MrShades

All of you watch experts out there.... can you help me?

I'm looking for a half-decent watch for the Mrs for her 30th Birthday - and she's hinted that she may want a half-decent watch.

She'd kill me if I spent silly money on it (and that's obviously reserved for spending on photography equipment and the Scoob) - but I'm looking at £4-600 I guess (especially with her bloody Christmas presents to come next!)

So far, of the sorts of things she likes, I've found this Gucci one:



More detail see here: http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=751

Are Gucci watches any good? Do any of the 'quality' watch manufacturers (ie not the high-street/fashionable names, but GOOD, QUALITY watch manufacturers) make anything better, that's that sort of style and at a similar sort of price?

Any and all advice would be much appreciated...

Thanks

Shades

Brendan Hughes

MrShades

She acts like she wears the trousers at times, but I think that's going a bit too far Brendan.

Thanks anyway.....

MrShades

Where are all the 'watch' folks when you need them....

Hoppy

You'll have to push the price a bit to get a quality watch brand, as opposed to a fashion brand, with a classic design but an Omega Constellation is good, classy and top vfm. Plenty on the Blitz site. Well nice with a bit of (solid) gold, under a grand. Do you love her or what?

Richard.

De Warrenne

agreed - my choice would be to go for a watch brand not a fashion brand: breitling, tag heuer, bulova, omega....

Must ask yourself whether she'll know the difference however.

CharlesW

Ebel make some very stylish Ladies watches. They are top quality Swiss made - not just some fashion item.

http://www.ebel.com/site/default.html#pos2

paulr

Longines and ebel make good watches for women.

Best bet is to take a wander round some decent jewleers then when you know what you want try ringing round to get the best price.
Goldsmiths have a website listing all branches,ring round for the best price then get them to deliver it to your nearest one.
I saved £200 on a £1300 watch doing this.Not bad for an hours work.

paulr

Okay if you know what you are doing,not very good for presents though when it goes dead and you have no warrenty.

Brendan Hughes

Jeweller told me to stay away from Ebel when I was looking for a watch five years ago - something about spare parts (extortionate / rare). FWIW.

Tiggs

unless she is into her watches Gucci/Tifany/etc will mean more to her than Omega/Tag/etc

pretty sure my wife was happy with a watch in a blue tiffany box as opposed to getting a breitling box and me having to explain that in the war pilots had them and they are good and swiss and blah, blah, blah.

paulr

..except that no-one recommended getting her a pilots watch.

Old_Fart

I've got a couple of Gucci watches...got one on my 18th and one on my 21st. I liked the style when I got them and still wear them today...so one is 13 years old and going strong.
My wife is looking at a couple now:
http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=653
and
http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=652
Very distinctive...albeit fashion led and will probably be relegated to the back of the jewellery box in a couple years...
But she's probably going to plump for the Omega:
http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=494
Anyway...nowt wrong with Gucci as long as you understand it is a 'fashion' item rather than a quality engineered product...so if you want one make sure it is distinctive, otherwise just pick a cheaper brand for a more mainstream look
Cman

03-CTR

lol. from experience the tiffany box usually means as much as the contents

mrshades

i bought the wife a gold plated one of these



some years ago for £450 and it has been excellent although the gold plating has long since seen better days. not sure if this is a good thing but i enquired about having the bracelet replaced (as i stupidly assumed the movement to be half decent) and was given a quote of £350-£400 for a replacement bracelet

so i suppose gucci watches are more fashion than anything else (as already pointed out) but then my wife appreciates fashion more so than the engineering that's gone into the movement. women ehh

yoza

My better half has one of these, nice slinky strap, quartz reliable movement, looks more money than it is....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...938416284&rd=1

She likes it as a girly watch, but she wears her Omega SeaMaster 3/4, 24-7.

She also likes my Daytona and has worn it on quite a few occasions, to my dismay.(She gives me 5 minutes notice to remove 6 links )

MrShades

OK - it boils down to:

The £420 Gucci, here: http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=751

or, very similar, but possibly better, £454 Longines here: http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=359

Both look v. similar - I'm quite tempted by the 'non fashion' label, ie Longines - but am interested to know how the two brands compare. Longines vs Gucci at this price level????

Edited to say - DAMN! - Just found this Raymond Weil as well (studded with a few v.small diamonds, etc.), at about the same price and v.similar style: http://www.manhattanjewellers.co.uk/...?productkey=18

I need to buy real soon (like tomorrow) so all advice, again, much appreciated.

Thanks

Shades

yoza

YHPM......