€1500-ish to spend

ckeng

Hello all. Birthday coming up and as the title suggests, I have a about €1500 to treat myself. I'm thinking a decent automatic. Shortlist is starting to come together but I'd welcome any other suggestions to throw into the mix. Probably not looking at second hand - I just wouldn't know enough to spot a dud.

In terms of styling I guess I like it fairly simple. I'd throw up some images but I don't have the post count. From what I've looked at so far in the price range I'm liking the look of most of the Oris stuff, Classic and Artelier ranges particularly. I like a lot of the Longines pieces - Saint Imier and Conquest are nice. Some of the Baume & Mercier Classima range are also being considered. Stowa have a limited edition blue marine model which I think is very nice - that may be the winner.

Most of what I've looked at is from the brands on watchgallery - so TAGs, Lacroix, Frederick Constant, Hamilton, Weil etc have all been looked at, and probably will be again before i'm finished. I've also checked out Steinhart, Mido and Roamer - nice stuff on all of them but for any one of those that I like, I find an Oris or Longines that I like more. At this stage I'm just wondering if anyone has suggestions on other brands I should take a look at before I start culling this (long) short list.

Anyway, like I say, any comments/suggestions welcome. Cheers

unkel

ckeng wrote: »

I like a lot of the Longines pieces - Saint Imier and Conquest are nice.

Got a Conquest GMT last week myself (second hand, but in almost new condition) and it is a beautiful watch. Retails in Weirs / Fields for €1,380 but I presume there is room for a haggle on that price



Linky

A bit cheaper online but you will face VAT / import duty

Homer

How about something like a Stowa Marine original?

Anjobe

Homer wrote: »

How about something like a Stowa Marine original?

My favourite of the Stowa lineup too, esp with the silver dial. Would look very fine on the brown crocodile or Milanese mesh straps.

A quick note on Oris Artelier - I have one of these and though it is a very nice looking watch I have found it is not really robust enough for everyday use (it has needed repairing 3 times in 10 years). I think that some of the sports watches like the Divers 65 or Propilot are the pick of the Oris range.

unkel

unkel wrote: »

Got a Conquest GMT last week myself (second hand, but in almost new condition) and it is a beautiful watch. Retails in Weirs / Fields for €1,380 but I presume there is room for a haggle on that price...............

If buying a Longines new Kildare Village Hour Passion worth contacting to see what they have. Fantastic value there to be fair.

MarcusP12

I expect to be in a similar boat for a milestone birthday next year so I'm interested in all responses here....

Are you into brand recognition or are you open minded? Reason I ask is you'll get a lot of high quality, niche watch makers suggested to you by the knowledgable folk on here. But unless you're into watches in a big way and don't mind that people might not appreciate that it's a quality time piece on your wrist, then they may not be for you. In that case you're into the brands you've already mentioned alright...

If it was me I'd be looking at entry level auto tags, longines and Hamilton....id be surprised if you didn't pick up an entry level aquaracer non chrono for in and around your budget (I picked up a Quartz chrono for about 1350 off creation before)...

For longines, I like the hydroconquest and as someone already said, you might pick one up in KV.

For Hamilton, I've always liked the jazz master Chronos...also look up the spirit of Liberty jazz master chronos...hard to get though but can pick up on line....something like the pan European is quite quirky and retro and well within budget...

I know you say you're not up for second hand but no harm dropping into say Dawson jewellers to see what they have for your budget....they have tag and omega second hand and you wouldn't have any concerns buying second hand there as opposed to off adverts.ie for example. There's also a jewellers in KV that have pre owned tags etc. Have a gander on chrono24.com also. Plenty of reputable jewellers on there that you would have no concerns with as long as you do your homework on them so don't completely rule out second hand if you want a high quality watch....

Also, what kind of style are you looking for? Sporty, diver, dress, pilot?? Might help people refine their suggestions...

ckeng

unkel wrote: »

Got a Conquest GMT last week myself (second hand, but in almost new condition) and it is a beautiful watch. Retails in Weirs / Fields for €1,380 but I presume there is room for a haggle on that price

That is very nice. Slightly cheaper in Hartmanns which is handy for me.

Anjobe wrote: »

My favourite of the Stowa lineup too, esp with the silver dial. Would look very fine on the brown crocodile or Milanese mesh straps.

A quick note on Oris Artelier - I have one of these and though it is a very nice looking watch I have found it is not really robust enough for everyday use (it has needed repairing 3 times in 10 years). I think that some of the sports watches like the Divers 65 or Propilot are the pick of the Oris range.

Oddly, most of the Stowa range doesn't appeal to me but that limited edition is really really nice. I'd almost order one but I'm a bit wary of it arriving and being less attractive (to me) in the flesh.

I think I've dropped all of the Artelier models from the list now. On Oris, I keep coming back to the CLASSIC - 01 733 7594 4035-07 5 20 85. Take your point on the robustness though. Maybe I need two new watches...

Augeo wrote: »

If buying a Longines new Kildare Village Hour Passion worth contacting to see what they have. Fantastic value there to be fair.

I'm in there tomorrow as it happens so I'll see what they can do for me.

ckeng

MarcusP12 wrote: »

I expect to be in a similar boat for a milestone birthday next year so I'm interested in all responses here....

Are you into brand recognition or are you open minded? Reason I ask is you'll get a lot of high quality, niche watch makers suggested to you by the knowledgable folk on here. But unless you're into watches in a big way and don't mind that people might not appreciate that it's a quality time piece on your wrist, then they may not be for you. In that case you're into the brands you've already mentioned alright...

Yeah, I meant to say that the brand name is not a major factor for me, other than the styling of some brands generally don't do it for me - most of the TAGs and Stowas for example. Certainly not bothered if other people don't recognise what I'm wearing. I'm happy to look at lesser known quality pieces. The only qualms I'd have is not being able to see them in the flesh before buying.

MarcusP12 wrote: »

If it was me I'd be looking at entry level auto tags, longines and Hamilton....id be surprised if you didn't pick up an entry level aquaracer non chrono for in and around your budget (I picked up a Quartz chrono for about 1350 off creation before)...

For longines, I like the hydroconquest and as someone already said, you might pick one up in KV.

For Hamilton, I've always liked the jazz master Chronos...also look up the spirit of Liberty jazz master chronos...hard to get though but can pick up on line....something like the pan European is quite quirky and retro and well within budget...

I've had a pretty good look at the Longines at this stage.I think if it's going to be a Longines it will be a Conquest. You're pretty much on the money with Hamiton suggestions. They're still in the mix.

MarcusP12 wrote: »

I know you say you're not up for second hand but no harm dropping into say Dawson jewellers to see what they have for your budget....they have tag and omega second hand and you wouldn't have any concerns buying second hand there as opposed to off adverts.ie for example. There's also a jewellers in KV that have pre owned tags etc. Have a gander on chrono24.com also. Plenty of reputable jewellers on there that you would have no concerns with as long as you do your homework on them so don't completely rule out second hand if you want a high quality watch....

I probably threw the "no second hand" comment out there without thinking about it. I had more auctions/private sales in mind but a reputable jeweler would certainly be an option.

MarcusP12 wrote: »

Also, what kind of style are you looking for? Sporty, diver, dress, pilot?? Might help people refine their suggestions...

Dressy sporty maybe? Basically something that can be worn daily but won't look out of place with a suit for the odd times I wear one - the Longines Conquest would fit that niche nicely I think. Divers and Pilots are not really my thing.

Frankie5Angels

ckeng wrote: »

I'm in there tomorrow as it happens so I'll see what they can do for me.

An opportunity for snaps! :pac:

ckeng wrote: »

Dressy sporty maybe? Basically something that can be worn daily but won't look out of place with a suit for the odd times I wear one - the Longines Conquest would fit that niche nicely I think. Divers and Pilots are not really my thing.

If you're in KV, there's a nice Rado with a blue dial up in the left hand corner of one of the display cases on the wall - i was there on sunday. Don't know the model number, but keep an eye out for it - might be an alternative and in a similar vein to the Conquest GMT posted earlier. They seem to be moving away from their...i don't know how one would describe that look :P

Edit: Found it But it's quite small at 39mm, looked bigger to me.

https://www.rado.com/collections/rado-hyperchrome/hyperchrome-automatic-0165801153021?lang=en

Hydro conquest Auto chrono were 1340 ish in Kildare village last April when I bought mine... another 15% off with a KV loyalty/member voucher thing.

An example of the value compared to even online prices

Mitch Buchannon

If it was my money I would be going with Nomos Glashütte . At €1600 the Club date is 100 over your budget. It's a nice size at 38.5mm (they wear a lot larger than you think). It has a manual in-house movement, Sporty and dressy looking and under the radar but will get the hat tip from those in the know.
I believe Nomos are great value for money. I'm hoping to pick up an Orion some time this year.



http://www.nomos-store.com/en/Watches/Model-series/Club/Watches-with-manual-winding/Club-Datum-stainless-steel-back.html

There are lots of reviews online.

B1gft

If you have a look in Kildare Village, which I would strongly recommend, I would have a look at Signet Jewellers. They have a large range of second hand Tags and other brands. I know you do not want second hand, but buying them from a jewellers, they will have being serviced, checked and guaranteed. I think watches are like cars, you get way better value for your money buying second hand.

The hour passion shop in Kildare is owned by the Swatch Group and they sell their middle range watches, Rado, Tissot, Longines, Hamilton, Certina, Mido (And Calvin Kline,) Their prices are very good. I had a good chat with them last week and they have stores around Europe. If their is a particular model that you are interested in, you can phone or email them and they will give you the price. If they do not have the model you want, they will check their other stores and might be able to get it for you.

Personally I think if spending a fair lash on a watch that will be your main watch & if you don't have a few watches than Swiss Made is a must

ckeng

So KV was interesting. Surprising the difference between what I think I'd like based on photos vs what I actually like when I try it on. Tried on some Longines, Hamiltons and the Rado in Hour Passion. Rados looked fantastic but a little too shiney for me. No Conquest GMT but Hartmanns have them so I'll have a try of that tomorrow. Signet had some really lovely stuff. Most of the used watches were like new in fairness.

Anyway, upshot is I'm considering an Ebel Wave, a Lacroix 6027 and a Frederique Constant FC-303X5B3. Probably a Longines Conquest GMT to add to that and possibly an Oris depending on how they look in the flesh. I think that's my shortlist of new watches. I will be checking out the used stock in a few jewellers though. The Nomos look good, as do the Stowa, but without being able to try them on I'm probably going to rule them out.

Augeo wrote: »

Personally I think if spending a fair lash on a watch that will be your main watch & if you don't have a few watches than Swiss Made is a must

Yeah, finding it hard to look past the Swiss for this one at least.

blue5000

For €1500 you might get a Damsko DA36 with their bracelet, or if you wanted something with a bezel look at DA44 /45/ 46. Same watch just different dials.
https://www.damasko-watches.com/us

What prices were Longines hydroconquest in KV? Was 50 last year myself, but I went for used and bought 2!

Homer

If you're based in the Dublin area you are welcome to try my stowa marine original to to see if you like it.

ckeng

blue5000 wrote: »

For €1500 you might get a Damsko DA36 with their bracelet, or if you wanted something with a bezel look at DA44 /45/ 46. Same watch just different dials.
https://www.damasko-watches.com/us

What prices were Longines hydroconquest in KV? Was 50 last year myself, but I went for used and bought 2!

Just shy of €600 I think. I didn't really give them much of a look.

ckeng

Homer wrote: »

If you're based in the Dublin area you are welcome to try my stowa marine original to to see if you like it.

That's an incredibly nice offer man, cheers. Galway based unfortunately.

Frankie5Angels

blue5000 wrote: »

What prices were Longines hydroconquest in KV? Was 50 last year myself, but I went for used and bought 2!

I was down recently and the autos were about 720, quartz I think around 520 (though second time down they didn't seem to have the autos on show).

oxocube

The Stienhart Racetimer Blue is a peach of a watch.

Its 44mm is might be a little on the big side :P

Would look lovely with a navy and cream nato



https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/chronographs/racetimer-blau.html

Deffo one to add to the collection

Lorddrakul

oxocube wrote: »

The Stienhart Racetimer Blue is a peach of a watch.

Its 44mm is might be a little on the big side :P

Would look lovely with a navy and cream nato



https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/chronographs/racetimer-blau.html

Deffo one to add to the collection

That is gorgeous, and I'd never seen one of them before the one on Adverts came up. Like it very much.

Eoin

Lorddrakul wrote: »

That is gorgeous, and I'd never seen one of them before the one on Adverts came up. Like it very much.

I suspect it's a nod to this Tudor

You might also like the Hamilton Pan Europ.
https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Timeless-Classic-Europ-H35405741/dp/B00M738546

Or the older chrono version (the limited edition with the blue face and brown strap is lovely, but hard to find):
https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-American-Classic-Automatic-Stainless/dp/B0081M7Z1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1489454898&sr=1-2&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=pan+europ+chrono

Lorddrakul

Eoin wrote: »

I suspect it's a nod to this Tudor

You might also like the Hamilton Pan Europ.
https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Timeless-Classic-Europ-H35405741/dp/B00M738546

Or the older chrono version (the limited edition with the blue face and brown strap is lovely, but hard to find):
https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-American-Classic-Automatic-Stainless/dp/B0081M7Z1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1489454898&sr=1-2&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=pan+europ+chrono

The Tudor is nice, but not wild about the Hamiltons.

I think both the Tudor and the Steinhart might be channeling old Heuers, such as the Monacos, with a hint of the Gulf Racing colours, as per this one:


No bad thing though—standing on the shoulders of giants, and all that.

Lex Luthor

If I was starting out again, I think I'd be looking at a Sinn 104 St SA A. Get a bracelet and a black leather strap with white stitching to change it up every now and again and you got a solid watch for life that will take a beating but also look good in all situations

I think if you can get a grey leather strap with a bit of a suede/distressed look to it with white stitching it would be a nice addition too

Also think it would come in a few hundred under budget

http://www.sinn.de/en/Modell/104_St_Sa_A.htm

titan18

That Nomos Club is manual. Manual suits some people, but automatic is a bit easier tbh. If you can't go stretch for an automatic Nomos, I'd suggest saving a bit of money and go for Junghans Max Bill.

https://www.mrporter.com/en-ie/mens/junghans/max-bill-automatic-40mm-stainless-steel-and-leather-watch/668232?ppv=2



Classic looking watch and a lovely dress watch imo. You could probably use the 500 euro extra to get a Hamilton Khaki Field too for a more casual watch and have yourself a choice depending on occasion.