Annnnnnnd - it's another "which watch" thread...

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I sense I know the answer to this before I start but interested in your views chaps & chapesses.

I have been gifted £4k with the express instruction that this is spent on a watch. And that's where my conundrum starts. First, a few facts:

1. I have long lusted after a B&R BR01-92. Have tried them on and I always come back to looking at them
2. I also very much like the Seamaster PO with the orange bezel. Would look great with a black strap with orange stitching, as well as on a bracelet.
3. I have never been a fan of the (and I know I'm committing heresy saying this) "standard" Rolex look.

And now a few points to counter the above:

1. Whilst I'm not buying this as any sort of investment, I do have some concern about how the B&R will look in years to come, ie, will it look horribly dated?
2. Whilst I like the Omega with the orange detailing, again, is that really something I want on a keeper watch? (which this will be).
3. Incidentally, MrsC, who generally has very good taste, was surprised at the price of the Omega and actually thought they were a relatively cheap watch; whilst the watch is for me, it would be nice if she liked it as well.
4. Spanner in works time: There is a possibility that I could buy a brand-new genuine Tudor Pelagos for a VERY (actually very very!) advantageous price. Notwithstanding my comments above about the "Rolex look", the more I look at the Pelagos, the more it seems to me like a modern interpretation of that "look" and on that basis, along with the spec, the titanium, etc, it is starting to appeal more. I need to see one in the flesh.

So, yes, WWYD? AS I said, I sense that I know the answer already but I'll reveal that after a few replies!

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AndrewCrown said:

Sorry Cappo

I'm going to speak Land Rover to you as I had a sneak at your garage....

Omega PO: Its a bit like admiring a BMW X5 with an AC Schnitzer body kit... and what goes with Orange
B&R: Its a French concoction which is a little like a Peugeot 4007 with mud on it...
Tudor Pelagos: This is a 2010 Range Rover Sport... you know its from the right manufacturer... but deep down you know it will never compare to a FF RR

So the answer is the FF RR or LR V8: any Rolex in stainless steel:
Exporer II, Yachtmaster, Submariner, GMT Master


Cheers
A

Oh dear, my garage was out of date in a "missing even more Solihull content" manner! Now updated. What do I wear with a RRC??

Anyway, point taken about the Omega. The B&R I accept is very Marmite. But I'm disappointed that the Pelagos is a RRS! Despite the past, present, and probably future LR content of my fleet, I despise the RRS with a passion, for all sorts of reasons! I really thought the Tudor was the "new black".

AndrewCrown said:

But one has to admit 2/3 of his choices are in the same styling ball park..

Kinda fair point, although to my eyes the Omega is subtly different, and the Tudor, close up, is something of a "modern take" on the Rolex; it's somehow "cleaner" looking. See below (apols for pinching your picture Andy T). Then again does that imply that it will age badly? There seems to be a lot of love for the Pelagos on here at present?

Finally, re the Panerais above, yes, I do like those but hadn't really considered one. What model is the top one? And price? (Sure I can google that once I know what it is!).

Thanks all.

[CAPP0]

Thanks Andrew. I can *just* about go with the Twisted or Nene analogy (except their prices!).

I'll add a thumbnail of the 90 when I can find it!

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michael gould said:

have you considered one of the zenith el primero chronomaster

I hadn't, but probably should have stated earlier, absolutely no chronos, no way no how. Personal thing but I really dislike any chronographs.

Not really the style I am looking for even with a non-chrono face though, thanks.

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Johnniem said:

If it were me I'd go for the Pelagos (I bought one for myself but a few weeks before Christmas so may be a bit biased!). It is a beautiful watch and will certainly stand the test of time (sorry for that!).

Why not check out the Breitling SuperOcean Heritage (not the one with all the mini dials but the plain faced one). Its similar in looks and within your budget.

One thing though, why do you feel that you need to spend the whole budget? If you love the look of a £1500 watch then surely that's the one you should have, no?

You're quite right, I don't need to spend the whole budget and I'll go for what I like rather than basing the decision on price - it's just that the budget gives me room to think.

I am erring towards a new Pelagos and a used BR01 which I think I would be able to do in budget. There are easy-to-find adverts for the Pelagos at 20% under list, but I may have a route to squeeze one for even less. That way I get both watches!

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Update time:

I finally got my hands on a Pelagos today. Unfortunately, and I'm sorry all you existing owners, no offence whatsoever intended, but I was completely underwhelmed. Disappointingly so. I have seen comments about the fine machining and finish, but to me it seemed slightly cheaply made (even if it isn't) - those sharp edges seemed a tad unfinished. It did look nice on a rubber strap, but not nice enough. Also, being titanium, I thought it would be lighter than a lot of other watches; not in any way a dealbreaker (I like a heavy watch) but I was surprised. So, I think that might be off my list.

I'm swinging back round to an Omega. I need to go and find one of these, as I do like the appearance:



Does anyone know whether that comes with a rubber strap option? I'd like both, the bracelet and the strap. Buying one of those will kill my plan to bag a used BR01-92 inside budget but maybe I'll just have to find the cash for one of those elsewhere Or maybe the Omega won't work in the flesh either and I'll end up with a new B&R. Or a Panerai!

Watch this space....

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nunpuncher said:

I bought the orange bezel PO in September 2013 then sold it in August 2013 after realising I'd only wore it about 10 times in almost a year. I'd always liked the colour combo but i was always conscious of it's lack of coordination with almost everything in my wardrobe and was very self conscious of my "big orange thing" as mrs puncher called it.

A friend has the black one with the orange numbers on the silicone strap. It's a nice strap, looks more like leather but it's not lasting that well.

Time travelling aside I think that's why I'm erring towards the grey/black one above. I have an orange Monster and much as I like it, I pretty much only ever wear it with jeans & tshirt.

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Johnniem said:

I quite understand what you mean OP. The Pelagos would look much much better with the highly polished chrome or stainless bracelet seen on other high end watches but would be much heavier (its a fact).

I would have liked my Pelagos even more in the highly polished bracelet but, to be honest, I'd rather have it as it is than another, more expensive, shinier marque.

The Omega looks great!

It's interesting, it wasn't the polished finish that I was after (my wedding ring is titanium, it gets worn whatever I'm doing, and it has a dull shine to it which I really like) but with the watch, it looked and felt rather as if the machining and milling had been done quickly, or down to a price rather than up to a level. I hate to say this, but I have seen some of the really cheap knock-off fakes on holidays, etc, and the way the machining was finished just reminded me of those

[CAPP0]

Heading out to test-drive the Omega this evening

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AndrewCrown said:

very tasteful

cannedheat said:

How about a Rolex Explorer 39mm?

It doesn't shout 'Rolex' and is very understated, it's a great size, plus you can whip the bracelet off and pop it on a NATO or a variety of straps for a casual or dressier look...





Can be had for around the £4k mark too...

That is very nice. Never seen one of those before, although possibly a little on the small side for my wrist.

Anyhow, decision made. I tried on the ceramic bezel PO above in the 45.5mm size this evening and it put a big grin on my face, so that's what I need. The only reason I'm not wearing it right now is that I have three pages in front of me all offering the same watch, brand new, at c. £1000 less than the Omega boutique price, so I'll be ordering from one of those very shortly

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Well, here it is, courtesy of the ever-helpful Mr Hackett (is there anyone on this board who DOESN'T own a watch bought from Dominic?? ). My first foray into the four-figure watch world and I'm very pleased with it. Just need to decide whether the bracelet needs adjusting again or not, I'll wear it for a while and see, Dominic resized it for me yesterday evening but it's slightly snug on my "man-sized*" wrists (*copyright DH!).

Thanks for all your input chaps. I am now actively looking for a used BR01-92 to add to the fold

Apologies for the terrible-quality picture.