The Under £200ish Watch and occasional Opera Thread! Vol2

The Under £200ish Watch and occasional Opera Thread! Vol2

Author
Discussion

twocolours

150 posts

146 months

Tuesday 6th June 2023
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Barchettaman said:
Someone is selling a sterile dial version of that, can’t remember who, I will report back. It’s about 40% cheaper than the Baltany one.
Thanks, I think I came across the unbranded version on AliExpress earlier as it happens. In a way I think I prefer it branded, but I do love a bargain so could be swayed haha

ETA Unbranded version is currently sitting in my basket on Ali Express at £90 which is very tempting! Having not used Ali Express before, presumably there will be some import charges/taxes etc?


Edited by twocolours on Tuesday 6th June 13:30

C G

833 posts

189 months

Tuesday 6th June 2023
quotequote all
twocolours said:
Barchettaman said:
Someone is selling a sterile dial version of that, can’t remember who, I will report back. It’s about 40% cheaper than the Baltany one.
Thanks, I think I came across the unbranded version on AliExpress earlier as it happens. In a way I think I prefer it branded, but I do love a bargain so could be swayed haha

ETA Unbranded version is currently sitting in my basket on Ali Express at £90 which is very tempting! Having not used Ali Express before, presumably there will be some import charges/taxes etc?


Edited by twocolours on Tuesday 6th June 13:30
Got a link?

I think VAT is added automatically at checkout, so will be closer to £110. Still a great deal.

twocolours

150 posts

146 months

Tuesday 6th June 2023
quotequote all
C G said:
Got a link?

I think VAT is added automatically at checkout, so will be closer to £110. Still a great deal.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_msGvshq



Think it might be rude not to...

C G

833 posts

189 months

Tuesday 6th June 2023
quotequote all
twocolours said:
C G said:
Got a link?

I think VAT is added automatically at checkout, so will be closer to £110. Still a great deal.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_msGvshq



Think it might be rude not to...
Looks virtually the same as the Baltany. What's the catch?

twocolours

150 posts

146 months

Wednesday 7th June 2023
quotequote all
C G said:
Looks virtually the same as the Baltany. What's the catch?
As far as I'm aware they are the same minus the branding. Will see what it's like when it arrives though and report back

SWoll

18,206 posts

257 months

Wednesday 7th June 2023
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A quick heads up or anyone looking for a quality swiss made watch for thread budget, I've had this pop up on my Ebay feed with box and papers.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304966712164



I've got 3 Alpina quartz watches and they're fantastic value and very good quality. I reckon a buy it now of £150-175 would get a deal done for anyone interested. Would look great on an orange rubber strap for the summer. smile


Barchettaman

6,282 posts

131 months

Wednesday 7th June 2023
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Macneil said:
Delurking to ask about this...looks fantastic, anyone got one? £175 on San Martin website

https://www.sanmartin.watch/products/watchdives-x-...
If anyone is considering getting this from watchdives, apparently if you set up an account, put the watch in the shopping cart but just wait, they will send you a discount code that you can use on that purchase.

Drooles

1,361 posts

55 months

Wednesday 7th June 2023
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Put this on for work for a change today…

I’d forgotten how many alarms I’d set on it!

pistonheadforum

1,142 posts

120 months

Wednesday 7th June 2023
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Aliexpres sale coming soon I think - might be worth puting any purchases on hold until around 12 June to see if your item is going to be discounted.

pistonheadforum

1,142 posts

120 months

Wednesday 7th June 2023
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KTF said:
This might not be the correct thread but is anyone looking at getting the new Casio LF-20W-1AEF?

https://www.casio.co.uk/lf-20w-1aef

It seems to be the next biggest thing since the F-91W when you read the reviews online.


That looks awesome - a real retro vibe - bit like the Seiko from Octopussy.

Think that was a Seiko G757 5020 Sports 100.

CharlesdeGaulle

26,091 posts

179 months

Thursday 8th June 2023
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Barchettaman said:
If anyone is considering getting this from watchdives, apparently if you set up an account, put the watch in the shopping cart but just wait, they will send you a discount code that you can use on that purchase.
Pity, bit late for me as I ordered last week. Got a confirmatory mail but have heard nothing since. I'll chase them up when I return from Le Mans.

Barchettaman

6,282 posts

131 months

Thursday 8th June 2023
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Now reduced to £13.99 at Argos:



A possible summer watch for someone. My brother wears his all the time. He’s a man of excellent taste.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9025873?clickPR=pl...

craigthecoupe

685 posts

203 months

Thursday 8th June 2023
quotequote all
pistonheadforum said:
KTF said:
This might not be the correct thread but is anyone looking at getting the new Casio LF-20W-1AEF?

https://www.casio.co.uk/lf-20w-1aef

It seems to be the next biggest thing since the F-91W when you read the reviews online.


That looks awesome - a real retro vibe - bit like the Seiko from Octopussy.

Think that was a Seiko G757 5020 Sports 100.
I really like that too! excellent design.

WhisperingWasp

1,450 posts

136 months

Thursday 8th June 2023
quotequote all
Barchettaman said:
Now reduced to £13.99 at Argos:



A possible summer watch for someone. My brother wears his all the time. He’s a man of excellent taste.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9025873?clickPR=pl...
Can you get more bang-for-your-buck than this??

Drooles

1,361 posts

55 months

Friday 9th June 2023
quotequote all
WhisperingWasp said:
Barchettaman said:
Now reduced to £13.99 at Argos:



A possible summer watch for someone. My brother wears his all the time. He’s a man of excellent taste.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9025873?clickPR=pl...
Can you get more bang-for-your-buck than this??
I wasn’t going to post this as it’s a long story, and not that interesting so feel free to bail out now, but seeing this watch has reminded me…

Anyway, if you’re still here, a few weeks ago I was out on an outward bound type event and I put my Sumo on a NATO (I’m always trying to get on with a NATO but it rarely works) as I thought it would look smart enough for the evenings but be durable enough for the daily activities.

Now, normally nobody’s takes any notice of any of my watches, even if they are on ridiculously bright straps but on this particular day, one of the instructors stopped me and asked if it was a regimental strap and if I had been in the forces. I rather sheepishly said that it was just a strap I had bought because it looked like the one James Bond wore in Goldfinger. Feeling thoroughly unworthy, I took part in the gully walk and shelter building activity but caught up with the guy later and asked his story.

What followed was some of the most interesting conversation I’d had for the whole week. Cutting it short, he was ex-Marines and had led a very colourful life during and after his service.

There is a point to this… well, two actually.

The first, it was brilliant that my little hobby of collecting watches and messing around with straps had actually led to a really interesting discussion with somebody other than with you good people on this thread.

The second, the chap was wearing one of these Casios!

So, I’d say absolutely that, at £13.99, that’s one fantastic watch!

Barchettaman

6,282 posts

131 months

Friday 9th June 2023
quotequote all
WhisperingWasp said:
Can you get more bang-for-your-buck than this??
Not in the UK, but apparently in the USA at Walmart the Casio Marlin (Duro) dive watches - the Bill Gates submariner-style ones- were on sale for $37. That’s a pretty decent deal.

21st Century Man

40,660 posts

247 months

Saturday 10th June 2023
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I made some very positive comments about San Martin on this thread a number of days ago, those comments were based upon reading lots of reviews and having watched lots of YouTube videos. On the strength of that I posted that I had ordered a San Martin that was at the very top of their range and price (though I wasn't prepared to say what, as it's one of the naffer homages). It's arrived and it's a fair disappointment.

The bracelet is poor, sharp edges, rubbish clasp.
Paint bleed to printed lettering on the face.
A rough edge and a sliver of frayed paint on one of the hands.
Over polished logo which has taken the top off a couple of letters.

To be fair, the issues with the face are only visible with a jewelers loupe at the macro level, and one could argue that one can't really expect an AliExpress Chinese watch to stand up to such scrutiny, however my several other much cheaper Chinese watches are perfectly finished under such scrutiny, this much more expensive watch isn't.

To compound the issue, a Pagani Design watch that a mate of mine had fancied but had not "pulled the trigger" on appeared in my AliExpress feed with a buy now 67% off, just £35, so I ordered it as a surprise for him next time we have a pint.

It's arrived this morning and under a loupe at macro it is just bloody perfect, the overall quality is just amazing. This has compounded my disappointment with the San Martin which was ten times the price.

The Pagani is fantastic, the San Martin isn't. This might be useful information for those thinking of buying.

I know that some of you have a SM on the way, hopefully mine was a rare QC lapse and yours will be good, but at this price point it shouldn't be a lottery/roulette.


Edited by 21st Century Man on Saturday 10th June 12:21

CharlesdeGaulle

26,091 posts

179 months

Saturday 10th June 2023
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I had a mail that they'd had quality issues and to expect a delay.

21st Century Man

40,660 posts

247 months

Saturday 10th June 2023
quotequote all
CharlesdeGaulle said:
I had a mail that they'd had quality issues and to expect a delay.
I suppose that's good news.

I ought to raise a complaint and return mine, but the imperfections on the face aren't really noticeable to the naked eye and I am very fussy. There are some positives too, overall it's not bad really, just not up to expectations. The bezel action is really good, not a bit of play or wobble and the ceramic is spot on. It has a high end 28800 movement and it's holding +1 on the timegrapher. It's also a right hefty lump and a glitzy eyeful on the wrist, which is what I wanted for a change as most of my other watches are more tasteful.

RSTurboPaul

10,219 posts

257 months

Saturday 10th June 2023
quotequote all
21st Century Man said:
CharlesdeGaulle said:
I had a mail that they'd had quality issues and to expect a delay.
I suppose that's good news.

I ought to raise a complaint and return mine, but the imperfections on the face aren't really noticeable to the naked eye and I am very fussy. There are some positives too, overall it's not bad really, just not up to expectations. The bezel action is really good, not a bit of play or wobble and the ceramic is spot on. It has a high end 28800 movement and it's holding +1 on the timegrapher. It's also a right hefty lump and a glitzy eyeful on the wrist, which is what I wanted for a change as most of my other watches are more tasteful.
We need pics wink and we don't care if it is a 'very close homage' tongue out lol