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Is it worth buying 1 expensive watch?

tommboy

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Will it be worth buying 1 expensive watch such as Omega, or Cartier for 1500-2000? My other option is to buy 2 or 3 watches for under 1000. From such places as Hugo Boss, GUESS etc. Currently I already have 2 inexpensive watches 200-350 that are really nice but seem to wear fast. ( I do wear them all the time). My only thinking is that if I buy a more expensive watch it won't look worn out as fast and last me way longer. Is it worth going up in price when I could be getting a few cool watches for much cheaper. I'm not sure the average eye would know the difference between the two.
 

JayJay

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I'm not big on watches, but I have one very good one that I'll keep for a very long time. I'd rather have one very good one.
 

fcuknu

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What cartier are you getting for 1500-2000?
 

longskate88

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As far as "wearing out" faster...a more expensive watch won't necessarily last 'longer.'

The main thing you need if you want durability is a sapphire crystal, a robust movement (ETA variants are well known, or quartz if you prefer) and a quality bracelet construction.

The Hugo Boss and Guess watches you mention probably won't have sapphire or be very well made, since they are "fashion" watches. Look at brands like Longines, Hamilton, and Swiss Army/Victorinox at the lower end of your price range. Some Seiko and Citizen watches have sapphire crystals, and will be a much better value than a fashion-brand watch.
 

tommboy

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Does the sapphire crystal have to do with how the watch makes movements? I'm not worried about that so much as the watch "looking new". I don't plan on having these for longer than a year or two so I'm not trying to extend the life to 5 years. So I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth buying a 1,500$ Omega when I can get a "fashion" watch that looks just as good if not better.
 

njh123uk

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Yes - buy one!

I bought a Cartier Roadster about 5 years ago and love it as much today as the day I got it. Whilst the likes of Carter, Breitling, Omega, Rolex etc are expensive, you pay for the movement and the craftsmanship that goes into creating a real timepiece.

I'm sure Hugo Boss et al are all very nice watches and look great on the wrist but the mark up on these is based on the brand name, rather than the quality of the watch. I guess it's akin to buying say a Calvin Klein T-Shirt, the brand is there, but the quality isn't.

A good watch will be with you for life, and you'll enjoy it more and more with time. You'll also enjoy far better service in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. My father has an Omega Speedmaster (the original from the 60's) and in various housemoves the box disappeared. I contacted Omega directly and received a replacement box and a book detailing the history and design of the watch - all for nothing.
 

Ich_Dien

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When it comes to watches, anything between $40-$2500 is a waste of money. You are paying for the brand name, not the construction or quality of craftsmanship. If it were me, I'd get a solid timeless expensive one. You'll treasure it a lot more. If you are going for the expensive one, make sure it is an Automatic (winds itself due to the movement of your wrist), and steer completely clear of anything Quartz. http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/landing?id=content_5588 This may be of use to you.
 

academe

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Originally Posted by jimmyoneill
When it comes to watches, anything between $40-$2500 is a waste of money. You are paying for the brand name, not the construction or quality of craftsmanship. If it were me, I'd get a solid timeless expensive one. You'll treasure it a lot more.

If you are going for the expensive one, make sure it is an Automatic (winds itself due to the movement of your wrist), and steer completely clear of anything Quartz.

http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/landing?id=content_5588

This may be of use to you.


I don't agree with this statement. I've bought quite a few watches in this price range for their design features, even if they aren't from highly prestigious houses. I quite like Oris and Ventura watches, for example, which don't have as much name-brand recognition, but whose designs I appreciate.
 

turk100

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Are you looking for a Dress watch or a sports diver watch. Omega specializes in Dive watches. Get something different like a Dunhill automatic or a Bvlgari!!!!!
 

huy

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Sounds like you are more into looks than anything else on a watch. In that case, buy the watch you like that has a sapphire crystal. Sapphire is really hard and is nearly scratch proof. I think sapphire is rated 8 on a scale to 10 in terms of hardness behind cz and diamonds. There are lots of brands under $1000 that have sapphire crystals and are of good quality (Tissot, Seiko, Hamilton, Stowa, TX, etc).

When the case gets too scratched up, just bring it to a jewler to have them polish it up. Your watch will look like new. You can polish watches that don't have special coatings or plating, so stick to stainless steel.
 

0b5cur1ty

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Originally Posted by jimmyoneill
When it comes to watches, anything between $40-$2500 is a waste of money. You are paying for the brand name, not the construction or quality of craftsmanship. If it were me, I'd get a solid timeless expensive one. You'll treasure it a lot more.

If you are going for the expensive one, make sure it is an Automatic (winds itself due to the movement of your wrist), and steer completely clear of anything Quartz.

http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/landing?id=content_5588

This may be of use to you.


+1 on the comment from academe. Saying that any watch between $40-$2500 is a waste of money is absurd. There are plenty of excellent watches in this price category from makers like Seiko, Citizen, Stowa, Nomos, Hamilton, Oris, Longines and Omega - to name but a few.

In addition - quartz vs mechanical is a matter of personal preference. For many people, quartz will be the more practical, rational and thus better option.
 

academe

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Originally Posted by tommboy
Does the sapphire crystal have to do with how the watch makes movements? I'm not worried about that so much as the watch "looking new". I don't plan on having these for longer than a year or two so I'm not trying to extend the life to 5 years. So I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth buying a 1,500$ Omega when I can get a "fashion" watch that looks just as good if not better.
I'm not sure I understand; do you mean that the more expensive watch you're considering will be only something you'd keep for 5 years or less? If so, then I'd advise you buy something cheaper, as I think you'd just be wasting your money on what you're essentially thinking of as a semi-disposable purchase. I've got several watches in USD500-2000 MSRP range that I've had for 10 years or more, some 20+ years. They're a little worse for wear, but definitely well-loved and still look good... Most from smaller manufacturers like Oris, Ventura, Revue Thommen, Baume & Mercier, etc. Most if not all are automatics or manually-wound.
 

DrZRM

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Except for a very few brands, watches don't hold their value very well. Think like a car, most lose 50% the moment you step out of the door of the shop. That means you can buy a lot of used watch for $1-2K, I know a lot of folks here bash used watches, but once you put it on, it's used anyway. On the other hand, if you get a watch used at a good price, you can pretty much always get your money back out.

Though I'd be happy to have an IWC Portuguese (the Panda, black with white subs), I've never much wanted a watch that retails much over $4K (OK, I had a thing for a Zenith once, but nothing ever came of it) and I've never paid over $1,800 to get any I own. My Omegas (Aqua Terra & Speedmaster Broad Arrow) Sinns (142 & 956), and IWC GST Chrono are all well constructed, long lived, and I love to have them. I doubt I'll ever sell any of them, though I did sell off my first "nice" watch, a quartz Tag, and gave a Movado Vizio I'd stopped wearing to my wife. I'd echo avoiding quartz altogether.

Jimmy's cut off of $2,500 retail makes sense, though there are some great brands that slip in under that cutoff. If I were going to have only one watch, I'd get a used Omega Speedmaster (around $1,800 used with box, tags, and original receipt from authorized dealer if you look around). With a few straps (black and brown, probably croc) and the bracelet it comes on you can dress it up or down as much as you need.
 

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