Support our show and grab some merch: abouteffingtime.net/ We rank watches and watch brands according to which watches we think are overrated and underrated. #rolex #omega #tudor
The production and content of this show just gets better and better. It just shows how exciting and interesting it is educating us on all these alternative watches and brands and not constantly talking ceramic Rolex. Keep up the great work and shout out to Marcus. ❤ (PS - Sorry Andrew but I would never ever wear a Hublot - Never !)
HEYYYYY martin, thanks for the shout out. Yes indeed this is a labor of love and so its great to read comments like yours. Thanks for watching my man!!!
Swiss watch gang wears and talks about his love for Hublot hahah. He’s a crazy good watch RU-vidr 👍🏼 I don’t hate Hublot. Some of their watches are sweet!
In my view, High Accuracy Quartz watches are underrated af, whether it's GS or Citizen Chronomaster or even Longines VHP. I have to agree with Adrian on CW being underrated, they make high quality watches with a price that's reasonable and that's a gem in this market. Also If you can't buy a Rolex, then it is overrated, for sure, I have to agree with George and Andrew on this matter. Thank you guys for another great episode, this was kinda like the Top Gear cool wall that we asked for and as always you guys delivered. Keep up the good work and good luck. Your fan from Iran, Sam ✌🏼
I think there is something to be said for Quartz as well. FOr some reason I wanna explore more of whats out there in a good way ya know. Acuracy is awesome.
Credor HAQ watches are the best value on the market, fight me. Recently picked up a NOS Credor GCAZ009 for only 197 USD. (Retailed for 1600 usd excl. tax four years ago)
Great video guys! I genuinely look forward to these videos! I have just purchased my first serious watch and couldn’t be prouder of my BB 58. Keep inspiring and keep the videos up guys!
To me, Hublot can be its own worst enemy. Their marketing, whether intentional or not seems to lean more towards the bling rather than the substance. Andrew listed innovations that should be at the forefront of their marketing along with the unique styles they create.
“Hublot can be its own worst enemy” - this is so true. The product itself isn’t “bad”, it’s how it’s positioned and that’s hublot’s fault. I think this can also be said for Bremont. Bremont the watch is actually really complex and decent. Bremont the brand often says the wrong things and misplaces the product.
@Adrian Barker agreed, Bremont have such potential and hopefully they will become a better regarded watch... Out of curiosity, where would you place Bremont, Under rated, Rated or Overated? I would say the Martin Baker watch is underrated.....
I missed Adrian's recommendation for the perfect starter watch - but feel encouraged by what he said about Christopher Ward. I got both my sons a Christopher Ward on their 16th birthday to get them started on their watch journey - the C63 Sealander GMT and the Triton Pro 600. As an underrated brand - Certina. I just bought the re-issue DS Super PH500 - which is in a way my perfect birth year watch (March 1969) - as this was the watch used underwater from Feb. to April 1969 at Tektite I.
I like the Ranger for what it is with it's brushed finish and unassuming presence. It doesn't command attention to its self. I'm not a watch expert or collector. I am a "grown as man" well over 60+yrs old that went into a Tudor boutique while on a business trip to Tokyo which is some thing I can't do in NorCal. The experience was first rate. The sales team allowed me to try on multiple models and the Ranger was my choice. In addition, with the exchange rate JPY to USD along with no sales tax made the purchase experience even better. Well done Tudor with your product selection and AD boutiques.
This commentary and banter is why I look forward to the weekly videos. You guys knocked it out of the park. I hope this is a regular weekly thing and not just "new season" kinda thing.
Before I found this podcast I was done with watches. I consumed too much watch content and became frustrated with the brands and their AD’s. You 3 amigos have brought back the fun of watches and are addressing some real concerns. Keep doing what you do. Love it!
Wonderful job again, guys. You make the hobby more interesting and exciting by breaking through hype watch discussions only. Possible topic - when is it the right time to consolidate upwards, and is there ever a good reason to sell and replace with lesser watches?
GREAT show. Regarding the Underrated category…I was surprised no one added GO’s SeaQ Panorama Date. Adrian had a fantastic video on this line. The dials are stunning, the 100 hour power reserve is top-notch, 300m depth rating and (most important for folks > 50) arguably the easiest to see the actual time! Looking forward to more shows!
Great entertaining video and debate. Love the channel. Some interesting call outs . I completely AGREE with : 1/George on IWC Ingenieur (under rated and hope to see it come back 2023) 2/Adrian on the Omega Aqua Terra. Lovely watch but it is over priced relative to the Diver 300 or Rolex OP. I also agree that Christopher Ward is great value. 3/Andrew on the Tudor Pelagius and Ranger (both over rated, agree with comment on the hands), as well as on Hublot (I agree it doesn’t deserve the unequivocal bashing). Andrew is the voice of reason! However IMHO the ‘rated’ categories conflate quality, originality, retail value, and obtainability/2nd hand value. Richard Mille and (at times) Hublot are high on originality but over priced at retail. Over priced but not over rated. The Daytona is high quality and reasonable price at retail…but excess demand has inflated the 2nd hand price. The new Patek Nautilus is low on originality but it’s still a beautiful high quality finished watch, just unobtainable and unaffordable. I wouldn’t say either are over rated or over priced at retail just poor value 2nd hand. The opposite to the Aqua Terra But If over rated = out of all proportion demand (+therefore 2nd hand price) then the best example is for specific dial variations. Eg the turquoise Rolex OP or Tiffany Nautilus.
Man I completely see where your going with this. And I agree wouldn’t it just be so awesome if IWC did drop the ingenieur in the future. Would be like a Christmas present for all.
I put hublot and Richard Mille in the same category of watches I would never wear but have and are doing things no one else is. Great show as always fellas…..keep them coming!!
I love the Chopard L.U.C. Pro One Diver, truly underrated in the world of dive watches. Containing the In-house Chopard L.U.C movement caliber 4.96 micro-rotor movement. Great video content!
Really enjoyable content and a fun escape from the real world. Love the interaction and slapstick level of humor, interrupted by serious discussion and contemplation. Agree about the stupid criminal problems with just wearing what we love...good thing we have alternatives and will keep calm and carry on. All my best to you crazy lads.
Andrew, I used to have an Explorer 39mm Mark I - I gifted it to my son for a birthday or graduation, maybe both, I do not really remember, though it’s not that long ago. I tried on the new 36mm Explorer, way too small on my wrist. Impossible to get an Ex 39mm Mark II at a somehow decent price, so I went for a Ranger. I’ve been hesitating for quite some time before I bought it - when I finally went to the dealer, I held the Ranger, the BB58 blue and the black one in hands, and I got the Ranger - it took me no longer than half a second to make up a decision. It was meant to be a “replacement” for that Ex I, but of course it wasn’t, still isn’t and will never, ever be! The Ex is so much more refined and versatile, so many levels above the Tudor, which in my eyes is a very chunky and heavy watch to wear. But still, the Ranger, in the metal, in the real life, is a really nice watch. And Andrew, yes, I am a grown-up person - maybe the reason why I do not wear it very often… (-; Something else, I actually do like Hublot watches as well, but the basic ones. And I like it, when you get angry at the other two guys, when you hold back not to explode!! You are an awesome bunch of chappies!
I’ve bought and sold around six Christopher Ward’s over the years, and they sit very nicely alongside my ‘luxury’ pieces. Glad to see them getting some love!
Can you please have an episode where you can also talk about wall clocks in the background? Love those things! Would love to get some for my home office too!
A great episode is how price vs where it fits into a collection. In particular how a watch can hit a ceiling and then the watch is no longer a good deal or at the price point is not worth it as it’s place in your collection. Example steel submariner is great at 10k for a daily or beater on a high end collection and even higher end piece in a lower level collection. Gold bluesy is actually dressy and luxury enough to sustain a higher price and could fit as unique in both collections. Hulk with its color and ceramic bezel is also more luxury. Really interesting when a price vs where it sits in a collection would be very insightful for collectors. Cheers fellas!
Every week keeps getting better, loved this way of rating them. To Andrew, was recently in a cruiseship with Hublot shop. Definitely liked some of their watches. I think pricing is a bit high entry-ish level and more “normal” sizes should be offered, and maybe not that much hate
@@marcusflack1523 haha yes, it had Cartier, Omega, Bvlgari, Tag and Longines stores (Royal Caribbean Cruises). Plus they did a cool watch meet in the store with scotch tasting
Love this video, Gents! Great choices and debate. 2 years ago I bought a C63 Elite and I love it. Well the crown slices my fingers, but it’s a small price for such a beautiful watch!
Great show guys! Canadian here with a bit of an argument and something that may be a great topic for a future episode. In listening to your arguments, specifically on a first watch but can be applied to much as to recommendations, is regional considerations. Andrew thinks Tudor, with Adrian and George leaning For Tag. I think both are great but will say that until recently Tag Heuer in Canada has had a bit of stigma (a la Hublot) as more of a fashion brand. I think Tudor is more aspirational but think many of the Swatch brands here would be more fitting in Canada. A few years ago Omega would of been the #1 Choice but now likely Longines. I am not sure if our proximity to the USA is why these brands are more popular or it is more on price. Another Swatch brand and was not intentional, is Rado, who in Asia is very highly regarded but in North America is not really known. My first serious watch was a Zenith Stratos Striking ten with an exhibition back (less than 200 made, before they made the Felix Baumgartner commemorative solid case back) in Canada in 2015 this was a $11,500. Watch. Oddly I wanted to not be pretentious and show I was a connoisseur by purchasing an El Primero, over a Rolex, where at that price point, I could of easily. In hind sight I should of bought the Rolex. To agree with many of your arguments the hype for many watches is off putting, although I have come full circle and do think Rolex is an amazing product for its parts, which I think (like Adrian) the Explorer could be the perfect watch! As a side note I do have two Christopher Wards C63 (one is the GMT) and love them with just the two flags logo.
Not sure if I should be more bothered by where you put Hublot or the SavageX advert that popped up below the comments. 😂. Great episode and nice to hear the team not being talked over when making their point. Have to agree on the Aqua Terra, the current pricing is 🧐compared to the Seamaster 300, but the latter is too big for my tastes, make one at 40mm and I would be interested.
Great shout on Christopher Ward being underrated. Quite often they don’t make it into watch discussions. CW have made such an impact, not only do they produce great watches that continue to be refined, they also produce them in a variety of case sizes (all 20mm lug width) to cater for all.
Concerning Hublot, I agree with all three. But Andrew, especially, made a very good point, by bringing up the achievements and contributions that Hublot made to the watch industry. Sadly, the vast majority of "influencers" and/or "watch experts" focus exclusively on the negatives, because it's popular to hate that brand in particular and because it brings the views. Many people used to like Hublot, but then just followed the herd once Nico started blasting them. Many models are (horribly) overpriced, but the brand and their watches are not all bad.
Many models are (horribly) overpriced -- I will say all of them are overpriced, some horribly overpriced. That's the main hate but the design is mostly nice
big fan of your show. Thank you for all this information and entertainment. I have a question though, are the wall clocks real watches with mechanical movements? if yes where can we buy them? a wrist watch cost so much so I wonder if they are affordable or not! Thanks and cheers
Gotta say it: I love my Tudor Ranger -it isn’t pretty, refined, or glamorous, but it holds up under the stress of a more outdoorsy lifestyle. Solid movement, okay lume, highly legible, and the accuracy is spot on. Throw the t-fit clasp in there, and it’s a great, all-weather beater.
I agree! My 41mm Tradition really impresses me with its "boringness" 🙃 One thing that amazes me (and I'm not sure how they do it), is although it's not a thick watch, when you look through that boxed crystal the dial just seems to have so much depth. It's just incredibly legible. I have 3 Tudors now and they all just have this quality in the hand, when I first picked them up, like "Oh, this is really well made"
The Tudor Pelagos blue is an absolute classic and fantastic tool watch. I do prefer my Pelagos 39 as I believe it’s the submariner in Titanium. I sold my 41 Cermit & no date Subs and do not miss them. I believe my Sea Dwellers 16600 & 116600 are far superior & more iconic in esthetic & size.
I’ve got a 2002 16600 and to be honest there is just more going on it’s more exciting to wear and just feels. Like a proper tool watch not bling or fancy just cool
I agree, give some props to Hublot, it must not undo the deserved criticism for brutal overpricing on the lower end models, a brand can do great and bad things at the same time. Also Hublot, in spirit, is comparable to Cartier. For the bread and butter models they are all about design design design and movement finishing and quality is secondary. For their high end models they practice genuine original high end watchmaking.
Ahhhh nice comparrison with Cartier. YEah they both keep reaching for new things which is what I like about both those brands. At least they are prepared to dare to break the rules.
How can you compare Hublot with Cartier? Cartier have a really rich history they were the first to create the modern day wrist watch for men (the history of the Santos) Hublot have nothing of that ilk anywhere in their history or catalogue, the issue with Hublot is their ridiculous price point which is completely unjustified, Cartier can claim (right or wrongly) their prices because if their rich history which Hublot do not have, now if you don't have history you can innovate and justify your prices that way (Richard Mille). If Hublot watches were priced correctly I don’t think they would get any hate.
Great discussion, really enjoyed the power and the passion (as one great Aussie rock band used to say). I am a Rolex fan, but I had to agree with your treatment of the Explorer. Interesting that Grand Seiko didn't feature anywhere.
Great Ep gents. Couldn’t agree more about the Daytona…but I really want one! One underrated watch to add is the Patek 7234G Calatrava Pilot Travel Time. Trades well below retail and a future classic in my view.
Funny how when something gets inside your head it’s hard to shake. Yes it’s an overrated watch. but. It’s still freaking awesome. And so thin for its function. Just an epic piece. So if it’s square in your dial James. Keep aiming for the target. One day. Then. BANG. thanks heaps for watching my friend.
Love that Adrian is wearing a Seiko 5. I've heard so many watch reviewers say they love them, but it's the first time I've seen one actually wear one. Nice one, Adrian!
I agree with Andrew that over the years Hublot have made some amazing achievements with the use of materials but I think the hate started right at the start of the brand when they bring out the Classic Fusion with an ETA/Sellita movement in a RO/Nautilus style case with an overprice MSRP for a brand with no history/heritage. As for the Pelagos, I think its an under rated watch among the general public and over rated watch among enthusiast. I had the Pelagos LHD but sold it due to misaligned bezel and rattling endlinks at the lugs. I sent in to RSC and when it came back, the bezel was better but still slightly misaligned and the staff at RSC actually told me the endlinks were within tolerance and my bezel is actually much better than most of the Pelagos that was sent in... she explained that the bezel insert and bezel cannot be detached and therefore they can't remove the bezel insert to align it perfectly... The Tudor Ranger is definately over rated, its a very ugly watch IMO...
Christopher Ward? I own 5 of their watches across 3 ranges, and they're all bloody lovely. Adrian is right, CW's quality is tops, especially for the price. They're one to watch. Glad to see they're getting some love.
Hublot is modern pop art in a watch form. This is so apparent when you step in their stores where they usually decorate the entire store with colourful paintings and fun shapes. It’s actually a blast to go in and see their watches that are made into incredible case shapes and with materials. As a guy who enjoys jewelries as much as I do watches, hublot is in a unique spot. I think, however, their watches that are (usually) less than 10k, have poor competitive market value compared to other brands that offer “bang for a buck” watches.
I do agree with Andrew about first for hublot. Rolex touts all kinds of first but then so do other brands. So why is it not OK for the first to be a credit to hublot. So yes Andrew I whole heartedly agree with your choices. Besides the pelagos and ranger but that's another thing. RESPECT to you all. I love this channel and these videos. I'd rather love watches for the sake of being what they are. Not for the hype. And may I add. Adrian is wearing my favorite seiko 5 that I've ever seen. And I can't leave George out. I'm still waiting to get a Bamford edition watch. Ugh. I want one so bad.
Andrew, I agree with you on both Hublot and Chopard and funnily enough both brands boutiques are almost next door to each other here in Vienna. Hublots window always draws me with its watches made with different materials, they have a similar expensive sparkle like my Grand Seiko has and that sparkle is one of the things that makes a watch an event. As for Chopard, for me it’s old money, quiet class not only in their watches but also their ethical stance. Always a pleasure to look at.
I'm with Andrew on the ranger and pelagos, barring the FXD. The discussion around Tudor was definitely therapeutic. Adrian had a killshot with the Aqua Terra choice. I considered it the perfect one-watch-collection for so long I never even stepped back and evaluated the value proposition it poses. WOW. I'd push Longines for first watch recommendation. Their present range can check so many boxes for so many people. I got blindsided by Hublot! I adore their use of materials and that is the element of watchmaking that excites me most. Re Explorer II. I love the idea of this watch. I was dreaming of the polar version and I'm generally a rolex hater. It's the most rolex rolex and the least rolex rolex at the same time and that does it for me. I finally got to try on a black dial display watch and felt nothing. I was so confused. Still don't know what to do with that experience.
I love Longines. I bought a Hydroconquest as my first "proper" watch. I feel they are so overlooked, as they almost occupy a part of the market at a pricepoint (1,000-2,000) mark that no one else does and they have such rich history to go along with the quality.
@@amapolishplummer enjoy the hydroconquest in good health! I really feel like we are watching the rise of Longines. They have strategized their storytelling brilliantly in recent years. They do such a wonderful job of recontextualizing elements of that rich history in their modern releases and it is so clear what the brand represents. That can only be overlooked for so long.
@sebastien6483 It's a shame that Tag Heuer is so expensive for their automatic watches, and actually to me aren't anyone more "prestige" than Longines, in my opinion definitely not worth 30% or 50% more. Oris is nice but I'm not a huge fan of their designs. Only really leaves Longines for me really.
@@amapolishplummer Sticking with Longines is not a bad place to be. 👌 Only Tag I've had hands on time with is the night diver. I really liked it. I considered the solargraph for a bit but it's not high on my list.
Guys, very entertaining, good talking points, love that you shot down the ex2. I do like the defence of Hublot, but at the end of the day, would you buy one??
I have the CW63 shown and it’s everything you want for the money and then some. The best part of it is how slim it is. My auqaterra feels inches thick compared to the 63 and they look and do the exact same thing.
Great ep guys! Good points on Hublot. Never heard of the Orlinski before this ep - it’s absolutely gorgeous. Would totally rock this watch. Anyone else convinced to give this brand another chance?
Totally onboard with George for an IWC Ingenieur re-issue. It's a banger of a piece that would fly out the door. Nice to see a shout out for both Doxa and Christopher Ward excellent quality at an exceptionally good value price. Keep up the good work Gents 😀😀😀
Can you guys do this podcast full-time? Soo much excitement when a new episode is released. I love that George dropped the IWC Ingenieur there. Let's pray that IWC use that genta design to launch a 2024 version.
It's like an episode just for me! I have a Polar Exp II, I have an Aqua Terra, and I have a Chris Ward Bel Canto (second round) on order! Some thoughts: My first nice watch was an Aqua Terra. I still have it and I love it. But I completely agree. It always bothered me that it was more expensive than the SMP 300. I bought it anyway because it was my favorite between the two. Best guess I can come up with for the price difference is A) it has a slightly better movement 8900 vs 8800, and B) the SMP 300 is most people's gateway into Omega. They want it to be an incredible value proposition compared to the Submariner and are willing to sacrifice some margin for it to be the gateway watch for the brand.
i think post 2000s Rolexes are over rated simply because there are simply not as many dial variations to their watches as their vintage ones. On the other hand, Grand Seiko is really under rated, from their innovation of their spring drive and quartz movements to their beautiful dials and polishing, simply punching way above the price.
Grand Seiko is actually super overrated. Nobody besides total watch geeks cares about the brand (absolutely no status in the "real" world) and 95% of their offering (besides the famous snowflake, white birch models, etc.) is absolutely hideous.
@@Ozmeister666 Yeah I gotta admit that it does trail behind many other brands as far as non watch enthusist perception. So does this make it not worth the money? Hmmmm
@@Ozmeister666 thats the point, many watch lovers want understated watches so we dont need to fight and "lineup" for watches at inflated prices. Plus, less recognition in the "real world" means less likely to be robbed.
Yes Adrian!! So glad you brought Christopher Ward to the table. The CW C65 Aquitaine is my first mechanical. It’s stunning! The box sapphire crystal, the sapphire crystal bezel, the lume, the tool-less micro adjust bracelet! You did of course bring one of their more “boring” offerings in my opinion (😂) but you brought them and I’m so pleased! 😁💜
The discussions of this episode has had my emotions up and down. Andrew’s LUC may have been the one that looked the best in general, but the Christopher Ward is easily in my opinion is the most underrated. One of those watches I need to look more into.
Alleluia Andrew! I always thought the Pelagos looked like an oversized kid’s Flik Flak. I owned a Pelagos myself, and sold it after just two weeks once I saw this and couldn’t unsee it.
Would be really interesting to hear your opinions/analysis of Grand Seiko. Maybe even the same under/overrated watches within each brand. Could also be interesting to share analytica with us, say you do a underrated/overrated on rolex, how many views vs grand seiko, hublo episodes and so forth.
Hublot gets utter savagery from everyone. I didn’t know that they’re the first to put a rubber strap on precious metal and first to do coloured ceramics. The thing about Hublot and Richard Mille is that they were followed by the same hypetrain and celebrity sponsorships that Beats by Dre had (pre-Apple purchase) that everyone got sick of. Because of that, they got a reputation like Nickleback where it shifted from “its cool to say I like Nickleback” to “its cooler to say I hate Nickleback”. Same as Nickleback getting played on the radio all the time, same as seeing Beats by Dre on celebrity and sportsperson’s necks, everyone got sick of seeing Hublots and Richard Milles plastered everywhere and on celebrity and sportsperson’s wrists. People forget the fact that they are some of the engineering marvels seen on wrists.
I totally agree. But that's also the same reason why I'm sick of Royal Oak, Nautilus and Subs. The hype factor just takes over the heritage / watchmaking aspect of these watches. But somehow, paying over MSRP for them is seen as impressive and yet, getting a Hublot at a huge discount seen as waste of money. Seem like there's no logic or consistency wihen it comes to hating Hublot. It's like we hate the brand because we're programed to hate it, rather than forming our own opinions.
Under rated has to be the Longines HydroConquest in 39mm Fantastic looking and great value! Also anything YEMA love the Superman Heritage line and the Yema Navygraf
@@marcusflack1523 you can order without bezel lock. It actually works but is a bit redundant. I guess it is away to creat a different look and stand out. Check out the Yema Navygraf Heritage
Fellas your my therapist on the tube? I found a watch near my house in a parking lot outside a doctors office. It was a real gold valuable watch with a engraving on the back of the watch! First thing that came to mind how the person missing this watch felt and how it made me feel when my Grandfathers Breitling was stolen out of my apartment which I never recovered. Following day I went to the receptionist asking if anyone lost a watch without any details of the piece and the watch turned out to be the Doctor’s 20 yr anniversary present from his wife. He took my name and address and gifted me a Hamilton 42mm Stellar that he shipped to my house for returning his watch. It’s my favorite watch I own.
Why I shared this was hearing you gents talking about people stealing watches off others wrists. Also I love Christopher Ward watches and will be my next purchase.
Very nice episode as always. imo oris big crown pointer date and nomos tangente are also underrated. And the mooosssttt rated watch ever is seamaster diver 300m :)
First, I really don't see how you could say the Tudor Ranger was overrated when it was roundly criticized by every RU-vidr for being "boring". In my personal opinion it's underrated, because it's a watch that doesn't really reveal how great it is until you've worn it a while. I mean, by that rationale the Rolex Explorer is "boring" and Overrated. Esthetically, there's really no difference! Hublot? My disdain for Hublot comes from the early days of the brand. They took a fairly unexceptional watch, screwed a rubber strap on it and charged thousands more! Shoulda been less! If it was reasonably priced I wouldn't have a bad thing to say about them. Modern Hublot still overpriced, but at least they're bringing something to the table and they're playing in a sandbox where overpriced is the name of the game. Underrated? Eterna! Edox! Longines! Overrated? Hamilton Khaki!
This is true that you say that you should not really knock it till you e tried it. And I have not tried a ranger on. Ok I know what I gotta do before I weigh in with my opinion on this one.
The IWC Inge is somewhat underrated . I know GB loves it , I owned one but it was HEAVY as hell but the look was awesome. I wish they would bring it back thinner with an adjustable bracelet. Under rated wise I would say the speedy no no kidding I would say the Porsche top gun (the original pvd one with Lemania 5100)
What a nice surprise with Doxa at the end 😍 actually was wearing my vintage 300T while watching the show and I’m annoying anybody about how great it is.
