[bolinp78]

I'm looking to get a new sport or sport/dress watch and I really like the look of the Rolex Daytona (surprise surprise..). I'd prefer a chronograph and a white/silver dial on steel bracelet (I would consider a two-tone with gold if I liked it well enough).

Let's call it a budget anywhere from $6,000-15,000.

I'm not looking for a cheaper alternative to a Rolex Daytona, just something that is different for crying out loud.

I've looked at the Vacheron Constantin Overseas in person. I liked it, but definitely didn't like it for $20,000.

I also tried on an IWC Ingenieur and while I did like it and it was a hell of a lot more 'affordable' at around $6,500, it was just a bit too edgy and industrial for me I guess. Also, the movement isn't really considered to be in-house because from what I understand it's a reworked Breguet movement. I would prefer an in-house movement, obviously. Especially for this kind of money.


Any suggestions? Oh and these are the brands that are off limits:

Breitling
Tag
Omega (probably)
Baume & Mercier

[mpower3330]

I would do the Rolex GMT II Black/Blue bezel. Very different and unique. Have the green bezel 50th submariner and have always liked that I never seen them out in the wild.

[bolinp78]

Originally Posted by mpower3330

I would do the Rolex GMT II Black/Blue bezel. Very different and unique. Have the green bezel 50th submariner and have always liked that I never seen them out in the wild.

I do like the look of that watch a lot, but I already have a seamaster with a black dial so it's hard to justify getting another black dial that looks pretty similar in the same category of watch.

[finaloption]

Zenith El Primero is the first that comes to mind

personally, i would just go w/ the Daytona

.. also, just because a movement isn't "in-house" would not stop me from buying a watch.. ie: zenith movement daytona, pp 5970 w/ lemania movement, etc, etc

[Patrick303]

How about a Tudor Prince Tiger Chronograph? Kinda the same, but different.

[Ecu335i]

rolex deep sea, u cant go wrong.

[m630]

Im not a fan of chronos so cant make a recommendation as to what to get, but id suggest two things, determine what u want to spend vs setting such a wide range, there are just too much difference between a watch at 6-8k and say 12-15k and you'll go mad trying to chose since u dont appear to have an emotional attachent to any brand or model; determine what u want from the movement, ie automatic, manual wind, multiday power, date or day date and so on. This will drive the price range in many cases.
If im looking at a 15k watch its because im planning to spend 15k, not shopping in comparison to say a 6k watch, different segment imho. You also want to determine when u state a price, is that list or sell price as that can again vary sometimes significantly.
Then id suggest checking sites like watchrecon to see hundreds of models by just about everyone. Im not an AP fan buy they are well known for chronos. As for VC, u get what u pay for, exclusivity and history, though again, chronos are not there thing really, id never consider a chrono if u was looking for a VC.
Good luck

[particulardude]

Have you checked out Blancpain or Glashutte Original? Their options would likely be at the top end of your budget but definitely a bit more unique than the Daytona imo.

[gan1hck]

If you don't mind wearing something that is not a "recognized" luxury watch, then take a look at this.

The Springdrive is absolutely amazing. I have a Seiko GMT spring drive and it is absolutely heads and shoulders above my Rolex Sea Dweller.

[Pig Farmer]

The Breitling Chronomat Evolution is a nice sport/dress watch. Not extremely rare, but at the low end of your price range. The case is a little over 43mm so it is slightly larger than the Dayton (40mm), but not ridiculously large like some of the wall clocks people are wearing on their wrists these days.

[m630]

Originally Posted by Pig Farmer

The Breitling Chronomat Evolution is a nice sport/dress watch. Not extremely rare, but at the low end of your price range. The case is a little over 43mm so it is slightly larger than the Dayton (40mm), but not ridiculously large like some of the wall clocks people are wearing on their wrists these days.

The OP excluded Breitling from consideration above.

As for size choices, that is another personal matter... But, for clarity, many watch companies today are trying to catch up and develop larger watches (without success IMHO), but they are actually mimicing the original sport-diving watch and are trying to catch up with the long history of tool watches, which date to the 1930's. The first diving watch was 47MM and is perfectly suited for the wrist. Italian design and Swiss craftmanship has produced some of the most beautiful timepieces and tool watches ever conceived. I have a hard time wearing anything below 44MM now as smaller watches feel so puny. But that's me and thankfully we can all choose what suites us as an individual.

[Devious21]

Awaiting Tony's response

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Devious21

Awaiting Tony's response

ROTFL !!!

But for your comment and having to laugh, I wasn't going to because I'm not personally keen on chronographs and I know the Daytona is an excellent one to go with.

The others I'd suggest he consider are these:

JLC Master Extreme Collection: (pick whatever strap/bracelet that JLC makes and that you like)

The watches pictured are these, but there are more to be found on JLC's site and plenty of NOS models on various GMS sites such as this one: http://www.luxurybazaar.com/subcateg...spx?c=361&as=2.

• Master Compressor Diving Chronograph
• jlc Master Compressor Chronograph 2
• Deep Sea Vintage Chronograph - FWIW, of these three, this is the one I prefer. It just looks smart and not so darn fussy as the other two.

I don't see any objective reason to prefer one over the other. Odds are, however, that based on the OP, I'd suggest a Daytona instead of any of them. I think the Zenith El Primero (but not with the tri-colored subdials) is also a good choice.

For myself, and remember I have lots of watches and don't give a damn what other folks think about me or my watches so long as they are high quality and I like the look of them, were I wanting something that passed as a sport/dress, chrono watch in the OP's price range, I'd be looking at either Montblanc or Cartier. Specifically the models shown below. YOu can find reviews of them here:

• http://www.ablogtowatch.com/montblan...-watch-review/
• http://www.ablogtowatch.com/calibre-...h-watch-hands/

A large part of why I suggested those models is due to my absolute abhorrence of the triple sub-dial style of chrono. I just don't like the look. It has nothing to do with usability or anything logical. Outside of that, I think that as MB and Cartier have just entered the in-house space, they are good values at the moment because they don't command the price (brand markup, really) that some equivalent products do. Of the two, I'd pick the MB. I've always felt good about Minerva movements and since MB now owns Minerva, that makes it an in-house watch (not that that is worth 20¢ IMO in the overall scheme of watches at this price point, but it's nice that it is).

I would pick the MB despite what I know some folks will say: "If I wanted a pen, I'd buy MB, but not a watch." IMO, folks that say stuff like that don't have the first clue about the tranferability of discrete manufacturing know-how from one precision product to another. I guess it's just as well they don't for that keeps the demand low the prices low and the discounting opportunity higher. That works just fine for me.

All the best.

[MELLOWYELLOW06]

I like the Mont Blanc

I think Cartier has a chronograph Pasha

[Diesel X5]

MB Would be the one for me.

[finaloption]

i would wait for Baselworld first before buying anymore timepieces..

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by MELLOWYELLOW06

I like the Mont Blanc

I think Cartier has a chronograph Pasha

Cartier has several chronos and every one of them is at least good looking, if not very good looking, to me. Unfortunately, the OP said he wanted an in-house watch, and presumably a chronograph, so for now, that rules out everything from Cartier except the Caliber de Cartier line and the Tank MC line, but AFAIK, there's no tank in the Tank MC line.

Another reason I suggested the CdC chrono is because I feel that model of Cartier's lineup looks better as a chrono than it does as a plain watch. It's one of the very few on the planet, much less from Cartier, that I feel that way about.

If I can put on my subjective and biased art student's hat for a moment, I'll tell you why I think the chrono looks better, but just be aware this is just how my eye sees it. I don't think anyone needs to agree or disagree with this.

When I look at the simple version, and I haven't yet looked at the chrono, I like it. It looks nice, but it's neither the best nor worst looking watch or Cartier watch I've ever seen. I don't have any real issue with buying it either. Then I look at the chrono version and I think it looks nice too. After that, I start comparing them and that's when the simple one loses it's appeal, but yes, I do still like it, just not as much as I did before I started comparing it to the chrono.

So what turned my mind?

• Dial
  • Clutter: the dial on the crhono has less "stuff" on it. It's just cleaner looking. Does the simple version of this watch really need the minute chapter ring ? Aren't the hours enough? If they are required, why not put the around the bezel as seen on the chrono? On the chrono the minutes are subtle and don't interfere with the crispness of the dial proper; the date ring looks as much like styling detail, sort of like accent lines on cars, as it does the minute markers.
  • Hour Numerals: A much greater proportion of the numerals and markers on the chrono aren't "lopped off." I understand that there are sometimes spatial constraints and watchmakers have to borrow some space from the ends of numerals, but most of the time, the less of it they borrow, the better I like the dial.
  • The date window. On the simple version, it's over there on the right creating a visual imbalance IMO, although I know it's there to visually echo the profile of the crown guard to the right of it. All the same, I think the watch would have been worlds better without a date.
    
    Now look at the date on the chrono. The aperture is set at six o'clock and it provides the visual weight to counterbalance the 12 opposing it at the top of the dial.
• Case
  • Crown Guard: For me, the heft of the crown guard on the simple version is just gratuitous metal sitting there. I can't see one damn reason why they couldn't have just left that thing off and let the crown sit on the side of the case as it does on thousands of watches.
    
    On the chrono the "bulk" of the crown guard is largely due to the need to put pushers on the watch. I don't know if the pushers needed to be as large as they are, but that is what it is; they put big pushers over there; so be it. They don't look bad, in fact they look nice, so it doesn't matter if they needed to be that big.

Having discussed both watches' design, I'll now say what would have made no sense to say before. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that Cartier designed the chrono before they designed the simple watch. I think after they had the chrono design signed off on, they then went about figuring out how to make a simple watch out of the chrono design. I think what then happened is that they chose the most cost effective ways to "make it work" and the result is what we see.

Now I could be totally wrong, and it wouldn't bother me to be wrong. The fact remains that I like the simple one just fine as long as I don't have to look at it next to the chrono one. On my wrist that's no problem and that's why I could enjoy wearing it. Now if some CdC chrono wearing sucker sits down next to me while I'm wearing the simple version, one of us has to move to the other side of the table.

One thing to keep in mind: if you think you want any Cartier CdC watch, hurry up and buy it. Last year that simple one had an MSRP of about $6K, now it's $7400. People are starting to realize that that watch is a very nicely made one and they are buying them, so the price is rising as fast as Cartier think they can get away with. The simple one can still be had from a GMS for about $5900 or so, but you now what I'm saying.

By contrast, the MB is still hobbled, price wise, by it's being a watch from a company that's better know as a pen maker. Sometimes watch snobbery can be used to one's financial benefit. <wink>

All the best.

[MikeRR]

I just bought a Daytona black dial, I had a long thought before I decided on this, I also wanted different first but at last there is no substtitute.
The VC Overseas was also on my list but as you said the price made me change my mind.
Maybe a special edition Omega Speedmaster could be something for you.

[wjk_glynn]

Originally Posted by MikeRR

...Maybe a special edition Omega Speedmaster could be something for you.

If the OP would consider used, but still want's a white face, the Speedmaster Alaska Project could be a candidate.



The Panda is another option



Karl.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by wjk_glynn

If the OP would consider used, but still want's a white face, the Speedmaster Alaska Project could be a candidate.

[Speedy AK pic deleted]

The Panda is another option

[Speedy Panda pic deleted]

Karl.

Nice Panda. I see you pictured the 35th Anniversary edition. That's a nice touch if one can come by one.

The Alaska Project reissue/update is super cool too and it makes far more sense to wear, especially on a daily basis, than the original AK-Project one. The little space capsule chrono hands are neat and the whole thing is just stunning looking. I think the change up from the characteristic black dial Speedy watches generally have is nice too.

I have yet to figure out just how Omega were going to connect Alaska and the moon together to market the thing. (The AK project watch was initially intended to be an Omega Moonwatch on steroids.) IMO, it's a good thing Omega put the kabosh on the original one as that model would likely never have enjoyed commercial success. It was a bit bizarre looking. That said, that Omega cancelled the watch for regular production makes it truly a collector's piece today.





For a general, daily wear watch that's also a chrono, I would prefer a Speedy neither more nor less than a Daytona, but alas, the OP doesn't want an Omega. Perhaps he's already got one or looked at them and decided they don't call to him. That's fine. It's not like Omega Speedy's are the only good chrono that fits the OP's requirement's.

All the best.

[finaloption]

i also like the Breguet Transatlantique Type XXI Flyback in Rose Gold.. but it's around the same price of the VC

[djpatrick35]

OK... That's a big price range that covers a huge range of great watches. But here we go.

We have some classics like the AP Royal Oak


Breitling Navitimer 01 (my favorite)


Rolex GMT Master II (If you're willing to look at another Rollie)


We have more sporty watches like the Tag Heuer Monaco Gulf


Chopard Mille Miglia GMT


IWC Spitfire Doppelchronograph


Then we have the weird ones:

Perrelet Turbine XL Chrono


Me? I'd get the Daytona.