The £1000ish watch thread
Discussion
The forum gets loads of inquiries around this price point (say £500 to £1500)
I recently bought a Halios Fairwind for about £600, and I like it but I don't love it. It's a little small for me, and I don't love the lug design. The stand out feature is the lovely 60 click bezel. I wanted to try a watch with a lumed bezel. I thought I'd really like it but I am quite indifferent to it.
I also don't love their execution of the micro adjust clasp, mostly because the clasp doesn't look like it's meant to be paired with its bracelet.
Putting it on a NATO helped.
I am currently massively drawn to the Mido Ocean Star GMT, there is a blue one on a strap available for a good price in Canada, but I'd want the black one with orange accents on a bracelet. They are similarly priced, the Mido is slightly more expensive.
I recently bought a Halios Fairwind for about £600, and I like it but I don't love it. It's a little small for me, and I don't love the lug design. The stand out feature is the lovely 60 click bezel. I wanted to try a watch with a lumed bezel. I thought I'd really like it but I am quite indifferent to it.
I also don't love their execution of the micro adjust clasp, mostly because the clasp doesn't look like it's meant to be paired with its bracelet.
Putting it on a NATO helped.
I am currently massively drawn to the Mido Ocean Star GMT, there is a blue one on a strap available for a good price in Canada, but I'd want the black one with orange accents on a bracelet. They are similarly priced, the Mido is slightly more expensive.
romeodelta said:
My default answer to this is always Longines HydroConquest of which ever flavour you like 
Longines do some great watches. I’ve recently started to come round to the idea of getting a quartz watch for a change, and the Longines VHP flash set seems like a very decent watch for £850.
For comparison this is a similar spec to the limited edition Grand Seiko quartz (+/- 5s per year) with the addition of some clever morse-code reading to set the two time zones for the GMT function. I really like it, and although I’d love the SBGP007, and I’m sure it’s probably better quality overall, the VHP looks very good value at less than 1/3rd the price of the Grand Seiko.
Something from the Oris range can probably be picked up for this price, an Aquis or Divers 65. Even a pro pilot if you prefer the flieger look.
Alternatively, something from Christopher Ward. Personally, I'm not a fan of the brand at all but for the money I think they are very good and there are plenty of fans on ph.
That set of Logines, Certina, Hamilton, Mido and I am sure a few others seem to be pushed in different regions but are the same or very similar quality.
I went for the Mido, and have taken pictures of the Halios to sell. I might sell it in the UK as I think I’ll get more than on this side of the Atlantic.
I went for the Mido, and have taken pictures of the Halios to sell. I might sell it in the UK as I think I’ll get more than on this side of the Atlantic.
TheJimi said:
romeodelta said:
My default answer to this is always Longines HydroConquest of which ever flavour you like
It was mine too, but back when they were circa £700. RRP is now, circa £1300. Not the bargain it was, imo.Edited by TheJimi on Saturday 19th February 23:12
Particularly as they’re regularly on sale. I’m sure dealers would be open to a haggle as well.
Saw this on sale for £1250 and went for it. Absolutely worth every penny.
Longines should definitely be on the shortlist of anyone looking for a watch around £1000…
funinhounslow said:
If it was £700 it must be the same as mine - the older one with the aluminium bezel. The £1300 ones have ceramic bezels so I think they’re fairly priced.
Particularly as they’re regularly on sale. I’m sure dealers would be open to a haggle as well.
Saw this on sale for £1250 and went for it. Absolutely worth every penny.
Longines should definitely be on the shortlist of anyone looking for a watch around £1000…
I bought the smaller blue one for £900, second hand, two months old.Particularly as they’re regularly on sale. I’m sure dealers would be open to a haggle as well.
Saw this on sale for £1250 and went for it. Absolutely worth every penny.
Longines should definitely be on the shortlist of anyone looking for a watch around £1000…
They're great watches for the money, super accurate and so many little design details compared to something like my BB58 which seems a bit crude by comparison.
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