My wife would like to buy me a new watch for Christmas and we're after ideas.

I'd like something that can be worn casually or with a suit and the budget will be no more than £200.

I have this watch already, which I love the style of. Unfortunately it's pretty poorly made as I'm on my third replacement in 4 years.

I've always preferred leather/fabric straps over metal, but I'm open minded.

MrsWishy got me a Skagen for last Christmas which fits that budget. The one I got is a fair bit plainer in face than the one you currently have so not sure if they are to your taste but plenty of leather strapped options.

Stauer don't have a good reputation, so best to avoid

£200 is a funny price point - it represents a fair spend on an 'ordinary' watch, but it isn't enough to get into a 'proper' Swiss movement

Even amongst watch enthusiasts, Seiko are very highly regarded - quartz or auto.

To get into a proper watch, have a look at Christopher Ward and Steinhart, although I don't think they offer the style you're after.

I'd suggest that you add to your wife's budget and start looking at £300+ in order to get an ETA movement

Edit - Skagen make nice watches - I have one in my modest collection - very individually styled

christin lars for me, light as a feather, wear well, well made,cheap, i have 4 of them, you forget you have it on.

Well, I have a number of watches. Presently I am wearing a Zeades model (made in Monte Carlo) this one > Click < but it's over your price point. Great watch by-the-way. Very smart.

This one is my favourite ..... BUT, I have a different model to the link > Click < Mine is rubber band and it has a carbon case making it lighter than the above.... Don't have it with me in Azerbaijan so I can't tell you the exact model. Same face...

It's so light, it really is untrue! Super cool looking and great at night, but it's a little left field as it's Army looking. I love it though. Can't remember how much I paid for it..... Maybe 200?


EDIT** HOLD ON - I found it > CLICK

I can't remember the last time I wore a watch - I have a nice Emile Pequinet and a day-to-day Casio Edifice - but I think watches are no longer needed in the world of the ubiquitous mobile phone.

If you want a watch as a tool, the Edifice is good and probably in your budget.

I would make the same recommendation, very cool understated look. Mine is very thin and gets many admiring comments yet only ca. cost £100 a few years ago.

I got a nice one from Omologato recently at a great price when they had it on sale, they have a nice one to go with a Coupe but slightly over the budget - https://www.omologatowatches.com/collections/the-ecurie-172/products/the-alleggerita-italia-chono

I have my watch always (except this week, because I got up at 3am on saturday to catch a flight and discovered the battery was dead) but my phone only sometimes. The whole 'you only have to look at the phone' argument does nothing for me... in fact, I have seen a colleague with a so-called smart watch check his watch for messages and then use the phone to find the time...

Another vote for Skagen.

Or take a punt on a s/h sixties or seventies Tissot; at least they have a proper dial size and not something like a saucer...

Yet another vote for Skagen, my wife bought me one in Macys NY and I love it.

This one to be precise: https://ak1.ostkcdn.com/images/products/9437294/P16622996.jpg

Very understated and has worn well over the last 2 years.

Outside of budget but I cannot do without my Tissot Touch II. Best watch I have ever owned.

If it's an automatic watch you are after, Orient and Seiko are great watches at this price point and below. The Orient Mako is a good watch (I have owned one for over 5 years without fault) and well within budget at around £120. It's a divers style though, which may not be to your liking? If it's a leather strapped dress watch you are after, then the Orient Bambino might be more suitable?
I also have a Seiko, again, owned for about the same period, it's my work watch and takes a pounding most days, but it still keeps good time and aside from a few hairline scratches, it scrubs up nicely.

Steinhart is a good shout if you want an ETA movement, although the divers watches are only available in 42mm IIRC, which you might find a bit large depending on your wrist size and what you are used to wearing.

Tissot are also worth looking at, but I think with recent price increases, they might be too far over budget. The Le Locle can be had for around £350.

Christopher Ward get good reviews on the watch forums, but I have no first hand experience with them.

Would you consider used? A couple of years old Squale or Glycine would be worth picking up if you don't mind a second hand watch, or an older Tag Heuer from the late 90's early 00's. but factor in a possible service if they are running fast/slow which could blow your budget wide open.

Note of warning: This can become a very slippery and expensive slope if you get the bug!

At that price point if I was buying new I would go down the seiko route I think.

I've and a few and they have been great

I bought one of these ..SMITHS NATO Watch..£195 http://www.timefactors.com/new.htm

I've gone for a Seiko kinetic which you can get in many different styles even approaching something like your current showpiece!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

For me, a watch is jewellery. Provided it keeps more or less the correct time, a few seconds here or there isn't important.

I like the look of the Skagen range, I'all check them out.

If you do go for a Skagen, have a look on watches2U.com, no affiliation with the company, but I have used them in the past and the prices are very competitive.

Second-Hand Tag Heuer F1 or 2000 Series should do the trick, Last for years.

for £200?

Its what they are worth, but not what they cost....

They are good-looking watches, but (IMHO) they are an absolute triumph of style over content, supported by one of the best marketing systems around

To be fair to TAG, they are not the only watch company to charge inflated prices for their products, but they are probably one of the best at it.

Agree on Tag watches.

Had mine 20 years now (and originally found it 20m underwater in Oz!)

aside from new batteries (done by local jewler, and a couple of new pins in the bracelet) it's been flawless. I've never bothered to send it to Tag and pay their daft costs for servicing.

They wanted to charge me £200 for a new bracelet when all it needed was a pin!

That's the complete opposite to my experience with Seiko's UK service centre near Maidenhead.

In 14 years use of the current one, battery changes and service were about £15 once every 2 or 3 years, including new seals and pressure tests and the titanium bracelet catch needed replacing once - £15 while I waited.

Agreed, my experience with Seiko was good - when the leather strap broke they replaced it even though they reckoned the strap itself wasn't covered.....but it hadn't lasted a year.

That gave up too eventually - the replacement from ebay has outlasted both

Citizen ecodrive anyone?

Not a ladies watch, but I really like this range. British company (founder of Animal) using Japanese automatic and Swiss quartz movements, and individually tested for water resistance. The build quality is stunning for the price.

https://elliotbrownwatches.com/

Nice designs, but they follow the current style of basically, being enormous... to my mind the proper size for a watch is 34mm diameter and no more than 12mm thick - 6mm for preference.

Probably because I wear my watch on the inside of the left hand...

I agree - the trend is for big watches.. And I've struggled to find much below 40mm wide. My old Rotary is 38mm and ideal. The Tyneham automatic is 41mm which is not too bad, but being an auto, the case is quite thick.

Still nice to see a British brand. I might try and suggest a smaller range to them !

Just ebayed a nice vintage mickey mouse one!!