What watch do you wear?

jonessa said:
I didn't want to appear flippant, but this purchase will essentially be "free", hence me requesting ideas for recommendations. I already own a Chronograph, a cheap auto diver and a dress watch.

My post was really asking what people would recommend around that budget, regardless of style.
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Nomos is probably 'best' around that price range:

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jonessa said:
:)

i've already got my dream watch - as indicated in an earlier post!

I didn't want to appear flippant, but this purchase will essentially be "free", hence me requesting ideas for recommendations. I already own a Chronograph, a cheap auto diver and a dress watch.

My post was really asking what people would recommend around that budget, regardless of style.

Thanks
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Regardless of style? Seems like you're just buying a watch for the sake of it then as opposed to finding something you really like. Not the most satisfying way to purchase imo! It's your money though. :p
 
Well, my ongoing quest to find the next watch for more formal occasions that I can cherish seems to be centering around Jaeger LeCoultre, I just love the style and elegance of their watches. I have also decided that a white dial is the most versatile for a formal watch, it just goes with everything whereas black does not.

While the perpetual calendar watches I mentioned earlier looks gorgeous, I think it requires a certain extra level of care and responsibility towards watches that I'm not quite ready for yet. If it is mistakenly set too far forward then it needs a professional to re-adjust. If you set it at the wrong time of day while it is undergoing a change, it can cause a fault in the movement. In short, it's too complex for where I am at the moment, needing more of a chilled out daily driver.

So, the closest I can get to that seems to be the Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar 1558420 http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us/en/watches/master/master-calendar/1558420.html

And there is also a version with a dial made from real 800'000 year old meteorite for around 25% extra...


This watch still has day, month and date, and as such I wouldn't need to worry about oversetting. Sure, it's not quite perpetual, but it's still imo a stunningly beautiful watch that will dress up or down for the occasion.

It's definitely top of my short-list at the moment, though I am still researching. I will see what the best price I can find is online... :)
 
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800,000 years you say? Pftt my watch has carbon within the steel that was formed in the heart of a star and has been on Earth for ooooo around 4.6 billion years... :rolleyes:
 
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We seem to have very similar watch preferences rich, a Jaegre Le-Coultre like that would be about end game for me, still years away from being able to comfortably spend that money on a watch though
 
I hadn't worn my 5* Admiral for a few days so it had stopped. Picked it up to wear out for lunch yesterday and it was stopped dead on 12 noon. Even the second hand was on the 12.
 
That JLC is a lovely piece and the meteorite dial adds some extra interest to the looks.

I also like the Zenith Captain Winsor annual calendar at that sort of price - it has a very elegantly engineered calendar mechanism in addition to the El Primero chronograph movement:

 
Ayahuasca said:
We seem to have very similar watch preferences rich, a Jaegre Le-Coultre like that would be about end game for me, still years away from being able to comfortably spend that money on a watch though
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You guys are so lucky to have 0% finance in the UK... I would buy all my watches on that if I had access to it, it's really a no-brainer for any expensive purchase imo!

GeezerButler said:
That JLC is a lovely piece and the meteorite dial adds some extra interest to the looks.

I also like the Zenith Captain Winsor annual calendar at that sort of price - it has a very elegantly engineered calendar mechanism in addition to the El Primero chronograph movement:

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That is indeed a nice watch, but for some reason I just don't identify with Zenith as a brand, I think it's the name that bugs me... sounds American for some reason, probably due to the huge U.S. electronics company called Zenith which means that the watch brand has low presence there. Their star logo also reminds me of a communism symbol. Silly I know, as they have good heritage, but I can't help it. Still, they have some good looking designs...

Zenith El Primero Classic Chronomaster automatic https://www.fraserhart.co.uk/zenith...utomatic-men-s-black-leather-strap-watch.html

Zenith Captain automatic moonphase https://www.fraserhart.co.uk/zenith-captain-automatic-moonphase-men-s-brown-leather-strap-watch.html

I still prefer the design of JLC though.
 
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I found this in an old box today. After a quick google it seems that these old Swtches are collectible. This one seems to be valued around £100 to £150 I think :)

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I never thought I'd spend more than a couple of hundred quid on a watch but then I saw these

https://www.christopherward.co.uk/c9-moonphase-820e98

And fell in love with them. It's waaaay more than I would have dreamt of spending but I think they look great. What are people's views on the value for money / quality of the brand though? I've read their PR and various profiles of the company but I've no way of knowing whether they really are equal to the "bigger boys" in terms of quality or whether it's a Franklin Mint collectible plate style set up. Any thoughts?
 
I really liked what CW set out to do and I've had a few and my wife has a couple (they are the only watches I have ever moved on though still have a trident) but their bungled multiple re-imagining of their logos, sometimes nauseating marketing and upwards creep in prices have really put me off the brand. I do think that watch is handsome but I wouldn't personally part with that sort of money for a CW but if you love it why not.
 
[HB]Rugrat said:
I never thought I'd spend more than a couple of hundred quid on a watch but then I saw these

https://www.christopherward.co.uk/c9-moonphase-820e98

And fell in love with them. It's waaaay more than I would have dreamt of spending but I think they look great. What are people's views on the value for money / quality of the brand though? I've read their PR and various profiles of the company but I've no way of knowing whether they really are equal to the "bigger boys" in terms of quality or whether it's a Franklin Mint collectible plate style set up. Any thoughts?
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£1200 gets you a quality watch from numerous highly respected Swiss watchmakers. You would have to be crazy or clueless to spend that on a CW. Re-sale value will drop like a stone.

Examples are:

Oris Artelier £1250 https://www.oris.ch/watch/oris-artelier-complication/01-781-7729-4031-07-5-21-65fc

Hamilton Jazzmaster Day Date https://shop.hamiltonwatch.com/american-classic-jazzmaster-day-date-auto-h32505511.html

mikeh501 said:
Don't waste your money. CW watches are worthless the minute you buy it. They have more sales than DFS
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To me CW were always a weak brand and increasingly overpriced, albeit one with decent quality behind it. I would rather buy a Tissot, at least they are Swiss and have real heritage.

I mean really, look all the great automatic watches for less than £500 https://www.tissotwatches.com/en-gb/shop/most-popular/men-watches.html
 
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To be fair to CW they have made a big effort with their new movement. The watchmaker they brought in seems to have the right credentials. I don't like all the phoney heritage stuff they do shovelling a bit of old spitfire in with a quartz movement and so on though!

In my view they set out to be a brand rather than having a clear intent re their watches, that's why it feels wrong.
 
The OEM strap on my PAM 351 is really starting to smell! I've done the baking soda method of cleaning and it's too far gone so I'm on the hunt for a nice OEM-like brown croc strap or possibly a vintage style strap, as well as a canvas strap to go with it. Any recommendations?
Been wearing my Seiko Titanium Samurai for the last week, having kept it in the watch box for the last few months. Aside from the flimsy clasp, it's such a comfortable watch to wear. I get so many comments about it too.
 
[HB]Rugrat said:
I never thought I'd spend more than a couple of hundred quid on a watch but then I saw these

https://www.christopherward.co.uk/c9-moonphase-820e98

And fell in love with them. It's waaaay more than I would have dreamt of spending but I think they look great. What are people's views on the value for money / quality of the brand though? I've read their PR and various profiles of the company but I've no way of knowing whether they really are equal to the "bigger boys" in terms of quality or whether it's a Franklin Mint collectible plate style set up. Any thoughts?
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My daily wearer is a CW Trident Pro Vintage which I love, however as others have said, never pay full price for a CW watch. They have regular 50% off sales and that is when it can be worth picking one up. They also send out regular vouchers, eg. I currently have a £100 off voucher and a £50 off voucher sat at home unused.

The watches look good and are well made. Mine is also very accurate. They have rebranded numerous times over the years though which is a bit of a pain.
They also have a very good warranty and returns policy. I'm not sure I'd spend over £1k on one but if you really want it, order it. You have 60 days to return it, hassle free.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated - this is exactly what I was wanting to know. If it was a couple of hundred quid I wouldn't mind getting it but at that kind of money, I want to know I've not spent £1300 on something worth £300.
 
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