Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a Rolex watch. There’s a reason Rolex is Rolex. I absolutely love my Rolex Datejust and wouldn’t trade it for anything. However, I can understand there are many reasons why some people might not want to consider a Rolex for themselves, including that there are so many out there worn by so many people--it's an “easy” and “safe” choice. In today’s video I’ve put together a list of five luxury watch brands along with some specific models that represent outstanding alternatives to Rolex. Not only are they great alternatives to Rolex, but they’re affordable alternatives to Rolex--all under $3000. Enjoy!
0:00 - Luxury Watch Alternatives To Rolex 0:37 - eBay Luxury Watch Page Ad 2:12 - Omega Seamaster 4:10 - Nomos Glashütte 5:21 - Tudor Black Bay 6:23 - Zenith Elite Ultra Thin 7:24 - Tag Heuer Carerra Calibre 16 Chronograph
I'm Brian Sacawa, you're watching He Spoke Style,
and today we're talking about
five great luxury watch alternatives to Rolex.
So just to clarify, in this video,
I'm talking about pre-owned watches,
though, of course, all the picks I make
are certainly great alternatives,
whether you're talking new or pre-owned.
Pre-owned is always a great option
for that person who is looking to
maybe get into luxury watches for the first time,
or just generally anyone who is looking
for great value for their money.
Today's video is sponsored by eBay.
If you are thinking about buying
a pre-owned luxury watch online,
be sure to check out the offerings
on the eBay luxury watch page.
I'm not talking about regular eBay,
I'm talking specifically about the luxury watch page.
Tons of brands available.
Honestly, any brand you'd be looking for,
from Rolex to Langa to Omega to Cartier to IWC
to even Richard Mille, if that happens to be your thing.
Now, I know if you haven't bought pre-owned online before
that it can kind of be a little bit
of a nerve-wracking experience,
especially in terms of knowing
whether what you are getting is authentic.
If you're spending the money,
you definitely don't want to get ripped off,
and eBay actually has an Authenticate program
that ensures that all the watches in that program
are authentic and that you are not going to get burned.
It's a great service.
Link to the eBay luxury watch page
down below in the description.
All right, so alternatives to Rolex.
Don't get me wrong, Rolex is an awesome brand.
I love my Datejust,
but I understand that there are a variety of reasons
as to why someone would not want to wear a Rolex,
including that there are just so many out there
and so many people wear them.
I totally get it.
The good news is that there are tons of brands out there
that are fantastic alternatives
that you are also getting a lot of watch for your money.
So I've put together a list of five brands
along with some specific models
that represent some really solid alternatives
as well as a great value proposition,
all for under $3,000.
Let's check them out.
My first pick is the Omega Seamaster.
Omega, of course, amazing brand heritage.
We all know the Speedmaster
and the reference CK2998, first Omega in space.
I love the Speedmaster,
but honestly, I really love the Seamaster as well,
which is the watch that's been worn
by the world's most famous spy, James Bond, since 1995.
I have actually what is called a pre-Bond Omega Seamaster,
so prior to 1995, that I did pick up on eBay
for just around $1,000.
Such a cool watch.
It has that Submariner look to it.
One thing I really like about this watch
is the size.
It's 36 millimeters,
which may seem small by modern standards
where 40 millimeters is kind of the usual,
but for me, it wears really well
on my six and a half inch wrist
and it just feels a little more elegant
while still being sporty.
It's got a date window at three o'clock.
I love the look of the hour indices and the hands.
It's a great watch for daily wear, very versatile,
a great addition to any collection
or a great way to start your collection.
Want to move to a different Omega Seamaster now,
and that is the Seamaster DeVille.
This is more of a vintage watch,
so it's going to have a smaller case size,
around 34 millimeters, so just be aware of that
if you're looking for this particular model.
It's called a Seamaster DeVille,
which is not to be confused with the DeVille,
which Omega introduced as a separate collection
later on down the road.
The Seamaster DeVille is a dressier option
than the Seamaster, maybe a little bit more versatile
because it is on a leather strap.
You can find them in steel and gold,
various style colors from silver or champagne color
to black, which is actually the watch
that Don Draper wears, episode six of season five of Mad Men.
Prices range, but you should be able to find one,
a decent example between 750 and $1,250.
Next, I want to turn to a German brand
that is very highly regarded, and that is Nomos Glashütte.
The brand itself was founded in 1990,
just a couple months after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Their watches are known for their quality and affordability,
but maybe more than anything else, their design.
They're very simple and minimal
and have a very clean and modern aesthetic.
They have a really wide range of models,
including the very popular Tangente, Ludwig, Orion,
Zurich, Metro, which is a little funkier,
and the Tetra, which is a square model.
One thing that I really love about the brand
is that I feel they're sort of under the radar.
I would say for the average person
looking to buy a first watch,
that Nomos probably wouldn't be on the radar at all,
but that's one of the things
I really like about these watches.
And then when you do see someone with one,
you kind of look at him
and know that he's someone who really did his research
and picked a brand that is very, very interesting.
Price for pre-owned, depending on the model,
you're talking somewhere between $2,000 to $3,000.
Next, we're talking about a brand
that is often considered Rolex's little brother or cousin,
and that is Tudor.
The specific model I'm gonna be recommending here
is the Black Bay.
The Black Bay is more of that diving style watch,
like the Submariner, very cool, very sporty.
I've not met anyone who doesn't really love the look
and style of this watch.
It's hard to quote-unquote compete with the Submariner,
but the Black Bay is a model
that has its own kind of diehard following.
You can find them on metal bracelets, leather straps,
and in my opinion,
these look really, really good on a NATO strap.
Pre-owned, you're looking at about the $2,900 price range.
Now, if you want something
that doesn't have that dive watch bezel and look,
I would recommend looking into the Black Bay 41,
Heritage Black Bay,
which is more kind of in that style of the Rolex Explorer,
where you have the plain bezel
instead of the dive style look.
I would say it's a more versatile choice
if you're looking to have just one watch,
and price here is right around $2,000.
Moving on now to a brand
that's kind of overlooked, in my opinion,
and that is Zenith.
Really great watches, very classy,
and the particular model I wanna talk about here
is the Zenith Elite Ultrathin.
It's a 40 millimeter case,
available in gold and stainless steel,
but we're gonna focus on the stainless steel here
because that's gonna keep it
under our $3,000 cap for the video.
It's a mechanical movement,
really simplistic design
with kind of an interesting little flourish
with a sub-second style at nine o'clock.
Leather strap.
This is a very versatile watch.
It's dressy, but it could definitely be worn
with more casual outfits as well.
This watch is very much like the Nomos watches
we took a look at earlier
in that it's kind of unexpected
when you see one in the wild,
which for me is not that often,
but it's such an interesting watch,
and one, again, if you're looking
for a one watch collection,
would fit the bill absolutely perfectly.
Priced for a pre-owned Zenith Elite Ultrathin,
you're looking at right around $2,500.
Finally, something super sporty,
and that is the Tag Heuer Carrera caliber 16 chronograph.
Some people love chronographs,
some people hate them.
Personally, I happen to really like chronographs.
I use mine all the time.
Anyway, getting off topic.
The Tag Heuer Carrera caliber 16 chronograph.
41 millimeter stainless steel case,
steel bracelet though.
The Carrera Heritage caliber 16 has a leather strap.
It's an automatic movement.
You've got your pushers at two and four.
Chronograph registers at 12 and six.
Running seconds at nine o'clock.
It's a big watch.
It's sporty.
Not as versatile, but if you're looking for a sport watch,
I think it's a great option.
Price kind of varies for these watches,
but you can find them somewhere
in the range of $1,500 to $3,000.
So those are just five picks of solid alternatives
to a Rolex, the Omega Seamaster.
Variety of watches from Nomos Glashutteh,
Tudor Black Bay 41, Zenith Elite Ultrathin,
and the Tag Heuer Carrera caliber 16 chronograph.
So what would you add to the list?
Let me know down in the comments.
Thanks again to eBay for sponsoring this video.
And all the watches I mentioned in this video
are available through eBay's
authenticated luxury watch platform.
Links to examples of each are down below in the description.
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And until next time, thanks for watching and stay tailored.
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