21st Birthday - £1000 watch

[TimLambert7]

Hello All,

My 21st Birthday is coming up and I've started to really like the idea of getting a decent watch that will last me many years to come.

I've completely fallen in love with the Offshore Professional Field Engineer; the limited production and extremely tough looking build make it appealing. I'm also working as an Offshore Engineer so it's quite relevant in that minor respect...

£1275 is a lot of money for me to spend so it needs to be perfect and hold some sentimental value.

Can anyone pass judgement on the Offshore and suggest any watches for similar money?

I'm undecided on going down the 2nd hand route, i'm worried it'll make it feel less special.

Thanks

[toohuge]

I cannot pass judgement on that watch as I have never handled one, but I am a big fan of the Damasko and Sinn range, both great and very tough etc. Also, not the everyday choice.

Chris

[anonymous-user]

TimLambert7 said:

Hello All,

My 21st Birthday is coming up and I've started to really like the idea of getting a decent watch that will last me many years to come.

I've completely fallen in love with the Offshore Professional Field Engineer; the limited production and extremely tough looking build make it appealing. I'm also working as an Offshore Engineer so it's quite relevant in that minor respect...

£1275 is a lot of money for me to spend so it needs to be perfect and hold some sentimental value.

Can anyone pass judgement on the Offshore and suggest any watches for similar money?

I'm undecided on going down the 2nd hand route, i'm worried it'll make it feel less special.

Thanks

I have got quite a few watches and since I bought one it's been glued to my wrist.

I love it and it stands comparison to the IWC/Rolex et al that are significantly more expensive.

[MYOB]

As an engineer you ought to appreciate a pre-owned Omega Speedmaster Ptofessional. Take a look at their heritage. However, I note your uncertainty with getting a pre-owned. But don't be.

[TimLambert7]

Thanks to all for your responses.

I have emailed Lorne at Offshore enquiring about the test watch.

I've looked at Sinns before but they don't strike me as anything remarkable. Damaskos are very nice, particularly the DA37 and the strong build and hardened cases are also very nice. The waiting time seems to be very long which is putting me off a bit.

MYOB, I'll take a look at Speedmasters in the morning. I'm worried that even second hand ones may be out of my reach.

[anonymous-user]

TimLambert7 said:

Thanks to all for your responses.

I have emailed Lorne at Offshore enquiring about the test watch.

I've looked at Sinns before but they don't strike me as anything remarkable. Damaskos are very nice, particularly the DA37 and the strong build and hardened cases are also very nice. The waiting time seems to be very long which is putting me off a bit.

MYOB, I'll take a look at Speedmasters in the morning. I'm worried that even second hand ones may be out of my reach.

I really think the Offshore would be a great choice - with the added bonus of supporting a PH'er who makes great stuff.

[HereBeMonsters]

Having had a similar budget for a similar idea (although this for my son, who is currently 4 weeks old ) I looked at cheap Tags, some nice Longines and some second hand Omegas.
If I could have found the Longines Hydroconquest Chrono Automatic, I probably would have bought one of them. As it is, I bought him a Sinn 556 and bunged the rest in a bank account for his first car. At this rate he'll have a bloody Lambo.

Anyway, it was easily the nicest of any of the watches I saw. I think I would have still gone for it if it was twice the price. Have a look at Sinn, and I can recommend Chronomaster.

[Tommy Kaira]

+1 for a pre-owned Seamaster. That's how I started my collection. Plus, it hasn't really dropped in value either over the years.

[TimLambert7]

I'm going to investigate the Seamaster more but a brief search didn't bring up anything quite within my price range. The cheapest Professional I could find was £1750.

The value point is a good one and I'm not sure how something as small numbers as the Offshore will go but it's not such vast sums of money that I'm too worried.

I've had a chat with Lorne and he is posting the test watch out to me this week. Seems like a very nice chap and incidentally works in the exact industry i'm trying to get in to at the moment!

[anonymous-user]

The "look" of a watch is always subjective but I am sure if you get the chance to compare to others at a similar price point you will be impressed.

I am wearing mine again today!

[michael gould]

to the OP...be aware that if you buy a new watch such as the one you are contemplating you will probably drop 50% of its value in the first 12 months. If that doesn't bother you then fine. If you buy a preowned Omega you will drop maybe 10% in the next 12 months....you might even make a little.

At 21 your tastes will change and you will probably be hankering after a nice Rolex or similar when your 25 and your income has risen. Buying the pre-owned Omega will seem like a smart move then.

good luck

[TimLambert7]

michael gould said:

to the OP...be aware that if you buy a new watch such as the one you are contemplating you will probably drop 50% of its value in the first 12 months. If that doesn't bother you then fine. If you buy a preowned Omega you will drop maybe 10% in the next 12 months....you might even make a little.

At 21 your tastes will change and you will probably be hankering after a nice Rolex or similar when your 25 and your income has risen. Buying the pre-owned Omega will seem like a smart move then.

good luck

You make a good point.

As it's my 21st present I can't see myself ever selling the watch so residuals aren't too high up my priority list. If I was spending >£3k I'd be more careful.


The preowned Omega really is a very good idea but I wouldn't dare spend that much on a watch I haven't seen and preowned makes the very difficult. Any suggestions as to somewhere near Oxford that has a good stock of preowned watches I could take a look at?

[BrabusMog]

TimLambert7 said:

I'm going to investigate the Seamaster more but a brief search didn't bring up anything quite within my price range. The cheapest Professional I could find was £1750.

The value point is a good one and I'm not sure how something as small numbers as the Offshore will go but it's not such vast sums of money that I'm too worried.

I've had a chat with Lorne and he is posting the test watch out to me this week. Seems like a very nice chap and incidentally works in the exact industry i'm trying to get in to at the moment!

Thanks for posting this, I didn't realise he had a test watch. I've just had a chat over email with him, very efficient and looking forwards to receiving the test watch after you

[TimLambert7]

BrabusMog said:

TimLambert7 said:

I'm going to investigate the Seamaster more but a brief search didn't bring up anything quite within my price range. The cheapest Professional I could find was £1750.

The value point is a good one and I'm not sure how something as small numbers as the Offshore will go but it's not such vast sums of money that I'm too worried.

I've had a chat with Lorne and he is posting the test watch out to me this week. Seems like a very nice chap and incidentally works in the exact industry i'm trying to get in to at the moment!

Thanks for posting this, I didn't realise he had a test watch. I've just had a chat over email with him, very efficient and looking forwards to receiving the test watch after you

I expect I'll try it over the weekend and return it on Monday!

You don't live close to Oxford by any chance? I could just drop it round when I'm done with it.

[BrabusMog]

TimLambert7 said:

BrabusMog said:

TimLambert7 said:

I'm going to investigate the Seamaster more but a brief search didn't bring up anything quite within my price range. The cheapest Professional I could find was £1750.

The value point is a good one and I'm not sure how something as small numbers as the Offshore will go but it's not such vast sums of money that I'm too worried.

I've had a chat with Lorne and he is posting the test watch out to me this week. Seems like a very nice chap and incidentally works in the exact industry i'm trying to get in to at the moment!

Thanks for posting this, I didn't realise he had a test watch. I've just had a chat over email with him, very efficient and looking forwards to receiving the test watch after you

I expect I'll try it over the weekend and return it on Monday!

You don't live close to Oxford by any chance? I could just drop it round when I'm done with it.

I could meet you in Reading? If not, Lorne will be sending you my details to send it on.

[TimLambert7]

BrabusMog, I have emailed you!

[Jordan210]

TimLambert7 said:

I expect I'll try it over the weekend and return it on Monday!

You don't live close to Oxford by any chance? I could just drop it round when I'm done with it.

If you in Oxford have you been to Tag in Bicester Village ? Some times you can get great bargains there.

Could always call them and see if they have any thing in it that price range ?

[marcosgt]

HereBeMonsters said:

... and bunged the rest in a bank account for his first car. At this rate he'll have a bloody Lambo.

More likely, just about have the premium for a year in a Renault Clio equivalent

M.

[scherzkeks]

TimLambert7 said:

I've looked at Sinns before but they don't strike me as anything remarkable. Damaskos are very nice, particularly the DA37 and the strong build and hardened cases are also very nice. The waiting time seems to be very long which is putting me off a bit.

I see it the other way around. Sinn has a good history of technological innovation, used to make Bell and Ross's stuff for them, supply the military, etc.

Damasko has always struck me as a Sinn knock-off, both in terms of styling and in the heavy focus on case technology. They also tend to use lower-grade ETA movements in some watches, whereas Sinn uses only top grade. Nice enough to be sure, but a notch below Sinn, who closing in on IWC territory (not surprising given the man at the helm is ex-IWC).

Edited by scherzkeks on Wednesday 2nd April 13:34

[TimLambert7]

scherzkeks said:

TimLambert7 said:

I've looked at Sinns before but they don't strike me as anything remarkable. Damaskos are very nice, particularly the DA37 and the strong build and hardened cases are also very nice. The waiting time seems to be very long which is putting me off a bit.

I see it the other way around. Sinn has a good history of technological innovation, used to make Bell and Ross's stuff for them, supply the military, etc.

Damasko has always struck me as a Sinn knock-off, both in terms of styling and in the heavy focus on case technology. They also tend to use lower-grade ETA movements in some watches, whereas Sinn uses only top grade. Nice enough to be sure, but a notch below Sinn, who closing in on IWC territory (not surprising given the man at the helm is ex-IWC).

Thanks, that's some interesting knowledge on two brands I know little about.

I think Damaskos work as a good daily watch for a serious collector; well built and tough whilst being fashionable and 'relatively' inexpensive. This watch purchase will be my top flight watch for some time and the Field Engineer has that real special quality and being around the 60th ever built will be very nice whilst not being too expensive.
That's just my thoughts, totally illogical as they are!

I'll take a better look at Sinns but I'm struggling to not be completely sold on the Offshore.