Hello r/watches! I have been lurking here for a long time and am now looking to purchase my first luxury automatic watch. I will be graduating from college in May and I figured this would be a great gift to myself that will last for many years to come. I am stuck between the Grand Seiko SLGA009 “White Birch”, the Rolex Explorer (either 114270 or 124270 would be great), and the Cartier Santos Medium, all of which are pictured on my wrist in the attached photos (except for the Explorer, explained later). I suppose I should list a bit about why I like each model and some reasons why I may be a bit hesitant.
Grand Seiko SLGA009 “White Birch” PROS: -The dial texture is absolutely stunning -Spring drive is incredibly accurate and the second hand sweep is beautiful -5 day power reserve -Date window -Retail is $9100, but have a deal available close to Santos price (~$6000) CONS: -I’ve heard bad things about Grand Seiko bracelets and clasps, even at this price point -9RA2 movement is not serviceable locally and I would likely have to send the watch to New Jersey or even Japan every 5ish years for maintenance -Does it look too big on my wrist?
Rolex Explorer PROS: -I love the dial and its timeless design, and I am a sucker for the Mercedes handset -Black dial isn’t too flashy. It’s a Rolex but I’m not really about flexing. I just want a solid, reliable luxury watch that I can hopefully pass on to my kids one day -Chronometer certified (not as good as spring drive, but about as good as an automatic can get) -Serviceable locally: I have an AD in my city that doubles as an authorized Rolex Service Center -10 year warranty is pretty impressive, even if the services are expensive -Resale value I guess? Even though I never plan on selling -It’s a Rolex. It’s the luxury watch to buy, right? CONS: -I am unable to try on the newest or even previous model (124270 or 114270), and the only model I was able to find to try on was the 14270 from 1999 pictured here. I want a 124270 or 114270 because I want the watch to last a while and also want solid end links -The culture around Rolex seems to be one wrought with controversy. I especially don’t like the artificial scarcity seemingly perpetuated by Rolex and the weird culture it creates when walking into stores, even the one in my home city. -Due to aforementioned artificial scarcity, I will likely have to buy a newish model without ever having tried one on. Most sellers on Reddit, eBay, Chrono24, etc. can probably be trusted, but it’s just another added layer of uncertainty and insecurity that I don’t like.
Cartier Santos Medium PROS: -I honestly just love how different this watch is, from its rigid, industrial design and shape to the exploded Roman numerals around the dial -The heated blue handset is striking, and goes well with the rest of the dial -8 year warranty from Cartier is great -The bracelet is really comfortable and I love its quick change functionality; I plan to wear this watch for a while, so it stands to reason I’ll be changing out straps to keep it fresh -The thin case also adds to its comfortability -The history of this watch is incredible-first pilot’s watch (1904) and first mass-produced men’s wristwatch (1911) CONS: -Not serviceable locally, but wouldn’t potentially have to ship it overseas like the Grand Seiko -Movement may not be as robust and accurate as the in-house Rolex or spring drive, as Cartier’s in-house is based on ETA -Polarizing design-should my first (and perhaps only) luxury watch be so different from what’s present on the rest of the market?