Best Watch?

notdos

notdos

Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Messages
1,496
I hope some of you watch guys can help me figure this out. I never realized there were so many cool watches till I started following some of the watch posts. I've decided to buy my wife a "nice" watch for Christmas but I don't really know as much as I'd like to know about the brands that are available. Of course, I'm familiar with the Rolex name and I've heard of Tag, Raymond Weil, Omega, Bertolucci, Ebel, Baume & Mercier and others but I don't have a clue what's good and what isn't. I think I want an automatic movement but maybe there is some reason why I don't. And of course, I have a budget. So, any and all opinions would be appreciated.

Phillip
 
Here are two excellent options based on what I have in my collection. I'll go high-end and middle of the road.

(1) High End- Tag Heuer Professional 200 M. This is an excellent model with all of the bells and whistles. Stop watch, tachymeter, rotating bezel for diving times, saffire lense. It is a three dial watch and that has, count them, seven sweeping hands! It can be had for around $1400.00 after discounts and negotiations.

(2) Middle of the road- Seiko Titanium. This one is entirely Ti, so it is very light. Some features are Perpetual Calender (it already knows what month it is and how many days there are, never needs setting by hand). A lithium ion battery that keeps going and going. Plus, a very "high tech" overall appearance. Around $285.00 discounted.

I recommend either because I looked extensively for watches a while back and decide on these two. Between these two, you'll be set for a black tie affair, or a day on the gun range!
 
I wear an Omega Seamaster. Best watch i have ever seen. Love it. Going to wear it forever. Automatic is the way to go too.
 
Some choices:

Very high end: F.P. Journe Resonance, F.P Journe Tourbillon, Dufour Duality.

High end: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak chronograph or perpetual/chronograph.

Mid-range: IWC GST series, IWC Mk XV, Rolex Sea Dweller or Yachtmaster

Low-end: Tutima Fliegerchrono, Sinn EZM-1
 
bae,

If Rolex is your definiton of mid-range you have too much money!!

notdos,

I bought my wife a stainless Steel Rolex Oyster day/date when our son was born. This is nice simple looking watch that she wears everyday and which is basically bombproof - she does not have to keep taking it off to do tasks round the house etc - this is important - if you do not believe me ask your wives!!

The other nice thing about simple style Rolexes is that most people look at them and do not realise what they are so they do not try to steal them. :(

I hope this input helps.

Regards,

Ed
 
> If Rolex is your definiton of mid-range you have too much money!!

Rolex doesn't really make any complicated watches, and most of their stainless models are priced in the $3-4k range. A high-end complication from Patek or Audemars can easily run $50k->$500k.

Rolexes are simple tool watches, unless you tart them up with silly diamonds and such.
 
I own an IWC Fliegerchrono Auto.
Do a search on timezone.com on it and you'll find tons of stuff on the brand. Generally speaking, IWC watches are priced very well, and their watches intended for tne active lifestyle (aviators and divers) are really built to take rough use. Of course, IWC also make dressier watches which are also great in a different way.
If you want a dress watch, look at Blancpain, Jaeger LeCoulter, Audemars Piguet, Chronoswiss, Patek Phillipe, A. Lange and Sohn, Franck Muller, Parmigiani, etc.
As for Rolex, the following is not intended as flame bait. I owned a Rolex Submariner for a while. After I got into watches, it was my holy grail. My first watch was a TAG Heuer. Nice, but not a "real" refined timepiece. I then went for an Omega Seamaster (Bond Watch). I loved it but still lusted for a Submariner. When I'd saved enough money to buy a pre-owned one, I did. Had it refinished at the Rolex facility in NYC. Then, I started reading about Rolex from true watch enthusiasts. I started looking at my watch carefully and also looking at some of the brands I'd mentioned above. I came to the conclusion that Rolex is nowhere near the quality of those other brands. I compared exterior design and finishing. Rolex looked crude next to the Omegas, IWC's and JLC's. I looked at pictures of the Rolex movements side by side with movements from these other watches. The difference was ridiculously easy to see. In particular, look for a review of the Rolex Explorer by Walt Odets in Time Zone. Walt is a master watchmaker and did some awesome in depth reviews of watches and their movements. Walt's expose of the Explorer was a real eye opener and sparked all kinds of "hate" mail from Rolex afficianados.
I'm really not trying to bash Rolex, just open people's eyes. They would be great watches if they cost half of what they actually cost. But then Rolex wouldn't be able to pay for all their advertisements and COSC Certifications. Rolex is really the choice of the watch neophyte trying to make a statement: "I have arrived". If you're considering buying one, please look at it side by side with an IWC or other fine watch. Check out everything: the finish of the SS, the smoothness of the bracelet edges, the way the crystal fits into the bezel, etc, etc. Then, go to timezone.com and do the research.
Please, no flames from Rolex lovers. They have their place in the watch world, just not at the price that they sell for.
As for "should I buy an Automatic or Quartz movement watch?".
Ask yourself 2 questions: am I fascinated by tiny precision machines; and "do I appreciate art". If you can honestly answer yes to these questions, purchase an automatic movement watch.
Lenny
 
Wow!
Those watches are way beyond my "blue collar" means.
1000's of dollars for a watch?
My wife would kill me!

I do like Seiko watches though. I think you get alot of watch for a nice price.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
> If you can honestly answer yes to these questions, purchase an automatic movement watch.

Actually, for tactical applications, I prefer hand-wound to automatic-winding watches. With a hand-wound watch, if you follow a routine, you always know that your watch is wound. With an auto-winder, you're never really sure, unless the watch has a power reserve indicator.

Of course, for tactical applications, it's best to use a watch that you don't really care about, so you don't get distracted cursing at the new scratch you just put on your shiny new Rolex, while the Bad Guy sneaks up on you :-)
 
If I'm awake, my Fliegerchrono is always on my left wrist, even in the shower. I never have to worry if it's wound!
Plus, I've bashed this thing into everything. It takes scratches and bangs superbly.
It's the watch equivalent of my Large Sebenza.
Lenny
 
> If I'm awake, my Fliegerchrono is always on my left wrist, even in the shower. I never have to worry if it's wound!

Automatic winding watches rely on the motion of your wrist to impart momentum to a rotor, which winds the watch for you.

People who have boring old desk jobs, or who drive long distances for long durations, sometimes do not generate enough wrist motion to properly keep the watch wound. With a power reserve indicator, you can see if this is happening to you, and get up and do some jumping jacks. With a manual wind watch, you don't even have to worry about it.

Also, a common failure mode of automatic watches is for the watch's rotor to beome sticky, and lose its winding efficiency. I've had this happen with several.

Furthermore, automatic winding systems are Yet Another Pile of Parts just waiting to fail.

On the other hand, manual winding watches require the seals and gaskets to put up with more abuse.
 
hey bae, we have a lot in common; both watchnuts and knifenuts.
all your points are good ones. but I definitely move enough never to worry about low power reserves. I also get my watches overhauled every 5 years. never had a rotor related problem.
Lenny
 
I have to admit, all of my rotor-related problems so far have been infant mortality issues in brand new watches. You also have to ask yourself - which is more likely, that I am going to have a fairly obscure failure, or that I'm going to have a brain-fade in the morning and forget to wind the watch. Can't really win either way :-)

BTW - I'm not firmly convinced of the value of time-based service intervals for mechanical watches. I prefer to monitor the performance of my watches with a timing machine, and service them when it appears appropriate, rather than subject them to the hazards of shipping and service unnecessarily. I suppose it really depends on your use pattern.

Also BTW - if you're showering with your Flieger, you'd do well to pressure-test the watch every year to make sure your gaskets are holding up.
 
Though many people may think that thousands on a watch is too much, think about this, my fathers rolex has lasted him about 25 years. He was in the food busness for over 45 years. For the years before he decide to buy a rolex he said he annually replaced his watch either from being broken, filled with water, or lost due to a crappy wrist band. So when you add up all the money he has spent on replacement watches its alot less than what he spent on a rolex. What is great about rolex is that you can send it in to the factory for a complete overhall every couple of years, and they retest it for its waterproof integrety, timekeeping acuracy and overall make it look like new. so buy a rolex and you will never have to buy her a new watch again. My father's watch has a mechanism which does not need a battery, it has not failed him yet.
 
i agree with specialist. Spend the money once and never worry about it, or regret buying the cheaper stuff. Rolex is nice but i still prefer Omega. Either way i don't think you will go wrong with the better companies.
 
Let's be fair here - mechanical watches priced above a few hundred dollars make no economic sense. You could buy bonds with the $4000 a new Rolex would cost you, and have $200/year to buy new watches, with no service costs. That'd buy you a lot of quartz watches - you could afford to throw them out whenever the strap broke, or the battery needed changed, and you'd still come out ahead.

Then again, a Geo Metro will get you around town just fine, so who needs a Benz?
 
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