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IWC GST Chronograph

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16K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  Tomasso  
4
#1 ·
Why is the GST chronograph only a 2K watch when all the othe IWC's are in the 10K range? I like the look of this Chronograph, reminds me of the Porsche chronos from the 80's, which I couldn't afford back then.
I am betting that this is because it has a quartz movement. Considering that this is coming from IWC would this watch have lasting value, or in years to come would it just be considered a "cheap" IWC?

Would an older Omega Speedmaster be a better buy for the long haul?
 
#4 ·
The quartz IWC are the better off "poor man's" IWC. I have two quartz ones and am not impressed. My friends who have the same models as Automatics, are perfectly happy. Why did I get the quartz IWCs, I didn't. I got a Fliegerchrono as an 18th Birthday present from my parent's and then later on a Portofino as a present. Get the Automatics, they also hold their value better.
 
#8 ·
They do have a nice face in my opinion. If you have a choice between a quartz, and an automatic watch, with the same dial etc. the purist will take the automatic. The practical man will take the quartz. There is no right answer. My friends with their IWCs have to wind their watches now and again. Mine always tell the right time, except every 3 to 5 years when I need to get a new battery.
 
M
#9 ·
Anybody who wants to own a timeless piece of swiss mechanical engineering should get an automatic watch if it is within the budget. They keep their value. It is rather difficult to sell a quartz watch, even if it is an IWC. I own a Mark XII, which was a gift from my parents to my abitur (= high school diploma) and it is really worth every penny. I do not wear it every day any more, but I still like it very much. The design originally comes from the British bomber pilots watches they used in WWII. The mark XI is worth a lot of money.
 
K
#10 ·
Are you involved in pastimes that call for a chronograph, or is it the Calvin and Hobbs and spaceman Biff in all of us:DI used to impress girls with my gifted soviet chrono while sailing. I'd stare at an incoming freighter, look down at those rotating multi dials and silently mouth calculations. Then I'd whisper " start your turn now fool, your 3 knots to fast." The frieghter would always turn on cue and I'd let a sigh of relief. The owner of the sailboat would look at me disgusted, never explaining to our dates what channel markers and buoys were all about.I agree, get a speed;)
 
#11 ·
I actually need mine to time stitching minutes when I am at one of the places we do consulting work for. And sometimes the bezel to work out operations per minute on a few lines. I also use it when I am need to time how long it takes me to go from one place to another, so that when I repeat the journey, I know when I have to leave. Don't want to keep clients waiting, but don't want to rush the client I am with. And then...

Okay, okay, it is the Calvin and Hobbs.
 
4
#12 ·
Kav, I see where you are going with this, but tell me, is a watch with a back that states "approved for all manned space missions" any less Calvin and Hobbsish?

I think that watches always seem to reflect the personality of the owner. I work in a highly technical field and am expected to work to high levels of detail, I sometimes feel that a watch of this nature would help portray that ability to clients. I don't think it is much different than an investment banker in a bespoke suit. We are all trying to "say" something by our choice of appearance!

Having said that, you should know that my everyday watch is probably the simplest Skagen ever made. It too, sends out a certain message.
 
K
#14 ·
My old commie chrono goes "ta poket, ta poket, ta poket" held to the ear (insert favourite Danny Kay facial expression here.)When the compounded insults of cellphone jingles, car alarms, department store muzik and rolling jukeboxes with speakers so powerfull my teeth vibrate become to much it is like the chirping of katydids on a summer's night. Way I figure, if an individual derives pleasure from a watch and doesn't impose on my time it's not worth getting ticked off over:)
 
Z
#15 ·
44,

Most of the "good" steel IWC watches are between 5 and 10k.

The GST starts out at 3k (automatic), this not counting the quartz models which I think are a bad investment. The GST, like all IWC automatic watches are very accurate and very nice watches.

Personally, I would not purchase a quartz. It is less 1k more for the auto.
Having had both, I like the IWC better, but the Omega is very nice too.

If you must purchase a quartz, take the Omega quartz over the IWC quartz.
 
4
#16 ·
Zegna, Kav, as usual good replies. I only just realized recently that IWC makes some of their watches in both mechanisms. Had I not looked carefully I may have thought I was getting an automatic at a really good price. I am leaning towards a speedy.

Kav, let me guess, you respoked that MGA wheel yourself.
 
E
#19 ·
quote:Originally posted by hreljan

Here is an IWC that is 2K range (sold at discount here):

https://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?page=proframe&prod_id=891465

I would say that this is a much better choice for entry level Schaffhausen.
Click to expand...
Does anyone know more about this particular model here? Is the automatic movement of the similar quality as the higher-end models from IWC like the Portugese? Are they made by IWC or is it an ETA movement? And is this a good value for the watch?
 
K
#22 ·
Uh, well yes. But I sensibly took it to a bike shop and they confirmed it was correctly trued.Then I drove north to Goleta and the old Moss Motors and bought 60 spoke rims, a period H pattern safety harness, oil cooler kit and very rare set of gears for hillclimbs. I had sold the Jowet to Phil Hill for restoration and was flush. It was there I saw a sad faced man with a new family posting an advert for his mini.I had cash in pocket and brain in about the same location. We caravaned down, I hid the mini behind the garage bokcase from my mother and drove him back to Santa Barbara. Sadly, all are gone. But a good Chronograph or sport watch holds promise of new adventures[}:)]
 
C
#23 ·
I would imagine that it is a reworked ETA (as are most IWC movements) they have rather few manufacture movements - the Big Pilot watch (which I love) is an exception that springs to mind and I am sure there are others.

quote:Originally posted by Earthmover

quote:Originally posted by hreljan

Here is an IWC that is 2K range (sold at discount here):

https://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?page=proframe&prod_id=891465

I would say that this is a much better choice for entry level Schaffhausen.
Click to expand...
Does anyone know more about this particular model here? Is the automatic movement of the similar quality as the higher-end models from IWC like the Portugese? Are they made by IWC or is it an ETA movement? And is this a good value for the watch?
Click to expand...
 
#24 ·
The IWC Portofino in the link above is specified as 33mm case size which is pretty small and meaning the model they are selling is most likely a left over from 2004 or earlier. Nothing wrong with that if you like smaller sized watches but IWC redesigned their Portofino last year and the case size grew a few millimeters. AFAIK, Both the old and the new Portofino use the very popular ETA 2892 Automatic movement which may or may not be modified by IWC to their specifications. Overall I think it's a great understated dress watch for the money. You should probably order the free catalog off the IWC's website to explore this model and other watches they make in grater detail. You might also like to visit the IWC brand forum on Timezone. https://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=threadt&frm_id=21&rid=3
 
H
#25 ·
Forgive me but I am confused. Is the only difference betweent he quartz and automatic GST the resale value? Is there a performance difference? Can one tell just by looking at them from a bit of a distance which is which? Is it just the self-satisfaction of knowing that one owns a more complicated watch?

What is the basis for recommending the Speedy over the auto GST?

Thanks.
 
C
#26 ·
There is a performance difference, the quartz keeps more accurate time. It will need a new battery every couple of years while a mechanical will need some servicing every 5-10 years.

Most really nice-looking watches are mechanical. But even where you have identical watches except for the movement, you can tell - a quartz second hand jumps once each second whereas a mechanical "flows" - it jumps also but the jumps are much smaller and occur several times a second.

I prefer mechanical watches because I think it is really amazing what some very brilliant people are able to come up with in terms of interesting and complicated movements. (and I don't know of any quartz watch with some of the more interesting watch complications - e.g. equation of time, certanly not tourbillon).

In summart, in terms of performance, you get a slightly inferior, though much harder to make product. In terms of styling, you usually get something quite a bit superior.

The Speedy a.k.a. Moonwatch is an icon. And, in my view, much, much better looking than the GST (though I do love some of IWC's designs).

quote:Originally posted by habrahams

Forgive me but I am confused. Is the only difference betweent he quartz and automatic GST the resale value? Is there a performance difference? Can one tell just by looking at them from a bit of a distance which is which? Is it just the self-satisfaction of knowing that one owns a more complicated watch?

What is the basis for recommending the Speedy over the auto GST?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
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