Tag Heuer watches vs. Rolex etc. - Young buyer

[DJMC]

Thanks for all your replies. I very much liked the look of the Link Calibre 16 on him. We went to a Tag outlet in the USA in the autumn and he tried just about everything on and found this one suited him best. Then over to a Rolex outlet, and the only one he liked was a Milgauss. He spotted the Submariner last night and quite liked it, and there's a Rolex dealer in Rugby where he works so he's going to have a nose there. What are the views on the Submariner, apart from being over budget?

My wife last night (Rolex fan) said Tudor is a 2nd rate version of Rolex. "You bought a Cayman because you couldn't afford a 911" kind of thing. I know little about them, but I accept the Rolex may be a little "in your face" with his patients.

[cbmotorsport]

He's 23, it's his first decent watch. Chances are he will never sell it or be concerned about it's value in the future. He's a skilled guy, and his career will likely yield funds in the future for more watches.

I bought my Seamaster 2254.50 as my first decent watch. Bizarrely and not knowing it at the time, I chose well, and it's worth a little more than I paid these days, but I couldn't care less. I bought it because I loved the look and feel of it. It's symbolic of me making a success of myself, and bought with my first bonus. I'll never sell it. I am less sentimental with later purchases, and do look to future values to a degree, although this is fairly pointless as I'm a hoarder, and never sell anything.

The only thing I would say is he should buy something with a timeless design, a lot of modern watches will look odd in a few years time when fashion and trends change. Some watches (Submariner etc) seem to endure, largely unchanged.

[webby23]

Jag_NE said:

for the sake of a couple of grand I would suggest letting him buy what he likes best and let him enjoy it. pushing him into something that he may like less for the sake of it being worth a few hundred quid more in 10 years time is false economy.

Agreed. Don't let the anti-TAG brigade on here put him off whatever it is he wants to buy.

[Composite Guru]

webby23 said:

Jag_NE said:

for the sake of a couple of grand I would suggest letting him buy what he likes best and let him enjoy it. pushing him into something that he may like less for the sake of it being worth a few hundred quid more in 10 years time is false economy.

Agreed. Don't let the anti-TAG brigade on here put him off whatever it is he wants to buy.

Agree with this. I got bored of the anti Tag stuff and just bought the watch I liked.

[JLC25]

Buy the watch he likes. Nothing wrong with Tag outside of this forum. Rolex in your early 20's doesn't give off the best image to a lot of people, at least not compared to someone in their 40's with one!

[stuno1]

I do struggle with topics like this. If he has a brand in mind let him go with that even if it is not an investment in your eyes. When i buy watches i buy them to keep them and as such buying based on future values is a bit odd for a first watch of a young lad. Tudor is only seen as a poor mans rolex to people who are watch snobs. Just like Longines is a poor mans omega. These are all £££ watches we are tsalking about here.

For me, watches are bought out of a taste and brand preference completly unique to each person. Try sourcing the wacth via 'iconic watches' as they are good prices.

Good luck with the search.

[mikeveal]

stuno1 said:

Tudor is only seen as a poor mans rolex to people who are watch snobs. Just like Longines is a poor mans omega.

Agree. Anyone who knows a bit about the brand heritage will know just how blinkered/ignorant this is.
And - who gives a flying pig what anyone else thinks. If you like it, you like it. It's your watch not the bloke's your stood next to at the urinals.

[WOT I can't be bothered to format]
As for TAGs and anti TAG snobbery. There are plenty of watch manufacturers who will for the same money as TAG provide you with a better watch. "Better" being a highly subjective term, but here I mean more attention to detail, better finishing. This varies model for model, with some TAGs being better than others. The concept of value for money is ludicrous when you're spending thousands on a tool that a £9 Casio can outperform, but the fact remains that other suppliers outperform TAG when it comes to value for money. All of which said, if TAG make something you like and other manufacturers don't AND you're happy with paying that bit extra then get the TAG, then buy the TAG. They're not bad watches. Yes you can get "better" for the same money, but what good is that if you don't like the "better" watches? [\WOT I can't be bothered to format]

[andyman_2006]

I can see why he does not want an older style Rolex like a datejust, and 36mm is a small watch by many of today's offering.

If he likes the Tags then fair enough, i understand why he's going for what he likes the look of, and not by the 'prestige' of it, after all you need to like the watch otherwise you wont wear it, and they are for wearing!

For me the only Rolex young enough (and i'm 30's) is the Steel sports so GMTII, Deepsea, Submariner, seadweller etc but if they are out of budget for many, and if you dont like a brand you dont like it.

Must say i recently tried on a Milgauss and its a really nice watch, the one i looked at was the green glass, classy watch, but is it worth £6050? not sure. Its perfect if you work in electronics or IT/Engineering owing to its anti Gauss protection it could be a real bonus, but for me its didn't wow me (looks wise) which comes back to buying what you REALLY like.

I dont own a Tag - did look at them, not a hater by far, but just found them less appealing than other brands like Omega, and Breitling, but its all personal preference isn't it.

He should enjoy shopping, its a huge market and there is a lot in his budget if buying used.

On the finance watchfinder do offer 0% on used, and so his money £1500 as a large deposit or keep in the bank for his next watch add to it to build his funds, there is no cheaper way to get what you want not with zero interest charged, his other option is a 0% credit card which will enable him to haggle in store on an asking price.

I wish him well in his search.

Andy

[DJMC]

mikeveal said:

Yes you can get "better" for the same money, but what good is that if you don't like the "better" watches?

Maybe this is something to consider also? What IS "better", for the same money, in a similar style?

[Wills2]

DJMC said:

Maybe this is something to consider also? What IS "better", for the same money, in a similar style?

Define better? The TAG will be a good watch, reliable and well made as will most if not all of the alternatives.

It's more about what you like rather than what is "better"

[13m]

mikeveal said:

stuno1 said:

Tudor is only seen as a poor mans rolex to people who are watch snobs. Just like Longines is a poor mans omega.

Agree. Anyone who knows a bit about the brand heritage will know just how blinkered/ignorant this is.
And - who gives a flying pig what anyone else thinks. If you like it, you like it. It's your watch not the bloke's your stood next to at the urinals.

[WOT I can't be bothered to format]
As for TAGs and anti TAG snobbery. There are plenty of watch manufacturers who will for the same money as TAG provide you with a better watch. "Better" being a highly subjective term, but here I mean more attention to detail, better finishing. This varies model for model, with some TAGs being better than others. The concept of value for money is ludicrous when you're spending thousands on a tool that a £9 Casio can outperform, but the fact remains that other suppliers outperform TAG when it comes to value for money. All of which said, if TAG make something you like and other manufacturers don't AND you're happy with paying that bit extra then get the TAG, then buy the TAG. They're not bad watches. Yes you can get "better" for the same money, but what good is that if you don't like the "better" watches? [\WOT I can't be bothered to format]

Erm, wasn't Tudor seen by Rolex as a "poor man's Rolex"? Didn't they deliberately market the product via the Rolex network as an affordable version of a Rolex?

[stuno1]

13m said:

Erm, wasn't Tudor seen by Rolex as a "poor man's Rolex"? Didn't they deliberately market the product via the Rolex network as an affordable version of a Rolex?

A long time ago before the re-launch of the brand. They are now putting their own in house chronometer movements on some watches.

[DJMC]

May have stumbled across the Tag my son likes (as above) at a good price (£1400?). It's just over a year old, so under warranty, and was also serviced a year later by Tag.

Do they need servicing every year?! This was done in Nov'16 so maybe just to make it more saleable?

[frye]

Tell him to have a look at the Grand Seiko line. Subtle yet by far an elegant piece of machinery.

No I don't work for Seiko.

[drainbrain]

First 'posh' watch I ever owned was a Tag.

Been wearing it all week. Love it. Brings back good memories.

But as has been said, the best watch for him is.....the one he likes best (and there are many).

[mikeveal]

DJMC said:

Maybe this is something to consider also? What IS "better", for the same money, in a similar style?

That's what I trying to state. You probably won't find something in a similar style, but if you compare the finish of a Longines, Omega, etc. at the same asking price, the TAGs aren't quite as good. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the TAG.

[warren182]

DJMC said:

Thanks for all your replies. I very much liked the look of the Link Calibre 16 on him. We went to a Tag outlet in the USA in the autumn and he tried just about everything on and found this one suited him best. Then over to a Rolex outlet, and the only one he liked was a Milgauss. He spotted the Submariner last night and quite liked it, and there's a Rolex dealer in Rugby where he works so he's going to have a nose there. What are the views on the Submariner, apart from being over budget?

My wife last night (Rolex fan) said Tudor is a 2nd rate version of Rolex. "You bought a Cayman because you couldn't afford a 911" kind of thing. I know little about them, but I accept the Rolex may be a little "in your face" with his patients.

If tudor is a second rate version of rolex (nothing could actually be further from the truth), I'm not quite sure what that would make tag!

To be clear, I have 2 tags, and have owned a tudor (black bay). I love both of my tags, but the quality of the tudor is a step up.
But if he doesn't like a tudor, style or brand wise it's a non starter!

It's difficult to get a balanced opinion on here tbh, if you say anything negative about tag, you're automatically branded a 'tag hater'. I think some are very nice, the carrera range especially. The watch you've posted, isn't something I'd buy purely because it's the kind of design that'll be sat in a drawer 5yrs down the road. Some are timeless, carrera, submariner etc.

Only negative of the carrera range, is that some are quite thick, and don't wear brilliantly with a shirt.

[warren182]

DJMC said:

May have stumbled across the Tag my son likes (as above) at a good price (£1400?). It's just over a year old, so under warranty, and was also serviced a year later by Tag.

Do they need servicing every year?! This was done in Nov'16 so maybe just to make it more saleable?

That could suggest a problem. Why on earth it should need servicing (unless its been dropped etc) I don't know.

[stuno1]

warren182 said:

That could suggest a problem. Why on earth it should need servicing (unless its been dropped etc) I don't know.

This, most watches are 3-7 years service intervals recommended by manufacturers but watches can go many many years with no service. My longgines had to have a service because I knocked it and the time lost per day changed a lot.

[FredAstaire]

DJMC said:

Maybe this is something to consider also? What IS "better", for the same money, in a similar style?

i've always thought the bracelet on the link models will date very badly, especially the older rounded ones from a few years ago.