Movado Fiero

If you like it, that's all that matters. I'm not familiar with that watch. I wear an Omega SMP every day and it goes unnoticed by the vast majority of people I run into. But I don't really care because I didn't buy it for them, I bought it for me. And the general public doesn't even know the really high-end watches (Lange, Journe, Patek, Vacheron, et al) even exist.

The one thing I've learned digging into the watch realm is that it doesn't matter if a watch costs $500 or $500,000. If you don't like it, you won't wear it. And people who buy watches for status and not because they love the watch often end up regretting the purchase. It's funny to venture over somewhere like Timezone. People over there will have collections with $40k Lange's as well as $500 watches. And they wear them all. It's all about what you like, not how prestigious it is (for most, anyway).

 

For many years - about 1967 to about 1990, I had a mechanical Movado Chronograph. It was supposed to be that if the Patek Phillipe was the Cadillac of watches, then this was either a Buick or an Oldsmobile. It never failed even through some pretty rough (young active guy) treatment. It was lost in a ski accident - I got my bell rung and did not even know it was gone until I woke up at the bottom of the slope.

From then until two years ago, I wore my Grandfather's old Mystery Dial Longines of about 1955...also a great watch, but it was getting old and fragile and I thought I had better buy a more "sporting" watch.

Movado came to mind again, and I found a new electronic Chronograph (square model, stainless steel, with the black face). It lists for about $2500, I got it at a 50% discount from a local jewelry store that was closing down. I am sorry to say that it has been a big disappointment. For one thing, the chronograph controls are a mess. They do not work like a mechanical or mechanical automatic - they have to be "synchronized" at great pains to get them to zero right, and seem to lose their memory of what to do for unexplained reasons. I just let it run all the time and use it like a regular watch. Also, the face popped out, breaking its seal for no reason at all...I swear I was pushing the button in the elevator here at work and it just popped out and was lying there at my feet. No impact or anything. My jeweler fixed it (had to have a new seal and glass) at a cost of about $250 and Movado WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I saw the papers he filled out and turned in to them, and they just told him to "go swivel" to put it in formula one terms. He was pretty put out, and said Movado certainly was not the old company he knew.

Next time out, I am going to look for a mechanical Longines or some similar brand that has not been sold to some investment group from overseas.

 

Personally, I like the Fiero, but need to watch out for rust in the chassis and fires

Movado is a solid make, not my favorite, but still a quality product.

-dsd

 

Interesting comment. Being that this is a Ferrari forum a 1K watch doesn't seem expensive. I would venture to guess that the "average guy" would think that a 1K watch is pretty damn expensive. 2-3K being very expensive and 10+ practically unfathomable. I've always wondered what the "average" person thinks is an expensive watch, I'm guessing 200-300 dollars.

Like the other guys said, buy it if you like it. Who cares what other people think. I currenty own 6, $500-$700 watches. I like the idea of wearing a different watch everyday as opposed to having the one $3000-$4200 watch. Some would agree with my logic, some would disagree. There are tons of nice, well built, great value watches for under a 1000 bucks.

I will own a Breitling, Omega, U boat, U N or my fav, Graham one of these days but only because I like it, not because it's expensive.