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One glance at the table (especially top 3 tiers) and one can assume these brands yells old money. I am genuinely curious to know why new age luxury brands such as Richard Mille, Jacob & Co.,URWERK which are quite popular with celebrities and "New Money" billionaires are not mentioned here. They also (although retails in 6 figures) have market prices in 7 figures USD.

Hey Maky, Apologies for the delayed response.

Yes, I did buy it locally in Delhi (Cooke & Kelvey) and managed a discount of 20% approx. on the MSRP. The discounts vary based on the model. Do let me know if you need a connect in Cooke & Kelvey).

I think the list is more from a price perspective than pedigree. PP, JLC, Vacheron Constantin etc are plenty pedigreed.

1. Watches like most material possessions, are extremely personal in nature. :-) If you like it, you should get it. The Formula 1 line from Tag Heuer has a classic design and is quite likely to fit all occasions. Definitely worth considering.
2. Depending on your bargaining power, you are likely to get between 10-25% off. The discounts also depend on the brands under discussion. When I last made a purchase in December 2023, they had said that Bell & Ross had good discounts.
3. Not sure about this because I did not see too much of a difference. The discounts are likely to be the same. In fact, when compared to prices of luxury watches in Dubai Duty Free, I found that Ethos discounted prices were better.

I am surprised that H. Moser & Cie makes it to the top category but Patek does not.

Am very fond of watches but not really a 'collector' per se. Luxury watches are pretty much out of reach but I tend to actually like quirky watches more than brands.

These are the 4 that I own, other than a couple of Apple Watches.



The first on the left is technically my first watch bought from my own money, got it shipped from abroad since I liked the design so much. This guy Dan Henry was a vintage watch enthusiast and collector and realised most people can't afford those kind of watches. So he started his company to replicate what he found best in those watches at an affordable price point. This is the Dan Henry 1939 Military Chronograph. Very beautiful and well-made.




This is my wife's gift to me and my first 'pilot' watch. The Citizen Navihawk Blue Angels. It's available nowhere now and pretty hard to get repaired so don't wear it often.




This is a cheap and cheerful Casio that the muggy and moisture laden weather of Mumbai doesn't agree with. Bought it because it reminded me of a watch I had in school which was a 'world timer' - so, pure nostalgia.



And this last one is a family treasure. An HMT Avinash that my dad bought when he got married. So this is a watch that is older than me! Too afraid to get the case changed or tamper with it any way, so I keep it as it is :)

This is a list purely on price. Each category is a certain price band. Patek Philipp is simply too cheap a watch for the top category.

Jeroen

Hi - wanted to check with fellow member suggestions of shops (in South Mumbai (Bandra and Khar included)) which offer good range of straps and can do basic service (buffing, change of battery, straps etc.). I have few old watches and I want to do little extra TLC as I am worried that old batteries may gave leaked and may have damaged the watches.

Guys, anyone got a Seiko from Ethos? Do they offer discounts on Seiko? I really like their field watches and planning to get one.

Yes, it's between 10-15%. You can also visit the brand stores for a wide selection, though the discount is smaller. The last time I checked, they were offering interest-free EMIs.

30% and if you bargain hard, 35% also possible.
Last week I enquired for Seiko Speedtimer (SSC911P1), MRP is ₹63000, and they came down to ₹44000 when I mentioned discounts other people got.

Yes. You can stretch them to 33% for certain models from what I got online. I went out and implemented that and got myself a Seiko Alpinist.

Hit that reach out for best price on their online website and bargain once they reach out.

Two of my favourites The Seiko pogue and the Seiko yatchman both from 70s






Pramod

Got 15% off 3 yrs ago on a Seiko watch which I had bought for my wife! You can negotiate for a bigger discount if the MRP of the watch is above 50k.

Thanks guys. I have been offered 22 percent as of now. They don’t have too many Seiko field watch options except the white dial Laurel limited edition. Please share if any one has any suggestions.

Tudor Pelagos Red Bull Racing Edition

Got my first luxury (read: expensive) watch – the Red Bull Racing edition of the Pelagos. I was confused between this and the standard FXD Pelagos, but I chose this one for its colours and comfort. It’s light, comfortable, and fits my ~8” wrist perfectly.

As an F1 fan in India, my love for the sport began during Schumacher’s dominant era. Over time, I admired Adrian Newey’s genius and became a Red Bull Racing supporter. Although this watch is inspired by Red Bull’s sailing team, Alinghi Red Bull Racing, the RBR connection was an incidental benefit that resonated with the F1 follower in me. :)

Here are a few early pics. Will post more as I continue to wear it.