legb4rsk

Just imagine a Scotsman shouting '*****!'

thesyn

Your dad's got good taste.

I remember having a second hand stainless steel daytona on my wrist 10y ago and deciding not to buy it, £3250 then. Wish I'd bought a couple!

lozgti1

I'd love a Milgauss

GC8

Not just the front of house: they make ETA/Eterna/Valjoux ebauches too. This means that theyre supplying the majority of the movements even in the brands that they dont own.

OP: Im glad that I gave you something to think about. Something else - I find that only mechanical watches interest me, although I do have an early Omega quartz (its got more jewels than some mechanicalactions and its a work of art), so Id be looking at the automatic watches in preference. You know that youre really getting something for your money with an mechanical watch, which isnt necessarily so with a quartz.

When you visit the store have a look at a few real watches before you opt for a quartz and see if they have a Visiodate available too. Its a re-edition of a classic, but in a contemporary size and its available in a variety of finishes/colours. If you still like the T-Touch after youve tried them, then knock yourself out.


Simon

DARB

When I posted that I had chose the T-Touch I had just collected it, I looked at the metal strap bit preferred the rubber one ( I have a few with metal strap so fancied a change ) I was really impressed with it, it wasn't just the touch screen thingy that did it for me I would have liked the strap to be a little wider but it's no problem, it's a real nice watch and cheers for the point in that direction

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I'm not sure I fully agree with all that Simon. What gets my goat about ETA/swatch movements is (as you rightly say) the amount of non-swatch owned brands that prance about calling it their own movement. Sure they modify them and add date or chronograph modules etc, but its still not their movement.

A typical example: Raymond Weil Freelancer Chrono uses a "RW 3500" caliber, I'm sure you'll agree this is just a fashion watch. But this is a £2000 fashion watch which as mentioned earlier, is seen as inferior to an Oris at less than half the price. This RW3500 movement is a ETA 2892-A2 polished and dressed up with a few jewels and a Dubois Dupraz chornograph module added on (like a Tag calibre 12 ). Its not just Raymond Weil who do it, loads of makers are at it from the cheap to the horrendously expensive/overpriced (eg Audemars Piguet using Jaeger-LeCoultre movements, although that might be a good thing as JLC are one of the best ).

The ETA2892 is a perfectly fine movement, its found in all sorts of watches of various prices because of this. But I don't agree with watch makers hiding that fact it uses one in an attempt to gain market prestige over cheaper brands using the same internals and openly admitted it.

I have penty of other gripes like the current trends and obsessions to make the bloody things as thick, large and heavy as possible. Also the Swiss have gone so one tracked - back in the 70s you had all sorts of novel uses of different technologies; Accutrons, Quartz all being offered at the same level as manual and automatics with the same attention to quality. Now its sneered on if its not an automatic regardless of quality. Which is a shame, and this is how Seiko and Citizen have gone above a beyond in terms of using alternate technologies to the norm (and why I fancy a Spring drive; an automatic with the accuracy of a quartz).

Same with the obsession with complications and automatics - I would never knock anyone for choosing a quartz version over a automatic when many of the brands they are looking at are using the same variants of ETA movements. Some people have no desire to keep resetting the date/day on a watch if they don't wear it for a few days. And it would be nice to have a really posh watch that could be left in a drawer and still be working when inbetween weekends without the need for a automatic winder.

Now if it was a one-off/pure inhouse movement in a limited run watch made with precious metals, its acceptable, but a generic ETA thats been tarted up and shoved in a random polished steel case is not special enough to sneer and say the automatic version is superior, sorry. And this what I feel is what alot of sub-£5K brands do. Sure they are big, heavy and blingy, but it can just be skin deep IMO.

OK, if a person a particular watch that fine, as I say buy whatever you like and afford, but I wouldn't brag about it being superior unless one is sure it actually is. Polished stainless steel is cheap and common, and so are some ETA innards. Its a trap too many people fall into when wondering round a high street shop.

(I'm starting to wish I hadn't clicked into this thread now )

GC8

Youve quoted the wrong post! When Id said that I disagreed with what youd written, I really only meant the RW above Oris in the VW brands analagy.

Mick

iTrader: (1)

Good choice with the Tissot Touch

I got the Sea-Touch last year with Tesco vouchers

Dingdongler

Ali/GC8, what do you think of the current crop of omega watches? The planet ocean chrono in particular

Thanks

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Nice. Although the tango orange versions is an aquired taste LOL.

Of course , goes without saying all Omegas use high-end ETA derived movements, but in this case, modified with a co-axial escapement. Don't ask what that is, as I wouldn't know if that makes it work better or not, its just a different tweek on the usual design. Big gripe with Omega of recent years is their continuous price hikes. OK they aren't the only ones and our economy doesn't help as I suppose the Swiss Franc is pretty strong compared to Sterling/Euro/Dollar etc, but it still feels like they are cashing in on the branding.

I don't know if that is a good thing or not - if next year's model is 10% more than last years, does that make last years model hold its value better second hand? I guess that all depends on how bothered you are on how a watch holds its value or not (the latter in many cases). It is something that bothers me, and thats what puts me off alot of expensive watches.

lozgti1

So what about companies like Christopher Ward?

'Swiss' watches for about £300 with proper movements (ok,some are about £700)

They say they are trying to sell decent swiss watch at proper prices and I am sorely tempted by one of their pilots watches.

I have Omega,Longines etc and sometimes I do think it is paying for a name

GC8

I have a small collection of old Omegas (2x Seamaster, 2x Dynamic, Chronostop and the 70s quartz that I mentioned earlier). As you can see I like Omega watches, but theyre far too expensive now. They are still nice watches, but theyre twice the price that they should be (if you accept that they were the 'right' price a few years ago).

Dingdongler

Thanks Ali/GC

I really need a new watch and can't decide what to get. I also can't decide whether I want to spend a lot of money on a 'brand' or not.

I sit somewhere between you guys ie a real passion for time pieces and those that think any watch over £10 is a waste of time.

Just out of interest if you were going to spend £5k (not saying I've decided to spend that much) on one watch and you didn't already own any others what would you buy? The only other criteria is that it can't be a very thin delicate dress watch.

Thanks.

OP, hope you don't mind the minor hijack!

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

My Christmas present this year



Its my first "proper" watch & I can't wait 'til Christmas day

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Oh & I wish my father had been around still to see it - the tide function & compass would have had made him go out and get one too!

(ex 30 years RN)

DARB

Not at all

Luan Pra bang

Second hand oyster perpetual with a bit of sparkle can be had for 3k secons hand 6 k new. Green Milgauss can be had for 5k now. For me the Milgauss is a winner but stretch the 5 k to 7k and get a Franck Muller.