Gentlemen, please explain to me a good respectable watch. I have seen watches from cheap to worth over $5,000 dollars.
I heard the Swiss have a great respectable watch makers with a strict code. I would love to get a excellent watch, but I don't to fooled by cheapness or a brand name. Thank you.
Watches
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Christian Gentleman
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Screaminmarlon
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Some say the sun is the best watch 
CG, this is a very large topic. Might I suggest that a good start for you would be to read the FAQ on mechanical watches at TimeZone, the forum for watch enthusiasts, collectors, and professionals? The link is here. There's a lot to take in, but once you understand the basics you can begin to evaluate quality and style for yourself (listening in on the public forums at TimeZone would then be educational as well).
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Christian Gentleman
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Thanks very much for the advice, gents!
in my humble opinion, for the price range, buy a rolex and you cannot go wrong.
in time, your interests in watches might increase, and you can go buy a watch that takes your fancy, but a rolex will always stand the test of time both in its value and stylistically.
also, personally i will stay away from watches that are too big, that is so going out of style in the next 5 years and it was the wrong style to adopt to begin with anyway.
in time, your interests in watches might increase, and you can go buy a watch that takes your fancy, but a rolex will always stand the test of time both in its value and stylistically.
also, personally i will stay away from watches that are too big, that is so going out of style in the next 5 years and it was the wrong style to adopt to begin with anyway.
@ pur_sang:
To your point, with my smallish wrist, I've been forced into the children's category by this trend towards oversize.
http://ahci.watchprosite.com/show-forum ... 1781/s--9/
To your point, with my smallish wrist, I've been forced into the children's category by this trend towards oversize.
http://ahci.watchprosite.com/show-forum ... 1781/s--9/
You are quite correct, I regret to say. (Provided you are buying your Rolex from a reputable source).pur_sang wrote:in my humble opinion, for the price range, buy a rolex and you cannot go wrong.
in time, your interests in watches might increase, and you can go buy a watch that takes your fancy, but a rolex will always stand the test of time both in its value and stylistically.
also, personally i will stay away from watches that are too big, that is so going out of style in the next 5 years and it was the wrong style to adopt to begin with anyway.
I suggest this is regrettable only because there are some superb watches made to a higher standard that can be had for a tiny fraction of the price of a Rolex.
Of particular merit in the league of brilliant watches for the money are 'Mk II' made by an enterprising watch enthusiast called Bill Yao, based in the US (Mr Google will take you there - and no personal connection on my part). His watches are intended to be close in design to some famous examples but made using the best modern materials and production techniques. Another marque worth investigating is Sinn, a German manufacture : again fantastic quality at a fraction of Rolex prices.
Rolex do have excellent resale value - it must be said. A cautionary tale however : I met an independent watch restorer / repairer locally in the UK, who does a lot of service subcontracting for Rolex and Omega in the UK. He had a valuable ex-military Rolex arrive for a service - one of a model that is frequently (and usually badly!) forged. A genuine example of this model, with provenance, can sell for upwards of £50,000. Under the loupe this one ticked all the boxes - perfect machine markings, wear, grime etc. Due to the value of the timepiece, the service required disassembly and a part by part replacement rather than the usual drop-in parts. It was only when trying to replace a microscopic element with a Rolex-sourced part that the forgery was discovered. He was stunned at the effort taken to produce the fake, but the money in issue was plainly too much of a temptation.
Imitation / flattery ? You get the picture.
Melcombe - I can only agree with you on Rolex. They seem to hold their value very well, which is a very big plus. And for many people, they are considered stylish. But there are indeed better watches available in terms of quality for the price, even purely Swiss. IWC springs to mind. I'm also not entirely sure about Rolex worn with black tie for instance, something I see quite regularly, especially with the Submariner model.
Even a brand like Seiko do mechanical watches very well and since a few years these are also available outside Japan. Their mechanics are first class and I find their design timeless. And the beautiful thing is: everybody thinks "Oh, he's wearing a Seiko, cheap fellow". They are like their whisky's: outside their home market nobody really new they existed until recently, but now everybody is fully aware they can compete with the absolute best.
And thank you for mentioning MkII, I had never heard of them. And Sinn, well, classic stuff!
T
Even a brand like Seiko do mechanical watches very well and since a few years these are also available outside Japan. Their mechanics are first class and I find their design timeless. And the beautiful thing is: everybody thinks "Oh, he's wearing a Seiko, cheap fellow". They are like their whisky's: outside their home market nobody really new they existed until recently, but now everybody is fully aware they can compete with the absolute best.
And thank you for mentioning MkII, I had never heard of them. And Sinn, well, classic stuff!
T
http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/2011/11/28 ... eater.html
Seiko gives Patek Philippe a run for their money.
Seiko gives Patek Philippe a run for their money.
That chime is beautiful, incredible it comes from that watch.
But robert_n, it may be slightly out of the OP's budget?
But robert_n, it may be slightly out of the OP's budget?
Why would you want anybody thinking you are a cheap fellow? He wants a respectable watch and associating this thought is absolutely not intended. It is hard to find a properly respectable watch for under $5000, but start looking for vintage timepieces. My suggestion for you is obvious - Rolex. Their calibers are really well built, they almost never have problems (except the highly suggested service every few years) and they look classy. Look out for models called Submariner, Deep Sea or GMT-Master. Inconspicuous, yet elegant. In this price range you will get either steel from a reputable manufacturer or "precious" metals from, well, non-reputable manufacturers. One underrated brand is Carl F. Bucherer. If you prefer a unusual dress watch, take a look at the Patravi collection.Tutumulut wrote: [...]And the beautiful thing is: everybody thinks "Oh, he's wearing a Seiko, cheap fellow". [...]
T
If you have any further question, ask away. But don't go for Seiko.
ps: Brands really upping their game - Baume&Mercier and Maurice Lacroix.
mrleiter - of course one wouldn't expect someone to make their first investment in a serious watch to go for a Seiko. I merely mentioned their mechanical gems as an example of left field originality and (technical) beauty and that there is value in knowing what one has for oneself without showing off that it is so.
One would expect a first watch to come from Switzerland or from wider Europe as to include very interesting brands from Germany and the like.
What I personally would always advise is to not choose Rolex unless the most important aspect of a watch is its financial value. Because yes, of the bigger brands their watches seem to retain their value best by far, but they have become at the same time ubiquitous and they are to my eyes lacking style. But style and taste are personal, as this forum shows every day and you may well have tapped into the OP's emotions better than I have. Because in the end, owning a watch can bring nice emotions, to that we agree I think!
One would expect a first watch to come from Switzerland or from wider Europe as to include very interesting brands from Germany and the like.
What I personally would always advise is to not choose Rolex unless the most important aspect of a watch is its financial value. Because yes, of the bigger brands their watches seem to retain their value best by far, but they have become at the same time ubiquitous and they are to my eyes lacking style. But style and taste are personal, as this forum shows every day and you may well have tapped into the OP's emotions better than I have. Because in the end, owning a watch can bring nice emotions, to that we agree I think!
Yes, I agree to some extent. Hence I referenced to vintage timepieces. But your point is duely taken.
There is this saying:"A gentleman wears his heart on his sleeve." So yes, we agree here!
There is this saying:"A gentleman wears his heart on his sleeve." So yes, we agree here!
I bought this a few years ago and really like it. Keeps great time and has a nice classic look to it. I'll need to replace the band soon, but all in all a very nice buy. I've had many people ask me where I got it. From a short distance they probably think it's much nicer than it actually is!
^^^^
That is a classical example of something that causes me a real dilemma - and goes to the heart of a topic that is common enough on watch fora (esp. the ones I spend too much time on...) as well as a theme relevant to bespoke attire : namely, how much of the pleasure of owning and using (wearing) an item is derived from
(a) its pure functionality
(b) emotional attachment, and
(c) how much from the reputation of its provenance.
The Orient Watch Co is (I think) a subsidiary of Seiko, and is a volume production brand (starting at less than £100),and is possibly at the other end of Seiko's model spectrum from its Grand Seiko models (upwards of £3,000 a pop). There is a difference in materials and engineering, but basically they perform the same function.
That example is particularly nice, and is a sort of lookalike for a 1980s Jaeger LeCoultre - with a hardy, japanese made (probably) automatic movement. It might not be at the top of my buy list, but if I got it as a present, I would be happy enough and put it in my rotation. Some might criticise its lack of artisan input, as it's entirely machine made. On the other hand, what creditable ingenuity went into the concept of the production process, if not the manufacturing process itself. I have a fairly unsophisticated and unremarkable machine made 1940s watch in my collection, worth about £150. To me its priceless, because it was my father's.
When we admire someones choice of attire, should we consciously weigh the decisions made by the wearer as to the design or function of the garment as against less obvious yardsticks of perceived quality ? I regularly see posts on watch collectors threads showing off a £10k Panerai that prompt the same reaction in my mind as seeing a "Celeb" in an ill-fitting Tom Ford Tux, that probably cost as much as a decent car.
Back to the point 'though, that Orient would look good on a plain dark brown smooth Shell Cordovan or Juchtenleder strap.
That is a classical example of something that causes me a real dilemma - and goes to the heart of a topic that is common enough on watch fora (esp. the ones I spend too much time on...) as well as a theme relevant to bespoke attire : namely, how much of the pleasure of owning and using (wearing) an item is derived from
(a) its pure functionality
(b) emotional attachment, and
(c) how much from the reputation of its provenance.
The Orient Watch Co is (I think) a subsidiary of Seiko, and is a volume production brand (starting at less than £100),and is possibly at the other end of Seiko's model spectrum from its Grand Seiko models (upwards of £3,000 a pop). There is a difference in materials and engineering, but basically they perform the same function.
That example is particularly nice, and is a sort of lookalike for a 1980s Jaeger LeCoultre - with a hardy, japanese made (probably) automatic movement. It might not be at the top of my buy list, but if I got it as a present, I would be happy enough and put it in my rotation. Some might criticise its lack of artisan input, as it's entirely machine made. On the other hand, what creditable ingenuity went into the concept of the production process, if not the manufacturing process itself. I have a fairly unsophisticated and unremarkable machine made 1940s watch in my collection, worth about £150. To me its priceless, because it was my father's.
When we admire someones choice of attire, should we consciously weigh the decisions made by the wearer as to the design or function of the garment as against less obvious yardsticks of perceived quality ? I regularly see posts on watch collectors threads showing off a £10k Panerai that prompt the same reaction in my mind as seeing a "Celeb" in an ill-fitting Tom Ford Tux, that probably cost as much as a decent car.
Back to the point 'though, that Orient would look good on a plain dark brown smooth Shell Cordovan or Juchtenleder strap.
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