£295 on Amazon. A bit steep for a quartz chrono?

Agreed. Solar too, but still pricey – and a surprising amount of variation in the prices available online (I’ve seen it around £190 I think)

Any thoughts on Christopher Ward watches – C60 in particular?

I’ll get shot down for this but when I held a CW in my hand I was totally underwhelmed and thought it was rubbish.

I haven’t got a Christopher Ward C60 but probably will soon. Like the look of them personally.
I have some good watches but always go on what I like the look of, the C60 fits the bill. I’ll probably get the C60 Trident Pro. (I’ve got to wait another month or so as just spent a fair chunk of cash on new wheels)
Brads, I’ve held other Christopher Ward watches and to be honest felt absolutely fine to me, similar feel to my Breitling. Have seen the C60 on eBay for £500 which seems decent.

I’ve got a CW (not a C60), it’s a lovely watch but it’s nothing special.
I bought mine when they were a much newer company and the prices were lower, I don’t see much value in them at current prices.

I like the black faced Dartmouth diver that they just released. Not keen on the 9 o’clock logo placement on most of the others

Are you looking at the new sapphire version of the C60? I like that one, not sure if I’d wear it myself, might be a bit brash.

Just considering a standard C60 black. The sapphires look a bit too bling for me.

Soon, these will all be burgers.

So fantasy watch buying.
£250-750 for a mechanical or automatic watch
I like the idea of brands like Christopher Ward and Magrette
I like clear faces and bright designs – not too busy.
40mm + in size
I’d like it to be something I could leave to my son.
Whilst I like a Seiko as much as the next person, I’d prefer something less mainstream.
I know some of this sounds a bit pretentious bolloxy, but humour me. Please.

🙂

If you take into account the exchange rate and the 15% discount you get offered when you visit the website, that upper limit gets you close to the Yema Superman Heritage. Nice looking watch from a manufacturer with heritage while still avoiding the obvious Seiko ranges.
Superman!

You could look at Hamilton or Laco, 2 brands I’ve been eyeing up recently. Hamilton’s field watches always look good, as do Laco’s fleigers but they both have loads of options.

Personally I wouldn’t bother thinking about buying it as a “heirloom” piece, your tastes will differ, fashions will change etc etc and you’re unlikely to be able to pick up something within that price range which will increase in value other than by blind luck.

Any sentimental attachment will come from the fact it’s your watch, not because you spent a bit extra on a sapphire crystal or whatever. To that end I would get something you’re going to wear otherwise it’ll just be a thing that sits in a drawer that he doesn’t associate with you.

All that said, with that budget, I’d buy one of these…

…but that’s because I’m an Orient fanboy.

In fact I ordered one of these…

…yesterday from Creation to go on a Geckota strap I originally ordered to go on a completely different Orient I haven’t bought yet!

Oh, the Elliot Brown Tyneham automatic is also very nice – I’ve a Canford and the finishing and feel of the watch is great.

Tyneham

£250-750 for a mechanical or automatic watch
I like the idea of brands like Christopher Ward and Magrette

Very happy with my Magrette, since I put a Zulu strap on it I’ve been pretty much wearing it all the time. Much more unusual than CW watches which I personally find a bit meh.

Personally I wouldn’t bother thinking about buying it as a “heirloom” piece, your tastes will differ, fashions will change etc etc and you’re unlikely to be able to pick up something within that price range which will increase in value other than by blind luck.

Totally this – but if you do have the idea of passing it on I’d go for something classic rather than quirky, though it’ll be that you’ve worn it for years that will (hopefully) make it special to your son so you’ll obviously have to choose something you’re actually going to wear. As Ivan suggests, Hamilton or Laco should fit the bill nicely if you get on with them and they’ll always look classy. Unlike Ivan though I’d steer well clear of PVD – there’s the patina that daily wear gives to a piece and then there’s the battered AF look I anticipate PVD having in 10 or 20 years!

^^^^^^

The PVD thing is a fair point but I get around it by only wearing whatever my current smartwatch is – can’t damage my actual watches if they’re tucked away in a drawer…

Smith’s Everest?

but if you do have the idea of passing it on I’d go for something classic rather than quirky, though it’ll be that you’ve worn it for years that will (hopefully) make it special to your son so you’ll obviously have to choose something you’re actually going to wear.

100% this – the watch doesn’t have to be fancy, or with lots of complications, there’s more to go wrong there, or be a sports watch, something like a military style, a Citizen for example, and preferably an automatic, just because electronics can fail, whereas a mechanical will go on for decades.
Wearing a watch for many years gives it a genuine patina that will be associated with you when worn by your son.
Regarding PVD coatings, they will wear, no matter how tough the manufacturer might say the coating is – this is my TAG Series 1000, which may be one of the earliest watches with a PVD coating, I bought it around 1985, and you can clearly see the wear on the case and bracelet from years of my wearing it. Collectors like to see that, getting a watch recoated will drop it’s value; ones like mine, which cost £250, are now going up around £1000, or thereabouts, but only because of a James Bond connection, and they’re cheaper than Rolex!

Count Z — very curious about the Heimdallrs – a) how much duty did you have to pay? B) what is the quality like ?

No duty at all. The quality is excellent, the machining of the case is easily on a par with Seiko, and I’ve got a couple of Seikos here at home, they use Seiko movements, so mechanically there’s no difference, they have sapphire crystals, instead of the Hardlex Seiko use, they have ceramic bezel inserts instead of alloy, the stainless bracelets have proper machined ends, and timekeeping is easily on a par with any equivalent Seiko – one of my Heimdallr’s gains roughly 10 seconds a day, the other loses about the same, but because the NH36 movement’s hackable, resetting the time literally takes a few seconds, I do mine about every couple of weeks, by which time they’ve about three or four minutes out, the last time I did one was after twenty days, and it was just shy of four minutes adrift, which really isn’t much to worry about.
The lume is very bright too, they use SuperLuminova.
I like the Heimdallr Shark logo, it doesn’t bother me that it doesn’t say Seiko on the face, some Heimdallr watches use different movements anyway, and customisations often have third-party faces with different logos anyway.

Dunno if anyone’s interested, even from a purely intellectual/being nosey point of view, but Watches of Knightsbridge are holding an online auction, these are the people who sold a Yema Rallygraf a couple of years ago, and they’ve got another very similar watch, a Lejour, which is basically a Rallygraf standard, and that’s valued at £1200-1500!
Worth a shufti just to see what watches are fetching at the moment.
https://watchesofknightsbridge.cmail19.com/t/ViewEmail/t/CFDB758C5E1EDE872540EF23F30FEDED/08963C6FB00C33DC20B193FBA00ED1DB

I’m quite taken by this Yema Navygraf Heritage

Clicky

Remember the Garmin instinct G shock competitor I mentioned a few pages back?  Well, Casio have just released early info on the GBD-100, a kind of light version and although it seems a little focused on running, is only £139.

https://world.g-shock.com/asia-mea/en/products/g-squad/gbd-100/

my quibble is how much for a battery change in – perhaps less if used properly a lot –  2 years?

That’s interesting because they’ve just done a beefier version at £380 as well.

Casio G-Shock GPS/HRM

That’s the one, yes.  Good move to have a light version I think.  Although, the instinct pricing is right in the middle!

I’m surprised casio have been so slow to jump on the fitness tracking type bandwagon tbh, I know they’ve done one or two but you’d think they’d be all over it.

@oldtennisshoes , my oft suggested brand for superb quality at affordable prices is the Steinhart. If you don’t like a Homage then there are other non ocean one steiny’s. I also agree with the Laco and Hamilton suggestions, both quality watches. I’d favour the Laco, one of the original fleiger manufacturers but that’s just history….and I love a good tool watch. thinking on those lines Stowa have the same credentials too and are at the top end of the price bracket you gave.

@Kato – that Yema Navygraf is very tasty! I’ve not come across that particular watch before, my Rallygraf is from the same period, c1969/70, but I had no idea they’d made an actual dive watch.
Good to see they’re doing their own in-house auto movement as well, mine has a Valjoux 7733, IIRC, which Breitling also used around that time.
If I suddenly found myself with some spare cash, I’d have one of those, if only to have some continuity with the company from fifty years ago. They’ve had some real ups and downs, it would be nice to see Yema get some recognition again.

They’ve had some real ups and downs

Scroll down the link and see what you can (somehow) experience if you buy a new Yema Spacegraph.

Yema Ups & Downs

I assume there’s a cost and a waiting list!

So about a month ago on this thread, @tthew generously offered his Pulsar Aircrew Chronograph watch in exchange for a donation to charity. Described as “not brilliant condition” I PM’ed him and we worked something out. A donation was made to Salisbury Hospice and a few days later, just as lockdown started the watch arrived. It has a patina of use but certainly isn’t in bad condition.
I’d like to thank him publicly, something I should have done much sooner. However, today in the post a nice new NATO strap has arrived and is a great opportunity to take a picture and contribute to the thread. I’m delighted with how it looks and will be first in the queue at the jewellers to get a new battery fitted, and then get wearing this lovely watch!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2iYbwBg]Untitled[/url] by A A, on Flickr" alt="Watch" />

Excellent, I’m glad it’s getting a new lease of life, the hospice got a bit of money and it looks good on the new strap. 👍

Thanks again, very generous of you.

Bargain!

Not sure how long this offer is on for but it looks like a cracking deal.

SKX007J ordered today. Planning to dive into the rabbit hole. 🙂

(It’s time I owned more than one watch!)

I dithered slightly because I also saw this rather lovely machine, the SPB077, but it’s somewhat beyond my budget and I’m going to be wearing the watch in the workshop and the SPB077 is rather too smart for that.

(edit: not my photo, just found online. But that bezel!)

I’m tempted by this. Not flashy and Seikoquartz inside, but a 500m rated dive watch for £105.

One of the 200m versions was found in working order after a month in the sea at a dive site.

https://www.jfdecommerce.com/divex-offshore-500.html

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/divex-watch-indian-ocean-shipwreck

@beaker those Pulsar Navigators watches (not pilot issue unless you were on good terms with stores) were banned from being used on aircraft whilst I was in The Mob.

The crowns kept on falling out in-flight and causing Foreign Object Damage (FOD) risk on aircraft.

I have no idea where mine ended up. Nice looking watch but I found the EcoDrive Tough perfect for flying. Big luminous numbers….screw in crown and the chap who sold it to me said it was EMP-proof and the “perfect watch to wear to war”. Winner!!

Thanks for the draw guys – some things to think about.

@IvanDobski I wonder how much the Zero G flights are!

@mikertroid I was never on good terms with the Stackers when I was in, I had trouble getting socks from them! My brother was a Loadie and for a while we were stationed at Lyneham together, he eventually told me a bottle of Jack Daniels usually helped get something off the shelf. I’ve always wanted a chronograph, this won’t be the last…..

I’m tempted by this. Not flashy and Seikoquartz inside, but a 500m rated dive watch for £105.

One of the 200m versions was found in working order after a month in the sea at a dive site.

https://www.jfdecommerce.com/divex-offshore-500.html

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/divex-watch-indian-ocean-shipwreck

Divex are an Aberdeen based commercial dive company, and these watches are badged up for them. They are quite common up here as they were given out as marketing/freebies (or they were before the downturn!). Of the ones I’ve seen, they aren’t great. The same watch is available under quite a few names. I don’t think anyone knows who makes them.

I first got into watches a few years before my 40th when i decided i wanted to mark that major birthday with a luxury watch. I spent 2 or 3 years choosing before i settled on my PO. love it to bits still.
last year i got a growing urge for a second watch and as i got married i marked that with my pelagos smurf.
now a few years from my 50th i’m thinking of a 3rd major purchase, IF i’m in a position to.(big IF, but let’s dream!) i think i fancy a fiddy for my fiddieth. not sure on model yet, nor size although i currently fancy a full 47mm fiddy rather than a mini fiddy if i can pull it off. with skinny 6.5″ wrists I’d never have thought I could rock ny PAM to be fair, let alone a full fiddy, but i’ve found a sumo at 44,5mm perfectly wearable so i want to try a fiddy. Why am i telling you this? well i like seeking views and seeing pictures. PAM views please, and any fiddy photos. partcularly 172, 176, 372, 375, 376, 605…but not only.

@Kato

**** it, I’m going for it.

I’ll let you know what happens!