Advice on good man's watch

GAA widow

I got engaged a month and a half ago and want to get my fiancé an engagement present - I think it's only fair he should get his bit of "bling" too!

I want to get him a good watch (E500-E1500). Is this enough pricewise? He doesn't like the type that have the three dials in the background, whereas I love them so I need advice on what to go for.

Any ideas or brand recommendations?

Muzzy

Tag Heuer are one of my favourites, quality watch and they start at 300 quid.

Oris are a very good watch but I'm not to gone on them myself.

My favourite are the Breitling, they are at the higher end of the price range but I would love you forever if ya bought me one.

Tissot and Seiko are do some great watches too and are not all that expensive but still dear enough to make a good impression, I like their diver watches.

smash

you can get some really nice Gucci watches too, try Dundrum..

Wibbs

Regardless of make, go with a mechanical/automatic/clockwork watch that ticks. The expensive quartz ones have, in 90% of cases the exact same internals(which cost buttons) as a 19 euro casio. You're basically paying way over the odds for the name(which are mostly owned by large conglomerates and have little to do with the "history" of the original company). A mechanical is something you pass on to your grandkids.

For a dress watch Longines aren't too bad and cheaper than similar. They make nice "pilots" watches too and they've been supplying pilots for far longer than breitling ever did(or claims to have).

For an unusual tool watch thats built like a brick sh1thouse then the marathon SAR is a beaut. It's actually issued to the military to boot(unlike others that claim to be). It's also quite rare and may increase in value. They show up on ebay quite regularly at around the 500 euro mark. It would be one of the few quartz that would appeal to me(the earlier more numerous automatic is nicer though and more likely to keep value)

http://www.ninanet.net/watches/others04/Mediums/mmarathon.html

Shop around though. Irelands prices are seriously off the scale in most brands(surprise surprise). The internet or overseas is a better bet if that's possible for you. All the big brands have a worldwide warranty anyway so don't take any guff from dealers here if repair is needed in the future.

GAA widow

Brilliant, thank you all so much for your advice!

kizzyr

I bought my boyfriend a Tag for Christmas last year. He doesn't like ones with loads of dials or that are too dress. It cost around €1200 and he loves it.

Creamy Goodness

definelately go for an automatic with your price range you should get a lovely automatic watch.

as the people before me said if you buy an expensive quartz watch you might aswell buy a watch from a pound shop.

i recently invested in a nice automatic watch, i got the Omega Seamaster 300m gents automatic, it's a little out of your price range if your real strict on that. image here this is my watch and i love it to bits, it's not too dressy and there's no extra dials etc.etc. i was also complating getting a tag aswell before i went for the omega mainly this one but was put off - well not really put off - by the locking mechanism the omega locking clasp was much more secure.

Wibbs

bedlam wrote:

Almost like mechanical watches that use ETA movements and watch companies owned by conglomerates such as Richemont or the The Swatch Group ;]

Almost, but not quite. Many of the base ETA movements do end up in some makes watches, but also many are finished inhouse to a far higher standard than the base. Zenith would be one of the few that create their own movements inhouse. This is not a modern thing either, valjoux and lemania and zenith movements have been used by other brands for decades(even rolex used zenith movements in some of it's chronos. Daytona IIRC). In any case you at least get the pretence of "handmade", which is entirely lacking from the quartz field(with some notable exceptions). I do see your point though. The watch industry today is driven more by the concepts of history, fashion and image than anything else.

As for suggestions, Sinn make some great watches at reasonable prices and will be a bit unique at least in Ireland.

I agree with you there. Sinn are a v v nice timepiece and used by more pilots(as an example) than some largely fashion brand like breitling ever has(their navitimer is the only model with any history in it).

Cremo wrote:

i recently invested in a nice automatic watch, i got the Omega Seamaster 300m gents automatic, it's a little out of your price range if your real strict on that. image here this is my watch and i love it to bits, it's not too dressy and there's no extra dials etc.etc. i was also complating getting a tag aswell before i went for the omega mainly this one but was put off

Some of the Omegas are v nice. The seamaster is a sweet watch with a long past. After all they were the only official watch to go to the moon.

I never liked the modern tags tbh. I don't know why, they just seemed to be making fashion watches with the pretence of precision tool watches. Gucci et al just leave me cold.

Then again my opinion should be suspect as I tend to only like vintage stuff. Mostly before 1950, mainly cos it was dirt cheap to get that stuff back when I used to collect watches. Then again you can still ebay some nice vintage stuff that is far higher quality and finish than what you would pay for a copycat modern version. TBH my ideal watch would be plain faced with hours minutes and seconds. Even a date would be an intrusion.:) Hell an automatic seems like an extravagance to me. I like having to wind the buggers in the morning...:D That said I have a 1916 Longines handwind that I suspect will be keeping accurate time long after I peg it. [Ok folks step away from the weirdo]

Muzzy

Isn't buyin a watch for yer Boyfriend/spouse/partner/whatever, supposed to be bad luck......

....or is that a tradition that is only in Tuam?

kizzyr

Muzzy wrote:

Isn't buyin a watch for yer Boyfriend/spouse/partner/whatever, supposed to be bad luck......

....or is that a tradition that is only in Tuam?

I think maybe only in Tuam. I always heard that if you got a present of a watch from your boyfriend/girlfriend than the next would be an engagement ring. Some stories are really silly aren't they?

padi89

Muzzy wrote:

Isn't buyin a watch for yer Boyfriend/spouse/partner/whatever, supposed to be bad luck......

So they say,its putting time on a relationship.......:rolleyes:

Wibbs

bedlam wrote:

I get more than the pretence of "handmade" , the comparison was more an attempt at subtle (failed) humour.

My attempt at humour always fail so I wrongly expect the same of others...