hey guys, first time buyer here and i want to get a watch in the 500-600$ price range that i can wear on multiple occasions. i am thinking something 42mm because i have big hands and then maybe getting a a few straps that would go well with color matching on different occasions.
thank you for all the advice!
My favorite is a Seiko SRPB41. Often referred to as a Seiko Cocktail Time. I have watches costing considerable more, and this watch leads the league in comments/questions by a considerable margin.
Great on a suit, easily slides under a cuffed shirt, yet you can wear them with shorts, flip-flops, and a t-shirt. Good size, they all hover around 40mm, give or take .5mm
There are dozens of watches in this particular Presage family. Web pics are washed out, over-priced. Go look at YouTube. They’re stunning in person. Can be hard to find in a store.
Watch prices range from $300-ish to $495. Department stores might have 1 or 2. Long Island Watch has a bunch, and they discount them a decent amount. Amazon will have some, and Teddy Baldassare’s store might have a couple.
Here’s almost everything about Cocktail Times except the 2022 and 2023 releases.
https://www.theseikoguy.com/presage-cocktail-time/
The model I mentioned above is one of my favorites, and I have 3 other Cocktail Times. SRPJ13 is another I got last year. The SRPJ13 has micro-scallop cuts that play a bit in the light, and form several patterns, one that is extremely subtle, almost like it’s an optical illusion.
The SRPB41 dial pattern is available in a few other colors. Green, pale blue, a charcoal, a silvery color, a few others I can’t recall. Pink and a reddish dial for women.
Browse that link I included. Some are discontinued or Limited Editions. And on eBay, they might shock you. I have an SRPH78 that’s now over $1000. The common ones don’t go up in value, but they’re still amazing, you can get them used to $225-$250.
They just released the SRPK15, looks the same as the SRPB41, but has a gold seconds hand and is on leather, comes with a deployant clasp. And is NOT discounted yet.
One last thing: Seiko leather on watches below $750 is not good. You’ll get 6 months out of it. It’ll start to crack and split like a pair of Walmart dress shoes. Go spend $10-$20-$30 on a better strap. Or two. One casual and one dressy.
Also, anytime you have leather on a deployant clasp, it will last longer.