Watches

Kicking off another of those favourite STW threads! 🙂

Having celebrated a “milestone” birthday last year I have been looking for a new watch. Thought it would probably be quite easy but it seems not so. There are some nice watches out there but stupid money. Bring the price down an I am struggling to find something I like. Probably just being too fussy and leading to decision paralysis.

I like the idea of a functioning second hand, numbers on the face, date and perhaps chrono. Want it to be reliable and stylish. Shouldn’t be too much to ask. Anyone got anything to inspire me with?

What’s your budget?

Dunno. Fairly modest so likely to be up to around £700 tops. Which does take out stuff like Tag and Omega. Had been looking at one of the Citizen Satellite Wave watches but having tried it on again I am not convinced I like it enough to warrant spunking that much money on it.

Torgoen look pretty good to me.

For that sort of money a Hamilton would be a good bet,
Some of the khaki or jazzmaster series with an automatic movement and/or a chronograph function are that sort of price range.
Solid watch in that price bracket.

Few links
http://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0001537/Hamilton-Khaki-Field-Officer-Automatic-Mens-Watch/p

http://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0001176/Hamilton-Jazzmaster-Chronograph-Automatic-Mens-Watch/p

Or if you want to go down the more expensive watches then you could always buy a pre-owned one, plenty of good jewellery stores will have traded watches.

Have a look at time factors they’re a uk company who provide great vfm and some very interesting watches that might take your fancy.
http://www.timefactors.com/index.htm

If you do want to go second hand then I find a lot of jewellers can be quite optimistic on price so have a check on chrono24.com to get a view on market price it could be useful as a bargaining tool.
If you want to buy on chrono24 it’s much like eBay in that you need to check out the seller well before buying but has less (no) buyer protection so paying by cc or pp is the way.

You could have a look at Christopher Ward. They do some interesting stuff around your budget.

If you want something classy and, pardon the pun, timeless, then consider buying something older and second hand. There are plenty of places you can source nice watches at the kind of price. Watches is a good site but there are others.

A quick scan for items under £1000 threw up this, which while already sold, would be a lovely watch:

Get yourself to SpringFair Trade show at Birmingham (starts this Sunday), register yourself online with a fictitious company and then head to the diamonds/gold/high end stuff section in halls 19/20 and go here;
http://www.bqwatches.com/

your £700 will go further than anywhere else.

Stock moves very fast though.

We go to Spring Fair for my wifes business and I wanted to buy myself a Speedmaster – all sold by Sunday midday.

Nomos, Junghans Max bill, Stowa, Archimeyde, Laco. Steinhart.

Seen some nice Garmin ones recently 😉

I’d certainly be having a look at what http://www.christopherward.co.uk have got for that budget.

New C60 Trident Pro Titanium looks fantastic and only a smidgeon over budget:

Junghans Mega Solar – understated, radio controlled and solar powered = never needs a new battery and is always as accurate as a watch can be – it checks it’s time every 24 hours.

http://wornandwound.com/watch-finder/%5B/url%5D

How about preowned/refurbished from a reputable dealer?

I can sell you mine (nearly new) for £699?

if i was gonna buy a watch at around that price i’d probably get one of these –

https://www.justind.co.uk/watch

As people have suggested if you like classic design Chris Ward if you like something a little left field have a look at Mondane and Uniform Warers both distinctive styles

Cheers
Nick

Sinn 356
I believe they are based on German pilot watches, either way, I am no watch obsessive but I think these look fantastic. All the right bits in all the right places, solid looking without any silly frilly bits. Going to get one for my 40th methinks.
Should be around your budget.

I’d go for something like this http://www.chronomaster.co.uk/sinn/watches/pilot-watches/sinn-104-st-sa-a-on-leather-strap/sin-217/

Assuming you’re into diver style watches, that sort of money gets you an awesome titanium Seiko Prospect Diver. This has the very well respected Seiko in-house 6R15 auto movement:

http://www.creationwatches.com/products/seiko-japan-82/seiko-automatic-prospex-diver-200m-sbdc029-mens-watch-7993.html

However, if it was my money, Id go for the Steinhart titanium 500 which uses the excellent Soprod A10 swiss movement (Soprod being owned by Festina). Its a proper 500m dive watch with a snazzy display case back.

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/OCEAN-Titanium-500-Premium,974.html

I think the Sinn 356 is a bit more than the budget but it is a nice looking watch.

Also consider servicing charges if you get a mechanical movement, and that servicing charges will be more for a chronograph.

And also don’t expect a mechanical watch to necessarily be accurate – even a certified chronometer just means that it gains or loses the same each day.

And if you get a leather strap then saddle soap it often to maintain it…

That steinhart ocean ^ is very nice,

those Cristopher Wards look nice.

Here’s a good site for reviews Watch It All About[/url]

Autozilla titanium

I do like the CW Trident divers Watch, get some zulu NATO straps as well to mix and match 😀

http://www.ukwatchstrap.co.uk/nato-watch-strap.html

I`ve got a james bond, a bright orange and regimental colours straps for my Citizen
I`ve got one of these but the no’s and hands are white
http://www.watchshop.com/mens-citizen-eco-drive-watch-bm8475-26e-p99945668.html

Thank you chaps for the ideas and suggestions – much appreciated. I am quite liking the look of the Chris Ward watches at the moment. Some great shouts.

Can’t do the Birmingham thing though as I won’t be back in the country.

Soprod A10 – that’ll be a seiko movement…

😉

Do you want dressy, diver, pilot etc etc.

New Christopher Ward detail is a bit :blargh:

Hamilton jazzmaster?

@Saccades

genuinely interested as im pondering buying a Steinhart…why is the A10 a Seiko movement? Is it based on a Seiko or patent purchased or something?
Soprod are definitely a Swiss company ( http://www.soprod.ch/EN/Mecanique.htm )

OP:apologies for the hijack

The A10 looks incredibly similar to the seiko high end 4L (credor watches, which are seikos v high quality watches on a par with Grand Seiko – which is the business line really).

I think in a similar way to which Tissot licensed a seiko movement, that soprod have acquired the rights to manufactur the 4l, with them doing it in switzerland it complies with the “swiss made” rules.

I’d certainly want one of them over a ETA movement, as parts are restricted and slowly to be phased out to anyone not in the swatch group.

Seiko Instruments Inc (SII) previously supplied cal. 4L movement via Soprod. Officially Seiko denied it, but some in Seiko Corp unofficially admitted that Soprod A10 (“A” indicates “Altanus”, meaning alternative) is based on the Seiko cal. 4L.

Bit more disscussion and pics to compare.

That Citizen is as gopping as the rug behind it, guess it’s good for the apocalypse, deep sea exploration or showing off to your 8 year old cousin.

/me looks for the like button.

😉

Owner of three Chris Ward watches here. I would happily buy another (probably the Typhoon or the new Ti diver). The Steinhart Ti Diver also looks incredible value, but I have never seen one in person. CW use all the same movements as many of the big brands, and have sapphire crystal so are “the real McCoy” in quality. Their leather straps are a bit of a compromise, look great, but only last 2-3 years of daily wear.

MrSmith – Member
That Citizen is as gopping as the rug behind it

Kick in the nuts followed by an uppercut to the nose or what!
Oof!

cheers Saccades. in my book, that association with the 4L is no bad thing.

Nor mine, it’s a proven high end watch movement which can achieve COSC rating with a fine pedigree.

Would love one.

If you can find one, a Seiko SPORK, (SP045RK), is a particularly nice watch to wear, and look at. Beautifully clear dial, with very bright lume, I’ve had mine for several years, and I love it to bits.
The stainless mesh/sharkskin bracelet cost around $25-30, I find it much more comfortable than the stock bracelet.
The movement is a mechanical automatic.

Junghans Max bill, very classy and understated.

I would love a Seiko SPORK but can`t get my hands on one 🙁