Expensiveness is relative, right? Spending $10k on a watch is probably unfathomable to most people in the world.
Either you’re a watch guy or you aren’t I guess. There are plenty of billionaires who wear $20 watches because they think of a watch as simply a device that tells time while others view watches as fine art/collectibles.
^you mean 20k?
Hey folks, not sure if anyone here has checked the TimeZone forums for used watches lately, but there have been a number of lightly used Breitlings and Omegas, and even occasionally an IWC under the $2,000 range here. Several Breitlings and Omegas at $1,500 and below. As always with internet forums, “caveat emptor,” but pending the typical reference checks and communicating with the seller to ensure that they know what they’re talking about, you should probably be OK. http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=32&rid=100143
Speaking of watches folks, what do you guys think about Panerai vs. IWC? Here are some examples of fairly archetypical looks. Do you guys think there’s anything really elegant about Panerai, or is it more of a fad or being distinctive for the sake of being distinctive? Panerai – http://www.thrasherqawwal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2.jpg IWC – http://www.popswisswatches.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IWC-Portuguese.jpg Let’s focus this discussion on styles and impressions, since used versions of these watches are roughly equal in price.
I’m not too familiar with the movements; I’m sure both are very good. But in terms of function, looks, etc. I think of the Panerai as more of a sports watch and the IWC as a classy watch. I remember you said you had an IWC Auto Pilot and an Omega Speedmaster. I think both of those watches can be dressed up (suit) or dressed down (jeans, t-shirt). So I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. You should go to the store and try some on and see which one you like. Panerai’s wear much bigger than most other luxury watches. The lume on a Panerai is usually very nice. At the same time that I say a Panerai is a sports watch, I’ve seen my CEO with one on with a suit. I’m just blabbering. Go with what you like after wearing them, researching them, viewing pics, etc. I don’t think Panerais are a fad at all. The company was founded in 1860 (per Wikipedia). You can even see Sylvester Stallone wearing one there (look at how big it is). He also wears one in Rambo (don’t remember which one). By the way, I have an Omega Seamaster (non-Bond 2254.50).
Thanks for the reply topher. I was leaning towards getting an IWC because there’s just something incredibly classy about that look. I didn’t really understand the fervor over Panerais at first, but eventually I realized it was something incredibly distinctive about the look even to the untrained eye. One question that I have – and that others have mentioned earlier – is that how many people would actually recognize Panerai or IWC? Obviously anyone with good aesthetic tastes would, but how many average people would be able to realize what they were as compared with an Omega or Rolex? Basically, I get complimented more on my Omega Speedmaster when my IWC Auto is a classier and more cherished watch; sometimes I catch people curiously inspecting my IWC but I don’t think they really know what it is. So that leads me to think, is it really worth trading up watches at all for any reason other than to satiate my own aesthetic fixations?
I often get more compliments on my $10 watches picked up at a street fair than I do on my more expensive watches (though I think it’s a bit silly to go to the $1000+ level unless you just don’t know what to do with all the money you have). The IWC is indeed a beautiful looking watch, but really, are you sure you couldn’t find something just as beautiful (or almost) in the $300 range? That said, we are all individuals, and we all have that area in life where we feel we just have to get the best we can possibly afford to pay for without starving. For some people, that is watches, and although I’m not really one of those people myself, I can understand the urge, and figure we all get to have at least one area in life where we just want the best for ourselves and are willing to make sacrifices in other areas to get it.
@numi i’m starting to lean in the direction of a pre-owned watch. educate me, what do I need to watch out for? What is the proper documentation? Google yielded plenty of vendors of pre-owned watches. Are there recognized reputable dealers that you’d recommend? Would you stick w/ local so you can go check it out first?
My best advice is to read the Guidelines/FAQ’s on the TimeZone used watch section carefully so you know what you’re getting into. And also, the more time you spend browsing the listings, the more of a feel you’ll get for which listings are legitimate and which are overstated/phony. Like most things in life it’s just about doing the homework and gaining some experience. If I were serious about getting a good deal on a used watch, I’d probably just spend 1-2 months browsing the forum without buying anything just to see what the full range of opportunities are. Alternately you can go to a reputable used watch seller in your area – Tourneau is one example, very overpriced but could be a good learning experience if you meet with a helpful salesperson that doesn’t mind answering all your questions and stuff like that. But you can learn a lot of stuff just browsing forums and reading things online which is the first place I’d start.
@jbaldyga You need to research your watch. I purchased mine pre-owned. There are a lot of little tell-tale signs and they are different for each watch. Here’s an article explaining how to identify a fake or real version of my particular watch: http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-identify-Fake-Omega-Seamaster-Pro-Ref-2254-50_W0QQugidZ10000000000991784 Most nice watches have engravings, markings, and serial numbers to distinguish them. You should try to find one with box and papers. These boxes and papers can come in a variety of forms depending on the brand you’re looking at. But you have to be careful here too because even the box and papers can be fake. I have seen very good fakes. Replicas can be indiscernible from authentic watches to the average person. One of my friends has a fake Omega and he took it to a former official Omega watchmaker and the pro couldn’t tell that it was fake from handling it for a few minutes. He didn’t open the caseback, which might have given it away. I think a good rule of thumb is to get a watch from one of the following: 1. A reputable dealer - Obviously if you walk into a Tourneau or well-known jewelry/timepiece store, you are guaranteed an authentic watch. 2. Timezone, watchuseek, or Ebay - If you choose one of these, go with someone who has a lot of positive feedback or reviews. Talk to them over the phone if you can. If something doesn’t feel right (he can’t explain things about the watch, has a mixed up story, etc.) then walk away. But in my experience if you find someone on ebay who has thousands of positive feedback for selling authentic watches, you’re safe.
great info guys, many thanks. last question: i’ve heard once you get into the nicer watches your cost to repair/‘tune up’ goes up substantially. what’s a ballpark cost and frequency for say an Omega? does it vary by the type of movement?
Sticking to my trusted $10 dollars CVS watch!
jbaldyga Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > great info guys, many thanks. last question: > i’ve heard once you get into the nicer watches > your cost to repair/‘tune up’ goes up > substantially. what’s a ballpark cost and > frequency for say an Omega? does it vary by the > type of movement? Well, I think a full service costs somewhere around $250 or so. My instruction manual states you should get it serviced every 4 or 5 years. I think as long as your watch is running fine, you can go longer without service. But if you do get a full service, it will come back looking brand new (they remove all scratches that you’ve acquired, clean the movement, lubricate, replace parts, calibrate, etc.) I just got my watch recently so I don’t anticipate having to send it in for a while. My watch is currently running -10 seconds/day compared to time.gov but from the research I’ve done, I can go and get it regulated for less than $20. -10 sec/day is too much for me; it means I’m off by a minute each week and so I need to adjust my time. Keep in mind that a mechanical watch will never be as accurate as a digital, quartz, or battery-powered watch. I believe the normal deviation is -6 to +4 seconds a day.
how do people feel about the Cartier Roadster (non-chrono)?
No love for Tag here?
Cartier Roadster is a very nice watch, just that I prefer a round bezel/case vs. the Roadster shape Tag is a fine watch but I think the conversation here eventually moved towards pre-owned higher-end watches…whereas new Tags can frequently be had for less than $1,000. Personally I don’t have an aversion to pre-owned watches so around the $1,000 range, I’d personally be keeping my eye out for a used Omega or IWC if I could find one.
numi, can you recommend something in a classic dress watch (brown leather band, round/rectangular gold or silver case) for under $2K? Something that looks like a patek phillipe, but isn’t. Also, any opinion on the luxury clothing brand watches? Things like D&G, Hermes, Burberry? The watch prices usually seem out of line with the clothing line (ie, watches are too cheap), which makes me doubt the quality.
“Something that looks like a Patek but isn’t?” Hm…ave you checked out the IWC 3717 or IWC Portuguese? As you can tell I have a penchant for IWC’s because I think they are really classy pieces. From time to time, you can find them used on TimeZone.com but I think they’re more in the $2,500-3,500 range rather than below. You can find Mark XV and Mark XVI’s for around $2,000 though. I’d also recommend Breguet but again used pieces are more like $3,000-4,000. For rectangular gold, you have several options in Cartier, again $2,000+ typically but sometimes less if you go for older models. Again, used watches only. As for your other question, Fossil makes Burberry watches and I’m not sure who makes the D&G watches, but they’re both very casual watches and not luxe. Hermes is in a different league, but I think you’re paying more for the quality of the leather bands than the mechanisms themselves.
I was thinking of getting a nice watch in the coming weeks but didn’t think of second-hand before reading these lines. Thanks to those providing nice comments! I really like the omega speedmaster - classy but not too expensive (I found rolex to “bling bling”) Did anyone buy one from the internet or always face-to-face?