watch

mickman

hi there

i have been planning on buying a watch now for the past few yrs. im off to barbados at xmas so going to take the plunge. my budget would be about 2k

would people recommend omega over tag heeur?

Wibbs

I'd be an omega man myself. Always thought the tags over rated.

foxyboxer

tag heuer's are over rated, IMO

I prefer Omega's myself. You can't beat the Speedmaster Professional for it's quality and history, the NASA backstory is unparalleled. Essentially for a couple of grand you can buy one of the most iconic timepieces ever. The seamaster's are a mixed bag. I would prefer a quartz seamaster for everyday (the goldeneye original was a quartz )and the Speedmaster for weekend's and special occasions. I find the automatics to be too high maintenance. the speedy is purely hand wound with a reserve of 48 hours. the co-axial movement may just be a marketing gimmick to justify 1000 euro extra on the price tag but time (pardon the pun) will tell.
Omega has started to go all upmarket as well with price hikes in the past year. this is a worrying trend, plus they also discontinued the Seamaster 2254.50 which was the offspring from the classic seamster 300. Anyways I digress. I would recommend Omega from my own preference having had no experience of Tag's customer service personally.

peterako

Agreed, 100%.

Research! There's a LOT out there of equal or better quality for the same money.

Now....if you're looking for a 'brand' rather than a watch.....

mickman

thanks for all the info guys

i was also of the opinion that TG are over rated. ill be honest here, i am looking for the name as well as quality. i want someone to look at my watch and see money, it might be sad but i dont do the whole fancy car thing and i want a class watch to be able to give to my son.

lets have some names and recommendatiions so people

Creamy Goodness

I Love my seamaster.

So much so I'm planning to buy a planet ocean omega soon

mickman

do the omegas have very big faces? the breitlings have massive faces which would be far too big for my wrist (bit of a small wrist im ashamed to say)

Creamy Goodness

Depends on the omega. The seamaster is quite regular size (sorry don't have exact measurements on my ATM) but the planet oceans would be considered quite big compared to ordinary styled watches.

mickman

there is a very good website in the uk that gets second hand watches etc and does them up, gives a warranty etc. would anyone buy from one of these places??

foxyboxer

mickman wrote: »

there is a very good website in the uk that gets second hand watches etc and does them up, gives a warranty etc. would anyone buy from one of these places??

To be honest, if you intend to pass the watch on to your son, then I would buy it new. The best part is searching IMO. With a budget of 2k the options are endless.
You have to ask yourself what you will need the watch for. Do you need a dressy watch for work or do are you active and like to swim??

The only concern I would have with the Omega Speedmaster is the hesalite crystal, which if you were to wear it everyday WILL get scratched (though they can be polished out easily). It comes with sapphire also but this is not the traditional configuration of a moonwatch and is more akin to a replica.

I went through the same process when trying to decide.
I finally settled on the 2221.80 Omega which is the quartz version of the Bond Seamaster. I find that it's perfect for everyday wear and goes well with work clothes and jeans and t-shirt.
Saying that, I do want to get a Speedmaster for my 30th in Nov next year.
I would only wear this at weekends though to keep it in good condition.
I also love the new Tag Heuer Links but decided on the Omega. The Links are very classy and as with the Seamaster can be worn with work suit and dive suit.

Let us know what you decide on.

My recommendations:
http://www.tagheuer.com/the-collection/link/men/automatic-chronograph/index.lbl?w=CJF2110.BA0594
http://www.expeditionexchange.com/omega/

For an extra grand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Submariner

mickman

well 2k euro is nearly 3k USD so in the caribeean that should go a long way

would you buy one with a leather strap or bracelet?

foxyboxer

mickman wrote: »

well 2k euro is nearly 3k USD so in the caribeean that should go a long way

would you buy one with a leather strap or bracelet?

I'd get any watch with a bracelet first then get leather straps after.
The bracelets for these watches tend to be on the pricey side !:eek:

mickman

well basically i will be going into the duty free jewellers

little switzerland, diamonds international,

peterako

If you go mechanical (my preference) don't forget to factor in a few hundred every few years for a decent service!

CarltonBrowne

A couple of thoughts.

Definitely buy the watch on a bracelet unless it's very dressy. Most of the obvious manufacturers charge scandalous amounts of money for a bracelet when sold separately but only uplift the price a relatively small amount when sold with the watch. This will make a significant difference to the re-sale value if you ever want or need to shift the watch on and you also are better positioned to make sure that it is the "correct" bracelet (very important, for example, with fussy Rolex collectors). I generally am not a bracelet fan but I am still currently engaged in refurbishing a bracelet for my vintage Rolex Oyster.

Give some thought about your return through customs if you are carrying the box, papers and receipts. A lot of people who buy in the States mail these home separately but they probably have access to a slightly better postal system from the East Coast than is available in the more exotic climes to which you are heading.

old boy

my 2 cents, research, research, google elite dealseeker, click on watches, the loaded pages will have a list of all the main watch forums, actually their sales forums, each forum will have info on particular watches, you will now have a fixation, a habit that will require daily updateing, omega and tag are just 2 of the many fine brands advailable, you will also soon realise that straps can cost more than the normal person spend on a watch, enjoy, enjoy enjoy.