[2500cc]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Currently in the USA, saw this deal for $22.
http://www.amazon.com/Casio-AE1000WD.../dp/B003DZ7VZG

Anyone owns this ? Is it a good price or will I get it for cheaper in India?

(I envy people's collection on this thread. )

I have one similar to this, posted here, I bought it for around 3.5k from Lifestyle around 4yrs ago.

[krishnamarathe]

I own this Tag Heuer formula 1 watch. I like the clean design and the black bezel. The simplicity of the design makes the logo stand out.

[maddyguage]

My DIESEL watches. I'm not a watch fanatic but just started collecting these. I must say good under 10k price range. I'll add more to the collection soon. I've my eyes on GUESS and SEIKO watches now.

[ankurchaturvedi]

I wear a simple Sonata piece (square dial and chain type straps). I have been wearing it since 2005. I work in the chemical industry and have found this one to resist all types of chemical attacks and corrosion very well. TATA build quality ?

[TorqMaster]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Anyone owns this ? Is it a good price or will I get it for cheaper in India?
)

I have the exact same watch since November of 2014. Bought from Amazon.in for Rs1750 or Rs2150 can't recall.

Hasn't failed yet, been through the daily grind.still on original strap and battery. However when my palm is at right angles to my arm it sometimes presses the buttons. This issue is probably only for my hand since I have never bothered to tighten the chain strap so far.
If you have hair on your wrist, it may get stuck in the chain and could cause discomfort. (Personal experience)
Stood through pretty rough scratches and I feel it's worth it.

[PPS]

How are GC watches? I have been eyeing this watch for a while now. I came across this same watch in Switzerland last month where it was retailing for 50k(after converting from Swiss Franc). I was keen to buy it but i felt i had come across it cheaper somewhere in Mumbai. Then i found it on the below link retailing for 45k !

http://helioswatchstore.com/details....ku=gcx53003g2s

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by PPS

How are GC watches? I have been eyeing this watch for a while now.

I know you like the watch, but I'd advise not going for it. A budget of 50k is moderately healthy and can get you a great watch from an established watch-building stable like Swatch Group. Easily this money can fetch you an upper-end ranged Tissot or a middle-price ranged Longines, the latter being more preferable.

The difference being that watches like GC & Armani are just fashion labels who outsource the building of the case, movement etc to other countries like China and its assembled and stamped there. Few are assembled in Switzerland but 49% of the parts can be brought in from outside and still qualify for the Swiss-Made tag. The above 2 in comparison are fully in-house manufactured. Helios is one of the worst places in my view, to shop for a watch.. they keep outdated pieces from terrible brands and most of their watches have micro-scratches because they don't treat them carefully.

Still if you absolutely love the Rolex Submariner Steel-Gold inspired design of the GC you could go for it.. quartz movements are relatively reliable for 4-5 years easily before needing a service.

[AVR]

Originally Posted by PPS

How are GC watches? Then i found it on the below link retailing for 45k !

Attachment 1520732

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Still if you absolutely love the Rolex Submariner Steel-Gold inspired design of the GC you could go for it.. quartz movements are relatively reliable for 4-5 years easily before needing a service.

I find Victorinox (Maverick?) watches quite good in this range. Look great. Good build and 25-45k range.

Cheers,
Adi

[PPS]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

A budget of 50k is moderately healthy and can get you a great watch from an established watch-building stable like Swatch Group.

On my recent trip to Switzerland, i didn't like any of the Swatch watches, some of them looked weird.

Easily this money can fetch you an upper-end ranged Tissot or a middle-price ranged Longines, the latter being more preferable.

Already own a Tissot automatic.

The difference being that watches like GC & Armani are just fashion labels who outsource the building of the case,

I agree with you, this is what was told to me by a friend as well and that is the reason I am in 2 minds whether to buy or not.

Helios is one of the worst places in my view, to shop for a watch.. they keep outdated pieces from terrible brands and most of their watches have micro-scratches because they don't treat them carefully.

Oh, is it. Will keep that in mind.

Still if you absolutely love the Rolex Submariner Steel-Gold inspired design of the GC you could go for it.. quartz movements are relatively reliable for 4-5 years easily before needing a service.

The reason why I so like this watch is purely the looks! It looks more expensive than what it is. I have also been eyeing a few from the Seiko Sportura series.
Came across another similar looking GC watch for half the price! I am tempted again.
http://helioswatchstore.com/details....=GCX53002G1S-B

Originally Posted by AVR

I find Victorinox (Maverick?) watches quite good in this range. Look great. Good build and 25-45k range.

I liked a few Victorinox watches the last time i went to Helios because a few of them looked similar to Rolex.

[FarPatel]

I've been using this Citizen Eco-Drive SKYHAWK for the past 13 odd years. It's loaded with features that I do use, like three alarms, timer, lap timer, countdown, lots of countries times preset, digital as well as the analog. What I've never used is the rotating bezel with three circular scales used to calculate fuel consumption etc for flying enthusiasts. Something like the slide-rule of yore.
My other watch is a Seiko Kinetic with a titanium body, a couple of years older than the Citizen. I had given it to the only authorised service centre in Maharashtra, in Pune to look into a charging problem and he didn't do a good job, so I've now given it to an 'unauthorised' watch repairer here in Mumbai, who told me that the Pune guy hasn't done anything to the watch. So if this guy is successful in repairing it I'll probably let Seiko know about the quality of their so-called authorised service centres.

[aashish_84]

TISSOT T-RACE, Moto GP Special Edition.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by PPS

On my recent trip to Switzerland, i didn't like any of the Swatch watches, some of them looked weird.

I was actually referring to Swatch Group, the Swatch brand I agree is more suited for kids. The Swatch Group owns a long line of brands from the entry level Tissot & Longines to the semi-luxury Omega and Jaquet Droz and the legendary luxury brands like Glasutte Original, Breguet and Harry Winston (in order). All brands are manufactured in-house.

There are more affordable watch brands you can look at like Frederique Constant or Louis Erard which are better made than the ones by fashion brands. Some even better than TAG at a quarter price which uses almost the same ETA outsourced movement.

[john doe]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

The difference being that watches like GC & Armani are just fashion labels who outsource the building of the case, movement etc to other countries like China and its assembled and stamped there. Few are assembled in Switzerland but 49% of the parts can be brought in from outside and still qualify for the Swiss-Made tag.

This Bold part is the dirty secret of the Swiss watch industry.
There is an Indian "Swiss Made" watch company which is advertising like crazy. I think the brand is "Swiss Eagle"

Fashion label watches are so popular, and I never understood why. One would not buy a GC or Armani branded car or TV. Why a watch?

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by FarPatel

I've been using this Citizen Eco-Drive SKYHAWK for the past 13 odd years. It's loaded with features that I do use, like three alarms, timer, lap timer, countdown, lots of countries times preset, digital as well as the analog. What I've never used is the rotating bezel with three circular scales used to calculate fuel consumption etc for flying enthusiasts. Something like the slide-rule of yore.
My other watch is a Seiko Kinetic

Hey same-pinch! I have the exact same watch too.

How do you find the kinetic? Have the Seiko automatic but something stops me from buying a kinetic.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by john doe

Fashion label watches are so popular, and I never understood why. One would not buy a GC or Armani branded car or TV. Why a watch?

Well in this case perhaps, its because watches are very often considered a design statement and not exactly used for time telling.. I myself hardly look at the wrist for time. Phones and laptops have long replaced that. Women have various options to express their style, men have only one or two accessory options.. one of them being the watch so design houses cash in on this.

Watches are useless for the most part and at the same time, for the horologists they matter the most. Ask any Indian and perhaps 90% of the population worldwide 3 famous watch brands that come to their mind and without a blink of an eye they'd most probably say TAG Heuer, Omega & Rolex. Sure all 3 have a history and reputation for good watches.. but most importantly these 3 brands have marketed themselves like no other brand, TAG pulls in new celebrities every month and advertise heavily and Rolex call themselves the gold-standard of watches.

In haute-horologerie (high horology) none of these 3 brands matter.. they go all the way down to low 50's in terms of ranking. All these 3 brands make simple watches, we have the basic 3 hand dial, a date and at the most - day indicator. The true haute manufacturers have a day+ date+ month+ year+ moonphase and that's just for starters.. a brand like IWC even squeezes in the chronograph, minute repeater, and power reserve indicator on top of all the above complications. We have Jaeger LeCoultre with their Reverso the words first dual-sided watch with independent time adjusters, the A Lange & Sohne TerraLuna 14 Day which is considered a marvel in timekeeping, I could go on.

In the end all the haute horology brands are inaccessible, only reserved for the 1% specially their flagship models with gold/platinum casing. The watch industry is the only place where everything from the Chinese knockoffs, to the low rung digital watches all the way to an ultra expensive mechanical watch do essentially the same thing equally well - tell time. Yet at the end of the day its a call between perception and practicality.