Going mad trying to decide and it's all you lots fault.

Ryath

Wandered in here by accident over a month ago half thinking of buying a new sporty watch with a timer as back up to my garmin. (I blame wibbs posting in cycling where I usually hang out ) Any way after a few weeks lurking and constantly looking and researching your bad influence has made me realize what I really want is a mechanical watch and my budget is creeping up all the time.

Really like the Seiko orange monster but getting a mechanical watch I would like a exhibition back so if I got this I would probably also get a seiko 5 military watch
http://www.creationwatches.com/products/seiko-automatic-sports-89/seiko-5-mens-automatic-100m-sports-watch-new-snzg15k1-snzg15-2736.html

or
http://www.creationwatches.com/products/seiko-automatic-sports-89/seiko-5-military-automatic-nylon-mens-watch-snk809k2-snk809-1713.html


Really like the B dial on the cheaper seiko but the case is smaller than I would like, the slightly dearer one is a better size and a better watch. Will put it on a brown leather strap.

Which brings me to my second dilemma in course of all this I discovered I really like Germen fliegers and for the price of the two seikos there are few in my budget or just above. Unfortunately any that are really in my budget are missing one or two of the features I'd really want.

Stowa with B dial, sapphire, blued hands, ETA movement and clear caseback. What I really like but way above budget and not available for several months. What I could (maybe) afford and whats missing.

UHR-532 Mineral Crystal and no blued hands €269
Laco Miyota movement no blue hands €299
Steinhart Solid case back €370
Archimede PILOT 42 H Not available with B Dial €395

Anything I'm missing? Could probably live without a sapphire crystal if it got me under budget. Even the ETA movement if it looked the part.

3rd option I do like peasants Qundam diver but prefer the look of the monster though the ETA movement makes it tempting. I would not have the budget to get the cheaper seiko for the clear caseback though.

Any opinions? Leaning towards the seikos they would get more wear and are more affordable. The flieger would really only be for casual wear and I would probably never wear it to work I'd always be too nervous of damaging it. Long term though I will get one though could be a while though as cycling takes up most of my disposable income.

HDMI

You could always try save a little and pick up a Monster second hand and fill your flieger need with a Ticino type B dial and a Citizen Miyota 8215 movement for $144 http://sizzlinwatches.com/proddetail.php?prod=ticino_pilot_typeb

Reloc8

I'm just going to poke you in the direction of the Stowa over the long term. I have that B dial and really its an exceptional watch for the money - measures up extremely well to some similar watches that are multiples of its price.

Put that on the long finger and you'll get there no doubt. Genuinely, the worst thing to do is probably to plump for an alternative that doesn't tick the boxes for you. You'll end up spending what is still a considerable amount of money, and yet not be completely happy with your option, and you'll feel further and further away from what you're really hankering after, being the Stowa.

My advice - the Seiko 5 is a brilliant watch and exceptional value for the money, and you'll have it for years.

Get that as a daily wearer - and start a savings plan to get to the Stowa.

If after a decent chunk of time you no longer feel the same way about the Stowa, how bad - you've got a few quid in the bank. If not, you'll be well on the way to it.

Nonoperational

I completely agree with the above post!

Doc Daneeka

Completely agree with it too. In fact it's exactly what I am doing except I've started a gambling plan. Started with €50 and now up to €64 two months later.... I was going to calculate out from that when I'll have my Planet Ocean but safe to say it's unlikely to be in 2012/2013!

Ryath

Thanks for the advice guys. Could hold out no more and pulled the trigger on the orange monster really like the look of it and at the price from creation is a bargain. It's also close to being discontinued I'd reckon so wanted to get it while its still affordable.

Would have been too much of a stretch to get the flieger I really wanted and anything in €270-€400 would have been a compromise. Still want to get a second watch with an exhibition back or maybe an open heart aswell so if I get one I would be happy with the Steinhart with the solid back in a year or two. Love the Stowa but think its more money than I could justify dropping on a watch. Maybe for my 40th in a few years.

So what second watch to get?
Still like the Seiko good value at €100 and pilot watch like.

Sort of like the look of this but would like to see it on leather
http://www.orientuhren.de/orient-automatic-classic-cdb05001t-p-451.html


Good value at €144 with a sapphire crystal

Possible budget (sort of) to get my flieger at a price I would be ok with out the blue hands.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009LDPQQK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Older Laco with mineral glass crystal this has been now replaced by sapphire in the new models so not even sure if amazon could complete the order. At €195 a bit more than I want to spend on a second watch at the moment but would mean I could wait a lot longer to get a flieger that meets all my criteria.

Any other suggestions quite like fossil watches and am tempted to get another but I want a mechanical first so maybe something in that vein around €100-€120 mark. This was my casual watch for the last 5 years that seemed to evaporate about two months ago which is why I started looking at watches. No idea where it disappeared to. Loved the style of it and it was often commented on.

Eoin

This wouldn't take your fancy by any chance?

peasant

Ryath wrote: »

Sort of like the look of this but would like to see it on leather

Good value at €144 with a sapphire crystal

You can't really go wrong with an Orient, they make excellent quality watches for the money.

Changing the bracelet to leather is no biggy either, you can do that yourself with a small jewellers screwdriver. The bracelet is usually the weakest point quality wise on an Orient so you wouldn't be committing a grave sin either.

The watch looks better in real life than an that poor picture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgt4tgQW7Sw

Having said that ...I'm not so sure about the open heart. I've got a similar watch myself (my first mechanical for ages, bought specifically for the open heart) and now I kinda regret it. The open heart is cool for about a week and after that it just destroys the symmetry and looks of the watch.
On this particular watch the wide, shiny rim around the hole is particularly intrusive. But then again, it's all a matter of taste

Reloc8

The Laco is a good watch and has the Flieger heritage - nice looking piece. If you're not pitching at the Stowa, that would be my choice, bearing in mind your liking for this style of watch. Its a true Flieger.

Fatbiker

Eoin wrote: »

This wouldn't take your fancy by any chance?

Hi, is that Russian up for sale? FB:rolleyes:

Eoin

Fatbiker wrote: »

Hi, is that Russian up for sale? FB:rolleyes:

Yeah, I'm thinking of offloading some of my collection

Deep Thought

have a look at Torgoen for nice aviation ones..

http://www.torgoen.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=T10103

you would get a nice t10 for couple hundred euro

Ryath

Well I'm back to square one:( email from creation watches on friday saying the watch was out of stock despite getting email thursday from fedex with a tracking number and they were to pick up. So do I get the orange monster on rubber for €10 less and pay £40 for the bracelet elsewhere, cancel my order or is there anything else on creation I could get. New model monster is too pricey and I don't like it as much. Worried the monster is getting in short supply and this may be the best price I'm going to get one at. Think it best meets my requirements of being tough enough to wear every day even doing physical work and still looks good for casual wear.

Am tempted to splash out on a flieger but really it would only be getting casual wear and to be honest I'm getting bored of my seiko quartz chronograph I wear every day have it several years. Bought with a voucher for a jewelers I was given I realize now was way over priced cost about €260. Could get a better seiko quartz now for less than half that on creation. Never really loved it best of what the jewelers had in stock really. So with out having my fossil to rotate I really am getting bored of it.

Eoin wrote: »

This wouldn't take your fancy by any chance?

Do like the look of it and tempeted to go russian for a cheaper watch with an exhibition back. Quite like the vostok komandirskie K-34 Peasant posted a few weeks ago in the bargain watches doesn't seem to be available at that price anywhere now though. Think the moscow classic is out of my price range assume you're looking for at least €200 for that I would get the Laco or for a bit more the UHR.

peasant wrote: »

You can't really go wrong with an Orient, they make excellent quality watches for the money.

Changing the bracelet to leather is no biggy either, you can do that yourself with a small jewellers screwdriver. The bracelet is usually the weakest point quality wise on an Orient so you wouldn't be committing a grave sin either.

The watch looks better in real life than an that poor picture:


Having said that ...I'm not so sure about the open heart. I've got a similar watch myself (my first mechanical for ages, bought specifically for the open heart) and now I kinda regret it. The open heart is cool for about a week and after that it just destroys the symmetry and looks of the watch.
On this particular watch the wide, shiny rim around the hole is particularly intrusive. But then again, it's all a matter of taste

Crap picture alright looks much better in the video no problem changing the strap myself already have a jewelers screwdriver. You may be right about the open heart some of them do look crap but some of the dearer watches do pull it off do like the look of this seiko

Bit to dressy though and would blow my entire budget and I want at least one watch I don't mind wearing to work. Suppose you can start over thinking these things and after a while all you see is the shiny rim when you look at the watch.

Reloc8 wrote: »

The Laco is a good watch and has the Flieger heritage - nice looking piece. If you're not pitching at the Stowa, that would be my choice, bearing in mind your liking for this style of watch. Its a true Flieger.

Am tempeted alright may stretch the budget for the second watch for it or if I don't go for the monster now and hold of a while I may get it or the UHR.
http://www.uhr.info/products/en/Pilot-watches-from-UHR/UHR-532.html
Getting a lot closer to steinhart money which I reckon now is my longer term goal. This probably would be a case of buying cheap buying twice.
Thinking the Seiko SNZG15 is my best buy as a second watch at around the €100 mark

Deep Thought wrote: »

have a look at Torgoen for nice aviation ones..

http://www.torgoen.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=T10103

you would get a nice t10 for couple hundred euro

Nice looking watches do like the style of them but nearly all quartz their automatics are way over budget.

Eoin

My last plug here, but I'll be selling both my Seiko Black Monster with 2 straps (stainless steel & rubber) and my Russian one above (for about 140 or so) pretty soon. PM me if you're interested.

93Cab

OM back in stock in Creation €157!

Lex Luthor

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/Nav-B-Uhr-44-automatic-B-Type,634.html

Ryath

93Cab wrote: »

OM back in stock in Creation €157!

Already ordered this morning:D

Lex Luthor wrote: »

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/Nav-B-Uhr-44-automatic-B-Type,634.html

It's on my long term wish list unless I splash out on the stowa. Was sorely tempted to stretch to get it now but I would only have worn it for occasional casual wear. Need a watch I can wear as an everyday beater more and the orange monster suits this role better. Still want to get a watch with an exhibition back but I'm going to wait till I have the monster to decide I may even just get an seiko5 exhibition back to put on the monster as any money I spend on a second watch will delay the purchase of the type of flieger I really want.

93Cab

Good Lad!

Ryath

Woo Hoo! Seiko Orange Monster arrived today really love it. Seriously weighty piece. Hopefully get in to get the bracelet resized this evening if not I'll get it done in the morning.