Reply With QuoteOld or new? If older I would go for a vintage Rolex precision or Airking both 34mm size or Rolex Datejust at 36mm, you would have a lot of choice in your budget.
Hello everyone - I've just joined the forum and would welcome some thoughts on my next proposed purchase: I'm looking for a dressier watch with a white dial, preferably on a steel bracelet and no bigger than 42mm in size. I'm playing in the £1-2k price bracket but am struggling a little with ideas so I thought I'd throw it open to you. I quite like the look of the Ball Engineer II Ohio 40mm but I can't see any stockists around the Cambridgeshire area. For reference, I have a bit of an odd wish not to own 2 watches of the same brand so that currently rules out Omega, Tag, Longines, CW and Tudor (phew!). What do you reckon?
Many thanks - Stuart.
Old or new? If older I would go for a vintage Rolex precision or Airking both 34mm size or Rolex Datejust at 36mm, you would have a lot of choice in your budget.
And if new I would go for a Nomos- check them out. Elegant, simple dress watches with in-house movements in your budget :)
I'm sure someone here has some pics
Hi StuartGR - Here's an idea.
http://citizen.jp/the-citizen/lineup...ss/570934.html
Nomos do some pretty classy dress watches with white dials, I really like the blue hands and simple dial
Nomos or Max Bill are my immediate thoughts....
That looks very Grand Seiko, nice !Originally Posted by forpetesake
Some nice dress wathes in the Tissot range and within your price-band, e.g. Visodate:
or Carson
Images courtesy of Tissot website
Last edited by RickS; 23rd October 2013 at 10:25.
Stowa do a few white-faced dress watches: Marine, Antea and Partitio all match your spec.
I was going to reply earlier with the suggestion of NOMOS, but you threw me with the "metal bracelet" preference. Couldn't think of any in that price range. IWC Portofino with chainmail bracelet if the budget was increased.
You could fit a Staib mesh bracelet to the Nomos, that's what Stowa offer on their models and very nice it is, too.
I bought a white-faced Tutima Valeo reserve from this website about three years ago for less than you are thinking of spending.
It has a beautiful and very comfortable 'rice bead' stainless steel bracelet and since I've had it the watch has attracted much comment.
If you follow this link and look through the catalogue http://www.tutimausa.com/catalog/ you'll find the Valeo Reserve and many other great watches produced by the Glasshutte-based company.
Interesting. I wonder which NOMOS would look best on mesh. I suppose the Ahoi would probably be the most suitable given the maritime theme. The 38mm Orion might be similarish to the Portofino perhaps.
On the non-bracelet front, the Longines Conquest Heritage range look great, and well priced.
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I'm not a movement geek but I do like the idea of a Nomos and love the clean look. Would be cool to see a Tangomat GMT on a mesh bracelet.
Keep the great ideas coming!
Stuart
I have to confess that Tutima is not a brand I am particularly familiar with but I've had a look at their web site and I do like the look of their Saxon One model here:
http://tutima.com/watch/saxon-one-automatic-6120-02-2/
I'm a sucker for a cushion case!
I don't see any info on the site re: retailer network or prices - does the company sell direct?
Muhle Glashutte 29er Big or Germanika V – the former maybe a touch more sporty than pure dressy, and the latter silver tone rather than pure white.
Maurice Lacroix
Maurice Lacroix
"Carl Ludwig" – bracelet €90 increase.
Chopard
Perrelet
Eberhard & Co
Baume & Mercier
Bruno Sohnle
Frederique Constant
Gerald Genta
If you're curious to know what a Nomos would look like on a Staib mesh bracelet, I don't suppose it would be a million miles away from the similarly styled Stowa Antea I'm wearing right now (photos in this thread) - http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...-arrival-today
I just noticed the date in the photos is correct for today too!
I don't think a "dress" watch has to have a simple dial. This one suits me, ignore the pun.
This gets boring after a bit, but right is right, and we must all hold a candle against the dark...I don't think a "dress" watch has to have a simple dial. This one suits me, ignore the pun.
A "dress" watch HAS to have a simple dial, and that is not a dress watch - nor would its manufacturers ever claim it was - even if you force-fed them LSD...
As recently discussed however, right or wrong, feel free to wear whatever watch you want with whatever you want...
Catherine Jones in Cambridge stock Nomos
http://www.catherinejones.com/watche...e-watches.html
How about a Rado Ceramos?
A
Here you go. I'll even let it go for near the bottom of your price bracket.
Hang on, is that the exceptionally rare "Harrison" Timex?! Never thought I'd see one. They normally fetch about £6M don't they? Or was that £6?
Now I have to decide whether or not to Google "Harrison Timex."
Thanks for the pointer - I've walked past this store most weekends and never noticed they stock watches!
SGR
Nomos +1 here
I absolutely love that watch, but I'd never call it a dress watch.I don't think a "dress" watch has to have a simple dial. This one suits me, ignore the pun.
Is it me? whats the point of a day/date function on a dress watch. Surly one would know from a diary what day it is otherwise you wouldn't be out dressed up at a function/meeting/date/dinner/last supper !
I have a rather nice Omega on sales corner for under a £1K
:)
Shameless plug
Just two problems with your shameless plug:-
He doesn't want an Omega and
He can't access SC
nice try though!
Except it's not a dress watch, and I doubt it's with in budget either.I don't think a "dress" watch has to have a simple dial. This one suits me, ignore the pun.
A dress watch has no added complications, it's either 2 or 3 hands only, and no other complication not even the date.
Usually of precious metal, but not exclusively and always on leather
Smart looking number though, if only the arabics were indicies,
That is a lovely watch and I have always had a soft spot for IWC but I'm not a huge fan of chronographs (other than my TH Monaco) and I very much doubt that my budget would stretch that far. I'm open-minded on the issue of how you'd define a dress(ier) watch - don't mind a date. Most of my watches are divers/aviators/sports watches so I'm really just looking for something a little more classic.
Need to hurry up and get my number of posts up so I can get into SC!
Mido Multifort 38 or 42mm
Live it is stunning
Take your time as there is a time-limit as well as post-limit restriction. ;)Need to hurry up and get my number of posts up so I can get into SC!
Yet another brand that I wasn't aware of! They have some really interesting and handsome watches on their site and it looks like they have a stockist in London. Defo one for me to look at next time I'm down in town. Any view on price and build quality?Mido Multifort 38 or 42mm
Live it is stunning
SGR
I have no idea about prices in shops.
You can sometimes find them on forums and ebay for 500-700$ which is really good.
As for build quality it is excellent, I would say on the level of some Tag Heuer pieces. At least one I had was like that.
Beware of the bracelet size. I have 20cm wrist and it was 1 link too short for me. So I had to find additional one (non original unfortunately)
http://www.zaslike.com/files/qrtidqrrbu85b1r77290.jpg
http://www.zaslike.com/files/y1u6rk2epaijaube6bnj.jpg
http://www.zaslike.com/files/ptg4r4mfeq043ljhistp.jpg
http://www.zaslike.com/files/xash2pybarfjhwsd2ndx.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/ezyo2.jpg
http://s22.postimg.org/qx0fgye75/Untitled.png
http://s14.postimg.org/dzcfgk1pd/Untitled.jpg
Last edited by Rocky555; 24th October 2013 at 13:27.
That is very lovely indeed - just the kind of elegant simplicity I'm looking for. Will head down to London next week for a look - thanks again for the pointer!
SGR
There's a lovely 27 year old Rolex Air-King on watchfinder at the moment that is just inside your budget.
I did see this, yes, and it's a lovely piece but (and my apologies for introducing additional information into the mix) I'm concerned that 34mm might look a bit pokey on my wrist. The smallest watch I currently own is a mid-size Omega Seamaster (36mm?) and I do often regret not buying the full size. Ho hum....
SGR
A budget piece but still nice, the Orient Bambino....Looks great in the "flesh" !....
http://orientwatchusa.com/er24005w
But i'd go for the Stowa Antea...Unbeatable bang for the buck
http://www.stowa.de/lshop,showrub,13...,antea,,,,.htm
Nomos are great watches, but overpriced IMHO.
Last edited by bparker170; 24th October 2013 at 17:17.
Could someone please tell me the definition of " dress" within the context of this subject?
Sure - I own an Omega Seamaster, a Tag Monaco, a CW Trident, an Archimede Pilot, a Tudor Black Bay and...a Longines Evidenza. I guess the Longines is the odd-man-out insofar as it's not really what you'd classify as a sports watch. However, I'm now looking to add to my collection with a more classic, dressier piece with a white dial and preferably a metal bracelet, although I can do leather as long as it's not a deployant clasp. They never seem to sit correctly on my pathetically skinny and ballerina-esque wrists. Round case, simple dial, no fuss. I'd go for a bog-standard Rolex Datejust II if I had the budget, but.... :-)
SGR
That's not really answering the question. Let me try and explain my definition of a " dress" watch. Leather for a start, bracelets are too shiny and in your face. So high quality, exotic leather. The watch for me has to be 42/40 /38mm. A white dial, complications don't matter as long as the dial and layout is subtle. A bit difficult to describe but a dial which quietly whispers quality. Far easier to define what is not a dress watch .......think those awful G shock things.
A gold PoP Perpetual Calendar would be perfectly acceptable. Are you really saying that a Breguet Grande Complication is a " Sports:/ Tool" watch?
Of course I suppose in order to answer the question first define " dress" .
Yes a Nomos would be a perfectly " safe" choice. But what the hell, we only come this way once and conformity is rather tedious to say the least.
Last edited by BrianT; 24th October 2013 at 18:20.
Hi Brian - I don't think we disagree on anything here. I've struggled a little bit with deployant clasps in the past because I have thin wrists and the length of the clasp has tended to result in the watch sitting higher up on my wrist than I would prefer. That explains my predilection towards bracelets - easier for me to get a more comfortable fit - but I certainly take your point about the look and feel. I have no strong feeling on complications, although I do find a date handy. The responses to my initial question have been extremely interesting; they've introduced me to some brands that I was unaware of as much as anything else!
I do like the look of Nomos but my gut feel is to go for something a little 'chunkier' like the Ball or the Mido. Ah, the delicious torture of options...
SGR
No I think our " disagreement" is merely in the interest of discussion. Yes the Nomos ticks all the boxes except I think it's just plain boring.
For the last couple of days I have tried wearing this......
Yes, a lovely classic "dress" watch but one which has a bit of character and history behind it, if only it was a bit more than 33mm small. Looks silly to me on my 7.75" wrist.
As an aside,I have been looking at Ball along with several other lesser known brands, Hamilton Longine Maurice Lacroix etc Many very appealing models at reasonable prices, oh not forgetting Frederique Constant with a lovely Guilloche type dial and Breguet hands.
And this is too big!
Last edited by BrianT; 25th October 2013 at 09:34.
I have previously owned a Hamilton and it was a very good, solid watch for the money. Ball definitely interests me and I keep pondering the Engineer II Ohio (40mm) which I'd very much like to see in the metal. Maurice Lacroix for some reason is one of those brands (along with Raymond Weil) that just leaves me stone cold. It's personal prejudice, I accept, but I find both companies (and their respective product ranges) uninspiring and without character. There's just nothing to get excited about, I find. I fear Ebel may be going the same way too...
SGR
Nice Spitfire.I don't think a "dress" watch has to have a simple dial. This one suits me, ignore the pun.
Another vote for the Max Bill here. I could look at that dial all day long
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