Watch Freeks banner

A brand that is the best bang for the buck?

24K views 62 replies 47 participants last post by  Wisconsin Proud 
#1 ·
imported post

Any suggestions? I'm hearing hamilton and chr. ward quite often.

Should of been more specific

Around 750 - 1500 with an automatic movement
 
#2 ·
imported post

For the buck ? well if its the least money for good quality and looks, Invicta is pretty good , though cookie cutter. expect to see 40 ,000 people online with the same watch as you in some form or another.
Hamilton is a great watch, though can get pricey .
I know many will say , a good watch lasts forever. And thats mostly true. But i would amend that. i have cheapy Miyota automatics that are 20 years old that still run perfectly. I have gone out to pawnshops and bought 10 and 20 dollar watches from the 1920s and the 30s, that a small cleaning and oiling brought back to life, and a polish made it nice to wear . Learn how to do it, its not hard to service your own watches.
I am gonna say what "TVdinner" has said again and again , get what you like ! I have 2 Tauchmeister watches that cost 100.00 each that look exactly like 600.00 + Uboat watches, they run well, keep time, take a licking , and leave me with plenty of money to buy more. dont buy a name, listen to the people on our site, you will hear about the good deals, the cheapys that actually work, as well as ones to stay the hell away from.
Rod
 
#4 ·
imported post

Very very hard question to answer since everyone will have different opinions based on their personal experiences, personal likes, dislikes, etc.

As mentioned above - ALWAYS do your research by reading online forums and sites, reading actual reviews from people who have purchased the watches/brands you are looking at, and shopping around for reliable and established sellers.

I did not originate this saying mentioned above, but it is important. Ultimately you have to "Buy what YOU like and Like what YOU buy!" But that being said you can make an educated decision if you take the time to learn as much as you can about different brands that interest you and are attractive to you.

So my answer to you in this thread is based on MY personal experience to what are brands that are the best bang for my buck.

Seiko - I have owned at least 5 in the past few years and enjoyed them all. One of the most diverse lines of watches with endless models, price points, styles, etc.

Swiss Army - one of the best bangs for you buck with many many nice solid models and quality

Hamilton - great brand and for many many people Hamilton is the next step in their collecting as their collections grow.

Citizen - hard to argue with the quality of eco drive line and their history and reputation.

Oris - a little bit more in cost, but a very solid and good Swiss company. Oris also seems to be a next step in many people's collecting if they move up to a slightly higher cost brand with a good reputation for Swiss quality watches.

There are many many many more, but those are the ones that come to mind first.
 
#6 ·
imported post

Oooohh...I forgot Stowa! That brand is definitely a great deal for what you get.

Seiko is not bad either! My Marinemaster is definitely good quality and the in-house movement is very well respected as compared to the others in the same market.
 
#8 ·
imported post

I've heard great things about Christopher Ward as well, I think one of their dive watches is at the top of my personal list.

Tissot make some good watches for the money as well, particuarly through the grey market.
 
#11 ·
imported post

This is a tough question and as TVDINNER has said, this is a question that has many answers depending on personal tastes and experiences.
I thought real hard about this and came up with two watches that I own, I have several antiques but these are ones I purchased myself brand new. Two extremes one is about 30 years old and one about 40 years old. One is a Rolex and the other is a Timex. To me they are both great values for the buck - one cheap, one pricey.
Of course that was way back then. Today we have more choices, both economic and technical. Bottom line - Buy what you are happy with and remember that price does not mean quality...
 
#12 ·
imported post

How about a price range? Bang for your buck in $1000-$2000 watches are definitely different than $100-$500 watches. Where are you looking to be?

I'm still in the <$1000 range personally and I agree that Seiko and Orient are awesome. But, I've got my eyes on several others in my range also. Hamilton, Helson, Steinhart, Boschett, etc... (I like divers)

So, tell us a range and a type of watch you like and I'm sure you will get a multitude of opinions. Although I agree with Andrema about Tudor, they are still way out of my range. lol
 
#13 ·
imported post

zodiacs wrote:
Any suggestions? I'm hearing hamilton and chr. ward quite often.
My vote goes to Christopher Ward. Steinhart is also in the running.
 
#14 ·
imported post

In the view of overall quality, class and style for the money spent, my experience it has been Hamilton. That's why I have moved almost every other piece of my always small collection and focused more on the Hamilton brand.
 
#15 ·
imported post

Wow, you are going to have a slew of answers on this.
How much "buck" are you looking to spend?
Muhle Glashutte has a nice collection. Very good people to deal with as well.
 
#20 ·
imported post

This would be an endless topic unless the OP specifies on the sub-category of 'Bang for the Bucks":
Style (Dress / Casual / Bling Bling etc
Functions (WR rating / complications /solar etc)
Auto / Quartz / Mechanical
Material use (Stainless/ gem stones / crystals etc)
Production origin?
 
#21 ·
#22 ·
imported post

I agree with most of the guys here...

First...determine your price point....hard to say "Bang for Your Buck" if we don't know the "Bucks" you have to spend. Some guys here....their "Bucks" are way different than my "Bucks"!! $100 to say $500...there are lots of brands out there that fill that bill...some pretty good....others...you gotta watch out and be selective as to what you buy from them. $500 to $2K...you again have choices...but you can find something really nice in that range that you'll enjoy having and be able to pass it on. In these two ranges...Seiko has watches that fall into both ranges and you'll be very happy with your "Bang for the Buck"...also...Bulova Accutron/Citizen also gives you many options and you'll get some good "Bang for your Buck".

Those are my choices for some good "Bang for your Buck"....Seiko and Bulova Accutron/Citizen.
 
#23 ·
imported post

To me, the term 'bang for buck' doesn't necessary have to be the cheapest but the cost of the materials vs selling price. Seiko and Citizen are the main contenders. But imo the best bang for buck r the new small german brands. Korsbek, Kremke, Aegir, Dievas and the likes. If you ever tried to make a watch using real german/swiss parts, you know it cost far too much. For these brands to sell at the price they r asking, its a no brainer. :c
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top