Which watch for a 30 year old?

[driverrob]

My wife & I can't agree on a watch to buy our son, 30 next month, in the range £150-300.

They are all automatic watches and we each favour one of the above. What do you think? Or do you have another suggestion?
(He's a web designer/artist.)

Edited by driverrob on Thursday 16th April 14:23

Edited by driverrob on Thursday 16th April 14:26

Edited by driverrob on Thursday 16th April 14:27

[driverrob]

He tends to dress casually in a restrained way. I know he has several retro watches, including my old Seiko digital/analogue and my very old red LED Citizen.
Does that help?
I would ask his wife but I doubt she'd be much help - especially as she's more concerned with their baby which is due any day now!

[driverrob]

I think the Tissot is by far the nicest looking of the four but its disadvantage is; if you don't wear it for a couple of days it really will have stopped and you'll have to set it right. Its power reserve is quoted at 38 hours, compared to 90 days for the Seiko.
Does anyone have experience of this?

[driverrob]

Some wonerful suggestions, guys. I've been browsing for ages.
A couple have taken my fancy.


What do you think?

[driverrob]

Too much choice and you're right; he's been living away from home for so long now we don't know his tastes well enough.
I took up the suggestion of pre-owned watches and found this one:

He has no pretensions to be a diver but neither, I suspect, do most men who wear watches like this.

[driverrob]

lowdrag said:

Now, have you thought of letting him choose for himself?

Yes, I have but my OH is insistent; he's had mostly cash for years now and she wants it to be an actual present he'll wear for years. Hence all the searching and opinion gathering.

[driverrob]

Ok guys. It's sorted.
It's probably not what you 30 yr olds would have chosen. It may not be what my son would have chosen. But I knew it was the nearest thing to it I'd get my wife to choose.
When you've been married as long as me you'll understand the subtlety of that last sentence.

Classic and grown-up.
Married, soon to be a dad and soon to start a new life on the other side of the world. God, I'm going to miss him/them.

[driverrob]

Thanks for all your input, guys. As you'd see from my last post, we had to make a decision.

[driverrob]

Well, I thought this thread was closed until we presented him with the watch we had chosen.
He was honest enough to tell us he didn't like it so we said "OK, we'll return it. Choose one yourself" and gave him some of the links you lot had provided.
He came back in no time at all, having chosen this one:

Well done, Andy, and thanks.