Watches on finance? Longines Spirit 37. For baby, not for me of course !

Congrats on the impending arrival of your son in October 🥳

To each their own but I don’t think I would ever finance a watch, especially knowing a child is on the way. Things have a way of creeping up on you and you could find yourself short on finances.

The Spirit is a bit of a dream watch for me and personally I would look more at the 40mm case due to my wrist size.

Best of luck on both 👍

Bless you mate thank you so much. Well the financing isn't a big cost. It'll actually less than my little pay rise in a few months. £55 a month...

So it won't affect my monthly budget really....I normally don't finance anything. Cash is the way.. but here I think having a birth year watch would be special (but is it really? ... maybe I'm trying to justify it)

I hope you get yours soon too!

It's a personal thing really, I have had 0% watch finance in the past but that was only over four months. Over three years is a long time, if it was me I wouldn't mainly because you never know what's going to happen over that long period.

Appreciate your comment. Thank you. You're probably right. I'll need to think carefully

If I'm understanding you correctly and the financing will cost £55 per month, I wouldn't call it a 0% loan. Over the 36 months, it'll add up to £1,980. This effectively doubles the cost of the watch.

Apologies if I misunderstood, but if not, my answer would be absolutely, positively not.

EDIT: I now suspect you meant that the £55 is how much you'd be paying down the principal amount each month, not that it's the cost of financing. If it's truly a 0% loan, you'll probably beat inflation and actually in effect get a small discount. That could be worth it financially, but personally I'd never go into debt for something unnecessary. All the best.

I personally take advantage of credit card points and cash back. I have opened a couple of credit cards to get 250-300 bucks back on large purchases, then pay them off right after and put them in a drawer unless the benefits are worth it.

Personally, going into debt is not the best decision. But if you are 90% sure you are making a purchase and you have the cash on hand, why not take advantage of points and card benefits, then pay it off as you see fit? Now, if you do not have cash to pay it off, I would say wait or buy something less expensive. Watches are not becoming extinct any time soon.

Thank you so much. So far, the comments are all getting me to slow down. It's probably sensible. I can save up

I’ve been tempted myself - but I’d only do it if I was 110% sure on the purchase and 220% sure the financial implications were scrutinised for at least a month of consideration

Thank you. I will think hard on this

MSRP is $2,500 so I think £1980 sounds about right.

The cost of the watch is £2200 I believe. So it would be £200 deposit and then £55 per month over 36 months, so yes- true 0% .

Yes in a year or two the prices will go up I'm sure, but maybe it's worth saving up and just buying it for cash, no stress

First of all congratulations.

But regarding the watch:

No, never use a loan for consuming.

A watch is never to be seen as a long term investment. It's consuming.

You guys spend a lot of money and there will come much more bills in future.

If you would had the money I would had suggest to keep it on a account or put it into a saving fund.

A loan is never money for free. Even if it's promoted as 0%.

Some consumer financing products come with a pushed loan default insurance (don't know the english word for). Often 10% of the loan vallue. But even if not, you will pay with oportunity costs.

Investing into a World ETF would bring you 8% in average a year. You can do the math how much you would miss in 3, 10, 30 years. That's not hypothetic costs, that's real.

But the fact that you don't have it makes it even more dangerous for you.

Your wife isn't working.

Your hosehold has only one incone.

By paying rates on a loan your usable income shrinks.

You get a child. There are many uncertanties. The chance that you need a bigger amount in nwar future is higher than you might think.

There are different formulas how much liquid cash savings a household should have to cover most necessary. Depending on your countries social care system it should be at least 3 months income or minimum 3 months outcome. But this is assumed to countries as like germany or similar states where most living cost are covered by social care system.

Before you don't have that amount cash saved, I would recommend to not even think about such spending.

If you want a celebration watch, be at first aware of your spendable/usable income. But calculate honest. Income-EVERY fix or other average outcomes. from rent over insurance, to groceries but also monthly saving. Yes, savings. Put to you and your child an ETF saving account. Doesn't care how much monthly. Depending on your age it should be at least 10/15% of your income. Your future you will be very thankfull to your past you in 5, 10 or 30 years. But this money should be considered as gone. You will never touch it, till your pension.

And what you fet as a result us your free usable income.

And I would recommend to spend just one month free usable income on a watch.

Even if you don't have much outcome and you saved more than expected, spend the money for a nice holiday with your new family. If you can chose, buy memories...not stuff.

For memories and savings your child will be much more thankfull than for a watch.

And yes, you can get a great watch in good quality from a traditional brand for little money.

Check out my 4 Part series of affordable German watch brands

https://www.watchcrunch.com/Uhrologe/posts/affordable-german-watch-brands-part-4-438070

https://www.watchcrunch.com/miamiwatchvice/posts/what-payment-method-do-you-use-for-watches-over-1k-438563

Congrats on the news of a son in a few months. A watch to memorialize the event imo is not a self indulgence. 0% interest plans are fine as long as there is also 100% o that you will be able to support the monthly negotiated payments to the conclusion of your plan. I have used plans on several occasions for different reasons but speaking honestly always had the resources to pay the balance in full. There were times when it was a preference to buy certain watches from a boutique or ad that for whatever reasons could not offer a dollar of courtesy discounts. My logic was to earn some income back while paying off my new watch monthly on an amount that I had budgeted for a new superfluity. That is my 2 cents on buying a watch using a 0% interest plan but offer sincere best wishes to you and your wife and your son!

A lot of people have weighed in already, so I'll try to be brief.

1. Don't finance what you can't afford. Sounds obvious, but putting it out there.

2. I don't see anything wrong with financing a watch at 0%, but I'd hope for a shorter term. 3yrs is quite a while. Something 12-18 months would make more sense in my opinion.

3. Your child will not care what year the watch is from nearly as much as they will care that it was YOUR watch. So if you're going to get a watch, get a watch for you and wear the everloving !@#$ out of it, so that when you hand it over there's years and years and years of memories invested in it.

First, I think you made an outstanding decision. The Longines Spirit in 37mm may be my favourite release from any brand in the past 5 years and feels like - and I hate this phrase - an instant classic. I've said this elsewhere on WC: my 37mm Spirit is the only watch I own where I feel like I picked someone's pocket paying full retail. Love it.

Secondly, the way you're paying for this is fine as long as you're not also doing the same thing for four other watches. These questions pop up on WC a fair bit and I think as long as you're playing fair, getting 0% and not stealing from some other part of your necessary outgoings, it's all good.

Brilliant comment thank you! No no, this would be my one watch. I'm torn between black (usually my colour of choice) and champagne..

So you seem to really love this watch... that's very good to hear! Would love to see some photos and some reasons why it's so great 🖤💥

With pleasure: I admire Longines for being early to the smaller watch party and making a smaller watch that no one can say lacks in presence. The lugs (design and size) are terrific and the razor sharp transitions between polished and brushed elements is equal to watches much more expensive. The timekeeping (this is a chronometer) has been superb - I'm looking at ~2 sec a day deviation when wearing back-to-back. The applied indices are excellent - crisp, catch the light just so, great lume, again give the impression of a much more expensive watch. Winding experience and date change (something I feel Longines don't get enough props for) are also superb: winding is smooth, date change happens at midnight with a satisfying clunk, the whole thing just oozes well-made, solid dependability.

I've swapped out the strap on mine (strap quality being a place I think Longines save money, and fair play when the watch itself is this good) but otherwise this is just a phenomenal package.

Thank you again. It sounds like the kind of watch I should be striving for. I've had older Omegas and IWC, and miss that quality. This, for the money, seems to basically do it all

Since you asked - a watch is a material item that is useless in the grand scheme of things, especially when you are welcoming new life into the world. Take any spare money you might have and invest it in the kid’s future. Having a kid costs way more money than you’ll even budget for, so you don’t want to be in debt (even at 0%) for something as trivial as a watch. You can even toss any surplus change into a 529 or something if you’re in the US. In a few years, with a bigger stash of cash, then you can revisit this decision on a watch. You may even find your tastes change at that point. (No shade being thrown on the watch itself - just trying to snap you out of this, lol.) And congratulations on this major milestone! 🍻

Thank you for trying to snap me out of it! You are right of course. I'm lucky to have a government job, and my lady does too. So in terms of investment, our pensions will be decent enough, and we are lucky to have free education, health care, and even university in Scotland.

So I guess I have less pressure to plan ahead, but I do totally accept what you've said

Thank you again for your advice

Good luck! And that’s great to have a robust safety net, unlike here in the states. Too bad on Scotland in the euro cup. I was pulling for y’all!

I'll also add one more very practical point related to the choice of the watch itself: steel bracelet watches are not a good idea around young children. Main and obvious reason is that you don't want to risk scratching or injuring your child with your watch while you're handling them.

I did not wear bracelet watches around my son for perhaps the first 2-3 years of his life, largely confined to when I was in the office or if I was at events which he was not part of. Even now when he's 4, I will still make a conscious choice to stick to rubber G-Shocks when its play time with him (it's just one less thing to worry about and I can be fully present!).

I personally am a huge fan of the Longines in 37mm, but I'm sure it'll still be around in a few years time when you'll be able to make more memories with him wearing it. All the best.

0% over 12 to 18 months max. 3 years is a long time. Or, don't do it, even at 0%. Those payments have to be met every month.

I had not thought of that practical point! Thank you again! Maybe best I use my 5600e G shock for now, and save up

That's very true. I'm more and more leaning to just saving and paying cash in a year or two

I have financed a watch before but it’s not often. My primary reason would be be if I stumbled upon an exceptional deal. Right now I’m saving up for my next piece. But if I found an example at an exceptional price, I’d be willing to finance, and pay it off on a couple months. Generally I prefer to buy outright.

Good point. I'm taking my time

I may just save for a year, and buy it for cash

There’s no rush! Also congrats on the upcoming arrival. The Longines spirit is on my list. I have a Neanderthal sized wrist so I want the titanium 42mm…

Sounds amazing and thank you so much