[morphine]

Hi,

Dad is turning 55 in a month so I'm looking to get him something special. He's huge into watches but reluctant to buy them for himself so I'm thinking about picking him up something classy and beautiful he can wear on business trips.

Unfortunately, I know nothing about watches and half the time don't bother to wear mine. Any help, suggestions, or direction to a website where I could educate myself would be really appreciated!

Price range is probably 1-2k. I'm willing to go higher should it be an exceptional fit.

Thanks,
Richard

 

[GordonFreeman]

Hello Richard, I recommend TAG Heuer, Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Zenith, Oris, TechnoMarine, Rado, Ebel, Baume & Mercier, Gucci, Movado, Longines, Chopard & Jaeger LeCoultre Hamilton Watches as they have alot of nice watches and they are an authorized dealer for the brands they carry. People have different opinions but I firmly beleive in the 2000 range an Omega would be good brand to go with. There is no way he wont like an Omega. Can you tell us about his personallity and is he a big person? Some of the Seamasters come in different sizes. I am 6 foot and I wear the 39.5mm size but if he is larger or has big hands or likes big watches then you can get 42mm and they have a small size also but I would stay away from that unless he is a tiny man. You will probably want something in stainless steel as gold will drive the price beyond your price range and make sure whatever it is, that its an automatic and NOT QUARTZ. Another brand I think is very interesting and unusual is Oris, they have some watches named after famous people like Frank Sinatra and the watches are very pretty.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 39mm Automatic Mens Watches

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Railmaster Mens Watches

Omega Seamaster 300M Automatic Mens Watches

Omega Speedmaster Day-Date Automatic Mens Watches

AuthenticWatches.com - Oris Frank Sinatra Small Second, Date

 

[morphine]

Thanks for the suggestions Gordon. To answer your question, he's about 5'7 and asian. Sizes are something I'll definitely need help with.

When I pay more for a watch am I paying for anything other than brand? Will it tell time in a more precise manner or is it simply style just like jewelry?

As for personality, I would describe him as honest and professional. He's intensely passionate about what he finds important (family, career, wine/watches in that order) so he's animated discussing those topics.

Thanks!

 

[Uncle Erik]

What are his tastes? Does he like complicated gadgets or does he go for a more sophisticated, elegant design? I tend towards simplicity and function, so the watches from Sinn, Stowa and Fortis appeal much more to me. For more formal occasions, Zenith and IWC make straightforward, beautiful watches.

Would your father appreciate a vintage watch? There are many excellent ones in that price range - old Omega Constellation, Universal Geneve Polerouter, Longines Ultra-Chron, and Eterna Kontiki models are wonderful. There are many others, but I like those for excellent build quality and value.

Be careful with size. Extra large watches are (I think) still in fashion, but you should probably look for something 39mm or less - not always easy these days - but there's enough to choose from.

Be careful with the style, though. This is a personal item. Take a good look at the objects he loves and judge by them.

 

[GordonFreeman]

He is right, for your dad a large (not too big) would be about 39mm and 36 would be on the smaller size for him. What you are paying for is a mechanical movement instead of Quartz. I have an Aqua Terra Omega and it has a window on the bottom so you can see the movement. The window is a great ideal for a gift but not necessary. Does he like a bigger watch and if so would he like one that is complex? (ie:stopwatch rotating bezel) or would he like something more simple? (ie:time and date) if your answer is less complicated would he like something thin like a dress watch or heavy like a seamaster? Leather or metal band? I like mine because it is simple and elegant and substantial. Large and heavy but without all the unnecessary diving stuff. Can you describe the watches he wears now?

 

[morphine]

Definitely less complicated and understated. He's into a classier look without all the additional gadgets. I'm also looking for something that seems just right on his wrist and isn't swallowing it up

I've never heard of Sinn, Stowa, or Fortis. Do you have links? Also I hadn't even though of Vintage watches.. where would I find these and how do I know whether they're real/what condition they're in? It seems a little complex!

Lastly, that window, while a gimmick, is probably cool and he'd probably enjoy it.

Thanks!,
Richard

 

[GordonFreeman]

Ok, then I would go with something from this list.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 39mm Automatic Mens Watches

I guess we ruled out the 42mm watch as it will be way too big. I recommend 39mm because the small size (36mm) uses a quartz movement and wont have a window. Buying an Omega with a Quartz movement (mens anyway) is like buying a Mercedes with a 4 cylinder engine, makes no sense. I don't agree on the window being a gimmick this watch has an automatic movement and watching it work is interesting and fun. People who are into watches like to look under the hood, just like people like to see whats inside an expensive amp.

Choose a face color and either leather or metal band. I looked at them for a year before my wife bought mine and I came away thinking the blue was gimmiky, kinda like a yellow car, looks good till you own it for awhile and then you think, damn I should have picked a different color. The silver is the classiest one of the bunch but there is little contrast between the hands and the face and seems like it would be harder to read with a quick glance. I do love the silver and my next one will be silver. I didnt like white and I cant tell you why, just not my cup of tea. I went with black because of contrast and it looks good all year around and is good for dress or casual. The crystal is amazing on this watch too, its been on my wrist day and night for 2 years and I have banged it up a little but the crystal is perfect, its hard as hell and wont scratch like a seiko or what have you.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Its 5 grand but the gold with the silver face is absolutely amazing, definitely not a kids watch. I don't get kids who buy giant diving watches and think it looks cool. Railmaster version is nice too if you like the numbered face but the markers are not as attractive. Omega website has large detail pictures of each one if you get stuck on more than one.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Zenith Class Elite Automatic Watches

Some pretty dress Zenith watches that Uncle mentioned.

Deville is also Omega but more of a dress watch, nice and slim.

AuthenticWatches.com - Omega DeVille Watches

 

[morphine]

Thanks for the help guys. Looks like I have a lot of thinking to do..

R

 

[Uncle Erik]

Morphine:

STOWA

German Mechanical Watches - Sinn Watches - WatchBuys

FORTIS Swiss Watches

They're good brands and popular on watch forums. You might not have heard of them, but how many of your friends know about AKG, Beyerdynamic or Grado? There are plenty of highly-regarded watch companies not generally known outside enthusiast circles. Anyhow, most of these models use an ETA movement. Some of the purists want watches with in-house movements from the manufacturer. Thing is, the ETA movements are good. They were based on Eterna's automatic, which is probably the best design for an auto. They might not have as much snob appeal, but they're accurate, durable and you can get parts for an ETA anywhere.

A couple forums you might be interested in browsing are:

Home Page - TimeZone

'Poor Man's' Watch Forum - Foro de Relojes Para el 'Hombre Pobre' - Horlogeforum voor de 'Arme Man' - Message Index

The Poor Man's Watch Forum has nicer watches than you might expect.

eBay is a good place to look for vintage watches. Photos will tell you about the condition. If the watch is good, it usually has nice closeup photos and lots of them. Poor ones will have one small, blurry shot and a vague description.

 

[Aimless1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphine /img/forum/go_quote.gif Definitely less complicated and understated. He's into a classier look without all the additional gadgets. I'm also looking for something that seems just right on his wrist and isn't swallowing it up

This pretty much summed up what I was looking for not too long ago when I purchased a watch for business use. In my case I settled on Cyma Cyma Watch USA. Watchmakers the world over regard Cymas highly.

Class. Understated sophistication. Worked for me.

 

[morphine]

Some beautiful pieces. Thanks for the recommendations. Looking through them all almost makes me want to pick one up

I actually really like how my Movado looks but that's not enough to persuade me to wear it every day.

Erik: Thanks for the headphone analogy. That was very helpful for understanding the place of these brands I've never heard of. I guess all I know are the Boses and Monster cables of the watch world.

I'm sure I'll be able to choose a piece out of all of these options. A couple of those Cymas/Sinns/Omegas definitely look hot.

I suppose I'm still confused as to the economics of it though. Why would, for instance, a Cyma be little over a grand while a Rolex or an Omega would be 8-20x that with the same materials. Somehow I don't think it's a difference in craftsmanship. Is it purely brand? A little insight here would help a great deal. I know headphones and I know camera gear and going up that degree of magnitude in either moneysink buys a vastly superior product. Is that not the case here?

Lastly, I'm unsure about taking all this advice from Grado listeners

Thanks!,
Richard

 

[woof37]

Quote:

Originally Posted by morphine /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some beautiful pieces. Thanks for the recommendations. Looking through them all almost makes me want to pick one up I actually really like how my Movado looks but that's not enough to persuade me to wear it every day. Erik: Thanks for the headphone analogy. That was very helpful for understanding the place of these brands I've never heard of. I guess all I know are the Boses and Monster cables of the watch world. I'm sure I'll be able to choose a piece out of all of these options. A couple of those Cymas/Sinns/Omegas definitely look hot. I suppose I'm still confused as to the economics of it though. Why would, for instance, a Cyma be little over a grand while a Rolex or an Omega would be 8-20x that with the same materials. Somehow I don't think it's a difference in craftsmanship. Is it purely brand? A little insight here would help a great deal. I know headphones and I know camera gear and going up that degree of magnitude in either moneysink buys a vastly superior product. Is that not the case here? Lastly, I'm unsure about taking all this advice from Grado listeners Thanks!, Richard

If you're trying to figure out where the extra money goes, don't. There's a lot of $$$ wrapped up in hand craftmanship, but the cost of materials doesn't even begin to approach the total cost of the watch. It's more attention to detail and reputation.

If I'm reading you correctly, you want simple and elegant. (otherwise, I'd recommend a Sinn U1 or U2 from Watchbuys and tell you not to ever look bacK - LOVE mine. Not sure you'd be much for the tegimented gray finish though) Check out the IWC models and Panerai. Both completely meet your requirements. You might spend a bit more than you wanted, but if you picked a model and watched the FS forums on Watchuseek and Timezone, one would pop up at a price you'd be comfortable with.