I’m approaching my 10 year service at my company and they want to give me a watch up to a value of £650. I can go a bit more if I contribute.

So, recommend me a watch. Something not too busy, not too big, something I can wear everyday.

Christopher Ward Trident C61 (the smaller one)

http://www.christopherward.co.uk/men/dive/c61-tri-sks.html

I got a pen for my 10 yr service award. Cost cutting meant it wasn’t even engraved as they had been for previous recipients 😐

Tissot would be worth a look.

A good Seiko, perhaps? A range here: http://www.firstclasswatches.co.uk/seiko-c-24.html?sort_by=priced&per_page=48&show_stock=y

As The Captain says, Tissot have always been very good, and Ch. ward always seem to get good recommendations.
At that sort of price, it’s probably going to be tricky finding a duff watch, tbh, more a question of finding a style you like.
If they were still available, I’d recommend the Seiko SPORK without hesitation, but typical Seiko, it was only available for a short time. Keeps the collectors keen… 😉

Stowa Marine?

About £750

Or a Steinhart? Lots to choose from

This one is about £690.

I bought this recently, only a smidge over £400, can you keep the change 😉 ??

Ooooh that’s lovely!

I have my gramps Tissot Auto that he got as a retirement present. I love it but daren’t wear it out. Sentimental value an ting.

Just follow one rule – keep it clean lined.
Sapphire glass, automatic, 100m water resistance would make it a viable everyday wear. I use “Harold” aka Yobokies to convert Seiko movements. Creation watches also have some nice ones, but be aware of import duties from Japan.Have a browse.

I’ve been looking at the Tissot nice looking watches, colleague has a C Ward it’s very nice too, he’s pleased with it.

I only spotted these last night but Hamilton Watches and 88 Rue due Rhone, while looking for a new watch myself 😉

The Stowa Antea may suit, very clean lines and slim enough to wear everyday.

LINKY

I’d echo much of what has been written above. The Tissot Visodate watches are very classically styled and look spot on. There are loads of other Tissot’s worth investigating as well. I too would like at Chris Ward but perhaps at the Harrison or Malvern if you don’t want something big.

Lucky you getting recognised for 10 years service, i worked somewhere for 25 years, it passed like any other day.
You would be hard pressed to beat Steinhart for quality/price ratio.
Stowa also a good shout.

If you are going stowa I’d look at the Seatime.

Longines hydro conquest can be got for just over 650 I think.
Swatch group so has the workhorse ETA movement. Personally I’d look at that over a CW.

Steinhart / stowa a good shout.

Buy what you like the look of / feels comfortable tho. Decent budget and you won’t buy a ‘bad’ watch for that

£650 on the nose:

Christopher Ward C9. Really like the look of these and might have to save up a few pennies myself.

Why do Seiko movements need to be converted as this thread suggests?

Junghans Max Bill

Mondain Stop2Go

[/quote]twinw4ll – Member
Lucky you getting recognised for 10 years service, i worked somewhere for 25 years, it passed like any other day.

I get 3 months off at full pay (can even do six months on half pay!)

Having said that I might not last ten years as it’s **** hard work and easy to burn out 🙁

Andybanks. The Seiko movements aren’t converted but one watch can be modified into something unique to yourself. I have a Yobokies as my everyday watch replacing much more expensive watches.

Longines

under budget but there is a fresh batch of zeno explorer’s in at time design

under budget but there is a fresh batch of zeno explorer’s in at time design

under budget but there is a fresh batch of zeno explorer’s in at time design

I think this is the most stylish, understated, classic yet modern watch I’ve seen in ages. £390. Quartz too so actually useful for telling the time reliably.

Uniform Wares

Fortis Spacematic – I have had one for 15 years and it barely has a scratch on it. Very well made and a simple design I really like. Fight the bling.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/attachments/f251/324770d1285445887-fortis-spacematic-some-photos-imgp1665rl.jpg

I like that Jungham’s mentioned above, but one more brand to consider that I don’t think has come up yet is Hamilton. Plenty in their lineup in your budget.

andybanks – Member
Why do Seiko movements need to be converted as this thread suggests?

Yokobies basically take a standard model Seiko, a 5 series, for example, and customise it to the customer’s liking, by putting a new face and hands on, and sometimes a new crystal, like one with an A/R coating. He’ll customise Monsters, Mini-Tuna, pretty much most Seiko watches. I’ve got a cheap Seiko 5 modded with a face and hands not unlike a Bell&Ross, with larger hands and markers.
This is mine:

This is what the standard watch looks like, mine’s had the case polished:

Gives you an idea what a Yokobies mod does.

I think this is the most stylish, understated, classic yet modern watch I’ve seen in ages. £390. Quartz too so actually useful for telling the time reliably.

My Seiko SPORK, (not the one pictured) is more accurate than my TAG Heuer quartz. Took a bit of tweaking, mind, but I could do that myself, not something I could do with the TAG. Took four attempts.

25 years at my place and they gave me a cheque, almost enough to buy my Roubaix SL4. Thank God it wasn’t a watch as I have a nice titanium Seiko.

CountZero – Member

My Seiko SPORK, (not the one pictured) is more accurate than my TAG Heuer quartz. Took a bit of tweaking, mind, but I could do that myself, not something I could do with the TAG. Took four attempts.

How do you tweak it? Mine can be slow at time.

I think that says more about TAG than anything else. I’ve a couple of seiko 9f quartz movements – supposedly accurate to 10 seconds a year – though it’s pretty academic by the time you’ve altered the time when travelling and reset for summertime. The one that moves just the hour hand without affecting seconds is pretty neat though.

Point was that even most cheap quartz movements are more than accurate enough, don’t lose accuracy over time and don’t require winding or servicing. I’m sure they’re beautifully made and all that but mechanical watches feels a bit like driving a Morgan and starting it with a crank handle to me. Technology has moved on.

chewkw – Member
CountZero – Member
My Seiko SPORK, (not the one pictured) is more accurate than my TAG Heuer quartz. Took a bit of tweaking, mind, but I could do that myself, not something I could do with the TAG. Took four attempts.

How do you tweak it? Mine can be slow at time.[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72Vw0DASIPI/T8L_iNkgEwI/AAAAAAAAA9w/dTkN152LciU/s1600/Seiko5SeeThroughBackZoom.jpg[/img]

See the pink bit near the top of the picture? There is pointer and a scale from “plus” to “minus”. Moving the pointer to “plus” should make the watch run faster.

Warning – You need to remove the case back to do this and you could break your watch. A watchmaker would be able to do this easily and time the watch accurately.

Hamilton are a good bet at that price or maybe look at a good second hand one if they’ll allow it. Lots more ‘value’ in that but less ideal as a gift 🙂
My employer sends you a letter to commemorate 40 yrs along with a cheque for £75 if you can be arsed to claim it and do the necessary paperwork in triplicate or similar!

As matthewjb shows, it’s not too difficult to do, but you do have to be careful! It took me four goes, and the last one was a fluke. The amount you have to move the adjuster is microscopic, and I nudged it a bit too far, then nudged it back, checked it for a couple of months, and it was pretty much spot-on, having been gaining about a minute a week. It now gains around thirty seconds over six months.
Getting the back off is easy with a tool from Maplins, but you have to be very careful with the O-ring, which sits in a groove. A light smear of silicon when putting the case-back back on should stop the O-ring from catching and pinching between the case and back.
I took it very, very carefully while adjusting it!

Thanks for all the suggestions. My main concern is that I don’t usually wear a watch, but would like to use this as an excuse to start wearing one. I also usually wear my watch on my right wrist, and am right handed.

There are so many good watches at this price, some others I have seen:
Rotary Jura Automatic

Certina DS Multi 8

Michel Herbelin Newport Marine

Hamilton Jazzmaster Open Heart

88 Rue du Rhone Double 8

Chris Ward C9 Harrison GMT

Tissot PRC 200
Just too many to decide since I don’t have any previous preference.

Leftfield choice, but I have a Halios Laguna in my collection. It’s quite a chunky watch, but I’ve worn it daily in the past. Retro looks, Auto, 500m water proof, internal bezel, great lume, 2 different straps included too.

I love it. Should be available for around your budget.

My current favourite is the Chris Ward C9 Harrison GMT

Something a bit different, and the GMT feature is a nice touch.

From your list I would without doubt favour the Christopher Ward C9, second place by quite a long way would be the Tissot