Originally Posted By lowebird
Funny how the watch theme appears from time to time. Of course they seem to go with old cars and indeed old planes but not so much with old boats.
I am going to be a bit controversial here so I apologise in advance if I ruffle any feathers so here goes.
I can't believe that so many TMer's stick to the very common Rolex, Omega etc, good watches though they undoubtedly are. They build them in the hundreds of thousands and are like the watch equivalent of a 3 series BMW.
Last year over £1.3 billion high value watches were returned unsold to the manufacturers, most of which were possibly the afore mentioned brands.
There are so many "under the radar" Swiss watches that are far nicer (IMHO) to own and they don't cost any where near the popular brands.
Just look for brands that don't have a showroom or are not part of Watches of Switzerland.
I commissioned my last watch from a bijou English maker as a one off featuring Morgan leather for the strap, Morgan paint code for the dial and the reg.No. engraved onto the dial face. It is one of one so you won't see another like it and only cost £4,000.00.
Some of my others cost a lot more like the Pierre De Roche "Split Rock Crono" or the Richard Mille designed Marcus Hypo. which is one of only 20 world wide. You just need to look around. hide oldgit


Wearing a mechanical watch (indeed any watch) is an anachronism. Nowt wrong with that, but if it is a nod to history, then at least be true to the heritage of mechanical watchmaking. Favour the brands with the pedigree of inventing the key developments in horology. I am puzzled that people can spend good money on second-tier copyists who trade on the 'made in Switzerland' stamp with a generic movement inside.

Stuart
"There's no skill substitute like cubic inches."