Help me choose a watch for 20 year old man.

Hi all, i'm new to this forum and need some help from the watch experts here.
I'm looking to buy a watch. Don't know what they're called, but its the kind with a leather strap and a thin round face. I want the deisgn to be simple and sophisticated. I was thinking about dark brown leather strap and white face with silver trim, but i'm open to opinions.
My dad got me a tag calibre 360 for my 18th birthday, but its big and clunky and it hurts my wrist after extended wearings so its usually just in my closet. So i'm looking for the opposite of that.
I saw some nice looking ones in GQ ads from Cartier, but I don't know if their price to quality ratio is any good.
I'm looking to wear this watch everyday casually (polo and sneakers) and i can also wear with a suit.

I'm going to buffalo in 2 weeks so maybe prices are better in the states. does anyone recommend any places i can check out (warehouses) or any specific models and brands?

I'm looking to spend around 500 (i'm in university, no money). Thanks for your time

Personally I like vintage Hamilton watches, if you're looking for classic style.

14k Gold ones can be had for $400-600, and gold filled can be had for significantly less.

The big drawback with vintage watches is that they can be fragile.

The modern reissue Hamilton's can look pretty good and are around your price range.

Here's an example in silver.

http://www.hamiltonwatch.com/webapp/...=AC&y=93&p=321

thanks for the quick reply. thats a pretty good looking watch.
But if say i want to spend up to maybe 800-900, what other watches would you recommend?

and about the durability of the watch, if i drop it a couple of times, its not going to stop working is it? i dropped my tag maybe 4-5 times and not a scratch on it.
Does that watch have the scratch proof face on it?

and yeah, i basically know nothing about watches and if you experts can give me a quick lesson pros and cons of different brands, that would be great.

thanks again for your time.

for ~500 I would be looking at Hamiltons as well. They are a really good value at that price range.

You can pickup a Khaki Field Chrono w/ a 7750 movement for about that price.

Keep in mind that if you drop any mechanical/auto watch and give it receives enough shock you can and will damage it. A light ding here and there wont do a thing.

If the face crystal is sapphire, it will be extremely hard to scratch. You will most likely chip or crack/shatter in the crystal before you put a scratch in it. Mineral crystals are less prone to shatter, but very easy to scratch compared to sapphire.

Most of the watches in the 500+ range are sapphire, unless they are vintage.

Also, if you think the 360 is large, look for something in the 38-40mm range.

FWIW, I would just wear the 360...

I like spruiking Christopher Ward watches as terrific value at the lower end of the scale. They have two automatics that look good and are well within your budget: http://www.christopherward.co.uk/

thanks for the info guys.
where should i look for these watches? are there any retailers that is cheaper?
Is there any sort of warrenty that i can get that covers physical damage?

Originally Posted by deranged

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thanks for the info guys. where should i look for these watches? are there any retailers that is cheaper?
I'm not sure where you are located, but Hamilton watches are very easy to find. http://www.hamiltonwatch.com/webapp/...tor/index.aspx Any of the Tourneau shops are good for browsing. They will will have a beautiful selection. However, a store like that can be intimidating as they will have many VERY EXPENSIVE watches. http://www.tourneau.com/Tourneau/ To get a feel for what's out there for vintage watches (which are usually substantially less expensive) check out http://www.girards.com

Originally Posted by deranged

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Is there any sort of warrenty that i can get that covers physical damage?
New watches will often come with warranties of 1-2 years against manufacturer's defects. With vintage watches you are on your own. A homeowner's/renter's insurance policy can be bought to insure against other damages.

so for the hamilton watch brand. is there any watch model in particular that you would recommend?

Originally Posted by deranged

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so for the hamilton watch brand. is there any watch model in particular that you would recommend?

The Jazzmaster viewmatic is very versatile in my opinion.

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I actually ordered a Christopher Ward yesterday, but its a quartz movement (Ronda). C3 Malvern chronograph, tan alligator strap.

If you like a Pilot watch look, you should peruse the Archimede Pilot as well as the Zeno (can be found on eBay in your price-range).

You could also look into Seiko Spirits from Seiya Japan as it is well in your budget. Hamiltons are also a great idea.

Are you kidding me? Wear the 360. It's an amazing watch, 2006 sports watch grand prix winner....1/100 second dial....360,000 beats per hr.....kicks the ass of any watch you could get in the $500 range. It's also kind of an affront to your dad not to wear it. And what do you mean it hurts your wrist? Do some bicep curls. In fact thinking about it more I don't even believe you have a 360, AFAIK it's like $15000 and you don't seem to have a clue how astounding the mechanical movement is. How can you possibly toss it in the closet and go for a Hamilton. Deranged, indeed.

I'll take that 360 off your hands