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Kind of. Turning 40 soon and fancy a posh watch to pass on. Set on an IWC pilot chrono but can't decide black face or grey (spitfire model).
Will be going for a (brown) leather rather than a bracelet, but you get the idea;
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I know, I know. Pointless, and my Gshock is a far better time teller etc.
But this is what it is and I am completely torn. I know there are some informed peeps here. Black is classic and bold, but that sunburst grey.....
Sunburst grey. So much better in light.
And don't let anyone tell you the g shock is better!
And don't let anyone tell you the g shock is better!
Lets be honest, as a practical thing which tells you the time, it is leagues ahead. It's ugly, it's soul-less, it's hard as ****ing nails, needs a new battery every ten years and keeps impeccable time. I do love the Gshocks. I just want something [i]nice[/i].
Thanks for the opinion, I'm leaning that way too.
logged in to say the spitfire model.
nice.
Older model but does the dial a bit more justice.. 😉
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Nice, nick, but there is a [i]slight[/i] price difference.
The older spitfire had an in-house movement, as such they were suitably more expensive. The one linked here is just a different face colour, and a polished bezel. The bracelets have alternate polished links. same price, same modded ETA movement, essentially same watch. It's just a cosmetic choice really.
The black is more legible, more authentic, more tool-ey. For the proper watch geezer (which I am not), more proper. But that grey is [i]really[/i] nice.
My own personal choice would be the grey face on the brown leather strap, black face on a black leather strap.
Go have a look in a dealership, have them in your hand under shop lights (a good dealer would let you look at them in daylight). That should help sway your decision.
Also, you may be surprised with the price if you can find a new old stock 3706 model (from memory).
I bought a Zenith El Primero Grande Class Chronograph last month for £2500. From around 2012, never worn, £7000 when new - still had price ticket on it. Big watches aren't in fashion at the moment with collectors.
Don't forget to try it for size first.
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Drac - there is a subtle, but important difference between:
"[i]Turning 40 soon and fancy a posh watch to pass on[/i]"
and
"[i]Turning 40 soon and fancy a posh watch to pass[/i]"
Either way I guess the leather strap is the right way to go.
You never know when you might have to hide it for 5 years.
Go have a look in a dealership, have them in your hand under shop lights (a good dealer would let you look at them in daylight). That should help sway your decision.
I did, that's my photo. They didn't have the black or grey on leather in store. They did have the blue but I didn't like it so much.
The size is great, the MkXVIII looked like a girls watch on me.
Definately grey for me looks superb, was only saying the other day to the missus I wonder if the big expensive brands will ever get on the GPS wagon, I love my garmin as so much more than just a watch
If you've already checked them out in the coesh and still can't decide. Go for the black, will date less than the grey.
I think tool watches have a longer lasting appeal in their std colours rather than fashion or special editions.
I also prefer a bigger watch, the GC is 44mm, dwarfs my wrists and doesn't allow my shirt sleeve to fall over it without help. But it looks ace.
I also prefer a bigger watch, the GC is 44mm, dwarfs my wrists and doesn't allow my shirt sleeve to fall over it without help. But it looks ace.
To be honest, at 43mm it didn't feel or look big. A bit tall maybe but that's chronos for you. I expected (and kind of hoped) the XVIII to be my favorite, I love its boldness but it looked too small.
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[/img]Not my pic (obv!)
grey without a doubt
Black for me.
You'd be surprised how quick they look 'right' though. I have an Elite GMT which at 38mm is tidley in comparison. It soon seems to fit your wrist though.
No cries of "HOW MUCH" yet?? Come on STW, you're slacking....... 😆
PS: GREY face imo!
I prefer a black face on stainless watches. I have an IWC and like it very much, a minor gripe about the strap clip and adjustment but I think you'll be delighted with the watch.
Grey all day. Get the bracelet too if budget allows and a good price. The latest IWC micro adjustment looks awesomez.
No cries of "HOW MUCH" yet?? Come on STW, you're slacking.......
HOW MUCH!!!!
(I rather like that XVIII up there, don't much care for chronos.)
Just found a 2016 unworn black face on black leather for £3,750.
Grey face is like buying a fashionable suit. In 5 years it'll be quirky but no one will actually want to own it & it'll feel like your 40th was way back in the dim & distant past. Whereas the black will look like it & you are forever young & classic
On watchfinder, sorry, cack internet connection.
Grey, it's stunning!
Nothing but jewellery for men. Overpriced tat sold by and to ****s with more money than imagination.
Nothing but jewellery for men. Overpriced tat sold by and to **** with more money than imagination.
You just stubbed your toe or something?
Jealousy is an ugly emotion.
Grey definitely. Lovely watch...
Nothing but jewellery for men. Overpriced tat sold by and to **** with more money than imagination.
...and normal service is resumed 😉
i too, dont get expensive watches or such, but i would choose the black.
If I was spending that kind of money I'd choose classic over interesting, i.e. the black.
However, seeing as it's your watch and heirloom then the more personal to you it is the better, right?
Jewellery perhaps, but miniature feats of incredible engineering and creativity certainly.
FWIW, I'd go for the grey, but I'd support LeeW's comment and go for the Zenith. I like their history and the company.
I'm looking for a 2010 "something" that I can wear for the next 12 years then give to one of my kids for their birthday. And run the risk of them turning their nose up at it because it's not their style. 🙂
However, seeing as it's your watch and heirloom then the more personal to you it is the better, right?
Yes, may as well get the one you like best. These things end up on ebay or the pawn shop anyway as the heir usually spunks the money away on a family holiday or something.
I like watches until I actually have them, then I realise they're uncomfortable, too expensive to risk wearing daily and don't have handy features like timers and alarms - which is why I wear a 15€ Decathlon digital thing.
But those two would be nice with a leather strap, and definitely black. The gray one looks tacky.
Yes, may as well get the one you like best. These things end up on ebay or the pawn shop anyway as the heir usually spunks the money away on a family holiday or something.
Not in my experience. In a drawer maybe or worn only on special occasions but watches and jewelry I am personally aware of being gifted is treasured.
I love watches and the grey matches that strap well but I'd go black I think.
Yes, may as well get the one you like best. These things end up on ebay or the pawn shop anyway as the heir usually spunks the money away on a family holiday or something
Guess that depends on your relationship with the giver.
I'm in the 'g shocks are better in many ways and fancy watches are just jewellery' camp too, but a nice watch passed on by your father has more going on, and I would love such a thing deeply (despite the relationship with my father being far from good!). Nice sentiment. Black.
Grey face is like buying a fashionable suit. In 5 years it'll be quirky but no one will actually want to own it & it'll feel like your 40th was way back in the dim & distant past. Whereas the black will look like it & you are forever young & classic
You voice my concerns over the grey very well. The black is more "real"
I'm in the 'g shocks are better in many ways and fancy watches are just jewellery' camp too, but a nice watch passed on by your father has more going on, and I would love such a thing deeply (despite the relationship with my father being far from good!). Nice sentiment. Black.
Cheers Del.
As for km79, I am quite aware that it's overpriced jewellery (hence the thread title), and whether I have more money than sense matters little as it's my money that I have worked for and I'll do what the hell I want with it. Have you seen the price of mountain bikes these days? It could easily be argued that any bike over £2k is just a skill compensating ego chariot.
The Mark XVII is more in keeping with "more real" as the early pilots watches were not chrono's, the other option is the Portugueser which is a lovely looking timepiece if you want the chrono function.
As for the Veblen goods hand wringing. So what? The world is filled with pointless baubles, man has been been embellishing tools and creating useless objects of worship since the Stone Age, any argument is moot unless you live like a monk and your book of prayer is not richly illuminated in gold but a plain text document printed and spiral bound.
It's not over priced jewelery at all, the work and craftsmanship that goes in to these can be incredible. For example the El Primero movement takes 9 months to build by dozens of highly skilled craftsmen out of dozens of different materials.
Yes the IWC use ETA èbauches, but they are heavily modified in house by one of the leading, forward thinking watch manufacturers in Switzerland.
This whole it's my money I can do what I want with it attitude is what's wrong with the world today.
Ok, what should people spend their money on?
This whole it's my money I can do what I want with it attitude is what's wrong with the world today.
Typed on a forum dedicated to a rather expensive, and arguably both trivial and pointless, hobby. Probably from a nice shiny tablet, too.
Assuming you give all your earnings to charridee?
Ok, what should people spend their money on?
Audi's to sit in traffic jams in and 4K mountain bikes to show off to your corpulent trail centre car park chums who work in IT.
At least it's not a private number plate I guess.
Black one though, if it was me.
But I'd probably not buy anything until I really knew what I wanted then end up spending it on rubbish in the mean time.
This whole it's my money I can do what I want with it attitude is what's wrong with the world today.
I think it's brilliant that we can earn money to use however we want personally. It's the most basic of freedoms. Obviously it [i]is[/i] my money, and I [i]can[/i] do what I want with it because, thankfully we are not communists. I could wipe my arse with fivers, and it would be nobody else's business.
OP some information that might help you.
If you're dead set on a leather strap, then spend the extra money on a deployment clasp rather than a tang and buckle. Over time the leather degrades due to sweat and bending and that wear is rapidly accelerated with a tang to the point you need to replace the strap about once every two years. A new strap (from IWC) will cost a few hundred pounds. The deployment clasp is pricey (around £400 but I got one from eBay for a quarter of that) but it pays for itself in a few years and it's a lot nicer to wear.
That said, if the watch you want has the option of a bracelet I'd chose that; it'll never need replacing and it's more comfortable to wear when it's hot. I love my IWC Portuguese but the leather strap is not nice in the heat.
So do you buy a deployant buckle and it fits on any strap?
I'm not into bracelets, if I did get one it would likely to be flipped to pay for sexy leather 😉
This is what Georges from IWC thinks. To a large extent all luxury watches are all smoke and mirrors, but if I were buying one, I'd rather not have it rubbed in my face.
One other thing worth knowing is that Swatch / ETA have stopped selling spares to independent repairer, so you may find yourself limited to official servicing providers.
I'd think about buying the black one, but I'd go out and buy a Rolex Submariner instead just because they tend to be rock solid value wise.
Do you think the MTB industry is any different? We're at £3K a FRAME and that's not just the sexy stuff, even specialized sell frames at this price point.
Of course it's a rip-off. Everything high end is a rip off. And yet ENVE, Santa Cruz, Rolex and IWC all seem to do rather well.
I know stuff all about watches, as I said about the Gshock being a better thing for telling the time. I just want something nice to mark my 40th.
This whole it's my money I can do what I want with it attitude is what's wrong with the world today.
😯
What's left after the tax man has his take is our money and assuming the OP is buying the watch in the UK HMRC will take another 20%. So assuming the OP is a higher rate taxpayer (40% + 2% NI) then the Government will have taken 56% of the money he has earnt to pay for the watch. MORE THAN HALF
Both are nice, get them both!
I'd go for the black, as it's easier to tell the time with.
Scores so far (by my interpretation)
Grey - 9
Black - 10
To be honest, if I couldn't make my mind up when they were both in my hand then I may as well flip a coin.
Definitely prefer the grey, though both a bit small for me. I love the Big Pilot though...
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^^^^ half sliced numbers are just wrong. Otherwise nice watch!
Go for a black one, yeah you may lust after a grey one but when IWC release the next fashion colour you won't regret it.
Seen the updated Air King Tron? That will really hold it's value, same 3131 movement as the Milgause and it's just over £4k! The new Daytona looks good too, going to be a long waiting list for that one.
Really like the Air King - tempted.
As for the OP. Tough choice. I like the grey but when dropping this much cash on a watch, I think you need to lessen to your heart. If the pull isn't that strong you should probably wait or buy something else.
So do you buy a deployant buckle and it fits on any strap?
The deployment claps will work on any strap that is the correct size, which I know is a tautology but there are still different straps for the same watch. As long as it fits the watch it will fit any strap that fits that watch. I don't know for sure but I imagine some models of watch, like the Big Pilots Watch for instance, have much braoder straps.
Typed on a forum dedicated to a rather expensive, and arguably both trivial and pointless, hobby. Probably from a nice shiny tablet, too.
This is the Chat forum, so nobody actually rides bikes...
Blackface is timeless. Maybe not a good thing in a watch.
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Some really nice watches above and valid comments. The ceramic daytona is lovely but a huge premium on list if you want one now.
I vote black on black but live in a hot country and leather or Croc straps really do smell after a bit.
Stick to classic styles, loving the portugeusers too
Sorry double post
Grey looks nicer. So, grey.
i too, dont get expensive watches or such
If I had £3k of bling strapped to my wrist the chances are I’d scratch it or bash it up the first time I wore it.
Also, isn’t a bit like having a big sign on your head saying “mug me”?!
(very carefully avoided placing a comma there :D)
Ive got the Mark XVI - a wedding gift from the wife
polished steel / white face and with a leather strap
I love it. Simple and perfect
How dare you acknowledge the superiority of a G-shock pre-emptively?
It's an important unimportant decision, innit.
As a tie breaker, ask your significant other, and if you're in a good mood with him/her, buy the one (s)he likes best. If not, get the other. Be prepared to live with the consequences.
If I had £3k of bling strapped to my wrist the chances are I’d scratch it or bash it up the first time I wore it.
People drag 8k Santa cruz's round muddy trails every weekend...
I do like a nice watch and price not withstanding i'd buy the black faced based on your photos. In practice i'd keep the g shock, get a seamaster and a new bike. YMMV though and hey, what makes you happy.
If I had £3k of bling strapped to my wrist the chances are I’d scratch it or bash it up the first time I wore it.
And the rest. IWCs probably more like £5k.
£4600 new, it's why the unworn second hand one on watchfinder is a bit of a bargain.
Good point about the deployment strap, I have a butterfly one on my El Primero, only problem is that s that it adds to the girth making it harder for my shirtsleeves to fall over it without being pulled.
I,d be looking something vintage, like this, Omega 911
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List for the leather is £4190 (according to the tag), the B&M dealer will sell it for £4K. I have seen it elsewhere (brand new) for £3600-odd.