If I can't wear rolex what else?

[lorsban]

Originally Posted by noche619

thank you all
I'm truly torn between reading a post from someone who has nickel sensitivity and can wear rolex anyway and wanting to go ahead and try
and reading Lorsban's post who had to give up his holy grail
I'm going to check out Omega and some others and see if something really appeals to me.
But I'm thinking my original intent was to spend this large (to me) amount on a Rolex. If I can't have Rolex, I don't know whether I want to spend that much.
Maybe I should look at something like Tissot that I can wear and not be "married" to. Or even a quartz fashion watch in men's size that again, I can wear for a while and get tired of. Something nice but in the hundreds of dollars instead of thousands.

Yeah, it's a bummer. I only wear my Rolex DJ on very few occasions, not warranting all-day wear like dinners or functions and whatnot. Otherwise, I have this nice checkerboard rash looking not unlike the jubilee pattern on my wrist - Veeery elegant. And I'm definitely NOT spending $7-8000 on a watch I can only wear sometimes.

With regards to an alternative, usually I advise against them because nothing will ever be the same as the original. BUT, in this case, if you do have a real issue with the steel (like I do), then I would recommend you go for the "next best thing" and not something 2 or 3 tiers down. Not that Tissot don't make good watches, they do. But, if you're going to spend money on something you may not keep, I think it's better to spend it on something that will hold it's value well - so you at least won't lose so much on resale. Comparatively, Tissot's don't hold value nearly as well as Omega's.

By the way, prior to buying the Air-King, I also compared it to an Omega Aquaterra AND a Tag Carrera Twin-time, which was much much cheaper and with a similar style that comes with a GMT function - tons of bang for buck.

[crhfish]

I own just about every brand below Rolex. Right now I can't think of a major brand I don't own or have owned. I really like my Brietling Aerospace titanium and the Superocean, (last model not the new one). The later probably fits a dressy occasion better. It's a well made watch. Omega, for some reason, seems to be trying to pull itself up to Rolex in terms of price. I like them, but not for what they are selling for at the moment. You could also look at Longines, they have some good deals out right now. The Hydroconquest looks like a good watch for the price.

You always have Tag, but I'm not a big fan of the recent watches they have put out. Love the old Heuers though and some of the retro's. After that you could go vintage or, Zeno, Tissot Le Locle, Jaques Lemans.

I have $2500 burning a hole in my pocket and already have several Rolexes so I am looking for something probably close to what you are looking for. I can't make up my mind. I'm leaning towards a vintage Chronmat on a bullet band (Seinfeld watch).

[noche619]

thank you Lorsban and crhfish
I'm going to look again this weekend at Rolex and at Omega and some others. Wish me luck. I just hope if I decide to go ahead and get the Rolex, I won't have a problem with it.
thanks again for your advice

[franksremote]

I've been bitten by the IWC bug recently and have found their watches to be affordable while offerring many more complications than Rolex (or more affordable "family" counterpart Tudor) offers. I would recommend an IWC to anyone who wants a watch (or watches) that literally have more bells and whistles than what Rolex offers, especially if looking for materials other than steel or a larger offerring of sizes and shapes. Additionally, I really like chronographs (as well as moonphase and perpetual calendar complications) and there really aren't any choices within the Rolex (or Tudor) Brand(s).

IWC pioneered the ceramic case for use with wristwatches and their Top Gun offerrings (ceramic cased 44mm single chronograph or 46mm doppel chronograph) are not only extremely comfortable to wear, but the larger size makes reading the time, day and date a snap (without a cyclops) while the larger size isn't intrusive. I know that not everyone digs the "Top Gun" markings so alternately there's a tonneau shaped chronograph to be found with the newly released ceramic Da Vinci Chronograph which is revolutionary in that a chrono's typical multiple totalizers are combined into a single one so that reading off the total time elapsed/recorded is as simple as reading off the time; no need to add up the totals from two or three separate subdials. Just one of many variations offerred by this solid Swiss Manufacturer that's always coming up with new and revolutionary features and designs previously unseen from any watchmaker.

I really do believe they offer something for everyone without sacrificing any of the class, accuracy or reliability one comes to expect from a fine Swiss timepiece and their prices are affordable, considering the complications built into their watches via their in-house designed and built movements, as well as compared to similarly complicated offerrings from other manufacturers.

I'm not knocking Rolex, afterall I do own just about every Rolex "sport" watch offerred as well as a slew of Tudors (especially the chronographs), but to get a timepiece with any additional complications, I definitely had to look towards a brand other than Rolex (or Tudor and even Omega for that matter) and I can say with all honesty that the IWCs take the cake while retaining the performance and manufactuering attributes that we've come to enjoy from Rolex.

As always, YMMV... check 'em out though you won't be dissappointed ;) www.iwc.com and www.acejewlers.com for mostly MSRP/retail prices in Euros with USD conversions. Happy hunting, that's the funnest part. =)

[lorsban]

Totally digging the new Tudor Glamour Date Day. Has that Datejust w/domed bezel look at a slightly larger case. These go for about $2k and I think I read somewhere here that they use different steel?

[Saxon007]

FR John (jmrolls) has a favorite authorized Omega dealer that will give you a substantial discount on a new Omega. PM him for details.

Tudors are fine watches. I don't know if the SS is the same as Rolex though.