Advice Needed Regarding Brands

[Al Murphy]

Hello all,

my first foray into posting in the watch section although I'm a regular browser, possibly the reason I'm in this situation

I've been happily wearing a RipCurl Tidemaster watch ( looks like http://www.ripcurl.com/index.php?id=617,3639,0,0,1... for the last couple of years, at £100 it was the first time I'd spent anything like serious money on a watch.

However I'm soon to turn 30 and am considering spending a bit more money on a watch for myself. I've been looking online and in shop windows and have settled on a few different watches I like, but have little idea on the quality of different brands. I know what I'm familiar with, but don't know whether they are good, I also have no idea of the reputation of makes I've never heard of before seeing their watches.

Which neatly brings me here, to ask the masses their advice on the maker of th watch rather than the watch itself, unless I've picked some real lemons !!

First one that has caught my eye, a Jorg Gray, not a manufacturer I was previously aware of
http://www.watchshop.com/mens-jorg-gray-6500-chron...

Then a trio of Tissot, nice eh
http://www.watchshop.com/mens-tissot-prc200-chrono...

http://www.watchshop.com/mens-tissot-t-one-automat...

http://www.watchshop.com/mens-tissot-prs516-automa...

Hamilton, another one I was blissfully unaware of, although I now understand they have some history in watch making
http://www.watchshop.com/mens-hamilton-khaki-pilot...

and lastly a Mondaine
http://www.watchshop.com/mens-mondaine-sport-ii-ch...


As per the brief, if anyone can offer advice as to whether there is any reason I should not buy any of the above watches, or why I should buy one over another it would be very much appreciated. After all it is this forum that's led me to this

Thanks,

Al

[Chicane-UK]

I've personally never heard of Jorg Gray but I'm a bit of a newcomer to watches myself. However Tissot, Hamilton and Mondaine are all pretty well regarded... got a Mondaine Retro Automatic on order myself! I don't imagine you'll go too wrong with any of those brands TBH

[muckymotor]

If you want a Jorg Gray buy direct from http://www.jorggray.com/?SID=6ab051410ee61f3395253... in America.

They often have sales on if you can wait which is how i picked mine up for £45 plus around £20 shipping.

Edited to add, not the model you were looking at though.

Edited by muckymotor on Monday 9th January 21:28

[CardShark]

Jorg Gray hit the headlines so to speak only a few years ago as President Obama's watch of choice, though TBH I've no idea as to what they're like quality or VFM wise. That may, or may not, influence your decision (the Obama bit, not my knowledge of the brand!)
As to the others, they're all well known brands in watch circles and I'd probably put Hamilton above the other two for quality though you certainly wouldn't be buying a duffer which ever you choose, infact the PRS200 is often recommended for an auto in that price range, there's a recent thread running on Mondaines and I own a Hamilton myself, all be it a different model.
Apart from the style differences have you noticed that the Mondiane and YG are quartz with the others being autos?

Edited by CardShark on Monday 9th January 22:14

[Al Murphy]

Thanks all for contributing.

muckymotor I hadn't actually thought of ordering direct, just went straight to online shops. Checking the prices against the current exchange rates it might work out better ordering from them, especially if a sale crops up anytime soon.

CardShark I had noticed that a couple of them were quartz, I'm assuming that means battery powered? The rest being automatics. Is the extra cost associated with the autos worth it?

I've found a shop local to me that has a range of Tissot's in stock so I'm planning on going to have a look at some of them this weekend, then I'll see if I can try a couple of the Hamilton's on to see how I like them.

Thanks,

Al

[Chicane-UK]

If you end up wanting a Tissot, worth checking out Creation Watches - they do very decent prices:

http://www.creationwatches.com/products/tissot-209...

[AlexC1981]

Al Murphy said:

Is the extra cost associated with the autos worth it?

It's a personal preference. Like wanting a blue watch over a black one. For me, even though they cost more, it feels like you are getting more for your money somehow.

[CardShark]

AlexC1981 said:

Al Murphy said:

Is the extra cost associated with the autos worth it?

It's a personal preference. Like wanting a blue watch over a black one. For me, even though they cost more, it feels like you are getting more for your money somehow.

Pretty much sums it up for me as well. As a general rule you'll be able to spot the autos from the quartz by watching the second hand, a quartz will tick tick tick where as an auto will be a much finer tickticktick and almost appear to glide around in comparison - some people simply prefer the glide of an auto.

You're doing the right thing by trying a few on before buying, what looks great on the 'net or in shop windows can look bloody awful on the wrist.

[sparkyhx]

apart from NOT having the inconvenience of changing the battery every few years and for serious deep diving, there is no real reason to buy a mechanical watch over its more accurate quartz cousin.

...........but the same could be said for using a mobile to tell the time.

However thankfully there are lots of people who 'like' the idea of something mechanical, a high quality piece of engineering on the wrist. Many watches beat at 28000 beats per hour that means that about 20 watch parts are moving 672,000 times a day a day. Most watches being accurate to within 0.01% per day even cheapy chinese jobs.

[FreeLitres]

The Seiko Monster (Orange or Black face) are well respected in the watch community and are excellent quality for the price (£130 - £150). As mentioned above, have a look at creationwatches.com.

If you want to spend a bit more, a pre-owned automatic Omega Seamaster is hard to beat. (Over £1000 though)

[Al Murphy]

Thanks for the continued responses everyone. I've been browsing and shopping today, managed to find the Tissot PRC200 I was looking at to try on, it's nice in the flesh, and not as big as I thought it was having seen the pictures on the 'net. I wasn't able to find anywhere with the specific PRS516 linked above but tried on one similar and that was also a nice size and I liked the feel of it.

The Hamilton on the other hand was a bigger than I thought, and although I love the military style of it I found it a little larger than I was comfortable with so think that's out of the running.

However, the watch shop I visited then threw a curve ball in and suggested a Longines in for similar money, I tried it on and it's really swayed me. It's this one linked below, it's a quartz and has a leather strap rather than a bracelet but I like the look of it on the leather strap

http://www.longines.com/watches/longines-conquest/...

The shop in question currently has an offer on with 20% or VAT free making the watch a little under £400, would this be a wise buy, again I'm aware of the brand having now done more reading about watches in the last 2 weeks than in my previous 29 years, but would like some steer on the quality of them.

Thanks again to all that have taken the time to reply, I see this being the beginning of a slippery slope

Al

[CardShark]

Longines is a quality brand for the £, you won't go wrong there. They offer some autos at around that price range as well, though ultimately go with whatever you're comfortable with on your wrist.

As for the slippery slope, it was this very bleedin' part of PH that's responsible for up to about 20 watch purchases in 18 months or so - I only popped in here for a browse...

Run away, run away....