Top watches for under €1000

totothejuggler

Hi I recently had my 21st and I asked the ould pair for a watch, the family is nowhere near able to buy something like an omaga under €100 is more the price range.

So I'm looking for a good quality watch between €400 - €1000, that will last between 7-15 years and is durable, don't even know if this is possible haha, if anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great.

Thanks totes

Anjobe

OK, well let me go first and recommend Steinhart Watches. Excellent quality, nice classic designs, great value. Some really nice auto chronos for under €1K, and good divers watches too.

I would also have a look at Hamilton, both WatchShop and TheWatchHut have good well priced selections.

A nice Irish option - SAS Watches.

My personal pick would be Sinn model 104, for €950 on a nice leather or silicone strap:



General point: far more bang per buck buying online rather than on the high street.

totothejuggler

Really like some of the steinhart and Hamilton's. Love the Sinn model 104 but after talking to the parents it looks like the budget will be more like €700

Lex Luthor

Don't forget Stowa

Some of my personal favorites from them within your range

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/fliegerohnelogo/g/Flieger-o-Logo-o-Datum-2.jpg&artnum=fliegerohnelogo&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011057-18161

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/ikarus/g/Ikarus-4.jpg&artnum=ikarus&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011181-19259

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/marineautsilbermatt/g/MA-A10-Matt-ohne-Datum-1.jpg&artnum=marineautsilbermatt&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011238-21083 but with the grey croco strap

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/antea390daydateschwarz/g/Antea_390_Day_Date_schwarz_3.jpg&artnum=antea390daydateschwarz&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011332-21581

or the Sinn 556A with a nice leather strap
http://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/556_A.htm

totothejuggler

Lex Luthor wrote: »

Don't forget Stowa

Some of my personal favorites from them within your range

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/fliegerohnelogo/g/Flieger-o-Logo-o-Datum-2.jpg&artnum=fliegerohnelogo&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011057-18161

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/ikarus/g/Ikarus-4.jpg&artnum=ikarus&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011181-19259

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/marineautsilbermatt/g/MA-A10-Matt-ohne-Datum-1.jpg&artnum=marineautsilbermatt&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011238-21083 but with the grey croco strap

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/antea390daydateschwarz/g/Antea_390_Day_Date_schwarz_3.jpg&artnum=antea390daydateschwarz&wkid=137001102317551&ls=en&nocache=1370011332-21581

or the Sinn 556A with a nice leather strap
http://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/556_A.htm

So far im thinking the Sinn 556A looks fantastic,

I have also been looking at Chronographs any advice on a good Chronograph within the price range

Anjobe

The Sinn 556A is quite small at 38.5 mm, well smaller than is currently standard for a gents watch, it wouldn't suit everyone.

totothejuggler

Anjobe wrote: »

The Sinn 556A is quite small at 38.5 mm, well smaller than is currently standard for a gents watch, it wouldn't suit everyone.

That does seem a bit small I'm a tall guy aswell I should probably go for the larger sizes

peasant

For a more mainstream brand that you might also find in Irish shops (and therefore be able to look at in the flesh before you buy) I'd recommend looking into Tissot watches.

Examples:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Tissot-Automatic-PRS516-T044-430-26-051-00-Day-Date-correa-piel-cristal-zafiro-/130915342310?pt=ES_Relojes_de_pulsera&hash=item1e7b2997e6

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Watch-TISSOT-PRC-200-Automatic-leather-T0144301605700-/161027642451?pt=UK_Jewelery_Watches_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item257dfed453

blindsider

You'll get a perfectly good watch for €700. When you're working and have saved a bit, you can go and buy your own Omega/Breitling/Tag etc and it will be YOURS.

In the meantime, here are some options:

Citizen - looks well. Radio-controlled so 100% accuate. Solar powered with a good power reserve. Perpetual calendar (no need to change the date at month end or for a leap year, and w/proof to 200m.

For the price, it's a great watch IMO. (Around €300 on Amazon)


Stowa - a very good, if under-appreciated, German watch.

http://www.stowa.de/Flieger/index.htm

Their 'Fliegers' (Flier watches - WWII Luftwaffe design) are very popular amongst those who know (or claim to!) about watches and the 'well-heeled'

http://www.stowa.de/Flieger/index.htm (less than €700 incl delivery)


Someone else mentioned Steinhart - lovely watches - and well-priced for what you get - many are sub €500 (Delivery = €15)


If you went for the Citizen above, you could also go for the Seiko Diver SKX007 (or SKX009) which is a true classic.

Hard-wearing, truly waterproof, chunky...and a timeless design.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dwatches&field-keywords=seiko+SKX007

(Around €190 delivered)


Best of all...you'll come in under budget, to fund your nights out - or you could even give it back to your parents, and prove what a responsible 21 y.o. you are.............

totothejuggler

Ok so after about 5 hours looking at watches and all your help heres what i have got so far.

On the higher side of my budget the stowa, really like how simple the face is and love the way you can see the internals at the back (Biggest selling point for me)
http://www.stowa.de/lshop,showdetail,13700209832968,en,1370021740-13177,flieger,ikarus,7,Tshowrub--flieger,.htm

In the middle of the budget but I really the chunky look and the interchangeable cases.
http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/APOLLON-Automatic,453.html

Much the same as above
http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/OCEAN-two-white,689.html

Again I just really like the back of the watch.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tissot-Automatic-White-Stainless-T0654301603100/dp/B007IY4OKS/ref=sr_1_5?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370022866&sr=1-5&keywords=Tissot

From what Blindsider said and the reviews I can see amazon this seems like a real brick of a watch, kind of wish it came with a leather strap though.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seiko-SKX007K-Black-Rubber-Automatic/dp/B000B5MI3Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370022078&sr=1-1&keywords=seiko+SKX007

I have also seen a few Hamilton's that I really like.

I'm seeing my self getting really into watches maybe i should just get flights to amsterdam or something along those lines to kill the addiction before it starts haha

blindsider wrote: »

Best of all...you'll come in under budget, to fund your nights out - or you could even give it back to your parents, and prove what a responsible 21 y.o. you are.............

Haha I was hoping my parents would think a watch is very responsible, I'm also paying for half of the watch so I was hoping to milk them for as much as possible haha

Lex Luthor

totothejuggler wrote: »

So far im thinking the Sinn 556A looks fantastic,

I have also been looking at Chronographs any advice on a good Chronograph within the price range

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/Marine-Officer-Grey,430.html

in fact most of the Steinhart chronos are superb

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/chronographs.html

Lex Luthor

totothejuggler wrote: »

On the higher side of my budget the stowa, really like how simple the face is and love the way you can see the internals at the back (Biggest selling point for me)
http://www.stowa.de/lshop,showdetail,13700209832968,en,1370021740-13177,flieger,ikarus,7,Tshowrub--flieger,.htm

got one of these recently...my favorite of my collection. Spec'd it with the blue hands of the flieger and the onion crown. 3-4 months waiting time on it and for practically most of the Stowas if you can wait that long

blindsider

[


Haha I was hoping my parents would think a watch is very responsible, I'm also paying for half of the watch so I was hoping to milk them for as much as possible haha[/QUOTE]

Good for you!


I don't see why you couldn't put the Seiko 007 on a strap - Hirsch come highly recommended.
http://www.hirschstraps.com/HIRSCH-Watch-Straps/HIRSCH-Watch-Straps-By-WIDTH/HIRSCH-Watch-Straps-By-WIDTH-26mm/KNIGHT-Leather-Watch-Strap-BLACK

Someone better qualified than me will confirm that this is possible...

Let us know what you buy.

ballyrhy86

ballyrhy86 wrote: »

Terrible picture, I should stop buying watches and buy a camera instead!

Above is my SKX007 on leather. Love this watch!

totothejuggler

Really like the look of the 007 with the leather strap and everyone seems to love them + very affordable

Lex Luthor

totothejuggler wrote: »

Really like the look of the 007 with the leather strap and everyone seems to love them + very affordable

Even more affordable are the orient mako diver range

Anynama141

Damasko DA36 won't just do 15 years, it will do 100 years if you get it serviced every 5-10 years. More details here. You'd get one second hand under budget (they are €1000 new) and you could expect it not to have a mark on it due to the amazing hardness of the case.



The Stowa Flieger is a very nice watch, but the case won't hold up a tenth as long as the Damasko case will.

fret_wimp2

Christopher Ward do amazing watches for the money also, and with fathers day on the way, they will most likely do a sale, like they do every year ( note, cant confirm they will but they Usually do).

Any decent mechanical/automatic watch will last you a lifetime if serviced every 5-10 years and treated well. dont need to spend thousands to get a reliable timepiece.

Anjobe

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

Any decent mechanical/automatic watch will last you a lifetime if serviced every 5-10 years and treated well. dont need to spend thousands to get a reliable timepiece.

Should do indeed, but the point about the Damasko is that the case is made from hardened steel, so is particularly resistant to dents and scratches.

art

Would a titanium case not be better then?

Anynama141

art wrote: »

Would a titanium case not be better then?

Titanium is softer than 316 steel, and far, far softer than Damasko steel, which is something like 700 vickers, compared to 316 steel's 170 odd.

smokey20

ballyrhy86 wrote: »

Above is my SKX007 on leather. Love this watch!

I bought the SKX007 and then bought the same strap from Hirsch after seeing Ballyrhy86s watch above, it looks really well and for just over €200 for watch and strap, it is a bargain.

I have my 30th coming up in October and have the Mrs prompted to get me the below watch for same. Boards is a great site for ideas for watches.


http://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/Nav-B-Chrono-47-mm,229.html

Lex Luthor

What about one of the new steinhart racetimers?

artomur

have to agree with .....smokey , love that watch