Getting married and my future mother in law will buy us a pair of watches of our choice. I'm not sure what to buy or where to buy. A friend receipt a good deal on a TAG at bicester village. Not sure what brands are good to buy in the UK :TAG, Longines, Hamilton, Oriental... I've had two seeks watches before that I liked but scratched the lens, a Swiss army that had water damage. I bought my fiance a fossil and it didn't last a year. I want something that will wear well and last year's.
My Seiko has been nigh-on indestructible. Had it ~10 years and not a single scratch on the glass, the strap is a lightly scuffed and could do with a good clean between the links, but other than that its fine
My seiko died after 10 years from a battery change. The O ring wasn't properly set and caught in the mechanism.
Nautica Citizen Tissot 3 that spring to mind that do both mens and womens and have a high probability of a matching pair being found that will be acceptable in design and function for all parties involved.
TAG is generally (in the watch world) considered overpriced, using movements found on cheaper/more affordable watches and relying on their name/sponsorship to sell the product at a premium. Have had various Tissot's and they're great value for money (the Visodate I have is around 35 years old and they still make 'em!). Also a fan of Omega, Hamilton, and Junghans in the sub-1k range. After that, things start to get expensive fast and I think you are going to run into diminishing returns as the movements won't vary as much in reliability afterwards... although I'm sure watch buffs will seek to rebuke that.
Have been considering a wooden watch from JORD as they are just beautiful, only issue could be the potential for scratching the watch as wood is not nearly as durable as most other materials. But specialities a side I have always been a fan of Tissot watches. The watches:https://www.woodwatches.com/shop
I have a few of CW's watches, they are little known in the world of brand names, but they make exquisite watches at responsible prices. I paid £400 for my first CW watch and it looks and feels 4 times that price. http://www.christopherward.co.uk/
Talking about lifespans of watches etc, I wear an over 50 year old one every day and, touch wood, apart from having to have the battery replaced every couple of years I treat it no differently to when I used to have a ~£20 Flik-Flak when I was a child.. Don't wear it during sports, or something that could get wet and dirty, and never leave it resting on the face. Not sure how people get through one every few years to be perfectly honest.. Anyway, my vote is a for a classic size/shape Tag.
I've heard of TW but not CW. I was a bit put off by the 2 year warranties being offered. TAG may be a bit overprices but I know I can get them at Bicster Village for half off or more. I'm not sure I like the sporty looks as much though. Some Tissots are very nice as are Longines. I've found the some Oris in my price range but the ones I really liked are not. Some Omega are nice if I can get a good discount. I think my biggest issue will be getting a his and her watch that look similar. The Swiss army I had, a friend hit it with a drum stick and popped the front off. I too it to get fixed and re-pressurised and it was never the same. The fossil, we were living near Taiwan and it was very humid. Never took it swimming or anything but still accumulated condensation. I know not to take a watch in a hot spring or hot tub but what about in the shower? Should it always be taken off? I will check a few shops in town today so get a feel of them.
Ive always taken mine off as a force of habit.. I suppose it different on the age of the watch, and whether its fully water-proof and sealed or just water resistant.
I have 3 watches, a Traser, a Rotary and a Rado for dress wear. All good, but on value for money, I think the Rotary seems to be the best of the 3.
we looked at watches yesterday and the biggest problem was selection. They simply didn't have many on hand to see. Rado had a lot of matching watches in Ernest Jones, Beaverbrooks had all the watches in the display case and didn't have many matching. Goldsmiths was easier to brows but didn't have many Longines and none that I saw were matching. They carried a lot more watches in the 3000-5000 range which is far over our budget. Can anyone recommend some place around Reading or London that would have lots of selection. In China I could go to a high end mall and Tissot, Rado, Longines and TAG would all have their own shops.
If you're spending >£1000 or so, it could be worth taking a day trip to Amsterdam. There's a few watch shops at Schiphol where there are some cracking deals between the tax free element and the strength of the Euro - http://www.gassanschiphol.com/home-n49m49
Unfortunately my fiance would need to apply for another visa and we don't have time. We are going to London tomorrow. Any suggestions or where to look at watches? Would could buy in Heathrow or at the airport in Paris.
Burlington arcade (near Oxford Circus) is brilliant for second hand watches but they're pricey. I'm not sure how far a £1000 budget each would take you.
as it is a wedding gift from her mother we can't go second hand. We are not british so we can get the tax back. That will help with the budget.
John Lewis has a wide selection of watches from the cheap to the very expensive. Goldsmiths offers quiet a wide range of options also. They would be the 2 places id check out. Both are in London if your near there. TAG are very expensive for what they are in truth. You can pick up Second hand or brand new Rolex watches for similar cash that will hold there value and increase in the years to come. You may even be able to get a few Rolex watches for your budget. They do price range from around £1k and up. The Rolex Air-king / Date / osyterdate are all around that cost area. Less if a sale is on. All are sold at Goldsmiths in the uk for easier viewing.
