Desperately seeking... something!?

[Alexandra]

Hi. I wonder if anyone can help. I am looking for a new watch and was recommended to look at IWC. Having done so they all seem a little manly? Do they make womens watches?

Would you recommend any other makes? I'm not a fan of Rolex but do tend to look for style rather than make.

Scouring Google I've found this (http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=185&details=1&ref=45707100&no_cache=1) which I quite like but it's not too dissimilar to my Tag.

Primarily I'm looking for something that I can wear out in the evenings so want it to be a bit more elegant.

I really would appreciate any recommendations!

[erasuretim]

Hi!

Have a look at vintage mens watches on ebay. Those from the 1950's/60's are often about 30mm and look elegant in gold or you could try even earlier from the 20's/30's and find something unique for wearing in the evening.

Regards

Tim

[StevieGee]

Hi Alexandra,

Have you thought about Jaeger LeCoultre?
Very elegant watches (I have to say that as I bought the wife one for Christmas)

Or for something a that's still elegant but different I'd suggest you take a look at Rado watches the ladies Ceramica is a very nice evening watch but robust enough to be worn everyday.

Oris is another good make to have a look at and like the Rado are very reasonably priced.

[sparkyhx]

whats your budget? - what style, dress, sporty, plain elegant? Bracelet or leather strap,

Edited by sparkyhx on Saturday 12th April 10:23

[fieldl]

JLC do some lovely womens watches. Especially in the Reverso range.
I saw this at the European Watch Co in Boston recently



$16800 though....

[Alexandra]

sparkyhx said:

whats your budget? - what style, dress, sporty, plain elegant? Bracelet or leather strap,

Edited by sparkyhx on Saturday 12th April 10:23

Good morning! The budget doesn't really matter, you don't lose money with quality.

I prefer a bracelet and it's for dinners and do's. I'll keep my current one for the gym and every day use.

Having been window shopping this morning, the selection in the shops is terrible!

[Alexandra]

erasuretim said:

Hi!

Have a look at vintage mens watches on ebay.

Regards

Tim

StevieGee said:

Hi Alexandra,

Have you thought about Jaeger LeCoultre?
Very elegant watches (I have to say that as I bought the wife one for Christmas)

Or for something a that's still elegant but different I'd suggest you take a look at Rado watches the ladies Ceramica is a very nice evening watch but robust enough to be worn everyday.

Oris is another good make to have a look at and like the Rado are very reasonably priced.

Good ideas! The outcome is... (providing I can get this working...)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CARTIER-PARIS-VINTAGE-LADIES-WATCH-CIRCA-1940-DIAMONDS_W0QQitemZ380015376964QQihZ025QQcategoryZ31387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 

Ta da!

Opinions?

[Alexandra]

fieldl said:

JLC do some lovely womens watches. Especially in the Reverso range.
I saw this at the European Watch Co in Boston recently


$16800 though....

Wow, that's neat. I think for that price I'd want it to rotate automatically when I glanced in its general direction

[Freddie von Rost]

Alexandra said:

erasuretim said:

Hi!

Have a look at vintage mens watches on ebay.

Regards

Tim

StevieGee said:

Hi Alexandra,

Have you thought about Jaeger LeCoultre?
Very elegant watches (I have to say that as I bought the wife one for Christmas)

Or for something a that's still elegant but different I'd suggest you take a look at Rado watches the ladies Ceramica is a very nice evening watch but robust enough to be worn everyday.

Oris is another good make to have a look at and like the Rado are very reasonably priced.

Good ideas! The outcome is... (providing I can get this working...)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CARTIER-PARIS-VINTAGE-LADIES-WATCH-CIRCA-1940-DIAMONDS_W0QQitemZ380015376964QQihZ025QQcategoryZ31387QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 

Ta da!

Opinions?

Lovely, but:

1. Make sure that the seller is prepared to have the watch authenticated by a main Cartier dealer before you pay, and

2. If he is not, walk away from it.

Hope its the real thing.

FvR.

[CmdrBond]

Hi there,

Just been onto www.sinnwatches.com and found this -



Understated, elegant, very good repuatation among the watch fans, both on here and TZ-uk.com

Full details here -
http://www.sinnwatches.com/proddetail.php?prod=si0...

Regards

Chris

Edited by CmdrBond on Saturday 12th April 16:12

[andy tims]

Cartier do loads of nice ladies watches including the classic tank models, so do Louis Vuiton but for something a bit different check out the Chanel J12 range.

HTH

[Dominic H]

andy tims said:

Cartier do loads of nice ladies watches including the classic tank models, so do Louis Vuiton but for something a bit different check out the Chanel J12 range.

HTH

J12? Agreed, I bought the Mrs one a black ceramic J12 a couple of years back, and because of the ceramic construction there is not a mark on it.....Nice.

[cyberface]

Depends on whether you want bling i.e. gold, diamonds, etc.

For non-bling but classic looks, I bought my GF a classic Cartier tank française in steel (shows the limits of my budget!) but would have preferred the (very similar) Patek Twenty-Four - they're very similar in design, both offer diamonds on the bezel if you require, etc. and different metals.

My GF has the most beautiful red-gold hair you could imagine so gold jewellery is out - it's platinum or white gold for jewellery, and until we can afford it, steel for watches! So if you're looking for gold then I have no idea.

But the two watches I've suggested are both elegant and subtle - Becks wears hers every day, and works as well with a business suit as with a special dress. Of course if you have budget for multiple watches for different occasions, a more 'jewelled' watch may be appropriate for special events... though I'm a 'non-bling' type myself and tend to prefer subtlety...

[Alexandra]

Freddie von Rost said:

Lovely, but:

1. Make sure that the seller is prepared to have the watch authenticated by a main Cartier dealer before you pay, and

2. If he is not, walk away from it.

Hope its the real thing.

FvR.

Good morning! Thank you for the advice

[Alexandra]

CmdrBond said:

Hi there,

Just been onto www.sinnwatches.com and found this -

Understated, elegant, very good repuatation among the watch fans, both on here and TZ-uk.com

Full details here -
http://www.sinnwatches.com/proddetail.php?prod=si0...

Regards

Chris

Edited by CmdrBond on Saturday 12th April 16:12

Hi Chris. Thank you for the link! They have a huge range but I'm not too keen on the black face. It's strange they don't seem to give you choice of colour?

[Freddie von Rost]

Alexandra said:

Freddie von Rost said:

Lovely, but:

1. Make sure that the seller is prepared to have the watch authenticated by a main Cartier dealer before you pay, and

2. If he is not, walk away from it.

Hope its the real thing.

FvR.

Good morning! Thank you for the advice

Good morning Alexandra, oh woman of impeccable taste in cars - Ferrari, what Ferrari, oh the 599, in navy blue, gosh, I would not have noticed it if you had not told me it was a Ferrari 599 - and horology.

[Captain Chaos]

Alexandra said:

sparkyhx said:

whats your budget? - what style, dress, sporty, plain elegant? Bracelet or leather strap,

Edited by sparkyhx on Saturday 12th April 10:23

Good morning! The budget doesn't really matter, you don't lose money with quality.

I prefer a bracelet and it's for dinners and do's. I'll keep my current one for the gym and every day use.

Having been window shopping this morning, the selection in the shops is terrible!

Hello Alexandra.

You are looking for a dress watch on a bracelet that holds its value. It seems to me you may be better off buying a lovely vintage piece that is

(a) truly elegant (as elegance is often missing in modern watch design),
(b) individual (no one else will have one) and
(c) the best part is it will be a solid place to put your money.

The quality of vintage watches is generally far superior to anything you can buy today. You may not realise this but with few exceptions if you buy a modern watch whether high quality or not it will lose a lot of money as soon as you walk out of the store in much the same way that any virtually any new car will do the same. A high quality vintage watch will not do this and if you buy carefully may well increase in value over time. But you get what you pay for, go for the best. If I was to choose between a modern aston and a vintage one you know I'd go for a DB4 not a new vantage. I'm sure you get the idea.

Really my advice is forget ebay as you are in a lions den and it will be totally pot luck if you get what you want and hassle with authentication. Besides, you need to see and handle the piece, and MUST try it on to see if it suits you. Something that looks great in a picture will sometimes look completely wrong on you. Would you buy a cocktail dress without trying it on? Probably not. Same for watches.

To figure out if a vintage dress watch is for you, the best thing is to take a day out to London and drop in on these places. The all sell vintage watches that are either totally restored or in excellent condition, they are GENUINE, and come with a guarantee of at least a year or two. The people who run these places are experts. Two of them are in burlington arcade, and I could think of worse destinations on a day out.


http://www.kleanthous.com/watches/ portebello road - open on saturdays only. Stunning restored pieces. 1st class reputation.

http://www.vintagewatchcompany.com/ experts in vintage rolexs - check out beautiful dress/cocktail ladies watches. Elegance defined.

http://www.somloantiques.com/ just opened to much fanfare, the worlds first official vintage omega store.

There are lots of other watch shops in Burlington arcade that may be of interest too.

If you find that they are not your thing then pop down the road to Bond street and you will find the full complement of stores on the modern front. Drop in on Browns hotel in Albemarle Street for a sophisticated drink en route from Burlington arcade to Bond Street or visit the Wolseley restaurant for a spot of lunch and book table 81 for the best view of the place (it seats 4 though)

While writing this I have just convinced myself of a rather good day out for me

Best regards
Captain C

Edited by Captain Chaos on Sunday 13th April 13:52

Edited by Captain Chaos on Sunday 13th April 14:09

[Dominic H]

Alexandra said:

Hi. I wonder if anyone can help. I am looking for a new watch and was recommended to look at IWC. Having done so they all seem a little manly? Do they make womens watches?

Would you recommend any other makes? I'm not a fan of Rolex but do tend to look for style rather than make.

Scouring Google I've found this (http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=185&details=1&ref=45707100&no_cache=1) which I quite like but it's not too dissimilar to my Tag.

Primarily I'm looking for something that I can wear out in the evenings so want it to be a bit more elegant.

I really would appreciate any recommendations!

Afternoon Alexandra,

If you are looking for an elegant dress watch how about Breguet, Audemars Piguet or Jaeger le Coultre? If you aren't sure, then I would concur with Captain Chaos with regard to a trip to the West End. Try Bond St, as all the major players are represented. The 'Wonder Room' in Selfridges is excellent, as it allows you to compare a huge number of marques. Check in Watches of Switzerland in Oxford St, see Ivan or Janet.
This should give you a good idea of what is available. There was an excellent supplement in The Telegraph a week ago featuring a wide range of luxury manufacturers. I have a spare copy, PM me your address if you'd like it....

Dominic

[Alexandra]

Freddie von Rost said:

Good morning Alexandra, oh woman of impeccable taste in cars - Ferrari, what Ferrari, oh the 599, in navy blue, gosh, I would not have noticed it if you had not told me it was a Ferrari 599 - and horology.

Hello! Well, I'm embarrassed to say I had to look up the word horology! That's this weekends enlightenment out of the way.

As for the Ferrari, it was a birthday present to myself, or rather an 'I'm about to hit thirty' gift. I never could stand one in red - a bit too ostentatious. Once the weather changes she'll be back here for the summer and I'll try to get to some local meetings.

[Alexandra]

Captain Chaos said:

Alexandra said:

sparkyhx said:

whats your budget? - what style, dress, sporty, plain elegant? Bracelet or leather strap,

Edited by sparkyhx on Saturday 12th April 10:23

Good morning! The budget doesn't really matter, you don't lose money with quality.

I prefer a bracelet and it's for dinners and do's. I'll keep my current one for the gym and every day use.

Having been window shopping this morning, the selection in the shops is terrible!

Hello Alexandra.

You are looking for a dress watch on a bracelet that holds its value. It seems to me you may be better off buying a lovely vintage piece that is

(a) truly elegant (as elegance is often missing in modern watch design),
(b) individual (no one else will have one) and
(c) the best part is it will be a solid place to put your money.

The quality of vintage watches is generally far superior to anything you can buy today. You may not realise this but with few exceptions if you buy a modern watch whether high quality or not it will lose a lot of money as soon as you walk out of the store in much the same way that any virtually any new car will do the same. A high quality vintage watch will not do this and if you buy carefully may well increase in value over time. But you get what you pay for, go for the best. If I was to choose between a modern aston and a vintage one you know I'd go for a DB4 not a new vantage. I'm sure you get the idea.

Really my advice is forget ebay as you are in a lions den and it will be totally pot luck if you get what you want and hassle with authentication. Besides, you need to see and handle the piece, and MUST try it on to see if it suits you. Something that looks great in a picture will sometimes look completely wrong on you. Would you buy a cocktail dress without trying it on? Probably not. Same for watches.

To figure out if a vintage dress watch is for you, the best thing is to take a day out to London and drop in on these places. The all sell vintage watches that are either totally restored or in excellent condition, they are GENUINE, and come with a guarantee of at least a year or two. The people who run these places are experts. Two of them are in burlington arcade, and I could think of worse destinations on a day out.


http://www.kleanthous.com/watches/ portebello road - open on saturdays only. Stunning restored pieces. 1st class reputation.

http://www.vintagewatchcompany.com/ experts in vintage rolexs - check out beautiful dress/cocktail ladies watches. Elegance defined.

http://www.somloantiques.com/ just opened to much fanfare, the worlds first official vintage omega store.

There are lots of other watch shops in Burlington arcade that may be of interest too.

If you find that they are not your thing then pop down the road to Bond street and you will find the full complement of stores on the modern front. Drop in on Browns hotel in Albemarle Street for a sophisticated drink en route from Burlington arcade to Bond Street or visit the Wolseley restaurant for a spot of lunch and book table 81 for the best view of the place (it seats 4 though)

While writing this I have just convinced myself of a rather good day out for me

Best regards
Captain C

Edited by Captain Chaos on Sunday 13th April 13:52

Edited by Captain Chaos on Sunday 13th April 14:09

Hi! That's brilliant advice, thank you. I do like the modern look but some of the older watches are just beautiful.

I'll try and get some time over the next few weeks to pop down to the city and shall update this.

Many thanks again.
Alex