Chris Ward sale

Slowly

Slowly

Junior Member
Messages
327
Agree with above. Cut out middleman, don't have lots of expensive premises, target ads - since discovering them (here) I've noticed the ads - EVO, easyjet, Private Eye magazine, FT I think. Ever since my clock / watch repairer told me that most of the big mid range brands use the same mechanisms and if it goes wrong they often just put a new (? £70) ETA mechanism in, I've stopped taking an interest in the higher priced brands. I suppose it is like buying the same W12 engine in a Bentley, AudI, or Phaeton, though the price differential is much greater with watches. [eta and, ironically the scope for changing the bits around the "engine/drivetrain" of a watch is far less!]
Admittedly some brands do all their movements in house.
The Ward watches seem to be of high quality and like many, use ETA or Sellita movements but are starting to design their own. If a movement used in watches retailing from £250 in a sale to other brand watches costing perhaps £5000 is the same and the case etc look good and are good quality then I'm happy to pay the £250 rather than £5k!
With Swatch group restricting the sale of ETA movements more manufacturers will have to make their own.. see Wik
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETA_SA

ETA (geddit?!) - on reflection, perhaps Breitling, Omega, Hamilton, IWC etc etc owners had better not read the Wikipedia article! ;)
 
C

cheshiremaserati

Member
Messages
1,121
Those that make their own in-house movement are the most sought after and rising in value. This article states those that do and those that dont, noting that in-house movements is a little blurry as some manufacturers take the ETA movement and 'adapt' it to make it bespoke to their company:
https://www.quora.com/Which-are-the-watch-companies-that-still-make-their-own-movements

Extract from above link:

Based on that definition, here is my list of watch companies that exclusively use proprietary movements:

A. Lange & Söhne, Audemars Piguet, Dornblüth & Söhne, François-Paul Journe, Girard-Perregaux, Glashütte S/A, Greubel-Forsey, Jaeger leCoultre, Kari Voutilainen, Lange & Heyne, McGonigle, Moritz Grossmann, Nomos Glashütte, Parmigiani Fleurier, Patek Philippe, Philippe Dufour, Roger Dubuis, Rolex, Urban Jurgensen, Vacheron Constantin, Zeitwinkel, Zenith.

And here are the companies that mix amongst their collections, proprietary modules or movements and stock movements:

Alpina, Baume & Mercier, Blancpain, Breguet, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chopard, Christopher Ward, Chronoswiss, Damasko, Frank Muller, Frédérique Constant, Hamilton, Hermes, Hublot, IWC, Jacquet-Droz, Longines, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Omega, Oris, Pequignet, Perrelet, Speake-Marin, Stowa, TAG Heuer, Tissot, Tudor.

In terms of popularity as an in-huse movement watch, probably Rolex have been the best in terms of their marketing.

I have not seen the price of Ward watches, but they appear superficially like Rolex in some designs but well priced.

For left handers, Panerai comes to mind as watches that are having a range for left handers - with the winding crown on the left hand side of the watch to be worn on the right wrist. See the Luminor range.

jaeger leCoultre have a very thorough in-house 1000 hours testing of their watches. Patek and AP of course are high priced as are some of the others in the true in-house movement category.
 
GeoffCapes

GeoffCapes

Member
Messages
14,000
Omega do a lot of sports marketing.

Probably more than Rolex.

My CW watch looks and feels far more expensive than it actually is.
I'd thorough recommend them.
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,782
GeoffCapes said:
Omega do a lot of sports marketing.

Probably more than Rolex.

My CW watch looks and feels far more expensive than it actually is.
I'd thorough recommend them.
Click to expand...

I'd agree. I like mine a lot, and it was even cheaper than normal, coming from the Cash converters :)

C
 
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cheshiremaserati

Member
Messages
1,121
Quite a number of Swiss brands are into sponsorship and actively marketing their brands:

Omega (Olympics)
Longines
Tissot (Rugby World Cup)
Rolex (Tennis)

Swatch (owns Omega, Tissot and Longines) probably more active in terms of $ spend per revenue across the sum of different brands.

Rolex is literally liquid currency - you can own it and sell it for cash for what you bought it for after a few years.
If you fell ill in some exotic location and didn't have insurance, a hospital will accept the Rolex as part payment any day. Not so much with the higher volume brands. Prices are going through the roof. A couple of years ago I was after a green bezel/black face 50th Anniv Rolex. I missed out on it. Then I was busy with projects and when I came around to look for it again, the price had gone up. To put it in perspective, 3 years ago (a year before the one I missed) I could have got a good example for £5k-£5.5k. Today, you'll not find one under £7k anywhere or thereabouts at £6,750 etc. Of course, being an Anniversay Edition in 2004, numbers were limited. they are literally bought up from specialist jewellers who have customers with an "expression of interest" when one comes in.

Post Brexit vote (impact on currency with Stirling and CHF) and the fact that Swiss manufacturers are putting up prices around 12-15% per annum and cutting production volumes means they are just climbing in value.
 
urquattrogus

urquattrogus

Member
Messages
857
I just bought a Tudor North Flag, as an engagement present to myself (!!)

Pleased with it, in house movement etc, less obvious than some other watches. Really good bang for buck.

I almost bought a used Coaxial Speedmaster, but was mucked about by watchfinders. A guy reccommeneded on Pistonheads also gave me a really good price on a new one.

I have a used and abused Quartz Seamaster too.
 
Slowly

Slowly

Junior Member
Messages
327
Sale on again - some black trident pros, jumping hours, big date time 51% off, lots more 30% off, some of the more expensive models £500 / 30% off and XL and XS straps as well.
 
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