My Watch VS "Uber" Watches

T

The Towcutter

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Jan 16, 2001
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I've always fancied a nice watch. I have a really nice Seiko Sport 150 Chrono from a few years back that is an awesom watch, but I've been intrigued by Tag Heuer, Omega, SINN, ETC>>>>>>>>>

I was buying my MOM a watch for xmas when I saw a rather unusual SEIKO Diver in the case. It was all stainless with a stainless brushed finish bracelet. It said Automatic on it. I asked to take a look at it. This was some watch.It Weighed a ton and it had a sweep second hand. I'm a novice with watches, but I knew this was nice. I expected it to be like $700.00 or so, but it was $250.00. I bought it.

Now I have a watch bug. I'm scouring the net like I did when I started with knives looking for info and convincing myself I need more.

Question to you is do I? Knives are relatively cheap compared to watches. Top customs go for (Emersons excluded) go for like $ 500 or so. "Uber" watches go for at least $1000 min. A bit pricey. I'll search to get the best deal and all, but what makes an $1800 Tag Heur better than my new Seiko. Comparing a MT to a Benchmade is a no brainer (MT) :).But comparing my Seiko to an Omega oR Tag....... What makes them a bettter watch? ( If at all).
 
Hi TC,

Do a search on this forum because their have been a few threads about watches - and links to specialty sites.

I reckon Omega SMP is the best value in top end watches. Tags are overpriced and gimmicky and Rolex's are (while excellent) are bit to far over on the cost/benefit curve for my liking.

You'll get the same range of opinions about this that you will get with knives. Including ones that are 180 degrees opposite to mine. But their you go.

I was given my Omega so I didn't have to part with cash for it. But I loved them so seriously at the time I would have bought one if I had the cash. Now I'm not so sure. I still like it, and pull it out to wear every now and then. But the bottom line is I only wear it for appearances and despite it's ruggedness don't wear it on any paddle/surf/walking adventures. I've got 2 G-Shocks that I rotate for those.

An automatic mecanical watch will not keep time as accurately as almost any digital. But they are a wonder to behold. Your Seiko will do as good a job (in the short term at least) as any of the others. But it probably won't satisfy that unexplainable gadget urge to have 'the best' or close to it. My Leica camera is technically no different to a panasonic half it's price, but I take better photos with it because of the unmeasurable but very tangible crafytmanship that has gone into it. Same goes for my Omega.

Also your Sieko won't impress any yuppies or board room warriors. If that's important.
 
With watches you have what I call the fashion factor. Like some knives, some watches are trendy and, come and go in popularity on a whim.

There are many fine watches that offer a lot of perceived value. I have a $7 casio that will rival any wrist watch around for accuracy. It is not a work of art in steel as most custom knives and good mechanical watches are.

If all you care about in a knife is that it cuts when you need it to and you don't have any of the hardcore adventures so many like to talk about here, most any knife will do. They same can be said of watches.

Do you care that a magnetic field will induce error while you fly your Boeing, Airbus or, some other aircraft?

Do you even dive? I do good to make it to the bottom of the pool but I still have a watch rated to a 1000meters ;)

Do you want to make a subtle statement at work or play with the watch you wear. When I go shopping, I am treated differently if I wear a T-shirt and blue jeans, Dockers and a Polo short or, dress slacks with a dress shirt and tie. The watch I wear plays significantly into scenarios such as these. Wearing Blue Jeans and a $10 T-shirt while wearing a $2,000 watch will get you good service in many upscale places, wearing a Seiko I get ignored. Call it psycology, call it snob'ishness or, what ever you want it is real.

There are also issues you don't really appreciate unless you have owned and worn a really good watch. Comfort and clarity of the watch face come to mind.

Can you clearly read your watch on a moonless night? Does your watch suffer from glare or wash out in strong sunlight? Does it quit working in the rain or fog up with humidity?

Like Tanto knives used to be all the craze, Diver's watches seem to be there now. They do provide a good value in many cases if you want a good outdoor watch but, do you really use the uni-directional bezel or 200+Meter dive rating?

Personally, I find myself attracted to "Pilot" watches for the simple reason of clarity and ease of use. I don't use Chronograph functions so, why clutter the face? I like the larger watches so, mark me down as a 40mm fan. I like the "art" in steel that goes into making a good mechanical watch. Even though a Quartz watch will be more accurate, I still favor the mechanicals. I guess you could say "I like tool watches".

"Dress" watches are world all their own with some really stunning pieces being available to those with deep enough pockets.

In "cheaper" mechanical watches, I find the Fortis brand to offer good value and good quality. Purchased second hand, they occasionally go dirt cheap. I have a Revue Thommen Airspeed that I love with its Titanium case - someday I will own its bigger brother the Airspeed XL. I purchased a TAG Heuer before they became trendy and overly expensive and find it to be a good watch that crosses the "tool watch" and "dress watch" boundaries effectively.

If you can set aside ~$500 and are patient, you can find a good watch on www.timezone.com or www.watchnet.com . Of course, if your tastes are more upscale, good values can be found there for the truly expensive watches too. The only watches I don't really see being devalued over time are the Rolexes and Omega SeaMasters. I suspect this is due in part to their agressive marketing campaigns, after all when was the last time you saw or heard of Reveu Thommen or Fortis?
 
I'm very opinionated on high end watches as you'll see.
TAG's are a joke!
Merely a Quartz movement with a half decent case and bracelet which is way overpriced. I think they make some automatic movement watches which are even more overpriced.
Breitlings likewise are a half decent case and bracelet with stock unfinished movements inside, and a premium price tag to pay for all the advertising.
Rolex's are ridiculously overpriced. They are, however, rugged. The cases and bracelets are crude but tough, as are their movements. To truly get good value for the dollar, look at IWC. I did and that's why I bought an automatic Fliegerchrono, pre-owned. No way could I afford a new one. IWC's are incredibly well made and finished for what they charge.
For instance, my Fliegerchrono uses an off the shelf Valjoux 7750 movement. But IWC takes the movement, replaces critical components with their own pieces, then tweaks and finishes the rest of the movement to their own specs. IWC doesn't send their movements out for the coveted "chronometer" certification to COSC for 2 very good reasons: 1. COSC Certification adds cost to the watch
2. IWC's own internal specs are much more stringent than those a COSC Chronometer must meet
The Omega's are nice, and well made for the price.
To get into truly fine time pieces, however, look at Patek Phillipe, Jaeger LeCoulter, Blancpain, Audemars Piguet, A. Lange und Sohne, etc.
These are very expensive, exclusive, and immaculately finished.
For more info and a real eye opener, go to timezone.com.
I also have a $125 Seiko 200m Diver that puts most TAGS and Rolex's to shame. Actually do the research, and look at the watches and you'll learn a lot.
Lenny
 
Originally posted by Lenny
TAG's are a joke!
Click to expand...

I was afraid to say that Lenny. Bit I agree. They have become synonymous with try hard wannabees. Fair or not, that is the perception that I've seen. Not that it should matter. But if you are going to spend $2000 (Aus) may as well not be labelled as a wanker.
 
Sid's is absolutely correct about the snobery or whatever concerning watches. Watches are considered expensive jewelery.

Merchants and salespeople are trained to stereotype buyers visually, after all, what else do they have to go on. And, we have all seen the kids or people who look and play with everything but buy nothing.

Part of the stereotypes that I have read in sales manuals include looking at peoples jewelry (watches), clothing and behavior -such as cigar smoking, etc.

Watches are functionaly beasts, so if you are getting into them you need a watch for every occasion.

Like the knives, you first need to determine your functional criteria for a watch and then search for a model that suits your needs.

If you are into watches for the "coolness" factor then you will find tons of watches that fit the bill. If you are looking for watches that hold thier value, the only production watches that have that characteristic is Rolex and Panerai, otherwise you have to start looking at highend makers. The highend watches start in the tens of thousands.
 
Movement quality is a big difference in high-end watches. Invictas and Seikos for instance use stock Citizen movements IIRC. Tough and reliable, but not as 'precise' as the better Swiss movements (ETA, Lemania, etc.). Of course YMMV but I'm speaking in general.

Is the movement adjusted for five positions? If not, the orientation of the watch can affect its accuracy. Does it have a Nivarox hairspring and Glucydur balance? These special alloys make the movement more temperature-insensitive with regards to accuracy. Does the watch have a display back and sapphire crystal on top? Acrylic faces are shatterproof but scratch easily (and scratches are easily removed) and mineral crystal is a poor compromise.

Cosmetically the finish and construction of a high-end brand SHOULD be superior (this is not always the case!). The case, hands, face, illumination, numbers, crown, strap/bracelet should all LOOK like an expensive watch. Better display back watches will have decorated movements: blued screws, skeletonizing, engraving, gold plating, etc. If you've never seen one in person they are pretty damn impressive.

I checked out Marathon, Ollech & Wajs, Fortis, Sinn, Seiko, Invicta, Swiss Army, and Tissot because I wanted something less expensive and different from the popular brands (Omega, Rolex, Breitling, Tag, etc.) Then I found Limes, IMHO the best kept secret in watches today.

Not a heavily advertised brand, but these German-made beauties exude quality. They have the features of the high-end brands: display backs secured by screws, sapphire crystal front and back, beautiful ETA 2824-2 movements, Luminova illumination, very nice cases. Oh yeah they have plenty of models to choose from, too.

I got the Principio Flieger for 30% retail price. There are something like 10 dealers in the US so you can contact all of them to find the best price.

I love my Limes because the Flieger design has an understated elegance and only shows its true beauty when you see the back. Eminently practical look as well (clear, easy to read). I get some high-end features for under $450 and I don't need a doomsday-tough divers watch or a yuppie eye-opener. Is it accurate? After the first two months mine was less than 30 sec off. If you budget is less than $500, I would say Marathon SAR, Ollech & Wajs, or Limes.

I'm still learning about this stuff myself, but if you search this forum you'll find a lot of good posts that can help you out. Lenny and Sid have some good advice. Look past the hype, be patient, research watches and deals, get lots of opinions from people in-the-know.
 
Originally posted by The Towcutter
I've always fancied a nice watch. I have a really nice Seiko Sport 150 Chrono from a few years back that is an awesom watch, but I've been intrigued by Tag Heuer, Omega, SINN, ETC>>>>>>>>>


TOWCUTTER
I am actually wearing that Chrono 150 from Seiko right now. just got it factory serviced and new luminated hands. Mine is 10 years old.

I have a TAG one of the Link series, chrono's with the blue face. It is a very nice watch. I got it as a gift for my BD. My girlfiend bought it in Amsterdam. They are stupid $$ if you buy them here in Canada.

I can fly to Amsterdam and buy a TAG or a Breitling there and fly home, for less money than the watch cost here and thats with the price of airfare included

I also have a Titanium Suunto which is pretty cool, and I live near the outdoors so yes I do use all the gadgets on it.

My next watch will be an Omega or a Brietling.

If you like the looks of a TAG then buy it and forget about what other peole say, because it's your wrist that it sits on every day.
Click to expand...
 
I'm hooked on the Fortis B-42
pilotchrono_big.jpg

Awaiting arrival.
 
Originally posted by Ming65
Hi TC,

Your Seiko will do as good a job (in the short term at least) as any of the others.


I'm currently wearing a Seiko Sports 100, which I bought in 1978
Click to expand...
 
There are plenty of nice watches out there. Anyhing above a basic Timex or Casio is just jewelry. I carry a PDA and a cell phone which are both probably almost as accurate as my Casio and most certainly more accurate than any mechanical watch.

With that said, I wear an stainless steel Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer pretty much all the time. My wife got it for my 40th BD this past June, but I picked it out. It's a 2255.80.00 for those that are curious (polished bezel and laser blue face). We paid cash. This is important to me because owning a watch like this is not a need for most people, but a want, and you shouldn't finance a want IMHO.

The Seamaster feels different on my wrist than the Citizen, Seiko, Casio, Timex, Bulova (very early digital)or Casio watches I've owned in the past. It feels much more solid, and the bracelet never pinches the hairs on my arm.

One of the things that I like most about the Seamaster is that it doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME!" like many Rollies and Tags do. I don't think that the Omega Constellations have this same charm as they seem flashier to me. The Seamaster isn't much different looking than a Seiko or Citizen sports watch, especially as mine's not got the chronograph extras so the face is rather plain. It's only when you look at it up close and wear it that you notice the difference as compared to most more affordable watches.

In the world of high end watches, a stainless Seamaster barely qualifies from a price standpoint. It's expensive to everyday folk, but pocket change to real high end watch afficionados, Yet it does help you get that extra bit of customer service in better retail establishements where the salespeople have been trained to key in on such issues. I've worked in the high end retail environment for nearly 20 years and early on I learned to look at the wrist and the ankles. People who can afford to buy the good stuff might not always dress well, and sometimes look hungover and unshaven, but usually have a nice watch or nice shoes, often both.

I'm also facinated my precision machinery and so for me the Quartz vs. mechanical was not an issue. It's not likely that I'll ever be anywhere that I can't get a battery for a quartz watch. If the world goes so far south that batteries are no longer available, then I'm not sure how many appointments I'll have to keep anyway. But it's nice to know that as long as I can keep moving (and the watch has been serviced correctly) I'll probably have a relaible timepiece. I have had quartz watch batteries die while in th emiddle of a trade show, and while not an insurmountable problem as I still had my cell phone, it was inconvienient.

The Seiko divers seem like a lot of bang for the buck, and after our conversation about them last night, one may well be in my son's future (his other choice was a Blancpain). I'm really happy with my Seamaster, and if things work out in a logical fashion,in the long term, I'll probably end up with my father's "LOOK AT ME!" Rollie gold Pesident with the diamonds on each number and my boy will probably end up with both (as well as my modest gun and knife collection). I can't see a Citizen lasting for several generations.

jmx

PS: You can substitute "ROB ME" for "LOOK AT ME" in the above post.
 
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