That is all well, and they do make great watches, but if a brand needs to be explained it's technically not a good brand. If they didn't have the already acquired reputation, on brand alone they may give off Aliexpress Pretend-European brand name vibes.

Sorry, but I vividly dislike two of your choices:

• Sea-Gull - The name is bizarre, why the dash? The logo looks like an Asian car logo. Big meh.

• Orient - It is indeed an "oriental" brand, it is Japanese. They however chose a logo that mimics antique European heraldry, with its lions flanking a shield adorned with a crown it specifically recalls British heraldry. Asian adopting a classic European visual identity screams fraudulent.

And yes, I do work in advertising and brand marketing.

It's not cheap… but have you considered staying close to home, with a German watchmaker?

Laco was one of the 5 original to manufacture the Flieger in the 1940s. Of those 5 (IWC, Lange, Stowa, Wempe and Laco), today it is the most affordable.

Aside from Fliegers, Laco also has some field watches, like the Atacama:

#laco https://www.laco.de/en/watches/squad-watches-sport-watches/atacama-2

Didn't see your post - GMTA I guess

I 100% agree, watches are much more than the movement alone and more than the sum of their components. What surprised many people at the release was IWC's unprecedented hike, especially for a reference that had so much in common with a "cousin" from the same parent company. As per your first hand impression and experience, I would have been very interested if you had also had a chance to handle the Baume Mercier, just to get the pulse on how tangible the other aspects you mention are in comparison between the two.

That PRX photo with that dazed-misty light/ambience looks straight out of a 70/80s magazine

I go to the gym 3 times a week and occasionally run, in these activities and for sleep tracking and for a vibrating alarm in the morning I find smartwatches or activity trackers very useful and helpful.

I do though wish there was a screenless Fitbit or Xiaomi or Samsung device. Ages ago there was the Jawbone Up device but it was discontinued.

A screenless tracker would fit well with my priority of wearing mechanical watches.