What is your budget, since "affordable" can mean different things for you and I...

Hi Catalin,

Affordable to me is between up to 8000CHF.  I particularly like the look of some of the Baume and Mercier watches (rubber strap), not an overly complicated dial.  Also the Omega Hour Vision Blue Orbis is a really attractive watch. 

Thank you

Dan

Hi Dan,

If you are looking for collectibles then Baume & Mercier and other big names is ONE way.

Now, you can also consider the OTHER way by investigating a bit of time into young names recognized as master watchmakers into Valley de Joux or Geneva who come out with promising limited series which will become valuable over the years to come. Such people have usually been trained with the big guys and you find ample choice for your budget according to your wish list in "movement complications".

Should you need assistance post a private message.Good luck

I am by no means an expert in watches but here are my thoughts:

Although 8000 is is a nice amount it does not get you into Rolex territory. You will not be investing into a watch as it will not buy you one of those watches that you can keep in your family for generations and who's value increases with time. Those would cost you 25000 and more. It will be a nice fashion accesorry but nothing more, keep that in mind and I'm sorry if I'm spoiling your enthousiasm but better know the facts from the beginning.

You will then need to choose between quartz (battery powered) and mechanical, either manual or authomatic movements. Quartz watches are generally slimmer and cheaper, while mechanical are thicker/heavier and more expensive. Your budger places you in the upper range of quartzes and lower range of mechanical. Quartz are also much more accurate than mechanical, mechanical watches are not very accurate except the very very expensive ones and deviations of 2-3 minutes per month are normal.

Then there's the question of corporations. Most brands nowadays belong to a few large corporations, as opposed to independent manufacturers. In your example Baume and Mercier belongs to Richemont group while Omega belongs to Swatch group. These large corporations often share movements between their watch ranges which makes them less unique in my eyes.

It is largely a matter of personal preference, but there are a few independ watchmakers left and that is where I would look, it adds a sense of charm and unicity for me. Independent manufacturers typically source the movements from the big corporations like Swatch for their lower ranges and make their own in-house for the upper ranges. I bought a Frederique Constant automatic for my dad, it is and independent manufacturer based in Geneva; it made more sense for me to buy from a local manufacturer. Your budget would allow you to buy one of their mechanical watches with in-house made movement, but the design is a matter of personal preference like I said. You could also look into Tudor, it's a sub-brand of Rolex and it fits your budget as well. I would start by doing a lot of reading on the internet until you make sense of all this and see where you fit.

I hope this introduction helps for you and others interested.