thing to say.

this is definitely a test of how much of a bellend you are.. if you are seriously considering dropping £2k on a flippin bangle then you are going to fail the test..

quality stuff

I’m thinking about a watch for my next big birthday, however on a much smaller budget

Anyone got a Tissot or Victorinox?

I think watches are a very dull thing to spend alot of money on.
I’d suggest you spend the money on a nice tattoo.
Go to one of the top artists and get a subtle, classy piece designed.
These last forever, and it will be with you when you reach the end of your life.
You can sit down and design it together, perhaps you could both get one done?
A proper investment without a shadow of a doubt. And theres always laser removal if it goes tits up!

Seriously? Are you really that much of a dimwit? The young lady I’m currently trying to develop a relationship with absolutely hates tattoos. Which, considering I have seven, has made for some, interesting conversations. Imagine saying ‘no thank you, I’d like a tattoo instead’ when offered a nice timepiece as an engagement present.
Christ, use some common sense, please.

this is definitely a test of how much of a bellend you are.. if you are seriously considering dropping £2k on a flippin bangle then you are going to fail the test..

So, what test would that be, exactly?
I’d love it if I was offered a really nice watch as an engagement present, it’s something I’d wear every day, and it’s something given with love that would remind me of that every day when I looked at it. It would not be some ghastly footballer bangle, covered in crap that renders the watch utterly useless as a timepiece. As it happens, I’ve just obtained what is closest to the perfect watch for me, and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg, either.

Although, if she really wanted to spoil me, then one of these would be very much appreciated:

So, what test would that be, exactly?
I’d love it if I was offered a really nice watch as an engagement present

I was just entertaining a utopian fantasy that there are right thinking people in the world that would find such a foppish and vulgar bourgeois trinket hanging from their partner’s wrist repulsive..

I can see though that you are from the demographic that prefers their obscenely priced ‘timepiece’ to exhibit a rugged and functional characteristic that no-doubt helps you to project the tasteful no-nonsense image that you wish to create for yourself..
In light of this I can see that my opinion is of no worth..

I do beg your pardon.. I shall move along swiftly..

I got one of these. Breitling Colt GMT. Best purchase ever, looked at plenty of others since and still love it over all other contenders. It’s nicely understated, can be worn with anything and is absolute quality.

Two thousand pounds on a pushbike? Surely that money would be better given to charity or for your childrens’ future….

Yup. Bellendery of the highest order….

hey hey hey you kerazy kids .. I didn’t say that I wasn’t a hypocrite.. and I’ve certainly no righteous motive..

I just find status symbols a bit effete..

countzero, I think you might have started something: classy understated watch, looks flipping amazing on the bit that no-one else will see. Ver’ nice.

http://www.dellaroccagioielli.it/en/p_2708-.php

My bike doesn’t make much of a status symbol, sinc eit looks battered and dirty and the average person on the street has no idea how much it cost, but anyway…

Those watches CountZero posted are absoutely beautiful. Shame the expensive watch market has been polluted by the likes of Breitling. Their advertising is pictures of fighter jets ffs.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra
Omega Speedmaster (obviously)
Panerai (v nice)
An Oris.

…would be my suggestions. Oh, and check out tz-uk.com, if nobody’s suggested it yet. They can put you on to grey retailers (new watches with significant money off); I used one to get my Aqua Terra.

still looking. that’s the first ridiculously expensive watch I’ve seen that’s actually got me hankering. Rather than thinking “Pbrsfssppb!!! How gauche!”

They’ve been mentioned before, but take a look at Stowa.

Use the same movements as (some?) Panerai, different decoration, much better value.

buy a really (perfectly) good watch for £200 and give £1300 to charity.

win/win

I bought my Omega Seamaster when we got engaged. Part as an engagement present to myself and partly as I’d promised myself one when I qualified as a Paramedic, which I achieved the year before.
For you budget, have a look at Oris.

have a look at bell and ross. don’t think too much about it, just get one! 🙂 bell and ross are lovely watches

Rolex Submariner would be my choice.

and a new bike?

Or save the money towards the wedding or better still (IMO) the honeymoon.

Rolex Submariner would be my choice.

Perhaps you need to look at the budget again. You won’t get a Sub for that price.

I’d probably go for an Omega Speedmaster is you want a sporty looking watch. But you’ll probably need to go second hand. They seem to have gone up a bit recently.

If it was me I’d make sure I went for a real mechanical watch rather than anything battery powered. But quartz will be cheaper.

Whatever you get, try a few on before you buy. They tend to look different on your wrist than in the window.

Those who said your a bell end for letting her buy you a nice watch for your engagement. Would/did you propose and say here’s a cheap ring and I’m giving the rest to charity or a savings account!?

You only get engaged once and it’s something you’ll have for the rest of your life so give him a break and let them spend their money on what they want without making them feel guilty!