The Best Value First Luxury Watches

In today's video, I would like to address a market which is just entering the world of luxury and high quality watches. As a result, I would like to discuss some of the best value and most complete watches which bridge the gap between mid-tier and luxury timepieces. These watches offer excellent quality, functions and an ease of maintenance and servicing which is to be appreciated as a first luxury watch.
Featured Watches:
-Sinn 104
-Nomos Orion Manual
-Tudor Heritage Black Bay 36 & 41
-Longines Avigation BigEye
-Ball Engineer Master II Skindiver II
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[@billa.2450]

I've owned six Rolexes over the past 52 years, including four Submariners. But their outrageous servicing costs lead me to say that the Ball is a much better value today in a dive watch.

[@DimePieceTimepiece]

Armand The Watch Guy is a connoisseur and purveyor of fine horological entertainments

[@chrisnelson1712]

Great choices. Tudor and Sinn are both favorites of mine - BB Chrono and 144 StSa, respectively. So many good watches exist at the lower end price range, allowing you to build a collection with more variety and never get bored!

[@petershallis2294]

Superb choices there...but nothing by Oris? I think that is a major omission

[@benfrancis4628]

Thanks Armand. You’re no longer the watchguy, you’re now the enabler! That Longines... I’ve lusted after that for a while - it’s really rather stunning 😍

[@realblackbetty2204]

That Tudor bb36 👌 simply the most beautiful and well proportioned watch attainable out there right now.

[@scottsandora3951]

Agreed. My Grail.

[@TheDobbo]

Absolutely agree. The bb36. Is my everyday watch and. I love it.

[@scottsandora3951]

@@TheDobbo jealous. I've got $800 saved. Long way to go!

[@loe7717]

TheDobbo101 What is your wrist size?

[@FuckinLibertine]

Is a really nice wath

[@real_fjcalabrese]

Great choices! I recently acquired a Frederique Constant. The guy who services my watch really liked its design, finish and build quality. He actually preferred it to some expensive watches.

[@SunsetSheen]

Frederick Calabrese i have a FC Classics Index I bought for only $353. The quality is incredible for the price, it looks far more expensive than what I paid. Not to mention it has absolutely perfect dimensions so it sits on the wrist beautifully.

[@charlesfield9286]

I LOVE Ball watches! Both new and historic. Thrilled that someone is noticing them. Another great video (as always) Thanks

[@aidanzammit9810]

Really glad you mentioned Ball, such an underrated brand it's unbelievable

[@trevorodonnell9365]

great video Armand, if I had a pick it would be the ball then the Longines or Tudor but its very hard as these are my three favorite watch brands, and just to make it extra hard you put in a nomos, so basically my top four watch brands, thanks Armand keep up the great work

[@ahmedsolieman598]

This video is a gem. if you are on a budget less than two grands

[@KRBY555]

I think you could have included some stalwarts at this price such as Oyster Perpetual & Aqua Terra. They just sneak in.

[@ihabkahnung]

Another watch I'd like to mention at this entry level price point is the fantastic Max Bill line from Junghans. Looking forward to your next video.

[@christianwong9491]

AsIsaid IhaveNoIdea how to define luxury though? Not saying junghans is cheap but what are the requirements?

[@tajtahmeena8635]

Christian Wong quality materials used, great movement and high point of entry into the brand.

[@SunsetSheen]

That Ball diver is absolute amazing. What a stunning timepiece. I just wish they never put that date window on the dial. It looks misplaced and ruins the symmetry.

[@sadaka201]

The Ball Skindiver ll is just great and unmatched when it comes to value...

[@MrAdjaize]

Love the Ball skindiver .Tried it on a week ago but the lug to lug was just a little bit to big for me. another good video .thanks .

[@richgarc84]

I just recently picked up the Sinn 104, and I love it!

[@andygreenawalt6728]

Thanks for the video Armand, I love the sub $5K level. While I have the utmost respect for Rolex, they seem to have a similar problem as Napa cabernet wine in that they have a price premium that even exceeds their wonderful quality. I'm smitten by Nomos from their design, to their movement and story. Thanks again.

[@loitremac]

a little over the budget, but if you want one only toolwatch, go try a pelagos. i've tried a lot of divers up to 20 grand and it was my favorite. bracelet is superb, and with that beautiful titanium and matte effect, its a very discrete watch imo

[@triples4good]

Excellent video as always. I agree about the Sinn 104. I'm wearing mine as I type this. The Tudor and Longines look especially interesting. But given the price I would opt for a diver most used by professional divers, a Doxa Sub 300 T Professional. Cheers.

[@MichaelAndersen_DK]

Nice selection, the lume om that Ball is awesome, but Id go for a Sinn

[@Excalibur_86]

Omega speedmaster moonwatch would be a good start too can be had new for 3500.

[@dylvasey]

Great suggestions, but I would have liked to have seen the Max Bill mentioned as it's simply beautiful and a true horological icon. I personally made a rookie error with my first real watch purchase and went for the Tag Heuer Carrera 5. WHilst it does have a lovely dial, it most certainly is not worth the money I paid for it. Hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing!

[@TheDobbo]

dylan vasey my rookie first was a quartz tag f1 new from the shop. Doh!!!!

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

Personally think that an enamelled dial Seiko Presage is also an option.

[@chrisauge6802]

Thanks for the review Armand...great selections!

[@RJ-xh4xb]

I will go for that Tudor Black Bay 41, black dial and with steel bracelet.

[@markplayford5836]

Ha ha not over & out now then! Hands slapped well and truly 😆 Great picks, the usual suspects in the Sinn and the Tudor. For me the Nomos for a dress and the Ball for sports. Surprised to see the Ball but they are now on my radar too having seen some reviews and handled a few too. The bracelet on the skin diver looks tremendous.

[@GeneralGameplay]

I've wanted a sinn 104 for some time now, I wanted black this whole time and now i'm thinking white, no idea -.-

[@michaeljamespitt8728]

Tudor Black Bay 36 is pretty much perfection for me!

[@wika1984]

When I saw your last watch was a Ball, I was like *psshh. Then you showed the lume, and I was like *gasp. Good video

[@-Derp-]

ive got a sinn 104, amazing watch for the money. it easily punches with tudor and omega in terms of quality and accuracy. i also have the tudor in this video, again, amazing watch. its perhaps the best value diver this side of a submariner. speaking of which, i wonder why oris was not included? they cant be beaten for the price. i would rate an oris aquis on par with a tudor pelagos / black bay, they are that good. and currently for ~$1k off jomashop! crazy.

[@duketogo666]

Love the Ball but the 4:30 date window has to go! Or at least they should make it black... Also the L2L on that one may knock it out of small-wrist club?

[@malikknows3510]

Very nice presentation. Excellent choices. Interesting to me you believe the Sinn 104 is a "luxury" piece. Clearly a "best value." Begs that old chestnut of a question of where luxury begins? I own 3 Sinn's (103 Sa, 856 UTC and EZM 13) and do not consider them luxury, but use them as tools and value them for their ruggedness, featutres and "value for money." On your list, I've got the sense that the Nomos and Tudor are entry-level luxury, the others offer strong value. In any event, all are excellent choices. Well done and thanks.

[@thefreshestprince89]

I'm absolutely lusting after the Avigation BigEye - it's not available anywhere at ADs but can be ordered. If I can get C.25% off, should I order it without trying it on my 6.4"" wrist?

[@Redbirdsfan1970]

Is pre-owned an option? If it is then an Omega Seamaster Diver 300 is another great option. There are also a couple of other Sinn watches which qualify. An Oris Aquis or Big Crown Pro Pilot are excellent choices. Fortis has some options at this price range too. A pre-owned Breitling Colt would go in this range too. And there are many other options from lesser known brands in this range as well.

[@eljayr4669]

I saw a blue dial Rolex Oyster Perpetual on display in my local Rolex AD for £4,100. A great entry level Rolex and a beautiful watch. I tried I on but I wear larger watches, it was tempting.

[@TheWayofGrace89]

Armand, if I may, how are you getting on with your Sinn 104 St Sa W? I was considering it, but have decided to hold out for a Speedy Pro for my first luxury watch. The Sinn is stunning though .. hope you like it!

[@ArmandTheWatchGuy]

+Taylor W.: I must say (somewhat ashamedly given the price of my Tudor Ranger and Omega Seamaster) that I wear it more often than any other watch in the collection. It provides me with the utility of +0.5 seconds-per-day accuracy, a day-date complicated, & the best bezel I have ever tried. However, it is more formal than a dive watch and slimmer whilst still offering the capability to swim and dive.

[@adolf-8834]

Armand The Watch Guy I'm a 104 man, myself. Great value and fabulous quality.

[@chadsmith9463]

I found the BB36 too small and the 41 too big. Hoping for a 38/39mm BB or Ranger with a quick adjust bracelet like the Pelagos. Great channel. Keep them coming.

[@KRBY555]

I know what you mean. I have a 17cm / 7" wrist so I can get away with a Black Bay Black, just.

[@TruckeeDoggo]

Yeah I don’t know why they only make the extremes of 36 (too small) and 41 (too big). My suspicion is that they don’t want this watch to compete with the Explorer I 39mm.

[@jaysikes4256]

Mate, you hit the nail on the head. The original Explorer was 36mm I believe.

[@KRBY555]

HokeyBear well I just ordered a OP39 (same case as explorer. So it worked on me!

[@austingavins9181]

Really enjoyed the video, a question though, which to go for, the Tudor black bay 36/41 or the Ranger? I came to the channel through the Ranger review, which is the definitive one on KZbin I feel and an saving up for one since, but now somewhat torn by the black bay heritage with the smooth bezel. Any advice? Which is more versatile?

[@dannycph]

Not a fan of the hands om the ranger, I would choose the bb36, and the snowflake hands are Tudor trademark.

[@ArmandTheWatchGuy]

+Austin Gavins: That's certainly a tough call. I think that, if you like the style of the Ranger then the quality of the product will not disappoint. Every detail from the case bevels for added comfort to the black rehaut scream quality. Due to the slightly lower price of the Black Bay, the details aren't quite as good (the reason why I went into the shop for a BB36 and came out with the Ranger). That said, the Black Bay is a more versatile watch for all occasions but loses some of the character of the Ranger.

[@austingavins9181]

Armand The Watch Guy thanks Armand for the reply, it's really interesting about the finishing differences considering the fairly minor price differential. I will try and have a look at an authorised dealer at both of the at the same time as I am now intrigued! Any plans on doing a follow up on your ranger (or any of your collection) as a "a year with my xxxx" type of long term review? Regards Austin

[@austingavins9181]

dannycph thanks Danny, I do recognise the Snowflake hands iconic design and history, just not sure it's enough to pull me towards the BB. Thanks for the comment, I am going to have to go look at the dealers.

[@jasgsxr2726]

Nice choices particularly the Ball diver whice is a little out of the box

[@777thejesusfreak777]

I LUSTED over the Tudor black bay 36. But then I tried it on and it was so tiny on my wrist. Sad:(

[@michaelvitale4029]

I’m a novice to this hobby. Can someone please explain what “maintenance” or “service” is being referred to ? Unless something is wrong with the watch, what service would be needed ? Thanks

[@bluefuziion3970]

Michael Vitale hello there! I’m fairly new myself and began collecting watches a little bit over a year ago. So take what I say with a grain of salt. What maintenance/service refers to is similar to what you do with your car in some respects. After “X” amount of years it’s recommend you take it to a watch smith. They relube,replace, and check on certain components of the watch to keep it running and keep time accurately. Let me know if you have any other questions :)

[@Mattthewanderer]

Just saying this once- You are putting too many ads into the videos. It has pushed me away from subscribing because who wants the flow of the show interrupted so often? Thank you for making the videos.

[@adolf-8834]

Superlative choices. You know your stuff and I agree by a majority. Cheers from Michigan.

[@pillowspam]

LOL You had me until the "Seacrest OUT!!" like ending. Overall good & varied choice of watches. It leaves a little something for most every taste (dressier - like the Nomos, to chunky diver, to Aviation inspired Sinn, to something in-between sporty & dressy w/ the Longines). w/o getting above $3K. Ball watches definitely represent solid value for money & they have an interesting history to boot. for those looking for a notch below the $1K price tag. Mido is actually a good brand. they're often overlooked in the sea of Hamilton's & Tissots but I think their designs are good & they offer teh same 80 hr power reserve figures as their counterparts.

[@ericgrace9995]

I'm watching this in Feb 2O21....how the prices it Tudor have risen . $150 a year on the Tudor 41. Problem is that today, many other watches offer far better mechanisms than the entry level Tudor's..at lower prices . 64 hour power reserves are now common in new Longines and Tissot.

[@f2mel2]

I'm looking at a Glycine Airman GL0063 vs Seiko SARB033. The GL is going for $349. The SARB is going for $285. Any thoughts?

[@whatagreatday4906]

I love those tudors

[@Spectrumpicture]

That intro song made me want to watch Harry Potter.

[@rj-yr4ql]

Nomos, Sinn, Tudor, Ball....got it.

[@Memmnarch1981]

all very nice watches, but never heard of Ball though.

[@NbgdStyler63]

american brand

[@sadaka201]

swiss brand with american heritage. one of the best to get. prices are vwry competitive...

[@A_Dude_And_His_Watch78]

Missed out the the Rado Captain Cook

[@tazblazing]

Armand Nicolet is one of best watches by far best bang for the $$$

[@zakariabenhadi4637]

What's the second watch in the intro ? so freaking nice

[@EMKWANREVIEWS]

Another would be the entry level OP by Rolex 114300 ?

[@Ungarheuer]

well... thats a great suggestion but its way over the others in price... He is missing the Breitling A17313 (which I have). It is slightly more expensive than the Tudor 36mm or 41mm Black Bay, but you get a certified chronometre and a slim case of just under 11mm and 200m waterresistence. I like the vid, but he should stick to one price range. I dont think you can put the Tudors in the same vid then the Sinn. For best value first entry luxury watch could be Breitling Colt, Tudor Black Bay (ETA), Omega SMP Ceramic, those 3 I can think of. Id consider the Sinn 104 more of a midrange watch.(Sinn has other, Tool watches which have luxury features), The Nomos is the same even thought it comes with an inhouse movement for an unbelievably good price. For the price of the Longines Id never get it.... The Ball Engineer is for sure a great watch, but Ball is not a really recognized name. To be honest me personally, if I drop this kind of money on a watch, it should better be a big player name. Not to impress other people I dont give a F about that, watches are for telling the time and for my own enjoyment. All in all Id go for a Breitling Colt A17313 which is 41mm, Tudor Black Bay (ETA) probably used, since the prices are getting higher and higher now since nobody wants to have the way too thick inhouse pieces. Or go classic with the Omega SMP ceramic, which is a good option but kinda boring. I love your grey 114300. Im gonna get the blue one for my 30th birthday next year!

[@ignasi6611]

the watches you talk about are on the 2000-4000, the entry level he's considering is between 1000-2000

[@ignasi6611]

He's getting entry level, topping at 2000 GBP, the rolex would double that. I love it, don't get me wrong, but rolex are the 1st watches only for very fortunate people.

[@dlw3m]

I know the Rolex is a stretch price wise even on the 2nd hand market. However, I would suspect 20 years from now the Rolex would have appreciated and the Sinn (although a great watch for the money) would be close to worthless by comparison.

[@kdcarespainting8651]

Great vid

[@tajtahmeena8635]

What’s the music in the beginning?

[@cedarcanoe]

The Sinn 104 houses a SW 220-1 movement, and not a SW-200 like you said

[@RealMrGreenTeaLatte]

Did your channel change names?

[@mlojko7]

They should really say that Helmut Sinn was an instrument or IFR flying instructor. Blind flying instructor makes it sound like he is himself blind or teaches the blind to fly haha!

[@asherdash12]

Mike Lojko I KNEW it had to mean something else. Lol made me pause when he said it

[@stevehaskins3215]

What about Universal Geneve

[@jlo6388]

Problem with Rolex. You won’t ever need another watch.

[@siblej1]

Karl Sinkovits You won’t be able to afford one :-)

[@timo_8488]

J Lo For that you can as well buy a Seiko 5.

[@christophergustafson3942]

How about one that no one ever talks about....I just bought my first luxury piece - a Tudor 12510-0013 with the blue sunburst dial (it hurt so it counts, phuckers) - I do not see how anyone can fail to appreciate this piece as anything but the modern Prince Oysterdate. Maybe it is because it has the name of a desktop printer....

[@thefreshestprince89]

I've considered this watch but something about the size of the logo/text and date window felt a little off for me. Maybe I was looking at a larger diameter version?

[@ewanballantyne6800]

James Bond Omega SMP300, the best

[@jackskrtbraapgang2320]

Can’t see why they’re worth so much but that’s me

[@gregorypaulbox3035]

The Longines is the best looking watch in the selection. Both the Sinn and Nomos are incredibly dull and boring. The Tudor has a major flaw with the round indices/snowflake handset combo. Would be great with the correct square indices. The Ball has an ugly winding crown.

[@JeeGee114]

The cut off 2, 4 and 10 are horrible.

[@Jorge-lm4bg]

I would go with a junghans over nomos

[@anonymousonlineuser6543]

Raymond Weil

[@amitfromisrael5006]

thanks, I really wanted to buy Nomos however dont you think 35mm or even 38mm is not a modern size for men? I think 35mm is women size, today many dress watches for men are 40mm and up

[@ApeZero]

I think the trend is changing back to smaller sizes. maybe not 35mm but 38mm is really nice size for men with standard wrist size. go to an AD, wear the watch and see for yourself.

[@danielplainview4778]

Because bezel is so thin and the entire watch is essentially the face it wears much larger

[@saodavi6267]

I have the Orion 38 and a 7.25" wrist. I wouldn't advise anything larger. The long lugs and "all dial" design lend this to wearing larger than the specifications would suggest.

[@FernaManu]

Shalom Amit. I have the Nomos Tangente 38mm and believe me, it looks a lot larger on the wrist. Go for it.

[@amitfromisrael5006]

thanks for all replies

[@caspar17]

£440 for a bracelet!!

[@Star_Sn1per]

My seiko 5 sucks:(

[@wcdbzsam4840]

Absolutely nothing wrong with Seiko watches, they offer great value and incredible heritage.

[@Bergrgenjohannes]

Seriously, what is the difference between a pilots watch and a diver? Can someone school me? I would have quessed that Sinn was a diver any day of the week...

[@talaltashkandi4291]

Bergrgenjohannes General look, divers usually have smaller dial, while pilot watches usually are larger and easier to read. Divers have uni directional bezel Divers should have atleast 200 m water resistance

[@redsox7897]

Only Tudor is a luxury brand in this video

[@lazlo12]

You buy these as the first watch because you are not patient enough to carry on saving up for a Rolex, and want a quick fix. 6 months later you get bored with your purchase and want to get the 5-6k watch you originally wanted. At that point realize the mistake you made when you are trying to sell the watch recommended by Armand in this vid, and lose 30-50% $. These watches have terrible resale value. Avoid. Be patient, keep saving up. Don't settle for dogshit brands. Your welcome.

[@skatrash]

If you are saving up to buy a Rolex, you are in the same boat... jumping into the lower end of the luxury market by buying a Rolex instead of just saving up for a Patek Philippe or an A.Lange & Sohne. Be patient, keep saving up. Don't settle for dogshit brands. You're welcome.

[@FuckinLibertine]

Nomos, Ball luxury watch(?