If you buy a clone watch you are contributing to an illegal criminal organisation and helping to flood the market with fake that later down the line an unsuspecting buyer will no doubt end up being ripped off with...
Caveat emptor.

Sidthecat wrote:

Bit of advice - having retired, I'm finally looking to buy a proper 'grown up' watch after years of wearing a Swatch or similar. On a budget of say £500 - £750, what's the best value for money watch to look for? I tried googling' set. Watch for around £500' but end up with so many options. It needed be new, if buying through reputable used outlet

I can't see the point of a clone for a number of reasons. The point is, is actually having an original. There are manufacturers without a brand name tax which are very nice. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

I love watches..and i have a good collection of watches  Bearing dealer in Bangkok

And you signed up to a Freelander 2 forum to say that? Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

and he's all the way from Bangkog wherever that is?

I am not into this form of jewelry but I read some articles in the FT over the weekend about expensive watches and some of online comments were quite revealing. On person, who seemed very knowledgeable about the different brands and their history pointed out that apart from Rolex, most manufacturers can't afford to develop and build the high quality movements and buy them in from a small number of specialist manufacturers. It's similar to the car industry where the likes of Peugeot build and design diesel engines for other suppliers as you need the economies scale. He claimed that most watchmakers actually only build the case and dial. This was news to me but perhaps it's well known.

Incidentally my neighbour is a retired deep sea diver and in a recent conversation along the lines of "who needs a watch that is waterproof down to 250 metres" replied "well me for a start".  3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Unfortunately a lot of people who just swim and splash around need at least 100 metre watches, as it’s not just the depth that matters it’s the “stress” under the water they are put to that determines their water resistance, I personally wouldn’t want to just surface swim with anything under 100 metre rating (50 metres is fine in the shower…..just )

FT was quite correct (mostly) as there are only a few makers that actually design and manufacture their own movements, and most of those are out of the majority of peoples buying envelope, I have errr quite a lot of watches but since retiring I find I never wear a watch anymore (I think 40+ years of wearing and looking at them has honed my “brain timekeeping” ) , I just once every month or more wind them up, look at them and then put them away again…what a waste…..but I am not selling them  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......

New G-Shock from SWMBO this year. The one I've been eyeing up for a while

Click image to enlarge

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I like that a lot the yellow and black really works and it’s nice to know all those hints didn’t fall on deaf ears.

dorsetfreelander wrote:

I am not into this form of jewelry but I read some articles in the FT over the weekend about expensive watches and some of online comments were quite revealing. On person, who seemed very knowledgeable about the different brands and their history pointed out that apart from Rolex, most manufacturers can't afford to develop and build the high quality movements and buy them in from a small number of specialist manufacturers. It's similar to the car industry where the likes of Peugeot build and design diesel engines for other suppliers as you need the economies scale. He claimed that most watchmakers actually only build the case and dial. This was news to me but perhaps it's well known.

This reminded me of my old 1970s Sekonda Watch that I wrote about a few years back, with picture of its incredibly complex mechanism. .
I have since had the watch serviced and a new glass and strap fitted, so that I can wear it on 'high days and holidays'.

I have copied my original post below.

Click image to enlarge

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I was surprised to read in this weeks Autocar that the above watch has risen in value well above £500.

It is a USSR Aviator/Cosmonaut's Chronograph Mechanical Watch (19 jewel movement type 3017).
These watches were first issued to the Soviet Military around 1959, and produced under the names of Strela, then Pojot (from 1964), and Sekonda in the 1970s. These watches were the official flight gear used by Soviet Pilots for the accurate measurement whilst flying. They were also issued to Cosmonauts until the end of production in 1979.

I searched around in the back of my cupboards and found this watch which I had discarded in the early 1980s. I wound it up and it still works.

I had needed the accurate stopwatch for work, and I replaced it eventually with an early 1980s Casio battery analogue dialled watch with a digital date/stopwatch/alarm display (for about £16).

https://www.casio.co.uk/products/timepiece...0A-1DMQYES

I still use this design to this day, although I usually buy it from Argos for £29.99.

Not sure now what to do about my possible new found wealth? FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

I've seen another watch I'd like. A relative cheapy too. Might even get more than one of them. Just released so a bit hard to get hold of at the moment.

A Moonswatch! I like the look of them.

https://www.swatch.com/en-gb/bioceramic-moonswatch.html Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

I believe people have been queuing for hours to get one. Jules

I have a Swiss watch somewhere, haven't seen it for at least ten years. Never wear one, but I have a clock on a cheap smartphone tuned to Beijing time or somewhere in China. I can only afford cheap, as Freelanders cost more than a Tanker of Oil to keep running per annum.

....... many 'moons' since I have seen a Swiss watch, come to that, what is a watch my grandson asked ? .....