Contrarian Views
Give me two brands. The first is a brand you love, but doesn't seem to get the same love in the watch community, generally. The second brand is the opposite, a brand everyone seems to love but literally nothing they come out with appeals to you. I'll start.
Love: Breitling.
I've loved the Navitimer since I was a kid and their quirky design language with bullet bracelets and rider tabs on the Chronomat series stand out from the crowd.
Ignore (because hate is a strong word): Tudor.
I hate the Snowflake hour hand (and I think hate is appropriate here) and there is nothing in their collection that appeals to me. The only thing I moderately liked was the North Flag, and they discontinued it.
Here's a link to my collection: https://www.chrono24.com/user/watch-collection.htm#/overview/owned-watches More of an enthusiast than a collector. Have been wearing a watch and buying watches for 30 y...
That post doesn't sound like contrarianism to me and therefore is much more worth the reading.
My understanding of contrarianism is that it's holding an opinion for the sake of disagreeing with others, regardless of what you actually believe, which is always really tedious.
Your post is a well-reasoned opinion about what you do and don't like, not contrarian, thank goodness, and far more interesting for it!
I’m struggling with the first part…the 2nd part is easier..I’m gonna have to get back to you. Good question, though…🥂
Love: Bell & Ross
“It is too expensive for what it is.” Yeah, I get it. But I love it. I had BR03-92 Heritage. Recently sold it, not because I grew out of love, simply because it got too big for my wrist. (The watch didn’t grow. My wrist shrunk as I got on a diet and lost 18kg.)
Ignore: IWC
I do respect the brand but nothing I have seen spoke to me.
This could change… like Breitling did with Premier Pistachio. I had no interest in Breitling until I saw it. Now I can’t get it off my mind.
Part one - Cartier. Though in recent times that’s changing.
Part two - Seiko. Jack of all trades and Ace of none applies here.
Love: it's so hard to love everything a brand does and my love has some misses; Omega. Moonwatch, previous versions of the Seamaster, the Aqua Terra, Constellation; all bangers.
Like you, hate is a strong word so ignore and it's going to be Rolex. Iconic designs, sure; but kinda boring (exception: green-glassed Milgauss). Add in that the prices keep rising while there's not a lot of differences in the designs of now & 20 years ago and that they seem to be ignoring the enthusiasts and it's just a big "Nope" from me.
Love: Momentum
Doesn't get a lot of love but they have a few cool pieces, Sea Quartz, Pro Diver that's 38mm with option for a countdown bezel, and the owner is the son of the original/founder of Chronosport I believe.
Ignore: This will ruffle feathers, but instead of a specific brand I'm going with anything that has a cyclops. I detest how they mess with the symmetry of a dial. I don't care which brand, if it has a cyclops I'm out.
That post doesn't sound like contrarianism to me and therefore is much more worth the reading.
My understanding of contrarianism is that it's holding an opinion for the sake of disagreeing with others, regardless of what you actually believe, which is always really tedious.
Your post is a well-reasoned opinion about what you do and don't like, not contrarian, thank goodness, and far more interesting for it!
This comment is contrarian.
Love: Mido. There current collection has some head scratchers but also many quality watches. Their vintage watches are solid.
Ignore: Same group, Longines. Very few (sector dials) really move me. Longines has always had more empty space on the dial with small letters and small indices. Their vintage watches are well made and a bit dull.
Love: Tag. People still have the bad taste from the 80s and somewhat uneven QC but the new generation of Carreras are superb watches with looks, history, and plenty of horological bragging rights too.
Complete indifference: Tudor. You love vintage Rolex. I like vintage Rolex. But vintage Rolex with snowflake hands grafted on? Sigh.
Love: TAG Heuer a brand that for me offers great sports watches, i know perhaps with a higher price than they should, but I love it and that is the meaning of the post
Ignore: Rolex For me, they are watches that have reached a great price for what they offer, when for that price I can buy complications such as a perpetual calendar, In addition to having tried them and not feeling that they are as comfortable except for the oysterflex and the cellini
Love: Sekonda, been around for decades helping us to "Beware of expensive imitations".
Hate: AP, I don't get the appeal at all.
In both cases, love and hate are more extreme terms than I would really use.
I bought a Sekonda online about a year ago. I had not heard anything about them but the watch was inexpensive and I liked the look of it as well as it had printed on the dial "since 1966" which is my birth year. I was amazed at how nice it really is. I am so impressed with this brand!
Love: Watches
Ignore: Hate
Loved but not popular: Felca (now Titoni)
A solid brand I'm not drawn to: G-Shock
Love: Ulysse Nardin
Generally not favoured/known by people ( even amongst collectors, let alone in general public ), seen only handfull in flesh. If money was not an issue I would probably have 3 by now but so far only one.
Ignore: Speedmaster moon
Everybody loves it, some consider it grail, should be in every collection... Tried to love it, love on paper but upon trying it on nothing and will not buy it ( for now, who knows what the future brings ).
Conclusion, I don't mind general oppinion from YT and broader community, just buy what you like
Love: Doxa.
I'm a big dive watch fan and especially like retro-inspired designs/reissues. I have the Sub 600T which was a reissue of a 70s/80s Doxa design. I need to post it on WRUW some day.
Don't Love: Patek Philippe
I respect their history as well as the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into their products, but they don't have a single design that even tempts me to liquidate my 401k fund haha, and that's if you can even get your hands on one in the first place.
Love: Mühle Glashütte
Ignore: Rolex
Love the Rescue Timer.
Love: Doxa.
I'm a big dive watch fan and especially like retro-inspired designs/reissues. I have the Sub 600T which was a reissue of a 70s/80s Doxa design. I need to post it on WRUW some day.
Don't Love: Patek Philippe
I respect their history as well as the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into their products, but they don't have a single design that even tempts me to liquidate my 401k fund haha, and that's if you can even get your hands on one in the first place.
Will own a Sub 300 someday. Can't decide between stainless or carbon.
Love the Rescue Timer.
I love the SAR Timer as well, I own three variants. The brand has other interesting stuff as well, I've been collecting this brand for over 20 years!
Love this thread!
Love: Omega… while I only own one, the Speedmaster sapphire sandwich… every watch from them that I put on my wrist wow’s and just exudes quality.
Ignore: TAG… I just don’t get the brand. They’re quality, beautiful watches for sure, but nothing stands out about them in design or execution for me. They’re also weirdly priced. Close enough to Tudor that you could just get a better watch from Tudor, and not far enough from Omega that a few more months of saving wouldn’t bag you a truly premium watch.
Just my two cents!
Love: chronoswiss. Unusual complication like single pusher chrono, jump hour with purple/blue hands and hand guilloche. Cheaper breguet basically but hit all the right notes.
ignore: cant think of any. There are brands i have no interests in like graham due to size and design. But i seem to like a certain model of every brands 🙂 a bit of grand seiko in the past due to all over 40/41mm but now they come out with 36-38mm watches. Still need to see the new season grand seiko in person but they look better in photos than on my wrist :)
Love: chronoswiss. Unusual complication like single pusher chrono, jump hour with purple/blue hands and hand guilloche. Cheaper breguet basically but hit all the right notes.
ignore: cant think of any. There are brands i have no interests in like graham due to size and design. But i seem to like a certain model of every brands 🙂 a bit of grand seiko in the past due to all over 40/41mm but now they come out with 36-38mm watches. Still need to see the new season grand seiko in person but they look better in photos than on my wrist :)
Graham is definitely an odd duck.
Love: Mido. There current collection has some head scratchers but also many quality watches. Their vintage watches are solid.
Ignore: Same group, Longines. Very few (sector dials) really move me. Longines has always had more empty space on the dial with small letters and small indices. Their vintage watches are well made and a bit dull.
Same. Wearing my vintage Mido today.
Something about the stars on the contemporary Longines make the watches look like some kind of a review. I’m sure they have some meaningful reason for being on the dial that involves the brands history, but I just can’t get past them. I’m sure they’re fine watches though.
This comment is contrarian.
No it’s not!
Panerai doesn't get enough love, they are awesome... Everyone loves the Tudor Black Bay divers, they are so mediocre
Panerai doesn't get enough love, they are awesome... Everyone loves the Tudor Black Bay divers, they are so mediocre
This is what I'm talking about. Tobester bringing the heat!
I think all the brands I like are pretty popular with the community, overall. Can’t really think of a good answer for q1…
For q2, though, I must say I do not like IWC. None of their designs looked particularly appealing to me on their website, and they somehow looked even flatter and more boring in person, with odd dial and case design choices. Not to mention at those price ranges I could get many alternatives that were far better looking and more interesting. A Grand Seiko, Omega AT or Glashutte Original is a far better choice!
I think all the brands I like are pretty popular with the community, overall. Can’t really think of a good answer for q1…
For q2, though, I must say I do not like IWC. None of their designs looked particularly appealing to me on their website, and they somehow looked even flatter and more boring in person, with odd dial and case design choices. Not to mention at those price ranges I could get many alternatives that were far better looking and more interesting. A Grand Seiko, Omega AT or Glashutte Original is a far better choice!
What are your thoughts on the new Ingenieur?
What are your thoughts on the new Ingenieur?
Design-wise, I actually quite like it although I'm not a huge fan of integrated bracelets myself, and while I'd prefer the date window to be at 6 o'clock, I can respect that they were following a legacy design. What I can't excuse is the price... there are dozens of other watches at that price point I'd rather buy before even considering the new Ingenieur. IWC just doesn't have the pulling power of AP or Patek to be selling steel sportswatches at those ludicrous prices.
Love: Aragon. For some reason (size? bold design?) they're completely under the radar. They're not even hated, no one seems to know they even exist.
Hate: Orient. Although it's not really hate, more like a cold intense loathing of their every essence. All right, it's really not like that either. I just think they're overrated, especially the Bambino.