What's a proper watch?
 

I'm sitting on a nice amount of cash tucked away in the hotel safe, remnants of my local bank account.

Have thought of blowing it on a watch at duty free when I fly back to Qatar next week.

I haven't worn a watch in about 15 years. Always sort of liked the good men's watches and used to be jealous of mates with Tag Heuers back in the day and always promised myself one, but as you know, I'm frugal as ***** and would rather be extravagant on nice holidays. But maybe I'll finally take the splurge.

Is it worth it? I don't want to spend more than 5k so the really nice watches are obviously out of the question. There are Tags in that range but I've picked up that they're overpriced and too commercialised these days. Is that true?

Do you wear a nice watch? Daily or only for special events? What are decent options besides Tags?

Ever lost 'em? Stolen?

Worth it?

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Ooo heck.

My very cheap watch bought off a Hong Kong night market stall finally karked it after 20 odd years. So today I bought a new watch for $20NZD as I'm a right cheap old tart.

However, I do think a quality, smart looking , understated watch on a man's wrist looks a bit good.

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Best watch (also a good investment) is a Philip Patek

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Been wearing a G-shock for many years now, find it reliable and easy to use. I also travel quite a bit to some dodgy locations so I don't want to advertise my watch... G-Shock just fine for me. Could never understand the sense in wearing a very expensive watch, but that is just me.

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

I have had the same issue as you before.

Everytime I think about it and want to do it I notice everyone has a 'nice' watch on. So, sort of what's the point? My boss has a Rolex. Every single senior manager from my level and up has a Tag / Breitling / Rolex / etc etc etc etc. It kind of puts me off, but that's daft maybe.

So many of the posh watches are not the investment that people think they will be. Even the Rolex's need to be carefully selected from the right range to ensure they will always be worth something.

That takes another layer of the justification for spending. Dunno. Maybe the hesitation is the commitment to spending thousands on something so small. Maybe I should just do it.

However, last year I ended up copping out and got the Apple Watch instead. Saved me 000's of quid, works well, looks smart if it needs to and works well as an everyday watch.


All that being said, I still want an IWC or a Breitling. Maybe one day I will buy one, **** it. I'm going to look now.

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Think you'll struggle to get a Tag for AED5k.
For that sort of money you are more looking at Mido/Rado/Hamilton

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

holy ****. I just googled them and picked the one I liked. Then googled it's price. 86,000.00 USD. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

I used to love watches and I've had a few expensive watches - to be honest I'm over it.

I get bored of the styles and I scratch them as I don't look after them.

I now either don't use a watch, or wear I a decent smart one that suits the occasion/ outfit. I have many to chose from but none are particularly expensive anymore - I'd rather than five 1000dh watches than one 5000dh watch.

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

I have about 20. have a few $2-3k watches but picked them up from Grey Market dealers in the states at a fraction of the price I'd have to pay here.

most recent purchase was a Rado Original for 300 bucks. same watch is 3000 AED in MOE.

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

I bought my dad a tag for his 60th a few years ago and it was less than 5k aed let alone 5k pounds?!?

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Breitling plus a few more.

If you are going to buy a watch then you either want the ten quid supermarket job or a real one. It's the halfway house jobs that seem a bit naff. That said my everyday work wear watch is a Tissot. Swiss, yes, but it's owned by Swatch these days, as are a number of others. A 'real' Tissot would be a few years old, some of their 60's models are very fashionable.

So once you've got rid of the 'real' watches and discarded the naff watches what's left? Well probably Rolex. Yeah, I know it has a certain Arthur Daley, 'it aint a real one' cachet and your bog standard diver style is a bit passe but my current choice is their Air King model and it fits your target price quite well to boot.

It wont make you rich but in a generation or two it will still be a valuable piece.

Not sure I'd be buying a watch in an airport though.

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Yeah.

I looked at duty free in Qatar airport and there's a selection just under 5k AED/QAR.

Definitely not spending more than that. Scamp is right. It's marketing/vanity/peer pressure that influences us to buy fancy watches. I don't mind from an aesthetic / jewellery perspective because if it makes you happy and you look nice, go for it. But let's be honest here, no one gives a ***** about the amazingly intricate machinery and engineering of a high quality watch just as we don't give a ***** about the amazingly complicated software in our laptops.

My fear is that it'll end up like Millhouse. Wear it a few times and think, wow, cool, but then get over it and find it heavy and burdensome and worry about scratching it so it gets stuck in a box and rarely ever worn.

Maybe I'll get a bright orange g-shock watch. Saw a dude not long ago, all kitted out in proper expensive suit and shoes looking every bit the role and he was wearing a bright orange watch. Now that was :cool:

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

😂

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Sorry, I had your budget pegged in £.

So for about 5k QAR I'd think of Seiko, some very nice watches.

Then again, if it's going to be wasted on a watch why not on something else you really want?

Re: What's a proper watch?
 

Not a watch wearer but I saw a brand that a friend was wearing called sevenfriday that looked good to my untrained eye, mid range pricing. But perhaps to aficionados they are pieces of shit.

My opinion on watches (especially worn show off style loose on the wrist) is that unless you buy the top of the range model, people knowing their watches will look down on you as an idiot or cheapskate. People not knowing watches won't know enough to be impressed either way.

lose-lose :lol: