Recommendations for a GADA wedding watch

The CW and Sinn are both great options. I shopped for a 556 before deciding to go with a Damasko DS30, which I'd recommend if you weren't also looking at it as a wedding watch. 

I own a CW C63, but the 39mm version. To my mind, nothing else in its price range is anywhere near as good. It is dressier than the Sinn, but still a perfect GADA watch. I wear mine on leather when I'm in a suit or business casual. 

Wrist size: 16.25 in

Man, with a wrist that big, the only thing that will fit properly is this...

HAHA oops my typo! I meant 16.25cm. this is hilarious tho!

Oh! Will definitely check out the Damasko DS30. Any reason why you preferred this over the Sinn 556?

Thanks for the pic of the C63! Really helps a lot with imagining how it's like, especially when I've not seen much of it thus far

I went with the DS30 because it is slightly thinner, has a bead blasted finish, and is made using scratch resistant u-boat steel. The Sinn 556 is nice, but just has normal 316L steel, the scratch resistant steels are only available on the more expensive models. 

I also liked that the DS30 has fun colour options. 

In my opinion the 39mm Longines Conquest would be perfect wedding GADA watch. 
Reputable brand with brilliant heritage, decent power reserve, 5 years warranty and 300m water resistance. 

i would choose sinn

SNK789

I'd say 36mm is the right size for your wrist size and wrist shape. Also a wedding is an special occasion so you need a special kinda watch for that. Christopher Ward C63 Sealander 36mm is my choice. 

Lovely DS30! I love how the date matches the seconds hand

Yes it was nice! Unfortunately the first-party Longines store in my country has sold out of the 39mm Longines Conquest. I tried the 37mm Spirit there as well, although the price seems rather steep 

Oh this is pretty nice! Don't see it in stock though 

Agreed, I think somewhere between 36-38mm would be ideal. Been hearing a lot of good things about the C63 Sealander, at present it's starting to look like a top pick! 

I went with a Michel Herbelin (now just Herbelin) Cap Camarat. 

My second and third choices would be Citizen and Knot design. Zelos is too funky/sporty looking, Seiko ones are too field/generic/meh for a wedding looking, Sinn one is also too much field/funky looking, Longines watch is great but it comes as my 4th choice. Congratulations on your wedding! 

Instead of the Baby Alpinist, consider the SBDC159/SPB249 (https://www.seikowatches.com/ph-en/products/prospex/spb249j1). This one is more reminiscent of the 1959 Laurel Alpinist, and reminds me a lot of an Omega Aqua Terra.

Really appreciate your feedback! I would love the Omega Aqua Terra too, but at this stage the price is rather high for me 😂 Oh wow how is the Longines VHP Quartz like? I've only tried the automatic ones at the retail store 

So nice to hear about your watch stories and how they've been part of many memorable moments 😀 Especially with your wife liking those pieces the most too

Ah yes! That looks really good too. I haven't seen the blue dial in person, only the beige/white ones. Would be lovely to check it out, thanks for the rec!! :D

Yes that's my aim, hoping to have one watch with as much use as possible. So far the Sinn 556 is up there for me too! Hoping to try it out in person (or see it at the very least) since the cost is rather high. For someone who has not bought such a tier of watch before at least haha

Yeah, she's great like that. She listens and observes, sees what's interesting me in respect of hobbies, what I like 'generally' and then tries to get involved with choices that please me that she can engage with it too and bring her own 'style' into play. 

She is a "fashionista" by profession so I know I can always trust her to have a strong sense of style and design flair. 

I often run my choices past her, and if she gives something an admiring nod I know - within reason and with restraint - that as long as I pursue it biding my time to grab it as a bargain, it will be well-received and celebrated. 

She's always been really respectful of my individuality in that sense and in return we end up talking through her fashion choices and I similarly nurtured an interest in her favourite fashion brands, always on the lookout for great designs, bargains and gifting too... 

We also share a love of France and of classy perfumes... we're a good fit it seems. 

I consider myself amazingly blessed with her. 

I do have two watches that were quite a big sell on her and went without consultation... 

My oxblood Orient Kamasu II was rejected when she saw it in pictures, principally because Orient's product shots were a bit flat and lifeless. I ordered anyway (import) and when it arrived the colour was mindblowingly rich, and she agreed the choice. 

The other was a bigger gamble altogether because she was vehemently opposed to "boring" dress watches when I barely attend any dressy events at all, and especially opposed to rose gold on men. I, on the other hand, got a great deal on a Certina DS1 Index in rose gold and then took the leather strap off and replaced it with a cheap black milanese... And when she saw it she kinda grudgingly admitted that it really worked...

Funny (final) story about my Herbelin Newport Chrono... 

This was my 2021/22 grail watch. I'd tried it on... tracked it... monitored sales... nearly bought it at 30% off... held back... kept looking... Finally put the hammer down when I spotted a barely used one, in a mistreated box, on a CashConverter's listin where they had listed it as an older model with no warranty. I happened to know that the watch HAD to be a 2021 sale and that therefore it would still have warranty left and could see in the photos the corner of a warranty card tucked into the box packaging. It was basically 60% off retail. So I grabbed it. Buy now, think later. 

Having received it and checked it out I stored it, as we do, to introduce to the wife at a "good" time. And left it there for two months. See, we'd just arranged a holiday in the South of France, first in three years and a bit of a spending splurge on accommodation. 

So I've been good and said nothing about it... and we're walking through this affluent Cote d'Azur community, by no stretch are we wealthy, we just like nice things, and as we walk past art shops and jewellers we do some couple-y window shopping and she goes 'there's a watch shop over there (a very fancy one) - do you want to look?' Is the pope a Catholic? And there in the window is something that is quite rare in the UK - an Herbelin display, Herbelin being a famed french watchmaker. So we stop and look and straight away she spots my green face Cap Camarat which I was wearing... she admires the blue and red versions... and the new edition square face... and then she grabs my arm and says 'out of all of these in here if I could pick one of these for your collection it would be THAT' and points to a Newport Chrono. Not just any Newport Chrono... one of the less widely available ones... MY Newport Chrono with the oxidised darkened steel and the black sailcloth strap, dark blue/grey face. The. Same. One. I point to the shiny chrome metal bracelet versions, to leather strap versions, to white dial versions... no, she says... that one is the best looking watch in the whole window... 

I had to quiz her for a bit to ascertain whether she was taking the mick or had seen something back home... no, she said... never seen one of those before... it's just beautiful. 

So we had a 'I've got something funny to tell you and I hope you're not mad...' session. She put it down as fate and the cosmic alignment of our taste which she credits herself as owning and allowed to rub off on me... she was thrilled at the discount, and her only sadness was why I hadn't brought it with me to wear on holiday because she'd love to be seen with me wearing it. 

Special occasions, she reminds me to wear 'her watch' and comments that she doesn't see it on me enough... 

Dave at "Just The Watch" profiles it in his recent SOTC video (scroll to 9:05): https://youtu.be/KJliF9ot2U8. 

Wow! So grateful that you shared such precious memories here, and how the watches and hobby have facilitated such moments with your wife! I especially love the line you wrote - "I consider myself amazingly blessed with her. " :)

I shared your writing with my fianceé and she's so happy for you! We had a lovely time reading this 

Thanks for this resource! 

Managed to try out a Sinn 556i, unfortunately it was going for over $1,700 USD which is quite a lot higher than I had expected. Fit was good and felt built like a tank however!  

How did you like it overall?

Overall I feel it's a great tough watch. However the retail price felt too high, might keep an eye out for a pre-owned one :)

I’d suggest the Hesili New York, Original Series 1 in Timeless Blue with guilt hands. You’re going to need “something blue” might as well be a watch.

https://hesiliny.com/products/the-original-series-one-timeless-blue-duo-tone-dial-automatic

This looks great! I like how they've integrated the date window too

The date window is really a nice touch. My eyes aren’t what they once were but it is easy to read. And it’s a strap monster. Looks great on everyone I’ve put it on