Which one of these three watches?

Can't see third one.. Don't hve kaboodle account.. Middle one looks really nice tho

Partial to #2 also...but this is a personal choice. All are fine looking...it is like asking which color car you should buy.

Not the first one. I dig the third one personally but you should probably get two, one with a black leather strap and one with a brown leather one.

I like Hamilton a lot. I also have to agree with #2.

Sorry here's a better link to the 3rd one

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Wrist-Watches-Chronograph-Jazzmaster/dp/…

It's kind of an IWC Portuguese knock off

My vote is for #2 as well. Big fan of Hamilton

save some money and get a non-ebauche watch that will have actual heirloom potential, like a jaeger. given the prices on some of these over-priced monstrosities (hint: the mass produced valjoux 7750 that runs most of these chronos is about $300, the rest is markup) you're already halfway to a JLC base model that is actually hand built in house and will last many lifetimes.

Interesting I thought that Hamilton, and Seiko were looked upon favorably by the board for people who can't afford Panerai/ IWC/ JLC. So you're saying don't bother spending 1k on these, save up til I have ~ 5k on a really solid piece?

rule of thumb is that anything between 300 and 3000 is not worth getting (exception being the omega speedmaster pro, but that case is sui generis because there is a particular market for that). you're just a few K away from a real watch that, again, your great grandson can use his whole lifetime. the others are pieces of overpriced crap.

if it's about keeping time, get a g-shock. when i see a JLC, i think connosieur; when i see an overpriced ebel or baume and mercier or some other suburban mall junkheap i think i am seeing a schmuck who got taken for a good $2000 buying a $100-to-make-and-market "watch."

FWIW i don't even wear a watch anymore.

Number 1 then number 2.

However, I can't justify spending that on a watch. Most I have gone is like $600.

Number 2

save up, and get an IWC spitfire or something like that

Thanks guys I sb'ed Kanon and Ivoteforthatguy. I guess I'm just showing my naivete. FWIW this is what I wear currently:

http://cheapwatchesforsaleonline.com/skagen-mens-331xlsl1-steel-brown-l…

And I mean my ideal watch is the IWC Portguese, but I can't afford that yet. I mainly looked at what looks the nicest. It seems like the consensus is number 2, which I personally liked the best. But based on what you guys said I'm gonna have to look into Stowa and Frederique Constant before pulling the trigger.

agreed with kanon 100%.

now if you really do need a timepiece, don't want to wear a casio or timex and have some money burning through your pocket but can't work up the inclination to blow 5K here are some other options for you:

1. orient. this is a subsidiary of seiko that makes their movements in-house. horologically this is way more respectable by people in the know than some of the integrated watch marketing firms that sell their crap in the mall. also, they are incredibly inexpensive for the quailty of the product. in some ways this japanese house is technologically more advanced than the swiss who have really stagnated, but that's too long a discussion to get into.

2. revue thommen. their quality went to shit for a few years post a buyout in the late '90s but unlike most of the other ETA/valjoux ebauche-finishers, they have their own movements. most of their pieces are pretty fucking ugly but there are a few gems in there.

3. as kanon mentioned, there are a lot of german houses like laco, stowa, etc. that get you an ETA movement for minimal markup over ebauche cost. another is CWC which is a british firm. since you are looking at chronos CWC gets you a valjoux 7760 for a few hundred over ebauche as a opposed to a few thousand. i'm not knocking ETA, they make great ebauches. but paying 8-10x for them is like paying $80K for a fucking hyundai. it's just a bad deal.

happy hunting dude.

^ Nice suggestions. And yup, agreed, not knocking the ETA movements - just the very idea of paying unjustified markups for them.

OP - Some good websites to start you off:

http://www.ablogtoread.com/ http://www.timezone.com/ http://www.askmen.com/fashion/mens-watches/ There's also a very long running watch pictures thread on StyleForum (I think it's called watch p0rn - lol)

For ask men, the WatchSnob weekly is a fun read. Though as his name implies, he is quite the snob and more or less looks down on majority of brands. It is an entertainment piece after all, so I would take what he says with some humor. But amidst the insults, he (or the collective group of authors writing under one guy's name) does give some helpful pointers to beginners.

Just too bad for me there doesn't seem to be any watch connoisseurs who are seasoned women reviewers on watches for women. Most women's watches are decked out in jewels on the bezel and I personally find it very tacky and it takes away from the craftsmanship and classiness of the watch itself.

Speaking of heirlooms...do you guys think patek's are also priced mainly on brand? Like at what point does a 10k differentiate from a 60k watch in terms of movement?

i have seen many pateks and vacherons from the 40s and 50s still run near COSC today, whereas i see far fewer, say, longines or original (in-house) omegas be able to make that claim. time has borne out that there is something superior in their engineering. if you can afford a patek, buy it. some of them go in the 10-20K range is it is not completely insane.

Save up for a Phillipe Patek. Other then a few vintage watches, thats how I roll.

Also I prefer leather bands exclusively, they are more comfortable and look better in my view.

Choose whatever works for you. Like some of the guys here, I also like the second watch. However, the others are nice watches, but there are, probably, other watches out there that are better than those. So, choose what's best for you...

http://www.stowa.de/lshop,showdetail,129978042416986,en,1299780437-1716…

This is what I found for Stowa, something along these lines. It's a bit more pricey, and I don't think looks as nice, but wold this be what you're talking about?

According to GSElevator no watch is the new Patek.

Well I went for an IWC Mark XV used for 1550. I love the watch and I thank all of you for your advice. I think this one will stand the test of time, at least until I get bored and upgrade to a Portuguese.

great decision

That's tough, they are all nice watches, but I would go with the first one.

A pretty nice deal on the Mark XV. I think that was the one before the switched to the curved hands that are suppose to look like airplane wings. Some people like the old look (XV) more. Good call.

How was the wear and tear on the used watch for that price and how did you go about getting it used (re: in person, online via forums...)?

Hamilton? Come on, son!

Bang.

This might be my next watch purchase...

http://www.seiko-watch.co.jp/p_search/detail/do.php?no=SARB065

Regards

Not to revive a dead thread, but I find a lot of the info here pretty helpful.

Interesting info I just found, you watch snobs may like -

Brands using ETA movements

Mechanical ETA movements are commonly used in many "mid-range" brands such as Bulova, Hamilton, Mido, Oris, Fortis, TAG Heuer, Tissot and Certina, and also in many "high-end" watch brands such as Breitling, IWC, Longines, Officine Panerai, Omega, Porsche Design, Rado , certainly among others. ETA's Quartz Movement lines are used in both "high-end" quartz brands as well as more affordable brands, such as Calvin Klein, flik-flak, Swatch and Swiss Army among others. At the very least, the ETA movements usually carry the watch brands' name on the automatic rotor or otherwise on the top plate if the watch is a manual-wind movement. The more prestigious brands such as Omega and IWC, undertake significant modifications of the basic ETA movement. The numerous modifications and the great care taken, completely transform the original, mass-produced movement by ETA into something new. Workhorse mechanical movements In recent years there has been an increase in interest in mechanical watches. ETA supplies the overwhelming majority of mechanical watch movements found in Swiss watches. As such, the ETA movements are considered the workhorses on the industry. Moreover, ETA has come to control a virtual monopoly over the production and supply of watch movements, more on that issue below.

ETA 2824 One workhorse of the ETA mechanical line is the ETA 2824-2, The 2824 is an automatic winding, twenty-five (25) jewel movement, available in four executions or grades: Standard, Elaborated (improved), Top and Chronometer. The key components which differ at the line of demarcation between Elaborated and Top are the barrel spring, shock protection system, pallet stones, balance wheel & hairspring and the regulator mechanism. To illustrate the differences in accuracy garnered by the successive grades, consider the following specifications:

the Standard grade is adjusted in two positions with an average rate of +/-12 seconds/day, with a maximum daily variation of +/-30 seconds/day; the Elaborated grade is adjusted in three positions with an average rate of +/-7 seconds/day, with a maximum daily variation of +/-30 seconds/day; while the Top grade is adjusted in five positions with an average rate of +/-4 seconds/day, with a maximum daily variation of +/-10 seconds/day. The Chronometer grade must meet strict standards prescribed by the COSC. Chronometer grade movements are serial numbered as that is a requirement of the certification authority. Moreover, it should be noted that the degree of decoration on the movement's parts, generally only an aesthetic improvement, increases as well with the grade.

ETA 2892

The ETA 2892.A2 Or for a description in English see is however, widely considered the more upscale of the basic ETA movements, and it certainly a newer design dating to the 1970s where as the 2824 traces its roots back to the 1950s. The 2892 is fitted with top quality components. The 2892 is an automatic winding, twenty-one (21) jewel movement, available in three executions or grades: Elaborated, Top and Chronometer. The key components which differ at the line of demarcation between Elaborated and Top are the pallet stones, balance wheel & hairspring, and the regulator mechanism. To illustrate the differences in accuracy garnered by the successive grades, consider the following specifications:

the Elaborated grade is adjusted in four positions with an average rate of +/-5 seconds/day, with a maximum daily variation of +/-20 seconds/day; while the Top grade is adjusted in five positions with an average rate of +/-4 seconds/day, with a maximum daily variation of +/-15 seconds/day. The Chronometer grade must meet strict standards prescribed by the [COSC]: an average rate of -4/+6 with a maximum daily variation of +/-5 seconds/day. The wider range for the Chronometer grade is designed to take into account the differences in a watches rate between static positions, as when the tests are performed, and the dynamic positions as when a watch is actually worn. Chronometer grade movements are serial numbered. Moreover, the degree of decoration on the movement's parts, generally an aesthetic improvement, increases with the grade.

The 2892.A2 is regarded by many horologists as being in the same 'quality' range (accuracy and reliability) as the in-house produced Rolex movements. Insofar as accuracy is concerned any movement which is expected to be COSC-certified, or is in fact COSC-certified, must meet the same standards. The ETA 2892.A2 is usually found in the more expensive and prestigious watches and brands. Owing to its relatively slim height of 3.60 mm, the 2892.A2 is a favorite of watch brands that market complicated movements such as Breitling with its trademark chronograph (stop watches). Given the slim dimensions of the 2892, it provides a good platform on which to add or build a chronograph complication.

The Omega Coaxial based upon an ETA movement

Omega's popular Seamaster line of watches currently use an embellished version of the ETA 2892.A2, which is known as the Omega 1120. As an adjunct, some versions of the Omega watches may be fitted with the proprietary Co-axial escapement invented by George Daniels, an English horologist and exclusively marketed by Omega a sister company of ETA. The movement with the co-axial escapement is known as the Omega 2500 series and is derived from the ETA 2892. Valjoux 7750 The Valjoux 7750 a/k/a ETA 7750 is a widely used chronograph (stop watch) movement operated by with cams integrated into the movement. The traditional mechanism used in the chronograph is known as the Column Wheel. With the advent of the Valjoux 7750, the column wheel was abandoned for a three (3) plane cam system. The three plan cam system is properly known as the Coulisse Levier mechanism. The system and movement were developed by Edmond Capt in 1970, as a fully integrated self-winding mechanism with quick-set day/date based on the Valjoux 7733. The movement is an automatic winding, twenty-five (25) jewel movement, which can be fitted with a variety of features including the triple date (day, date, month and moon phase) or a variety of two and three register models with totalizers or counters for minutes, seconds and hours. It is available in three executions or grades: Elaborated, Top and Chronometer. The key components which differ at the line of demarcation between Elaborated and Top are the pallet stones, balance wheel & hairspring and the regulator mechanism. To illustrate the differences in accuracy garnered by the successive grades, consider the following specifications: the Elaborated grade is adjusted in three positions with an average rate of +/-5 seconds/day with a maximum daily variation of +/-15 seconds/day; while the Top grade is adjusted in five positions with an average rate of +/-4 seconds/day with a maximum daily variation of +/-10 seconds/day. The Chronometer grade must meet strict standards prescribed by the [COSC]: an average rate of -4/+6 with a maximum daily variation of +/-5 seconds/day.