Steal The Style: Dream Watches – Part I

Cheaper Alternatives for Esquire’s Big Black Book Spring 2012 Watches

The average cost for one of Esquire’s 22 “dream” watches is $13,964.  More than a few of us have never spent that on a car, let alone a watch.  The most expensive is a Platinum Paneri which runs, and this deserves to be written out check style: forty four thousand eight hundred and 00/100.  What would you write on the “memo” line for that check anyway?  I’M RICH BIAATCH! ?  Still, they’re stunning, and Esquire excels at showing us the top of the line.  The following are more attainable, Dappered-chosen alternatives that you can be awake to enjoy.
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#1.  Timex Originals Q-Dial – $80.75 w/ SPRING2012 ($95)

Their Pick: Movado Datron
The Alternative:  Not an easy combination to find, but the strap and the brushed deep grey on the Timex Q dial is absolutely close.  If they only made one with a deeper, navy dial.  The Movado executes the roughed up luxury/casual thing perfectly, and the Timex Q dial is an awfully good looking, inexpensive alternative.  Full review here.

 

#2.  Orient Explorer – $455 w/ SPRING2012 | St¼hrling World Time – $220

Their Pick: Glash¼tte Navigator World View
The Alternative:  The Orient Explorer is a familiar face around here.  Used to be much, much less when codes up to 50% off were valid, but Orient Headquarters ended those early in 2012.  Consider yourself lucky if you were able to snag one for in the $300s.  They’re nails.  Not actually a world time like the Glash¼tte, but does have a dual time zone function as well as a slide rule.  The St¼hrling IS a world time and has the obligatory time zone/city markings around the exterior.  And hey, like the Glash¼tte, there’s an umlaut in play as well.  Both have offset crowns at 2 and 4 o’clock.  Stuhrling comes with a black band, but that’s easily switched out (in both photoshop, and real life).

 

#3.  Momentum Square One – $195.00 | Momentum Square Two – $195.00

#4. Mougin & Piquard for J. Crew – $425 (but wait) | Seiko 5 – $74.00

Their Pick:  Bell & Ross WWI-92 military
The Alternative: If the Mougin & Piquard watches are selling anything like the Timex Andros, then wait for them to go on sale.  Because you think they would, and during an extra 30% off code, they could drop way down.  Still expensive for a quartz, when you consider the Seiko 5 with a greyish browh leather strap could do the job for guys with small wrists… and it happens to be an automatic.  Also strongly consider Orient’s Sparta automatic.

 

#5: Bulova 98H51 – $96.03 | #6. Hugo Boss Automatic Rose – $495.00

Their Picks: Ulysse Nardin & Blancpain Villeret
The Alternatives:  The Bulova is as simple and as classic as it gets.  If you’re not a gold guy, they do make a silver tone version with a black strap.  The Hugo is an automatic (no word on where the movement is from) and you’ll pay through the nose for that “sun ray” dial… but it’s a looker.  Fingers crossed for it to get majorly discounted during a half-yearly sale?

 

#7:  Timex Intelligent Chrono – $185.00 | Seiko 5 SNZH in Grey – $166.50

Their Pick: Chanel Ceramic and Titanium J12
The Alternatives:  Good Grief, Chanel?  This is getting harder.  Well proportioned metal links, a bezel with some minute markers on it, and some grey tones in there.  Interesting that once again, an automatic is less than a quartz.  Another option would be the much better looking than the Timex Bulova 98B131.  Costs less too.

 

#8.  Citizen Eco Drive – $96.00 | ESQ Movado Automatic Teju – $314.99 ($450)

Their Pick: Patek Philippe officer’s Style Calatrava
The Alternatives:  The Patek Philippe’s crown, texture on the inner dial, and the round edges of the case make it one hell of a good looking watch.  The Citizen is an ultra affordable workhorse, while the ESQ by Movado carries the load as far as style goes.  And thank goodness for one-star reviews?  The ESQ is unusually low via Macy’s.  One reviewer seems to have gotten a lemon (so buyer beware) and the one star review might be keeping people away…

Part II & III still to come.  Other suggestions & alternatives are welcome in the comments.