So about dem watches...

[Zero_Time]

Always liked watches, but never had the pocketbook for them (not that I REALLY do now, but if I scrounge...). So, just a few questions here. First, I have been to timezone.com, but that's a little TOO out of my range... besides, seeing posts like "So I can get around a $10,000 watch this month- what should I buy?" [emphasis added] sorta gets me a little envious :grumpy:. Anyhow, I've got a relatively good looking watch for dress up occasions, but I don't wear it because... well, the same reason I can't get an iphone. That baby would be SO dead after a week of edc... So, my question is: I'm looking for a beater watch. However, I would prefer it to be "nicer", i.e., if I end up talking to a pretty lady, she ain't just gonna see "timex" on my wrist. So: what's a good watch for this? I'd prefer a chrono, and I swim, so good water resistance is a must (I prefer over the standard 50/100 meters), and lets say under $1000, new or used. The lower the better (e.g., $1000 REALLY pushes it), but those Omega Seamasters have REALLY strained my common sense. Additional questions:
1. Is a midpriced ($100-$500) auto or mechanical REALLY worth it, when considering the expense to clean and maintain (something like a Hamilton khaki is what I mean).
2. Just for fun, which movement out of any watch would you choose if you were to be marooned indefinitely? Are there any good reliable mechanicals/automatics that can be maintained without too much expertise indefinitely?

 

[Gollnick]

and I swim, so good water resistance is a must (I prefer over the standard 50/100 meters),

Keep in mind that watches are removable. It is not necessary to wear the thing 24/7, when swimming, etc. Keep in mind that watches with higher depth ratings tend to get larger and take on that military/diving watch look. Watches made for diving tend to have big dials with big hands and numbers for easy reading which may not necessarily be the look you're after every day. Depth is also in opposition to features such as chronographs which require external controls meaning more protrusions through the case.

 

[Cougar Allen]

Seiko & Citizen mechanicals are designed to run for a long time without any maintenance, and then be replaced. They'll often run twenty years or more without ever being opened up, and then suddenly blargh it's ded. (see illustration)

High-end Swiss watches are designed to run for generations IF you have them expensively serviced every four or five years. They're kind of like vampires -- they can remain undead for more than a human lifespan but only by feeding on your blood....

Based on what you've posted the guys at Time Zone would tell you to look at Invicta -- cheap Asian Rolex clones. You might have a look at Seikos too.

 

[xxguitarist]

I'd look at a seiko or pulsar- I'm in the same heavy use category as you, i believe. I have a slim seiko for dress, and a pulsar chrono for everyday wear. I get compliments on it, despite the <$200 price tag.
(as i just posted in the edc gear thread)

 

[Zero_Time]

Excellent responses, Gollnick, and Cougar Allen (love the explanatory cat pictures.).
Gollnick, I guess I just kept poring over seamasters with chronos that have 600 m water resistance, and thought that was true of every watch. Good point. Tactical/diving watch look? That don't matter much to me. If I really care, I could get some thin skagen/plain hamilton khaki field (the cheap one), and replace it with the monster watch after a bit. Also, if I'm getting something hardcore, it must stay with me. Besides, I'll lose it otherwise . But I would take it off at the pool- it's those random "let's go skinny dip" in the semi-dark with an attractive female companion moments I would worry about.

Cougar, very good guess about the invicta. I guess, the thing is, that's like telling me to get a toyota, when my friends are into American-made trucks. I have no doubts about capabilities, but it is missing that... soul... that people at TZ refer to in reference to their watches (apparently they haven't ever heard your vampire example!). If I was going to go for a non-prestige brand, then I'd probably get seiko or citizen over invicta. It's better to be proudly blue collar than to be caught with a collar painted half-white. I had really been leaning towards a Hamilton Khaki Navy model, but how much DOES maintenance (servicing) run on those things? I've read the primer on doing your own watch work, and chronos do make it harder... so self-maintenance is a no. I would be fine with a dedicated hard use/military/little known brand that is considered GOOD somewhere, and isn't a fake aspiration brand.
Oh, and otherwise, I'd like a date window at least, (My head don't work that way) and probably anything over 42 mm is a little too big for me.


Appreciate the help and honest advice guys.
Zero

 

[Cougar Allen]

The denizens of timezone don't talk about the cost of maintenance much because they are under the vampires' spell!

Seiko makes some very cool watches that are not copies of anything. There are others.... You might have a look at the Seiko & Citizen forum and also www.broadarrow.net for more choices.

If you find yourself visiting timezone again the Vintage forum is much more friendly to those who don't have an unlimited supply of blood to spare.

 

[m_calingo]

1. Is a midpriced ($100-$500) auto or mechanical REALLY worth it, when considering the expense to clean and maintain (something like a Hamilton khaki is what I mean).

Isn't that sort of like asking if a BMW or Sebenza is worth it?

2. Just for fun, which movement out of any watch would you choose if you were to be marooned indefinitely?

Honestly, if I found myself stuck on an island, the matter of whether my watch worked or not would be the last of my worries.

Now, if the island were large enough that the issue of navigation might be an issue, I would prefer to have a watch with an analog face, as this could be used, in conjunction with the sun, to determinte direction (north, east, south, west).

I will second the suggestion for the Seiko or Pulsar. I own a Seiko quartz chronograph. It's not a Rolex, or Omega, or any of the other brands that run in the the thousands, as opposed to hundreds of dollars. However, it keeps kick ass accurate time, looks good with a polo shirt, or a suit, and didn't cost me a fortune. Sure, it may not have the panache of the more expensive watches, but I can live with that.

As others here say, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

 

[Zero_Time]

xxGuitarist, thanks for the reply. I will check out the pulsars, among the others. By the way, do you know if they come with sapphire or mineral crystal? Cuz I know I will scratch anything to hell that isn't sapphire... had some watches bite the dust from inability to see them, and I was unsure if I saw any models with sapphire.

 

[xxguitarist]

xxGuitarist, thanks for the reply. I will check out the pulsars, among the others. By the way, do you know if they come with sapphire or mineral crystal? Cuz I know I will scratch anything to hell that isn't sapphire... had some watches bite the dust from inability to see them, and I was unsure if I saw any models with sapphire.

Glad to try & help.
I do not know the material of the crystal, however I can say that the bezel on mine is slightly raised at the 60 and 30 markers( to a lesser degree on the others) & the metal has started to wear down, but the face is not scratched at all. I have, however, managed to chip it in one place.
Its a solid watch, I dont hesitate to wear it surfing, hiking, mountain biking, or pulling weekend duty at habitat for humanity (or doing work around my house)
Keeps time great, also.
date is not perpetual, must reset on the first if the month doesnt have 31 days.
The chrono on mine is incriments of 1/10th second, seconds, and minutes.

Also, consider that at the price point of a pulsar, you can replace it ~ 5x as often as a $1000 watch, and still wind up spending less.

 

[Zero_Time]

LONG post- mostly from quotes. Scroll to where your name is mentioned to see my response.

Isn't that sort of like asking if a BMW or Sebenza is worth it?

Well, perhaps, but I've never heard of people needing to spend a few hundred dollars to MAINTAIN their Sebenza, or over 1/4 the cost of a BMW just to maintain it. If maintenance is $150, $200 or more a year, then doesn't maintenance outstrip actual cost in 12-15 years? That doesn't sound like a good investment at all- why not bite the bullet and get something more expensive if it will cost the same (maintenance) in the end anyway?

Honestly, if I found myself stuck on an island, the matter of whether my watch worked or not would be the last of my worries.

Now, if the island were large enough that the issue of navigation might be an issue, I would prefer to have a watch with an analog face, as this could be used, in conjunction with the sun, to determinte direction (north, east, south, west).

Yeah, well, I like theoretical situations . Also, I spent a little TOO much time reading about all that Bo Gritz stuff in the '80s/soviet special forces who are god knows where, believing the cold war is still ongoing, and wondering what watch would be best suited for this... so much interesting stuff happened before I was aware/born!

I will second the suggestion for the Seiko or Pulsar. I own a Seiko quartz chronograph. It's not a Rolex, or Omega, or any of the other brands that run in the the thousands, as opposed to hundreds of dollars. However, it keeps kick ass accurate time, looks good with a polo shirt, or a suit, and didn't cost me a fortune. Sure, it may not have the panache of the more expensive watches, but I can live with that.
As others here say, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Duly noted. The radar is switching onto the seiko/pulsar products.

The denizens of timezone don't talk about the cost of maintenance much because they are under the vampires' spell!
Seiko makes some very cool watches that are not copies of anything. There are others.... You might have a look at the Seiko & Citizen forum and also www.broadarrow.net for more choices.

If you find yourself visiting timezone again the Vintage forum is much more friendly to those who don't have an unlimited supply of blood to spare.

Oh well, thanks for the advice Cougar. I know I will return to TZ one day... but that day, I will be the one asking about whether I should get the Patek, or get a custom with tourbillon made in platinum with ivory, and diamonds, and the blood of innocent children... Anyhow, I do look at the vintage watches, and don't hold anything against TZ members, even the ridiculously rich ones. They just give me motivation.

Glad to try & help.
I do not know the material of the crystal... Also, consider that at the price point of a pulsar, you can replace it ~ 5x as often as a $1000 watch, and still wind up spending less.

Yeah, all points that are duly noted. Sigh. I think part of this is I saw someone had posted something (don't know where) about how women look at watches; it roughly went cheap/poor (Timex, etc.) average joe (citizen, etc.) and wealthy (and good to go for) (Omega, Rolex, etc.). Then again, if a woman is spending that much time looking at my wrist, I'm not doing my job . All advice is appreciated, and thanks again.
Zero

 

[Cougar Allen]

If you look closely you'll see it's the young men who live in several places on the Asian Pacific Rim -- Taiwan, Singapore, etc. -- who say the girls notice their watches. There's probably some truth to that, in certain circles in those places. Here in America, though, millionaires are frequently seen wearing G-Shocks, and mating dances use different steps and different music.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

i have two hamilton's, one automatic, that i have been happy with. both are khaki models and within your price range.

 

[DEA]

if they're noticing the watches, it's probably because the charm is lacking
by young, i think you mean the pre-20s crowd, because no guy in his right mind will base a watch purchase based on "how well it attracts women"
cougar, we're not ALL that different once we grow up ^ ^

 

[Cougar Allen]

Here in America some young fellows buy a fancy car (or build a hot rod) hoping it will be a chick magnet, and to some extent, in some circles, it works.

 

[Cougar Allen]

P.S. If you really want to make a good impression on American girls wear some nice shoes. Not necessarily expensive, but tasteful. None of the other guys know that so if you do you'll stand out.

 

[Gollnick]

Here in America, though, millionaires are frequently seen wearing G-Shocks...

Outside of very elite circles in America, nobody knows watches. Everyone knows Rolex... and, when they see someone wearing one, they assume it's a fake because 99.95% of them are... even O.J. Simpson wears one. But Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin... people assume that these are just cheap store brands. And Zenith makes TV sets, right? The problem is that the cheap store brands ghost the upscale brands -- not actually copying, but just ghosting -- and a watch is such a small thing that from five feet away, it's hard to tell what's what.

A watch is a small thing that very few people will ever look at close up, so it's a private thing.

 

[Eric J]

Seiko. That is about all you'll ever need. Get a diver and dive in!

 

[Zero_Time]

If you look closely you'll see it's the young men who live in several places on the Asian Pacific Rim [...] mating dances use different steps and different music.

Probably quite true; did not see the poster's locale at the time.

if they're noticing the watches, it's probably because the charm is lacking
by young, i think you mean the pre-20s crowd, because no guy in his right mind will base a watch purchase based on "how well it attracts women"
cougar, we're not ALL that different once we grow up ^ ^

Ahh. I think I perhaps overemphasized the "impress women" thing. I actually tend to have more than enough success, truth be told . It just sometimes happens that I get hit on by older women; they can be more selective (e.g., status-conscious cougars- an entirely different species than Allen! ), and it sometimes is worth drawing them in, for various reasons (in the future, it may have something to do with the vague references I make further down to hopeful future jobs below).

P.S. If you really want to make a good impression on American girls wear some nice shoes. Not necessarily expensive, but tasteful. None of the other guys know that so if you do you'll stand out.

Very good advice. I do tend to like nice yet quiet shoes. Again, I overemphasized "impressing women". I'll explain a little further on.

Outside of very elite circles in America, nobody knows watches. Everyone knows Rolex... and, when they see someone wearing one, they assume it's a fake because 99.95% of them are... even O.J. Simpson wears one. But Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin... people assume that these are just cheap store brands. And Zenith makes TV sets, right? The problem is that the cheap store brands ghost the upscale brands -- not actually copying, but just ghosting -- and a watch is such a small thing that from five feet away, it's hard to tell what's what.
A watch is a small thing that very few people will ever look at close up, so it's a private thing.

Now, that starts to get a little closer to what I'm after. Outside very elite circles, it doesn't matter. Completely true. However, I sometimes find myself in those circles. Case in point, a month and a half ago, I was in Monterey for the historic car races. Talked to a very nice englishman who was racing there. He had TWO 1930s era Bentley Blowers... worth about $4 mil a piece. He had a Breitling (I, of course, noted that Breitling and Bentley have partnered together), and obviously knew nice things. Nothing came of it (no job prospects unfortunately ), but the year beforehand, I was at Pebble Beach Concours D'elegance... And I DID get into some very personable conversations with people who were exhibiting. Also, the field I wish to go into at this point is, at certain levels, almost completely composed of this consumerati (consumers that are composed of/are as powerful as the illuminati, and have VERY discriminating tastes). So, in the future, having a nice watch might very well make an important impression. But right now, I suppose it doesn't really matter that much. Women at my age care more about my hair, eyes, and emotional availability or the way they feel when they're with me (those last two I suspect are important at any age really). Anyway, well, thanks for making me feel better. I probably WILL buy into the IWC crowd at some point, but only when the benefits/necessity is more readily apparent. Thanks everyone for assuaging my fears and pocketbook. This way, I can save more, invest more, and have more sharp pointy things in the near future .
Zero

 

[Chadilac]

For the money, the Seiko divers (take your pic) and Citizen Eco drives are great, or look at Seiko 5 models. Most of them are under $100 and are reliable automatics...

 

[ChadHahn]

The manufacturers say that you should have the watch serviced every 4 years or so. Generally this costs less than a few hundred dollars. Rolex makes it hard to get done cheaply so it costs more like $400.

A lot of people say that you should wait until the watch acts up until it gets serviced. That could be 20 years or more.

Hamiltons are made by the same company that owns Omega, Swatch, and they use a lot of the same movements only with less things done to them.

Chad