I actually own both of those watches (although my santos 100 is not XL; its a standard sized gold/steel model) and of the two I'd say I wear the Tank a bit more. It's a very sleek looking watch and very versatile as it looks great with a suit or a pair of jeans; if you only have one nice watch it is very important that it can be worn a lot.

People on the forums have recommended Panerais and personally, I would avoid buying one. I like them a lot, but they're extrememly trendy right now, and likely won't remain as desirable in years to come. They're very much a fashion watch (as many would argue cartiers are), but all of their designs are almost exactly the same and eventually they will go out of fashion. Cartier Tanks have been a great watch for many years and you'll love it.

Personally, I would see if I could get something secondhand on timezone.com or check out collectorstime.com Collectorstime is a malaysian shop which has great deals and the guy is extremely reputable (google zeetan for references).

It is really nice getting something unique, but at the 5,000$ range you won't find much better than a Cartier Tank (esp something which will retain value). You'd be stuck with a Panerai Logo at that price (which is an awesome watch but it is their base model).

Check out Nomos watches; they're very reasonably priced and really an excellent value. Unlike cartier, panerai, breitling (and most of the bigger watch brands) they don't buy their movements from Swatch (they own ETA and Valjoux , and are the largest movement maker in the world by far). If a watch house makes their own movements it is typically a sign that they are serious watchmakers and worth purchasing.

Rolex and TR are not even in the same class.

I have yet to see guys wearing puffy jackets and R&R jeans with Rolex's :troll: .

Update ! so I finally got my watch ! Its the Cartier Tank. I pick it from the duty free across the boarder for $4500 with discount, after tax is a litte over $5000. Overall I am very happy with the watch ! Thanks guys for all ur input !

+100 on this. No doubt it's a great peice of machinery with loads of heritage, but it's too played out with people buying it merely for the brand name, while being totally ignorant in knowing and appreciating what makes a Rolex so good in the first place.

Along the similar vein, why Top Gear says Audi's (formerly BMW) are driven by "cocks." They don't buy them because they are good cars, they buy them as a status symbol just to flaunt and show off.

IMHO the Grand Seiko is the complete opposite of the Rolex. It's superbly built and priced as such, but is super understated; only people who know and appreciate watch craftsmanship will recognize it. It is the 'anti' rolex.

Also as an additional note, trying to get a crocodile strap across the border is a b*tch. My Zenith was held in customs for 3-4 weeks because of the strap. Most of my watches are on a metal bracelet, but a leather strap is a must for a dress watch for me.

If you want real flashy and fancy ones, try bvlgari. But I recommend a G-Shock, durable, cheap for a watch, and in style.