Does this watch exist?

Planterz

Planterz

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I want to get rid of my beat up old Wenger SAW and get a "real" watch.

Here's what I want:

Analog
Chronometer
Some sort of perpetual winding or power (like Citizen ECO Drive)
Tritium or Luminox other sort of continual glowing (not light-charged glow in the dark or Indiglo)
30-35mm case
Less than, say...$500.

The biggest caveat seems to be the 30mm case. I can find watches up the wazoo in 40mm cases like this. The thing is, I have very skinny wrists. I can wrap my thumb and index finger arond it and they touch. A friend of mine has a Citizen Skyhawk, and putting this on my wrist looks like I'm wearing a wall clock. The face is taller than my wrist is wide. The Luminox SEAL type watches are too big too.

I'm flexible with a couple things. If it's battery powered, that's OK. I could probably go a bit up on the price if it has everything I want, but not much more. It'd also be nice if it had a month/day date (or at least a weekday/day), but that's not a huge thing. I like the Aviator style, especially with a thin crown. I'd be really cool if the face was carbon fiber. I'd prefer stainless over titanium because of scratches.

Suggestions?
 
If by "chronometer" you mean a COSC certified watch, then I believe it will be hard to find one at $500 or less, as the fee for the testing/certification process adds to the price. :(

Kristofer
 
A 35mm case won't be too hard to find. Are you looking for a chronometer, or a chronograph? To get everything you want for $500 or less will prove to be tough. If you can live without the tritium, Seiko has a lot to offer.

Paul
 
Er, chronograph. Stopwatch. Whatever. :footinmou

I guess all watches are chronometers...
 
Chronometers go through a rigorous accuracy testing regimen at COSC, and that makes them $$$.

I suggest you go hang out at http://www.pmwf.com for a while. That's the "Poor Mans Watch Forum", and you'll see all kinds of stuff in your price range there.

In short, though, your exact watch might not exist. Tritium lit watches are really only made by one company - Traser or "H3". They manufacture all the tritium watches sold under other labels (other than mil watches). I don't think they currently make a chronograph (stopwatch).

If you are willing to forego the tritium, you have MANY more options - which you can explore on the PMWF.

If you are willing to go vintage, many older mechanical chronograps are around 36mm or so - the "Big Watch" thing is a fairly new phenomena.

If you want new, there are still options - although a new mechanical chrono might push your price up to $650 or so.

Good Luck!

Regards,

Jeremy
 
Omega Speed Masters are pretty small, my wife wears a red one all the time, she is about 5'5 and 110.
 
Tritium lit watches are really only made by one company - Traser or "H3". They manufacture all the tritium watches sold under other labels
Click to expand...

Although Traser is the only company that makes watches using tritium gas vials, there are numerous others using tritium paint. "H3" is the abbreviation for tritium (aka Hydrogen 3) and is not a brand name.
 
This might be about as close as you're going to get (it's a quartz :(). It's called the Ultimate Field Chronograph by Luminox. Watch is built like a tank and can be had for around $400-500 new.

Luminox_a.jpg
 
Ooops, sorry...double strike--neither a perpetuial power supply nor a 30-35mm size. Watch is over 40mm.

Should have reread your original post.
 
Cougar Allen said:
Although Traser is the only company that makes watches using tritium gas vials, there are numerous others using tritium paint. "H3" is the abbreviation for tritium (aka Hydrogen 3) and is not a brand name.
Click to expand...

Traser certainly does not make Ball Engineering watches. Nor do they make Marathons or Stocker and Yales (I suppose above poster was referring to them when he cited 'mil watches').

Yes, there are tritium gas vial illuminated automatic chronographs available. No, they are not $500 or cheaper.

As for the above pictured Luminox, its a solid watch. Just look at that awesome crown. But the vials are pathetically small for the size of the watch and unless you're in pitch dark for an hour, you'll wish you had something with super luminova instead. Also, I dare you to read the sub-dials. ;) I've owned this watch, sent it back because it was defective, and choose to receive a refund rather than a replacement.

Recent CPF thread on tritium watches

Mark
 
Luminox_c.jpg


While I wouldn't call this watch's trit-lume "pathetic" (at least as compaired to all other tritium vialed watches), I would agree that Superluminova paint is better for most all practical purposes.
 
I said pathetically SMALL and I stand by that opinion. Look at the size of the hour hand vial. Other non-Field series Luminoxes seem to have much larger vials for their dial size. I also prefer the vial configuration of the Marathons and some Luminoxes where they are arranged like spokes on a wheel rather than the rim of the wheel like this one.

But Luminox definitely gets two thumbs up for the nice sapphire crystal with AR coating on this Field chrono...

Just my 2 cents.

Oh and as for superluminova and wanting tritium, I think most people just haven't seen how much light a full charged Monster puts out. :eek:

Mark
 
Minjin said:
Traser certainly does not make Ball Engineering watches. Nor do they make Marathons or Stocker and Yales
Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with me that a simple brain transplant won't fix.... :footinmou
 
Actually, H3 is now a brand name, as I believe Traser has changed their name to H3.

Minjin, I know that Ball, Marathon, S&Y, et. al. are not made by Traser, but I do think that the vials they utilize are made by Traser.

IMHO Balls are also Fugly, at least the canteen models.

Regards,

Jeremy
 
30mm? jeesh, go do some wrist curls,no offense meant, but 30mm is miniscule. Lower some of the requirements,and maybe get a ladies luminox.
 
hamachikama said:
30mm? jeesh, go do some wrist curls,no offense meant, but 30mm is miniscule. Lower some of the requirements,and maybe get a ladies luminox.
Click to expand...

Well wrist curls won't give you a big wrist. They might give you big forearms though. ;)
Wrist size is very much tied to bone structure and your natural build. You might change it a little, but not enough to matter.

On topic: I just got a very nice watch which doesn't meet your requirements anyway, but it's a 33mm case and is too small for me... it works both ways. :(
 
As best as I can tell, no, there isn't any watch that gives you all the features that you want. Unless you get something custom made up, there are no watches that combine a solar/kinetic movement with tritium vial hands. I have had several watches with tritium painted hands and was not really impressed. Any of the modern Seikos Chronos, and most of the Citizens, with Lumibrite/Super Luminova markings are brighter and easier to read. The tritium paint does glow, but very faintly and was only useful to me in a VERY dark room.

Here is a Citizen 31mm Quartz Chrono.

This 'tank' style Pulsar is narrow enough, but you would need to get Everest Watch Works or IWW to lume the hands and face for you. http://www.bluedial.com/PF3055.htm
 
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