Need Watch Help-Birthday Gift

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JmeBeMe

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I know nothing about mens watches but want to buy one for my son for his birthday. I'm looking for a quality gold watch for under $1000. I found an amazing Audemars Piguet watch that I LOVED and when I looked it up, it was $62K!!! I clearly have amazing taste. 🤑 I know I have previously read other watch posts on this forum but did not yield any results when I searched.
 
Shinola makes a variety of nice watches, from $400 - $1,700. Multiple styles including dress watches, more technical looking watches, and some funky ones.

Audemars makes an outstanding watch, but a little too flashy for my taste. I prefer the elegant, understated Patek Philippe. ;)
 
Had a guy in the office who only wore the current in style best. Shoes, suits, shirts and of course watches. He was showing me his new Rolex with all the bells and whistles one day and asked what I had? Patek Philippe Calatrava which I bought many years ago. Never heard of it. That's why I wear it.:biggrin:
 
JmeBeMe said:
I know nothing about mens watches but want to buy one for my son for his birthday. I'm looking for a quality gold watch for under $1000. I found an amazing Audemars Piguet watch that I LOVED and when I looked it up, it was $62K!!! I clearly have amazing taste. 🤑 I know I have previously read other watch posts on this forum but did not yield any results when I searched.
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We were shopping for DS for HS graduation and B-day (combined event) gift last year...also about the same price point...
WE wanted to buy him something traditional, classic, gold watch with leather....he had other ideas. We ultimately purchased him an apple watch as he asked. His reasoning behind the apple watch was that he would make better use of it, wearing it everyday and he would be reminded of us every day. Whereas the gold watch, although he would love it, would only be worn on special occassions (he would be worried he would break or lose it)....and not to mention, he would rather get DH hand me down way down the road.

Men and watches are like Women and diamond jewelry!! Very personal, each person has their own style and taste, can never have too many and the budget is "just a guideline!"

Bulova, Seiko, Casio (G-Shock...not gold but very nice) are pretty nice options if you want the traditional classic, movement and price.
 
Air Force guys love Breitling’s. Bought one 25 years ago and wore the heck out of it for 5 years or so. Been on my wrist maybe 10 times in the last 20 years.
 
If your top limit is $1000, I'd look for a Hamilton Chronograph.

I have one very similar to this one: 1624120587316.png

This is listed on Hamilton's website at $995 or so. You can find others for less, I just prefer the aviator "style." And yes, I'm a horologist (watch nut)...I have about...okay, too many.

There are others, but I like Swiss movements when available.

Now, if you want to go a little crazy...1624120748017.png
This will set you back @$2100.

You've already shown great taste with the Audemars...but they, like Patek's, are a tad...pricey.

Steve
 
Tag Heuer participates with many college alumni programs, including USNA (haven’t looked up the others). Some fine-looking timepieces.

My daily driver watch is a Citizen Eco Drive, stainless steel casing and band, 40 (nano-teensy, just a delicate bit of bling) diamonds to mark the hours, and around the rim. Got it for myself when I went to my first command as a commander. Never needs a battery, just gets its solar feed, on my wrist since the 20th century. I use an old toothbrush and some baking soda toothpaste to clean it every so often. DH also has a Citizen Eco-Drive, equally hard-wearing. They come in all styles and price ranges. For dress-up, I wear my mom’s Movado tiny gold watch with gold band, and DH wears my dad’s vintage 1930’s Movado self-winding (winds with wrist motion), all gold. They were my parents’ wedding gifts to each other.

When I was on ships or in other industrial environments, I wore a rubber banded Timex.

Not responsive to the OP, but I enjoy watches, hence my nattering on. I’ve debated an Apple Watch but determined I don’t need one at the moment. I worked for a person who had one, and he was constantly looking at his wrist when messages or email came in, seldom making eye contact during a f2f conversation. Most disconcerting. I’d have to think about how I managed that, whether I wanted to be so tethered.
 
Okay...CaptMJ will enjoy this, knowing that I'm about as AF blue as she is Navy blue and gold...

My daily wear watch when not working in a classroom is a Citizen Eco Hawk, Blue Angels Edition.

Can't beat it for just all-around outstanding wear and accuracy (and it looks VERY pilot-ish).

Now if only they could get the T-Birds off the Breitling kick and into one of these...
 
flieger83 said:
Okay...CaptMJ will enjoy this, knowing that I'm about as AF blue as she is Navy blue and gold...

My daily wear watch when not working in a classroom is a Citizen Eco Hawk, Blue Angels Edition.

Can't beat it for just all-around outstanding wear and accuracy (and it looks VERY pilot-ish).

Now if only they could get the T-Birds off the Breitling kick and into one of these...
Click to expand...
Quadruple likes.
 
AF6872 said:
Had a guy in the office who only wore the current in style best. Shoes, suits, shirts and of course watches. He was showing me his new Rolex with all the bells and whistles one day and asked what I had? Patek Philippe Calatrava which I bought many years ago. Never heard of it. That's why I wear it.:biggrin:
Click to expand...
I have the Calatrava too and most people don't notice it. Can go through daily life without attracting attention (except in jewelry stores).
 
More affordable than dear James’ Omegas, look at Citizen’s Eco-Drive watches in their rugged Promaster line.
 
Capt MJ said:
Tag Heuer participates with many college alumni programs, including USNA (haven’t looked up the others). Some fine-looking timepieces.

My daily driver watch is a Citizen Eco Drive, stainless steel casing and band, 40 (nano-teensy, just a delicate bit of bling) diamonds to mark the hours, and around the rim. Got it for myself when I went to my first command as a commander. Never needs a battery, just gets its solar feed, on my wrist since the 20th century. I use an old toothbrush and some baking soda toothpaste to clean it every so often. DH also has a Citizen Eco-Drive, equally hard-wearing. They come in all styles and price ranges. For dress-up, I wear my mom’s Movado tiny gold watch with gold band, and DH wears my dad’s vintage 1930’s Movado self-winding (winds with wrist motion), all gold. They were my parents’ wedding gifts to each other.

When I was on ships or in other industrial environments, I wore a rubber banded Timex.

Not responsive to the OP, but I enjoy watches, hence my nattering on. I’ve debated an Apple Watch but determined I don’t need one at the moment. I worked for a person who had one, and he was constantly looking at his wrist when messages or email came in, seldom making eye contact during a f2f conversation. Most disconcerting. I’d have to think about how I managed that, whether I wanted to be so tethered.
Click to expand...

You both wearing your parents watches makes me weapy! That's SO up my alley! Such a treasure. Thank you for sharing as I'm a sentimental to the nth degree!
 
Just snagged a Shinola from Nordstrom for half price! Extremely sharp looking watch and recommended here and by my brother who actually knows what a Calatrava watch is...

Researching and shopping these beauties now has me thinking, with my savings, I could buy him two timepieces. Y'all are creating a monster.
 
flieger83 said:
If your top limit is $1000, I'd look for a Hamilton Chronograph.

I have one very similar to this one: View attachment 9379

This is listed on Hamilton's website at $995 or so. You can find others for less, I just prefer the aviator "style." And yes, I'm a horologist (watch nut)...I have about...okay, too many.

There are others, but I like Swiss movements when available.

Now, if you want to go a little crazy...View attachment 9380
This will set you back @$2100.

You've already shown great taste with the Audemars...but they, like Patek's, are a tad...pricey.

Steve
Click to expand...

The more I am looking, I think raising my budget a bit wouldn't hurt. There are some incredibly beautiful pieces. I was looking at some Hamilton watches at Nordstrom and was certainly drawn to them; just wasn't sure if that was a quality brand. Thank you for the input.
 
If you want something akin to dive watches, you can't go wrong with a Seiko. They have a lovely collection of watches which go for around $300 MSRP. Models such as the SRPE or the SRPD are great watches. Invicta's ok, but I never liked their given sizes.
 
JmeBeMe said:
The more I am looking, I think raising my budget a bit wouldn't hurt. There are some incredibly beautiful pieces. I was looking at some Hamilton watches at Nordstrom and was certainly drawn to them; just wasn't sure if that was a quality brand. Thank you for the input.
Click to expand...
Hamilton is an American Company...they were world renown for their accuracy in pocket watches generally used by rail masters..you know the guys who say "all aboard!" WAY back in the day when they didnt even have electicity nevermind digital and electronics!

Bulova is also an excellent US brand company known only for their timepieces.

These days most movements are quartz...and every major label has a rendition of watches..michael kors, coach, etc etc...they are not known for their time pieces bit more fashion.
 
MamaDragon2024 said:
Hamilton is an American Company...they were world renown for their accuracy in pocket watches generally used by rail masters..you know the guys who say "all aboard!" WAY back in the day when they didnt even have electicity nevermind digital and electronics!

Bulova is also an excellent US brand company known only for their timepieces.

These days most movements are quartz...and every major label has a rendition of watches..michael kors, coach, etc etc...they are not known for their time pieces bit more fashion.
Click to expand...
A side note...Hamilton moved to Switzerland in 2003 and they like to "brag" that they represent the perfect balance of American Spirit and Swiss Precision.

That being said, I've always liked them!! I was issued one when I started UPT in '83...a really nice watch.
 
flieger83 said:
Okay...CaptMJ will enjoy this, knowing that I'm about as AF blue as she is Navy blue and gold...

My daily wear watch when not working in a classroom is a Citizen Eco Hawk, Blue Angels Edition.

Can't beat it for just all-around outstanding wear and accuracy (and it looks VERY pilot-ish).

Now if only they could get the T-Birds off the Breitling kick and into one of these...
Click to expand...
I too rock a Citizen Eco Hawk Blue Angels Edition and like it very much.
Currently, I'm wearing a wearable called an AMAZFIT GTR Lite which does Apple Watch type things but only needs charging every couple of weeks.
 
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