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Thread: Watches you were sure you wanted...until you tried one on.

  1. #1

    Watches you were sure you wanted...until you tried one on.

    Thought this might be an interesting topic. I live in an area where few non-mainstream watch brands are sold (unless I make the hour+ trip to the big city), so watches tend to catch my eye in pictures, either on forums or online stores. If the watch is interesting enough, I'll look for on line reviews, more pictures, and videos. If it's not a very expensive watch, I might take a flyer on it at that point, which has actually worked out well so far. But if it's an expensive watch, I will wait until I'm somewhere that I can actually try it on before considering a purchase. Here's my nomination for a watch that looks lovely in pictures, but when I tried it on, to my surprise, it was too difficult to read and didn't look good on my wrist (although it clearly is a beautiful piece, just not for me). Anyone else have this happen?

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  3. #2
    Yep many times..Most recent letdown was a Nomos....I want a Nomos something fierce.



    Made the drive to Tourneau couple weeks ago to try 1 on.
    To my surprise it was way to small for my liking & looked cartoonish on my wrist.I was absolutely bummed.
    I now know they make different versions w/ a little bigger case size, but still I think it will be to small for me + the only way I can purchase the 38mm Nomos is thru watchbuys & they do not accept any returns.Soooo needless to say I will never own a Nomos Tangente Gangreserve Red Indicator.
    Last edited by watchdaddy1; Jan 21, 2015 at 01:49 PM.
    People sleep peaceably in their beds @ night ONLY because rough men stand ready to do VIOLENCE
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    William

    Member#842

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  5. #3
    Loves to yap about quartz I-B's Avatar
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    I wanted to buy a Belgian watch and i drove all the way to the AD to try this model on. I like(d) how the hands of the subdials blend in with the design of the dial, you can even call them "stealth hands", but when they did not align 100% with the lines on the dial, i lost my interest in the watch...

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  7. #4
    Good topic.

    The white faced Milgauss and the Black Bay. Loved, and still love, them in pictures. Didn't even have to try them on. They just didn't sparkle for me in the metal.
    G-Shock: GW3000B-1A
    Rolex: Submariner 14060M
    Accurist: 1961 Shockmaster (Gold) & 1965 Shockmaster (Steel)
    Omega: Speedmaster Professional 3570.50.00
    Meistersinger: Perigraph AM1002
    Ben Sherman: S489.OOBS
    Rotary: 1990 Quartz (Gold)
    Steinhart: Ocean GMT 39mm
    Certina: DS Super PH500M & DS PH200M
    Timex: MKI Mechanical

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  9. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by watchdaddy1 View Post
    Yep many times..Most recent letdown was a Nomos....I want a Nomos something fierce.



    Made the drive to Tourneau couple weeks ago to try 1 on.
    To my surprise it was way to small for my liking & looked cartoonish on my wrist.I was absolutely bummed.
    I now know they make different versions w/ a little bigger case size, but still I think it will be to small for me + the only way I can purchase the 38mm Nomos is thru watchbuys & they do not accept any returns.Soooo needless to say I will never own a Nomos Tangente Gangreserve Red Indicator.
    If you order direct from Nomos (I did), they have this policy on their website:

    Can I order a watch to try for size?
    • Of course, deciding to buy a watch is not something you can rush: It should be ticking away on your wrist for years to come, after all. This is why it’s important and quite right to try on a watch. That’s the only way you can see whether it suits your wrist. You can do so quite easily at any of our authorized retailers. You can also do so if you purchase online—but there are a few things you should note first. In the NOMOS store you can also order watches for a trial, in order to test the function of the watch and how it is to wear before purchase. If you do so, we would give the same advice that any retailer would: The watch should always be left on a clean and even surface, such as the NOMOS cleaning cloth it comes with. You should also always take care when turning the watch, in order to avoid scratches. Of course, you’re welcome to fasten the watchstrap—only the most cautious would have any issues with that. However, the trial is not intended for customers wishing to wear the watch—after all, that wouldn’t be possible in a store either. If a watch is not carefully handled and comes back to the NOMOS store with clear signs of use, we will have to charge for the service required to restore it to its original state.

      You could also try Govberg, they sell Nomos and might work with you on a return if the watch is unworn.

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  11. #6
    Member Upstate's Avatar
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    Tudor Black Bay. I've tried it on twice so far...and both times it felt to big.

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  13. #7
    Bone Collector Bwana's Avatar
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    I've had quite a few, the watch that still haunts me is the Blue Laguna...bought it new, and just wouldn't work on my wrist.

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  15. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by mlcor View Post
    If you order direct from Nomos (I did), they have this policy on their website:

    Can I order a watch to try for size?
    • Of course, deciding to buy a watch is not something you can rush: It should be ticking away on your wrist for years to come, after all. This is why it’s important and quite right to try on a watch. That’s the only way you can see whether it suits your wrist. You can do so quite easily at any of our authorized retailers. You can also do so if you purchase online—but there are a few things you should note first. In the NOMOS store you can also order watches for a trial, in order to test the function of the watch and how it is to wear before purchase. If you do so, we would give the same advice that any retailer would: The watch should always be left on a clean and even surface, such as the NOMOS cleaning cloth it comes with. You should also always take care when turning the watch, in order to avoid scratches. Of course, you’re welcome to fasten the watchstrap—only the most cautious would have any issues with that. However, the trial is not intended for customers wishing to wear the watch—after all, that wouldn’t be possible in a store either. If a watch is not carefully handled and comes back to the NOMOS store with clear signs of use, we will have to charge for the service required to restore it to its original state.

      You could also try Govberg, they sell Nomos and might work with you on a return if the watch is unworn.
    Yea I've purchased several watches from them (watchbuys) most recent was the MaxBill.
    I also just purchased & received a strap I purchased from them & they won't take it back because I straped it on..So I'm out 90.00 kinda left a bad taste in my mouth as I've purchased 2 other pieces from them & multiple straps.
    Last edited by watchdaddy1; Jan 21, 2015 at 03:11 PM.
    People sleep peaceably in their beds @ night ONLY because rough men stand ready to do VIOLENCE
    on their behalf.....


    William

    Member#842

  16. #9
    Member Perseus's Avatar
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    I dreamed of a Monaco for years thinking I would never own one. When I became a Dad I sold a few of my big boy toys and suddenly found myself with plenty of cash in my fun money account. I drove to the closest AD very excited and when I strapped the watch on I immediate thought "is this it?" The plexi crystal had faint marks on it and as a whole the watch just wasn't what I dreamed it would be. I went home deflated.

    I went home and got online and I realized a newer Calibre 12 version came last year and I had tried on the old version. I immediately called another Tag AD to see if they had the new version in stock. I drove over nervous and cautiously optimistic. As soon as I put on the Calibre 12 Monaco I was in love. It was everything I thought the Monaco would be.

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  18. #10
    Mountebank MarkO's Avatar
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    I tried this on in the summer and it barely touched my wrist and was off again. Great looking in the photos but not for me.



    I also tried on 3 versions of the Omega Master 300 which given my like of re-issue/ heritage style dive watches I thought would be right up my street. Again just didnt like a spark for me. No criticism of the watch but that day in my hand it just was not calling me. You know how it goes - "I really like you and think you are attractive but I am not ready to comitt to a relationship with you are the moment"
    MB2, SOH, Aquascope, Tangente, MM300, Blackbay, North Flag, Officer, Visitor.

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