Does the maintenance cost of in-house for older model expensive?

Thank you for your comments!
The 01 looks pretty nice but above my budget
Size actually matters since I have small wrist. My maximum case diameter is 41-42 mm.
You are right. I'm getting into old pieces because the new models are mostly too big.

Hi,

It's just me, but I think the older Nav's, despite not having an in house movement, still look iconic.

This is one of the smaller Breitlings in my collection, but it just looks great if your are wearing a t-shirt or a Suit.

And you can spot one 50 feet away in a restaurant, on the tube, anywhere.

I think mine was from 1992, referred too as an "Old." Navitimer. I'm probably wrong, I usually am. (Ask my wife..)

I'd regret not having it in my collection, that's for sure.

D

Hi,

It's just me, but I think the older Nav's, despite not having an in house movement, still look iconic.

This is one of the smaller Breitlings in my collection, but it just looks great if your are wearing a t-shirt or a Suit.

And you can spot one 50 feet away in a restaurant, on the tube, anywhere.

I think mine was from 1992, referred too as an "Old." Navitimer. I'm probably wrong, I usually am. (Ask my wife..)

I'd regret not having it in my collection, that's for sure.

D

I know you said the 01 is above your budget, but in terms of size I think you might be pleasantly surprised by the 43mm 01 as it wears significantly smaller than it's dimensions suggest. In fact I'd go so far as to say it wears smaller (on me at least) than a 40mm Submariner. But as you say, if it's outside your budget then size is a moot point anyway.

And to be fair, if the whole in-house thing isn't of great concern to you, then you could do a hell of a lot worse than something like Davey's superb Old Navi above.

Interesting, If you said so about the size. I will get a chance to try it on first. About budget if it's realy the one and I like it, I'll save more money and wait for it.
What would you suggest about the Movement in general, in house or non-in house? In term of maintenance(repair) and collecting. I think the 7750 is also good quality and easier to get serviced.

Cheers!

If you try the 01 and find you like it the most, then I totally agree with you that saving up a little more is definitely the best thing to do. If you don't get exactly what you want, you will always regret it.

In terms of movement then personally I only go for in-house these days. To me, in these days of smartphones and the like, a watch has become a completely luxury item, so I tend to think why not go the whole hog? I know car analogies are very often used with watches, but that's probably because it makes a lot of sense to me - for example, I wouldn't buy a Ferrari with a Ford engine in it no matter how tuned up, powerful and reliable that Ford engine may be. I just like the idea that the whole watch is designed and built by the company who's name is on the dial. Yes in-house movements generally cost more to buy and to service, and many are far newer in terms of design (and therefore likely to potentially have teething problems) than the good old ETA workhorses, but because I see a watch as a luxury (and not a necessity) those are of minor concern to me.

In my opinion, the in-house vs non-in-house debate is just an extension of the mechanical vs quartz debate, and how you feel about it is entirely dependent on what's most important to you. If atomically accurate timekeeping is more important to you, then buy a quartz. If owning something slightly more "alive" and esoteric, built with just cogs, wheels and springs is more important, then buy mechanical. If reliability and cost, at the expense of exclusivity and potentially unique functionality is more important, then buy non-in-house. If exclusivity and knowing that the movement is unique to the brand, at the expense of cost and potentially reliability is more important, then buy in-house.

There are no right or wrongs, and just because I fall into the latter camp certainly doesn't make my opinion any better than someone who loves the super accuracy of Superquartz. It's just different strokes for different folks.

Personally, as a flipper who has gone through at least 50 watches, I have learned a few things along the way. Firstly, NEVER buy a watch because it's a good deal unless you really like the watch!. I can't tell you how many times I would buy a watch because it was listed for a price too good to pass up, only to sell it shortly later. Secondly, NEVER settle for a watch you don't like as much in the hopes it will hold you over. Save up and get the watch you really want right from the start, even if it takes you longer to save up. Trust me, it will save you a lot of headache and $$$ in the long run.