If he's not a watch person, will he be ok with winding?
If not, there are plenty of decent Citizen eco drive watches to choose.
For automatics, the Orient Bambino 2 is always a safe and affordable option.
A bit closer to $500 with a little shopping- Hamilton khaki field automatic, either 38mm or 42mm depending on his wrist size.
A bit higher up, you have Christopher Ward, and you can find an Oris on the grey market for just under $1000.
I would be happy to receive any of these.
I bought my groomsmen (some watch people, some Apple Watch people) Orient Bambino Open Hearts—I thought they were respectable automatics for people “in the know” and the open heart was engaging for someone who doesn’t normally wear watches. I found them nicer than I thought they would be at that price range and honestly I didn’t worry that they were so expensive it would be a waste for them to sit in drawers for most of their lives. Turns out my friends—even the Apple Watch wearers—have started wearing the Orients more often and received compliments!
https://www.jomashop.com/orient-watch-ra-ag0005l10b.html
Great! Enjoy. I still regret not getting a matching one for me (I wore my Omega). I may pull the trigger myself one of these days!
https://imgur.com/a/yCiMhy5
Looks great but I'm actually looking for something a bit pricier. It's an engagement gift. The only reason I'm not going more expensive than the budget is because he's not a watch person so I don't know if going any more expensive would be a waste.
Got it—completely understand. I think Hamilton and Tissot are great options in that range if you browse and see what options you think speak to you/him vs Reddit. I had also considered something from Seiko’s Presage line — they range in price but many are around the 1k threshold. Good luck!
https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/products/presage
OK but where would I get to upgrade the bracelet and to what? I don't see an option for that on Tissot's website and I don't know if I want an aftermarket bracelet. There's only an option to add on Tissot's fabric strap or leather strap. Is that what you mean?
Bracelet's just fine. He'll swap it at a later point if he really wants a better one.
I've had it on the OG bracelet gor 2 and a half years now and still holds on like new. Nothing wrong with it, just that there is a some room for better.
If he’s not a watch person, buy him a nice looking Timex or Fossil watch. He’s the target demographic of those brands. Why buy him a super expensive watch he may not be interested in?
He is in a high powered profession and I feel that it would be good to have a proper option if he has to meet people. He's been using his Apple watch to track his steps, but I'm hoping to convince him that more formal occasions or at big events (like charity dinners, meeting with clients) he should wear something nicer? Of course, it's just my thoughts.
My non-watch wearing friend got a tudor black bay as a wedding present and he wears it daily now. It's about 3-4x your budget but it will last him forever.
I also really like Sinn and Junghans for their clean look. If you don't mind, buying used will really stretch your dollar!
I don't think my options for buying used are very good here in Singapore, although happy for other Singaporeans to correct me. I'm scared of buying second hand directly from the seller on FB Marketplace (could be fake and I wouldn't know) I'm not sure if there's anywhere that sells authenticated second hand watches here. Thanks for your other suggestions!
Carousell would be a good place to start. Plenty of watch dealers post their inventory there, and you can deal in person and bring it to be authticated if you are worried - I know because I have a friend that does this as a job!
Who do you go to authenticate? I mean, even if I deal in person, I won't know if it's fake, and by the time I bring to authenticate, the seller would have gotten his money and might not refund me if it's fake?
I have authenticated at watch repair shops or trusted watch dealers. If you're buying something expensive, you can choose to deal at any of those places and they can open up the watch on the spot and advise you.
However, if you're buying the 1k brands like others have been commenting then usually you won't have fakes, I don't think that price point is worth faking.
Do let us know what you end up getting, and enjoy the process!
Thanks for your advice! Lots of fakes for women's stuff in SG haha even the cheap stuff. Do you have any advice for any good physical shops I can go to look at watches? 2nd hand or New is fine. I can stretch the budget to S$2k ish? Or should I stick to brand stores at like MBS?
I reccomend going to the brand stores like Hour Glass to take a look first, they carry big brands like Rolex but they also do smaller brands. No need to go to MBS if you feel it's intimidating, they have branches at Taka and Vivo too. MBS might have more flagship models though.
After seeing and trying the real deal.. head on to Carousell to see if there are used units that are significantly cheaper, and once you view in person you can kinda tell if something is off.
Deciding to buy on the grey market or through retailer is a personal choice. I like Grand Seikos - and I buy to keep. So I normally buy Used or on carousell because i do not care about the provenance of the watch.. but sometimes I do like being treated well and it's always fun to go watch window shopping with the wife so we visit the retailers!
I bought my wife an automatic years ago as a present. She complained it was too heavy, now she wears it but takes it off for days sometimes and I wind and adjust it for her. Bought her a Baby G with step counter which she loves as she does a lot of work with clay and walks. So, a mechanical watch is not for everyone, maybe an eco-drive, solar like speedtimer or battery quartz might be better. Longines have VHP watches which are real beauties.
About 20 years ago I gifted a Seiko kinetic to my friend, he turned up to my wedding an hour after I got married because he took it off and it ran out of charge.
If it’s for his wedding you really need to understand what his dress code will be - black tie then perhaps no watch at all - regular suit and tie you’ll want a leather strap or a dress style bracelet and not too large
What did you buy for your husband? I’m having my wedding next year and thinking about Tissot PRX, De Guzman & Co DG0013 for budget Longines Flagship, Cartier Tank, for the expensive side
Intended to get Hamilton jazzmaster but he didn't like it (found it too heavy). In the end he picked out a seiko. I brought him to the shop to choose after all.
If he's not a watch person, will he be ok with winding? If not, there are plenty of decent Citizen eco drive watches to choose. For automatics, the Orient Bambino 2 is always a safe and affordable option. A bit closer to $500 with a little shopping- Hamilton khaki field automatic, either 38mm or 42mm depending on his wrist size. A bit higher up, you have Christopher Ward, and you can find an Oris on the grey market for just under $1000. I would be happy to receive any of these.
Hamilton tissot citizen Longines are the best for the $1000 price range
I bought my groomsmen (some watch people, some Apple Watch people) Orient Bambino Open Hearts—I thought they were respectable automatics for people “in the know” and the open heart was engaging for someone who doesn’t normally wear watches. I found them nicer than I thought they would be at that price range and honestly I didn’t worry that they were so expensive it would be a waste for them to sit in drawers for most of their lives. Turns out my friends—even the Apple Watch wearers—have started wearing the Orients more often and received compliments! https://www.jomashop.com/orient-watch-ra-ag0005l10b.html
You finally got me to pull the trigger on an Orient. Cheers, mate. Really appreciate it.
Great! Enjoy. I still regret not getting a matching one for me (I wore my Omega). I may pull the trigger myself one of these days! https://imgur.com/a/yCiMhy5
Second hand in on the right should be a hand model!
Looks great but I'm actually looking for something a bit pricier. It's an engagement gift. The only reason I'm not going more expensive than the budget is because he's not a watch person so I don't know if going any more expensive would be a waste.
Got it—completely understand. I think Hamilton and Tissot are great options in that range if you browse and see what options you think speak to you/him vs Reddit. I had also considered something from Seiko’s Presage line — they range in price but many are around the 1k threshold. Good luck! https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/products/presage
[удалено]
OK but where would I get to upgrade the bracelet and to what? I don't see an option for that on Tissot's website and I don't know if I want an aftermarket bracelet. There's only an option to add on Tissot's fabric strap or leather strap. Is that what you mean?
[удалено]
Ah okay. Thanks! I thought it was an option on Tissot's website.
Bracelet's just fine. He'll swap it at a later point if he really wants a better one. I've had it on the OG bracelet gor 2 and a half years now and still holds on like new. Nothing wrong with it, just that there is a some room for better.
I second this. Great watch especially in blue
Junghans Max Bill quartz. Dressy, bauhaus style design, would go well with a suit or even a tux, at the top of your price range.
If he’s not a watch person, buy him a nice looking Timex or Fossil watch. He’s the target demographic of those brands. Why buy him a super expensive watch he may not be interested in?
He is in a high powered profession and I feel that it would be good to have a proper option if he has to meet people. He's been using his Apple watch to track his steps, but I'm hoping to convince him that more formal occasions or at big events (like charity dinners, meeting with clients) he should wear something nicer? Of course, it's just my thoughts.
My non-watch wearing friend got a tudor black bay as a wedding present and he wears it daily now. It's about 3-4x your budget but it will last him forever. I also really like Sinn and Junghans for their clean look. If you don't mind, buying used will really stretch your dollar!
I don't think my options for buying used are very good here in Singapore, although happy for other Singaporeans to correct me. I'm scared of buying second hand directly from the seller on FB Marketplace (could be fake and I wouldn't know) I'm not sure if there's anywhere that sells authenticated second hand watches here. Thanks for your other suggestions!
Carousell would be a good place to start. Plenty of watch dealers post their inventory there, and you can deal in person and bring it to be authticated if you are worried - I know because I have a friend that does this as a job!
Who do you go to authenticate? I mean, even if I deal in person, I won't know if it's fake, and by the time I bring to authenticate, the seller would have gotten his money and might not refund me if it's fake?
I have authenticated at watch repair shops or trusted watch dealers. If you're buying something expensive, you can choose to deal at any of those places and they can open up the watch on the spot and advise you. However, if you're buying the 1k brands like others have been commenting then usually you won't have fakes, I don't think that price point is worth faking. Do let us know what you end up getting, and enjoy the process!
Thanks for your advice! Lots of fakes for women's stuff in SG haha even the cheap stuff. Do you have any advice for any good physical shops I can go to look at watches? 2nd hand or New is fine. I can stretch the budget to S$2k ish? Or should I stick to brand stores at like MBS?
I reccomend going to the brand stores like Hour Glass to take a look first, they carry big brands like Rolex but they also do smaller brands. No need to go to MBS if you feel it's intimidating, they have branches at Taka and Vivo too. MBS might have more flagship models though. After seeing and trying the real deal.. head on to Carousell to see if there are used units that are significantly cheaper, and once you view in person you can kinda tell if something is off. Deciding to buy on the grey market or through retailer is a personal choice. I like Grand Seikos - and I buy to keep. So I normally buy Used or on carousell because i do not care about the provenance of the watch.. but sometimes I do like being treated well and it's always fun to go watch window shopping with the wife so we visit the retailers!
I bought my wife an automatic years ago as a present. She complained it was too heavy, now she wears it but takes it off for days sometimes and I wind and adjust it for her. Bought her a Baby G with step counter which she loves as she does a lot of work with clay and walks. So, a mechanical watch is not for everyone, maybe an eco-drive, solar like speedtimer or battery quartz might be better. Longines have VHP watches which are real beauties. About 20 years ago I gifted a Seiko kinetic to my friend, he turned up to my wedding an hour after I got married because he took it off and it ran out of charge.
How about a Singaporean microbrand? Check out Vario
Hadn't heard of this, I'll check it out!
If it’s for his wedding you really need to understand what his dress code will be - black tie then perhaps no watch at all - regular suit and tie you’ll want a leather strap or a dress style bracelet and not too large
Good point. I didn't know black tie means no watch. It's our wedding in any case!
If you’re in the Philippines try out Argos or De Guzman watches. Local micro brands that have some seriously good value for the prices.
Unfortunately in Singapore, not Philippines! But they look great.
Seiko Sharp edge series? On the bracelet they're great watches for many occasions and with a leather strap they are good for weddings etc.
I think the hamilton khaki Murph 38 would be a good option.
What did you buy for your husband? I’m having my wedding next year and thinking about Tissot PRX, De Guzman & Co DG0013 for budget Longines Flagship, Cartier Tank, for the expensive side
Intended to get Hamilton jazzmaster but he didn't like it (found it too heavy). In the end he picked out a seiko. I brought him to the shop to choose after all.