Greetings all. I am a lover of fine watches and am ready to make my first elite purchase. It's my 40th birthday coming up and I've waited for the right time to drop a boatload of cash on a watch. I had it narrowed down to a Tag Heuer Calibre and an Omega of some fashion. Of course, I can get a higher end Tag for the same money, but I have always admired Omega watches and wanted one for a long time. My father bought a Speedy Pro when he was in the Navy in 1968 for the grand sum of $150 from the Navy Exchange. He had it for a few years until he and my mother came on some hard times and he had to pawn it. He was never able to get it back and he's talked about it for as long as I can remember. For his 60th birthday, I found him a second edition full titanium X-33 Mars watch to give him. He loves it and talks about it coming to me one day; I told him to take his time. Anyway, on to the purpose of this post. It's my 40th birthday coming up and I have the opportunity to buy a never worn Sea Master Planet Ocean with orange bezel and orange crocodile band. I'll have to travel a bit to buy it but the owner said he didn't mind me taking it in to have it looked at before purchase. From what I can gather from the model number and serial number, it looks to be a 2007 model with the Calibre 2500. He is asking $2500 for it. I just don't know if this is a fair value as I am only now just looking into my first fine Swiss watch. It is, however, the watch I am looking for. I know that the new models have the Calibre 8500 and that is made in-house at Omega. I can probably get one of those for about $4000, but that's a much farther stretch for me financially. BUT, is it worth it? Between the 2500 and 8500 movements, was there a significant reason to pass on an affordable 2500? I've tried to search the forum and came up a bit empty handed. Hopefully someone can enlighten me and perhaps provide a little guidance. Thanks in advance.
The 8500 is worth the extra and as a first time Swiss watch and being your 40th you have to go new in the box. Makes it special ( first to wear it , take the stickers off )
Hi Nuke. You're last name wouldn't happen to be Laloosh, would it? Buy the 8500 and steer clear of the 2500.
and under NO circumstances do not buy no tag-heuer not. those are the Bose and Beats equivalent in watches ... a watch that pretty much says "he has money but not so much brains"
Why the hate on the 2500? The watch wears better as it is a thinner movement and case, and the later 2500 movements are great. Early 2500 movements had some issues, but by the 2500c and 2500D versions the issues where cleared up. 2500 wear differently then a 8500 although they seem the same from a distance, the later 8500 have a thicker case with the display back ride much higher off of the wrist. You may want to go to a Omega reseller and try on the current version of the watch, you might not like it. Have you thought about sourcing a birth year speedmaster pro? http://speedmaster101.com/145-022-71-74-76-78/
Hey now, let's not get too chippy over TAG Heuer. There are WAY worse watches to buy that cost more than a TAG. ...... and the 2500 C still had issues. I know because I saw them first hand.
oddly enough I had one TH .... the Link with the El Primero 400 movement (and I bought it mostly for that) good quality watch, well put together but saw very little wrist (wifey always referred to it as the football player watch ) ... also was a bear to sell so ... one can do better ;-)
well there was one guy on this planet who could pull that watch off ... and he is dead now ... not sure the loafers with white sock would pass muster today
I want a tag Monaco to work on my wrist. I've tried all 3 case sizes out there that are easy to source and something about the watch just does not work on my wrist. I can pull off the PO chrono and 36mm dress watches but the Monaco just looks wrong on me.
