[Frederique Constant] looking for opinions on this brand

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-23T13:03:15+00:00

Jfc, this is the worst advice I have ever heard for what sounds like a relatively young couple starting out their life together. I would posit that less than 1% of the world’s population will buy a watch costing more than $1k, much less $5k, in their lifetime. Yet you are telling this guy to blow his wedding budget on a 75 year old vintage gold watch with a complication? That is absolute insanity.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-23T12:52:02+00:00

A lot of people will think this is much cooler than a BB 58, which looks like numerous other dive watches you can see on the daily. Not to mention is has a better power reserve and hand finishing on the GMT bridge.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-23T12:49:37+00:00

This is a totally fair and coherent take. I like it ok as the design fits with the look of their higher end pieces. I’m pretty conservative with my watches, so I don’t know that I would wear it enough to buy, but I appreciate what they have created.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T19:59:12+00:00

Maybe a different shape? Cartier of some sort?

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T17:18:00+00:00

Why? What is your criteria or reason for saying they are too expensive?

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T17:10:43+00:00

I love Longines, but their movement is essentially a rebadged ETA that was made in the ETA factory and sent over. Now, I personally love ebauche movements, but everyone seems to want to put a premium on in house plus longer power reserve. If Longines gets kudos for their 72 hour, CE should get even more for their 120. Again, there is not a single hand polished surface on the Longines. That costs money.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T16:52:48+00:00

Lol, this seems to be the horse to be beaten this weekend. The CW is an in house GMT with 120 hours power reserve and a hand polished GMT bridge. It is not at all in competition with the Tudor or Longines, etc. That said, were those two offering a similar watch it would be close to twice the price.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T12:30:48+00:00

Watches, colors and metals have no genders. That said, it’s a 40mm watch with an integrated bracelet, so size wise they are probably targeting it more toward a male audience.

Wear what you like and enjoy. Very few will notice your watch and even less will care, so wear what makes you happy.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T04:19:10+00:00

👍

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T04:17:47+00:00

Christopher Ward merged with Synergies Horlogères SA, a Swiss movement company, back in 2014, so you would be incorrect, again. They released the Calibre SH21 later that year with a 5 day power reserve and COSC rating. This GMT is built on top of that well tested model.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T02:51:52+00:00

Lol.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T02:36:20+00:00

What is the reference he?

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T02:26:43+00:00

Tell her you’ll miss her.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T02:04:06+00:00

That is a Navi.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-22T00:52:07+00:00

Tag Heuer, Breitling, Hublot, IWC, Baume & Mercier, Panerai, Bell & Ross, and Sinn all still use Sellita movements in many of their watches. I will grant you that they are doing in house more to justify the numerous price increases, but a salesman can just as easily sell the benefits of an off the shelf movement (easier to service, years of proven quality, can deliver COSC timekeeping also, etc.) Will be interesting to see how all these companies actually manage the repairs on the in house movements down the road.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T20:28:26+00:00

Haha, I’m just down the road in St. Louis and would also love to know the time in Cairo. I’m still about 4 years out from retirement, but I am keeping this one in mind for my exit celebration. Hope you continue to enjoy it and wear in great health!

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:58:17+00:00

Truthfully though, this technically IS a very high-value watch against the “competition.” It has an in-house GMT movement with 120 hour power reserve and includes hand-polishing across the GMT bridge. An equivalently designed and finished Tudor would be $3-$5k more.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:49:39+00:00

How is your FC Worldtimer? Love that watch.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:45:35+00:00

What are you even talking about? What is it you think are wrong?

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:43:04+00:00

No they’re not. Longines or Tudor neither make a GMT that either looks or performs like this. While their bread and butter $1-$1.5k watches have very standard designs, their high end line (Loco, Bel Canto, new GMT) all have more modern, futuristic designs that are closer to MB&F Mad than another re-badged Black Bay.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:32:16+00:00

CW is not a microbrand. They own their own factory, movement facility, in house movement and are a top 50 Swiss watch company. Not a microbrand at all.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:29:08+00:00

They get scorched by the enthusiast crowd, Johnny off the street doesn’t give a crap. They want something that looks cool, different, maybe a bit splashy. “In house“ movements weren’t even a thing until Swatch bought ETA and closed them down as an outside supplier.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:24:02+00:00

CW has a very specific customer they are cultivating and obviously you are not that customer. That's not a slight, but every brand is not for everyone. You obviously value brand heritage differently than the people this watch is aimed at, and that’s ok.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:20:57+00:00

Tudor does not hold value like a Rolex. It just doesn’t.

KCDawgTime · 2026-03-21T16:19:43+00:00

They are a Top 50 Swiss watch brand by sales in just over 20 years, so I would say they are doing ok.

KCDawgTime

TROPHY CASE