[vikash49]

Originally Posted by anandtheleo

slightly heavy (i don't prefer it for driving, the left hand pains after some time). But the build quality is superb.

Yes, at 195gms, it's a bit heavier at than my other SS metal bracelet sports watches which are closer to 150gms.

Tissot


Tag Heuer


Hugo Boss


But, at 99gms my Titanium Citizen EcoDrive is in a different league all together!

Citizen

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Saanil

I was not aware that Rado makes watches with quartz movements. I thought the 'high end' watch makers produce watches with manual movements only.

You're partly right, the high end watchmakers do make watches only with manual/automatic winding movements.. Rado is far from being one of them, at best they are in the above-average region in the entry level category. Even TAG Heuer, Omega or Rolex do not qualify as haute manufacturers.

However here's another reality, it really doesn't matter if its quartz or automatic or manual winding.. there is no special skill per se, required to make a manual wind, there are Chinese movements that are made on the cheap and cost like 20$ and last years easily even with the faux rubies. Why the manual wind became vaunted was because of the brands that made them and embellished them - for example A.Lange & Sohne (the pinnacle of watch finishing) watch movements go through days of carving, grinding, polishing and are jointed by heat-blued cobalt screws and genuine rubies.. its a work of art and same goes for the other true high end watch brands like Breguet, IWC, and Jaeger Le-Coultre though to a much lesser degree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZE-ORTurSY

Jaeger Le-Coultre even has made a watch replicating a quartz ticking seconds BUT with a mechanical movement, called the Geophysic True-Seconds, they did this by using a separate mechanism called the gyrolab which regulates the tick motion by syncing with the escapement :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr9N7uiYlsM

Hence my opinion that its perfectly fine to buy quartz watches, heck they are infinitely more convenient that the antiquated manual winding. However when it comes to a dress watch, a piece of jewelry for men.. there is nothing that beats a true haute horologerie brand. There are so many of them that are reasonably priced, too.. for example I'd infinitely prefer Blancpain to a Rolex or Omega (BP is ranked much, much higher than sister brand Omega, almost Patek quality) and yet is priced at the same levels of entry luxury, likewise with certain models of JLC or IWC.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by PPS

Ethos is offering around 20-40% off on certain brands this month. , Raymond Weil Tango (77k), Frederique Constant Horological (
This will be my most expensive watch purchase & its going to be more like an investment.

Yes this is on account of GST and I am already a beneficiary with my
recently acquired Titoni.
If you dont mind a suggestion from a fellow watch enthusiast, please consider an Automatic. They last forever and age very well. Of the above choices you have indicated, I clearly prefer Frederique Constant mainly because they are of a smaller scale being family owned and in many of their slightly more expensive offerings, use their own in house developed 'movement' rather than buying the generic Swiss ETA automatic movements.
I too, have my eye on their Worldtime Automatic watch.

Cheers!

[anandtheleo]

That's my PRS 516 tissot I was telling about.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Yes this is on account of GST and I am already a beneficiary with my recently acquired Titoni.

Thanks to your post did i get to know about the discount and got serious about buying another watch.
Btw, that Titoni Seascoper is gorgeous!

If you dont mind a suggestion from a fellow watch enthusiast, please consider an Automatic.

I already have a Tissot automatic which i've given to my dad to wear. I believe if you don't wear the automatic watch regularly it stops & you have to wind it again. Atleast, that was the issue i faced with my Tissot. This watch which i propose to buy will only be worn occasionally & not everyday.

I clearly prefer Frederique Constant mainly because they are of a smaller scale being family owned

Plan to go to Ethos next week & check them out. Just hope they have all the stock which are shown on their website.

[Puneet.S]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Prctically every watchmaker has a quartz range - Rolex, Tag, Omega to name a few biggies. My son hasa Quartz Tag, while my wife had a Quartz Rado

Roles had quartz line in the past but not anymore - they only do mechanical wrist watches at present.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by PPS

Thanks to your post did i get to know about the discount and got serious about buying another watch.
Btw, that Titoni Seascoper is gorgeous!

I already have a Tissot automatic which i've given to my dad to wear. I believe if you don't wear the automatic watch regularly it stops & you have to wind it again. Atleast, that was the issue i faced with my Tissot. This watch which i propose to buy will only be worn occasionally & not everyday.

Plan to go to Ethos next week & check them out. Just hope they have all the stock which are shown on their website.

A few that I loved. Saw them in Ethos at the Bangalore Airport last week while exiting India.

Maybe I ll buy one or more of these one day...

All the Longines have ETA movements because they own ETA. The vintage Aviation inspired Longines' are lovely.

The Frederique Constant watches pictured here have their own in house movements. That World Time one is simply superb!

The Oris Aviation I have my eyes on. Again an in house movement I am told.

And this Orient I have bought- awaiting it this week from Amazon USA.

That Omega Globemaster is very expensive but this is the one I d love to own.

Apart from these I saw some superb second hand vintage Rolexes, Panerais, Longines, Girrard Perregaux and Omegas and Tudors in Melbourne at a second hand shop a couple of days ago. All of these had smaller dials and cases because they are from the 50's and 60's when perhaps wrists were smaller and anyway in the modern times all watches appear to have grown in size.

And yesterday when I was going to catch my plane in Melbourne, I saw a shop which was going out of business in Melbourne Airport and they were offering 20-40%
Off on IWC, Rolex, Tudor etc - nice watches overall but none of the exact type that I was looking for...sadly.

But there is always another day.

[sgiitk]

We have a lot of Omegas in our family. Four Constellations, one Speedmaster Pro, plus a Longines, and Tissot to boot. The latter are also from Swatch family. We were having a major maintenance problem, but now thanks to @SS-Traveller we have been able to locate the Swatch service centre in Delhi (Saket). We have given in the Longines and the Speedmaster Pro for service. The latter had been messed up by a Kanpur chap, after being refused in Kolkata (returned after three months) and bad service in Lucknow. Let us see what comes out of it. The set up is highly professional by the looks of it. I hope both get fixed. The Speedmaster was bought by me in 1975 from Geneva. I still have the original receipt and the warranty card. They have quoted for both after due inspection by their experts, and we have asked them to go ahead.

They are not cheap and insist on 100% original parts, incl even the strap.

[promit]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

They are not cheap and insist on 100% original parts, incl even the strap.

I have a lovely 1961 Omega Seamaster which needs to be restored and serviced. Was planning on having it done sometime this year. Can you share the quote you have received and the cost of the strap? I looked at the online service estimation for mine, assuming it's a category 4 it seems like a 38-51K service quote. Also, what is the time duration quoted?

Thanks in advance!
Promit

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by promit

I have a lovely 1961 Omega Seamaster which needs to be restored and serviced. Was planning on having it done sometime this year. Can you share the quote you have received and the cost of the strap? I looked at the online service estimation for mine, assuming it's a category 4 it seems like a 38-51K service quote. Also, what is the time duration quoted?

Thanks in advance!
Promit

I have replied to you by PM. The Speedmaster is u/s and is from 1975. The Longines is relatively recent. I will try and get the full invoice for the Longines also.

[shankar.balan]

The WORST ever experience with Amazon Global in terms of delivery.

I had followed their instructions and uploaded my Aadhaar Card as KYC.

When the courier came home to deliver the product (Orient Watch) he demanded a photocopy for verification. He said he wanted the photocopy else he would not deliver. I told him to take a walk. At which time he asked me to raise a complaint. So blasé about customer service these filthy Aramex Courier people are!

I shall NEVER give my personal ID details photocopy to some random courier guy.

Especially when Amazon's stated KYC policy is as follows and I am not required to give any photocopies when I have already uploaded my KYC. That much is very clear.

Amazon KYC Policy Below:
ID Proof Collection for Delivery
When you purchase items being shipped from the US through Global Store, our designated carriers deliver the item to your delivery address. As per custom regulations, you need to provide Photo Address proof, which can be provided while placing the order on Amazon.in or at the time of delivery. ID Proof uploaded on Amazon is securely stored for all your future purchases and returns of Global Store products.

Basis this I got their customer service to call back on 6th (the same day the courier came)
and demanded re-delivery which I was assured would happen the same day or max the next day (today). On checking the site for the delivery status I found that now the order is going to be delivered only tomorrow (8th).

I blasted their customer service this afternoon at which time I was assured that they would deliver today. They said to me that the courier chap said that my phone was "Switched off". This is a regular lie that these couriers give. Either Phone Switched off OR door locked! Ridiculous!

Now it is 8pm and still no product!

Upon re escalating, again I am told by their filthy customer service that the order will only be delivered tomorrow.

Hence, out of absolute irritation, I have cancelled the order now and am awaiting their refund asap.

I have escalated this on their Facebook Page over the last 2 days and I am constantly being asked by their idiots to fill up some forms which I have resolutely refused to do!

Being a customer for 18 years with AMAZON, this is the ABSOLUTE WORST experience I have encountered, EVER!

Now I will NEVER buy from Amazon Global again. That is flat.

Disgusting people. Liars all of them.

Seriously I am so irritated that I am writing this personally to their Country Head!

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The WORST ever experience with Amazon Global in terms of delivery.

Sir, sorry to hear about your pathetic experience, and even sorrier to hear that you had to cancel the order of this wonderful timepiece.

My experience was quite contrary to what you mentioned. I had uploaded my license copy. When the courier bloke came, he did ask to see the license which I duly produced. However, there was no demand of xerox or anything to that effect. The entire process of handover took not more than a couple of minutes, pretty smooth overall. And yes, this was Aramex as well.

Really disappointed to hear of this unprofessional customer handling experience.

[PPS]

So headed over to Ethos today & bought the Raymond Weil Tango (Model No: 8560-ST2-50001). By far my most expensive watch purchase! 25% discount is all that i could manage to eek out. Original cost of the watch was 92k, after discount it came to 69k. Although initially i did not have such a healthy budget, but then i liked this watch & decided to splurge. Will post better pictures soon.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Sir, sorry to hear about your pathetic experience, and even sorrier to hear that you had to cancel the order.



Really disappointed to hear of this unprofessional customer handling experience.

In a way I am happy. This leaves me with Rs 16000-17000 odd to place towards the funding of my next exclusive Swiss Automatic time piece.

Im haunting the airwaves and Ethos site and store in particular on the look out for the next big watch.

I dont mind holding my piece for the moment and awaiting the refund from Amazon.

[petrolhead_neel]

Anyone here using Casio DBC/CA53 series watch? In love with it for sometime, blame Breaking Bad and Back to the Future!