The £5k Three Watch Question
Discussion
I'll kick us off.
I think I "need" something dressy for work.
Something smart for the weekends.
An interesting beater.
In turn:
1. Vintage Air King 5500, silver on silver, steel bracelet, readily available at under £2500
2. 42mm SuperOcean Heritage, green bezel black dial. I picked mine up for £1700
3. Tricky one this, but I think I'd go with a black Squale 1521 on a polished case. I realise that's two divers in the box though.
Option two would be to switch the Air King for an Omega Chronostop from the 60s for c.£1000, then spend on a Blue Black Bay 36 as the beater (currently 1700 in duty free).
1. Omega Chronostop c.£1000 for a really nice one
2. SOH 42mm in green £1700 as above
3. Tudor Blue BB no bezel 36mm for £1700
Which leaves some change!
I think I "need" something dressy for work.
Something smart for the weekends.
An interesting beater.
In turn:
1. Vintage Air King 5500, silver on silver, steel bracelet, readily available at under £2500
2. 42mm SuperOcean Heritage, green bezel black dial. I picked mine up for £1700
3. Tricky one this, but I think I'd go with a black Squale 1521 on a polished case. I realise that's two divers in the box though.
Option two would be to switch the Air King for an Omega Chronostop from the 60s for c.£1000, then spend on a Blue Black Bay 36 as the beater (currently 1700 in duty free).
1. Omega Chronostop c.£1000 for a really nice one
2. SOH 42mm in green £1700 as above
3. Tudor Blue BB no bezel 36mm for £1700
Which leaves some change!
OK I'll play,
If the rule was someone receiving £5k (inheritance??) with the wish for them to buy 3 watches as they have never owned a watch (apart from the F91 bought when they were 16
)
With an empty watch box, You'd have to start with a Speedmaster then spend the rest with a Daily & Diver/Rough/tough,
For me
Breitling Avenger £3k as "Expensive status watch"
Meistersinger £1k as Dress watch (Or a Rolex Precision birth year watch)
Ball Watch as a Daily under £1k, With both Leather & Steel Bracelet
Think with three the premise of £3~4k Expensive status brand watch, £1k Leather dress/Older vintage watch & £500~1k Daily that works with a bracelet & strap combo would be my criteria …. Actual watches being personal to each poster
If the rule was someone receiving £5k (inheritance??) with the wish for them to buy 3 watches as they have never owned a watch (apart from the F91 bought when they were 16
) With an empty watch box, You'd have to start with a Speedmaster then spend the rest with a Daily & Diver/Rough/tough,
For me
Breitling Avenger £3k as "Expensive status watch"
Meistersinger £1k as Dress watch (Or a Rolex Precision birth year watch)
Ball Watch as a Daily under £1k, With both Leather & Steel Bracelet
Think with three the premise of £3~4k Expensive status brand watch, £1k Leather dress/Older vintage watch & £500~1k Daily that works with a bracelet & strap combo would be my criteria …. Actual watches being personal to each poster
Now we're getting into the spirit!
Good photo demonstration there too. Makes me miss my old MeisterSinger 1Z.
I thought about making sacrifices to spend 2600 or so on the Speedy FOIS, but I think I'd get more use from the Air King (and that's how it plays out in reality).
For clarity, I was thinking along the lines of... if your total value had to be under 5k, you have space for three, and need to cover all bases.
Totally fine to have 2 at a tenner each then blow the rest on something for special occasions/daily wear.
Good photo demonstration there too. Makes me miss my old MeisterSinger 1Z.
I thought about making sacrifices to spend 2600 or so on the Speedy FOIS, but I think I'd get more use from the Air King (and that's how it plays out in reality).
For clarity, I was thinking along the lines of... if your total value had to be under 5k, you have space for three, and need to cover all bases.
Totally fine to have 2 at a tenner each then blow the rest on something for special occasions/daily wear.
First 2 are easy for me.. not sure what I would add as a third, would want something Rolex Datejust looking.
Steinhart Ocean One Vintage Red -------- Covers Divers watch £380
https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/ocean-one-vinta...
Steinhart Ocean-1 GMT -------- Covers GMT Complication £520
https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/gmt-ocean-1-blu...
Steinhart Ocean One Vintage Red -------- Covers Divers watch £380
https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/ocean-one-vinta...
Steinhart Ocean-1 GMT -------- Covers GMT Complication £520
https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/gmt-ocean-1-blu...
Watchfinder already had a go at this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMc8USvO2cI
Ball Engineer Master II Diver DM1020A
Frederique Constant Slimline FC-306G4S6B3
Junghans Meister Telemeter Chronoscope 027/3381.44
I love the Ball (could be the next purchase) and the Junghans is super cool but not sold on the Frederique Constant as it's a little plain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMc8USvO2cI
Ball Engineer Master II Diver DM1020A
Frederique Constant Slimline FC-306G4S6B3
Junghans Meister Telemeter Chronoscope 027/3381.44
I love the Ball (could be the next purchase) and the Junghans is super cool but not sold on the Frederique Constant as it's a little plain.
Very interesting proposition, and hopefully something I'll eventually end up recreating.. Given the money today, I'd maybe put together the following...
1. Speedmaster on a leather strap - smart enough for most occasions, don't know which variant, would come down to price, maybe something vintage with some nice patina
2. Tudor BB on a bracelet - perfect diver (GMT probably out of budget?)
3. Seiko 5 on a NATO - perfect beater, something cheap and field-watchy like a SNZG15. Some custom hands, aftermarket sapphire..
I reckon that could be done for 5 grand, and that'd probably do me for 99% of occasions.
1. Speedmaster on a leather strap - smart enough for most occasions, don't know which variant, would come down to price, maybe something vintage with some nice patina
2. Tudor BB on a bracelet - perfect diver (GMT probably out of budget?)
3. Seiko 5 on a NATO - perfect beater, something cheap and field-watchy like a SNZG15. Some custom hands, aftermarket sapphire..
I reckon that could be done for 5 grand, and that'd probably do me for 99% of occasions.
smithyithy said:
Very interesting proposition, and hopefully something I'll eventually end up recreating.. Given the money today, I'd maybe put together the following...
1. Speedmaster on a leather strap - smart enough for most occasions, don't know which variant, would come down to price, maybe something vintage with some nice patina
2. Tudor BB on a bracelet - perfect diver (GMT probably out of budget?)
3. Seiko 5 on a NATO - perfect beater, something cheap and field-watchy like a SNZG15. Some custom hands, aftermarket sapphire..
I reckon that could be done for 5 grand, and that'd probably do me for 99% of occasions.
Nice selection, but new that would push the budget by £1k?1. Speedmaster on a leather strap - smart enough for most occasions, don't know which variant, would come down to price, maybe something vintage with some nice patina
2. Tudor BB on a bracelet - perfect diver (GMT probably out of budget?)
3. Seiko 5 on a NATO - perfect beater, something cheap and field-watchy like a SNZG15. Some custom hands, aftermarket sapphire..
I reckon that could be done for 5 grand, and that'd probably do me for 99% of occasions.
Now I'm looking at a Seiko 5!!!
Rolex Air king 14010
£3000
Versatile enough for a daily / work watch or something more dressy.
Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba
£600
Pretty versatile with various bracelet options.
Omega Speedmaster
£1400
Because, well, its the sports chrono to have!
If there was any movement in the prices to, say, £2500 for the Air King and £500 for the Hamilton that would leave £2k in which case I'd swap out the Speedy for a Chopard Mille Miglia.
£3000
Versatile enough for a daily / work watch or something more dressy.
Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba
£600
Pretty versatile with various bracelet options.
Omega Speedmaster
£1400
Because, well, its the sports chrono to have!
If there was any movement in the prices to, say, £2500 for the Air King and £500 for the Hamilton that would leave £2k in which case I'd swap out the Speedy for a Chopard Mille Miglia.
snorkel sucker said:
Rolex Air king 14010
£3000
Versatile enough for a daily / work watch or something more dressy.
Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba
£600
Pretty versatile with various bracelet options.
Omega Speedmaster
£1400
Because, well, its the sports chrono to have!
If there was any movement in the prices to, say, £2500 for the Air King and £500 for the Hamilton that would leave £2k in which case I'd swap out the Speedy for a Chopard Mille Miglia.
Nice! I have two of those, I love my Khaki King Scuba, if only mine wound properly without screwing the crown in,but £1400 for a Speedy?£3000
Versatile enough for a daily / work watch or something more dressy.
Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba
£600
Pretty versatile with various bracelet options.
Omega Speedmaster
£1400
Because, well, its the sports chrono to have!
If there was any movement in the prices to, say, £2500 for the Air King and £500 for the Hamilton that would leave £2k in which case I'd swap out the Speedy for a Chopard Mille Miglia.
Maybe a Speedy reduced without papers, second hand?
Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff