I can only comment on things I have owned ,
Overrated for me would have to be everything Rolex apart from the dssd.
Underrated I’d go for most seiko especially autos at the lower price points.
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I can only comment on things I have owned ,
Overrated for me would have to be everything Rolex apart from the dssd.
Underrated I’d go for most seiko especially autos at the lower price points.
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I guess we’re talking about here and now, at current price/availability etc.?
I got a speedy pro as my first sort of high-end watch about 15 years ago and thought it was awesome. Loved the build, operation and looks. Only flipped as I cannot wear a watch without date.
Would maybe not feel the same today at the price point - but could be said for almost everything.
So... over-rated:
I also was underwhelmed with the Rolex GMT-Master II 16710.
Tiny weedy crown, cheap-feel clasp. Was my first Rolex and expected - WOW! got - Meh... (and only paid £2k-ish for a full set)
How it became the darling it is today is incomprehensible to me.
Under-rated:
Hard to say which, but a few from Fortis.
The early cosmonaut chronos with the Lemania movements, and too the later B42 range. Again the chronos with the 7720 movements.
Build quality was always above price point. Good proportions, good aesthetics. Almost never seen in the wild either.
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Last edited by notenoughwrists; 10th October 2020 at 10:59.
I guess whatever watches you've experienced as in owned, held, whatever price range being current or original RRP, just anything goes really..
Price is having a big factor in these discussions, I have noticed some of the big hitters are top quality watches but are being overrated due to their price inflation over RRP, still a good watch just over priced..
Some of these underrated watches here seem to fall in the fugly category too!
Last edited by murkeywaters; 10th October 2020 at 11:13.
Overrated: Rolex Explorer. For a long time the 114270 was the watch I thought could be my exit watch. I managed to pick one up last year but after the initial honeymoon period, the appeal faded quickly. The legibility is, in my opinion, hugely overstated and the time-keeping on mine was never 'Superlative'. I moved it on earlier this year and picked up a JLC Master Control Date for half the cost.
Underrated: Simple three handers. My pick is the Nomos Club Dunkel. I've just purchased another for under £1k after foolishly letting my previous model go to raise funds for the above. It has fabulous legibility and keeps time to Superlative Chronometer standard. It's a WIS cliche but I really value the connection between man and machine that manual winding affords.
Only on the watches I’ve owned / own.
Blue corner
Zenith El Primero. The most unreliable movement.
Grand Seiko. Yes, yes. In spite of this Zarathustra polishing or how they call it. Clasp from the past. Raw crown. Bezel inaccuracy. And the polishing will anyway look like sh*t in 3years. Taking the price that goes to toilet into account...
Red corner
Omega co axial movement- equipped watches. Amazing reliability and accuracy for years.
Last edited by AlexL; 10th October 2020 at 14:23.
Of mine:
Most overrated, the slab-sided and inelegant Tudor Black Bay. The red and gold colour scheme got very tacky very fast, it's too formal to wear with a casual outfit, too casual to wear with a formal outfit. Too shiny and blingy to be a tool watch, too olde-worlde for the modern world. Fake rivets on the bracelet are the beautiful finishing touch on making this watch an overrated also-ran, nothing but a pastiche of what it should and could be. Still, I love it and that's all that matters.
Most underrated, the Mondaine Simply Elegant. Classic, timeless, functional design, there is nothing more legible. The ridiculously thin case just melts onto the wrist meaning that while his watch is much more distinctive than most, and therefore more polarising, it can fit in almost anywhere and do it discreetly. Quartz grab and go, mesh bracelet, sapphire crystal, what's not to love about it?
Overrated - Rolex Daytona (current). The watch that caused an outbreak of tulip mania when the bezel turned ceramic, so it looked a bit more like vintage versions such as the 6263. But does it actually look as good as them? Of course not!*
Underrated - The Girard Perregaux Laureato Infinity Edition. Hardly a mention of this on the forum, but it could just be the watch of the year. The Laureato has never quite hit the spot, until they gave it a beautiful onyx dial, and suddenly it looks at home with the Nautilus, Royal Oak, and Overseas, for considerably less outlay. And what’s more, you can actually buy one. Having tried one last week, it wears its 42mm surprisingly well. Due to having wrists like a sparrow 40mm would have been my preference, but that can only mean it will will be spot on for most people.
*on the Daytona, to be fair, you have every reason to be pleased with yourself if you got one at RRP!
Great thread.
Overrated would have to be that sacred cow amongst military watch collectors, the SAAF Lemania 5012. Looks fabulous in the photos, everyone wants one but was a huge disappointment - completely underwhelming and seemed poorly finished. Current price of into five figures is comical.
Underrated? Tough choice between three of my latest - Longines Avigation Big Eye and a couple from the Bulova Archive Series, the A15 and the Lunar Pilot. The LP is my budget alternative to a Speedy - if it had a quaint hand-wound mechanical movement instead of that ridiculously accurate quarttz 262Mhz, it would probably dent Omega sales. Both Bulovas need reluming to make them “right”, so I’ll go with the award-winning Longines Big Eye as my most underrated choice.
Regards
Jon.
Last edited by StampeSV4; 10th October 2020 at 11:52.
Overrated: speedy moonwatch - bought and sold it twice, just feels outdated and not that good value anymore...
Underrated: 16570 explorer 2 at 40mm. Perfect size and if you put a 97200 bracelet on it it’s perfect.
Over-rated: The Seiko SKX. I love them. I loved mine when I had it. But since they've been discontinued, the prices have reached ridiculous levels, and they have attained an almost mythological status among watch collectors. The main thing the SKX had going for it was value for money, and I don't think they represent that any more.
Under-rated: The Seiko SNXS. The poor man's datejust. These classy little Seiko 5s punch way above their weight IMO. Again, the predominant appeal is value for money, but where the SKX can't deliver that any more, these definitely do. The bracelet is pants, and the 19mm lugs are slightly annoying, but otherwise I think these are perfect, and I'm surprised they aren't more of a forum favourite.
Would love to know where you found a Club Dunkel for under £1k. I don’t see the around too much. Great watch btw
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Overrated- PP Aquanaut- seriously what IS the attraction? (Oh I remember, selling it on...)
Underrated- IWC Aquatimer 3538 in Titanium . sold mine for a stupidly cheap £1700 or so.
Overrated - for me, the Hulk. I went to buy one on holiday a few years ago and the green flat bezel disappointed so badly in person. Now that they’re above 10k I’m just shocked.
Underrated - many a Longines - a brand which never recovered after the quartz crisis. My ex’s grandad was a particularly erudite Italian and his parents had gifted him a patek tricompax and a longines. He saw them as equal.
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Whilst I appreciate the watch and the brand for what it is, I would also say the aquanaut is overrated. I didn't like the rotor wobble or the rubber strap with no micro adjust- traded it out at watchfinder last year and I think my one is still there for c.£20k more than I got in the trade. I'd also say that I found the Rolex Explorer rather insipid. I got caught up in the Everest hyperbole and realised when I got one that it's just not for me.
I think many models of Glashutte Original are underrated, and my GO Seventies Chrono is the one that springs to mind, to the extent that I wrote a review on here. The Flyback chronograph, big date and adjustable bracelet really help it punch above its weight.
Honourable mention for the Zenith Defy 44- one of the most comfortable and technically advanced watches I own.
Overrated: Rolex Daytona. A lovely watch but just feels too small. The prices are just daft.
Underrated: Tudor Big Block 79180. My first 'proper' and still favourite watch. Love them.
IMG_20181208_093948b by Simon Gee, on Flickr
Overrated: Seiko SKX007 (at least in unmodified form). No idea why these are so popular. Rubbish bracelet, rubbish quality control, rubbish timekeeping, too large for many wrists, top heavy and it isn't even cheap any longer! 114270 I wouldn't say is most overrated but it is overrated these days with current prices. It used to be a good value sports model and that makes the lack of date and terrible bracelet more excusable but no longer. Not quite sure why you woundn't buy a Datejust for less.
Underrated: Probably either the Longines Conquest/Hydroconquest range-basically a Seamaster for a fraction of the price. Or the VC Overseas 1st or 2nd gen (biased I know). Not sure why these are available for a fraction of the cost of a Nautilus or Royal Oak or indeed why you can almost get the former for the same price as the abovementioned 114270...
Last edited by mmgg1988; 10th October 2020 at 14:23.
Your card is marked, that’s my watch and picture!
Glad you like it, I paid £1k for it some years ago off a member here from the Netherlands, not sure of recent prices but at £1000 I say it’s very well priced even though it’s a quartz, oil filled and engineering set it apart from lots of other watches in this price category..
... and sincere apologies to murkeywaters for the blatant plagiarism of their photo!
I'd love to pick one of those up for £1K but suspect that's being somewhat optimistic.
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I paid £1200 for this one with a recent service and two bracelets (late 2018).
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Pretty much. Both oil filled EZM2.
http://www.deskdivers.com/Site/EZM.html
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Ta. I was idly browsing C24 a fortnight ago and stumbled across one listed by a private seller in Germany. Some of the prices I’ve seen for listings on eBay have been frankly ridiculous.
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Thanks I have one on watch list on C24 and not seen any pop up for months. Maybe my watch listing needs to change.
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Over rated for me would be the PP sports models, aquanaut and nautilus. I quite liked the 42mm aquanaut chrono on the wrist, but the price!! The 40mm models are just too small. Or the sub date pre ceramic, felt tinny and insubstantial.
Under rated would IMHO be the older model PAMs, mostly those with pre in house movements. I have a 243, a 49 and a 231 and prefer them very much over the newer tackle
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Overrated - Perpetual Calendars, I don't get them! I like interaction with my watches, and a PC is a complication I find super boring
Underrated - thin watches (I'm defining under 7mm), wearing my Ming 2701 has given me an additional appreciation to this out of fashion genre. However they're super wearable and comfortable. We need some more stylish thin watches!
Overrated was the Rolex 16800. Took me a while to psychologically spend over £2500.00 on a used watch and had hoped it would be everything I wanted and more. Received it and was immediately underwhelmed. Sold it within a few weeks for a few hundred under what I'd paid. In hindsight another I should have stuck in the box and left................
Underrated is probably Eddies Smiths PRS68. When they were first released they did little for me. Eventually decided I wanted to try a Seiko 6105 but prices of the original vintages were frightening coupled with the complexities of sourcing one with original parts. Picked up the 68 to help make a judgement whether I should continue with the search regarding size thinking it would be moved on soon after either way. I've flipped that many watches it is genuinely difficult to make an impression on me these days, but I was taken with it out of the box. Quality and fit for the price point is fantastic. It is one of those watches where the pictures dont seem to do it any justice.
Last edited by RLE; 14th October 2020 at 16:27.
Overrated - rolex OP 39 wore it once, poor proportions and awful clasp.
Grand seiko bracelets - awful at that price point.
I would like to add Panerai, I just don’t get them.
Underrated - speedy reduced, Nomos, zenith tipo. I would also like to include the latesg gen seamasters, metas movements and very well finished.
The Bremont diver is a great shout, too big for me but the case is so over engineered, there is a good vid of an independent case test on it knocking about.
Last edited by Middo; 11th October 2020 at 11:06.
Under rated: Zenith captain central seconds. I think most Zeniths are under rated considering their quality and history but their dress watches take a hammering for no reason.
They are slim, inhouse, reliable and easily rival the likes of entry level JLC in terms of dial finishing and yet they struggle to sell for anything over 2k! Astonishing!
Give me a Captain grand date moonphase over a master moon any day!
Over rated: Rolex milgauss z blue, Stupidly heavy, uneven weight distribution on the bracelet, absolute scratch magnet, dial is slightly blurred by the crystal... I guess the price of good residuals is a sore wrist!
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Overrated: Patek Philippe Nautilus and Aquanaut - maybe my age but to me they’re just 70s ugly
Attachment 18369
Underrated: Any Seiko dive watch around the £300 mark - anything more is just a tiny fractional improvement.
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Over-rated: I would echo some of the other comments on here and choose the Speedmaster. Not because it isn’t a fantastic watch - it’s beautiful and iconic, with a great history - but because it seems to have a reputation as the sine qua non of watch collecting which I’ve never quite understood. It’s a great watch, but I don’t think this often pervasive idea that to be a serious watch collector you must own one is entirely borne out by the watch itself, or its reliance on a string of endless limited edition re-issues.
I would also rank in this category the Patek sports watches, which are not to my taste for the money - though in fairness I haven’t owned any, and they are out of my price range at this stage in my collecting anyway.
For under-rated I would say Vacheron Constantin. It’s a little counterintuitive choosing one of the holy trinity of watchmakers as being generally less appreciated than is warranted, but I do think they tend to play second fiddle to Patek and AP when the quality and style of the current Overseas (which to my mind is finer than the steel sport offering from PP and AP), as well as some of the dress models (the Historiques American 21, the Patrimony, the Historiques 1955 featuring the calibre 1003 movement), are simply incredible.
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Last edited by Lantenac06; 12th October 2020 at 15:38.
Sticking with watches that I own -
Overrated:
Submariner 14060M
Nice but why would I buy that in preference to a BB58.
Underrated:
Milgauss Z-Blue
Shouldn’t work, but it does. For a heavy watch it fits rather well on my wrist without moving around and considering the polished surfaces it doesn’t scratch that easily. Great combination of blue, orange and green.
Including watches I have tried on a few times and walked away from, thinking why would anyone buy that in preference to an equivalent Moser -
Overrated:
Basic PP three hand Calatravas
Overrated: almost all currently produced Panerais (I think no further explanation needed).
Underrated: Baume & Mercier Capeland XXL 1000 m. Titanium 1000 m diver, with Kevlar dial, fancy straps and great quality, that no one heard about :-)
Overrated: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, 15202ST
Underrated: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual time 3rd Gen.
I think 5 digit Rolex Subs are overrated [ducks head]. Not that they aren't great - they are great: comfortable, classy and well proportioned. The bracelets are fine (even the 93150 - the comfort and taper makes up for the rattles). The trouble with all the 5 digit models is that the lume is absolutely dire, and below acceptable for a dive watch. (Maybe if I had bought a GMT Master instead, I would have been less disappointed).
I also think Pateks are overrated, especailly the steel sports. You are paying a lot of money for the name on the dial. Same with AL&S.
Underrated? Longines heritage models. Tag Heuer. Zenith. And I do think Jaeger le Coultre watches, and especially the chronographs, are criminally underrated.
Largely agree with the most of the above, in the sense paying a lot of brand equity, originality and heritage etc for some means they are overrated vs peers I.e can get more for less or pay less for same quality. Having said that, it doesn’t stop me from wanting them. And watches is as much about how it makes you feel as objective comparisons.
Agreed.
An old tech sort of watch, manual winding with the hardlex..... All well and good for going to space etc but I ain't going.... Yeah couldn't agree more about this one (can totally understand the appeal for people with a keen interest in space or the different missions etc, but as something that should almost have mass appeal...)
I think the thing with the Speedmaster Pro/Moonwatch is people look into the space link too much, if you read the hype and feel like the watch is some sort of extraordinary piece of horology because it went to the moon then you will be disappointed.
For me I love Speedmasters, yes the space missions help but as a stand alone watch they are great, especially vintage with patina combined with the Hesalite (not Hardlex )..
Most overrated for me was the Daytona - lusted for 10 years and it lasted 3 months.
Underrated - most in the Sinn catalogue.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........