What to get, opinions needed?

[kltime]

I am not a fan of either U-boat nor B & R , but if I had to choose B&R probably has the edge.

[rayyanharris]

based on the response it is obvious that many are pro towards B&R but my question is y? could you be more specific? i saw some comment saying becoz of its size. is that the only reason? is it also becoz of the make or anything like that. reason why i ask is becoz i was considering getting a u-boat myself and i do have a big wrist. but i would appreciate your opinion as you guys here in the forum have more knowledge over watches than a newbie like me . also as a filter to your responses assuming i get the watch for half the prices therefore PAM and pre owned rollies will no longer be in the same price category, what would be your other reasons for not getting this watch?

[TheHobbit]

also as a filter to your responses assuming i get the watch for half the prices

I guess this in itself answers the question for you. I mean if you can get a discount of about 40 to 50% off the retail price of the watch, it somewhat tells you the actual value of the watch and if it over priced. I am not saying that B&R is not over priced (I am of the opinion most if not all watches are overpriced, bit that is a different story). Can you imagine if you had paid retail minus the standard discount (if any) and find out that some people can get at 50% off.....

The other issues include things like resale value. The U-boat may be a cult watch and the ability to move it later on may not be as easy as the B&R. Based on the answer given here, it already shows that B&R is a more popular brand. Of course there are things like after sales service, reputation (or marketing hype), longevity of the brand and others.

[rayyanharris]

hey hobbit thanks for the feedback i guess what i get from u is that it is a watch where the price isn't well controlled therefore affecting the value and credibility of the brand. the other thing that i was looking at is, it is an italian made watch/italian brand correct me if i'm wrong. now i'm pretty sure italians arn't famous for watch making but i do believe some panerai were italian made. those the fact that it is italian affect the perception of the watch?

[G.MAC]

I dont think if it were to be from any european nation that would affect the perception of the watch. More of the history of the brand, the styling, the prestige and the price bracket. As to price control, i dont think it is much of an issue here as ADs cannot really price it as they like. A U-Boat is a cult watch. I owned a U-Boat before. Selling it off to the masses wasnt successful so i tracked a U-Boat collector and offloaded it for a reasonable value. The whole issue of the perception here is more of the fact that not everyone loves a U-Boat as compared to a Rolex for example. Just my view on the whole matter.

[terrenceterrence]

but seriously what does a German Submarine (U-Boat) got to do with Italy?

the whole credibility of the brand jsut went out the window with that name ..jsut my 2 rupiah

[TheHobbit]

hey hobbit thanks for the feedback i guess what i get from u is that it is a watch where the price isn't well controlled therefore affecting the value and credibility of the brand. the other thing that i was looking at is, it is an italian made watch/italian brand correct me if i'm wrong. now i'm pretty sure italians arn't famous for watch making but i do believe some panerai were italian made. those the fact that it is italian affect the perception of the watch?

As per what G.MAC and terrenceterrence said, I don't think the nation that produces the watch counts, unless there is history related to the watch. Just like Panerai, it has a strong history with the Italian military (well German and Egyptian as well). I guess many (Italian) brands try to cash (IMHO) in on the 'Panerai factor'. Or maybe just to cash in on the Italian factor, Ferrari, Lambo, Stallone, etc....

I guess U-Boat itself did not start on the right foot, being a designer watch (in the early days) but have since improved. However, I think the brand still has some catching up to do and also its pricing policies leaves a lot to be desired. I mean USD 6,000 for a limited edition watch with a standard ETA2824 (a USD 150 value) and has a HRV but cannot be used for diving as it does not have the diver scale and black lume?

I do like the watch and the brand, but I would be really pushing myself to get one new retail (the same for B&R watches actually). Hence that is the reason why I have 2 B&R but both pre-loved (in fact 1 traded for with 15 G-Shocks).

[rayyanharris]

thank you all for the response your feedback has been very informative. i do like the u-boat design and size, i'd probably get 1 to keep if the price is right knowing for a fact that it wont be as easy to sell but it would also be nice to know that the chances of some1 else in the room is wearing the same watch or brand is pretty low. i do also like the bell & ross but there has been events that i attended n quite a number of 'squares' in the room. nevertheless i'll probably end up getting both 1 day just to have variety.