Where to buy in London.

I am affraid that I cannot help with a discount watch shop in London. I would have thought that the internet would be cheaper, if you can identify what you want in a shop first. I know this is slightly un ethical as the shop is providing a service, but you are after a cheap watch so I am making a suggestion to that end.

In terms of your choice of watch,unfortunatly I think many watches in your price bracket are simply fashion items with crap movements in, and as you say, hardly worth changing the bateries for. Any quartz watch will keep excelent time and ought to be reliable, therfore I would say choose whatever you like the look of. My preference would always be for mechanical watches, but thesedays they seem to be the domain of the posh swiss brands only.

I think good brands worth looking at should include Accurist,Seiko and Omega if they do any in your budget. I migtht avoid the fashion brands like CK or Armani.



Hope this helps.

Simon

£100 isn't going to buy into the top brands, but you can get a very decent watch for that. In that price bracket you could get a Seiko that would last you a lifetime, but you will be getting it from Argos. I have a self-winding mechanical Seiko that I have had for probably 20 years, never serviced, and it is totally reliable.
This is nice, and so is this.

Rasher

That's probably the sort of thing I'm after.

Does anyone else have suggestions in the same vein?

Just walk along Hatton Garden (London EC2), looking at the watches in the windows, before you decide.

G

If you are willing to go secondhand, Spitalfields market on Thursdays has 3 or 4 watch dealers with decent stock.

Try also the sales forum at pmwf.com for bargains and chronomaster.co.uk for some wondrous vintage stock.

It is generally accepted amongst enthusiasts that the best cheap Seiko (ie. best cheap watch) is the SKX781K "Monster".

I have a quartz Seiko chrono and Suunto Vector from my own collectiosn for sale: need to generate funds for my "holy grail" purchase, an Anonimo Militare.

Please, don't get me interested in desireable watches.

I've got hi-fi, bicycles, computers and astronomy. I cannot afford another hobby.

Graham & JK - What stuff do you see at Hatton Garden & Spitalfields then? Please elaborate.

Rasher

Hatton Garden is London's jewellery mecca. Much better than BondStreet and without the mark ups. You can find everything there, from the lowest to the highest. And most of the shops have people who are willing to barter. But caveat emptor.

G

spitalfields have a few nice vintage watch dealers / restorers. lots of elgin, hamilton and similar elderly dress watches.

i have my eye on a 70's bronze faced seiko 6139 chrono (120 quid pre bargaining, these seem to suddenly be very expensive) and a stunning 60's valjoux three dial chrono (350, gulp).

there are also a few dealers in the covered section of the brick lane market on sunday, but not great stock IMO.

cheers
justin

Tommy C

Why buy a fake Rolex that are fitted with Seiko movements; when you can buy a genuine Seiko?

I'm sure Kevinrt doesn't want to be considered a cheapskate by wearing a Fake Rolex either.

p.s. I can remember a friend's husband ruining his fake Rolex by using it in a swimming pool. He didn't realise it wasn't waterproof unlike the genuine article.

another option are poljot watches.

the russians 'liberated' a lot of technology and equipment at the end of WW2, and now make some very reasonably priced, quality mechanical watches:
http://www.russia4u.co.uk/shopa/

(no association with seller)
.

I second the Seiko option, but some of the nicest ones are only available over the Internet from Japan. I just got this one:
http://www.higuchi-inc.com/seikosolardiver.html

Solar powered, titanium body, screw-down crown and water resistant to 200 meters for air diving.

Nick