[Belisareus]

Hello,

I have been thinking of buying a new watch for a while know and I now find myself in a position to do it.

Unfortunately, my budget is quite modest compared to the budgets required for the great ‘classics’. It is limited to approx. 1000 dollars / circa 750gbp.

I like the simple classic lines of the ‘only times’ made from Vacheron and Patek Philippe, but I am even more drawn to the looks of these two Perrelets (I like the sun without the facial expressions, the large Moon Phase and the classic lines):
and

and this Patek Philippe:



Unfortunately, both are way out of my budget (especially the PP) but I have found that the Oris Big Crown Pointer Date and the Revue Thommen Le Club are very nice looking alternatives to the PP and within budget.



I was wondering which one should I go for? My personal preference is for medium size (up to 42mm max) and ideally somewhat thinnish (no more than 13mm).

I understand that both brands are ‘Swiss Made’, both have some history behind them(leaving aside that Revue Thommens are currently being built by Festina through a licensing agreement with the original Revue Thommen company).

I understand that Oris is the more popular/well known of the two but that the Big Crown is using acrylic crystal instead of sapphire (which the RT does).

Which of the two watches would you recommend? I am quite keen on having a watch that while properly serviced will last me for a lot of years to come.


Or are other watches close to/within my budget with similar looks that I should consider?

Alternatively, since the Perrelet is also out of my reach, are there any watches similar to it and closer to my budget?

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[v76]

I came across this snazzy looking Epos Emotion moonphase watch, but this might be over your budget too (is it?) ...

(borrowed image)

 

[*El Ocho 1*]

I'm a big fan of Oris, so that who I vote for.

 

[Belisareus]

Thanks for the reply El Ocho 1!

v76, I love the watch!!

It is stunning.

Unfortunately, it appears that Epos has very limited presence in the UK and from what I could see on the internet, none of the UK online retailers stock this model.

I found it in an eu online site, which I have not heard before, and listed for the equivalent of 1365 gbp, which is more than I can give for the watch at this time.

But I love it. I love the contrast between the silver and the blue, the blend of modern and classic and the understated Moon Phase. As you said: snazzy! If only I could find it and get it in the famed epos heavy discounts...

Many thanks for bringing to my attention.

 

[John MS]

Hands down the Oris Pointer date is the classiest and most reasonably priced of the bunch.

 

[ljb187]

I'm a fan of Oris watches, but I'd suggest you look at that watch in person to see what kind of impression it leaves on you. In pictures the details look rich and really sparkle, but in person it doesn't look...I don't know...nearly as three dimensional and has kind of a flat feel to it. If they made a limited edition with applied indexes and a real guilloche pattern on the dial I'd definitely take another look. As it stands though, this was my biggest watch disappointment so far (mostly because I really, really wanted to like this watch) and I wound up selling the 40mm/non PVD version I owned. One the other hand, I really like the black version - which I still own - since the “flatter” appearance of the printed dial lends itself to the overall vintage feel. Whatever your decision, don't worry too much about the acrylic crystal. It's more than resilient enough, cheap to replace and has the correct feel for this type of watch.

I can't really comment on the RV except to say that it looks dressier - more like something from Oris' Artelier collection. Don’t let my comments sway you too much, my eyes aren’t what they used to be and that might factor into my opinion. Try them both on if possible and see what you think. Ultimately it may come down to whether you want/need a dressier watch or not.