gwells wrote:before people get hung up on not being able to produce a decent watch under £500, let's look at what the prior LEs cost.
2012: £335
2011: £720
2009: ??
2008: £217.02
couldn't find the price in the 09 forum, so i'm sure someone can chip in here with that info. but the *only* one that didn't sell out was the £720 watch. all of the rest sold out and all of the rest were under £400.
i know there were some other factors as to why the 2011 didn't sell out, but let's be honest. we can get a very nice watch for £450 and if it shoots up over £700, the market will get much smaller.
I'm guessing that the majority of people buying the 2012 FLE would have bought it with the bracelet. The cost of that combination was £375. It was more cost effective to get it with the bracelet and to buy a strap separately, if required.
scooter
that's a fair point. still, significantly below £500 last year, even with the bracelet.
i realize that some of those watches were in 2-3 year old values, not counting inflation. but only one was in the £700+ range.
i'm not saying that a £700 FLE should completely be off the table. just pointing out that we don't *have* to go to that level to come up with a nice FLE. a sub-£500 watch could still be a very interesting and popular watch. i wear my 2012 FLE every week more days than i wear my other watches.
Like most of us, I opted for the up to £450 bracket although a shade under £400 would suit me better right now...!
The serious competition for my next watch purchase at the moment would likely be either a C10 Aviator or a Steinhart Marine, both of which fit into that range. Around about £350 to £395 would be just fine!
paw3001 wrote:There are mission impossibles and then there are impossible missions.
However, that one is a not a bloody chance of accepting that incredibly super impossible mission!
Good, I don't want an Explorer anyway.
Rick
Various vintage Heuers
CW C8 Pilot MK I and II, 2011 and 13 FLEs, C5 B of B and Malvern Aviator MK II, C11 MSL MK I, C70 DBR1, C60 and C60 GMT, C9 Harrison, C9 Chrono, C10 Aviator
Actually, robin, it looks like the 2011 was 720 then rolled back to 599 for a limited time. I wasn't around then, but that's what it looks like from the old forum posts.
I was originally going to vote like the majority of the members and go with the GBP 450, but after reading the comments i came to agree with the members that said that choosing 450 would limit the committee. I would rather spend the extra 150 and have more options which can lead to a more exciting watch which i feel i would be happier with. So in the end i voted for the GBP 600. But either way im sure the committee will do a great job with whatever options they are given.
CW C11 MSL MK1 Automatic, CW C60 Trident Pro Blue/Blue, CW C8 Power Reserve, Baume & Mercier Classim, Shinola Runwell Chrono, Lumtech Bull 45 Green dial. Looking for a C8 Regulator Steel.
I've moved my vote up to £600 to try and give a little more play for us all when it comes to case and movement but it still looks like £450 is going to win it, the FLE team are going to have to get their thinking caps on because going by the other threads people are expecting a LOT for £450!!!