# Lancaster watches



## tomdanz13

I haven't been able to find much information on this brand and I was hoping someone could give me some info. Specifically, I am thinking of purchasing the Lancaster 440. Can someone please give me some information about this watch and how well I could dress it up/down?


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## Watchbreath

It's not in their website, so I'm assuming it's out of production. Where did you see it?


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## tomdanz13

I found it on eBay.


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## Watchbreath

Yep, it's amazing what you'll find there.


tomdanz13 said:


> I found it on eBay.


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## StufflerMike

I always shrink back when reading advertisements like that:

"LANCASTER 440 SS SL/NR Chronograph Men's Watch
Retails $1,100 Made In Italy 100% Authentic Brand New"

What the h... makes a quartz chrono made in Italy a 1.100 Dollar watch ? What ?


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## Seele

stuffler said:


> I always shrink back when reading advertisements like that:
> 
> "LANCASTER 440 SS SL/NR Chronograph Men's Watch
> Retails $1,100 Made In Italy 100% Authentic Brand New"
> 
> What the h... makes a quartz chrono made in Italy a 1.100 Dollar watch ? What ?


Zimbabwean dollars :-d


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## handles63

Lancaster was started by swiss watchmakers as a new watch brand in the early 90s but soon focused on building a "Made in Italy" watch brand. An interesting concept as italy and mechanical precision don't go together which is probably why they have stuck exclusively to quartz movements. Their focus is on designing elegant and unusual watch case and dials based on the best chrono and single function quartz movements. In many ways their approach is similar to the swiss and american wristwatch industries of the early twentieth century where case and dial designers put mass produced swiss movements into their designs and put their name on it.

Their high end ranges use swiss made ETA and Ronda Quartz movements and their sports chronos are either Seiko or Citizen Quartz movements depending on the functionality and sub dial positioning.

I recently bought a Lancaster sports chrono by accident (yes by accident it was late and I thought I was bidding on a Seiko I was trying to snaffle cheaply) and I will be very interested to check out the build quality and feel (before listing it on ebay) when it arrives. The high res photos (probably from a marketing brochure) give me confidence that the watch is good quality outside and knowing that it is a Seiko or Citizen quartz I am happy with what is on the inside. I would keep it but it is a little flashy for my taste.

In my view if you can pick one up for around US$150 to US$200 they are worth the money if you like the look of the watch.

Is this the watch






if it is I don't think it is a swiss quartz movement as the models that do have them have swiss movement on the bottom of the dial. It is a Citizen or a Seiko quartz.


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## StufflerMike

handles63 said:


> -----
> Their high end ranges use swiss made ETA and Ronda Quartz movements and their sports chronos are either Seiko or Citizen Quartz movements depending on the functionality and sub dial positioning----


High end ? Please elaborate. Thermo compensated quartz movements ?


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## handles63

stuffler said:


> High end ? Please elaborate. Thermo compensated quartz movements ?


By High End I meant the more expensive models. It would seem in the "Fashion Watch" market that Swiss Made still holds some currency even when it comes to Quartz movements. Personally I would always go Seiko for quartz movements but I have stripped and reassembled a couple of cal 1365 9jewel Omega quartz movements which are beautifully crafted (also very simple in function) so I do own a couple of watches with this movement in them.


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## Phox

Thanks guys, useful information (as always on this site - so useful for a budding watch enthusiast to have such a helpful site).


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## Phox

handles63 said:


> By High End I meant the more expensive models. It would seem in the "Fashion Watch" market that Swiss Made still holds some currency even when it comes to Quartz movements. Personally I would always go Seiko for quartz movements but I have stripped and reassembled a couple of cal 1365 9jewel Omega quartz movements which are beautifully crafted (also very simple in function) so I do own a couple of watches with this movement in them.


Absolutely agree re Seiko quartz movements (incredibly accurate and totally reliable) and good to know re the Omega ones, as I'm planning to buy a Seamaster Titane.


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