A Top Luxury Watch At An Affordable Price
Written: Mar 20 '03 (Updated Mar 23 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Style, durability and overall value
Cons: Metal link band is difficult to size properly, Concord relative lack of name recognition
The Bottom Line: Superb style, quality and value. Definitely consider looking at this watch before buying any others under $2000.
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| drseid's Full Review: Movado Impresario 308742 Wrist Watch for Women |
When I set out on my search for a high quality dress/sport watch about six months ago, I began looking at the usual suspects... Rolex, Omega and Breitling. All of these brands had their share of watches that appealed to me (some at prices that were way out of my league), and a few that I thought were "out there," so to speak. During my quest, however, I uncovered a less known Swiss luxury watch brand named Concord.
When I scrolled through the various watches offered by Concord, I immediately knew my search had uncovered the brand I was looking for. Almost every single Concord watch appealed to my sense of style... And if I could get past the fact that it may not evoke as many eye opening reactions as a Rolex or Omega would due to brand recognition, I knew it was the brand I preferred. The line included styles of all kinds (almost all of them in the classic, non trendy mode)... Line names included Saratoga, Venito, La Scala, Sportivo and of course Impresario.
It was the Impresario line that I personally found the most interesting looking. The line features coined edges around the watch, and in many cases the band. Metals used include premium stainless steel, 14 carat yellow gold, and 14 carat white gold. The line also offers both chronometer and non-chronometer models. The watches all also feature a date display, and offer a selection of movements (either battery powered quartz, or automatic mechanical for the chronometer watches). All models are made in Switzerland.
While I must admit that if money was not an object, I would have definitely bought the stainless steel chronometer model. It struck me as the most beautiful watch I had seen under $50,000 (and yes, some watches really do sell for that much, believe it or not). It, like all of the watches in the Impresario line had the coin rolled edges, the coin rolled link band, and featured a very stylish layout of three dials to check various time durations. The watch face is a beautiful white with silver roman numerals. It retails for about $5000 and can be had at an unauthorized Internet dealer for about $2500. Just one problem... I was looking to stay under about $1200 (over the Internet). So on with my search...
After scrolling through countless watches within the Impresario line that I liked but could not afford, I finally got to the Impresario Stainless Steel non-chronometer version. Before I even looked at the price, I already was hooked... Next to the chronometer version of the same watch in stainless steel, I preferred it to the other watches in the group. I guess on this particular watch, the all stainless steel look just suits it.
The Impresario (regular) in stainless steel, features an all stainless steel link band with coined edges throughout, a sweeping second hand and silver roman numerals at 3 key positions on a white face (the 12, 6 and 9 positions). The 3 position does not have a roman numeral, as it has the date instead. All other hour positions are indicated with very stylistic dashes. Second marks are indicated all around the dial (but in no way distract or clutter the face of the watch). The name Concord is prominently shown in the top center of the watch, with the Concord trademark letter C directly above it. The watch is water resistant to just under 100 feet. Finally, the movement is battery powered quartz, so the watch should keep excellent time.
After purchasing the watch online (at an unauthorized dealer) for about a 52 percent reduction off of its $1690 retail price at authorized dealers, I received it in the mail about three days later, and promptly went to have it sized.
At the jeweler, I looked at the box it was housed in for the first time, and was very pleasantly surprised... While I know you do not wear a box, it does give you your initial impression of the contents it holds, and in this case, the box screamed luxury in every way. It was well-built, well-padded in satin, and adorned with the Concord logo on strategic areas. The box, however, was nothing compared to the watch itself...
When I first looked at the watch, I tried to prepare myself for a letdown, as many things that look good in pictures do not hold true in real life. In this case, no letdown was needed... the watch is stunning. When I removed it from the little Concord cushion it was wrapped around, and held it in my hands for the first time, I was surprised at the heft of the watch. It is not, *too* hefty, but rather exudes a solidity that gives confidence that Concord did not cut corners. Every aspect of its construction showed that same solidity and elegance one would expect from a luxury watch. The back was engraved with "Impresario" and had the serial number.
The one negative I can say about the watch came during sizing. The jeweler had a very tough time sizing the watch, as he said that the link screws were glued, so that the links would not come off easily. In fact, the jeweler was to remove three links, but stopped at two, claiming he was afraid to go further (and only charged me half price). I had to go to another jeweler to finish the last link the next day... This could mean the first jeweler just was not very good, or it could be that the Concord watch bands are very tricky ones to adjust. In any case, I just thought I would mention it for information purposes. Needless to say, once adjusted, the watch is a sheer joy to wear!
Oh yes, Concord offers a 3 year limited warranty that is only valid if you purchase your watch at a licensed dealer. I should point out that if you are shopping on the Internet at unauthorized dealers like me... many will match or beat the manufacturer's warranty (as the place I bought mine did) without any haggling.
So, to wrap things up, I am now a big Concord fan. While I would argue their watches are worth the full retail price, the Internet has many unauthorized dealers that will sell you the same watch at 30-50 percent off retail, and at those prices, the watches are a steal (and I think this model was in particular). I highly recommend the Impresario Stainless Steel Quartz model to all who appreciate the look and style of a beautiful luxury watch, but don't want to invest their life savings in buying one.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
drseid
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 2 members
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