Help Me Buy a Watch - Please

[Mens Rea]

I'd appreciate any help you guys can give. I'm looking to buy a watch for my brother in the next few days. Watches are not my thing, (I don't often wear them) but I'd like to give him something to wear to work - he is starting a new job.

Criteria:
Under $1k - $500 is ideal
Must be formal enough to wear with a suit
Leather band (of some type) preferable, but not necessary

Looking for some ideas - Thanks.

[Tron]

Who will be the first to rant against leather bands? Only time will tell....

[theben]

Top pick: omega seamaster professional. blue or black face, SS bracelet, quartz movement. costs about $1,100



The image above is a automatic movement (nicer, but costs more). quartz looks the same.

Or a breitling colt. this one is about $1,200 if you can still find it:



Personally, I like the breitling better but I advise the omega first because it costs less and is more well known

[Mens Rea]

I wear a Breitling myself, on the rare occasions when I wear a watch - didn't know they made one like that for $1200.

What's the problem with leather bands?

[theben]

[ QUOTE ]
Who will be the first to rant against leather bands? Only time will tell....

[/ QUOTE ]

I own a fairly nice watch with a leather strap. One of the benefits of the strap is price (ususally between 300 and 1000 less compared to the same watch with a SS bracelet)

another benefit is that you can get some cool colored straps that look very unique. breitling makes some very nice straps with great color options (blue, green, red, orange-tan, black, shades of brown, etc). some of the nicer crocodile straps cost a ton tho (400+)

my main problem with straps is the durability. they'll break fairly quickly and will end up being a costly hassle

[theben]

problems/advantages w/ leather- read my other post. (note, i wear a leather strap)

you can get nice watches via unauthorized "grey market" dealers (internet) for significant discounts. although I don't buy watches from them, you can save a ton and get watches that normally are 1700-2000 for 1100-1300.

[Tron]

[ QUOTE ]
I wear a Breitling myself, on the rare occasions when I wear a watch - didn't know they made one like that for $1200.

What's the problem with leather bands?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nothing, I like leather bands, but usually whenever there is a post about watches (which is actually quite often; try using the search function if this thread doesn't get too many replies; there are a lot of good ones out there), some idiot insists on complaining about leather bands.

[ChuckyB]

Save yourself a bunch of cash and go Fossil. My girlfriend bought me one for about $130 CDN and it makes people think I'm loaded.

I don't work for Fossil

[Tron]

I like that Brietling a lot... It's times like these I wish I had disposable income in the triple digits. Maybe I'll learn to play poker.

[dsw1977]

[ QUOTE ]
it makes people think I'm loaded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nothing wrong with Fossil, but this is almost certainly not correct.