Kevin O'Leary Visits Longines Boutique | Teddy Baldassarre

[Music] Every time I go out shopping with Teddy, I end up with another bad influence. It's very bad.

Interesting! I'm buying it right here. That's how her he is. Oh, sorry Howard, never mind! You got the aviation baby. What should you do? [Music]

Mr. Wonderful here! Now you know I love watches, but not all watches have to cost a hundred thousand dollars. What I'm really concerned about is entry-level value. Great brands can give you great value if you know where to shop and where to look.

Now there's nobody better at this than Teddy Balzar. He's right here with me. We're in Longine Boutique in Aventura, near Miami Beach, Florida. Why? Because this brand represents some of the best value in horology ever. It's not as well-known as some other brands in North America, but you should know this is the number one brand in Asia. There are millions of people who buy these pieces.

And I've asked Teddy to dig in and pull from the collection some of the very best pieces at great entry-level prices. Now Teddy is very good at this; we've done this before together and it's been very well received. The reason I care is I want you, if you have that little inkling to start collecting watches, to start here. I don't want you to go into debt to buy a watch. I want you to find something you love on your wrist that you can afford now and build on; and this is the brand to do it with. The value here is insane and some of the dials are incredible! And you know I love dials and red bands. So let's go to work, Teddy! What have you picked out for me here?

So again, just to add on top of, I mean this company does a billion dollars a year in revenue. So to call them underrated is kind of crazy, but you could still say it because here in the United States, I just don't think people understand the value that's taking place from the watchmaking perspective and just where it sits. So how I kind of laid this out starting over here… now this is, I would say, the entry door to Longine and they have, I would say, two angles that they approach as a brand.

Some of the higher-end stuff I would say is kind of that gateway into luxury and then you have this, which is for a thousand or so bucks maybe some of the best Swiss watches you're gonna find. So these are, let's go there! Let's start right down here at sort of that sub two thousand dollar price. So starting around twelve hundred bucks, yup, you can get into a watch called the Conquest.

Now I call these watches everyday watches. This isn't a universal term, but it's just something that I think you could just take, put it on your wrist, and be good in pretty much every scenario. Seventy-hour power reserve, 300 meters of water resistance, which is pretty nuts! I mean this is a non-dive watch that has a bit more of a kind of distinct crown.

Is the dial size on that? This one is 43, but that's the other reason why I like these. They're available in multiple sizes: 39, 41, 43. This one's in 41 right here but for 1200 bucks, finishing solid will never look out of place. Now this steel with a blue dial is so on trend right now. People are loving blue dials and this style has a lot of different attributes. The light plays with it beautifully; I love it on steel.

I mean these sports watches have rocketed to the top of desire for collectors and for just people who are looking for something new and exciting. I like it! One thing to add about Longine and their movements, I think this is a huge proposition for them; they have exclusive movements provided by Etta, I mean their Swatch Group brand, but these are movements that are not just put in any watch. This isn't just off the shelf at a 28.92.

Yeah, these are movements that are made for Longine; they have their own beat rate operating at a 3.5 hertz beat rate. So it's all just completely—it's a very accurate watch! You know, it's an accurate watch. These, I mean a lot of the different… so that's an L88 caliber. So those extended power reserve—they have chronometer certifications, which we'll look at for some of these. It's a clean look, it really is. It's striking and clean!

So now here, when you go into this black dial, you’ve got wonderful contrast. Yes, really wonderful contrast that really pops and the black has a different… I mean see this is more sunburst with the blue; that's kind of glossier with the effect. Yeah. When is that going to look out of place though? Never! I mean it's a great sports piece, there's no question about it. 125 bucks too honestly. I mean that’s Swiss made!

Yeah, it's hard to beat! I mean, look, if you're looking for something to get into, this is it. I mean, you know, I’m trying to make a decision out of these three before we go there... what about this? So that is the Hydro Conquest; it's kind of the coolest well-known brand within the Longine collection. Sure, absolutely.

But yeah, what I think many people think of when they are imagining Longine, it's more the heritage pieces, and that's why I wanted to start here because these are more contemporary in their approach, but they look great. Essentially taking the same type of architecture with this and again, not to play with words, but if you're looking at this watch from across the room, I'm thinking Submariner ceramic bezel.

Yeah, I mean it's popping with that glossy picture! What's the price on it? 1600 bucks! Alright, there you have it! I mean that is, you know, if you really want the classic dive sports look, you can't go wrong with this and a ceramic bezel—that's just tremendous value! I mean that's the bottom line.

Now let me choose a favorite here, which I love to do. And I'm really having a hard time because I really like all three of these. But if you just approach them… and I always like the eye candy appeal, like I know what you're going to pick; I already know! You know, it's this.

I was wrong, there you have it! Like I just think this thing, you would have thought it would be blue. I just think this piece is so striking! I mean, I don't know—you never know what's going to happen with Teddy, right? Never know. This is number one, this is number two, and this is number three, although they're all great pieces.

But somebody's got to do the hard work, and that's me! Should we just move tray by tray? Is that what—I think that’s what we should do. Okay, so what have you got here? These—you’re moving up the feeding chain on price a bit here, right? Yes, yes! So now we're starting to get above two thousand dollars for their watches.

This is where I start to think about and definitely will extend over here as well, that entry door to luxury. These are, I would say, luxury product at the end of the day for some of these, and I'll give reason to that. Now first, this is one of my favorite watches that this brand makes. It's kind of that classic sector dial from the 1930s and 40s.

So many brands made—I mean every brand made kind of their sector dial—but Longine with their heritage, I mean, Ronson's 1830, they have the street cred to do it. They do! I mean there's a lot of brands that are just going to go ahead and say, “Hey, I'm going to put this out because it's popular right now.” This brand is never guilty of that because they have an archive that's as expansive as anybody.

It is very clean, very striking. Yeah, that's really nice! I got to put this piece on; it's almost… that bracelet's fantastic! The bracelet is fantastic! But it's a dress piece, so that's kind of why I like it. Now what is a modern dress watch? You know, like think about what that is, and now there’s a lot of that classic elegance; maybe it almost seems forced sometimes.

There's like that traditional classicism… oh, but I mean look at that, how it just drapes with the bracelet! Yeah, that is—I mean that really pops with the suit, right? It looks like I look spectacular with this on; it's ridiculous! Somebody's gotta watch them; you might walk out with that!

Wow, I mean that really looks—you know, I gotta tell you, it has eye candy appeal on the tray, but when you put it on, wow, the bracelet takes it to another level! Yeah, I think that's really something else! Gorgeous piece! Beautiful! Wow! Okay, 2100 bucks—it's going to be 2300 bucks for the bracelet.

Yeah, alright, what else do we got? So this is more of an aviation theme, similar price range; this is called their Spirit Collection. So this is available in stainless steel, multiple sizes, also in titanium. Now is that titanium? This is stainless steel here, so with the date. Now what do you recommend between steel and titanium if you can?

You're going to pay more for titanium; you're going to get more… Titanium? And you're going to have the wow appeal of titanium. Well with titanium I think it kind of matters on the application. So if I'm going for a dive watch, I care more about that because you're usually dealing with larger presence. Maybe a chronograph, for example, which we'll talk about a little bit later, it has more muted tones too.

Like on this you see, like, you know, it has, you know, the chamfering on the side and just kind of the polish elements. I have many titanium pieces, many steel, and they both have merit. This has much more flash and zing to it in with light, and this dial is also… I mean Longine makes some amazing bracelets! Look at that; that is just beautiful!

And these integrations are perfect; you know it's—that's lovely too! Chronometer certified, 2100 bucks! I mean, yeah, I mean even look at the brush finishing on the side of the case! I mean just—it's gorgeous! It's a well-finished watch! So that's where that dial is bluish-black. I see hints of green in it too, what do you think?

I think your eyes are messing with you! Really? I think it's just black! Just black? Well, I'm trying to add a little sex appeal right there! There you have it! It's very nice! Look, that is also very—it’s just down to business, right? It's aviation style. It's not forcing anything that it's not. Very clean! Very good! Very good!

Look, more of a sport vibe to it. Sure, and you get that—you get, you know, extended water resistance and that's—that's an everyday watch too! I think if you have a little bit more money to spend, you want to go next year from over here, I think it's a little more into more fashion-esque in some ways.

You know it's true; that's good! Okay, now this piece, there’s a lot of complications around here. I don't like to be overly emphatic, right? But I'm hard-pressed to think of another watch that's more complicated for the money and what you can get from a value perspective if you like complications!

Yeah, and how many does this have? Well, it’s a calendar and a chronograph, so a calendar chronograph. Let's change the sphere of how we use this! In other brands, these pieces go for a hundred thousand dollars! I just covered a Patek 5970 on the channel. Yeah, they don't make that anymore; you use a Lamonia based caliber and they use a professional mechanism.

This isn't not a perpetual, but that's a difference! But still, you're talking 160 to 170 thousand dollars! Right, that watch—3,325! Wow, okay, that's amazing! So that is tremendous value because you're right, you can't get anywhere near this! That, a chronograph for one, I'd say one of the most overlooked ideas in watchmaking is how difficult it is to make a proper chronograph!

Also with the thickness, I mean look at that—you have a perpetual or you have an annual calendar. How large is the style on this? It's very, that I believe 41 on this because it's very friendly on the wrist! Yeah, pretty compact as well! The bracelet does just kind of drape over the wrist straight down.

I mean this is a very sophisticated look when you get something like this with all these complications. People are going to glaze down at your wrist and say, “Wow, what is that?” Because there's a lot going on here yet it's a beautiful dial! This is probably the best value on this tray right now! I think so.

Yeah, I think so! Yeah, I mean it's really, really beautiful! Now having said that, I got to make a choice here and I'm going to write a ranking. Okay, I like this! We're going to trade by trade.

Now I know I'm going to rank this—I was—this was interesting to me until I put it on my wrist and it became number one! This is one hell of a watch! I mean it is just—this is a spectacular piece, and I’ll tell you why. It's very unique. When you're buying watches, if this is your first watch, you want a striking dial; you buy for dial!

That's what you do; something that... and this is, this is elegant, it's sophisticated, it's beautiful and it's unique and it's an amazing price! That’d be my choice as well! Yeah, despite, yeah, good value here; it's where did the... is taking you going?

I'm going here for number two because it's just, just tremendous value! It's ridiculous value; it's fantastic value! You can't beat it, and it's a beautiful striking dial! It really pops! Beautiful contrast! Easy to read the time, even though it's loaded with complications!

I love complications too! So that's number two! And number three, but there's nothing wrong with this! We can fight about whether it's a green or black dial! But you know, I like it! Let's get some close-ups on this one; we got to put this direct. You know, but it's, it's sort of, it's nice but it's number three!

I just, I can't talk enough about this piece! I mean this is really off; it's also available in silver too! What would the price be on that? Same! It's a little bit cheaper because not on the bracelet! If you go for the conventional strap, it's 2100 bucks!

Anyways, you know, I don't get emotionally involved too often but this piece is unbelievable! I mean just, I’m glad you like that! I'm actually surprised! I thought you were going to think that was too... just no! It's traditional, not going to be free! It shows you how broad the brand is; it can give you all these different looks; it's fantastic!

Now let’s go a little more upscale here, right? Let’s do it! Yeah, well I think we’re kind of in the same range, but we're up above two thousand dollars into, you know, the five thousand dollar range. So this is the watch I just saw today. I didn't even! Me too! I've never seen that piece!

So apparently it's honoring Lindbergh and the transatlantic flight—right here! That's Howard Hughes! Oh sorry, Howard, never mind! You get the aviation! You know he kind of looks like him! What the hell? I mean he's got the leather hat… you know the leather hat, the kind of the hair jumping out of the cockpit! What can you do?

So I mean this is basically used for navigating on these transatlantic flights. So this is, you're supposed to put this on a map? Yes! It's like a 180-degree view! You put this on a map and it will help you with navigation, which is kind of a concept!

It's got the hatchback case back too so you can see the movement! Now the challenge for me is look at the size of the dial here! It's broad! You know, and I'm not against this! I do wear pieces this large; I mean you're really making a statement! You're wearing a wall clock on your wrist. But this is a beautiful dial!

It's got all the classic elements to it—you know, Roman numerals! I mean, just beautiful! A lot going on here! And this back is very interesting! I don't know if I have the nails for it but there's a little, little—and you can open the back right there! You got the nails there! Yeah! Look at that! Isn't that cool?

It's got a—this is the elements of a pocket watch from way back and a description of the piece inside inscribed! Beautiful! Beautiful! What's the price on this, Teddy? I think it's right on 5—five thousand dollars! Amazing! Now if you, you know, the funny thing is I've been seeing women wear dials this size now, oversized like crazy!

I think it’s a good look! I like it! You know, I like it! My wife has been stealing my watches and my big ones and just getting the bands reduced in size and then losing the links and saying, “Oh my goodness!” Oh sorry, Kevin! Yeah, sorry!

Alright, what else do you have here? Now, the next two are ones that I thought were going to be these are slam dunks! These are Kevin O'Leary watches I've ever seen them! So the first one here, this is the Avigation Big Eye! So maybe the best value for a chronograph from a Swiss watchmaking perspective, and I say that for two reasons.

One is again the idea of Longine having access to these movements. This is a column wheel chronograph movement that you're getting for just north of three thousand dollars which is remarkable! It's so well finished grade five titanium and they call this petroleum blue with that dial and I thought if I had to pick one of these dials, I'm like, “Kevin’s going to go for this!”

Yeah, this is the one you’re right! But it’s not just the blue! I mean the blue is spectacular! It's so… that gradient! Just, yeah, in fact. But working with the you know this titanium in a subtle way but also look at the design of that dial! It's just so… they call it the Big Eye, and the reason they call it the Big Eye is because of that sub-register at the three o'clock.

So that's going to be easy indication in an aviation-type environment to track that. Yeah, that is really—that's a really—I mean it's a gorgeous piece and you can get, you know, the great thing about this is a sports piece but very elegant too and blue is so on trend these days! It's just blue is just not stopping.

What do you think about the weight too? Like just grab me one of the stainless steel pieces and grab that! That's a chronograph! And they just pick something up! Yeah, big difference! I love the lightness of it! Also, it's not oversized yet it's got a lot going on. Forty-one? Yeah, very wearable!

Pricing, what's the price again? 32.25! That's incredible value! Incredible value! Gorgeous! And you're right! I like the blue; that's, you know, the hands on this have great contrast against the blue which is usually an issue when you’re talking about kind of that faux lume effect but it works because you're gonna just look, glance over and you'll definitely get it and that's a problem in a lot of pieces!

That's gorgeous! What do we have here? So if you have to think about the poster child of the heritage collection for Longine, it's probably this family watch; this is the Legend Diver! So this is known as a compressor case. So back in like the 1960s there’s a company called EPSA; they make all these cases for all these brands—one of them was Longine!

And the two things around it that made it special was how it was able to achieve its water resistance rating. So the compressor style, it's almost like a sandwich; and as you go down to greater depths, it compresses the case! So it's using the actual pressure of being underwater as a benefit to be more water resistant to have a seal!

So that's the one that's just rated down to—this is 300 meters! Whoa! And the other thing is I’m not down to 300 very often; people are ridiculous when they say like 100 meters isn't enough; it's nonsense! No one's going to use this for full capacity! But the other thing that's cool about it is it has the tool—two crowns!

Yeah, and one’s going to be for rotating that bezel at the two o'clock point of that bezel. When you're dealing with time-lapse bezels back in the day before diving computers, this is a matter of life or death! You don't even know how long your dives are. This is really interesting in terms of how this is mounted.

It's, it's got a very flat… um? Yeah! It's thin! Yeah, it is! Faceted case! Listen, very interesting dial actually again with good contrast, so you can see this—it probably has a good luminosity underwater! Yes! And what that one is going for is kind of that tropical dial! So if you've ever seen those really aged dive watches that have just been in the sun like hell and they've just been kind of aged that way, that's what that one's going for which I think they did a nice job!

It doesn't look forced! And price again, Teddy! 2300 incredible! It's got a great sports vibe to it but very clean! I mean they've—this brand has done a really good job with its styles! I mean obviously they’ve got the history to know what works! But some of these, particularly the newer pieces are stunning!

And I can honestly—I think you have definitive watch of this style here for the price! Definitive watch for the price! I mean, definitive here! I mean it’s just, it’s tough! But let’s rank these top 10! I like—so you know it’s obvious! This has to be number one!

And there’s this style is just—I thought that was going to be your number one! Yeah, it's 10 out of 10! In terms of just a really well-designed dial that's—yeah, that really pops! I mean it’s got a beautiful view! So that's number one! Now, this is a little eclectic! I mean this is a pocket watch on a strap in some ways! But with the heritage and the mapping and all that—I mean, it’s, you know, it’s got a really good story! And I love dials with stories!

I mean you could talk about this for half an hour, sure! I mean, you know Lindbergh gets off the plane and says, “I need to redesign a watch that works with my map when I'm flying.” I mean that's basically what happened here. It's gorgeous; it’s a beautiful piece!

The only thing that you would say negative, if you're not into really large format, this isn't going to work for you! But large format, you know, has become very accepted! And—and I said earlier for women's fashion as well! And what's the intended purpose, right? If you're talking about an aviation watch, you need to be able to see it! You need it—it makes sense!

Again, they've done an amazing job on the contrast; you can just, you know, the way you test contrast is don’t glass the watch, the side of the of your site; and if you could immediately read the time, they've done a fantastic job of contrast! And certainly, that's the case here! And lastly, this tropical thing you talked about—I like it a lot!

You know, it's not as much for me because I prefer if you're going to go red, go red! Like, this is sort of I need to get some different dial colors for you! Yeah! I mean, you know, this is sort of toffee, reddish kind of thing! But I don't mind it! It’s actually a beautiful case! There's no question! Steel just—it’s well polished! Beautiful!

They have that in bronze too, which is pretty interesting! That is interesting! Bronze with that same dial—they have a variety of different dials! Okay, because that would be a nice marriage! And that's a great piece! But you know, it's gonna be number one; you can't go wrong with that!

Number two! I mean you know the history of this piece, and it's—I don't know, I'm warming up to it even as I hold it! It's sort of maybe, you know, could it get to number one? And then number three! I mean, you know I like it but you know, can't love everything!

You have a winner on the entire table! What's the number, Teddy? I gotta do it? Yeah, it’s tough! I'd pick mine if you pick yours! I will pick mine! Okay! Um, yeah! I'm gonna go with this! That wasn't gonna be my pick too!

Yeah, I mean this just for the value and how elegant that is! This just—I do a review every single year about my just top watches of the year and I do stuff that's just more like by category! But then I do my own personal favorites like regardless of price, whatever! I liked two years in a row! Last year was the silver again; that's going to be on the list with the black!

Yeah, and this and the silver version has the same bracelet and silver as well! I don't believe it's actually available in the bracelet but it is available on the strap! I have not seen it on the bracelet! Yeah, but you can get silver; this is steel! Yes, I mean wow! It’s just—it's a stunner! Winner! Winner! Winner!

And you just know when you put on your wrist it just explodes to the upside! I mean this thing just, look at that! Anyways, Teddy, it’s been great! You always bring so much knowledge, particularly in the most important area of entry-level pieces! Because if you're going to get into watch collecting, I never want you ever to spend money you don't have!

It's a disease! It's very horrible and I have it! But luckily I make a ton of money so that's okay! But this is the way to go! This is the way to start, and I think it’s—you've done a masterful job here and you’ve really got breadth to the line! And so just scratching the surface!

Yeah, I think Jean, thank you very much! This has been absolutely amazing! You know, Teddy, I got to tell you, there's something for everybody in this collection! That's right! And in watches! Until next time, Mr. Wonderful! Bye-bye Teddy! Thank you so much! Always a pleasure!

Take care, everybody! I want it loose though because it's got a bracelet type thing on it! I mean, I'm going to wear this thing out today! I like it! Just love it! Looks great with the attire today too! I'm buying it! It happens to me every time! It happens to me every time I go shopping with Teddy! I end up with another bad influence!

It's very bad influence! This is going to be in my collection today, and I'm going to make sure they make me a red band so I can wear it on Shark Tank as well! Talk about a dress piece! Like wow, what a dial I got on it! That's what happens; it's all about the dial! It's always about the dial! When you get something unique, I don't have anything like this in my collection! That's why I'm buying it! I'm adding dial breath diversity! Stunning! Beautiful!