Please help me decide on my third watch
Afternoon all. I'm looking to get your guy's take on which watch I should add to my collection to round it out at three pieces. I've had a couple cheaper watches over the years, and recently got more serious about choosing my pieces. I have a small wrist at ~ 6.25 inches.
Pics of my current collection https://imgur.com/a/cO3wzhj
Citizen Titanium PMD56 - 39mm with a lug to lug of 45mm. This is a great field or tool watch. I love the readability, DLC black bezel, light weight feel, and the micro-extension is very lovely to have. It has a screw down crown and a domed sapphire crystal which adds a lot of visual flair. It's a very accurate quartz movement too, running around +2 seconds over two months. Perpetual calendar is great, as is the ability to set it via an app on my phone to emulate the Japan radio signal. The lume is pretty great.
Tissot PRX 35mm automatic in the Mother of Pearl face. I bought this a few months ago as my first foray into automatic watches. The display case back is lovely, as is the bracelet heft and shininess. I do miss having the micro-extension, as my wrist swells a bit over the day and it can sometimes feel a tad tight. The white pearl face is versatile and, under artificial light, has the nice pearl rainbow effect. It runs around +10 sec per week. The lume is genuinely terrible.
I'm looking to add one more, higher end piece, to my collection.
The contenders: https://imgur.com/a/aLVh4EC
Grand Seiko SBGX261 - 37mm ~ $1800. I love the polishing and especially the ink black, enamel like dial. I know the finishings are extremely high quality, and the quartz movement is very accurate. Having a color matching date window is a nice plus. But I understand the GS bracelets are a tad underwhelming, as is no micro-adjustment. Perhaps it is a little too understated, but a great GADA watch nonetheless. No lume.
Tudor Black Bay 36, 36mm with lug to lug ~44mm? $3400. This watch has many of the same pluses of the BB54. Great lume, new movement, T-Fit. The jubilee bracelet is a bit of a question mark for me. It looks fantastic and I hear it is comfortable (maybe sharp?), but it is a tad dressy. I am really liking the blue sunburst watch face, as I don't have any colored faces in my current collection (minus some rainbow effect of the PRX). The anthracite doesn't quite speak to me.
Tudor Black Bay 54, 37mm lug to lug 46mm ~$3750. This piece checks off a lot of boxes for me. It's a dive watch with a ratcheting bezel. I don't technically have a dive watch in my collection, though my Citizen is similar with 200m water resistance, a screw down crown, and a black bezel. It has a great bracelet with micro-adjustment (T-Fit). The black dial with guilt accents looks good, and will go with basically any outfit. The automatic movement is higher end than my Tissot. It has great lume, and a fun domed sapphire crystal. Its lug to lug is on the high end for my wrist size.
So what do we think? The way I see it, I have a great tool watch / beater in the Citizen, that I can grab and wear whenever/with whatever. I have a bit of a flashier sport watch with the Tissot. I tend to interchange the two throughout the week depending on what I'm wearing. Do I add a high end dressy GS? Do I go with the all around BB54 and check off my dive watch? Do I add some color and flash to my collection with the BB36 Blue? I've heard a bit that Tudor can have QC issues, and as I'm buying the watches online, I wouldn't know until arrival, which would be a bummer.
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If you really like the dive watch style, then I'd go for the BB 54.
If you really like the dive watch style, then I'd go for the BB 54.
It’s tough because the 36 have a bit of a diver look with the indices. But it’s definitely missing the bezel and overall look. I’m not necessarily dead set on a diver, but it is a hole in my collection at the moment.
You should send one of each to me for evaluation. I promise it will take less than 6 months for a full report.
Why not bb58
Why not bb58
A tad too big for my wrists I’d think. My Citizen is 39mm and it’s just small enough
Bb54
Th bb36 is great too, but as you Owen a PRX, I think a proper diver with those vintage vibes would be a great fit. Very versatile 👍🏻
Reading your post, it sounds like you already prefer the BB54.
You have the internet’s blessing 🙏🏻
I think the BB54 has the most character of the three options. With the original rubber strap (additional to the steel bracelet) you would have a more comfortable option as well.
I think the BB54 compliments more your
collection. You already have a dressy sports watch with the PRX, so I think it overlaps a bit with the GS, that it's even more dressy. The lack of lume unfortunately for me is a big con for a GADA watch.
But I think it all depends on your dress code. Are you often in suits or sport jackets and shirts? The GS will see more wrist time. If you are more casual (t shirt, flannel shirts, jeans and boots) the BB54 is a better fit.
I'm a GS and Tudor owner - silvery gold sunburst dial spring drive and the black Pelagos OG. I love them both. The Pelagos gets a lot of wrist time, not least because the dull grey brushed titanium makes it very robust. The GS really only gets worn when I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and suit - which is only a month a year tops - because a) it is a dress watch IMO, and b) I'm too afraid of scratching the zuratsu polishing if it's fully uncovered. I know what people say about scratches and character etc, but I just don't want to marr that perfect finish!
So lifestyle as charper_watches said is definitely a consideration.
GS are stunners (the bracelet is fine for me). But so is the BB36. A colleague recently got one, and I marvelled at how the Tudor hands look so similar but so different in that beautiful setting. If you ever wanted an OP, save your money and get the BB36 instead.
Personally I don't like the vintage styling of any of the mainstream BlackBays. I think the vogue for vintage will seem tired in a few years time. Plus they really are slabsided. (So is the Pelagos, but the oh-so-useful helium escape valve breaks it up visually.)
So I would go for the GS or the BB36. And if you really want a diver, I'd suggest you consider the Pelagos, either the OG or the 39.
But you're sure to get a great watch if you choose any of those three. Happy purchasing!
I'm a GS and Tudor owner - silvery gold sunburst dial spring drive and the black Pelagos OG. I love them both. The Pelagos gets a lot of wrist time, not least because the dull grey brushed titanium makes it very robust. The GS really only gets worn when I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and suit - which is only a month a year tops - because a) it is a dress watch IMO, and b) I'm too afraid of scratching the zuratsu polishing if it's fully uncovered. I know what people say about scratches and character etc, but I just don't want to marr that perfect finish!
So lifestyle as charper_watches said is definitely a consideration.
GS are stunners (the bracelet is fine for me). But so is the BB36. A colleague recently got one, and I marvelled at how the Tudor hands look so similar but so different in that beautiful setting. If you ever wanted an OP, save your money and get the BB36 instead.
Personally I don't like the vintage styling of any of the mainstream BlackBays. I think the vogue for vintage will seem tired in a few years time. Plus they really are slabsided. (So is the Pelagos, but the oh-so-useful helium escape valve breaks it up visually.)
So I would go for the GS or the BB36. And if you really want a diver, I'd suggest you consider the Pelagos, either the OG or the 39.
But you're sure to get a great watch if you choose any of those three. Happy purchasing!
I am a bit surprised the Blue 36 isn’t garnering more votes, perhaps people do view it as the sort of step-child of the main Black Bay lineup.
I am a bit surprised the Blue 36 isn’t garnering more votes, perhaps people do view it as the sort of step-child of the main Black Bay lineup.
I think people aren't familiar with it, and Tudor has gone so strong for the dive watch aesthetic that perhaps they dismiss their dressier watches. See it and try it on - it is gorgeous in the flesh/metal! I was quite envious of my colleague who'd bought one (and he already has a Tudor dive watch)
Going with the Grand Seiko! I kept returning to it. It seems like a great intersect between show stopping beauty but on a more subdued oyster bracelet rather than a jubilee. And I can’t swallow paying twice as much for one of the Tudors only to have to worry about QC issues regarding the dial finishings or Tfit clasp etc.