Baume & Mercier - good buy?

[BubblesNW]

Juat seen this and wondered if it is decent value at £1195?





Thanks ..

[RichB]

Looks thin so I'm guessing that it's quartz? Also just a personal thing so nothing to do with value but I don't like Roman numerals. Not for me.

[BubblesNW]

White Roman Dial with Date
Quartz Movement
White Gold Case
Brown Crocodile Strap (slight wear)
Tang Type Buckle
Additional Original Black Leather Strap (minor wear) with Deployment Buckle
Sapphire Crystal

[HarrySmash]

You don't state the age of the watch, but for similar sort of money I'd go for this - it's an automatic and will be new:



http://www.fraserhart.co.uk/longines-heritage-1954...

[PJ S]

Forget whether it's quartz or mechanical – B&M are a good brand, whatever variant you buy.
If YOU like it, and can dispense with the snobbery of it being "only a quartz", then that is all that matters.
Not everyone is fussed on mechanicals that need servicing every 5 years, if worn regularly, as well as being kept wound to save setting the time each time you go to wear it.
For some, the simplicity of a quartz and a battery change every 2-3 years, outweighs all the rest.

If you do go for it, enjoy.

[RichB]

PJ S said:

Forget whether it's quartz or mechanical – <etc.>

Forgive me for commenting but the question was "is this good value" not "should I buy this." Typically mechanical watches cost more than quartz hence why this plays a part in such a question. As an aside, to belie the impression I may have given one of my treasured watches is indeed a quartz. It's a JLC Master Chronograph Mecaquartz which has a quartz drive and a mechanical start stop chronograph function but I digress (look it up if you're interested).

[AlvinSultana]

RichB said:

Forgive me for commenting but the question was "is this good value" not "should I buy this." Typically mechanical watches cost more than quartz hence why this plays a part in such a question. As an aside, to belie the impression I may have given one of my treasured watches is indeed a quartz. It's a JLC Master Chronograph Mecaquartz which has a quartz drive and a mechanical start stop chronograph function but I digress (look it up if you're interested).

I also own one, it is a very nice watch and finding a lot of favour with collectors. The are changing hands for 50% more than I paid for mine when brand new.

The currant Mrs Sultana is soon to be adorned with it when it returns from a service. She has taken quite a fancy to it.

[Vvroom]

If I wanted a dress watch at that sort of price point I'd be buying a Nomos.

Hand wound (almost) in house movt.

[hilly10]

Well respected manufacturer , I think they used ETA movements and modified them

[HarrySmash]

PJ S - Forget whether it's quartz or mechanical – B&M are a good brand, whatever variant you buy.

I agree. Just adding another watch in to the mix that also represents good value at the same price level IMO.

[GC8]

AlvinSultana said:

I also own one, it is a very nice watch and finding a lot of favour with collectors. The are changing hands for 50% more than I paid for mine when brand new.

The currant Mrs Sultana is soon to be adorned with it when it returns from a service. She has taken quite a fancy to it.

[PJ S]

RichB said:

Forgive me for commenting but the question was "is this good value" not "should I buy this." Typically mechanical watches cost more than quartz hence why this plays a part in such a question. As an aside, to belie the impression I may have given one of my treasured watches is indeed a quartz. It's a JLC Master Chronograph Mecaquartz which has a quartz drive and a mechanical start stop chronograph function but I digress (look it up if you're interested).

No forgiveness required Rich, but the question was "decent value", given the impression the OP was considering a purchase but unsure if a quartz watch is "worth" the price being asked.
To that end, I thought I'd given the correct response in stating that irrespective of movement used inside, B&M are a good brand, period.

I further went on to outline that not all watch buyers, are snobs about how their watch works, just that it does so, and reliably.
On that note, some may prefer the quartz (with no second hand, so sweep motion not being a consideration) due to the set and forget aspect, even with the "hassle" of replacing the battery every 2-3 years, and lack of needing serviced each 3-5 years.

Don't really know why I'm having to explain myself, but there you go.

[BubblesNW]

Thanks for all your replies, most useful.

I am of the buy and use, replace batteries every few years persuasion. Just looking for a nice, simple dress watch for the occasions where my Longines looks a little out of place with what I am wearing.

Day-to-day I wear a Christopher Ward which I have had for 5 years now and find it perfectly acceptable.

So the general consensus is that it is a reasonable brand, reasonable quality and a reasonable price. Others have different tastes and priorities to myself but each to their own.

[PJ S]

You do realise that's only 33mm?
That's quite small by today's standards, and would even be classed as Ladies size.

For similar money, you could have a pre-owned Grand Seiko, which won't be the classical dressy design the B&M is, but still considered a dressy watch. You could put it on a strap, if you preferred.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-grand-seiko-sb...

[DS3R]

BubblesNW said:

Juat seen this and wondered if it is decent value at £1195?

Thanks ..

its reasonable "value" at £1195 assuming that's half the apparent price in one of the high street (such as Ernest Jones) who have very frequent half price sales on at least a subset of the brand, so at "half price" (I assume at £1195) its OK. At twice that, its really not, and very few would actually pay it, the brand does not stand up very well against £2k competition, even in the same store.

If you like the general look and want more choice, EJ have a broader half price sale on atm so worth popping in perhaps. You will find a similar style with Maurice Lacroix (very under rated) and Raymond Weil, who also try to hit the 2-3k mark on some models and find many of them being offed at half that. I would also look at Rado at around the same (or a lower discounted) price, although they may be too jewellery for you as a dress watch.

[PJ S]

Happy to stand corrected, but I'll bet none of the ML and RW are 18K white gold for their price, which if you can have at 50% off, they're obviously well overpriced to begin with!

[HarrySmash]

[quote=BubblesNW]... Just looking for a nice, simple dress watch for the occasions where my Longines looks a little out of place with what I am wearing...

Keeping with my automatic theme, one of these would meet the brief rather nicely:

http://www.ernestjones.co.uk/webstore/d/6024785/ba...

http://www.ernestjones.co.uk/webstore/d/8357234/ma...

[marcosgt]

PJ S said:

You do realise that's only 33mm?
That's quite small by today's standards, and would even be classed as Ladies size.

33mm's pretty small by ANY standards, imo.

I prefer smaller watches, on the whole, to the gargantuan B&Rs, modern Breitlings and Panerais some favour, but I know a 33mm would get left in the watch box nearly all the time.

Just an opinion, of course.

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Sunday 3rd November 11:24

[sparkyhx]

AlvinSultana said:

The currant Mrs Sultana

I have to assume thats a deliberate misspell

33mm is really really small. £1200 for a quartz is really really expensive

But you pays our money and takes yours choice, if it floats your boat thats all that counts except possible resale value of a 33mm if its not a keeper.

Edited by sparkyhx on Monday 4th November 11:37

[PJ S]

sparkyhx said:

33mm is really really small. £1200 for a quartz is really really expensive

Er....no it's not, when the case material is white gold.
Equally, price up a Grand Seiko with its (theoretical 50 year service interval) sealed 9F quartz movement, or Omega, or Breitling Aerospace.

By you logic/argument, anything more than a Seiko 5 (automatic) is really, really expensive too.

Edited by PJ S on Monday 4th November 16:21