Been there, couldn't have done it..

[drifter]

Hi,
Been looking for a tiptop watch forum since i've heard the rumors that my soon to be wife (30th of july) fiancee's father would like to buy me a watch as a wedding gift. Found TRF, which looks like the best in terms of info, quality and humor among some others.

Its nearly been a month now that i'm reading just to find the answers i'm looking for before posting the same questions again and take your time.
However, saddly for you, eventho i have had some valuable information about watches in general and rolexes, i have not been able to find the ones that will end my search before posting, that is probably because that i'm into details and have a logic most people find pretty straith forward that is..

Anyways, here goes my questions and thoughts, any feedback will be greatly appreciated;
ps: Oh, and i highligheted the most important parts for me to some of you who do not want to read all but wanted to comment. You can see them as questions ending with "is it?" and/or "really?"..

Never have been a watch man, and after the cell phones time keeping abilities my interest for watches have totally gone (there was not much to be gone really).
However like every logical person that is going to get a gift that they can't refuse, i started to look for one that will fit my lifestyle and appetite.

After a month of research and lots of visits to AD's i've norrowed my choises down to Rolex and Breitling.
To be specific, gmt II and some navitimers. (i'll come to that)

To help you help me with my choise i will pros and cons them for you (the way i feel).

Rolex: Pros
Why gmt not not sub/sd: i am in europe for the half of the year and in the states for the other half, so i think the timezone feature will be more suitable to me than diving abilities as i aint dive for real. (Thinking black/red by the way, sorry hardcore bb fans).
I usually dress casual, even to work, so it does not bother me that it is sporty and rugged. And i know that i can comfortably wear it with suits. (Yeah, been reading that rollies goes with anything anytime, thinking the same too)
The bracelet (oyster) i think is the best looking out there. (comparing with navitimers, which looks like DD/DJ's, too shiny for me)
The brand speaks for itself: eventho the gmtII is not speaking outloud from your wrist, the Rolex name is crystal clear for everyone to hear.
As far as TRF goes, it is pretty dependable, rugged, and there are no deal breakers from the movement or so (technical qualifications)
Dont have to take it of while its raining, or taking a shover, or even swimming, is it?
Future wifey likes it..

Cons
Does not look flashy enough (as i'm not a watch guy, i think that if i am going to get one, i would want it to draw some attention )
Kinda small on my wrist (i'm 6.2 and 250pounds, trying to loose some of it till wedding though )
The fact that it is produced 1m. (nearly) a year make it a little common for me, well, kinda.. And it has loooots of fakes out there.
Even the guy who works at the grocery store has one. I know u can tell the differance and even if u cant, u will always know that yours is the real one, but, u know what i mean.. Its like, i do not drive a merc sl or a911 but i own a 98 f355 berlinetta, eventho it is less reliable and poorly built i do not see five in a row when i go out on a sunday afternoon.

Breitling:
First of all, can't decide between heritage, world or chrono-matic.
i think all of them are COSCed, so no deal braker here too in terms of technical qualifications, reliability is fair (depending on TRF and the fact that some of u guys have both, rollies and breitlings i mean).
I like heritige white on black sub dial, and the chrono with the same combo. Is the only differance with heritage and world is the size? (i do not care much bout the techniqualities as long as there is no really important differance, like world is -30+20 a day and heritage is-3+6) or should i care?
So if there is no differance i think i will go with the heritage or chrono...

Pros:
Nice looking and draws attention (probably a bit too much though)
The size is almost perfect. Can hide my tummy behind it
Seen a lot less than rolex.
Different than the competition.
Probably less fake ones too. Cant decide if thats a good thing or bad though.
Looks better with suits. (eventhoug i do not care that much, it looks good)

Cons:
That bracelet..(and the leather strap is not much nicer imo)
Looks to fragile
Can i wash my face without taking that off? Aint no pilot either, (but i drive a lot :) so mpg feature can be usefull, maybe)
Are there any horror stories, u have heard lately. (i think that "rockrolex" got one reacently, so if he is thrusting the brand why cant i)
Wifey is


Thats it.
Does not looks that bad, but i need some opinions, even that they are going to be biased (You, Rolox Lovers ;)).
I know that i should opt for the one i like on my wrist and i know that i will be happy whichever i choose, but anything else you will say surely can make it easy to make my mind. I'm towards heritage for now, only the fear of from my fiancee is keeping me from finalizing it.

Thanks in advance for all of you who are kind to read and answer..

[Roverdave]

Panerai.

At least check them out. I have a Sub Date and will pass it down to one of my sons when they are ready, but it doesn't see a lot of wrist time...

I am 6'1" and 260, so I know where you are coming from...

BTW, welcome to TRF!!!

[dman]

No lack of shine with the Breitlings. I really like alot of their offerings. Best advice you can get is try a bunch on, the one that belongs on your wrist will stand out when it lands there!!

And Dave is right, give the Panerai line a look.

[JJ Irani]

Hi drifter,

A big welcome to TRF. Glad to have you aboard. The best way to decide is to go yourself to your AD and try out a few of the models. See which one smiles up at you and says: "Take me home, darling....you know I'm all yours!"

Simple....that's the one for you!!

Cheers and have yourself a blast on TRF.

JJ

[mailman]

Hi drifter. Welcome to TRF. Glad you found us here and are taking our thoughts into consideration. The guys said it all above. You neeed to go to an AD to try them on and see which one smiles at you the most. Keep us posted as to your final decision.

[Mr. K]

Not an expert on Brietling although really did like the bullet band when they made it.

I think the Rolex will always be classic. The design is conservative to say the least, but always seems to be in style.

Not sure about Brietling, but other watches makes styles that come and go so very quickly. Rolex style has stood the test of time and will continue to do so.

Rolex is also a manufacture "in-house movent" which is kinda cool.

Both are good watches. Buy the one you like. If you like both, then go with the Rolex. Why?

You said it best

"Future wifey likes it.."

[Gedanken]

Welcome aboard, drifter!

It's all a matter of taste, I think. As Mr K has stated, a Rolex is a classic. The basic design of the GMT has been around for more than 50 years, and it still holds its place in any current setting. That said, the Navitimer can pretty much make the same claim.

While you can argue that Rolexes are copied more than any other watch (although you'll see a lot of fake Breitlings floating about, especially in Asia), I think that they stand out more than, say, Breitlings or Omegas or even worse TAGs, which seems to appear in greater numbers. Personally I'd feel a bit lost in a crowd wearing a Breitling.

For me, it's as much buying the company as the product. Rolex makes parts for their watches for 30 years after production ceases, and I've never had reason to fault their after-sales service. I won't say that Breitling's any worse since I have no experience in that department, but I will attest that Rolex are serious about backing up their product.

I've looked at getting a Breitling Chrono Avenger M1, but ultimately decided upon a Tudor Chrono to keep it in the family, as it were. Ultimately, I had a feeling that I would end up trying to explain to myself why I got a Breitling instead of a Rolex, and if it didn't feel right then, I knew it wasn't going to be a keeper.

Like I said, it's all a matter of personal preferences.

[Otis]

Howdy drifter!

I was reading your post and thinking.....Panerai!
Lo and behold....I was beaten to it!

I've been tossing up between a navitimer, sea-dweller and 111 for the next one, and it's been a difficult one alright. (So much so, that I'm leaving it until I'm sure, plus I'm happy with my omegas). So, here are my 2c:

The Navitimer has great history behind it too, and is just great in terms of 'cool things on it' like the slide rule and chrono. They are also a great looking watch, complicated yet brilliantly laid out. However, they seem to be very common today, seen on almost every wannabe gangster's wrist. I know people would come up to me and say "hey...you got one of those big bling watches like (insert name here) wears! it's fake right?"
I have also heard that they are somewhat delicate. But, I still think they're great watches.


The GMT is a great watch. As other have said, it's a classic, sporty design. Plus the GMT function would come in handy for you!
The design is still quintessentially 'rolex', and will certainly attract attention too. Perhaps a little more subtle than a breitling, but still a great looking watch. In terms of size, you really need to feel comfortable with what you're wearing. Personally, I have trouble wearing things smaller than 38 odd mm, but my arms aren't really skinny.

Just MHO, sorry to rave one, hope I've been of some help.
Try some on, you'll soon find one that jumps, screams and attaches itself affectionatly to your leg and refused to let go!

If you think the GMTII is too small, as others have said, give Panerai a look. They're big, make a bold statement and are even more of a classic than the Rolex sports line as they pre-date them by a good 18 years, in terms of when the designs first came out. If you drive a Ferrari, you already appreciate Italian design and function. And since Panerai only make about 35,000 watches a year, you won't see one on every other person's wrist, too.

And if the Panerai is too common, you may want to look at the new Ferrari watches manufactured by Panerai. Very limited editions and it would look great with your car.

[Gedanken]

John, did you just say Italian and function in the same sentence?

Originally Posted by Gedanken

John, did you just say Italian and function in the same sentence?

Three words:

Campagnolo

Panerai

Ferrari

[drifter]

First of all, thanks alot you guys for the responces..
However i kinda felt that most of you will be in the same dilemna as me if you had given these choises.

And that is a good thing for me because,
first, it shows that i am not the only one being indecisive,
second and most importantly, the fact that even the guys like you (watch enthusiasts and collectors, probably knows a lot about watches and understand/appreciate quality, heritage, history) not being able to make a clear distinction between rolex, breitling and panerai shows that i am in the right pattern in terms of my choises are being nicely selected. So thanx again.

I have read your comments yesterday but didnt wanted to say something before checking panerai's one more time.

I liked the luminor marina/auto with steel br. and black dial (00220), but my heart beats faster for 18ct gold/carbon dial (00140) (wifey may divorce on honeymoon :))
I agree panny's being less common and beautiful watches, and italians do the best when comes to styling, but i definitely deny them being reliable. At least in car industry (Have owned couple of massers earlier that keeps breaking down) But surely that does not mean that i am going to buy a japanese or german watch just becasue they are built to last forever ;).

However, Panerais are too big for me. I mean, navitimer world is a big watch too, but it is more delicate/ fragile and keeps a low profile compared to luminor marina (in terms of being rugged and height).
And where i live in (that being istanbul) rolexes and breitlings are $6000ish, however panny gold/carbon marina is nearly $15000, and that might be asking to much as a gift.

The things you have said about rolex (them being the producers of all parts, and the design which being a classic) makes it tempting actually. And lots of fakes means that it is a desirable and good brand. (as i already knew it)

I see that rolex is the number one in luxury watches in terms sales figures and reliability. And i understand that (do i?) the sales figures are because that they are good, not just because they are fashion, as how can a watch staying the same for 50 years can be fashion means that there is much to it other than styling.

However i am still on the navitimer as there are no bad comments about it too.
And as i have said before, not being a real watch lover, i think the one that i liked more must be the choise, eventho rolex is looking like a better one (just a little, isnt it?).

Its like a step to that accesory line for me, and it looks like a good way to start with something flashy and beautiful. Than after i get used to wearing watches i can buy myself a rolex because of its sportiness, gmt features, bracelet, movement, history and because it is a ROLEX.
(Oh, when u think of it, one may really ask "again, why the choise is breitling?")
But the self satisfactory answer is, the size, the color combo and the luxury look. (totally agree on gangsta rappers choise of watch being breitling and lookalikes thoug :()

I am lobbying in favor of navitimer with fiancee now, lets see how it goes, i will definetly keep you informd.

One last one, she said that, if i go for a steel/gold bracelet gmt (gold basel and numbers i recall) or a navitimer, basically the choises i'm talking about from the beginning, she will ask for a bulgari bulgari in the near future as bribe. Guess i have the right women
But what do you say about bulgari?

Originally Posted by drifter

But what do you say about bulgari?

Purely a fashion watch. The use basic ETA movements (nothing wrong with that) but you're paying a premium for the name/styling. Money could be better spent on a watch that will not be out of fashion in two years and will hold it's value longer.

Just my two Canadian cents. Good luck. The hunt is the best part.

[dman]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Purely a fashion watch. The use basic ETA movements (nothing wrong with that) but you're paying a premium for the name/styling. Money could be better spent on a watch that will not be out of fashion in two years and will hold it's value longer.

Just my two Canadian cents. Good luck. The hunt is the best part.

I seem to hear that alot about Pannies too mate, be careful.

[mailman]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Three words:

Campagnolo

Panerai

Ferrari

What about me?

[Rockrolex]

Let me add my welcome to TRF, drifter (and my 2 cents as well). I have both the GMT (black bezel only) and a Breitling Navitimer Olympus. I got the Breitling because of it's many complications - as the guys can tell you, I am very much into complications - the more the merrier. The Olympus has almost all you could want - including a slide rule (takes me back to my engineering school days).

The Breitling is a monster compared to the GMT (43.5 mm v. 40 mm). While the Breitling is very reliable, I would trust the GMT in more tough spots. Also, the multi time zone feature makes it so versatile for travelers.

As the others have said, you have to take them both for a test drive. One of them will smile at you more than the other. It's hard to believe, but you'll see when you try them on.

Good luck on which ever one you decide on. And post pics when you get it.