Haggling for a watch

Empor

Must admit I'm not confident at haggling in person...

There's a nice watch I've seen in Goldsmiths for £1,600. I could order via Quidco and get 13% off. They also offer interest free credit over 48 months with a 10% deposit.

Quidco brings it to £1,392. Surely they would prefer cash up front rather than spread over 4 years? So any ideas if I rock up and offer cash if they would be amenable to a deal?

dlusman

This thread talks about getting up to 20% off - though it was nearly 9 years ago
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/946999

and this article from earlier this year ( towards the end ) talks about a succesfull 15% discount in Goldsmiths
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-4085588/It-s-unBritish-HAGGLE-high-street-ll-amazed-discounts-freebies-ll-get.html

Brighty

15-20% should be doable.
Not sure what watch it is, but i assume it's a quartz? Each to their own and that, but no way i'd be spending that much on a quartz watch.

[Deleted User]

If you've found it at Goldsmiths, there's a really good chance you can find it elsewhere at an independent store for less.

What watch? Maybe the hive mind can help..

Empor

It's this one -

http://www.goldsmiths.co.uk/TAG-Heuer-Formula-1-Quartz-Watch/p/17381142/

Always fancied a Tag and I've had a bit of a windfall.

Brighty

£50 cheaper at Beaverbrooks
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0103738/TAG-Heuer-Formula-1-Chronograph-Mens-Watch/p

Worth going into both and trying for a discount, see what they offer you

Available online from grey dealers for 20% off, but if an authorised UK dealer can get close it's probably preferable
http://www.swisswatchesdirect.co.uk/watch/caz1011.ba0843_tag_heuer_mens_watches_formula_1_chronograph_(43mm)

However, if it was me, as i said earlier, i wouldn't spend that on a quartz watch when decent automatics are available for that sort of money. Look at the likes of Sinn and Fortis. If it really has to be a Tag and you like the look of the F1 series, how about the non chronograph model with an automatic movement

http://www.goldsmiths.co.uk/TAG-Heuer-Formula-1--Mens-Watch/p/17381201/

[Deleted User]

The original, plus quidco, seems like the best 'deal' - however Quidco can take a while to come in, and sometimes you really need to chase it.

Although, it might be worth looking in a Costco, since they do sell Tags

Empor

Brighty wrote: »

£50 cheaper at Beaverbrooks
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0103738/TAG-Heuer-Formula-1-Chronograph-Mens-Watch/p

Worth going into both and trying for a discount, see what they offer you

Available online from grey dealers for 20% off, but if an authorised UK dealer can get close it's probably preferable
http://www.swisswatchesdirect.co.uk/watch/caz1011.ba0843_tag_heuer_mens_watches_formula_1_chronograph_(43mm)

However, if it was me, as i said earlier, i wouldn't spend that on a quartz watch when decent automatics are available for that sort of money. Look at the likes of Sinn and Fortis. If it really has to be a Tag and you like the look of the F1 series, how about the non chronograph model with an automatic movement

http://www.goldsmiths.co.uk/TAG-Heuer-Formula-1--Mens-Watch/p/17381201/

Thanks for the links. Just curious as to why you have a preference for automatics over quartz? It's not something I've really put much thought into. Not sure if I should :undecided

[Deleted User]

Empor wrote: »

Thanks for the links. Just curious as to why you have a preference for automatics over quartz? It's not something I've really put much thought into. Not sure if I should :undecided

It's craftmanship Vs accuracy. A Quartz watch is a far, far more simple mechanism, and also more accurate. BUT it means your £1600 watch will be using a similar internal mechanism as a £50 watch. An automatic watch, whilst not being as accurate, is a piece of mechanical wonder and art.

So are you buying it for the brandname on your wrist or the craftsmanship?

Also.. do you fancy paying for a Tag replacement battery/service every 5-10 years?

Joe_Horner

That model uses a Ronda 5040D movement, which is decent quality - far better than the ETA / Swatch Group stuff at the same price point!

Personally, working on them (mechanical and quartz) every day, I take issue a little with the "mechanical have craftsmanship" idea because they all come off computerised production lines - regardless of type, no mainstream manufacturer has rooms full of little grey haired watchmakers lovingly filing and assembling each piece these days.

In practical terms, quartz movements have the additional benefit (which the makers tend not to shout about) that you won't kill them by lack of servicing. You can happily run a quartz movement repeatedly until the oil goes sticky and it grinds to a halt without causing any damage because they're so lightly loaded that wear simply doesn't happen.

The wheels of a quartz movement are only under load for around 1/1000th of a second each time they "tick" and the rest of the time they're just sitting there with no load on them at all - and unloaded watch wheels don't wear any more than your car's gearbox will wear while you leave it parked up! What does happen is that, over time, the oil goes sticky and the battery life shortens because the circuit increases power to the motor to compensate. But it's not doing any damage.

As for battery changes, any competent watchmaker can change the batteries on these, including resealing, at a fraction of the Tag price. Tag, along with many other makers, use battery changes as a hook to sell servicing which is, IMO, a little less than honest seeing as they tend to replace rather than service.

It's a lot cheaper to put a complete movement in for comfortably under £100 (at the price I can get them - they'll get them much cheaper in bulk!) than it is to pay a skilled watchmaker the time it would take to strip and service what's there.

Brighty

Empor wrote: »

Thanks for the links. Just curious as to why you have a preference for automatics over quartz? It's not something I've really put much thought into. Not sure if I should :undecided

I suppose it is just personnel preference, but to me, if i'm paying hundreds or even thousands, i want a proper engineered mechanical watch, if i wanted a quartz watch that needed batteries every couple of years i'd get a casio. I'm a forgetful so and so, so i find i forget to wind manual watches, so much prefer an automatic, which is a proper mechanical watch, with a little pendulum inside that winds the watch as you move.

Of the 10 or so watches i have, all but 2 are automatic, 1 a solar atomic G-shock and the other is my late dads 1950's manual wind Tudor. My automatics consist of 3 Seiko's (fantastic watches, shame they don't seem to market them in this country, only their quartz ones), 1 Traser, 1 Sinn, 1 modern Omega and a 1950's Omega, i'm sure i've forgoten a couple, lol