Diver/everyday (office, evenings out and weddings) Watch in one? help me choose -vfm!

[beechcustom]

I never really understand posts like this. The majority of people could either never save that amount or if they could, could never justify spending it on a watch when life has lots of other demands for £2.5k.

I'm having exactly this dilema myself. I have an ISA that matures in Jan 2015. It should be just enough to get me a SubC and certainly enough for a mint 114720. But I am far from a rich man. Do I really want to spend that kind of money on a watch??? I'm asking myself why I am motivated to buy a Rolex and what that says about me. If it's just the kudos of the brand then am I just trying to look like a rich man? If so that's slightly worrying. There are many many more things I could spend that money on. A PRS82 (as well as a number of other sporty alternatives such as 40mm Helson Shark Diver) would look great and do a fine job at a fraction of the cost. I don't mean to derail the thread but this does seem relevant to the OP.

[oldandgrumpy]

OP, you seem to favour classic styling.

The best Fifty Fathoms homage has got to be the Helson SkinDiver.

The original had domed acrylic but the newer version has a sapphire crystal and sapphire bezel. Bit over budget (used) but not too much.

[adzman808]

I'm having exactly this dilema myself. I have an ISA that matures in Jan 2015. It should be just enough to get me a SubC and certainly enough for a mint 114720. But I am far from a rich man. Do I really want to spend that kind of money on a watch??? I'm asking myself why I am motivated to buy a Rolex and what that says about me. If it's just the kudos of the brand then am I just trying to look like a rich man? If so that's slightly worrying. There are many many more things I could spend that money on. A PRS82 (as well as a number of other sporty alternatives such as 40mm Helson Shark Diver) would look great and do a fine job at a fraction of the cost. I don't mean to derail the thread but this does seem relevant to the OP.

I think this is a valid point and one which is often overlooked on watch fora...

There's something about spending 'that kind of money' on a watch, that doesn't sit easily with many... In my experience even those who have spent that kind of money on trick bits for their cars/bikes or camera gear (and one presumes golf or fishing or guitars etc)

IMO it comes down to justifying to yourself what you get for your money.

For me? Well my SubC is by far the best quality watch I've ever owned... And by quality I mean subtle touchy feely things like crown action, clasp, bezel click.

I'm not pretending that these things are worth loads more than the cost of watches that don't have them, but I wanted them, and they cost what they cost

[beechcustom]

Great review of the SkinDiver here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVKEK6BzO2o

Note that the watch is now sold with a Miyota movement rather than the ETA 2824-2.

[beechcustom]

For me? Well my SubC is by far the best quality watch I've ever owned... And by quality I mean subtle touchy feely things like crown action, clasp, bezel click.

I'm not pretending that these things are worth loads more than the cost of watches that don't have them, but I wanted them, and they cost what they cost

That's a fair point and it's no business of mine if you have justified your purchase this way.
However, in my personal circumstances I'm stuck trying to justify the need for that level of quality. I'm not famous or anything :-)

I suppose one massive benefit of the Rolex brand is that they don't depreciate as much as others do. A brand new SubC from a German dealer on Chrono24 comes in at under 4k GBP. On the strength of SC sales this year it wouldn't loose a great deal if I had to liquidate it. I'm really trying to justify it to myself!!!

[adzman808]

That's a fair point and it's no business of mine if you have justified your purchase this way.
However, in my personal circumstances I'm stuck trying to justify the need for that level of quality. I'm not famous or anything :-)

I suppose one massive benefit of the Rolex brand is that they don't depreciate as much as others do. A brand new SubC from a German dealer on Chrono24 comes in at under 4k GBP. On the strength of SC sales this year it wouldn't loose a great deal if I had to liquidate it. I'm really trying to justify it to myself!!!

I'd never suggest to someone that they should follow my own line of reasoning! The 'touchy feely' thing is just me, that to me was what I was buying... I really tried to like some of the omegas, but imo against my criteria they didn't match up to the Rolex.

Ironically, I also looked at a 14060 but it just didn't feel like a £3.5K watch, the 114060 did feel like an expensive watch.

Ask yourself what you want... If it's a certain name on the dial (& I'm NOT SAYING it is for you) then that name can be had far cheaper than chosing a current model from chrono24

If its a particular model or feature that you want, then only that will do IMO of course, YMMV

[Saint-Just]

I never really understand posts like this. The majority of people could either never save that amount or if they could, could never justify spending it on a watch when life has lots of other demands for £2.5k.

Let us assume (I know it's a huge assumption) someone with a budget of £250 would probably have the means to save around £30 per month. It's gonna take almost 7 years to save for a used sub. Who would do that?

OP have you considered the Steinhart Vintage Red? I had one and they're excellent.

Let me help you to understand then. It was not meant in a flippant way at all.
If you have set your sights on a watch, then discarded it because of its price, my opinion is that getting one that looks like it will never be satisfying.
Or, let's ask the question differently: why has the Sub been such a success story for the last 60 years, when people will tell you that it's expensive compared to what they perceive as the competition, and at a time where such competition has never been so plentiful, including many 'homage'?

The answer is that the others haven't quite matched it, and certainly not bettered it in the mind of people (think of how many subs Rolex sells every year).

So the opinion I ventured was that if a sub was what the OP Really wanted, no substitute would really do. There are plenty of decent diver watches for £250, and many have been named in the thread. They are good options indeed on their own. But if they are purchased as a substitute for a Rolex they are a waste of 8% of the amount needed to get an excellent 2nd hand sub.

Further than that, it seems that even if they don't all shoot up they maintain their value through the years, making it a smarter way to spend money that many.

Ask yourself what you want... If it's a certain name on the dial (& I'm NOT SAYING it is for you) then that name can be had far cheaper than chosing a current model from chrono24

If its a particular model or feature that you want, then only that will do IMO of course, YMMV

Or, more succinctly, this ^

[bigup]

thanks again guys, have some reviews to watch/read it seems :) some great suggestions

[Kakadu]

If your not a 100m man, but just fancy a shower or a quick dip in the pool - you might consider one of these....great for
driving and timing, preferably in a Gordon Keeble, does every thing,
and pays homage to a really cool driver...bit aggressive sure, but hey we all are sometimes!
GET BETTER MICHAEL!!!!


David
PS NOT FOR SALE!

[Dave O'Sullivan]

Quartz Tag diver at that money.
Or what I would do is google three things.

1) Seiko SKX031
2) Yobokies
3) Degaz

Have fun and build your perfect watch ;)

[nibby]

I would go for a PRS-82 as others have said.
On a lumpy bracelet


or an oyster bracelet


Even looks good on Leather


Or perhaps a NATO


The choice is almost endless, just keep a look out for a second hand one.

[Kakadu]

or just give in to the inevitable and buy a Sub....5513 maybe, good enough for 007!

David

[FellBasher]

For not much more than your budget i recently purchased (from SC) this



Lovely watch and fits your spec i think

As soon as I saw this thread I knew id like it :) I'm always finding out about watches I'd previously not seen before, I really like the look of this and began a search.

Chronomaster have a good write up on the models I've looked at and he's not to far from me in case I decide to go for one. I've met Neil before who let me handle a Steinhart before deciding to go for it. Love the look of the back faced versionand the gmt... I officially now need a list of watches I want. People warned me about this place when I joined :D

[TBKBABAB]

Agree have an original with domed crystal. and looks good on mesh or leather as well

OP, you seem to favour classic styling.

The best Fifty Fathoms homage has got to be the Helson SkinDiver.

The original had domed acrylic but the newer version has a sapphire crystal and sapphire bezel. Bit over budget (used) but not too much.

[alphajet]

Squale make some nice looking Sub homages, Swiss made ETA 2824 movements and 40mm, here is my vintage, no longer available but they do a similar classic model.

[Dougal]

I'm having exactly myself ... Do I really want to spend that kind of money on a watch???

I've always chosen not to spend that kind of money on a watch. I'm much happier for it! It means I can enjoy my watches without any guilt and be content. There's a lot to be said for enjoying contentment with what you have, rather than striving for that bigger purchase.

[Montybaber]

As soon as I saw this thread I knew id like it :) I'm always finding out about watches I'd previously not seen before, I really like the look of this and began a search.

Chronomaster have a good write up on the models I've looked at and he's not to far from me in case I decide to go for one. I've met Neil before who let me handle a Steinhart before deciding to go for it. Love the look of the back faced versionand the gmt... I officially now need a list of watches I want. People warned me about this place when I joined :D

I was offered the watch after i posted a WTB, i had never heard of Marcello C so lots of reading later and nobody had a bad word to say (perhaps a bit of cyclops hate and sub homage criticism) its a beautifully made watch and a pleasure to wear

And i love that nobody has heard of them

They are a serious bargain used i have seen and i was very lucky that the seller was excellent and the watch was immaculate

[markrlondon]

...unless you really must have a bracelet. But then, I'm sure someone will advise you where to find something suitable for the Precista RN Diver re-edition.

The PRS-82 looks and wears fantastically on a mesh.

[markrlondon]

But I am far from a rich man. Do I really want to spend that kind of money on a watch???

It doesn't have to be a problem, surely. Buy second hand and you should be able to recover most or all of your money should you really need to (albeit not over-night). This holds true for many second hand watches in good condition, not just Rolex (although admittedly it is especially true for popular Rolex models).

[oldandgrumpy]

Agree have an original with domed crystal. and looks good on mesh or leather as well

Ohhh, that looks well tasty on a mesh

[barryw]

Ohhh, that looks well tasty on a mesh

It does indeed! One of their best Imo :)

[oldandgrumpy]

It does indeed! One of their best Imo :)

It is indeed. I've got one and it's never been worn....but I can't quite sell it. I think I'd prefer the sapphire one.

Anybody want to swop ?

[bigup]

i think one of you need to kick start a decent sub homage, which decent specs for cheap monies :D

[oldandgrumpy]

i think one of you need to kick start a decent sub homage, which decent specs for cheap monies :D

I think there are enough decent sub homages for little money out there already.

However, a decent Snowflake homage .... hmmm.... now that would be much more appealing (and a decent seller to boot)

[klockodile]

Steinhart, all day...

[Dave+63]

I think there are enough decent sub homages for little money out there already.

However, a decent Snowflake homage .... hmmm.... now that would be much more appealing (and a decent seller to boot)

Checkout the Aramar Arctic Ocean that recently sold on SC.

[Montybaber]

It doesn't have to be a problem, surely. Buy second hand and you should be able to recover most or all of your money should you really need to (albeit not over-night). This holds true for many second hand watches in good condition, not just Rolex (although admittedly it is especially true for popular Rolex models).

Although if you drop, smash or lose it you have a lot to lose as well as the risk of having several thousand £ on your wrist

I think go for it if you can but for me and my life i am more confortable wearing with a decent quality homage so there is a place in the market for them

[oldandgrumpy]

Checkout the Aramar Arctic Ocean that recently sold on SC.

I did. It may have been the photos, but the lume looked much too orange.

[Dave+63]

It is. The lume on the dial and hands are also slightly different too.

[Barnefko]

IMHO the watches that you buy for a substitute to another one won't stay on your wrist. Later on maybe when you saved some more money and the "need" for a higher quality substitute arises this one cheap entry-substitute watch will get you into serious flipping and costing you more money than the original.

Buy a Casio for 20£ and save for the real thing if you REALLY want it. If you just like the style and really do not care about the machining/quality then you can buy any given homage we linked to.....

[snedboy]

Just recommended these on another forum:

How about the SARG003?


For a lightweight titanium diver with eco-drive i'd get the Citizen PMX56-2811 over at higuchi.

These are a couple of crackers

I'm lucky I spent under £30 on a sub homage which I wore and enjoyed for a while. But eventually it made me realise I'm not a homageist (and am never likely to own the real thing either) But there are so many watches at every price point that have their own character and style. It makes me wonder why anyone bothers with homages

As for the op's question, an SKX007 and a white faced Bambino should easily cover all the bases

[Montybaber]

Why think of it as a homage? Just enjoy them as watches with a good design

There are plenty of high end 'homages'

[Rev-O]

Yes, Rolex have a certain cachet and you can feel the sheer quality BUT 3, 4, 5 thousand pounds worth of quality? Not for me.

Go for anything from Eddie's stable. I love my PRS-82 more than any Swiss Big Name watch I've ever owned at five or ten times the price (probably more these days as they just keep pushing the prices up for no reason).

[Dan83bz]

hi guys

my ultimate watch would be a Rolex Submariner, i think they look amazing but sadly i cannot see my self owning one due to the cost. (ive owned an Orange Monster in the past)

Mate, I was where you are a few years back, cannot see myself buying this or that. But now you've started on the path down to destruction so I predict a Rolex Submariner in your future.

The more time you spend on these forums, the least amount of time it will take for you to have one on your wrist, that's bloody guaranteed!

[bigup]

IMHO the watches that you buy for a substitute to another one won't stay on your wrist. Later on maybe when you saved some more money and the "need" for a higher quality substitute arises this one cheap entry-substitute watch will get you into serious flipping and costing you more money than the original.

Buy a Casio for 20£ and save for the real thing if you REALLY want it. If you just like the style and really do not care about the machining/quality then you can buy any given homage we linked to.....

thanks, this does make sense, also why im trying to see if a used timepiece comes along, helps off set the cost

on the grounds of this, im starting to look at the Invicta 8926c, it looks like a sub, its cheap so when i get bored of it, i wont lose too much on the re-sale value

Thanks :)

[Dan83bz]

thanks, this does make sense, also why im trying to see if a used timepiece comes along, helps off set the cost

on the grounds of this, im starting to look at the Invicta 8926c, it looks like a sub, its cheap so when i get bored of it, i wont lose too much on the re-sale value

Thanks :)

Honestly I find the Invicta a bit too much. Before deciding on what homage to keep until you have the real thing on your wrist, here's some very useful reading, you'll be much more in the know after going through those (many) pages

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f71/bes...st2119591.html
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f71/bes...-a-778774.html (part 2)
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f71/bes...079673-32.html (part 3, ongoing )

[bigup]

Honestly I find the Invicta a bit too much. Before deciding on what homage to keep until you have the real thing on your wrist, here's some very useful reading, you'll be much more in the know after going through those (many) pages

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f71/bes...st2119591.html
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f71/bes...-a-778774.html (part 2)
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f71/bes...079673-32.html (part 3, ongoing )

thanks, ive read them about 3 times each already lol - still yet to make my mind up!!

its hard this!

[FellBasher]

I was offered the watch after i posted a WTB, i had never heard of Marcello C so lots of reading later and nobody had a bad word to say (perhaps a bit of cyclops hate and sub homage criticism) its a beautifully made watch and a pleasure to wear

And i love that nobody has heard of them

They are a serious bargain used i have seen and i was very lucky that the seller was excellent and the watch was immaculate

Hi Montybaber, I like them. I hadn't heard of them either, not sure I can even pronounce them! The 40 mm looks very affordable. The blue I think is my prefered version and I've been reading up on them. How do they stand up to daily wear? How do you rate the bracelet? Any info much appreciated :)
Jon

[TaketheCannoli]

Agree have an original with domed crystal. and looks good on mesh or leather as well

I love these. Never had one but must some day.

[Montybaber]

Hi Montybaber, I like them. I hadn't heard of them either, not sure I can even pronounce them! The 40 mm looks very affordable. The blue I think is my prefered version and I've been reading up on them. How do they stand up to daily wear? How do you rate the bracelet? Any info much appreciated :)
Jon

I love the blue, it is very hard to capture its true colour on photos but it is very nice,

It is very comfortable and i wear mine to work, to the gym, swimming, etc and it has been brilliant, the bracelet is one of the best quality i have worn, it has solid end links and screwed links.

I wear it with shorts/t shirts and formally with shirts etc and never looks out of place,

My only criticism is the lume is poor but that really is not high on my list of priorities

Its a shame you are so far away as you would be welcome to come and take a look etc

[Montybaber]

Just a quick reply on the wasting money on cheaper watches argument

A rolex that you buy S/H for say 4k may still be worth 4k in 5 years time (may even be 4.5k) but also if you accept an offer of 3.8k for example it may seem like unbelievably little depreciation

Buying a s/h homage say a Marcello C tridente for £300 and keeping that for 3 years until you may be in a better position to buy something else and selling it possibly for £100-200 really isnt as stupid as some people making out

Personally i would keep my Tridente and get the rolex but then i am weird and love watches and appreciate pretty much everything about them apart from the name printed on the dial

[bigup]

Just a quick reply on the wasting money on cheaper watches argument

A rolex that you buy S/H for say 4k may still be worth 4k in 5 years time (may even be 4.5k) but also if you accept an offer of 3.8k for example it may seem like unbelievably little depreciation

Buying a s/h homage say a Marcello C tridente for £300 and keeping that for 3 years until you may be in a better position to buy something else and selling it possibly for £100-200 really isnt as stupid as some people making out

Personally i would keep my Tridente and get the rolex but then i am weird and love watches and appreciate pretty much everything about them apart from the name printed on the dial

Looking at the c tridente it's an awesome looking watch. Do they really go for around £300 used?

[Montybaber]

Looking at the c tridente it's an awesome looking watch. Do they really go for around £300 used?

I paid around that for mine and its great!

[bedlam]

A Seiko skx007 !!! - as a dress watch ?? Pahh !!

SKX007 as a dress diver? Why not.

[chester]

The Orient M Force has sapphire but I'm not sure if one would be dressy enough for your needs.

[JMH]

That is a great picture, sir.

[barryw]

The SKX on a jubilee looks great.

[JP (Europe)]

hi guys

after a few months of wearing G-Shocks, my attention has now turned to Diver/Dress watches

my ultimate watch would be a Rolex Submariner, i think they look amazing but sadly i cannot see my self owning one due to the cost. (ive owned an Orange Monster in the past)

i like divers watches (i swim but dont dive) but also like a watch that i can wear to work (shirt and trousers) and ok infront of clients but also get away with wearing one at weddings (I have a few weddings to g to in the next few months)

im also obsessed with Sapphire Crystals, not sure why, ive never owned a watch with sapphire so would like to get one with it on.

my budget is around £250, dont mind used either and not sure if i prefer Quartz or Auto

ive looked at loads including some i cant afford but just to get the idea of the watch i want: (some have no sapphire):

Obris Morgan Explorer (seems out of stock)
Steinhart
Seiko 007
Precista 18Q
Halios
Orient
Vostoks
Scurfa Watches (http://www.scurfawatches.com/diver-o...ess-steel.html)
and more..

Then of course there are the Homages like Invicta etc which look a bit too tacky tbh

i know the standard answer may be Seiko 007 and I will most likely get this worst case scenario.

anyway, this thread is like saying how long is a piece of string lol

but any pointers or recommendations would be most appreciated, my eyes are peeled on ebay right now :)

Hi,

Maybe I try to make this more complicated.....

Seiko 007 is more "dressy" as already said especially with "President" bracelet. That if you don´t mind that by todays standards that bracelet is not so high quality.

Orient: My fafourite "bang for the buck" is Mako if the Rolex style is no problem. The blue dial version is great.

Vostoks: Rather rude surface but runs like old russian car. Nice time to time but maybe boring in long run.

But how about Citizen NY0040?



It is true diver but rather thin and works easily with shirt and suit IF you change original rubber strap to more dressy style.

JP