[joe1980]

Originally Posted by amansanc

Until now, I have only lusted after nice time pieces and have read about a few in this thread. But now is the time to pick one up. The budget I have earmarked for my first premium watch is close to €1200 (Rs. 1 lakh). I would request some advise on the below points:
1) Which movement to consider in this price range? I am leaning towards an automatic movement since I haven´t had a watch with one yet and it intrigues me.
2) Which brands to look out for? Currently, I am considering Longines, Hamilton and even Rado.
3) Any specific watches to consider? I am open to leather strap and metal strap, not rubber. I am also open to considering an understated design or a sporty one depending on what catches the fancy.

Looking for some help from fellow members here.

Thanks,
Aman

If you are into elegant timepieces, take a look at NOMOS club.

[nirvanaguy19]

Originally Posted by amansanc

Until now, I have only lusted after nice time pieces and have read about a few in this thread. But now is the time to pick one up. The budget I have earmarked for my first premium watch is close to €1200 (Rs. 1 lakh). I would request some advise on the below points:
1) Which movement to consider in this price range? I am leaning towards an automatic movement since I haven´t had a watch with one yet and it intrigues me.
2) Which brands to look out for? Currently, I am considering Longines, Hamilton and even Rado.
3) Any specific watches to consider? I am open to leather strap and metal strap, not rubber. I am also open to considering an understated design or a sporty one depending on what catches the fancy.

Looking for some help from fellow members here.

Thanks,
Aman

Look at Oris Diver 65 or Aquis. Both of these can be had for close to 1L (post discount at ethos). I personally love Oris as a brand, independently owned with their own style

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by nirvanaguy19

Look at Oris Diver 65 or Aquis. Both of these can be had for close to 1L (post discount at ethos). I personally love Oris as a brand, independently owned with their own style

I suppose amansanc is in Germany. So he is not dependent on Ethos and has wider options in-terms of variety and pricing.

[joe1980]

Originally Posted by nirvanaguy19

Look at Oris Diver 65 or Aquis. Both of these can be had for close to 1L (post discount at ethos). I personally love Oris as a brand, independently owned with their own style

Oris Divers 65 is also an option in the price range! It is a classic watch with a modern touch!

If you value in house build movements, simplicity, elegance and value for money, I would strongly suggest to take a look at NOMOS!

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by joe1980

If you are into elegant timepieces, take a look at NOMOS club.

I do love elegant timepieces. Did take a look at NOMOS. However, for my first premium watch, would like to buy a brand which is more widely known. NOMOS maybe for the next time

Originally Posted by nirvanaguy19

Look at Oris Diver 65 or Aquis. Both of these can be had for close to 1L (post discount at ethos). I personally love Oris as a brand, independently owned with their own style

Will check Oris watches too. I live in Germany so luckily not dependant on Ethos and can find watches at a lot more places.

Originally Posted by Jaguar

I suppose amansanc is in Germany. So he is not dependent on Ethos and has wider options in-terms of variety and pricing.

Correct, wider variety can a boon or bane though. Makes things confusing

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by amansanc

I do love elegant timepieces. Did take a look at NOMOS. However, for my first premium watch, would like to buy a brand which is more widely known. NOMOS maybe for the next time

Why not the Grand Seiko?

[.sushilkumar]

A request to BHPians in NCR.

Any recommendations for a good HMT mechanic in Noida or adjoining areas. The Crown of my black pilot is dislocated and urgently need a repair.

Also looking to add more HMT's to my collection. I know they are closed now but any leads will be appreciated.

[HyperRetard]

How about something German, like the Sinn 103?

(Although I personally prefer the Swiss made Fortis offerings)

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by amansanc

Until now, I have only lusted after nice time pieces and have read about a few in this thread. But now is the time to pick one up. The budget I have earmarked for my first premium watch is close to €1200 (Rs. 1 lakh). I would request some advise on the below points:
1) Which movement to consider in this price range? I am leaning towards an automatic movement since I haven´t had a watch with one yet and it intrigues me.
2) Which brands to look out for? Currently, I am considering Longines, Hamilton and even Rado.
3) Any specific watches to consider? I am open to leather strap and metal strap, not rubber. I am also open to considering an understated design or a sporty one depending on what catches the fancy.

Looking for some help from fellow members here.

Thanks,
Aman

My pick would be the RADO R27100912.
Even the Oris Big Crown Pro Pilot would be within reach.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by amansanc

1) Which movement to consider in this price range? I am leaning towards an automatic movement since I haven´t had a watch with one yet and it intrigues me.
2) Which brands to look out for? Currently, I am considering Longines, Hamilton and even Rado.
3) Any specific watches to consider? I am open to leather strap and metal strap, not rubber. I am also open to considering an understated design or a sporty one depending on what catches the fancy.

Most definitely consider a mechanical movement (whether automatic or manual - I personally prefer automatics), not a quartz one. Watchmaking craftsmanship is much more evident in automatic watches, as compared to quartz timepieces (at the expense of some accuracy though).

I would suggest, rather than considering the usual Swiss brands, you will get way more value in good German timepieces. Like their automobiles, Germans make absolute wonderful timepieces - understated, classy and solid build quality. One of my favourite brands is Sinn, and two models which I think might fit in your budget are the Sinn 104 as well as the Sinn 556 A/556I. Another great German brand with a rich history is Stowa. Stowa has a very good online store, and whats more, you can customise your watch in many ways when placing your order online. They have a large range of designs and movements, you can take your pick depending upon your budget.

Another fantastic brand (though lesser known) is from UK, Christopher Ward. Consider their Trident range of divers and GMT watches. Really sharp designs, and solid Swiss ETA- based movements.

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by sridhu

Why not the Grand Seiko?

Wish to get a Swiss or maybe German watch this time hence not considering Grand Seiko.

Originally Posted by HyperRetard

How about something German, like the Sinn 103?

(Although I personally prefer the Swiss made Fortis offerings)

Both seem to be quite unknown. Would prefer a known brand for now.

Originally Posted by Viraat13

My pick would be the RADO R27100912.
Even the Oris Big Crown Pro Pilot would be within reach.

Rado is high up in the consideration list. Let me see if there are good deals on Oris.

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Most definitely consider a mechanical movement (whether automatic or manual - I personally prefer automatics), not a quartz one. Watchmaking craftsmanship is much more evident in automatic watches, as compared to quartz timepieces (at the expense of some accuracy though).

I would suggest, rather than considering the usual Swiss brands, you will get way more value in good German timepieces. Like their automobiles, Germans make absolute wonderful timepieces - understated, classy and solid build quality. One of my favourite brands is Sinn, and two models which I think might fit in your budget are the Sinn 104 as well as the Sinn 556 A/556I. Another great German brand with a rich history is Stowa. Stowa has a very good online store, and whats more, you can customise your watch in many ways when placing your order online. They have a large range of designs and movements, you can take your pick depending upon your budget.

Another fantastic brand (though lesser known) is from UK, Christopher Ward. Consider their Trident range of divers and GMT watches. Really sharp designs, and solid Swiss ETA- based movements.

Automatic watch is what I am leaning towards. I did want to take a look at the German brands but the issue is that most of these brands are not known by Germans themselves, forget people outside Germany knowing about them. Must admit, I did try on a few timepieces from Union Glashütte and they did feel well built. But perhaps a lesser known brand for the next time. Need a more known brand for this time hence looking at popular Swiss brands.

[avishar]

Came across this article (and very interesting company today)

http://www.forbesindia.com/article/b...me-job/51559/1

Bangalore Watch Company: A full time job
How a husband-wife duo started an indigenous, affordable watch microbrand for the discerning buyer

In mid-2016, Nirupesh Joshi (37) and Mercy Amalraj (37), husband and wife, spent close to 10 weeks touring various countries on rail—two weeks in Japan, six weeks on the Trans-Siberian Railway Network and another two in Vietnam. For Joshi, it was a sabbatical, after having worked at cloud service provider Akamai Technologies for 10 years across Boston, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Joshi, who was Akamai’s director of services for the Asia Pacific region based out of Hong Kong, had quickly risen within the company, which he had joined as an engineer in Bengaluru a decade ago. Amalraj, an IT professional, gave up her career in Bengaluru to accompany Joshi around the world. She did, however, take up a few freelancing assignments related to software quality assurance in the countries the couple stayed in.

“The next jump for me was going to be Singapore and that’s when we decided to take a break,” recalls Joshi at a cafe in Bengaluru’s JP Nagar suburb. After their rail sojourns, they visited Madurai and Rameshwaram, both cities in Tamil Nadu, to spend time with their families. “It was also a time to reflect,” adds Joshi.

That period led the couple to launch the Bangalore Watch Company (BWC), an affordable luxury watch microbrand, in January 2017.

Globally, there is a growing tribe of watch enthusiasts who are launching their own microbrands for the discerning buyer. As Joshi explains, microbrands have independent ownership — predominately by watch enthusiasts such as themselves; they manufacture and sell directly to customers, mostly online, and don’t have offline distribution and a retail presence. Given their direct selling approach, these watch microbrands don’t carry the retail markups that many luxury brands do. For example, says Joshi, if you buy an Omega for ₹3 lakh the retailer takes a 35 percent margin. “It’s a steep margin because the retailer is putting money upfront, placing the product on the shelf and waiting for it to be sold. So that margin is justified.”

That apart, for Joshi and Amalraj, the whole build-up to BWC happened in Hong Kong, known to be a paradise for watch enthusiasts and collectors. “You throw a stone and it can hit a Patek Philippe or an A. Lange & Sohne lounge; it’s so congested with watch boutiques,” says Joshi, who along with his wife spent their weekends at these boutiques. “I had a colleague who used to buy these brands. We used to tag along with him.”

This April, the couple launched BWC’s first collection ‘Renaissance Automatic’, which is a tribute to one of the country’s well-known watch brands that went bust a few years ago. It’s a gentlemen’s collection of six automatic watch models with only 500 pieces being made. “To our surprise, a lot of women have bought them because the trend is for women to wear large watches,” says Joshi, who didn’t wish to disclose sales figures.

The collection takes inspiration from the erstwhile HMT Janata watch, which came out in the late 60s. Emblematic of the Janata, the Renaissance Automatic collection features dauphine hands, a tapered triangle shape with a distinct line down the middle, a domed crystal glass, and dials embellished with stainless steel indices as hour and minute markers. There are no Roman or Arabic numerals on the dial.

“It’s a really elegant watch; timeless design and a well-finished product. I’m quite impressed,” says Dilip Sivaraman, an independent clockmaker from Bengaluru. “It’s really encouraging that more people are getting into horology (the art of making clocks and watches), especially those from the IT field.” And he is quick to point out: “You’d rather have watch lovers starting a company because you have a lot more passion built into the product.”

Abhishek Jakate (29), a consultant at Lausanne Hospitality Consulting in Switzerland, is a self-professed horology geek. “I am always reading magazines and websites like aBlogtoWatch, Hodinkee, Monochrome and Fratello that discuss watches, watchmaking, and also upcoming brands,” says Jakate, now based in Lausanne, an hour away from Geneva. In March, he stumbled upon an article in aBlogtoWatch about BWC, which led him to their website. “I just casually registered without being really sure if I wanted to purchase anything,” he recalls. A day or two later, Joshi called him and spoke about the philosophy behind BWC and the story of how the company started. As an Indian living abroad, Jakate says, “I was keen to have an Indian brand on my wrist and was very intrigued by his story.”

Jakate has a collection of nine watches, including one from BWC, of which the most expensive is a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso at over ₹4 lakh. Commenting on his BWC watch, which is about one-tenth the price of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, he says, “I bought the Grand Ivory stainless steel model that, to me, is a great example of a product that is understated in luxury.” And adds, “Though the watch itself is outstanding in quality and feel, the appeal to me is an emotional one with its Indian heritage and story.”

BWC’s Renaissance watch collection comes in a standard 40 millimetre diameter case that is made from surgical grade stainless steel (316L). There is a rose gold-plated stainless steel case variant as well. On the front of the case is a domed sapphire crystal, while the back has an exhibition case, whereby one can see the movement inside the watch. The movement is made by Citizen, Japan. “The stainless steel case comes from Hong Kong and the crystal from Switzerland. We source leather and a few other small components from India,” adds Joshi, who is also head of design at BWC. The final assembly happens at a contracted watchmaking facility in Bengaluru.

According to Joshi, the Indian watch market is bipolar: On one hand, you have the Swiss watches (₹60,000 plus) for people who can afford them, while, on the other, you have the mass-market watches (Timex, Fastrack, Sonanta) which are mostly ₹2,000 and below. There is also a mid-segment priced between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000, which is dominated by fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and Esprit, among others. “The bridge-to-luxury segment is what we are targeting. Our watches currently are priced at ₹38,800,” says Joshi.

Further, as per his estimates, there are hundreds of watch microbrands around the world. One example that he easily relates to is the Melbourne Watch Company, which was founded in 2013 by Sujain Krishnan, a former IT consultant of Indian origin. “There are at least about six to seven brands in Singapore alone,” says Joshi.

Watches as a category is among the top crowdfunded ones on Kickstarter, a leading crowdfunding platform. A quick search reveals that there are over 3,500 watch projects on the platform. “People who buy these watches are typically enthusiasts. Some microbrands differentiate by the materials they use, some differentiate by telling a story. We like to think we are the latter,” says Amalraj.

For 36-year-old Adarsh Srinivas, a real estate developer and restaurateur based in Bengaluru, BWC fulfils a long cherished dream of Indian watch enthusiasts. “To me, it [the brand] is what discerning watch lovers in India want from an indigenous, independent watch brand and couldn’t find till now.” For a person who flits between a Rolex, a Montblanc and a Jaeger-LeCoultre, Srinivas says, “The aesthetics [of the BWC watch] really struck me and I’ve grown to love it as an everyday watch. I hope BWC can mature into an independent watch brand like Kikuchi Nakagawa of Japan or Farer in England.”

Do Joshi and Amalraj have the vision to take it there? Time will tell.

Some pictures from their website

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by avishar

Came across this article (and very interesting company today)

This micro brand has been discussed on this thread several pages back. I was not enamoured by the watches, mainly because they are too large in diameter to be suitable dress watches (which is the segment that they profess to be in), and the prices are way above what they are actually worth. At this same price, much superior timepieces can be had from (overseas) manufacturers with considerable provenance and history.

Not to diss indigenous efforts, but they really need to price it much more sensibly to make any inroads into a market already dominated by tons of established players.

[surjaonwheelz]

Hello Bhpians,

Does any of you own a Omologato wrist watch? It's perhaps the only watch manufacturer with Automobile history!

Their tag line is, "...honouring the past by racing into the future" Their modus operandi is design a watch with automobile/racing dna, produce limited numbers of it and repeat. Their movements are Japanese/Swiss Quartz and Seiko Automatics. They sure are a collector's item. Bhpians with horological interest can surely check them out at Omologato watches and share their views.

British Racing Green


They range from 99 pounds to 550 pounds with most models at 330 to 350 pounds.

I admire their design and attention to details and have no funds to own one as of now. Just wanted to share this watch with automobile connect, to add few bhps on our wrist!

--surjaonwheelz

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Hello Bhpians,

Does any of you own a Omologato wrist watch? It's perhaps the only watch manufacturer with Automobile history!

...

If you like automobile inspired watches, check out Autodromo. They've got some amazing designs, and Ford has tied up with them for custom watches for GT40 owners (or something like that).