RAMalicious

4 hours ago, Srg said:

Think he holds dual passport anyway. He was born in Germany and is German-Turkish.

Ahhh yes Esteban Fuertes springs to mind now.... 

18 hours ago, Cisse said:

I would not have a nerve to use Rolex or Omega as a daily beater. The two brands I use and highly recommend for anyone needing a watch for a rough times are Bremont and Sinn. Both have a large selection of army and tool watches. Sinn has watches that varies a great deal with their prices and can really take a beating. The thing is they have often Sellita and ETA-based movements with very little modification on them which ables Sinn offer very affordable watches.

Bremont uses a lot ETA-based movements but they modify them some. They do cost more than a lot of Sinns but they are very accurate and really scratch resistant. You can learn a lot of those brands easily by reading information about Bremont U-2 and Sinn U1. Both of those brands do offer a lot more than resistance against scratching though.

If scratching is the big issue one brand that should be considered is Rado. They are not tool watches but do have an interesting take on schratching.

Hi Cisse - many thanks for your reply - much appreciated.

Yes I had looked at Bremont previously but shied away from them a little because they were (relatively) the new kids on the block. I have not come across Sinn before and wow having had a quick look at the U1 and others - they do seem to be serious kit!

I think I need to have a deeper look into these watches that you have mentioned before I make a decision.

I will let you know how I get on!

Great thread everyone. I’ve read it all the way through and it has been interesting and informative – good to see so many enthusiasts on here. 

So I used to buy watches that were generally cheap…afterall …”why pay more for just a watch”……generally I would spend £350 to £800 and typically the watch would be dead within 12 to 18 months. 
Broken straps, melted batteries, cracked screens etc. I must be a “heavy” watch user!!

Anyway for a good few years I didn’t wear a watch – just used my phone – and bought a holiday watch for like £50 for when I went away…..but I was eventually banned from doing that by my other half – as she decided that I could only wear a “nice” watch.

So I did some research – as I wanted something that was well made, (relatively) affordable, would hold it’s value and would look “nice” and be useable in many different settings. I also decided it should be a “tool” type watch.

Once I narrowed my list down to two brands (Rolex/Omega) I looked at all sorts of models online and narrowed the ranges down to either a Submariner or a Seamaster type before I set out to go and look at some of the real things and try them on.

Once out in the real world I narrowed my brands down to one – Omega – and took the plunge.

Speaking to the jewellers – who were very informative – I learned that not only do these kind of watches hold their value well – in part because the brands increase their retail prices pretty much every year – but these Omegas are designed to be worn – not just for going out – but for daily use. Subject to regular servicing they could go on for years. Sounded like what I needed.

So I did the deal, got a bit of a discount, which was nice, and purchased an Omega Planet Ocean.

Since then – over two years ago – I’ve learned a few things:
My watch has taken quite a beating – but has held up really well – especially the crystal sapphire glass. However I should look after it a little better and give it a service at some point (not sure when?)
The value (subject to condition) seems to have held really well. Partly because the watch has a reasonably-sized market – as well as the Brand pricing mentioned above.
I love the watch much more than I thought I ever would.
The watch looks good in any setting (casual, sports, work, formal). 
I wear it most of the time (ironically not in water) – much more than I thought I would.
I tend to take it off if I’m going somewhere, shall we say, less salubrious, but even if I had it on I’ve realised that I could use it if necessary to administer a swift clock (did you see what I did there) to the noggin of any wannabe assailant. Bonus.  

This watch (and this thread!) has kindled my interest in good quality watch brands further. Although I tend to focus on Omega and Rolex – as these two brands seem to be the most recognised – which can only help residual values. 

Which brings me to my real point of this post which is that I’m thinking of getting a “daily beater” – but cannot bring myself to buy something that is not great quality – and it must still tick all my boxes. 

Now having looked out there I am considering the Tudor Black Bay 58 (the Royal Blue one of which seems to have been a major hit). This watch retails at around half of my Planet Ocean. 

Now Tudor are very interesting not least because of their relationship with Rolex, but also how they are doing with redefining themselves as a clearly separate brand from Rolex. The “58” range seems to be helping them even more in this regard.

So any thoughts on Tudor generally, the Tudor Black Bay 58 specifically, or any other high quality “daily beaters” would be welcome. Maybe an Eco-Drive?

My gaming career really started off properly with Myst/Riven and of course Half-Life...and it's still these kind of games that I still enjoy the best. Currently edging through The Evil Within...not bad but a bit clunky to control on the PC ....but have download Life is Strange so that's next!