Which watch to get?

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I never had the opportunity to work with Grand Seiko when I was in the jewelry industry, but I've heard wonderful things about them. They are beautiful and precise watches. :love:

One caveat with some vintage watches though, e.g. the third Credor in this list (with the gorgeous guilloche dial), is that they might have a manual winding movement. That means every day you have to turn the crown (the side knob) several times to get the movement up and running. If you're looking for a no-hassle watch that you can put on without a second thought, then I would advise against a manual wind for daily use.
Very good to know, thank you!
 
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As for Hermès's watchmaking pedigree, the Hermès investment group portfolio includes a stake in Manufacture Vaucher Fleurier, which is the brand they contract out their movement manufacturing to. As for smaller women's cape cod model, I am not entirely sure where they source their movements as the information doesn't seem to be easily available online.

Thanks for the info!
 
This is fascinating, thank you. Those Grand Seiko's are indeed beautiful. I will have to take a look at this website Chrono24....I've never heard of it. Is it like Fashionphile for watches? Thank you for all of this information!

Sure, you could think of it that way. I really like their search, you can narrow it down by case dimensions, movement type, location, etc. There's also Watch Patrol, which I haven't used myself but seems to have a good selection!

I've bought directly with Chrono24 as well as found watches locally through that site, then visited in person to purchase. If you don't mind secondhand (since good watches are pretty robust!), there's a lot more style choice and deals to be had. All my purchases (smaller watches) aren't made anymore, since the trend now is large watches for some reason.

Oh and I guess, do you prefer second hands that tick at every second (quartz), or go tickticktickticktick (mechanical)? That might sway you towards one way or the other. Or no second hand, hey.

Re: Apple watches, I think you either like them or don't. I have 2 (gifts...) and I've never used them more than a day because they just run out of batteries too quick. I like things that make my life simpler, not more complicated, so I hated all the Apple Watches beyond the novelty they provided for a few hours. To me they were a total waste of money. Others seem to love using theirs daily and have a charging schedule worked into their lives, so hey, ymmv.

Grand Seiko has manual wind, automatic, spring drive (combination of automatic with a quartz brain to help regulate it) and finally HAQ (high accuracy quartz). Honestly, with a power reserve of 72 hours, a manual wind watch isn't all that frustrating to wind up every couple of days.
Huh I'm surprised to see manual wind in their newer lineup, that seems to go against their philosophy. Maybe some people don't mind winding their watches every few days but I don't think it's for most people. The power reserve indicator is cool though!
 
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This is fascinating, thank you. Those Grand Seiko's are indeed beautiful. I will have to take a look at this website Chrono24....I've never heard of it. Is it like Fashionphile for watches? Thank you for all of this information!

I don’t think that fashionphile sells new. I would liken Chrono24 to more of an online market place where individuals can place listings for both new and used items. Certain dealers sell through them but I think the vast majority of their stock is pre-loved.
 
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Another vote for Longines. They make a beautiful tank-style called the Dolce Vita. The Conquest Classic is a nice round style, with a variety of dial colors.

I recently went through the same journey as you....deciding on my first proper watch. I went with automatic because I hate dealing with batteries. Yes, they do require serving but I’ve heard people often go much longer than the recommended 5-8 years between service. I got the Longines Conquest Classic automatic (this style is now discontinued, sadly) and am super happy with it! Also tried on Tissot, Tag and Omega but the Longines ticked all the boxes best for what I was looking for.

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I don’t think that fashionphile sells new. I would like Chrono24 to more of an online market place where individuals can place listings for both new and used items. Certain dealers sell through them but I think the vast majority of their stock is pre-loved.

I used Chrono24 for research and price comparisons, and have heard from many that have had positive experiences with them, but decided I felt safest buying from an authorized dealer. I’d liken Chrono24 more to eBay without the auction action. Sellers can be dealers or private individuals, and you can see feedback on the sellers.
 
Another vote for Longines. They make a beautiful tank-style called the Dolce Vita. The Conquest Classic is a nice round style, with a variety of dial colors.

I recently went through the same journey as you....deciding on my first proper watch. I went with automatic because I hate dealing with batteries. Yes, they do require serving but I’ve heard people often go much longer than the recommended 5-8 years between service. I got the Longines Conquest Classic automatic (this style is now discontinued, sadly) and am super happy with it! Also tried on Tissot, Tag and Omega but the Longines ticked all the boxes best for what I was looking for.

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Gorgeous! I like Longines too. The real problem is I’m not comfortable going out and about to different places, trying on different watches. Congrats on your purchase!
 
Update: today I have ordered the basic Apple Watch SE so that I have something to use while I figure out which “nice” watch to get.

I will use this as a trial for AW since I’ve never had one.

I want to go visit different watch boutiques and try on different ones, but it is just not convenient right now to do so.

I think at this time I will wait for things to settle down and keep saving.....by the time this is over I might have enough for the Cartier Ballon Bleu automatic (my dream, to be like Kate Middleton lol)....or even a Rolex.....though I have very mixed feelings about Rolexes.

I have also found the Longines Dolce Vita and especially the Tudor Clair de Rose very attractive. Haven’t looked too closely at Tag yet. But, I feel it is not wise to make this decision without going to try them on (perhaps several times). So, I will wait.

thank you all for your input! I shall keep you all posted.:smile::smile::smile:
 
think at this time I will wait for things to settle down and keep saving.....by the time this is over I might have enough for the Cartier Ballon Bleu automatic (my dream, to be like Kate Middleton lol)....or even a Rolex.....though I have very mixed feelings about Rolexes.
If this is what you want, then keep saving.

the Hermes cap cod is fun for a fashion watch (I have one) but I prefer wearing Cartier, Rolex, IWC, JLC and Breguet.

on the preloved market, there ar good deals on Cartier tank francais and pasha C watches.

if you Want a watch that will hold its value best. Go for Rolex (I have mixed feelings about Rolex too) I agree with @Louish re Tudor.

Grand seiko, credor, nomos etc. are excellent quality and gorgeous craftsmanship, but dont really appeal to me personally.
 
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Hello. I've asked in different threads here and there, but I thought making a new thread might be helpful for me. I'm looking for a "nice" watch that I will wear every day, rain or shine. It needs to be durable and be able to keep time. I will take it off for really strenuous activities, but for the most part, I want to wear it all the time.

I've previously had Michael Kors watches, but every time the battery died I'd put it in a drawer and forget about it. So it seems an automatic watch would work for me, but my husband thinks I wouldn't be able to wear it every day, and hence defeat the purpose of having an automatic. Also, my budget is around $3K, and I haven't found any $3K automatic watches I really like.

I've narrowed down my choices to:
Hermes Cape Cod 23 mm $2,975 - Pros: my favorite in terms of style; Cons: is a fashion watch, I'm leery of the mechanism inside (who makes it??), it doesn't seem too water resistant?
Cartier Tank Solo Small 31 mm $2,480 - Pros: it's Cartier (i.e. a "real" watchmaker), I do like the style; Cons: it's not my absolute favorite
Hermes Apple Watch Series 6 (I've never had an Apple watch) 40 mm - $1,249 - Pros: will keep time precisely; Cons: I have small wrists and I feel like it would look like I'm wearing a TV on my wrist?!

Which one should I choose? Are Cartier watches durable? I really want a watch that is made by a "real" watchmaker. I looked at the Omega AquaTerra, but it doesn't do anything for me in terms of looks. None of the Omega styles really appeal to me. Thank you!

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Hello - I just wanted to give you a bit of information to think about: I've had an Hermes Cape Cod 23 watch for about 10 years. I wear it often and it runs beautifully. I have several strap options, double and single. Love it!
 
I have a Tiffany and Co Atlas watch that’s 22 years old and I absolutely love it! It has never given me problems. All I’ve ever had to do was change the battery. My husband is still shocked that there’s not a single scratch and I don’t baby it one bit. Not sure how the newer ones hold up.
 
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