Echo Neutra Averau

Laco is a very good brand

Yeah I get your point.

That is true but we will still buy mechanical even in 100 years. The fact that those things work without any electricity and just by the movement of your body is to me amazing. Because then you dont rely anymore on electricity or batteries or else.

I mean if humanity goes “The last of us” style, Ill be more than happy to get those watch, because the other ones will be dead…

The whole point of mechanical is more about feeling, and sometimes even from an ecological POV because you can buy one watch for the next 60-100 years without any problems…

And from a philosophical pov it just make more sense to me to get something that seems more like an extension of my body rather than a piece of plastic and metal that is radiocontrolled or idk what…

It just more complicated than marketing only. And Im sure you know it.

But I totally agree with you, some people dont buy a watch, they buy a brand, and that sucks

Go for a Seiko you will regret all day to not go for the most exciting watch.

Less is more

My point is, all of the above is true, but people into watches act like it’s not true. It’s a status symbol or an accessory more than a utility item now, and to be respected in the game you have to buy from very expensive brands. There’s cheaper watches snobs can’t hate on sure. But there aren’t many cheaper watches that snobs will get impressed by, and it’s sometimes purely because maybe it says there Seiko or Casio instead of Rolex or Omega. And those names carry a reputation with them that’s associated more often with their price categories than with their actual quality because I would say a Grand Seiko can sometimes be better than a Rolex

So that is your conclusion ? Because It didnt really see the point of your whole text to be honest.

-Regarding the status symbol yes it is : FOR SOME PEOPLE. A watch enthusiast doesnt care about the social status at all. There are mainly 3 brands if you want the social status : Rolex, Omega, Jaeger and maybe Aude Audemars. For the rest yes it is expensiv asf but who tf knows those brands anyways ??? Everyone knows Rolex For sure, omega too. For the other 2 it start to not be that “popular” . My point : if 90% of people in this world dont know about lets say a Audemar 222, how would they tell solely based on your watch that you are rich or high status ? And even more how tf would they differenciate again solely on the watch (so lets imagine 2 twins in holiday wearing the same outfit) two people ? Like one having a citizen the other one a jaeger ? They would not be able to do so. So the whole status point doesnt really work UNLESS you are surrounded by the few people that can afford those wacth, so people rich asf. So then it become a little rich battle in the same way as in American Psycho and their god damn business card… so your point apply to very few people. And I doubt that the majority of watch enthusiasts got more than 500k in their bank account rn… Moreover to be respected in the game I dont think your point is valid. Let s say you buy a rolex, whatever everyone got one who cares? The most respected people in the watch enthusiast world are the ones that come up either with crazy vintage watch, some japan limited production or some obscure micro-brand before they get all the hype…

-And For your point on brands name : yes ofc brands carry a reputation that is called marketing and it is the same with every products you ll buy in this damn world even ketchup brands got a reputation and can be seen as social status. So your point just make no sense to me… Maybe you wanted to say that we should care less about brand reputation and that a lot of people are brainwashed by marketing ? Then Im all with you my friend.

556 A RS. I had the same problem as you do. I hesitated between the MOP then the A than the I than the A RS but then again the I RS. All this back and forth.

I think it depends on how you think and will wear the watch.

To me a watch has to be lisible very fast and easy, and also beautiful because it is both a tool and a jewel (for me at least, im no diver or pilot or else). So I picked the RS A because numbers make it easily and rapidly visible, and the Rs is both a Nice touch of color in a depressing world full of Black and concrete everywhere.

To be honest we nit pick a lot on here as we are passionate about it. But when you ask random people between all those versions only the MOP would stand out as very différent. All the RS or I or A : the same with slight tweaks to suit your lifestyle.

Just choose the version that suits your life the best. If the rs add color and you like color : problem solved. If you dont care about color : problem solved. You want more lisible seconds : problem solved etc…

C Ward is Nice but for the price and if your wrist is big enough Ill go for Ollech and Wajs. If you want a beater their model are perfect, used by many adventurers and with a very long story as a brand (so not a micro brand).

Then there is Sinn, Damasko, maybe Oris ?, Laco with their Pilot Pro…

For 1k to 2k I would avoid the miyota movement, as they are not as precise as the Sellita or Soprod for example (and yes angry redditors you can have an amazingly regulated miyota but you need to find the micro brand that will do the régulation well and blablabla)…

C Ward is a good option for dressier classier brand. But I would go for the ones I mention mostly O&W as theyr regulate their movement themselves and all in switzerland and they are just made to take a shitload of abuse !

Would not recommend them for a lifetime watch at least not their “budget model” with the hesalite glass that will get beated …

Sinn 556 or 104 or 105

Or then Damasko DS30 with the hardened case you can add the hardened steel bracelet and it cost less than 2000 cant get more durable than that …

If I had to pick one for life it would be one of those two for sure.

Édit : didnt saw you got a big wrist. You want a lifelong watch go for Ollech and Wajs. 1000m water resistant with a crown that is as solid as a muay thai fighter’s leg and with a very good looking bracelet for 1700. Or there is there P-104 or 101 I dont remember with “only” 300m water resistant but same amazing bracelet and construction and all that made 90% in good ol’ switzerland !

Depancel does it for around 400 euros with Miyota 9015 inside.

But for a modern trail like this one I would go for a quartz and a more “modern” look like a Casio for example

The True Detective watch, my man have taste

Never in the world Seiko is as well finished as Tissot or Longines.

Have you ever handled those watch ???

Maybe GRAND Seiko is but we talking big budgets.

Seiko is not a bad brand at all but they tends to become less and less of a price to quality ratio every year.

They cant even make good alignments on their prospex diver even on the limited editions… they dont beat swatch group at all.

But yes If you like Seiko good for you, it is a good brand, not my favorite, but a good one !

I feel like you cant help buying watch to fill a meaningless life

For the price of a Charlie you could get a Sinn. Charlie is not very good IMO

Ollech and wajs. Them being the first one to make a 100ATM watch in 1964 is amazing !

Now they make a 90% Swiss made watch that is ruuuuugged

Farer lander IV looks amazing

As many people said the Seiko, Im gonna say the Charlie Paris Concordia that can be found New at 795 euros. It has been used very recently by an adventurer that ive forgot the name. 300m water resistance, Nice design, but maybe lacks a bit of history as a young microbrand and also for the price you should go with the Alpinist

I did buy one when I was a kid with my piggy bank money, because I was blinded by the name of the brand.

Those watch are pretty bad and for the same price you could get something really cool !

Probably Sinn, Archimede, Laco, Stowa, Damasko, M.A.T, Forban, the list can easily continue but basically any brands that needs some research to be known and wont be known by an instagram ad of some sort

(IMO the price of a watch doesnt attest of any knowledge or interest as everyone knows Rolex and Omega but few know about Vostok)