Is there a watch brand you absolutely cannot stand? If so, why?

[eric@helix]

Here's my favorite video re: OP topic.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by eric@helix

Here's my favorite video re: OP topic.

[video deleted]

I won't pretend to be a big fan of Tag, but I also have a few of them. They have their place and as time telling machines, they get the job done and the construction is more than sturdy enough. The styling is what it is; one likes it or one doesn't.

As for what I think of Tag, it's been changing in recent years.

• http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...37&postcount=6
• http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...g#post15527870

As for what Archie Luxury had to say in that video, well, I understand it from the perspective of a serious collector who's focused on history and horology. From the standpoint of a consumer who wants a nice watch that gets the job done, Archie if FOS! In other words, if one insists on being a snob about watches and what watches people wear, a few Tag models are a good choice of watch.

One other thing about Archie, the thing that I like least about him, is that for all his proselytizing about watches, and what is so "crappy" about Tags, his ethics and integrity aren't above buying and selling the damn things!

So in Archie, what we see is this guy who seemingly wants to encourage people to buy "grander" watches, and eschew Tags, yet he's willing to be party to their buying a watch he himself despises. Really?!? That the integrity level we see in a guy who wants you and me to trust his input and say so?!?! You know what, when Hell freezes over, maybe I'll think about it.

All the best.

[M3Bimmer77]

Hate: invicta, edox, All Japanese except Casio for sports, Apple, old Rolex specially Submariner
So so: new Rolex (maybe when I grow up I will like it, LOL)
Like: omega, Cartier, Baume Mercier, Longines, Tag, Breitling
In love with: Breitling Evolution and Cartier Ronde Solo and Calibre

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by eric@helix

Here's my favorite video re: OP topic.

Who in the world would seriously take advice about anything from anybody who has such a hideously decorated home as Archie's?! He doesn't make a good case against Tag Heuer, he just bellows out his opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.

I'll wait for advice from someone who has better taste than Archie.

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Hate: invicta, edox, All Japanese except Casio for sports, Apple, old Rolex specially Submariner
So so: new Rolex (maybe when I grow up I will like it, LOL)
Like: omega, Cartier, Baume Mercier, Longines, Tag, Breitling
In love with: Breitling Evolution and Cartier Ronde Solo and Calibre

You know, reading your list made me realize how much I am starting to dislike Cartier. I've got 3 that I HAD TO HAVE when I saw them (Santos, Must 21 diver, Roadster) and as the years go by, I realize how fast they become dated and yesterday's shiny new thing and never get worn. Cartier is also a bitch to deal with to get them repaired. I almost fell victim again when I was looking at the Calibre which is gorgeous, but realized if i went with a PAM392, I'd be wearing it 5-10 years from now.

[M3Bimmer77]

Originally Posted by wrickem

You know, reading your list made me realize how much I am starting to dislike Cartier. I've got 3 that I HAD TO HAVE when I saw them (Santos, Must 21 diver, Roadster) and as the years go by, I realize how fast they become dated and yesterday's shiny new thing and never get worn. Cartier is also a bitch to deal with to get them repaired. I almost fell victim again when I was looking at the Calibre which is gorgeous, but realized if i went with a PAM392, I'd be wearing it 5-10 years from now.

Oh good to know . I have never dealt with a Cartier warranty or repair. So matpybe I will leave the Breitling as my first choice. Thanks for the info.

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Oh good to know . I have never dealt with a Cartier warranty or repair. So matpybe I will leave the Breitling as my first choice. Thanks for the info.

Don't let my bad experience dissuade you, I still think they're beautiful. Just stay away from any with rubber straps, they dry out in no time and crack and cost a lot ($500+) FOR RUBBER! Also, my automatic ones aren't half as easy to keep running as my Rolexes are after they sat around. They sure are good looking though

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by wrickem

You know, reading your list made me realize how much I am starting to dislike Cartier. I've got 3 that I HAD TO HAVE when I saw them (Santos, Must 21 diver, Roadster) and as the years go by, I realize how fast they become dated and yesterday's shiny new thing and never get worn.

Cartier is also a bitch to deal with to get them repaired. I almost fell victim again when I was looking at the Calibre which is gorgeous, but realized if i went with a PAM392, I'd be wearing it 5-10 years from now.

I haven't dealt with them either, but I've also never since I bought mine -- 1980s -- needed a repair. I have a tank watch.

Of course, the sad truth is that so long as everything goes as expected, we don't hear a peep. People are quick to say "so and so was <insert negative comment>". Rarely do people go out of their way to say, "everything went just like it should have." Thus the WWW is loaded with people griping, but not with people saying what a wonderful experience they had.

Wrickem,
You can dislike Cartier. That's fine. You can be angry with them because they ticked you off. That's fine and understandable, to a point.

• What repair did you need? For what watch that you'd had for how long?
• What actions on Cartier's part made them a pain to deal with?

I suppose any watch can go out of style. I have a Tank and it's hardly out of style, for men or women. The idea of Cartier and "out of style" is very much the same as the idea of Porsche and "slow cars." That they don't go out of style is why Cartier watches command such high resale values at auction and hold their own quite well. (http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/...es-ge1401.html)

I am curious to learn of the specific "drama" you had with them and their watches. You are the first person I've ever heard tell of such a thing.



















All the best.

[bkbeagle]

Originally Posted by finaloption

hates Rolex.. drives a BMW..

Well Played.

Because we all know that BMW is never equated with elitism and Ostentatiousness

[SenorFunkyPants]

Owns a BMW despite its generally deserved reputation as being driven by cocks.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by wrickem

Don't let my bad experience dissuade you, I still think they're beautiful. Just stay away from any with rubber straps, they dry out in no time and crack and cost a lot ($500+) FOR RUBBER! Also, my automatic ones aren't half as easy to keep running as my Rolexes are after they sat around. They sure are good looking though

Yes. Breguet is no different. In fact all high end watch companies want "stupid" prices for their brand name straps. It's no better buying a skin strap from the folks who make straps for those companies. (ABP and Camille Fournet are the two I know of that make straps for several HEW companies.)

The rubber strap for my Marine was in good shape last time I looked at it (a couple years ago). It just sits in a box, however. It was verging on eight years old then. I wear the watch on a bracelet.

The one on my Oceana is newer, but also in good condition. That's the one I "worry" about because the rubber band is also the thing that keeps the base from rotating.







You can see the little nubs around the base of the watch. The base is what one rotates to set the time as there is no crown. If you look at the pic of the blue strap, you can see a "canal" and flap at the watch end of the strap. The "canal" edge/flap grips the nubs and keeps the ring to which they are attached from rotating. Pita are a bit more reasonable at ~$250 for their strap. Unfortunately, unlike most makers, there is no other source for the straps that I've been able to find. I bought a spare with the watch because no matter how infrequently I wear it, it's bound to dry out, crack, or something.

All the best.

[tek818]

Glad to see that Invicta is getting the hatred it deserves.

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by tony20009

I haven't dealt with them either, but I've also never since I bought mine -- 1980s -- needed a repair. I have a tank watch.

Of course, the sad truth is that so long as everything goes as expected, we don't hear a peep. People are quick to say "so and so was <insert negative comment>". Rarely do people go out of their way to say, "everything went just like it should have." Thus the WWW is loaded with people griping, but not with people saying what a wonderful experience they had.

Wrickem,
You can dislike Cartier. That's fine. You can be angry with them because they ticked you off. That's fine and understandable, to a point.

• What repair did you need? For what watch that you'd had for how long?
• What actions on Cartier's part made them a pain to deal with?

I suppose any watch can go out of style. I have a Tank and it's hardly out of style, for men or women. The idea of Cartier and "out of style" is very much the same as the idea of Porsche and "slow cars." That they don't go out of style is why Cartier watches command such high resale values at auction and hold their own quite well.

I am curious to learn of the specific "drama" you had with them and their watches. You are the first person I've ever heard tell of such a thing.

All the best.

Oh, I didn't say I dislike them, I said I am "starting to dislike them", I think they are beautiful but in my opinion they date themselves more quickly than a Rolex or an Omega which to me always looks "manly" and "classic". Also my experience with them is that they are more prone to scratches from wear.

The only one of my 3 Cartier's I have not had problems with is my Santos, it could be due to it's the only 1 of the 3 which is not automatic. When I put my Santos on, sure it looks beautiful but also kind of flat and small which I see as "dated" (yes, I know it was designed over 100 years ago, but it feels dated to me now, I may not always feel this way).

The Roadster had issues from day 1 with it stopping while wearing it and the Cartier store I purchased it from suggested that I probably don't move my wrist enough! I have 5 other automatics and no trouble with the frequency that I move my hand Finally I persuaded them to send it for repair and it ended up being so $*C&#@ up that Cartier sent an entirely new one. I like the style and interchangeable bands though, and of course I had to get as many bands as I could because that's just how I am. And it's big enough I don't feel it's as dated as the Santos.

The Must 21 diver has a rubber strap. If you do an internet search, you'll see that it is common for them to dry out and crack pretty early. (my Chopard Mille Miglia's rubber band looks as fresh as the day I bought it) After 11 months mine started to crack. I brought it in to the Cartier store and they only had a white band in stock. To get a black one it would take at least 4 weeks. I told them I'll take the white band, I don't have a white banded watch, and I thought it would look good. They wouldn't do it because the watch came with a black one originally! Do you think if you went to your BMW parts department and bought an interior that didn't spec with you exterior color from the factory that your service department would refuse to install it?? Of course they wouldn't, it's your car and you're paying! This watch also has to go in twice as much to be serviced as any of my Rolexes do because it's running slow/stopped/starts and stops.

Oddly, after writing all of this I am starting to feel the for all 3 of them again and am going to wear my Santos tonight! I'll bet you're sorry you asked, Tony!

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by wrickem

Oh, I didn't say I dislike them, I said I am "starting to dislike them", I think they are beautiful but in my opinion they date themselves more quickly than a Rolex or an Omega which to me always looks "manly" and "classic". Also my experience with them is that they are more prone to scratches from wear.

The only one of my 3 Cartier's I have not had problems with is my Santos, it could be due to it's the only 1 of the 3 which is not automatic. When I put my Santos on, sure it looks beautiful but also kind of flat and small which I see as "dated" (yes, I know it was designed over 100 years ago, but it feels dated to me now, I may not always feel this way).

The Roadster had issues from day 1 with it stopping while wearing it and the Cartier store I purchased it from suggested that I probably don't move my wrist enough! I have 5 other automatics and no trouble with the frequency that I move my hand Finally I persuaded them to send it for repair and it ended up being so $*C&#@ up that Cartier sent an entirely new one. I like the style and interchangeable bands though, and of course I had to get as many bands as I could because that's just how I am. And it's big enough I don't feel it's as dated as the Santos.

...

Oddly, after writing all of this I am starting to feel the for all 3 of them again and am going to wear my Santos tonight! I'll bet you're sorry you asked, Tony!

TY for sharing your repair-related experience. No, I'm not at all sorry about having asked. I wanted to know. You are literally the first person I've known of to have "issues" with a Cartier.

Yes, the current trend in watches is for larger than 38mm watches. Just give it time and the trend will shift back to smaller ones. Look at that photo I posted of the guy praying and the CdC watch to the right of him.

That watch looks ridiculously large on his wrist. It's as though it's screaming, "Hey, hey. I'm a Cartier. See me. Look this way." I think all big watches do that. (although they probably don't all rhyme when they do it LOL) By contrast, look at Warhol's watch. It's there, you see it, but it isn't dwarfing his wrist and looking like it's damn near as wide as the back of his hand.

You see the same comparative understated elegance with Jackie O and Gable below.



In the next photo you can see the difference with the larger, "modern" sized Cartier Tank. It doesn't quite dwarf the guy's wrist/hand as does the CdC above, but you can see if it were much larger it would. That said, I still think it's too damn big for that guy's wrist.



I've happy to read you are again feeling the for your watches. In that regard, I feel I've done what I am here to do.

All the best.

[guarnibl]

Originally Posted by wrickem

Don't let my bad experience dissuade you, I still think they're beautiful. Just stay away from any with rubber straps, they dry out in no time and crack and cost a lot ($500+) FOR RUBBER! Also, my automatic ones aren't half as easy to keep running as my Rolexes are after they sat around. They sure are good looking though

Hmm... I've actually had really good experiences with rubber straps (I own two; both are OEM Breitling ones -- white, and black, and I've had them for 3 years now). I live in the desert... no issues. Perhaps other manufacturer's aren't as good.

[Vanmarsenille]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

Owns a BMW despite its generally deserved reputation as being driven by cocks.

This certainly used to be true, but as Jeremy Clarkson recently pointed out, all the cocks have now migrated to Audi.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Vanmarsenille

This certainly used to be true, but as Jeremy Clarkson recently pointed out, all the cocks have now migrated to Audi.

Good. Maybe the laws of supply and demand will kick in to slow the pace of BMW's price increases.

All the best.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by Vanmarsenille

This certainly used to be true, but as Jeremy Clarkson recently pointed out, all the cocks have now migrated to Audi.

At least here, "executive" car owners (especially BMW Audi Merc and big 4x4s) all seem to drive like dickheads....I have to be extra polite to try and even the balance.

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by guarnibl

Hmm... I've actually had really good experiences with rubber straps (I own two; both are OEM Breitling ones -- white, and black, and I've had them for 3 years now). I live in the desert... no issues. Perhaps other manufacturer's aren't as good.

I completely agree with you, my 2 other brands with rubber straps look as good as new after wrist time. It's just the Cartier one that dries out really quickly.

[mookie45]

^Darn, one of my favorite Cartier models, W7100055 or W7100052 (dreaming), is on rubber strap.

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by mookie45

^Darn, one of my favorite Cartier models, W7100055 or W7100052 (dreaming), is on rubber strap.

The rubber strap on that looks much thicker than on the Must 21, but you might want to read some reviews and see. It's a gorgeous watch!

[k9david]

Although i admire the movement (can't afford one though) i struggle to understand the appeal of Richard Mille watches