The Most Underrated Watch Brands
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- This is a follow up to "Most underrated Watches" in which I cover the brands which I think are neglected the most as a whole when they offer excellent features, history and design.
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If ever there was a guide to buying watches from off the beaten path, this is a great start. Because I don't want timepieces from the likes of Rolex and Omega, simply because that what everyone else does. It is far more interesting to look for watches from makers other people don't consider, yet whom make just as good a quality product as the biggest names in the business.
Armand, I hope you would consider making this a series. Underrated watches and watch brands with additional parts.
Watches on Amazon
List:
1) Eterna
2) Girard Perregaux
3) Zenith
4) Glashutte
5) SInn
Great exspose , education on these company's & their focus is great to know. Thanx. P.S.
Very interesting topic! It got me thinking about various micro-brands. One that has been praised in a few articles, but otherwise rarely talked about are Guinand watches. Do you have any opinion of them? They seem to be doing mostly chronographs and do offer some pretty cool features such as the Flying Officer.
great knowledge ,very objective views ,well done mate .
Hello, any thoughts on LE GRANDE DX 750 with TachYmeter at all please Cannot
see anything else on the watch but that,but appears a very well made watch.
Regards
The first ball bearing equipped balance wheel was named Eterna Matic - in the mid 60s
Sinn 104. Best buy ever. Pure class.
Where to buy that? Are they sell it online?
I'm surprised it dint feature in the video. Whereas most Sinn watches, as he says, are not very aesthetically inclined, I find the design of the 104 simply beautiful, my favorite Flieger by a long shot.
I have owned 4 Zeniths El Primero the movement is very sensitive and works not well
Zenith, underrated? Not by me.
Nobody wants an oil filled watch
Your pronounciation of "Glashütte" is spot on. I always get a chuckle out of others fusing the "s" of Glas to Hütte which ends up sounding like a swear word (that's a pretty "shütte" watch you're wearing).
In fact Eterna is "not providing movements" to anyone. It is now a low quality Chinese owned brand, that "once", when it was independent, was a good mid range brand. The models like Kon-Tiki (worn by Thor Hayerdal) spring in mind. When Eterna was owned by Porsche for a while, they were producing some interesting and well engineered watches (based on ETA7750 and ETA2892 A2 movements. Now, just as other Chinese owned (ex Swiss?) brands e.g. Doxa and Universal Geneve, they are sadly heading towards oblivion. Historically, everytime the Swiss brand was purchased by US based outfit (Movado springs to mind), or by Chinese? It resulted in mass production, cheapest possible movement to maximise profits and subsequent demise from the European markets. Doxa was my first watch, that my father bought as present for my 11th birthday. At the time, it was a well regarded Swiss brand, once on par with Omega and Longines. Now, the brand is all but gone, soon to be followed by Chinese Eterna.
thx for your info. I enjoyed reading it, maybe you could tell us something more in your own videos! Cheers
Some beautiful pieces, have had my eye on Glashutte original for a while, some of the colours they use for the dials are stunning
Eterna actually created the ETA movement. Eterna's movements date back to the 1700s.
GP is far superior to Rolex in my opinion
IMO swiss watches are OVERRATED and OVERPRICED. I go with JAPANESE WATCHES. Orient, orient star , seiko and citizen. I have a bunch of swiss watches (Cartier, longines, rolex..) all of them presents . But i ENJOY wearing my ORIENT AND SEIKO watches. A "luxury" swiss watch with a retail price of $ 6k has a production cost of $300. For "entry Lever" swiss watch of $1k has a production cost of $80. So is a RIPOFF. I can not sell my swiss watches because are presents of my wife , father and friends . But i personally collect and wear japanese watches. Most of them "ladies watches" because the size. I like watches between 34mm and 40 mm.
I like Sinn, but even more, Damasko as an underrated brand. Check them out.
Yes! Damasko is the superb brand. Love their watches!
I must tip my fedora to this gentleman. Really nice video and I couldn't agree more.
Since my name starts with Z, I'm always attracted to "Z" things. Also, as a Texan, Zenith's star logo seems to be calling my name. I'll be adding it to the wishlist along with a Sinn.
Aww man, Sinn is so bad ass with that submarine material and the whole thing being oil filled. I forget what the depth on that thing is but it's crazy deep. Like Marianas trench deep! Id put money on it the S.E.A.L.S have them, I think I'll go to ebay and drool over some right now. Even though they don't have the high end ones they make great looking dive watch.
No Citizen? Those guys produced arguably the best mechnical movements of the '60s and '70s. The features of the 7230 and of the 8110a are stunning even for today standards, yet, for some reason, their used watches are priced somewat lower than Seiko (not to talk of all the Swiss).
I walked in a boutique and held a glashutte senator in my own hand. it was marvelous. Of course, I can't afford it. I went in just to hold it once :) The boutique is very close to the place I work. the owner recognizes me because i'm the one who has been looking at all the watches for long time but never buys anything
They are a very nice watch but a good seiko with the exact same quality could be had for a quarter of the price.
But then again everybody needs a dream to aim for. Work hard and save hard and you may get there. Good luck.
Save up man, I have a collection antique watches and I saved a long time and got one that I thought I would never have. When it arrived in the mail I was like a kid at Christmas! My Wife asked me in a flat tone "well how many watches do you have now." I told her, more than I need and and not as many as I want LOL!
you can check out orient. japanese never disappoint
"This is the guy who never buys anything." "I think he's casing the joint." ; )
Karin Lefevre - I'm sure she has a need for every pair of shoes she has in the closet. Perhaps a nice piece for her might be in order.
Zenith is underrated? Zenith is boss :-)
Indeed! Zenith shouldn't be part of the list. It is not underrated, not even underpriced. :-)
It is KON TI KI - in honor of Thor Heyerdahl the explorer who named his ship Kon Tiki
Eterna also was the founder of ETA...
Nicely done yet again. I would particularly echo your comments re Sinn. My 856UTC is so bulletproof and simple that people comment all the time. Soft iron core antimagnetic, 20bar, tegiment treated. A tool indeed, one I've used daily for years. Thanks
Glashütte Original is the cheaper alternative to Lange & Söhne - but they still cost you a high 4 digit number of €.
Zenith! Better than Rolex.
No they are not.
They are good but I do not think they are completely in house but Rolex are. All Rolex's can be used for diving barring the Cellini range.
Omega. Better than Zenith and Rolex.
Nikioko Tag Heuer> Anything
Initially, Rolex Daytona movements were made by Zenith.
You sold me on a Zenith and I found an incredible one because of your suggestion. I am excited to have this one in my collection. Thanks of the suggestion.
You sir are extremely well informed on watches, a joy to watch and learn - thank you
Thanks again for your entertaining watch videos, Armand! :)
Since only WATCHIN ARCHIE on UA-cam for INFO on watch industry history ect....and then purely by mistake ,,.but "Very" welcome I found yourself.
Your experiences and pure PASSION and "linguistics" on Time pieces is the BEST you really are Fabulous to listen too.
SORRY ARCHIE but I've a better Channel to listen too .
.. EXCELLENT just EXCELLENT.
The Glashutte is beautiful
if Solingen, the city = German knives, then Glashuette = German timepieces. it's a place very close to swiss border. maybe that's the reason why Glashuette is a timepieces making place. even Glashuette , east german era's production, which is much cheaper , is looking pretty nice too.
I won't buy a Zenith because their logo looks like a Russian star, and makes me think its a cheap Russian watch. The other thing is that Zenith used to be a cheap Russian SLR camera. Nothing wrong with Russian watches or products, and I own a Vostok and a Luch and love them both, but they sell for a price I feel is fair for a Russian watch. Just my 2c
Unless you have a good reason for it, I'd recommend anyone to stay away from in-house movements. The only one who can service these in-house movements is the manufacturer as they refuse to sell spare parts to any independent watchmaker or repairer so that they can keep the business for themselves. Consequently, they can and will make you wait for many months for a service and they will make you pay through your nose.
Excellent content. I am getting better informed on the market, as a potentially new distributor here in Vancouver, Canada. And I have now subscribed to your channel. Cheers WC.
Sinn? Value for money? You must be jocking! Old hat designs too. I just can't buy into their marketing when they use such cheap movements.
Very good selection. Thanks as always for the noticeably beautiful video/audio quality. A channel worth watching.
By the way, I think you got the pronunciation of Glashutte pretty perfectly. (I'm open to being corrected)
It is pronuncied: glass (like a glass of water in English but a little longer a) and hütte, like hute (but when you say U you you say i) :-))
Eterna is elegant...i am skeptical about their movements. Mine goes adds 12+sec every day.
I want a Gerard Depardieu watch.
You are right about Zenith. I LOVE my Zenith.
Nice video. Totally agree with the inclusion of Glashütte Original to this list. Their movements can't be touched for the price in my opinion, the detailing is superb. Will have to check the others on this list. How about Perrelet?
sinn navitimer which i think is the mod 904 is highly underrated especially compared to his more famous breitling counterpart
In line and with only one degree of separation from Sinn, I would like to add: GUINAND
Your pronunciation of "Glashütte" is fine :D
Not brands. They are watchmakers going far deeper than just a brand.
Sinn and Zenith are great watches but I’ll m not a fan of the designs from the other brands.
You are very well spoken.. I enjoy your take on watches.. Thank you!
I know this sounds silly, but I think Americans, when they think of the name Zenith, are reminded of the old Zenith television company. In fact, I've always thought Zenith watches are beautiful, but whenever I tell people about them they either say "Are they made by the old TV company or say "You don't want a watch that sounds like an old TV." It's really a shame, but here that's what unsophisticated Americans think. Soooo....let's say you're going to spend a lot on a watch, are you going to want an IWC or are you going to select a Zenith? I may buy the Zenith because I think they're beautiful timepieces and understand the quality, but many people want to have 1 nice watch and they don't want that to be one that can be mixed up with a defunct television company. This is just my two cents. Cheers.
Zenith has a "stigma?" I don't think so. Omera, Rolex, and Apple Watch have stigma. :)
Thanks for your comments. GP is one of the best on the market in terms of design, finish and movement. I've been actually looking at Laureato 42 for quite some time now, however this brand does not have any value on the second market, as you clearly said and I share that with you.
The Zenith and Glashütte are much overpriced, Sinn are interesting but the crown position and design put me off. Eterna is only known in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, I haven't seen it in other countries at all, but yes, they are nice too, and the price is competitive.
OVERLOOKED For Value & Craftsmanship ? Would you include Maurice Lacroix & Frederique Constant in this group as they both feature In House Manufacture movements & great value for their Prices and are Rarely mentioned ??? Major Jim, US Marines
Thank you Armand, wonderful video.
I very much agree with your thinking when it comes to sports watches. I just don't understand why so many brands persist in focusing on dress watches, or poorly rated 50m "Water Resistance" watches, that are supposed to be a "Sports Watch".
This problem can not be stressed enough. Rolex have really understood this issue and have cleverly prospered from it.
Look at the AP Royal Oak - great watch - but 50m?? I'm suppose to leave this watch unattended by the pool??
I believe ALL high end "sports watches" should be al least 100m water resistant.
Even if I choose not to wear a high-end watch swimming - I feel comfortable knowing I can.
Definitely agree on Glashütte Original. I think they're pretty well-known though, and just looking through Chrono24, it doesn't look like they drop in resale value very much. Perhaps because they're in general rare.
But the Original Sixties is one of those watches that really make me...inhale shaprly and get emotional about the whole thing.
While I have watched and enjoyed your videos for a while, in this one you have really shown me something I didn't already know. I've wanted a Zenith for a long time, and the various German brands are familiar. But the GP? Really need to get something dressier to complement my Speedy, which I should have gotten vintage.
I'm ashamed to admit but I never heard of Glashutte. Truly wonderful timepiece. Thanks for introducing it to us.
Thanks Armand, another good video. I've heard of all of these but understand that some (many?) people won't have done so. It seems that marketing is the key to being known. This marketing in one form or another raises the profile of the brand and its resale value and this apparently counts for a lot in the minds of a cohort of buyers. For me, it's the quality and technology that matter. I say this because I don't see watches as safe investments for the future. The stock market or some other precious objects are better investments I think. Whereas, I buy my watches for wearability and the usage I want. It's a great shame that all of these brands and a few others, too, are overlooked.
Superb video!
I was reading an article regarding Zenith. In the article it was posited that one of the reasons Zenith is unknown is consumer mistaking them as a subsidiary of Zenith televisions. Also introducing them in the US could involve lawsuits regarding trademark infringement with Zenith electronics. Food for thought.
In fact, aside of 3 bridges, that could be classed as the high end dress watch, Girard Perregaux is famous for their sports chronograph chronometres. Their long associacion with Ferrari F1 team, produced some great in-house movements like cal.3370, fitted into Ferrari F1-2000 watches. For some peculiar reason, just like Zenith, or Ulysse Nardin, Girard Perregaux didn't capitalise on their in-in-house capabilities, their advertising and marketing was rubbish. Something that Rolex for example ... were excellent at. Till 2004, when Rolex bought "Aegler"(their movement supplier) ... all Rolex movements were "bought in".
What's more ... not just Rolex movements were bought in. Rolex were buying cases, bracelets and dials from their sub-contractors. And the nonsense about "hand made", is just another Swiss con ...... as majority of any watch content ($200k Patek Philippe included) is CNC machine made ... and only "hand finished". Obviously, the amount of hand finishing, the precious metals used and the brand name, will determine the price of the watch.
As far as the loss of watch value? New Patek Philippe 5270G watch will cost you US$ 150,000. The same watch, 3 years old in pristine condition, is less than US$ 100,000.
You have mentioned the Glashütte Original. Although that factory is based in Germany . ... the Glashűtte is fully owned by the Swatch Group.
I like wearing my dress watches fairly frequently. Many dress down with a light brown strap,especially white gold cases.
A quick summary:
1. Eterna
2. Girard-Perregaux
3. Zenith
4. Glashutte Original
5. Sinn
buy nice mid tier vintage watches with ETA movements . there are plenty of them . this stuff is grossly overpriced and over sized .
New subscriber to your channel. Keep your vid at high standards to keep yourself apart from other watch You Tubers.
Ball Watch is very underrated. I have 2 and they perform as well as higher known brands which I possess
Great review! What are your thoughts on Damasko, Fortis, and Hanhart? I find them underrated too.
Frederique Constant. Incredible quality for the price. And their timepieces are aesthetically top notch.
Again a great Video. Very informative.
I would also include Oris and Laco
Please show videos of the watches moving and rotating at various angles.
My KonTiki chrono has a better bracelet than my Rolex Sub.
%100 agree with this. In fact, the clasp in particular, is a machined beast that out does any clasp I've ever seen period.
Eterna is truly the most overlooked brand on this list. I hesitate to call them unappreciated, because most WIS types respect them and have a positive opinion of the brand in general. Still, they never think to go buy one when picking up something new. They see one and say "this is a really nice piece", but the brand never pops back into their mind at shopping time.
Heath Wasson and
Glass-who-te Ori-gi-nahl
Im surprised Junghans didn't make the list. Great video.
Sinn usage of submarine steel should, in anything, lower the cost because its highly available and accessible in a country that is very known for making submarines. The marketing advantage of this steel is obvious but I doubt the materials used by Swiss brands are significantly less corrosion resistive.
When you compare GP to JLC, I see no reason to prefer the former.
Zenith always looked to have the aesthetics of what I'd expect a Soviet watch to look like, especially with the star they use. Maybe it's not only my problem?!
I wholly agree with the Eterna watch being underrated. Their cooperation with Porsche-design is one of my favourite designs look-wise.
I'd add Chopard to this list - I think they proved their innovation and extremely well finished in-house movements, especially the LUC series.
Is like the 904L steel that Rolex uses instead of the 316L that today you find even in Chinese watches. The day you'll put your arm into a sulfuric acid's bath, you'll see the difference.
And you couldn't care less.
remember Conan the barbarian melody? very similar to your intro
Great choices. Another could maybe be Fortis?
glashutte is tank watch in the word
Thks
Interesting.
What is the model of that particular Glashutte ?
Steel Arts, it's the glashütte senator original sixties aqua monochrome-watches.com/glashutte-original-sixties-iconic-collection-specs-price/
The most underrated brand - Seiko.
cool vid! How many watches do you own?
Underated watches are my favorite watch subject
Again, an articulate and informative review.
I would also add Christopher Ward to this video as well. The build quality of their Trident diver watches is truly exceptional
loveyour reviews. Thank you
Very well done video 👏👏👏
While Girard Perregaux may be under appreciated by the average buyer in the Rolex/Omega price ranges, they're not under appreciated as a brand. It's simply that most of their best and most loved models are in a price range that puts them out of contention for most of us non-Lear Jet owning crowed.
If I'm looking for a new piece in the $5,000 to$10,000 range, GP is in a very crowded field and doesn't have much in the way of a standout model that grabs the attention. However, if you're lucky enough to be buying watches in the $100k and up realm, then they have so truly wonderful pieces.
Love my Zinn T-1
pop shield
CYMA
what does gold filled mean?
Lil Mao it's the same as gold plated
are you french ?
Minefire Studios13 his family is part French and he is near fluent in the language!
I believe his family is British and Swiss. He is fluent in both English and French.
Eberhard
Great Vid!!
The reason why nobody (at least here in Germany ) buys Sinn watches , is simply the fact that they are ugly looking watches! : / Especially the hands! And this won't put up with the fact that they use the better steel than other brands! The fact is, that one is appealed by a watch and then buying it through the eyes. If you don't like what you see you won't buy it.!
Thanks for the lesson!
The Zenith El Primero was not the first automatic chronograph! That was the Heuer Chronomatic Autavia!
There are two brands which you should buy, one is rolex and the other one is rolex.
Or you can buy a beautiful watch.