Hmm, Which one?

[Voodoo Blue]

Buying a watch as a gift and the recipient has expressed an interest in the following:

Bremont Supermarine S300
Breitling Superocean 42
Tudor Blackbay 41mm
Omega Speedmaster 38 Coaxial

I've looked at a lot of reviews and to be honest I'm not sure which one to get so thought I'd ask the great and good for your thoughts.

Cheers

VB

[gregs656]

Which one grabs you? The Tudor and Omega have in house movements if that matters, I do like the S300 though, any chance of you both doing the tour and buying a watch at the end?

[Barchettaman]

Well, three out of the four are dive watches.

It’s a tough one!

I’d go with the Tudor.

[Dark Star]

Has the recipient tried all the choices on?
If they haven’t then I would advise doing so as they may find the four choices become less once done so.
They are all good watches but for me the following is my take on the four.
If they are suited and booted each day then the Omega nudges ahead for me.
If they are more casually dressed then the Bremont is this less common choice but a really cool looking piece.
For me the Breitling is a marmite looking piece which I personally don’t mind but don’t love it.
The Tudor is the safe purchase piece as it is the general all rounder with a huge fan base but dare I say it a bit common now.

Not an easy choice but not one you can get wrong as all are quality pieces.

Edited by Dark Star on Wednesday 6th April 04:30

[HocusPocus]

Make the selection a memorable event for both you and the recipient. A day out trying on the watches together will give you both great pleasure and imbue the ch9sen watch with sentimental value. So go out and enjoy!

[BrokenSkunk]

HocusPocus said:

Make the selection a memorable event for both you and the recipient. A day out trying on the watches together will give you both great pleasure and imbue the ch9sen watch with sentimental value. So go out and enjoy!

This.
It's not your watch, its not our watch. Our predjucices and preferences are just that, ours. Whether or not the recipient shares our opinions is pretty much random.
So make a day of it. Line up a shopping trip to see and try them all, add lunch somewhere decent and get whatever they choose.

Assuming of course it's for a family member or friend, and not a retirement / 25 year service award for a co-worker.

[Voodoo Blue]

Thanks for your responses.

I should add it's for a family member and a surprise gift to be presented at an event that he knows nothing about. I've spent the last 6 months trying to get an insight of what he likes without giving the game away and these 4 are the ones he expressed a strong interest in more than any others. His other half has also been great at trying to pin him down and she's convinced he's oblivious about the whole thing.

Personally I'd buy the Tudor for the same reasons mentioned above plus I've got a Pelagos and think its a great watch for the money but I know he likes Breitlings and he was very impressed with the Bremont when he saw one in the window before Xmas so I suspect it'll end up being be a toss up between these 3. The Speedmaster is the outsider at the moment as he always wanted a Broad Arrow which they no longer make and the 38 is the closest I can find to that but not quite the same. Either way I know he'll be completely knocked out on the day and I can't wait to see the look on his face.

I'm planning on going into town tomorrow to look at them all, make some comparisons and probably make a decision.

Thanks all.

[gregs656]

I wouldn’t get the 38 if he wants the Broad Arrow.

The Tudor is probably the safest choice.

Edited by gregs656 on Wednesday 6th April 14:33

[CardShark]

gregs656 said:

I wouldn’t get the 38 if he wants the Broad Arrow.

Agree with this, it may be the same brand however it's far from the same watch.

If he's directly expressed an interest in the Bremont and has a thing for Breitling then I'd choose between those based upon what's been said. Does he have any other watches, though? If he does then you could go for the one that provides the greater contrast to what he has so there's something different to choose from when he picks something to wear.

[Voodoo Blue]

Thanks for the insight on the 38, I've not seen one in the flesh so wasn't sure. He has a quartz TAG F1 that's probably 10+ years old and he wears it everyday. I think it'll be a toss up between the Bremont, Breitling and Tudor so we'll see where we get to tomorrow.

[Voodoo Blue]

And the winner is:



I was really surprised how much I liked it. The Breitling was too big, the Tudor didn't feel very special and the Omega was too small and felt a bit cheap and cheerful. Looking forwards to the event next month and seeing his face.

Cheers

VB

[Pupp]

Good call I reckon; and when he wears it to the pub or rugby or whatever, extremely unlikely 3 others will be wearing the same watch.

Post up the response

[gregs656]

The S300 is a sweet watch.

[Dark Star]

That is the best of the choices as it is not as common.
Bet the recipient is well pleased when they are given it.
Hope the do goes well. 👍

[gregs656]

Oh, and go and do the Bremont tour.

[Voodoo Blue]

gregs656 said:

Oh, and go and do the Bremont tour.

As it happens we're doing just that in a couple of weeks. Quite looking forwards to it now.

[gregs656]

Voodoo Blue said:

As it happens we're doing just that in a couple of weeks. Quite looking forwards to it now.

I went just before Christmas, was great. Tom was our guide.

[Voodoo Blue]

Had a great afternoon doing the factory tour (with Tom) in Henley and learnt more than I thought I would not just about Bremont but horology in general.

I know some people think that because they buy in their movements they don't necessarily have the same kudos or heritage as some of the more established brands but the strides they are making to manufacture as much as they can in house whilst maintaining the price point they are pitching at is quite impressive. And the quality versus quantity approach came across very convincingly which was also really nice to hear and see.

I think I may well be buying one for myself in the not too distant future.

Edited by Voodoo Blue on Saturday 30th April 11:06