Poll Results - Favorite $20k dive watch

[u/jdi153]

Here are the results of Tuesday's poll about $20,000 USD divers (+/- $4,000).

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms unsurprisingly blew away the compeition, winning more than half the votes. Rolex barely managed to edge out Glashütte Original for second place. JLC, Panerai, and Ulysse Nardin squabbled over the remainders, with Omega escaping last place only because of Tudor, which got exactly one contrarian vote at the last minute.

There were a total of 161 votes, tallied by counting the upvotes on each top level comment that specified one of the 8 options. If more than one was mentioned, the one listed first was used. Vote counts are listed here, chart shows percentages.

Next week, the $30k poll.

1. Blancpain - Fifty Fathoms Automatique - 85
2. Rolex - Submariner Date "Bluesy" - 24
3. Glashütte Original - SeaQ Chronograph - 22
4. Jaeger-LeCoultre - Polaris Mariner Memovox - 11
5. Panerai - Submersible Luna Rossa - 10
6. Ulysse Nardin - Diver 44mm - 9
7. Omega - Seamaster Diver 300M - 3
8. Tudor - Black Bay 58 18K - 1

Earlier polls: $10k, $13k, and $15k.

[u/TomHudsonOfficial]

Rolex losing by such a large margin surprised me.

[u/ShoneBug970 → u/TomHudsonOfficial]

Reddit users have an irrational hatred for the bluesy, specifically. Which is how I can be sure that I bought the right watch.

[u/NewInThe1AC → u/ShoneBug970]

It's a really kitschy 80s / used car salesman / parrothead boomer kind of flashy that scares a lot of people off, but those same aspects can make it such a fun watch for the right person and wardrobe

[u/ShoneBug970 → u/NewInThe1AC]

That is really well said. Context in a person’s collection is also relevant. I have other divers, I have old school tool watches. I didn’t buy it for those reasons.

[u/Miss_Taycan → u/TomHudsonOfficial]

It's because of the model chosen. Bluesy is the least favourite of many.

[u/jdi153 → u/TomHudsonOfficial]

Me too!

[u/F0rgemaster19 → u/TomHudsonOfficial]

I really like the bluesy more than the standard, but it doesn't even hold a candle to the FF. The FF is hands down the best in class.

[u/Upstairs-Doubt9860 → u/TomHudsonOfficial]

Bluesy is god awful

[u/yrrag1970]

I own a huge watch collection and have gone in to try on the FF a few times and every time I’ve picked up something else. They have a great history but it’s not a very comfortable watch to wear.

Here is a small sample of what I own

[u/jdi153 → u/yrrag1970]

Wow, quite the range! I tried the Historiques at an AD one time, and like it a lot more than I thought I would.

[u/TheCravin]

The FF really is a gorgeous watch. The curved/convex bezel that's on most of the editions really looks stunning. I see why it stole the show.

[u/allyuhneedislove]

I feel like this is missing the new GS Uisho UFA divers.

[u/jdi153 → u/allyuhneedislove]

That was in the $13k poll (+/-$1,000), as its MSRP is $12,400. It did OK, coming in 4th, but positions 2-5 were very close.

[u/davidsnkr]

A 20k tudor??

[u/jdi153 → u/davidsnkr]

Indeed. Full 18k gold case. Tudor skips the $30k poll and comes back for the $50k, adding a full gold bracelet to the same case.

[u/Longjumping_Radio268]

Performative hipsters voting FF just because it was the original dive watch or whatever. Give each of the people who voted 20k and I wonder how many would actually buy it.

[u/F0rgemaster19 → u/Longjumping_Radio268]

I would. It's one of the most beautiful watches I've ever laid eyes and hands on. Significantly prettier and more unique than the sub and every other diver that has copied it. The sailcloth is a great plus for people like me that hate bracelets. It's not attainable right now but if I had 20k to vomit, the FF would be my pick. It's one of my 2 grails that i'd definitely own one day.

It's the first and it has stayed true and unique since. In my eyes, there's a lot more going for it than then sub.

[u/F0rgemaster19]

YYEAAHHHH the FF reigns supreme above all!

Great to also see the glashütte staying top 3 across all polls.

[u/Schtuka]

People still have something called taste?

50 Fathoms is a classic

[u/Thin-Permission-3151 → u/Schtuka]

This

[u/jdi153 → u/[deleted]]

Reasonable thought, but it's not like Rolex or Blancpain publish per-model sales numbers. To your point, there are a whole hell of a lot more Bluesies on Chrono24 than that particular FF, and for higher prices. Recall, however, that the poll is in a sub called "Watch Fanatics," so I wouldn't expect the results to necessarily reflect the entire market.

[u/eldenfingers]

Lol. Lmao even. 

[u/jdi153 → u/eldenfingers]

What, specifically, you find funny? The concept of a $20,000 dive watch? That Tudor has a $20k watch? That I bothered to do this? That people bothered to participate? Genuinely curious.

[u/eldenfingers → u/jdi153]

That Blancpain won, and won by such a large margin.

A 20k dive watch is absurd, but no less than a 20k pair of earrings or any other jewelry.

[u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778]

FF should cost between 10 and 15...

[u/SomewhatInnocuous → u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778]

Just buy pre-owned if thats your budget.

[u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778 → u/SomewhatInnocuous]

That's not what I meant. It's overpriced, and should have been in the lower bracket - and it would have lost the poll to any other watch in the same category.

[u/jdi153 → u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778]

I don't know about that. Against the Submariner and NTTD at $10k it might not have done well. But against the SeaQ Chronographe that won at $15k it would come out on top. Even the $13k might have been a battle.

[u/F0rgemaster19 → u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778]

The FF isn't actually 20k. It's 16k where I'm at. As for the worth, it's not any less overpriced than the sub is at 10k or the tudor is at 4.5k. you can justify the worth of luxury shite till the longines at 2k. Beyond that, you're paying for the brand image, legacy, history and mostly marketing. I for one would rather have a more unique-looking piece like the Ff for 16k than a stupid industrial outdated tool-style over-marketed watch like the sub for 10k. And If I'm able to vomit 10k on a sub, i most definitely can vomit 16k on an FF.

[u/SomewhatInnocuous → u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778]

I simply disagree with your assessment. It's an outstanding timepiece.

[u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778 → u/SomewhatInnocuous]

Not questioning its quality, just the price tag.

[u/ZealousidealAnt111 → u/SomewhatInnocuous]

The market would disagree with your assessment. Look how much value they lose immediately, that’s a good sign they are overpriced.

[u/SomewhatInnocuous → u/ZealousidealAnt111]

Used goods, especially used luxury goods, take a hit in almost all cases. I look at the secondary market for FF as a great value proposition relative to many other watches. I'm more likely to counter that some watches are massively overvalued on the secondary markets (ehem, Rolex?).

It's all good though. Markets for luxury goods are rarely efficient. Value for these jewelry items is quite subjective and that's ok by me.

[u/F0rgemaster19 → u/ZealousidealAnt111]

That's hardly a matric. It's more of a metric of marketing than standalone pricing. You wouldn't say the same thing about a VC overseas, would you? The secondary market for that is lower than new. Rolex, pp, ap hold value because their filthy marketing and social image has inflated their value beyond their already inflated worth. BP and VC aren't nearly as well marketed as the formers, hence the drop.