Help me to decide and stay on track!

[Raza]

Fellow seekers....I've decided to consolidate and set myself towards a more expensive daily wearer. I won't go into the details as to what will be leaving my collection, but things will be changing.

So this is where you all come into play.

I need help deciding which watch is worthy to replace half my collection. I also need your help to keep me from picking up little cheaper watches here and there. My friend just discovered vintage Seiko and Citizen chronographs, so he's sending me auction links all day long and it's not doing much to strengthen my resolve.

This is going to be no short journey. I expect it will take the rest of the year, if not into February of next year. This is why I need your help. I figure a whole forum keeping me on the straight and narrow will be a lot easier than me just trying to say "Wait, wait, wait..."

So, this is the top choice of all the watches I'm considering. The Bell & Ross BR126 is a distant second.

Tudor Heritage Chronograph


(I prefer the gray dial, but I like the black too.)


If any of you would like to make suggestions, this is what I'm looking for:

40-44mm in width
Sapphire crystal
Chronograph strongly preferred (screwdown pushers a plus)
100m WR
Automatic or manual wind
Looks good on bracelet, rubber, and/or NATO (leather is fine too, but this will primarily be a go-anywhere watch)
Budget is ~$4000. Less is certainly okay. This watch will be a keeper, rest-of-my-life type watch. This is going to be the most expensive watch I've ever bought for myself.
I will consider used, but only in like-new condition. Obviously the Tudor is going to be hard to find, so I might need to go used for that or make a trip up to Canada.

I'm currently in the saving/stay away from distractions mode.

Current Status: $1000 of $4000 saved

I'll make periodic updates to the thread as the situation changes. Thanks in advance, guys.

EDIT:

The Contenders:

Hamilton Pan Europ:


Bell & Ross BR126:


RGM #400:

[Donut]

The Tudor is a very nice choice.

[Roller.959]

I'm in a similar boat my friend, but I won't be consolidating. Here is the direction I am looking to go. Boost your price range a bit and feel free to get there first!



Otherwise, the Tudor looks good. What about the Longines Column Wheel Record Chrono? $3k...

Stay on track...ignore your buddy's distractions. If this is "the one" you want to hold on to, be the one to own it from the start. Good Luck!

[Doboji]

I think your target is too low, and your timescale too short... go bigger. Once you cross that 2K line, you're going to start looking at comparable watches and your resolve will weaken. You need to be in the 8K+ range...

[Raza]

I think your target is too low, and your timescale too short... go bigger. Once you cross that 2K line, you're going to start looking at comparable watches and your resolve will weaken. You need to be in the 8K+ range...

I'll give that 3-4 years! DeepSea, Sub-C no date, Explorer II? I'll be ready for a big dive what by then.

[geoffbot]

Raza - I know you like chronographs and the Tudor is lovely, but I remember a while back you were dead into the Submariner (I'm still there); are you over it? I'd buy a pre-loved Sub instead myself.

My issue I have is that it's not quite a Rolex. Stupid, I know, but it seems strange having a watch made by Rolex, but without the label (and movement, but semantics).

The B&R is actually really nice - a friend bought it recently and it's the only one I'd consider from them. But I don't know if I could buy it for myself.

[ColinW]

I also need your help to keep me from picking up little cheaper watches here and there. My friend just discovered vintage Seiko and Citizen chronographs, so he's sending me auction links all day long and it's not doing much to strengthen my resolve.

I suggest living vicariously through others. Lord knows I do it daily. Of course, I have no choice.

It's more money, but how about a PO:



More affordable is the Seamaster:



But if a remember correctly, you don't like the wavy dial.

[dnslater]

Sinn makes some really nice Chronographs that hit all your marks. I like the Tudor though. Didn't you announce around this time last year that you were buying one watch for 2011? How did that workout?

A watch forum helping keep you on the straight and narrow. Ha!

[khj94704]

Fellow seekers....I've decided to consolidate and set myself towards a more expensive daily wearer. I won't go into the details as to what will be leaving my collection, but things will be changing.

So this is where you all come into play.

I need help deciding which watch is worthy to replace half my collection. I also need your help to keep me from picking up little cheaper watches here and there. My friend just discovered vintage Seiko and Citizen chronographs, so he's sending me auction links all day long and it's not doing much to strengthen my resolve.

This is going to be no short journey. I expect it will take the rest of the year, if not into February of next year. This is why I need your help. I figure a whole forum keeping me on the straight and narrow will be a lot easier than me just trying to say "Wait, wait, wait..."

So, this is the top choice of all the watches I'm considering. The Bell & Ross BR126 is a distant second.

Tudor Heritage Chronograph


(I prefer the gray dial, but I like the black too.)


If any of you would like to make suggestions, this is what I'm looking for:

40-44mm in width
Sapphire crystal
Chronograph strongly preferred (screwdown pushers a plus)
100m WR
Automatic or manual wind
Looks good on bracelet, rubber, and/or NATO (leather is fine too, but this will primarily be a go-anywhere watch)
Budget is ~$4000. Less is certainly okay. This watch will be a keeper, rest-of-my-life type watch. This is going to be the most expensive watch I've ever bought for myself.
I will consider used, but only in like-new condition. Obviously the Tudor is going to be hard to find, so I might need to go used for that or make a trip up to Canada.

I'm currently in the saving/stay away from distractions mode.

Current Status: $1000 of $4000 saved

I'll make periodic updates to the thread as the situation changes. Thanks in advance, guys.

That Tudor is a great looking watch. 2892 with a modular chrono, if I'm not mistaken. I was looking at those on fleabay a few days ago, and ~$4k for "as new" seemed to be the going rate. Of course, that is the 'bay, so caveat emptor and all...

If we're talking $8k+, I would get either the JLC Master Compressor Chrono 2 or the Blancpain Leman 2885f flyback chrono. Both are in the smaller part of your size range but are absolutely gorgeous watches.

[Gary123]

Raza:

That Tudor is extremely nice. I can't see you going wrong with that one - a striking piece. At the moment I quite like the Tag Aquaracer 500m Chronograph diver - a couple shots posted below. I know it is a bit below your budget.

As to your screw down pushers, technology has long been in place to provide 100m of water resistance without screw down pushers - for mechanical movements. Screw down pushers are generally a pain, I don't know why you would want them. The Tag offers 500m of water resistance without screw down pushers. This is quite an achievement.



Here a few others that meet your requirements.



Seiko Ananta - unfortunately rare and likely difficult to find


UTS 600m