I'm new to the world of watches, and even though I've done some looking, I'm not really sure where to begin. I'd like a watch that looks elegant for the office (I'm a commercial banker), has a leather band, and is under $1,000. If you can get it lower, even better. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Watch Recommendation
- Thread starter Thu'umhammer
- Start date
Hamilton True Classics Swiss Made
http://www.hamiltonwatch.com/
the Jazzmaster line is very nice and classic. I have the Viewmatic Auto and I love it
http://www.hamiltonwatch.com/
the Jazzmaster line is very nice and classic. I have the Viewmatic Auto and I love it
Orient makes a lot of good looking watches for under that price point. They also make their own movements.
http://orientwatchusa.com/
http://orientwatchusa.com/
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for the recommendations. I'm loving both of these brands. I hadn't heard of either of them before, so they're good finds.
"Has a leather band" shouldn't really be a qualifier. Barring proprietary lugs, you can fit a leather band to any watch. Some stock leather may not be great also.
What kind of features are you looking for? Date, numerals (Roman or Latin), color, etc?
What kind of features are you looking for? Date, numerals (Roman or Latin), color, etc?
Have a look at the number of makers that use the valjoux 7750 movement. The day / date format is pretty classy. It's just a matter of finding one that has the aesthetics that appeal to you.
I worked for the same banking chain for over 36 years. I retired as a private banker, and I think I have an idea of the type watch you speak. Hamilton and Orient both make suitable models. In the bank, I would personally, wear the Hamilton brand name because of the respect accorded it. I have two of the new Hamilton Watch Company 's watches, both are retro. Each has a great presence and both have been excellent timekeepers.
Ron I
Ron I
If you are not against the idea of vintage, there should be bundles of nice, conservative watches available at your price point.
D Freemont Mt Palomar. A tad over your budget but elegant, not overstated and very well made and accurate.
First decide if you want a watch for impressing the people you work with or a watch you also use during your spare time for fun things!
If you want to impress, then get a Rolex (second hand for getting into your price range). Even the most illiterate person has been hearing about Rolex. Sure, there are better watches than a second hand Rolex for less money but Rolex is well known.
If you want a watch for spare time and fun, consider something less than $100 and water tight. My own favorites are Vostok Amphibias and Casio MDV106. Both are cheap enough to be replaced in case of accident and both allow you to wear them while swimming. Both got stainless steel casing.
You can put leather straps on both. I wear my Amphibia with leather strap.
If you want to impress, then get a Rolex (second hand for getting into your price range). Even the most illiterate person has been hearing about Rolex. Sure, there are better watches than a second hand Rolex for less money but Rolex is well known.
If you want a watch for spare time and fun, consider something less than $100 and water tight. My own favorites are Vostok Amphibias and Casio MDV106. Both are cheap enough to be replaced in case of accident and both allow you to wear them while swimming. Both got stainless steel casing.
You can put leather straps on both. I wear my Amphibia with leather strap.
CH Ward
http://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/orient/products/orient-star-classic-mechanical-wz0251el
http://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko/products/s-sarb065
http://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko/products/s-sarb017
Seiko makes better watches for their domestic market than for the international one. Perhaps one of these ... or another from the site ... interests you?
http://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko/products/s-sarb065
http://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko/products/s-sarb017
Seiko makes better watches for their domestic market than for the international one. Perhaps one of these ... or another from the site ... interests you?
Honestly? The cheap department store watches can look pretty good. My dress watch cost all of ten bucks. As long as you get something water resistant "to 100'/30m," they tend to hold up well. I'd avoid those marked "safe for hand watching." The other thing to watch out for is non-standard attachment widths. That makes band replacement practically impossible.
A step up is the Timex, Casio, Armitron, etc. You can get a nice looking watch there for under $50. That said, I've not had one hold up better than the cheap ones.
A step up is the Timex, Casio, Armitron, etc. You can get a nice looking watch there for under $50. That said, I've not had one hold up better than the cheap ones.
Steinhard, Nomos, Laco, Glycine, Oris, Melbourne, Seiko, Christopher Ward, Longines and l'm sure I'm forgetting some. You can get a good deals on preowened, check out http://www.watchrecon.com.
Check out their Visodate model. It has a classic dress watch look but has been updated a bit for modern tastes. It's slightly larger than dress watches of old. It's available in a variety of combinations - stainless steel or gold, silver or black dials, etc. Take a look at their website and check out their "heritage line"
I own this model - I think it's now discontinued, but I found it for a very reasonable price on one of the watch discussion forums.
I own this model - I think it's now discontinued, but I found it for a very reasonable price on one of the watch discussion forums.
When I assumed the chairmanship of an academic department I too went on the search for "...a watch that looks elegant for the office..". I wound up with a Seiko "Cocktail Time" automatic watch and I could not be more pleased with it. It came in at around $375 and here are some pictures -
Tim
Tim
Similar threads
