My new watch

[RollWave]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: rnp614

Yeah it seems that a lot of people really dislike that helium valve but I enjoy the look of utility . The watch I'm dreaming about is the Omega Seamaster 2230 model. That 18K White Gold Bezel with the black dial and applied markers really gets my motor running . If only I really needed it

The 2230.50 is a gorgeous watch. I actually also like the version with the yellow gold bezel, even though I generally dislike bling-y divers watches.

I bet in practice I'd find the HE release valve a fun thing to idly play with, but to me it ruins the symmetry of the watch. In that respect I think I wouldn't mind it as much if it were at 9:00 instead of 10:00. I would never ever use it for ultra-deep bell diving anyway (this is the only time the HE release valve has value), and if Rolex (on the Sea Dweller) and Seiko (on the MarineMaster) can integrate HE release valves without a second crown, Omega can presumably do so as well. If I ever buy a current-gen Omega diver, it will be a GMT, which manages to have the same depth rating minus the HE release valve.

Yeah I always wondered why Omega wouldnt step up and do the same.

 

[MonkeyK]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: BullsOnParade
DonVito,

Do you have any opinions or info on the Oris BC3 watches ? I remember hunting one down after seeing it in a movie and its been stuck in the back of my head since then. Wonder if it is worth getting.

Orises are fine. They are one of literally hundreds of watchmakers who build solid watches on ETA Swiss automatic movements. If you like the aesthetic they're perfectly nice watches.

I only have four Swiss-powered watches. My favorite is my Sinn 656 (coincidentally a pilot's watch like the BC3), which has an ETA 2824-2 movement, but I also have an O&W 2801 handwind military watch, a Hamilton chronograph powered by a Valjoux 7750 (that is a stock photo - mine is identical but has date with no day display), and a Christopher Ward Malvern dress watch with an ETA 2824-2 movement.

Love that Sinn! And your new Sieko with the numbers on it too. I've always been turned off by the Seikos because they rarely have numbers on them. I had no idea that you could mod the watch to add the numbers.

Do you have any recommendations for a mens watch for a small wrist? My wrist is a little less than two inches wide and most serious watches make me look like I'm playing dress-up.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: MonkeyK

Do you have any recommendations for a mens watch for a small wrist? My wrist is a little less than two inches wide and most serious watches make me look like I'm playing dress-up.

My all-time favorite smaller watch is the Rolex Explorer. Those are very spendy, but you can get a Sandoz homage for $100-ish. The Seiko military watches, linked above in this thread, are also good for a small wrist. If you want to spend more and get a wonderful, handmade, heirloom-quality watch, take a look at the Yao QUAD10 watches - they are an homage to older IWC pilot's watches.

If you want a dressy watch, take a look at this Christopher Ward Malvern. I think it might be the best value in a dress watch on the market. It has an ETA 2824-2 movement (the same as in my Sinn, which retails for around $1,000), a display back, and sapphire crystal. They sell for around $275. I have one I could sell you in essentially new condition with a couple of extra lambskin straps for $185 - I bought it and realize I just don't really wear dress watches.

 

[Ausm]

Seiko's kickass! I have a Kinetic Seiko.


Ausm

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: KDOG
Sweet. I've been dying to get a Seiko automatic. Suggestion on the best place to buy one?

I buy my Seiko's from this guy on Ebay.

http://stores.ebay.com/BIG-TIME-INC_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm


Ausm

 

[aphex]

Are tissot watches good? I came across this one that i like... sapphire crystal.. $179

http://www.glooks.com/images/tissot/T34.1.488.32.jpg

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: aphex
Are tissot watches good? I came across this one that i like... sapphire crystal.. $179

http://www.glooks.com/images/tissot/T34.1.488.32.jpg

They're OK. That is a quartz watch, which isn't my thing, but it seems like a good value for $179.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: aphex
Are tissot watches good? I came across this one that i like... sapphire crystal.. $179

http://www.glooks.com/images/tissot/T34.1.488.32.jpg

They're OK. That is a quartz watch, which isn't my thing, but it seems like a good value for $179.

whats weird is that they have a non-chrono automatic at the same price range, but no auto-chrono to be found.

Also, it seems VERY similar to the swiss army chrono, could they be the same?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: aphex

whats weird is that they have a non-chrono automatic at the same price range, but no auto-chrono to be found.

Also, it seems VERY similar to the swiss army chrono, could they be the same?

They probably use the same movement, hence the identical layout. I don't really know my Swiss quartz-movement model numbers, but I imagine there's a ubiquitous Swiss quartz chrono movement akin to the Valjoux 7750, which is used in at least 60% of all auto chronos, regardless of price.

 

[MonkeyK]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: MonkeyK

Do you have any recommendations for a mens watch for a small wrist? My wrist is a little less than two inches wide and most serious watches make me look like I'm playing dress-up.

My all-time favorite smaller watch is the Rolex Explorer. Those are very spendy, but you can get a Sandoz homage for $100-ish. The Seiko military watches, linked above in this thread, are also good for a small wrist. If you want to spend more and get a wonderful, handmade, heirloom-quality watch, take a look at the Yao QUAD10 watches - they are an homage to older IWC pilot's watches.

If you want a dressy watch, take a look at this Christopher Ward Malvern. I think it might be the best value in a dress watch on the market. It has an ETA 2824-2 movement (the same as in my Sinn, which retails for around $1,000), a display back, and sapphire crystal. They sell for around $275. I have one I could sell you in essentially new condition with a couple of extra lambskin straps for $185 - I bought it and realize I just don't really wear dress watches.

The QUAD10 is very attractive, but at a case length of 51.5 mm it is longer than my wrist is wide. The Sandoz does look nice as well; I'll try to find one that I can see in person.

I just did some more reading, looks like wrists are measured in circumfence. Mine is only 6"!

and thank you for the offer on your dress watch, it is a very clean elegant looking watch, but, I need to have arabic numeral on the watch or else my brain just doesn't seem to register the time.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: MonkeyK

The QUAD10 is very attractive, but at a case length of 51.5 mm it is longer than my wrist is wide. The Sandoz does look nice as well; I'll try to find one that I can see in person.

I just did some more reading, looks like wrists are measured in circumfence. Mine is only 6"!

and thank you for the offer on your dress watch, it is a very clean elegant looking watch, but, I need to have arabic numeral on the watch or else my brain just doesn't seem to register the time.

FYI, that 51mm is from lug-tip to lug-tip. This is a relatively small watch. I don't have a QUAD10, but I have an O&W 2801, the watch the QUAD10 is built on, and it's one of my smaller watches.

You might want to look at the Hamilton Khakis, which are very nice mechanical watches for the money, and relatively small.

One of these Seiko military watches would also be a great one for you - they're very nice, dirt-cheap automatic watches with a relatively small case, your choice of dial colors, and Arabic numerals. The bracelets are a little rattly, but not bad for the money, and you could also get one on a strap and/or add a nice aftermarket leather strap if you prefer.

Another option is the dreaded eBay. You can get really good deals on vintage watches there, and they are often so cheap you're not really risking much. I bought a pretty '50s Seikomatic Self-Dater there for $27 that's one of my favorite watches.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: mugs
Looks nice

How much did that all run you?

I paid $285 secondhand (though it appears to be brand new). Purchasing the same watch from Mark II Watches would be around $450.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Congrats on the new watch. Not my style, but I respect everyone's taste. I also have a watch fetish, I can't live without one. To the guy that has said he has a cell phone, why a watch? Well, I absolutely hate cell phones and watches are very special accessories. A cell phone can't really define one's taste, but a watch can. Anyways, I just picked up this bad boy about a week ago. It is the only TAG I like. The rest of TAG's line hurts my eyes. Girlfriend got me this about a month ago. She is a good girl Hopefuly will be getting this in 3 months. And here is my surfing, biking, climbing watch: T-Touch

What I wish to have, but can't... too limited, too pricey: Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon and this beauty.... the Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon

Anyways, my father has a 72 piece collection. Pretty crazy, he has been buying and trading since he was 25 or so. His watch collection is worth more than their house + cars + and probably retirement account. My mom has a small collection herself. We love quality timepieces as a family.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Art Vandelay
Congrats on the new watch. Not my style, but I respect everyone's taste. I also have a watch fetish, I can't live without one. To the guy that has said he has a cell phone, why a watch? Well, I absolutely hate cell phones and watches are very special accessories. A cell phone can't really define one's taste, but a watch can. Anyways, I just picked up this bad boy about a week ago. It is the only TAG I like. The rest of TAG's line hurts my eyes. Girlfriend got me this about a month ago. She is a good girl Hopefuly will be getting this in 3 months. And here is my surfing, biking, climbing watch: T-Touch

What I wish to have, but can't... too limited, too pricey: Jaeger-LeCoultre Gyrotourbillon and this beauty.... the Ulysse Nardin Royal Blue Tourbillon

Anyways, my father has a 72 piece collection. Pretty crazy, he has been buying and trading since he was 25 or so. His watch collection is worth more than their house + cars + and probably retirement account. My mom has a small collection herself. We love quality timepieces as a family.

In all fairness, though I'm not crazy about Heuer watches, the Monacos are beautiful IMO, and I'm surprised they hurt your eyes. Personally I don't love tourbillions - there was a time they were something really special (though the tourbillion complication is arguably irrelevant in a modern wristwatch), but now that you can buy a Chinese tourbillion for a few hundred bucks, it's hard to get enthused about them. The Gyrotourbillion is definitely a remarkable engineering accomplishment, though. My co-worker has a JLC Master Geographic that's a beautiful watch - I think the first hoity-toity Swiss watch I buy will either be a Submariner or a JLC Master Ultra Thin.

 

[Eltano1]

bump to keep alive this thread

Eltano

 

[boomerang]

I always have to post this link in watch threads.

 

[Art Vandelay]

What are some reputable non-eBay online dealers in the U.S.?

 

[boomerang]

I just bought a new watch online. I found the model I wanted at the manufacturers site and Froogled it. Some of the dealers are rated using the star system.

 

[anonymouschris]

any opinions on what are some affordable vintage watches to start a collection with?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: Art Vandelay
What are some reputable non-eBay online dealers in the U.S.?

That totally depends on what kind of watch you're looking for. Most online dealers are not authorized dealers of the major Swiss brands, so you will not get the manufacturer's warranty - this will cost you in resale value. There are some authorized dealers who have an online presence and will sell the big Swiss brands (e.g., Omega, Breitling, etc.) at a discount, but this usually involves ordering by phone rather than over the 'net. If you're talking about Japanese brands, I see no advantage to ordering from US retailers, and most of the coolest models aren't available from US dealers anyway.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: anonymouschris
any opinions on what are some affordable vintage watches to start a collection with?

My own opinion is that the Japanese watches, particularly Seikos, are the best value for starting a collection. They are of excellent quality, available in a wide array of designs, and very affordable. Also, there is a large online enthusiast community to help you research them and separate the wheat from the chaff. The entry price on Swiss watches tends to be considerably higher, and for the most part you get what you pay for. The problem is that in addition to the higher entry cost, there are more fake Swiss watches out there, and for me it's more palatable to take a chance on a $65 Seiko than a $600 Omega that may or may not be what it appears. The Russian watches are also inexpensive, but they are almost always of lesser quality than Japanese or Swiss watches, and their resale value is relatively poor.

 

[forfor]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: Art Vandelay
What are some reputable non-eBay online dealers in the U.S.?

That totally depends on what kind of watch you're looking for. Most online dealers are not authorized dealers of the major Swiss brands, so you will not get the manufacturer's warranty - this will cost you in resale value. There are some authorized dealers who have an online presence and will sell the big Swiss brands (e.g., Omega, Breitling, etc.) at a discount, but this usually involves ordering by phone rather than over the 'net. If you're talking about Japanese brands, I see no advantage to ordering from US retailers, and most of the coolest models aren't available from US dealers anyway.

Hi, I too want to buy a watch these days and I wouldn't mind calling them up and ordering on the phone as long as I can view the watches online. Any examples?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: forfor

Hi, I too want to buy a watch these days and I wouldn't mind calling them up and ordering on the phone as long as I can view the watches online. Any examples?

Again, it totally depends on what brand you're looking for. For example, I have a referral for a store that will sell Omegas at a sharp discount with full warranty (at one time I was seriously considering buying one), but I don't know a similar resource for, say Breitling. If you know what you're specifically looking for, I recommend you visit a forum for that particular brand and ask around - someone will hook you up (but beware some forums have rules against posts that relate to getting discounts off MSRP).

 

[jpeyton]

What's your opinion on the Invicta 9937 diver watch?

 

[WENEEDLIGHT]

interesting.. how much was it?

btw, I REMEMBER THAT POEM (quote by Yeats)!