Not sure which one's you're referring to but I thought IWC still did some in house modifications on the ETA's they acquired. So, not just a "throw an ETA in it" but more of a modified ETA. I guess it can easily be seen as a shortcut in the watch industry.

I'm not sure IWC is using ETA anymore (I don't follow them closely), but I was recently looking at one of the ceramic models and it had an Selitta which put me off. Nothing wrong with it, just didn't seem worth the money all of the sudden. The ETA models are definitely not stock. They likely buy a top grade or chronometer ebauche and then make changes.

$290 total for the 4 watches.

The gold dragon one I bought for ****s and giggles, it was only $39. The two "Lige" was around $55-60 and then Ralph Christian was on sale for $139 and I got as a holiday gift.

Wore it out today doing errands, actually really like how it feels on my wrist with the rubber strap.

I'm slowly getting into the wristwatch game, got a casio g-shock from overseas first last year and been always wearing it at work and at the gym.

Yes there are multiple grades of ETA's that vary from +- 20seconds/day to COSC certified, but the bolded always meant phuckall to me. I'm the owner of a "modified ETA movement" and that essentially means a branded rotor. Problem is I purchased my watch for $1500 in the grey market. IWC, Breitling, and some others were charging $4,500+ for similar "modifications". Immaculate finishing and strap quality included, I'm not paying a penny over $2500 for ETA anything.

While we're on the subject, lol at tudor black bay models with ETAs selling for more than the modern inhouse versions because the case isn't as thick and stupid looking. That's just sad, I don't care if it is a 70hour power reserve. Why are they as thick as my bottom tier chrono?

Appreciate the feedback, forgot to take pics but tried the bracelet off of my SARB017 and I hated the end link fit even more than the straight ends. Currently sitting on a cloth/leather strap until new bracelet arrives.



I would buy mechanical with the assumption that you will eventually need to service/replace movement or be prepared to sell before that time comes around. Realistically for a Khaki King or comparable the service is going to cost just as much as the watch itself; just get the movement regulated if it's too fast/slow for your liking until you're ready to sell/trade.

As far as your island life goes, you can send your watches to a watchmaker for service and/or overhauls. fwiw my Seiko Alpinist service + polish was quoted ~$350 at a local guy, and ~$450 for a watchmaker in Detroit with shipping.

Dear Diary, Dear Diary,

Had an amazing time at a local AD yesterday. Spoke with with my girl and decided last minute i didn't want to go to the high street cartier boutique to get her watch polished. Instead I told her I wanted to take her to a smaller "jeweler" that happened to sell Rolex, Tudor, and Tissot watches. Luckily she isn't a snobby bitch, and was cool with going anywhere for the polish.

- First off the quote on the polish itself. Cartier quoted me $210 + 3 to 4 weeks turn around time. This local AD quoted us $100 and a 7 to 10 day turn around time. Awesome.

- Second point. I felt like I had god's blessing for getting the son of the store owner to help us out. It was one of those shops that had been in the family for a few generations, and it was clear by some of the ugly but very unique bracelets the son was wearing that he was really into jewelery. There was a second young sales woman in the shop that was your typical SoCal "Becky". Couldn't stop saying "awesome, totally, 'like', and fantastic.". My girl was rolling her eyes a couple times listening to her in the background lol.

- Was hard not to fanboy out. Lots of pieces I had seen in pics but had never seen in person. The only Tudors they didn't have were the GMT and the BB58. They had both bronzes in, all the BB color variants as well as the Steel and Gold models. To my surprise they had a decent collection of steel sports Rolex available. Two-Tone Daytona, Rose Gold Submariner, I think a blue dial GMT and a healthy selection of datejust and oyster perpetual variants. Also to my pleasant surprise, they had a black dial Explorer 2 in the pre-owned case.

- While he was taking down our info for the cartier tank polish. I asked him to take out the bronzes and a few other Tudor models and told him I'd be looking to purchase right around the time my girls' watch got back. I silently took off my oris Chrono with broken bezel and set it on the tray hoping he wouldn't notice, but surprisingly he picked it up and was like "oh wow an Oris! we used to sell these but switched to Tissot because they get a little more volume". I could have hugged the man for not ****ting on my life because he was wearing GMT Root Beer and it would have been easy to scoff at the poverty state of my Oris. That opened up the floodgates for watch banter and him happily letting me try on stuff he knew i was not going to buy.

- Few things I noticed from the viewings/wearings. Explorer 2 on wrist… probably the most ergonomically perfect watch I've ever worn, but the dial was offputting. The mercedes hour hand is really short and stubby, couple that with the GMT hand being so boldly colored/shaped… was not a fan. God-tier comfort, but didn't like the dial. I was taken aback at how underwhelming the two tone Daytona looks in the flesh. From photos, I never got the hype about most of this watch's variants, and that was solidified by seeing it in person. Not that I could afford either, but the only daytonas i'd be interested in are the rose gold, or the platinum with that gorgeous icy blue dial. Oyster Perpetuals and Datejusts… this is where I mentally checked myself for being the rolex hater that I am. Some of those dial colors on the OP's and DJ's are really REALLY beautiful. Particularly the purple and "white grape" color for the OP in person. The DJ's on jubilee i liked but realized the instant the fluted bezel was added it was too much for my tastes.

- Lastly, the surprise of the visit was the Black Bay Steel & Gold Chrono. I'm not a "gold guy", I've never once been drawn to two-tone watches ever or anything like that. But the watch is downright eye-catching. It's less of a bright yellow gold, and more of a darker "honey" color. Plus the chronograph dials are a darkened honey'd/patina'd looking color. I tried the bronze on and I really liked it, exactly what i imagined but with luxury purchases I always go by my rule of "buy what puts the stupid smile on your face". I'm going to have to chew on this one a bit because it'd probably be about 2k more than I was looking to spend, but i can't stop thinking about it.

Spoiler!

tldr: avoid high street boutiques whenever possible. go to an "off the beaten path AD/jeweler" and have a way better experience.

Not that you should appease my tastes, but I think that strap that you have on it now looks WAY better than the bracelet you had before.

fellow watch brahs trying to figure out what to do next

I have a bunch of average watches and seeing if I should sell a bunch and go for a 2K+ purchase in a few months once I get my bonus paid out in March

my main watches are:

Hamilton khaki king
Seiko presage black dial
Seiko 5 blue diver
Tissot visodate quartz (dress watch only)
Tissot Classic quartz
Victorinox alliance silver dial
Citizen eco drive blue chrono

I would be fine selling all except maybe keeping my Tissot visodate for dress. Problem is that none of these will fetch much value except my Hamilton.

I’m fine with a two watch collection and building from there. Thoughts? I’m thinking an Omega Seamaster Bond or Aqua Terra. Not sure what else would love a daily versatile watch.

If you take your time selling them on the right platforms, you can get decent-ish value for them. In your position I would 100000% sell them and buy something nicer. I'd recommend either the original Brosnan Seamaster Bond, or the very newest one. I would recommend against the AT, as their movements are not reliable.

If you're not set on new/giant/water resistant, I'd recommend going vintage; much better bang for buck, and imo they look a lot nicer (with more soul, and better/more luxurious finishing). The 1950's and 1960's Omega are still the best ever made, better than modern day watches (and much more reliable as well, just not water resistant)

Couldn't disagree any more from the post above. it sounds like he's looking to get into the entry-level luxury segment, a daily driver at that.

How ridiculous is it that you tell him to avoid the aqua terra "because the movement isn't reliable" then in the same breath, recommend vintage omega from the 1950s/60s… i mean just lol


@HtothOV, i get the feeling that you don't know what you don't know. I think you should walk into a couple of dealers that sell multiple brands of luxury watches and just get your eyes on stuff. What you see in photos and what they look like in person is almost night and day. But because you mentioned the Bond Seamaster, and Aquaterra I would also recommend looking at:

Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Breitling Colt Automatic
Tudor Black Bay (and all its variations)
Omega Speedmaster
IWC Mark Series (lots of variations to this watch also)

From there you can determine if you want something closer to 42 or 38mm. 3 hander or chronograph. Black dial or white dial. etc. Having a daily versatile watch with the tissot for your dress is perfectly fine. Can't help you on selling the other pieces though. Just throw on ebay and see what happens is my advice.

thank you both!

Agreed..def going to ship around and try on all different stuff especially with a big purchase I want to get it right.

there’s an omega dealer near me so going to go in and try on stuff. I’ve seen the Bond watch in person but never tried it on. absolutely love it and fits my criteria of a watch that can be worn for any occasion pretty much. would likely go used as well.

Ridiculous? Maybe to an obtuse troglodyte such as yourself, son. Educate yourself. Vintage 1950's and 1960's Omega is miles better than most of the new line-up, same goes for Rolex by the way. Modern watches are made to wear, so you would get them serviced more often. The steel used for modern internals is much softer than the old steel. Modern day Rolex and Omega internals show heavy signs of wear after 5-10 years (and all parts need to get replaced during service) while vintage watches can still be pristine inside after 60 years without a single service, even when worn daily for decades. That does not mean that every vintage watch will still be in good condition, but there are plenty of gems to find for cheap.

But don't take my word for it. After all, what do I know about the subject? I'm but a professional watch dealer who specializes in Omega

Here’s my Tudor Pelagos lhd. Sold my blnr for it last year and have had 0 regrets.

Thanks very much for your thoughts gentlemen. Visodate has that classy look. I also already own a Tissot and LOVE the quality. Khaki King doesn't jump out to me the most but I can tell the quality is there. In terms of aesthetics I'm REALLY into the seiko presage line but I can't seem to find a model I like online. I'll keep looking.

Also IN for the watch fight we're about to receive. Grabbing popcorn.

Do you brahs use watch winders to store your automatic watches when not wearing them? If so, any recommendations? Not trying to break the bank…

I don't use a winder, but Wolf is a good brand for a decent price. Check overstock.com, should be under $200.

Thanks BR

Yeah that's cool and all,

But his nicest watch is a hamilton, and you told him to avoid buying a new Aqua Terra/Seamaster because they're only good for a decade.

Yours Truly,
Obtuse Troglodyte

P.S. brb never buying a brand new watch ever because they need servicing every 5 to 10 years.
P.P.S. brb threw out the hobby all together. decided to track time by sundial. never servicing and no wear on wrist joints

Looks nice. What made you swap out the BLNR for the Pelagos? Did you need to free up some cash? I like the depth of the dial but don't know if the styling is any better. You could have just wanted a change of pace which is understandable too.

If they actually lasted a decade, then that would be swell… My point is that the AT movements are very problematic, and many actually break down within months. Make of it what you will, but I would not recommend anyone to buy them, and neither would I recommend anyone to buy new Breitling with their chit Sellita movements.

I appreciate your opinion and complete lack of empirical evidence to support your claim. Cheers m8.

https://forums.watchuseek.com/f20/aq...4699853-2.html

Well, no calatravas, but I tried on a 5396 @38.5mm and it looked comically small.

Also, was told 10 years for an aquanut. They get one/year. I figured my city would be a good place, because in the last 5 years all the CEOs either moved to Texas or are struggling to keep their homes out of foreclosure, but that appears not to be the case.

At least you got to see it in person. I tried an annual calendar chrono on about a year ago but I guess it was probably 40mm. But even still it was pretty big on my 6.75"……..wrist. I'll post a pic if I can find it. And they 100% get more than one aquanaut per year, it's just their nice way of telling you to fuk off. I've been on the list for over a year, and have been given the rundown on what I need to do if I want one, which I may or may not do.

I literally lol’d and Stopped my girlfriend cooking dinner to show her this.


Anyways, there was never a Patek that peaked my interest until recently. Saw the 5212 “weekly calendar”

Gorgeous dial and a really cool complication to boot. As soon as I have 50 grand laying around, I’ll get one.


… nah for that money I’d be looking to get the platinum Daytona with icy dial

Got a call from the AD yesterday, said they had a surprise for me and it was the Daytona in black. They also had a SD43. I told them I'd take both

Congrats man. That's a hell of an opportunity. I still haven't seen the black in person.

Thanks bro. The black is a lot nicer in person but I still think I like the white more.

Good thing is, i can always just top up the Black with a bit of cash and go with the white. I have to wait a year though bc my AD made me promise not to sell within a year. I have a good relationship with them so don't want to ruin it.

Also the black may grow on me in that year and I may not want to swap.

She said straight up that they go to people who have a relationship with them, and I laughed and said it's proving pretty hard to build one.

Par for the course these days. I'm nobody special at my AD, but they know I've bought a few things from them and referred friends. A couple visits ago they asked if I was interested in a BLRO, because they could get me one. Another time when I mentioned I didn't like Tudor because of the chunkiness, she offered to go in the back and get a BB58 and insisted I try it on. Shows that just being an existing customer means at least kind of something, even if you're not a VVVIP.

The AD I went to for a polish on my girlfriend's cartier, and to buy the Tudor Bronze… it was the first visit but we were geeking out back and forth on watch stuff. I told him the one rolex i'd probably seek out to own one day is the Sky-Dweller and i asked if had handled one in store recently. He told me he had 2 regulars who put money down for one, the wait was supposed to be 6 months but it has been a little over a year and they still haven't gotten any in.

I thought that was his way of telling me "to fuk off, nice try". But I was lurking TRF and read some threads where guys who had 80k+ spend with their AD still hadn't gotten the call for a Sky-Dweller.


Can confirm rapport is everything though. When i was in england checking out tudor for the first time. I was having a coffee and chat with the sales lady about what i was looking for and why i was checking out tudor. Despite being initially told "everything they had was on display", 20 minutes into banter and laughs a manger magically "found" a BB-GMT for me to try on. Sadly, to BigRangs point, it was laughably chunky, the date window design looks lazy, and the watch just all around gives off "poor man's rolex vibes".

Interview went decent that i had on Monday, so may be relocating to VA from NY. If so, i may go into my AD and mention that i'm moving out of the area for a positive work opportunity, and would be very interested in a BLNR like i said when i got my AK….

Can confirm. Found a Carl Bucherer that belonged to my dad in a storage unit. Movement still working despite being in a box for over 30 years. Also got a Wittnaur and my great grandfathers Elgin pocketwatch. All being serviced.

Also will add that I bought a Speedy last year that lasted 2 months before it died and had to be sent back to the manufacturer.

My friend just had to send his Batman to Rolex because it died. Only reason he is keeping it is for resale.