Help me help my neighbor

[Halothane]

So my neighbor knows I like watches and she has asked me to help find her a watch. She dresses nice, classy, interior designer, maybe 50 y/o.
She wants something in yellow or rose gold with an lighter brown alligator strap and has a budget of 9k or so.

She found a Cartier Tank Louis online she likes. 9k with quartz movement. I don't know anything about Cartier- I told it seems like a nice watch but would likely lose value quickly if she bought new at retail. She would probably never sell it, so maybe not a factor.

Any suggestions on watches to show her in this range and category? If she wants the Cartier should I try to get new from online sellers? Jomasshop?
Is Rolex Cellini (39mm) too big for a small framed woman?

Not a whole lot here on the classifieds as I would assume womens watches like this are generaly slow movers. Unfortunately, we don't live in an area she can try on much. I will travel to Dallas in a couple weeks and could look and send her pics.

Thanks in advance for any advice/help.

[rolehex]

I recommend she try them on first to find the right size and then search for a previously loved one. I think a mint condition one would sell in the $3500-$5500 price range depending on model#.

[michaelodonnell123]

Point her to the nearest Rolex/Tudor dealer and show her a new Tudor Claire De Rose 34mm, it comes on an alligator strap and looks fabulous. It retails for $2,100 and its a mechanical watch. She will also have the peace of mind of a warranty for two years.

[tyler1980]

AP millenary. This probably doesn't help all that much as its more than twice the stated budget, but if she is in interior designer i would assume design is important to her personally. While a Cartier is a fine watch and a classic, it is also pretty simple. Dollar for dollar the AP is a pretty good value all things considered vs the cartier. its an AP, in gold, diamonds, hand wound movement, and impeccable finishing vs the cartier which is a quartz and in gold which is priced too high for what it is. The AP is probably 4X or 5X above the Cartier in terms of what you get at less than 4X or 5X the price.

I would at least show her all the options as there is quite a bit out there. I know my real estate agent always shows me at least one house way outside my stated price range when house shopping so i can get an idea of what else is out there.

As far as resale, generally women don't flip watches like we do so resale is less of a concern. Related to that, because they don't typically flip, it is more important that they get the one they really want. Correcting a regretted purchase or moving on to a different watch later is much more difficult in the ladies watch market.

JLC is also worth a look and is within the price range generally.

[Halothane]

Great advice !! I love the Millenary (and if you can find a preowned one it's a heck of a deal for what you are getting). I hadn't thought about Tudor. I'll call the closest retailer and see what they have.
Thanks guys!!

[incontrol]

If the idea that for $9K you are getting a quartz movement (it was for me), Cartier makes some very nice hand wound watches for women like the Balon Bleu.

For some women, it is about the name on the watch so if she can get an automatic or manual wind and is happy, the world will be in harmony!


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[jon_jon]

It is difficult for a bunch of WIS men to give watch advice to a non-WIS woman.

If she doesn't know much about watches and is not interested in the movement, then I would stay with brands she does know and not stray into less-known watch brands. Most women will know about Cartier, Rolex, Omega and a few others even if they are not into watches.

For a Rolex, a ladies datejust is nice, but if she wants leather strap, this may not be the best option.

The Cartier tank comes in several different sizes and I would encourage her to try on a few different watches at a Cartier AD. You can offer to go into the AD with her for moral support. Even within the Tank series, there are several different variants - the Anglaise, Francaise, Americaine, solo, etc. She needs to try them on to get a feel for which one fits well on her wrist, especially if she is spending $9K on a watch.

While at the Cartier AD, she may also look at a Cartier Ballon Bleu, although most of those are on a metal bracelet. They make some fairly elegant ladies watches, although the Tank is the more classic design.

After she decides on the watch she wants, then you can help her get the best price for the watch. This may be at the local AD negotiating a discount or an online gray dealer or even a pre-owned watch if she is open to that option.

[Halothane]

Originally Posted by incontrol

If the idea that for $9K you are getting a quartz movement (it was for me), Cartier makes some very nice hand wound watches for women like the Balon Bleu.

For some women, it is about the name on the watch so if she can get an automatic or manual wind and is happy, the world will be in harmony!


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Originally Posted by jon_jon

It is difficult for a bunch of WIS men to give watch advice to a non-WIS woman.

If she doesn't know much about watches and is not interested in the movement, then I would stay with brands she does know and not stray into less-known watch brands. Most women will know about Cartier, Rolex, Omega and a few others even if they are not into watches.

For a Rolex, a ladies datejust is nice, but if she wants leather strap, this may not be the best option.

The Cartier tank comes in several different sizes and I would encourage her to try on a few different watches at a Cartier AD. You can offer to go into the AD with her for moral support. Even within the Tank series, there are several different variants - the Anglaise, Francaise, Americaine, solo, etc. She needs to try them on to get a feel for which one fits well on her wrist, especially if she is spending $9K on a watch.

While at the Cartier AD, she may also look at a Cartier Ballon Bleu, although most of those are on a metal bracelet. They make some fairly elegant ladies watches, although the Tank is the more classic design.

After she decides on the watch she wants, then you can help her get the best price for the watch. This may be at the local AD negotiating a discount or an online gray dealer or even a pre-owned watch if she is open to that option.

Originally Posted by ChrisInCharlotte

I love Glashutte Original's ladies pieces

Thanks, I will check out those suggestions. All good tips. We live in Little Rock, AR so trying on pieces would mean a trip to Dallas. It's hard for me not to throw my preferences into the equation (getting a swiss automatic movement instead of a quartz) but you guys are right- it is ultimately what will make her the happiest.

[ChrisInCharlotte]

I love Glashutte Original's ladies pieces

[GB-man]

I think she's probably on the right track. Many women do not want the hassle of an automatic (heck many men as well). Can't comment on price unfortunately I don't know the market for them. I bet resale is half that.

[themast]

Nobody has said Reverso?

Being an interior designer she may like the combination of Art Decó styling (similar to the tank) and functionality.

[RUK]

Reverso would be awesome. She could even get a medium size or men's one.
Next recommendation would be a FPJ or Patek 24 but more pricey

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[christianj]

I think the Cartier Tank she is looking at is a great timeless piece she will get to enjoy for a long time. IMHO most women will recognize the watch on her if that is something she likes. If she like rectangular, a Reverso, Cartier Basculante or an elongated Cartier Tank Americaine might be worth looking at as well. I also see a lot of women wearing the Hermes H Hour which has a similar look but can be had for less $. Something else we normally wouldn't recommend on TZ but also popular with a lot of women are the Franck Muller Long Island's which can sometimes be had for great discounts.

[SearChart]

That Tank is the best choice for sure, but go pre-owned or through a trusted seller, not msrp.

[kunlun]

Gotta try them on, even a friend's. Too big is a problem for fine-boned women. 36mm is too big for a friend of mine.

Reverso would be great, Cartier is a perfect place to look for women's watches. Another friend has her eye on a ballon bleu.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by kunlun

Cartier is a perfect place to look for women's watches. .

thats true for sure, but its the brands downfall too as they are everywhere, in London at least. My wife has one and i always joke that its part of the uniform for mums in London. She didn't believe me so at our sons parents night at school we counted them on the mums. 12 Cartier tanks of varying size/metal in my son's class being worn at the same time and in the same location.

If it was me, that would make me not want one.

[christianj]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

thats true for sure, but its the brands downfall too as they are everywhere, in London at least. My wife has one and i always joke that its part of the uniform for mums in London. She didn't believe me so at our sons parents night at school we counted them on the mums. 12 Cartier tanks of varying size/metal in my son's class being worn at the same time and in the same location.

If it was me, that would make me not want one.

And your saying that on a Rolex Forum website? I definitely see more Rolex watches than I do Cartier watches!

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by christianj

And your saying that on a Rolex Forum website? I definitely see more Rolex watches than I do Cartier watches!

on women? really? Cartier is standard issue here it appears. My wife had her yacht master on when we did our counting experiment and she was the only rolex. Men, 100% agree. I see men with rolex all the time and can count on one hand the number of men i have seen wearing a cartier out in the wild.

[christianj]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

on women? really? Cartier is standard issue here it appears. My wife had her yacht master on when we did our counting experiment and she was the only rolex. Men, 100% agree. I see men with rolex all the time and can count on one hand the number of men i have seen wearing a cartier out in the wild.

On women you do see more Cartier watches than Rolex because they are known as a jewelry company and because their styling likely is more in line with what women want than Rolex. Cartier also has numerous models that cover a more diverse taste range for women. I would have thought that the Tank was their best selling model but I recently heard that the Ballon Bleu is their most popular watch since it is a big hit with women. Historically they probably have sold more versions of the Tank than any other watch since it has been around for years.

I definitely see more men in Europe wearing Cartier watches than I see in the US. In the US, a Rolex on a guy is a common thing. People joke about how if someone gets their first big promotion or bonus at work then they run out and buy a Rolex so everyone can see it.

[McLovin]

Reverso has great selection for women, and is WIS worthy

[vman]

+1 for a Reverso. I've seen women rocking 36mm Rolex DJs--looked phenomenal!

[Halothane]

Thanks for all the help. Ultimately , she went with the Cartier Tank. We looked at a bunch of watches (Cartier, Jaeger, Rolex, etc) but ultimately she said "I've always wanted that watch".
I negotiated a discount and she should get the watch next week. The good thing is she didn't spend a ton and is already thinking about maybe getting another later on down the road!
The bad news is my wife now wants a Jaeger after helping me look at ladies watches.


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[jon_jon]

Glad to hear you were able to help your neighbor and she got the watch she always wanted

As others have said, Rolex is often the first "luxury" watch that non-WIS men think of getting and it is usually Cartier for women.

Now you have the joy of picking out a nice watch for your wife