Devon watches - Incredible innovation or flatter to deceive?

Bring back Bryan wade!! · Dec 30, 2013

Being a watch enthusiast, I am always interested in something a bit different and a friend introduced me to the Devon tread series based in California. Now the purists out there will baulk at the thought of purchasing anything that's not manufactured in Switzerland and these are certainly not cheap (they start at £6000 for a Devon tread series 2) but I find them quite beguiling and ingenious.

Do any of my fellow NSC watch collectors own one or have thought of purchasing a Devon?

Box of Frogs · Dec 30, 2013

For £6k I would a sizeable chuck of Devon, probably something like Exeter.

Bozza · Dec 30, 2013

It's not a marque I know a great deal about.

As to spending £6000 on a non-Swiss watch, I always get amused at people's reactions to the prices of the Grand Seikos - http://www.thewatchgallery.com/shop/seiko/grand-seiko-watches?dir=desc&order=price

Icy Gull · Dec 30, 2013

Never heard of them but have recently bought a Rolex Tudor Oyster that was made in 1947. Basically a poor man's Rolex. Love it.

Would struggle to spend 6k on any watch tbh

hans kraay fan club · Dec 30, 2013

Bring back Bryan wade!! said:
Being a watch enthusiast, I am always interested in something a bit different and a friend introduced me to the Devon tread series based in California. Now the purists out there will baulk at the thought of purchasing anything that's not manufactured in Switzerland and these are certainly not cheap (they start at £6000 for a Devon tread series 2) but I find them quite beguiling and ingenious.

Do any of my fellow NSC watch collectors own one or have thought of purchasing a Devon?

http://www.devonworks.com/timepieces/tread2/imagery

The belt concept is certainly interesting, but its a lot of moving parts with a lot that could conceivably prove problematic, reliability wise. Saying that, in these discussions I'm always the first to admit that I don't necessarily expect an expensive timepiece to be reliable :dunce:

I do however, expect it to look good. IMO these don't, so I'm out.

daveinprague · Dec 30, 2013

Think I said before on another thread. I used to love wearing a watch, last one being a Junkers Titaniam glass backed thing, which I would love telling my mother..made by people who tried to kill you. Now when almost everybody seems to have a smart phone, and when you look around..they are normally in peoples hands, the reason for a watch really diminishes. Im sure there will be quality watches around for a few more years, but not so sure about lower end models.

CorgiRegisteredFriend · Dec 30, 2013

As a non watch wearer this is a subject I know nothing about. What I can say however is that they are ugly beyond doubt.

emphyrian · Dec 30, 2013

Im a Breitling fan and bought a super avenger for an investment. I paid £3750 last september and it is now worth £4500. Lovely watches to own and want another but the wife won't let me

severnside gull · Dec 30, 2013

Haven't worn a watch for many years as even an expensive one stops working after a short period. However if I had £6K to blow on a watch it eould have to be Swiss as anything else is much less likely to have a decent resale value.

Bozza · Dec 30, 2013

emphyrian said:
Im a Breitling fan and bought a super avenger for an investment. I paid £3750 last september and it is now worth £4500. Lovely watches to own and want another but the wife won't let me

The RRP may well be £4500 (I don't know, I've not checked) but I'd be very surprised if your pre-owned watch will go for anything like that I'm afraid. Scanning ads on a watch forum I belong to, the last few went for between £1900 and £2400.

If you want to buy a watch for investment purposes at that sort of price level - buy Rolex steel sports. The residual values keep getting pulled up as Rolex move their list prices ever higher. You'll lose money on nearly everything else - Breitling, Omega and Tag Heuer included.

hans kraay fan club · Dec 30, 2013

Bozza said:
The RRP may well be £4500 (I don't know, I've not checked) but I'd be very surprised if your pre-owned watch will go for anything like that I'm afraid. Scanning ads on a watch forum I belong to, the last few went for between £1900 and £2400.

If you want to buy a watch for investment purposes at that sort of price level - buy Rolex steel sports. The residual values keep getting pulled up as Rolex move their list prices ever higher. You'll lose money on nearly everything else - Breitling, Omega and Tag Heuer included.

Just for interest Bozza, have you noticed any Omega 'Dynamic' on there at all? It was a short lived entry-level Omega line, based on a WWii forces issue.

I've got one boxed, never worn. Wondered if they were collectable? Its the simpler model - not the chrono.

Like this:

Bozza · Dec 30, 2013

hans kraay fan club said:
Just for interest Bozza, have you noticed any Omega 'Dynamic' on there at all? It was a short lived entry-level Omega line, based on a WWii forces issue.

I've got one boxed, never worn. Wondered if they were collectable? Its the simpler model - not the chrono.

Like this: View attachment 49834

This went for £450, worn but in good nick - http://imageupper.com/i/?S0300010030061O137115267693272

Beach Hut · Dec 30, 2013

Cartier is the only way forward when going large on a watch.

Uncle C · Dec 30, 2013

Emperors clothes.

Eric Potts · Dec 30, 2013

Uncle C said:
Emperors clothes.

I imagine you have to think of this as jewellery for blokes , rather than something to tell you the time.

Bring back Bryan wade!! · Dec 30, 2013

emphyrian said:
Im a Breitling fan and bought a super avenger for an investment. I paid £3750 last september and it is now worth £4500. Lovely watches to own and want another but the wife won't let me

If it's a standard Super Avenger I'm afraid that you wouldn't get anywhere near £4500. £2750 would be more realistic.

Bring back Bryan wade!! · Dec 30, 2013

CorgiRegisteredFriend said:
As a non watch wearer this is a subject I know nothing about. What I can say however is that they are ugly beyond doubt.

Each to their own but I am stunned that anyone could call it ugly.

vegster · Dec 30, 2013

Surely the timekeeping abilities must be a bit suspect coming from Devon,it's at least 10 years behind real time down there.

soistes · Dec 30, 2013

Bring back Bryan wade!! said:
Each to their own but I am stunned that anyone could call it ugly.

I think it's pretty hideous too. It looks like some weird prosthetic device, and I can't honestly see how it improves on the simplicity and elegance of a traditional timepiece. But, as you say, each to their own...

Vegas Seagull · Dec 30, 2013

My friend Malcolm has one but he's too scared to wear it out in case he gets mugged, so he just keeps it in a bowl by his bed

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Devon watches - Incredible innovation or flatter to deceive?

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