Hey!
Just got this today as a first foray into the “higher end” world of watches and was wondering what the general feeling on this watch is?
Managed to talk the salesman down to £2195 and I love the way it looks (the fact there’s only 2009 units as well) but after reading some comments in places, it’s made me wonder if it was a bad deal or I should’ve gone for something else?
I have a pair of Oris Aquis. And a Diver 65.
They’re very good watches.
I have an Aquis Cherry Date (733 movement) and a green Cal 400.
They’re accurate, the dials are stunning. It’s a refreshing combination of polish and brushed finish, and the integrated bracelets might be the most comfortable of any watch I own.
I have quite a few watches, some higher, some lower. And I really like Oris.
Getting 500 pounds off list price, that’s a pretty good deal on a Dat Watt.
Do you find much of a difference between the 733 (although the one I bought has a 743) and the calibre 400? That was also an option offered to me at almost the same price…
There is a huge difference between the 733, which is essentially a Sellita SW200-1 and the Cal 400. SW-200s have an accuracy of 12 seconds a day, a 38 hour power reserve, and a 3 year warranty while the 400 has an accuracy of 5 seconds a day, a 120 hour power reserve, and a 10 year warranty.
Power reserve. Big diff.
The 733 is 38 hrs. Cal 400 is 120 hours.
Cal 400 also takes a massive amount of turns to hand wind. AD told me it was 280 for a full charge from a dead watch?Accuracy. my 733 is -4 per day. I also have a diver 65 that is -5 sec/day.
My Cal 400 is -1 sec per week. Yup, you read that right.That does seem like quite the difference… What would you do in this situation?
Depends on you and your budget. And where you want to go.
If you’re only buying one watch to wear everyday, and the Cal 400 is a financial stretch, get the 733/743. There’s nothing wrong with the Oris 733/743. Yes, it’s nice to have a Cal 400. But I have a Cal 400 and a pair of 733’s, and I wear them all.
I’m assuming you will be wearing it 90% of the time. You won’t need the power reserve. It might be nice to have it, but stay within your budget. No credit cards. Period.
The cost difference to jump to the Cal 400 is just too steep for some people. But… maybe they discount a Cal 400 too. And then you have 2 watches, or even 3 to pick from.When I got my Cal 400, I had the beginnings of a multi-watch collection, the Cal 400 Aquis 5-day power reserve meant I could wear a second watch for the weekend, and the Cal 400 is still running Monday morning.
I don’t do that behavior very often, so extended power reserve isn’t as important to me as it once was.
Which is why I bought an Aquis Cherry Date. It only comes in a 733. But it’s a stunning watch. And I had to have it.
The Dat Watt might be the watch for you. That’s for you to decide. It is distinctive. Have you ruled out other watches on your list that are around your budget?
I did look up the 743. It’s a Sellita SW220-based small seconds movement. A nod to history.
A throwback to the old Unitas/ETA 6497 hand wound movements with the small seconds at 9 o’clock, and the 6498 with small seconds at 6. Movements and dial designs started to move to center “sweep” seconds in the late 50’s/early 60’s. But that small seconds look has an appeal to people.
Small seconds movements still exist today. The patents on the 6497 have long since expired, and you can see other companies that produce that design in manual, and later in automatics.
I don’t have a small seconds, but I want one, just haven’t sat down and made a list of which watches to look at.I can also say that your first serious watch, you’re always going to have a fondness for it as long as you put some thought into it, and decide what you really want. So, make sure it’s right for you. No regrets, you’ve ruled out others near this price range. If there’s a watch above this one that you really want, save for that watch. Don’t hop your way up, that’s a losing battle.
Some people try to sneak up on their first luxury watch. They start with a $75 Pagani, then a $300 used watch, then a $600 microbrand, then a $1000 microbrand, and they end up trying to wheel and deal in used watches, then they have a collection, and they try selling the lot to try to get close to that first luxury watch. They spend years doing this, when if they’d just saved, they could have done it in 2 years. Some enjoy it, some get frustrated.
They won’t sit and save for their first serious watch, and they get trapped in this continual search/buy/sell pattern.
To me, that’s a long and painful path to get into a more serious watch.I went the other way. Patience. It’s not a race. Be happy with what I have today. I’ll get to add to my collection over time.
The Dat Watt might be good for you. You get to decide that. How long do you intend to wear it before you fancy adding to your collection?
Are you even interested in a collection? Plenty of people are 1-and-done. And they wear the crap out of a single watch for 10-20 years. That’s perfectly respectable. I have friends like that. But a lot of people get the bug. And they start collecting. That….can be perilous for your pocket book. It depends on how you approach it.
I can also say that an Aquis on the street is rare. And almost certainly you’ll never see a Dat Watt.
You might if you went to an Oris event. Or hang out at the AD long enough. But I doubt it.Some more things if you’re stuck at 90 percent:
Pick a time when there’s no traffic at your AD. Tuesday morning or something. You could walk back into that AD, look them in the eye and say, “I’m still on the fence about the Dat Watt, is there anything more you can do?”
Don’t say anything else. Don’t fidget. See what they say.
And maybe you get another 100 pounds knocked off. I’m actually surprised they were willing to discount the Dat Watt.Worst case, they shake their heads. I am guessing this is the Dat Watt II limited edition just released a few months ago? The AD might have given you their only discount and that’s it. Smile, and say thanks. It is a limited edition. They probably only have 1, and you’ll never see it again. And they might say those exact words.
If you’re comparing it to another Aquis 733, or a Cal 400, they’ll likely drag out both, or all 3 and put them on the velvet/felt tray and let you decide. My opinion, the Aquis wears smaller than its dimensions. Both of mine are 41.5’s, but they wear like 40’s because of the integrated bracelets.
I’m a skinny twig, I can’t wear a 43.5.Try them on, one at a time, find a mirror, stand back 5 feet and see which one you like. One of them will stick with you.
When you get to this point, and this is sometimes a BIG ask, ask them to fit it for you. You want to be sure it’s a good fit before paying. Nothing worse than paying, and then getting fitted, and it’s uncomfortable. Ugh. I said this in an earlier post, I’m impressed with the Aquis bracelet. It’s really comfortable. And it has a bit of pop that you don’t get with an all brushed bracelet.
They might get annoyed, but a good AD wants to make sure you’re happy. I’ve only done that once, I sort of felt bad for asking before paying, I don’t want to be a pain in the ass, but it was a much more expensive watch. And it fit perfectly, I bought it, and have been happy since.
Good luck.