Horological Meandering

pplater
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Will it assist you at all....

... to have the untutored views of someone who knows very little about the competing technical merits of those selections, but who knows what he likes in a watch? If so, then read on: with the caveat, however, that these are the very personal views of an idiosyncratic novice in such matters.

The GO (although this is an earlier iteration of that model) is sharp, precise and inspires confidence.  The attention to detail is noteworthy - very crisp, front and back. It is perhaps best described as 'purposeful'; in this company, though, it compares as being somewhat 'cold'. The movements of GO watches are always a delight: they seem to strike the right balance between form and function - just enough finish to inspire admiration, not so much finish as to inspire awe. In that respect GO punches above weight.

IWC watches are often described in terms of being clinical, too technical, or soul-less. Whether or not that is true of other models, it cannot be said of the Portugueser models. Here you get the whole package: a decent 'back story' and the horological significance of the model itself; technological innovation (the Pellaton winding system) and a monster of a movement with a hefty 7 days reserve (which is really more like 8 days - not that you'll ever need it). The dial is one of the most legible there is: it has sharp applied Arabics in a very sensible font, the hands are like needles and the date clicks over at 24:00:01 precisely! The only possible drawback to which some might point is the bulk, but you quickly get used to it and if it were an issue you wouldn't be shopping in this league anyway. Regrets? Only that it isn't the Jubilee, the 'Panda' or the MR!

After that rap you'd think that the vote would go to the IWC: the Breguet, however, is right up there. Here you get 'entry level'  top house prestige (for whatever that may be worth) - sports watch or not, it travels comfortably in any company. The central 'sweep' minute counter is a great deal more informative than the sometimes hard to read minutes sub-dial of other chronos but as against that the 24 hour dial is not so helpful. What many people fail to notice at first is the rich 'Belgian chocolate' brown (close to black) colour of the dial, which gives the watch great warmth. It is the small things which add so much to the watch - the different subtle guilloche patterns and contours on the dials, for example, or the way in which the strap ends have 'shoulders' which been designed to fill the lugs and hug the the case. With this one you also get full lume, which may or may not matter to you.

Of the three, the IWC is the better instrument; the Breguet, however, is the better package. The GO is a lovely watch, make no mistake (and the model which you are considering may be in a different league again), but in this company; for this enthusiast; on this occasion - GO comes third. Not the sort of thing you want to be writing on the GO forum, but there you have it: sorry Art, sorry guys!

Cheers,

pplater.