Hi All, my wife wants to buy me a wedding present for 7-8K. Looking at [Omega] Speedmaster Moon Watch or [IWC] Mark XVIII tribute to Mark XVI. Basically looking for something that holds value and can be passed down. What are your likes and options around this price?
" looking for something that holds value" either buy Rolex (which in of itself won’t be easy with long waitlists) or buy second hand (don’t think IWC will hold value very well btw) Any good watch that is serviced properly and taken care will last for generations so no worries there.
I would recommend Grand Seiko. Imo best bang per buck in that price bracket and very unique and beautiful dials. I think the snowflake is an amazing watch, wonderfully finished, with a beautiful elegant dial and is extremely versatile with straps. Imo versatility is a very important factor if you plan to keep a watch for your whole life. It can be very classy with a black alligator strap or very casual with a white rubber strap. Check different looks HERE
I love mine
My other recommendation would be Tudor. You get 80% of a Rolex for 50% of the price. The BB58 or the Pelagos 39 are wonderful options.
I think a lot of this should come from your own personal preferences. Do you normally wear a watch? If so what types do you like?
- Automatic or Quartz
- Metal bracelet or leather strap
- chronograph?
- Dial color
- Complications?
There are a number of great watches that have options in that price range, IWC and Omega make fantastic watches. You may want to consider some of these as well:
Glashütte Original
Frederique Constant
Carl F. Bucherer
Jaeger LeCoultreI think you need to decide between a watch that holds value and a watch that’s good/great value for the money.
The epitome of the former is Rolex, but it’s also one of the worst values on the market for the same reason it holds value–because 99% of the population has bought into its 100+ years of marketing.
Grand Seiko, especially the spring drive-powered watches, is one of the best values for the money. But it’s not going to hold value.
In addition to Grand Seiko spring drive, I would also look at:
Cartier Ballon Bleu
Cartier Santos
Seiko Credor GCLP995/GCLP993 (although good luck sourcing any Credor here in the U.S.).
Bulgari Octo Roma Automatic
Glashutte Original Sixties/Sixties Panorama Date
Buying a luxury watch is an irrational decision and should not be mixed with it holding value or not, or passing it down to the next generation, regardless of what patek says in its creepy ads.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, Rolex, Cartier Santos, GP Laureato
8k is a lot to work with, especially secondary market.
I would go to a high end watch store… It’s part of the experience at that price unless you really know what you want
something that holds value
Get something you like. The value will be in the sentimental value, which is priceless.