Are you on Timezone, Ed??
I love being on that forum, except when looking at OTHER peoples' A. Langes and Pateks!!
I agree with you except for the 'off the shelf' movt part. Rolex makes their own movements, like Seiko, except for their chronographs, I believe, which are Valjoux. Also, ETA movts come in different grades, the cheapest movts going to Swatch and the mid-high end movts to Omega...the finishing and accuracy can vary greatly depending on what grade it is.
I'm not sure he's looking for a watch in Grand Seiko territory, just going by the ESQs he's considering. Sinn is a very good watch for the $$....I love their 756 Diapal...