You do realise that the most expensive watch that you have ever touched- the "Breguet" (sic), is in fact a very high end Swatch - back where we started.....

To the original OP, I certainly wouldn't buy a Raymond Weil again, firstly it leaked, the face tarnished and they no longer make spare faces so had to have a different colour face and hands, it was only 2 years old. Secondly what I thought was a single peice casing turned out to be a bezel stuck on with double sided adhesive, this fell off whilst putting my shoes on.

In general terms I did get it cheap as a family member is in the trade, given that he got 60% off and his supplier was still making a tidy profit I think this perhaps suggests that as a brand they are very over valued to start with.

you sure it was real?? I know they ain't the best but they ain't that bad!!

So my Omega Deville with its co-axial escapement movement is cheap ETA movement? Wow that's not how they sold the story to me.

Check Wilson watch works, the guy makes very interesting watches in your price range. Just Google it. Good luck.

Bigblue, Yes definitely real, came from a major jewellery supplier in the UK, accompanied by the box, paperwork etc. the fact they have a 230% markup tells the true value of the item. The same goes for other products like Rayban glasses, they used to be solely imported by Addis the plastics manufacturer in the UK, they used to sell them for £1.50 a pair in the staff shop. Like many premium products most of them come out of similar factories as cheaper products but its the marketing etc that defines the price.

It's a mass produced Omega movement, which is the most profitable part of the Swatch group.

With high end watches, ALL the parts & most of the tools to make them are hand made, on the most expensive each screw is hand cut. Every piece is made by hand from start to finish.

Companies like FP Journe their enry level watch is 28,000, their most expensive starts at 750,000 to 1,500,000, it's all very different to an Omega.
With Omega the marketing costs more than the watch, David Bowie original sound tracks & Cindy Crawford do not come cheap.

John Lewis's mark up on women's clothes is 150%, 230% for a watch does not seem excessive.

Personally, I like Loius Erards 1931 Moon Phase auto, however, obtaining one would require increasing your budget to CHF 2k.

Attached Images

 

Omega makes really fine watches and you don't have to pay 6 figures to get a dead accurate mechanical watch.

Omega's older movement the caliber 2500 (which is heavily modified ETA 2982 cal) has the Co-Axial escapement which is the biggest advancement in movements in the last 400 years. My PO with 2500C runs at -0, -0.5 seconds per day depending on it's night position. If that is not a fine movement I don't know what is? Now pre-owned pieces depending on model can be found starting at 1500 CHF in ads. Their new cal 8500 (which is a completely in-house developed) should be even more accurate.

Apart from paying George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, Omega is really investing in developing new ideas and technologies in watch making, something that even more expensive brands are not doing, like Hublot, Breitling etc.

Swiss made though.

Lots of interesting feedback - thanks EF! I think I have narrowed it down to four watches that I fancy, all within my price range, manufactured by Longines, Frederique Constant, Louis Erard, and Mido. Just to get a bit more information before I take the plunge - does anybody own a Constant or a Mido watch? Any positive/negative experiences there?

I would definetely go for a Tag Heuer, my favorite brand. I, myself thinking of buying one. However, that most likely is something for the Christmas and 13 month salaray.

Of the last four brands you posted a classic Longines is not bad. Not bad at all.

Just one more comment.
The size of a watch does not reflect the importance of a person.
I do not like the last 10 years fashion for huge over sized faces.
Maybe. It's like buying a big red sports car

Not Swiss, but over the border in Germany, Sinn makes great watches in your price bracket.

I remember looking in the car parks in some of the watch makers car parks in La Chaux de Fonds. Almost all French registrations, so watches made in Switzerland by the French .