Who's got a nice watch? Traditional watches only, no smartwatches please.

[TheAppleFairy]

That's probably one of my favorites I have seen so far here. Still way out of my price range, most of my watches have been between $300 and $1,000.

I've never had a Movado watch but I saw on in the store the other day that caught my eye. A Movado Bold chronograph.

It might be my next watch.

FYI: The difference between the 8500 movement in the 15000 Gauss and the 8500 movement in the other current Aqua Terra watches is that specific parts are made out of a different non-ferrous material. Omega will be replacing those parts in most (if not all) the other 8500 based watches resulting in another revision of the 8500.

Omega is informally on a second revision of the 8500. Omega came out with the 8500 a few years ago. Then a year after they came out with the silicon Si14 balance spring, which was eventually incorporated as standard in the 8500, resulting in the second revision.

I did get to try the 15000 Gauss on a couple weeks ago for the first time since Omega hadn't been touring a copy around with the other Basel pieces (e.g. Dark Side, 1957 Speedmasters, etc). I will say it is very visually appealing in person.

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[CalWizrd]

That's probably one of my favorites I have seen so far here. Still way out of my price range, most of my watches have been between $300 and $1,000.

I've never had a Movado watch but I saw on in the store the other day that caught my eye. A Movado Bold chronograph.

It might be my next watch.

See my post in this thread... #1843

 

[TheAppleFairy]

See my post in this thread... #1843

Oh nice congrats, do you wear it much? How do you like it?

I don't do gold, but that's the same watch.

 

[dmax35]

Yep, this is my daily driver. Skyhawk AT Titanium, I live abroad and the multi timezone, water resistant to 200m, radio control (auto update from the atomic clock) and solar powered part make it great, no batteries and is always accurate to 1 second.
Gets rough use too but so far hasn't got a mark on it.Image

I have the same watch and love it. Comes in handy with all the flying I do.

 

[63dot]

Holy zombie thread!

Back when this thread came out in 2005, watches which I wore back then were a big enough topic.

Now I see the department store having only a third of the shelf space for watches. It seems the way to tell time for many, if not most are the iPhones and Galaxies.

 

[ocabj]

Holy zombie thread!

Back when this thread came out in 2005, watches which I wore back then were a big enough topic.

Now I see the department store having only a third of the shelf space for watches. It seems the way to tell time for many, if not most are the iPhones and Galaxies.

Watches aren't going to die simply because watches are fashionable. As far as fashion / budget watches, Michael Kors watches are huge with females because frankly, not many people can afford a real gold watch, much less one with real diamonds. The male fashion/budget segment tends to be dominated by huge 50mm watches.

As far as department stores with less shelf space for watches than 8 years ago, I haven't noticed. Granted, the only true department stores I'm ever in on any sort of regularity are Macys and Nordstroms, and both seem to have plenty dedicated to that.

 

[63dot]

Watches aren't going to die simply because watches are fashionable. As far as fashion / budget watches, Michael Kors watches are huge with females because frankly, not many people can afford a real gold watch, much less one with real diamonds. The male fashion/budget segment tends to be dominated by huge 50mm watches.

As far as department stores with less shelf space for watches than 8 years ago, I haven't noticed. Granted, the only true department stores I'm ever in on any sort of regularity are Macys and Nordstroms, and both seem to have plenty dedicated to that.

Macy's have dropped so much in the last decade where I live. I do miss the automatic watches and dive watches a lot. The high end quartz stuff is still pretty well represented, but not the higher end Casios. Hamilton used to have it's own case and they disappeared first and were among my*favorite.

Tag and Omega got dropped after that, followed by Movado. Costco would also have a lot of watches over $100 and under $2,000 dollars and that section was completely removed.

The independent store in town had the good stuff and they changed hands four times and of all the small ones, the more affordable staple of Tutima got dropped. Of course Omega and Rolex survive for the small mom and pop independent dealers.

I am glad I didn't get too involved since I loved everything out there.

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

my most favorite passion is for time pieces with my tech gadgets a close 2nd

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Manufactured by Skynet. ;-)

 

[MUBiomed]

Macy's have dropped so much in the last decade where I live. I do miss the automatic watches and dive watches a lot. The high end quartz stuff is still pretty well represented, but not the higher end Casios. Hamilton used to have it's own case and they disappeared first and were among my*favorite.

Tag and Omega got dropped after that, followed by Movado. Costco would also have a lot of watches over $100 and under $2,000 dollars and that section was completely removed.

The independent store in town had the good stuff and they changed hands four times and of all the small ones, the more affordable staple of Tutima got dropped. Of course Omega and Rolex survive for the small mom and pop independent dealers.

I am glad I didn't get too involved since I loved everything out there.

Maybe it's just where you live based on sales numbers. My Macy's has a full Tag counter as well as the other brands you mentioned (except Omega, but I have only seen Omega in ADs and boutiques rather than a department store).

 

[ocabj]

Macy's have dropped so much in the last decade where I live. I do miss the automatic watches and dive watches a lot. The high end quartz stuff is still pretty well represented, but not the higher end Casios. Hamilton used to have it's own case and they disappeared first and were among my*favorite.

Tag and Omega got dropped after that, followed by Movado. Costco would also have a lot of watches over $100 and under $2,000 dollars and that section was completely removed.

The independent store in town had the good stuff and they changed hands four times and of all the small ones, the more affordable staple of Tutima got dropped. Of course Omega and Rolex survive for the small mom and pop independent dealers.

I am glad I didn't get too involved since I loved everything out there.

Pretty much all of the higher end mechanical brands are not in department stores anymore. I've only seen Tag Heuer in one Macy's and that's at a high end mall in SoCal which also houses high end boutiques (e.g. LV, Hugo Boss, Chopard, David Yurman, Harry Winston, etc). Most of the big Swiss names under the Swatch and Richemont groups are tightly controlled, so stuff like Omega, JLC, Panerai, Breguet, etc are never going to be in a chain 'department' store.

But with regards to the lower end watch selections, I haven't seen a decline. I see more quartz 'fashion' watches under $500 that I can comprehend.

 

[copykris]

i want an iwc pilot watch

some day...

 

[SHNXX]

Pretty much all of the higher end mechanical brands are not in department stores anymore. I've only seen Tag Heuer in one Macy's and that's at a high end mall in SoCal which also houses high end boutiques (e.g. LV, Hugo Boss, Chopard, David Yurman, Harry Winston, etc). Most of the big Swiss names under the Swatch and Richemont groups are tightly controlled, so stuff like Omega, JLC, Panerai, Breguet, etc are never going to be in a chain 'department' store.

But with regards to the lower end watch selections, I haven't seen a decline. I see more quartz 'fashion' watches under $500 that I can comprehend.

Have you been to South Coast Plaza, the new port beach mall and the Rodeo Drive?
Lots of high end stuff!
Granted they are not "department stores."

 

[63dot]

Pretty much all of the higher end mechanical brands are not in department stores anymore. I've only seen Tag Heuer in one Macy's and that's at a high end mall in SoCal which also houses high end boutiques (e.g. LV, Hugo Boss, Chopard, David Yurman, Harry Winston, etc). Most of the big Swiss names under the Swatch and Richemont groups are tightly controlled, so stuff like Omega, JLC, Panerai, Breguet, etc are never going to be in a chain 'department' store.

But with regards to the lower end watch selections, I haven't seen a decline. I see more quartz 'fashion' watches under $500 that I can comprehend.

I have always loved watches and remember when it was the only way to tell time other than looking at a wall clock in public.

But there was this pesky little company, called Apple Inc, who made the somewhat successful cell phone into something everybody had to have. Not only did I see less of a variety of cells out there that most people had which got narrowed down to Samsung and iPhone among almost everybody in a certain age group, but a great reduction in wristwatches. For me watch was a fashion statement second and served its main purpose to tell time.

But why have that when you can do email, surf the internet, listen to music, and have access to more games than one can play in a lifetime?

While I love Apple, obviously, and applaud their success with iPhone and their apps and how it's literally changed the world, I miss all the small watch stores I used to visit who have mostly gone out of business or switched exclusively to jewelry.

I don't know how many here were into watches before the invention of iPhone/iPod was it was a different world then. Many who loved a $300 G-shock or dive watch with tons of functions would rather get the iPhone 5s.

 

[SHNXX]

I have always loved watches and remember when it was the only way to tell time other than looking at a wall clock in public.

But there was this pesky little company, called Apple Inc, who made the somewhat successful cell phone into something everybody had to have. Not only did I see less of a variety of cells out there that most people had which got narrowed down to Samsung and iPhone among almost everybody in a certain age group, but a great reduction in wristwatches. For me watch was a fashion statement second and served its main purpose to tell time.

But why have that when you can do email, surf the internet, listen to music, and have access to more games than one can play in a lifetime?

While I love Apple, obviously, and applaud their success with iPhone and their apps and how it's literally changed the world, I miss all the small watch stores I used to visit who have mostly gone out of business or switched exclusively to jewelry.

I don't know how many here were into watches before the invention of iPhone/iPod was it was a different world then. Many who loved a $300 G-shock or dive watch with tons of functions would rather get the iPhone 5s.

Lol

 

[ocabj]

Have you been to South Coast Plaza, the new port beach mall and the Rodeo Drive?
Lots of high end stuff!
Granted they are not "department stores."

Yup, SCP is the mall I was referring to when I said I've only been to one Macy's with Tag in store.

I shop there all the time. The folks at IWC, JLC, OMEGA, and Rolex Boutiques all know me too well.

 

[63dot]

Lol

When I was a kid, it was, "Check out this really cool watch or Swiss Army Knife!"

You could do three, four, maybe five things with it.

Now the kids have thousands of songs on their iPods, and a gazillion functions with their iPhone and they complain when they still have an iPhone 4 and not the iPhone 5. You ask what time it is and they will tell you, along with the weather, a pix of their new dog, and Miley's latest twerk in public.

I can't imagine what the next generation of young people will have for a small gadget/toy/tool.

 

[SHNXX]

Who's got a nice watch?

Yup, SCP is the mall I was referring to when I said I've only been to one Macy's with Tag in store.

I shop there all the time. The folks at IWC, JLC, OMEGA, and Rolex Boutiques all know me too well.

They also have Patek, vacheron, etc. Enough high end, no?

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When I was a kid, it was, "Check out this really cool watch or Swiss Army Knife!"

You could do three, four, maybe five things with it.

Now the kids have thousands of songs on their iPods, and a gazillion functions with their iPhone and they complain when they still have an iPhone 4 and not the iPhone 5. You ask what time it is and they will tell you, along with the weather, a pix of their new dog, and Miley's latest twerk in public.

I can't imagine what the next generation of young people will have for a small gadget/toy/tool.

Swiss watch business has shifted from its utilitarian purpose to a different one long time ago.
If you think that people don't buy watches, you really need to look at the data on how much revenue is generated by Rolex, Richemont group, Swatch group, and various other independently owned watch manufacturers (Patek, Audemard piguet etc) annually.

Edit: one report says the number is around 22 billion dollars in revenue in 2012.

If you have ever seen examples of haute horlogerie, you would realize that the thing has almost nothing to do with competing with your smartphone.

 

[63dot]

They also have Patek, vacheron, etc. Enough high end, no?

Patek? Ok, directions!

 

[SHNXX]

Patek? Ok, directions!

Torneau.

They have a Patek section.

But I wouldn't shop there.
Low stocks and probably ****** discounts.

 

[63dot]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di1Jl7CQ3ug

This would be a nice gift and hand me down.

 

[3lite]

Image

Why would you wear a bracelet next to the watch?

 

[63dot]

If you have ever seen examples of haute horlogerie, you would realize that the thing has almost nothing to do with competing with your smartphone.

That's what the salespeople seem to think and maybe it's a convenient excuse rather than the recession or large retailers (like Tourneau) taking a bigger share of the market.

Anyway, here's something that can be added to the mix (and it would be nice to see if Apple enters this field since MP3 players, the way we buy music, and cellphones have all been radically changed by our beloved Cupertino company):

http://www.independent.ie/business/...martphones-the-clock-is-ticking-29554089.html

Personally I would love ditching the cell and having it all done on a watch. I could also imagine a wireless setup to where a screen could be projected into a pair of high tech accessory glasses so you could surf the net, email, and even do most Office tasks with just your voice, the smart watch, and those smart glasses.

The San Jose tech museum had a similar one of model years ago which cost several million to produce and utilized what was supposed to be "secret" technology, or rather something not patented yet. It was the 2 million dollar watch. About that time I did hear rumors of Apple Inc and others trying to land some of the features which may or may not utilize a lot of the biotech developed at nearby Stanford. With mass production it would be nice to being down the price to below a couple of grand at first, and then way less after that. I picture something that has the power of a current Macbook pro and a lot of stuff keyed into voice command and hopefully out en masse in the next five years. It could be a modern Dick Tracy watch.

 

[SHNXX]

I have no interest in a smart watch other than for occasional use.

Of course I would still buy one but it wouldn't replace any of my watches except maybe G-Shocks.

 

[63dot]

I have no interest in a smart watch other than for occasional use.

Of course I would still buy one but it wouldn't replace any of my watches except maybe G-Shocks.

I just want one of each.

I have my antique 14K Waltham for the old school mechanical and then I have a multi-function G-Shock with quartz and the digital readout as well as a few hands that I love for everyday use. What would be nice to round things out is smart watch, preferably Apple if the rumors are to be believed. I still don't have an iPhone or iPod (and could be only person in norcal like that) but I almost jumped a few times but I will hold out for Apple watch which I hope has something like an iOS to it. But I want the small wristwatch form factor and not have it be a huge monstrosity on the wrist like wearing a full sized iPod.

What would be cool is when not in use it shows hands like a watch, and if you say weather, it will give you the local weather, and if you name city, it will show weather of that area. If you say NFL, NBA, or MLB it could give you the scores, if you say stocks (the ones you have) it could show that, and recipes then it could recall the ones you stored, etc. For stuff you didn't store it could look anything up in a second. You can say internet, directions, email, office and it could pull all those up. For directions there could be GPS so it knows where you are at any moment or where you were an hour ago, yesterday, or last month on the first tuesday. That would be the bomb mixing the convenience and size of the watch and the electronic greatness of Apple and its user friendly interface.

 

[koa]