The Breitling Watch Source Forums

The cursed deep-sea thread by connoisseur got me interested in a non-ling. i've been looking the past few days between a sub, seadweller, or a gmt master but the last day the portuguese chrono auto has jumped into the picture.

i'm looking for an unbiased view from knowledgeable watch folks, hence i ask here instead of a rolex or iwc forum. i'm mostly casual (jeans/tshirt/sweater/hoodie) so will the iwc be too dressy? some day i feel like the gmt master, another i like the simple beauty of the port. have read great things about the seadweller but it might be small (not that the sub or gmt is much bigger)...since i currently own the navitimer and the navitimer world.

if it makes any diff i could be the iwc new while the rolex will be pre-owned. thanks for any input.

Those are two very different watches. A bit of a comparing apples with potatos kind of thing.

Personally I'd go IWC, but that is just because I much prefer them to Rolex in general. Yes the Portuguese is much more dressy, so it will depend how you intend to use it. The Rolex will be more suited to knocking around, but the Portuguese shows an appreciation for the finer things in life IMHO!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Portuguese is definitely the range I prefer from IWC, and I am not a Rolex guy - none of them do anything for me so it would definitely be the Portugues for me.

yes the 2 are quite different and probably on 2 opposite ends.

here's my thought the last couple days breaking it down simply:
iwc
*simple, elegant
*i like the chronograph
*bigger face

*no date
*higher maintenance

rollies
*all purpose
*tougher
*water resistant
*it's a rolex (name brand)

*smaller face (with black it'll look even smaller)
*no chrono
*it's a rolex (over-saturated, overrated(?) for the money paying for the name)

Boy, it must be nice to have choices like that! My pick would
be the IWC -- which might seem strange, since I've owned
(and sold ) eight Rolexes in the past 30 years. Rolexes are
fine timepieces, but they're a notch below IWC, without question.
From your letter you seem a sporty, rugged kind of guy. But
the Portuguese (in many ways like the Navitimer) can be a
rather "delicate" watch -- not a lot you can do with it except
walk around and look cool

Have you thought about getting an IWC Ingenieur? It's rugged,
classy, very accurate, water resistant to 500 ft., and has an
inhouse movement. And it would be right at home in any social or
sporting event you find yourself in. Something to think about...

Steve

steve i can probably try to walk around and look cool with the portuguese .

i've looked at the ingenieur but it looks bland to me, didn't really move me. i'm probably leaning toward the iwc and wear the navitimer as an everyday watch.

I can't argue with that choice! Wear them in good health.

Steve

Portuguese!!!

I'm voting for the IWC as well (surprise surprise). It's just a beautiful watch. Nothing against Rolex, in fact I'd quite like a Sub LV, but they just don't do it for me like IWCs and some other brands.

The Portuguese is rather dressy to wear with a hoody but I don't see why it can't be done, especially if you also own something a bit more rugged looking (like, say, a Breitling...) to alternate with it.

I was also going to suggest the Ingenieur - but Steve beat me to it. This will no doubt get Steve and I in trouble with Roff.

I used to think that too... Let's just say my opinion has made a 180 degree turn in the last 6 months or so.

But you've gotta go with what makes you happy.

IWC hands down.

Although IWC has some watches that used modified ETA movements, they modify them heavily. They are also rarer to spot on wrists in the wild. Plus they are a bit dressier and have exhibition casebacks.

Nothing against Rolex, they have awesome, robust, manufactured movements, with timeless looks. They will hold their value more over time, and people will instantly recognize the name. But their strengths are also their faults.

Rolex is slow to update models, they cost more to begin with and have regular price increases. They have a very clever marketing department which has brainwashed the world to assimilate Rolex with being the most luxurious. Rolex sells close to a million watches a year, which makes them very common, and almost always the choice of watch for those who know nothing of watches.

Go with IWC.

Let's stick together, Otto. Roff won't dare take us both on, at the
same time...I hope.

Steve

To me it sounds like you would look better with a Rolex.
But both brands make great watches, and it is all a matter of taste...

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Blue Baton Super Avenger
Black Avenger Seawolf

The number of misguided souls on this forum knows no bounds, but I won't argue - an Ingenieur is better than a Rolex, it's just not as nice as a Portuguese in my opinion (and no one else's opinion matters ! )

I think we got away with it, Steve.