ok. so all of my higher end watches, cost me less than 5k.

Rolex 2 tone submariner 16613- well, you need a time machine, but yeah.
SBGA413 Shunbun - Besst daily driver IMHO, and i got it used mint for $4900
Breitling B01 Chronomat. Gotta shop around, but you can go less than 5k if you do.

The high amount of bb58, including the blues (and their discounted pricing) should show how people really feel.

They were rolex placeholders until people “got the call”

It’s why I like the unique pieces like the pelagos.

1. Breitling Aerospace Evo- I know you said no electronics or quartz, but honestly, this is one of the few exceptions IMHO, especially with his career.
2. Breitling Navitimer- Slide rule, nuff said.
3. Rolex Milgauss- A little hard, since they stopped production this year.
4. Omega Speedmaster- Cool, but personally, I don’t like manual wind watches for everyday wear.
5. Grand Seiko SBGA 413/415 Shunbun. It’s titanium, lightweight, and an amazing daily driver. I have a lot of watches, and this gets the most wrist time by far.
6. Tudor Pelagos- Titanium as well, and has a little more wrist presence, color, and lume.

These are all in the 5-10k range, but the aerospace can be found way cheaper used. Here is my list for the 1-2k range.

1. CW 12 in titanium.
2. Farer Portobello- Yes, a manual wind chrono, but I like the brand. sue me.
3. Upcoming Studio Underd0g series 2 watches (release date Nov 1). It’s cheap, if you can get one, and it’s cool IMHO. I want one, I’ll decide on that day.
4. Longines Hydroconquest- I did like mine, I ended up giving it to my brother. Not my favorite watch, but value wise, it’s nice.
5. Seiko Samurai SRPE33- Save the Mantas- This samurai, is a little big, but it has a ceramic bezel, sapphire glass, and a 3:00 crown and date with cyclops, vs a 4:30 crown and date. Amazing lume, a textured dial- Only downside to me is a 3 hz movement, but for that price… It’s a cool watch.

One last one, IF the regular Pelagos is too pricey, then possibly the FXD. better make sure he’s a nato strap fan first before exploring this option.

I will never understand open dials and open casebacks with shit finishing.

I have 5 watches with open casebacks. A seiko presage (pretty ugly), a farer Hailey (better, but it’s still a basic sellita), a Breitling B01 Chronomat (decent, not amazing, not shit), a Grand Seiko Spring Drive Shunbun (amazing for the price), and a Tag Heuer Monza, with the El Primero caliber 36 in it. (a work of art, and a thing of beauty).

This shows, that they CAN make beautifully finished movements https://imgur.com/a/tazMkMj
I don’t know why this el primero movement from the early 2000’s looks better than the modern El Primero, It just makes no sense to me, and I don’t think it’s all on Tag Heuer finishing it, or is it?

Also, the pink chronomaster sport looks amazing. You don’t need 3 different colors of dials, and that watch shows it. also, Zenith, improve your bracelets please. If you want people to spend 10-13k for a watch, it better have a bracelet that doesn’t look like seiko made it.

Holy trinity is Patek, AP, and VC.
Although ALS is up there in finishing, and Rolex probably sells more than all 4 of them combined.

Yeah, the lange stuff is cool. But if I’m spending that much money, it better be for a Patek, or some other Holy Trinity piece.

yeah, that’s why i posted the panolunar in parenthesis. TBH, I wouldn’t be interested in the reserve.

I absolutely loved and wanted this watch, until I saw one in person (at least, the panolunar version) That thing is a THICK boi. face on it looks amazing, 3/4 side view, turned me off. too much slab slided ness. Still, I’d buy one at a discount, but not G/O AD near me.

It’s real.

The fact that someone didn’t give you potato camera pics is definitely appreciated.