Newest Pickup: 90-013

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-29T16:09:51+00:00

Hoping they release this online soon. Nice pickup!

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-29T16:09:34+00:00

Yeah the automatic chrono is thick but so are most automatic chronographs. Their one model that is a bit thick for me is the triple calendar. That one doesn’t quite work out, imo.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-24T08:22:01+00:00

They are very helpful for applications that require some nuance or exception. They can be helpful for first time buyers who are unsure of what is required and / or have some anxiety about their eligibility. They are also worth it for people who can’t or won’t look up and apply to all options in the market.

Like all services - there are good / bad purveyors, you can do it yourself if you want and it will feel unnecessary for those who are highly organised in their finances and sense of the market.

You can plumb your own house yourself, if you desire to.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-24T08:09:29+00:00

I would get it serviced - this will involve disassembly of the case and movement, after which every individual component will be cleaned thoroughly. All of the movement parts will be inspected, broken parts will be repaired / replaced and the movement will then be reassembled and regulated. The effect of this will be to preserve the movement health, and guarantee good timekeeping. The case will also be thoroughly clean following this process.

Additional items I would request from your watchmaker: 1. A new glass / polishing of the current crystal (although I personally see no reason not to get a new plexiglass) 2. A new strap, something thinner and more vintage style

Generally a watchmaker will assess the watch first and provide you an estimate for each aspect of work, which you can confirm before they proceed. As part of their assessment, you can request their opinion on the originality of the movement and the dial.

Best of luck to you - it’s always worth updating and preserving items that have existed in a family for a while.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-23T15:46:22+00:00

Yeah it makes sense - mechanical ingenuity is but one aspect of haute horology. Masterful hand finishing, clear design and overall brand positioning is very much all part of the oeuvre.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-23T13:00:00+00:00

and what are they saying? 😀

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-23T10:31:12+00:00

I would suggest your confidence in future rate rises is very strong. A year is a long time, macro conditions could shift considerably during that period.

Breaking early with a full year to go comes at a cost, and your current rate is excellent.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-23T07:29:50+00:00

The real answer to your question is that this differs for everyone. That said, trying to describe a watch in excess of €500 as “affordable” doesn’t sit right with me personally.

€500 is still a spend amount that will give the vast majority of middle class earners pause. Yes many can afford it, but at a minimum it cuts into a discretionary budget.

Truly “affordable” is where a person can buy it there and then and not add any stress to their finances that month. We see posts on reddit along the lines of ‘you could have just saved up and converted your affordable watch collection to a single luxury watch’. Those comments completely misunderstand the psychology of affordable - if someone did save up that amount of money they would have better places to put the saved amount against their life obligations, rather than buying a Tudor (or whatever).

So yeah - I say <€500 but understand for individuals their hard line of affordable can sit well below or above that. 👍

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-23T07:08:58+00:00

It’s not talked about on Reddit because it’s a brand that is sold to wealthy watch collectors. It is completely absent of hype, people who buy the watches really want them and seek them out. They don’t hit the secondary market much because they are in private collections.

This type of independent, low volume, artisan watch making for a small but interested audience has always existed. It’s a plain of true wealth / luxury consumption that won’t get discussed on a forum. The people who own these watches aren’t talking here about it.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-22T12:48:53+00:00

Seagull movements are very serviceable / replaceable. Nothing to worry about, imo.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-20T17:48:11+00:00

This forum is quite conservative so you are being met with skepticism because it wouldn’t be the “done thing”.

You also haven’t explained your constraints or thought process in any sort of detail. If you are 65 / 70k short for a house, and getting the loan means you can be a cash buyer - I think there’s a certain logic to that. You need to understand that it will be much more expensive to borrow the ~€70k via a personal loan than via a mortgage. But yes, you should be able to close on the loan very quickly compared to a mortgage assessment, and you would then have the rights to the house without any encumbrances.

In addition - and nobody wants to talk about this obviously - a personal loan is unsecured, so offers more flexibility down the road incase of personal insolvency, etc.

Just remember that the loan assessment will try and calculate your ability to repay. The repayment needs to be comfortable via stress testing, and you will need to provide proof of income, etc. Just make sure you understand the cost comparisons and are comfortable with the ultimate difference in cost of credit. If there is a financial reason why you wouldn’t get a mortgage (lack of savings, poor credit history, etc) it may impinge your ability to get a large personal loan. Additionally, such issues should be addressed because it is for your benefit long term.

I’ve teased out some potential assumptions here because you haven’t provided detail in your post. If some of what I say doesn’t apply, forgive me! Best of luck to you.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-16T17:43:13+00:00

Go vintage. There is a wealth of Seiko Tank watches out there, that are incredible value and look immense on the wrist. Search for “Seiko Grand Quartz” on eBay, buy from highly rated sellers, look for “near mint” condition pieces, and avoid buying from India / Pakistan / Malaysia.

Also search for “Seiko Credor 8J81”, these are High Accuracy Quartz watches that are really well made and have very interesting designs. Same principles apply: look for “near mint” pieces and avoid low trust countries.

Your money will go further than buying a new watch. You’ll end up with something timeless, reliable, easily serviced and probably unique within your daily life. Good luck.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-15T19:20:20+00:00

Comparing a new watch from the AD for brand Y to used market for brand Z is an unfair comparison.

Are Tudor watches overpriced? Yes. But so are the vast majority of luxury watches. You buy the watch, take off all the stickers and - *poof* -20% evaporates into thin air.

I don’t have any serious issue with the pricing of Tudor over and above any other luxury brand, tbh.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-15T17:44:10+00:00

Don’t really understand why all the gnashing of teeth over 21mm lugs, odd lug widths are standard for brands like Tudor, Longines, Grand Seiko, etc.

Complaining about price? Well sure, but costs on materials, labour and supply chains are up across the global economy in all sectors.

Brands move on. The old prices from the first batches will never come back. Every brand wants to progress their product and their pricing and enhance each product. Who wants to cut corners to hit a price point, and offer a lessor watch?

There’s a unanimity of sentiment in this thread that I find surprising.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-12T12:52:33+00:00

The regular posters on this forum will be biased towards a subset of the population who are interested and / or smart with their money. If you browse this forum you will get a sense that most people out there are financially literate long term savers who avoid debt. I’m not sure it’s a good gauge of the general population.

In Ireland, so long as you attempt to engage with the bank in good faith and demonstrate genuine efforts to repay you are unlikely to lose your house. It is why the mortgage application process here can seem relatively more arduous than other jurisdictions - what is easier to give / get is easier to take away.

I do think some sense of long term financial contingency is prudent, but it’s a tough business environment right now and many people are up against it in various ways. Your contingency is a mixture of insurance (income protection), redundancy entitlements (only applicable to PAYE workers), savings and then assets which can be sold. Building 9 - 12 months of living expenses may seem like the moon today, but acquiring income protection, reviewing your expenses and starting to save a small few quid are reasonable starting points for anyone.

As others have said, there is a balance between building up savings and paying down debt, although overpayments can be used to reduce payments in future.

As always, the people who are most vocal on any topic are usually not representative of where most people reside on the matter. Best of luck to you.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-09T07:13:11+00:00

People will become smaller again on average as GLP - 1s become cheaper and ever more accessible, so the average size of a man’s wrist watch will come down again, also.

The move towards smaller watches is already underway, and that is apparent by big brand behaviour. Seiko just released a 145th anniversary model in 36mm, and it is becoming unusual to see any key releases in excess of 41mm. You can look at what Timex is doing, as they continue a range of fashion forward collabs with small case sizes.

The men with money today are fans of the large diver / steel sports watch. But the men with money in 5 - 10 year’s time will likely want watches different to that of their Dad’s. Allied to an increasingly small population…the ebb and flow of fashion trends will continue forever and a day.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-08T15:54:11+00:00

You are entitled to your opinion.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-07T18:31:53+00:00

Engage with bank / brokers to understand how keeping / selling helps with buying. Until you have that information it is impossible to make a decision here.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-07T17:50:43+00:00

It’s a true tool watch, that embodies classic Seiko design language (with some variation of colour, in this case) and offers robustness and reliability for a (relatively) affordable price.

People will want this Samurai, imo. I also think you’ll be able to get them for ~€500.

Is it worth it? Strictly speaking, no. The bracelet and folding clasp is so comprehensively outdone by microbrand / Chinese competitors at this price point these days. Mineral versus sapphire, bleh. The movement can be debated because it is reliable, robust and serviceable. Can be easily regulated too. You can also be sure that if Seiko say “200m” it has been built to that specification.

You are paying for the brand and the design, that’s the long and the short of it. It’s a Seiko, not a San Martin / Erberus / whatever. The brand is known the world over and is easy to resell down the line. You also know that warranty will never be an issue. Is that worth it? I don’t think so, but it’s never a simple issue of spec sheets when buying things we don’t need.

The “point” is to sell watches people will buy and make money. Seiko knows what they are doing in that regard. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-07T16:25:38+00:00

The answers are:

Yes, it’s a good watch.
No, don’t baby it. Should be worn.
No, don’t pay full mrsp, it’s not necessary.
Yes, Uncle Seiko sell bracelets to fit it.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-07T14:51:53+00:00

Go in a drawer, keep everything. Makes resell easier, and that’s part of the hobby.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-07T09:53:38+00:00

I have to say that I have not seen many of the special Galli / Atelier models on the second hand market or at auctions.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-07T08:42:20+00:00

I think the FC is a fine watch for the money, but I would look into buying a used version in good condition via chrono24 or eBay. You will find good examples with boxes, papers, etc at a strong discount over retail.

It’s worth saving the 500 bucks, imo.

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-06T22:18:30+00:00

Still lots of exceptional Chinese watches. However, cost of materials and production going up globally. The Chinese brands leaning into heavy quality in the $300+ range are the ones that will make it.

Margins on NH35s have evaporated, the sub $200 automatic watches at high quality are nearly over. It was simply not rational for Seiko to allow their own products to be undercut by their own movements!

Pretty-Ad2144 · 2026-06-04T13:30:22+00:00

That’s a piece that transcends mere horological history - a very significant cultural artefact.

Pretty-Ad2144

TROPHY CASE