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So, my Grandmother died recently, and there is a tiny bit of cash coming our way. As we want spend the money on things that will be kept, the kids are using their share to each get a guitar of their dreams, Mrs Seadog as yet undecided, but probably a nice bit of jewellery..
Me, time for a posh watch, not super expensive, £400 maximum. Automatic, leather strap, plain, not enormous... Inspire me as to what I should/could get.
EDIT - never had a posh watch in my life!
Hamilton Khaki Field should be around that price, I like them, don't have one yet!
The recent Xmas watches thread has lots of nice watches at varying prices
My mondaine automatic fits both your spec and budget:
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Dave
Tissot Visodate would be my first choice for UK sales and within budget.
Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic around £460 Uk price (<£400 grey market)
Seiko SARX017 (Japanese grey market <£400)
i love my Rolex Daytona - it's one of my only prized possessions.
Oris Big Crown.
Be aware some watches cost more to service than a car!!
Posh and £400? think you might struggle there unless you get some moody omega from ebay that comes from india.
Something from Harold or an Elliott Brown
For £400 I'd be looking at an Orient Star of some description and a custom Toshi strap.
Or a Chris Ward.
Steinhart do automatic watches at that price point. I have one on my wish list
Tissot Visiodate or a Chris Ward would be where I would be looking. Orient Mako's are really nice too but have metal straps.
Seiko Tuna (used) but may need to up budget a bit.
Not that much on topic, but I've been looking for an excuse to show this off as I've only just got around to taking a picture of it!)
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1936(ish!) Schwarz Geneve. Scratched, worn and beaten, with original glass, that will never be replaced. However, this watch saw quite some life with the original owner, and I am immensely proud to wear it in his memory.
Seiko Alpinist
Solid 14ct gold Longines from about 1960, recent documented service, £300 off ebay[img] https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/l7WEM2zqfdpcB_nyeWAE8IkXY8dAQDgIZh_xmATo0eg=w216-h162-p-no [/img]
and in nearly new condition.
I've got one of these very nice in the flesh. Shop about and you will find it cheaper.
Christopher Ward C11 is a little over budget at £499 but I have one and they're very good, my Omega Seamaster has been relegated to second place since I got the C11, as much as I like it the C11 just looks great.
[url= http://www.christopherward.co.uk/men/view-all-mens-watches/c11collection/c11-auto-skt.html ]Christopher Ward C11[/url]
Hmm? Tissot or Mondaine it may well be..
Not *posh*, I'm not entirely sure how you define that! I guess a really expensive dress watch in gold but mine is hardly that. It's about the closest I'll get to a *posh* watch until the lottery coughs up and I can afford to spend 3 or 4k on something that matches my taste; which this pretty much defines:
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Cost me £350 NOS.
Not *posh*, I'm not entirely sure how you define that! I guess a really expensive dress watch in gold but mine is hardly that. It's about the closest I'll get to a *posh* watch until the lottery coughs up and I can afford to spend 3 or 4k on something that matches my taste; which this pretty much defines:
[IMG] [/IMG]
Cost me £350 NOS.
Yobokies or AKA "harold" (seikoboy backwards)
Get something unique and you could be paying alot less than £400.
[url= http://www.benaruswatches.com/ ]Benarus[/url]
Check out the specs on these watches,the case,movement glass etc,not a well known brand. I like the clean looks. I have the steel Moray excellent watch.
£400 [b]is [/b]posh in my book.
As mentioned above, [url= http://www.elliotbrownwatches.com/ ]Elliot Brown[/url] have some nice watches.
I love my Oris Big Crown, bought with money after my father died. Its been back for repair twice in 5 years and finally seems to be fixed. Quiet and understated.
This ticks all your boxes although I don't know what case size you class as big. I nearly went for one of these but my budget increased so I opted for something different, however I know a few people with Christopher Ward watches and they are very nice. Different face styles and strap colours are available if that one doesn't float your boat.
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[url= http://www.christopherward.co.uk/men/dress/view-all-dress/c5swt-mk2.html ]Chr Ward Malvern Automatic[/url]
Not expensive, not posh, but relatively small and automatic. An option if you decide not to blow the full £400:
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Mine looks just like that^. It was about £48 from Amazon (price goes up and down like a yoyo) and I paid £8.50 delivered for the strap.
Failing that, those Elliot Brown's look nice, I think they might all be quartz though?
Edit: someone posted a pic of an Elliot Brown Canford with a black leather strap on a previous watch thread. Very nice.
When I say posh, I mean something smarter, dressier, than the venerable G-Shock. Not really a fan of the complicated looking chrongraph/sports type, or metal straps.
I could, however be tempted by something like the seiko divers watch above. I don't mind that type as they haven't got all the fussy tiny dials and extra knobs...
I'd go vintage, doesn't matter how accurate it is - who needs a watch for time telling these days...
I recently had a similar amount of money to spend on a watch (I think it cost around £300) and went for this :
[url= https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3762/13522754425_1d62f4526e.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3762/13522754425_1d62f4526e.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
I have a few other watches, but wanted something fairly plain and simple.
I think Tissot do a leather strap version in the PRS516 range.
For the money and given your description I'd go for a 1960s Omega Seamaster
Something like this:
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or this:
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The last one went for £200 on [url= http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?290283-Omega-286-mechanical-circa-1962-OHPF ]TZ-UK[/url]. £200!
Stowa fleiger
Look at steinhart I have just got one. They do very nice watches at your price point.
Steinhart are great but are q quite large, 42 for the diver is possibly the smallest they do. Stows flieger is a nice 40mm.
Or look at Grovana for a whole range of sport or dress watches (Grovana supposedly make the cases for Steinhart, aramar and a few others)
Oops. Stowa, not stows
I'd look at [url= http://www.stowa.de/lshop,showdetail,139625796912996,en,1396257981-13075,marine,marineautdatum,1,Tshowrub--marine,.htm ]Stowa[/url] too.
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How about a Swatch Sistem51?
Automatic - check
Leather strap - mine, photographed below, is rubber. The black version, see the link, has leather.
Plain - yep
Not enormous - again yes.
Only about £100. Use the remaining £300 on a trip to to Switzerland to pick it up as they're not available in the UK yet.
[url] http://www.swatch.com/zz_en/sistem51.html [/url]
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/13533693545_13769f63a2_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7449/13533693545_13769f63a2_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Pick a watch you like, then send that picture to Yobokies as already mentioned
He can make you a clone, not a fake/copy, and will be very affordable. They're generally sterile, i.e. not branded to be a rolex etc, and use a Seiko as a starting point
I have a Seiko military base watch that he changed to look like a Sinn 556/656. I can't remember how much it was but definitely less than £150, maybe between £100 and £120. The front is sterile, the back still says Seiko as it still is a Seiko, including all movement etc.
Only problem is that its an auto so if I rotate watches too much then its run out of juice by the time I wear it again, but thats not the watches fault. Most autos are like that
I have a Seiko SNZH55 - took off the metal bracelet and put on a black leather strap with white stitching. Works well for almost everything, it's less chunky/fussily styled than most dive-style watches so OK with a suit and anything less formal than that.
[url= https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6234/6280770162_6fc825fb21.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6234/6280770162_6fc825fb21.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Else if you like the more Submariner style, then Steinhart make some really nice stuff.
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It's smaller than this in real life...
I've just ordered a custom Elliot Brown Canford, like the custom one in the blog post. It is still a quartz, but for the fact is costs what an auto would to service and looks like the sort of watch I've always wanted I am prepared to live with the occasional battery change.
It's being tested at the moment - but I am very much looking forward to getting to wear it!
I could, however be tempted by something like the seiko divers watch above. I don't mind that type as they haven't got all the fussy tiny dials and extra knobs...
Exactly! For me, simplicity is key, I just want to see the time clearly displayed with the shortest glance.
Having said that, I have a chronograph that I bought forty-odd years ago, which I had repaired recently, and which is now my daily work watch, and I don't have any real problems reading the time on it, but it's not as cluttered as some watches have become.
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You'll be lucky to find one for your budget these days, though, although they're still being made with a Citizen movement.
Apologies for the original double post, not entirely sure why that happened.
Love that Yema
Rusty Shackleford - Member
I'd look at Stowa too.
So would I but it blows the budget.
Unless it's like when I start with a budget and then spend about 200% of it.
hmm...yeah the ikarus is cheapest flieger at £480 so 20% over budget, sorry.
okay, Laco fleiger is smaller than the steinhart and affordable. 42 or 36mm, and start from 398 euro for the auto. I'm not sure who makes the movement though...website lists it as a laco21 but I suspect it isn't an in house movement.
That Christopher Ward is a really nice-looking watch. Very classy.
I love my IWC but a bit over your budget, sadly.
Have a look at [url= http://www.timefactors.com/watches.htm ]Timefactors[/url], a bit outside the mainstream 'names' but very good value for the spec with a few options in your price range.
I've bought several from Eddie (the owner/designer/watch aficionado) and they are excellent.
Yep, that's how it works!matthewjb - Member
Unless it's like when I start with a budget and then spend about 200% of it.
It's not that bad really, the Marine automatic that I linked to above can be had without the croc strap for around £480.So would I but it blows the budget.
Of course, a nice watch [i]really [/i]needs a nice strap...might as well get hung for a sheep as a lamb, as they say...it's what his gran would have wanted.
Holyzeus - Member
Love that Yema
Thanks, I hadn't worn it for years, had a steel mesh Tissot bracelet on it for a long time, then, because it wasn't working right, just put it away. I'm glad I found someone who could fix it for a reasonable amount, £140, and the addition of a nice leather strap with deployment clasp, means that it's in everyday use, and I don't think it looks dated.
I found scans of a catalogue by the company I bought it from, Chronosport in Bath; they supplied timing equipment to motor racing teams and aerobatic teams. Here's a couple of pages:
[img][url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/13591110995_51c7fdeb57_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/13591475304_100bd503db_o.jp g" target="_blank">
This is the same movement, only the Yema doesn't have the fancy engraved plate:
[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/13591980574_ac9238777a_o.jp g" target="_blank">
And have duly bought this one today
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/13996377785_55741d1c99_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/13996377785_55741d1c99_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/njP6un ] [/url]
[url= https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14016358293_bcb9fab477_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2922/14016358293_bcb9fab477_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/nmzuZT ] [/url]
A Tissot Couturier, minuscule amount over budget, but very very nice me thinks...
Lovely purchase OP 🙂
Nice watch, unusual styling. I like the case back window to show the movement, too. Enjoy! 😀
That is nice.
Day/date automatic. Stylish looking but not flash. Good choice.
This with a suit:
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And this at all other times (thanks to CFH for the recommendation):
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Nice watch, unusual styling
Yes, I was taken by the day/date windows! It's nicely understated, and very comfortable.
Just bought this off Fleabay, looking forward to getting it on Monday!
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161269754152?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 ]1970's Omega[/url]
Nice watch OP. Very stylish. When my grandmother passed away, I also bought a watch and wear it everyday, which does remind me of her. I got an Oris Artelier Skeleton, which I just love.
For an extra-special strap to go with the special watch, these people might be worth checking out:
http://www.abpparis.com/shop/