First "Real" Watch

I think the Speedmaster "moon watch" would be a great everyday piece.

11 years ago when I got my first "real" watch I chose an Omega Seamaster Pro. I just couldn't afford $4k for a moon watch at the time. I've worn the SMP a lot over the years and it still looks and works great. Recently been debating with myself whether or not to have it serviced. It runs perfectly so I'm not too excited about messing with it. It's not like it has rubber timing belts

 

A great first "real" watch. They are durable, parts are available, good looking etc. Buy it right and it will maintain its value very well.

If you can spring for the extra, I would reccomend an earlier model with the caliber 321 movement. They keep climbing and climbing in value.

 

Nope.
Bigger is in now and 42 is not even "big".

 

I've never bought a watch at less than 25% off of retail, and 30% is common, especially on something like an Omega. You can do a little better. I love my Speedmaster but I hardly wear it any more. I've only seen one other one like it.

 

The Speedmaster Pro is among my favorite all time watches. I have owned them and would choose the Sapphire Sandwich for daily wear. The Hesalite Crystal on the original model will scratch and scuff.

-dsd

 

My wife gave me my 3573.50 sapphire sandwich Speedmaster for Christmas last year. I have only worn my Rolex Submariner twice since I received the Speedmaster. I love the Speedmaster and the different looks you can give it by changing the bracelet to a leather strap. If you get the 3573.50 I am sure you will love it as well, it is an iconic watch. The manual winding is actually fun and creates an additional bond with your watch.

 

Look at the new Speedmaster Racing line that is now being released to dealers. I went to an event last week and had a fairly long conversation with the president of Omega about it. I used to have a Speedy but it felt way too flimsy and I grilled him about the new case and movement on new Speedmasters. They seem to be very good.

 

My first real watch was also an Omega. Blue dial/bezel Seamaster Pro Chronometer. I bought it when I was 18.
Now I only buy Rolex, because they match my style. I have a few Omegas, but I have more Rolex watches. I guess that's how my style has changed now @ 31.

Omegas are a great first choice. Good luck.

 

What a bragger you are!!!

To the OP, I've had dozens of watches and I'm proud to say my first "Real" one was a full bar Constellation Chronograph.

 

My wrists are not very large either and the Speedmaster Pro fits just fine.

Here is my watch. It is a pre-moon Speedy but, as discussed in an earlier thread, we're not exactly sure which year it is.
I'm waiting until it needs servicing to get them to take a pic of what the movement looks like on the inside.

I enjoy it a lot and wear it a few times a month as I trade off with my various other watches.
Always fun to wear the same watch as the old Apollo astronauts.
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I don't know how it took you so long to chime in with that. I had the over/under at 32 minutes.

 

A graeat looking classic and the size looks just right.


7.5" wrist here. and my SS Scud @ 44mm bezel/case diameter is as big as I'll ever go.

My SS Rolex datejust, purchased in 1990, was and still is my "first real watch". It always looked big to me at a mere 35mm but I've had a major perception adjustment with the popularity of much larger diameter watches and ownership of a couple of them.

 

I bought a Speedmaster Pro Chronograph (but not the "Moonwatch" edition) new back in 1990 or 1991. Still have the receipt in my closet somewhere. In the early days of ownership, I wore it several times a week. Now I only wear it a few times a month. Pros and cons in my ownership experience:

Pro: Timeless design; automatic movement means I never have to monkey with batteries and I like that; inflation make these watches hold their value. I bought mine for less than $800 twenty years ago.

Con: Chronograph movement is a bit of a letdown. Twice I had to send it back for factory authorized service when the sweep hand would not return to the 12 position.

 

I bought my first real watch, a Rolex Sub, when I entered grad school in 1988. I think I paid $1200 for it new and have kept it all these years. I have bought more Rolexes since then and I never wear them. The Sub was my daily watch for over ten years and alternated with a two tone Datejust.

Nowdays, the Rolexes sit on the winder and I wear either a B&M Riviera or a Festina chrono as my daily, sometimes a Guess chrono or a TW Steel.

 

Chris has this one for sale.........

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=141973090&postcount=268

 

My first real watch Rolex datejust was six months old and "slightly preowned" at purchase; for all purposes in new condition and bought at a quite considerable discount from new retail price.

No problems whatsoever and but bare minimum maintenance needed in near 22 years of ownership, keeps as good time as any quartz watch I've owned.

That being said, I guess buying preowned is alway more of a crapshoot. I did my homework well before buying the Rolex; would buy another preowned higher end watch but not before doing the same.

 

No real pain with a pre-owned Omega. So much so, I would never buy the watch new.

You can trust Chris. I think I have now bought 5 watches from him. He's a man of his word and if he says that watch is in top shape, I would believe him. Wish I had an extra $2700 to buy that. The speedmaster is on my short list of next watch purchases.

 

To the OP

You mentioned that this is your first watch and that you wanted to go through "your AD". I noticed he sells Cartier.

Might I recommend the Cartier Tank Francais? A true classic watch in history that hasn't changed much over time and will ALWAYS be classic.

I know the style today calls for huge watches. The 70s saw ruffles on tuxedos. But the classic black tux has always been timeless.

As this is your first watch, it will be something you'll probably always keep. You'll want it to look "classic" when you're 30, 40 and 80. The Tank, like a classic tux, will always look good long after the ruffled look looks ridiculous.

So might I suggest the Tank? It is timeless and a good mid-sized watch that looks good on every wrist. Looks good with a t shirt or black tie.

Just my $.02

 

While the Cartier is a nice watch, perhaps the OP wants something different for his first "real" watch. Since he's looking Speedmaster, I'm guessing that the Chronograph function is relevant to him. It never was to me until I bought my Stainless Steel Rolex Daytona (white dial) last week. Now, I find myself using the chronograph function every time I wear it. Granted, that will probably wear off.

Cartier's are nice watches, but do many people aspire to them as their first "real" watch? I'm sure there are some, but personally, not me. For my first watch, I wanted a Rolex, but could not afford it. So, the Omega Seamaster Pro Chronometer was a good gateway-drug for me. Now I can buy about any Rolex I choose. So, I only buy Rolex, because I like them.

I would say a Rolex, Omega, or even a Tag Heuer might be a more aspirational first "real" watch.