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Looking for advice from the STW watch experts. Son is 18 in a couple of weeks and we don’t have a mega budget. He quite likes a watch but we are looking about a 10th of what his wish list is!
So, maximum £300, any pointers? Not digital, kind of “blingy” but not too in your face.
Thanks
Kids don't wear watches any more. Have you considered a nice pen?
A seiko of style / budget to suit.
It’s very hard to go wrong with a seiko, imo.
i own 3. 1 modern and 2 from the 70’s
Seiko 5, there’s some nice ones at the top end of your budget
Beaten by 43 seconds!!!
I know nothing about watches so take this with a liberal pinch of salt. The wife has just got back from Las Vegas and was somehow persuaded to buy one of these;
https://www.swatch.com/en-gb/bioceramic-moonswatch.html
I actually quite like it and it’s within budget. I can’t offer any more than that I’m afraid.
Edit. She didn’t buy Mission to Uranus.
You're basicaly looking at a 'fasion watch' with a standard quartz movement, and there is nothing wrong with that... as they are very reliable.
Does it need to be waterproof?
Or will it be more of a dress watch?
Seiko link isn’t working.
As for salad dodgers suggestion, he would use a nice pen even less.
I went through this and the conclusion was what you think is a nice watch is very different to what your child thinks is. Take time and let them chose. Be prepared for it being a Armani, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste or Hugo Boss.
For £300 in sale I would get a Citizen Ecodrive Titanium 300m BN0118-12L
It was for the SSK023, bit top end of budget but looks quite nice.
I got a Tissot PR 200 for my 18th, I don’t wear it much but it definitely gets some wrist time.
I’d be looking at a Seiko 5 of some kind for that budget, they last well, look good and Arne so are a great choice.
I would choose a solar watch of a make of your choice. Was given a Titanium Citizen chronograph 22 years ago, it is my daily alarm still and has never had to have a battery change
Creation Watches are your friend. For example, brand new SSK023 (Korean) in budget.
Crikey I feel old. My 18th was a tag Heuer formula 1, the original one. It was 79.95 in Selfridges.
Mate worked in a jeweller and got me the stainless bracelet for 30 quid when the rubber strap died
Sapphire crystal, auto, 200m water resistance.
Also in black with cream markings if you can go to £313
Wally, he absolutely doesn’t want a fashion watch, they’ve already been ruled out in no uncertain terms!
I received a seiko Kinetic For my 30th, love that watch. But makes me feel old thinking it is 24 years old!
Tissot PRX?
Steinhart ...nice German divers
Has he suggested what style of watch he likes? I've bought two for 18th birthdays - one I really liked, one I wouldn't wear....
Skeleton apparently, with a steel bracelet.
my 18th was a Tissot PR100, still going strong as my dress watch 20 year later…
Dress watch? Is it the 19th century where you go out?
In all seriousness, do people have different watches for different occasions?
I am hoping for one of these for my birthday - but then I'm 50 in a few weeks, not 18...
In all seriousness, do people have different watches for different occasions?
The 220 page long watch thread would suggest that they do.
We got my son and Orient bracelet, can't remember exactly which one but he's happy with it. He was wearing it last night with his suit, he was guest of honour at his old schools sports awards night.
Came here to say Seiko diver, beaten to it by IGM
The 220 page long watch thread would suggest that they do.
Yeah, you could wait for Kryton's impending fire sale and pick up a bargain, but get in line 🙂
There’s a nice Samurai here, if you communicate with them and ask them for thier best price they’ll knock a bit off for you:
you could wait for Kryton’s impending fire sale
He could be in time for his 21st….
My wife got me a Tissot pr100 when we got married. Not break the bank pricey but I still wear it 11 years in.
I didn't want a cluttered multi dial face. It's nice and simple.
I got the black face, sometimes think the blue would have been good.
I think diver style watches are brash, fat and ugly.
What sort of asthetic do they want?
On that note, I think this titanium, 200m, sapphire auto timex is pretty special for £310, and probably closer to his years:
In all seriousness, do people have different watches for different occasions?
Yes . I've a Garmin fenix for day to day as having to carry my phone to know the time seems wasteful. .
If I have my suit on or my kilt. I wear a Seiko bought for my 18th by grandparents.
The 220 page long watch thread would suggest that they do.
What a privileged world we live in.
I would get a Citizen Ecodrive
As would I (and indeed I did). But I'm not 18.
I thought the yoot of today couldn't read analogue clock faces? Plenty can't.
10th of what his wish list is
What's on his wish list? We could suggest options that are on the same theme.
Philips Fatique?
Richard Mile?
So far, he’s erring on that Seiko presage cocktail model.
I'm with @tuboflard, Omega MoonSwatch is a great shout. You can pick a colour/planet that will appeal to your son too.
(Or just get the Mission to Neptune, which is the rarest & coolest)
Omega MoonSwatch
Aesthetically for a teenager perhaps, but it’s derided as being a cheap plastic cash grab by Swatch, please don’t.
Another Tissot PR100 here. My wife (to be) got me mine instead of a wedding ring. I’ve worn it every day since 2003. It has done every coasteer, bike ride, rock climb and other outdoor activity since then and hasn’t missed a beat. I don’t think longevity is an issue with them!
There's a load of skeleton watches here at like half your budget, and you can get them engraved.
https://www.trendhim.co.uk/watches/skeleton-watches-c.html
Google returns tons. This is nice, I'd have loved it at 18 and it's only slightly over budget. The butterfly clasp is cool, it's what my Citizen came with (recently replaced when the leather strap finally rotted through).
https://rotarywatches.com/products/rotary-greenwich-skeleton-automatic-gents-watch-gb02945-87
Another vote for a Tissot PRC200. I got one as a wedding present 19 years ago and it still looks great . I wore it daily until I got a smart watch a of couple of years ago. Mine has a dark green canvas strap on it now and it looks really good, even gets unsolicited compliments so not just my opinion!
I've also been rinsing the Timpson lifetime battery replacements for some years now, if they still do that. Think I paid £25
Tissot or Seiko would be my personal recommendation. I think both brands are very widely recognised and well-considered generally. And as others have said, folks are usually happy and proud/nostalgic to wear them 30 years later.
Invicta pro diver
https://www.creationwatches.com/products/invicta-watches-307/invicta-pro-diver-automatic-blue-dial-9094-mens-watch-7073.html
Spend the remaining £220 on coke and hooker (s)
Fossil do some reasonably priced skeleton autos, they look good IRL.
Get one he can build himself - https://shop.diywatch.club/collections/watchmakingkit/products/40mm-vintage-skeleton-dive-watch-kit-seiko-nh72-with-tools-and-video-instructions
Tried and tested workhorse Seiko movement, skeleton dial, dresses up nicely with a different strap which you could get with the change from your £300 no problem.
Seiko
Christopher ward if on sale
Elliott brown
All very solid watches
It's for his 18th so there's a commemorative element to it. With that in mind I'd try to steer away from anything fashionable or quirky that may just end up looking a bit sad in a couple of years time.
Within your budget I'd recommend something timeless like a Seiko field watch or diver which he can still wear in 10 years time. A Seiko will run that long without maintenance, and if necessary you'll be able to drop a new movement in for less than the service cost of a SW200 or similar. I've no specific watch in mind, there are absolutely loads within your budget!
Crikey I feel old. My 18th was a tag Heuer formula 1, the original one. It was 79.95 in Selfridges.
Mate worked in a jeweller and got me the stainless bracelet for 30 quid when the rubber strap died
TAG are just reissuing the Formula 1 watches - you don’t want to know what they’re going for now, though!
I think diver style watches are brash, fat and ugly.
Well, some are, but £300 won’t get you a platinum Rolex set with multicolour baguette-cut diamonds. A proper, ‘tool’ dive watch should be plain and simple and easy to read, and built to take abuse.
Here’s my mid-80’s TAG Heuer Series 1000 ‘NightDiver’ - the G-Shock ‘CasiOak’ I’m currently wearing is actually bigger!
Some good suggestions above. Seiko are a safe bet, the Timex krypton linked to is great (& can be had with 15% off IIRC), but IMVHO a Timex isn’t that soecial.
also I was gifted a skeleton watch when I was 16 or 18 as my father is into watches and I loved it at the time, but they don’t age that well, definitely not something I’ll ever likely wear again. Just my 2 cents. Also be wary of buying something that has a smallish case diameter.
I also have a pocket watch my best mate have me when I was his best man. Still wear it to formal occasions when I wear my kilt and all the get up that goes with it.
It's Timex which has already been pooh-poohed but I keep getting drawn to this.
Thanks all.
So far, Cougar’s Rotary Skelton is the most approved. I think it’s a decent looking watch and I’m not 18yo!
It feels like the budget is middle ground, I sort of wish we could go more for a proper statement piece but he’s had two daughters before home turn 18 and we try to strictly treat all the kids the same.
Go Chinese, could have a San Martin dive watch and a chrono for the budget
Make sure the lug to lug width will fit his wrist, sapphire bezel, Seiko quartz movement, jobs a goodun
Just an update, we went for the rotary Skeleton as per Cougars note. After two days of hardly any use the second hand dropped off. The store swapped it and, today, the second hand has dropped off the replacement. So the watch is going back and we’ll probably steer clear of the Rotary brand now.
I like some of those listed in the DIY link above. No knowledge of it being vfm as a watch but you're getting an experience and an interesting story as well. I think that counts for a lot.
That’s incredibly disappointing, both for you son and for yourselves. I’d still feel quite confident recommending a Seiko or Tissot. But not sure if either has that skeleton type in their catalog.
Apple Watch?
does most of the smartphone stuff, without the weight.
Indeed, we are both very disappointed as we had hoped for a heirloom quality piece (acknowledging it isn’t very spendy compared to what is for sale, but still a decent chunk to have hands fall off).
Any Apple watch will likely be obsolete in three years.
Moon Swatch would fit the budget?
Got one of our children one of these E-One Bradleys. Seems to do the job https://www.eone-time.com/
Can you push the boat out slighty for a Bulova: https://www.firstclasswatches.co.uk/bulova-mens-automatic-skeleton-dial-stainless-steel-bracelet-96a293-p-116885/?correct_country=222&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADnEZGeNYDRrtB1lYA74PjIEmeGzq&gclid=CjwKCAjw3P-2BhAEEiwA3yPhwHObLU7LPKRGLLbVq6C4TCIWQ7001HOF34c-rzB8zUS99cJRt_VvYBoCmywQAvD_BwE
There is a 10% off button in red at the bottom of the page and have a “make us an offer” link.
Bad luck on the Rotary, ours here have been a little heavy on battery, but robust.
How about this for an alternative. Swiss automatic, ETA 2824 movement, sapphire crystal on top and bottom, brand name he'll know.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394831057416
Calvin Klein Infinite.
Unlucky. My Rotary Super Seven diver is a couple of years old now, no issues.
That said two failures suggest problems with current production.
Slightly over budget, I am thinking of getting one of these. UK design and quality control. I have the Model 1 and 2 which are several years old with no issues.
https://12and60.com/review-alkin-model-three-great-british-design-bargain-price/
Only a real watch enthusiast would recognise the brand which may not suit everyone.
Sorry it didn't work out for you. It wasn't a personal recommendation, just a help with web searching. I feel bad now.
No worries @cougar, I wasn’t citing you as at fault, just referring the product as he really liked the look and style of it. For that money, it should be a decent watch, certainly not have hands fall off! I’m sort of glad the fault has manifested early on as it might have been a tricker warranty call in a year or two.