I got a PM asking about some watch education so i figured i'd post it live so others may learn as well...here it is.
.Let me tell you a little bit about watches. I'll educate you enough so that you are "dangerous".
invictas
That company makes its living by saying a watch is 700.00 MSRP but you can find them anywhere for a c-note... Meaning, that they make you think you are getting a great deal... truth is, no one ever paid 700.00 for one. Buyer beware. you are going to meet alot AAAA-LOTTT of people who own invictas, I would suggest that you buy your invictas used on some watch forums... they can be had for 20-50 dollars used and sometimes BNIB on that forum.
watches in general
Ah the wonderful world of watches. Its confusing to know what to buy, what to stay away from, what to look for, and the best areas to compare watches.
point number one - Mechanical or Quartz??? Which to buy?
Buyer beware... JUST BECAUSE A WATCH SAYS "Swiss" on it DOES NOT MEAN IT IS MECHANICAL. Note to a lot of watches under 300.00 that say swiss are most likely a "swiss quartz"... which isnt a bad thing... but if you want an audi with HIDS and you buy one that doesnt have that feature i'd bet you'd be pissed. Regardless, the old argument is that mechanical watches are more expensive but quartz watches are more accurate... WHY IS THAT? (that my friend is for another time, i dont have 3 hours to type it out). Another thing we can talk about is automatic vs. self-winding... that too is for another time.
point number two - "watches are sometimes only separated by aesthetics and branding". For instance Accutron sells a watch with the same movement as some watches costing 10 times as much... the only differences are from the outer appearance and the brand names.
point number three - what should you look for in a watch?
I am biased but I will give my opinion. I will only buy mechanical watches UNLESS i am buying it purely for its aesthetic values and usually im not buying those for much money because i dont value it that much either. Note the difference between luxury and fashion watches.... luxury watches will usually be automatic, have a long lineage/heritage to the brand, and cost thousands of dollars (rolex, breitling, panerai, and higher). Fashion watches tend to be quartz movement and cost under a grand (dkny, fossil, docle/gabanna, diesel, guess, gucci, etc)... then there are some that hit in between those... they will be about 1000.00 and have good mechanical movement but no frills or a big name to stand behind (MIDO, Longines, etc). I tend to buy watches that make me feel chills the first time i see it. I WILL NOT end up buyign a watch that i dont love from the first moment i see it... I USED to do that an all those watches did was collect dust.
where to buy, cheap
The most important part of loving a watch is not based on its price or the brand. My favorite watch i've ever owned cost literally 4% of the cost of my most expensive watch. ITs abotu how you feel when you wear it. With that being said I am now (as i learned the hard way the first time i bought a luxury watch) an advocate of buying used. Its fun to score deals on watch forums. You can really make some great pickups on the sait ESPECICIALLY ON FASHION WATCHES.
Thats all for now, check out some watch forums and educate yourself. you can learn so much.
- Bob