So what do you do when you have $5,000 to spend on a watch? Read HODINKEE of course. We've got four of our editors to consider the question for you: what's the best buy in mechanical watches under $5000 – and what's your new prize, once you have it on the wrist, going to make you want to save for? Well, read on, friends. We have listed our top mechanical watches for under $5,000 and a similar (more expensive) watch that you're going to start to yearn for once you're hooked on watches.
Cara Barrett – The NOMOS Zürich And The A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Automatic
Well, NOMOS and Lange may be the obvious choice here, but what can I say? I unequivocally LOVE Nomos and Lange – I am who I am! My choice for a first mechanical watch under $5,000, would have to be the NOMOS Zürich in stainless steel with white dial for $4,180. And for the “save for later watch” I would choose the Lange Saxonia Automatic in white gold. Aesthetically these watches are very similar in overall vision: super-clean, super-classic, and super-German – what’s not to like? The NOMOS Zürich is a fantastic watch – the case is 39.7 mm stainless steel, it has a well-balanced dial, and the in-house made automatic movement features a 43-hour power reserve. Not to mention this watch just looks really great on the wrist and can be worn for almost any occasion.
The comparable watch that I think is worth saving for is the Lange Saxonia Automatic in white gold. This 38.5 mm piece has a similarly balanced dial – elongated baton indexes, well-placed subsidiary seconds dial (with Arabic numerals), and gorgeous hands. More importantly, the beautifully-finished automatic movement has a 72-hour power reserve, guaranteed to keep you on time. The retail on this puppy is $27,000, so start pinching those pennies now.
Jack Forster – The Seiko 5 And The Grand Seiko
It's become increasingly difficult to find mechanical watches that you can recommend without reservation, and at fault, in many if not most cases, is price. It's not that there aren't wonderful watches out there, but the sheer cost of getting into the game has gone up so dramatically over the course of the last decade or so that entire economic demographics have simply been priced out of the game. Seiko, on the other hand, has bucked this trend by holding prices for even its luxury offerings in the Grand Seiko lineup to below $5,000 (in steel), which means I have the pleasure of recommending a starter watch less than $500, and a saver-upper less than most folks' idea of a starter watch. It's easy to forget, but for most people five thousand dollars is actually quite a lot of money, and I think it's important to step back occasionally and remember that if mechanical watchmaking's going to stay relevant, it has to be possible to enter that world without setting first-timers up for disappointment.
The starter watch I'd recommend is the Seiko 5. The fact is, a Seiko 5 could easily be the only watch you ever buy. You might prefer to start with a sport watch from Seiko, but you don't have to; the 5s are notorious for being able to tolerate daily wear for decades and still run well. I put one on one of the more expensive straps in our shop not long ago and even with the extra cost of the strap the whole package was well under $400 bucks. At this price, there's really nothing competitive from Switzerland or Germany – though above $1,000, you can start to find good bang for the buck from companies like Longines and Hamilton, and if you want something with tremendous street cred that's edging close to $5,000, NOMOS. But whether you're just starting out in university, or you're a hedge fund mogul who doesn't see the point in spending money you don't need to spend, the 5 pretty much stands alone in terms of sheer value.
It naturally follows that the watch a Seiko 5 is going to want to make you save for is a Grand Seiko. I'm using mine – a limited edition, blue dialed GMT from a few years back – as an illustration, but you could swap it out for pretty much any Grand Seiko and the argument would still be the same. Grand Seiko offers everything that 5 does, but with much, much higher attention to detail and far superior fit and finish. Neither watch will ever disappoint on any level, but Grand Seiko quality is so high that like the entry level Seiko divers, they find their way into the hands, and onto the wrists, of enthusiasts whose collections include Lange, Patek, Vacheron, and AP. And these enthusiasts don't wear them as beaters or weekend watches – they wear them with the same pride of ownership that they wear watches costing 10 to 20 times (or more) what a Grand Seiko costs.
Arthur Touchot – The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 18 Chronograph And The El Primero Chronograph Classic
Think there aren’t many great watches around the $5,000 mark? Think again. A number of really interesting pieces have been popping up lately. One that really impressed me in 2015 was the Carrera Calibre 18 Chronograph from TAG Heuer. Inspired by an icon, it has all the things you’d want from a “first” watch: useful complications (think chronograph and date window at 6 o’clock), perfect proportions, and a touch of nostalgia (such as the original Heuer Carrera logo at 12 o’clock). Finally, its polished steel case measures a perfect 39 mm. At $5,450, the Calibre 18 Chronograph runs a touch north of our budget, but you’ll find it under where it is exempt from VAT.
Of course, it’s impossible to talk self-winding chronographs without mentioning one of the creators of the genre: Zenith. Better known for its sporty El Primeros, they surprised many last year with an in-house dress chronograph for under $10,000. Featuring a minimalistic dial sans-date window, with a very elegant silver sunburst finish, the Chronograph Classic looks like the Calibre 18’s older brother – and at 42 mm, it feels that way too. The legendary high-beat El Primero powers the watch, and can be viewed through a sapphire case back. For more on the El Primero Chronograph Classic, make sure to take a look at our Week On The Wrist review here.
Louis Westphalen – Vintage Rolex Datejust And The Patek Philippe Reference 3466
If I had one vintage piece to recommend as the first "serious" watch, I would go with the Rolex Datejust, without hesitation. Indeed, the Datejust is exactly what Rolex's founder Hans Wildorf wanted his watches to be: automatic, precise, and water-proof. Simply put, it is an amazing everyday watch, especially if you consider the 36 mm case and the practical date window. But I would not pick any vintage Datejust; instead, I would narrow my choice to the reference 1601 in stainless steel, with its iconic white-gold fluted bezel. The 1601s are easy to find under $3,000 and they are plentiful; that said, they come with a large choice of dials and handset shapes, so you can really find a special one that suits you. This watch looks as good on its bracelet as it does on any strap, and it will never let you down.
A very complete Datejust is a tough act to follow. I naturally thought about Patek Philippe, but the casting criteria were rigorous: try to find a vintage Calatrava with a stainless-steel case and an automatic movement. There was obviously the insanely rare reference 2585 that Ben described in details here; unfortunately less than five examples were ever accounted for, and one of them recently sold for $800,000 at auction. So, I decided to be reasonable and settled for the lesser known reference 3466. And trust me, this one is no second choice with its neatly proportioned 35 mm case and the riveted index markers. You might lose the date window in the trade, but the sub second adds the dash of class that you were expecting from Patek. Take the screw back off and you will see the automatic caliber 27-460 with a sumptuous 18k gold rotor. The reference 3466 could be called a selfish choice: most likely you will be the only one to truly appreciate it on your wrist, but damn, will you ever. Expect to pay around $15-20,000 depending on condition.
Don't have the HODINKEE App yet? Get years of amazing watch content plus new stories, breaking news, and access to great new features like HODINKEE Live, free on iOS, which exists because of Steve Jobs, needless to say.
No comments:
Post a Comment