I don't abuse watches. Even in the sand box. Don't know anyone who did. Having said that, I've been collecting watches long enough to see plenty that have been abused having never been anywhere near the sand box. We have no idea if the OP will or will not abuse his watch.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Watches: Citizen Eco-Drive BM8180-03E vs. Seiko 5 SNK809 (or other recommendation)
- Thread starter jmflem
- Start date
I have that Citizen and I like it a lot. It is less than a year old so I can't comment on longevity. One of the considerations for me was the 100m WR rating, since my older watch, rated 30m, was showing moisture in it when anywhere near water. The diameter is 37mm, which is small by today's standards, but subjectively it looks much bigger than my 35mm Caravelle, probably because the bezel (terminology?) is narrow and the face is large. I have skinny wrists and it's about the limits of what I would wear. On the plus side the face is really easy to read and the luminous markings are bright. I note that the Seiko is 13mm thick, which sounds huge. The canvas strap is stiff and uncomfortable and an ugly green color (see Amazon comments). I replaced it with a NATO strap which fits better.
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2010
- Messages
- 8,721
Last time I checked my sink wasn't 30 meters deep....
Read this long post about actual water resistance testing and meanings...
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f281/water-resistance-myth-vs-reality-239664.html
-Xander
The Seiko 5 in the last couple of years has come quite often with the see-thru caseback.
No abusing will be done to my watch. Just normal use. Now you have an idea :thumbup:.
I have an Orange Monster and a 5 on a Nato strap. The Monster is abt 10 yrs old and keeps better time than my Rolex GMT; the 5 is 2 yrs old and DN accurate. My only complaint is the lack of a manual wind and hack
feature but these are small complaints considering the sub-$100 price tag for each. Sadly, the Monster in this configuration is NLA but the 7s26 caliber is an absolute tank. I'm sure the Citizen is a fine timepiece
but personal experience will keep me buying Seiko should I ever need a replacement.
feature but these are small complaints considering the sub-$100 price tag for each. Sadly, the Monster in this configuration is NLA but the 7s26 caliber is an absolute tank. I'm sure the Citizen is a fine timepiece
but personal experience will keep me buying Seiko should I ever need a replacement.
An example of needing to quote in context:
The case back is one of the reasons I told him that the Seiko 5s are about the only thing close to his criteria within his budget.
Last edited:
jmflem, there is really nothing more anyone can provide you in the way of information or recommendations or pros and cons. Now it's up to you to decide. You'll now have to narrow the field, analyze each option, compare the options with each other, and decide. Your money. Your watch. Your choice. That's as it should be. No reason to rush as you've apparently been okay without a watch to this point.
Last edited:
I own the BM8180-03E and I would argue it's worth the premium over the Seiko which I understand is also a fine watch. My biggest gripe with the Seiko is the reserve in it when your not wearing it. Personally I want as much maintenance free watch as possible, so if that means I decide not to put the watch on for a week I want to be able to come back and toss it on and it be still keeping time instead of looking at a dead watch. Keeping a eco-drive charged is quite easy even if you tend to forget about wearing watches or keep it covered by wearing long sleeves, find a place on your nightstand or dresser for it to put it down when you go to sleep or otherwise not wearing it. It will charge off natural light and normal light bulbs, that should be enough to keep it going. Beyond that the Citizens tend to be more accurate in this comparison (quartz vs automatic at this price point).
For this watch in particular it has an extremely easy to read face, I haven't owned anything that is quite so easy to read in my life and all it requires is a quick glance. I never understood how important this was till I got a fancier citizen watch with an not to easy to read face. The hands and numbers luminate quite brightly after being exposed to light but doesn't last for an extremely long period of time. But due to the large numbers and white color it's decently easy to read in low light.
I tend to break watches in under a year with not abusing them to my standards. This one I said screw it and decided to put it through it's paces and it's still chugging after over a year of abuse. So it sees my work out routines, day to day wear and tear, along with some more specialized training at my school for fire fighting and training on our agility course which is where our local swat trains as well (walls to jump, crawl under/jump over obstacles, jump through windows, high climb, etc). Usually the only other people who are willing to sacrifice a watch to what we are doing are wearing g-shocks almost exclusively, or they wear a watch for awhile and than stop partway through the semester (broken or got tired of wearing it I guess).
For this watch in particular it has an extremely easy to read face, I haven't owned anything that is quite so easy to read in my life and all it requires is a quick glance. I never understood how important this was till I got a fancier citizen watch with an not to easy to read face. The hands and numbers luminate quite brightly after being exposed to light but doesn't last for an extremely long period of time. But due to the large numbers and white color it's decently easy to read in low light.
I tend to break watches in under a year with not abusing them to my standards. This one I said screw it and decided to put it through it's paces and it's still chugging after over a year of abuse. So it sees my work out routines, day to day wear and tear, along with some more specialized training at my school for fire fighting and training on our agility course which is where our local swat trains as well (walls to jump, crawl under/jump over obstacles, jump through windows, high climb, etc). Usually the only other people who are willing to sacrifice a watch to what we are doing are wearing g-shocks almost exclusively, or they wear a watch for awhile and than stop partway through the semester (broken or got tired of wearing it I guess).
I guess my question shouldn't have been "which is better," since it seems there's a reason the Citizen is twice the price of the Seiko: it's better. I should of asked: is the Citizen worth the price difference? Is it really worth $50 more? I'm leaning towards the Seiko due to the movement and the price.
Whether the Citizen is worth more, you'll have to decide for yourself. For some it is. For others it is not. For me it is not, but that's my personal choice. You'll have to make your own choice, and you shouldn't let others decide for you.
True. I read the link fast14riot posted above and it seems as though a 30WR rating will be fine for what I'll be using it for. It won't break my heart to take it off while I'm swimming (I'd probably find it uncomfortable to swim with a watch on anyways). I should just get this over with and order the Seiko!
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2005
- Messages
- 19,385
Choosing a watch can really be a tough decision once you get past the, get a Casio G-Shock level. I enjoy these threads and struggle with the decision making. Hope your choice is turns out to be the perfect watch for your needs.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2013
- Messages
- 261
I agree with leghog. I know that you have already doubled you're budget since the first thread, but I was on the same search you are on a couple of months ago. My budget was also $100, but I just couldn't find anything. So, I relectuantly raised my budget another 60 or so dollars and my options opened up quite a bit.
As for the presentation case backs, they seem to be present on the Seiko 5s, and then only on $2000+ time peices.
You also asked about duracoating the case. You can do it yourself, but I would reccomend against it. You would have to disassemble the watch to do so. You can send it off to multiple different companies to get it coated or bead blasted, but it is going to cost around $150 to do it.
Another thing is that water resistance is kinda weird. I've read on other forums that a 5 meter resistance doesn't mean that it can go down to five meters. That resistance would probably only be good for washing your hands or if it rains. I know that it doesn't make any sense, but if you Google watch water resistance chart, you should find some better info.
Also, 30ATM isn't 30 meters. ATM stands for atmospheres, so that watch should be able to withstand the pressure of 30 Earth atmospheres. I have no idea how many meters that is, but the aforementioned chart should help with this, too.
Anyway, as for the watch, I think that a SNK would be perfect. If you hate the face THAT much, you could always send it to a company and get it swapped for another one. But again, that will probably cost you more than the watch.
Good Luck! - Kris
As for the presentation case backs, they seem to be present on the Seiko 5s, and then only on $2000+ time peices.
You also asked about duracoating the case. You can do it yourself, but I would reccomend against it. You would have to disassemble the watch to do so. You can send it off to multiple different companies to get it coated or bead blasted, but it is going to cost around $150 to do it.
Another thing is that water resistance is kinda weird. I've read on other forums that a 5 meter resistance doesn't mean that it can go down to five meters. That resistance would probably only be good for washing your hands or if it rains. I know that it doesn't make any sense, but if you Google watch water resistance chart, you should find some better info.
Also, 30ATM isn't 30 meters. ATM stands for atmospheres, so that watch should be able to withstand the pressure of 30 Earth atmospheres. I have no idea how many meters that is, but the aforementioned chart should help with this, too.
Anyway, as for the watch, I think that a SNK would be perfect. If you hate the face THAT much, you could always send it to a company and get it swapped for another one. But again, that will probably cost you more than the watch.
Good Luck! - Kris
One ATM is the ambient pressure experienced due to the air column above a one inch square at sea level. If you are standing at sea level, your body would experience 1 ATM of pressure from the weight of the air column above you. Every 10 Meters (~33 feet) of depth below the surface of the water equates to an ATM of pressure on that one inch square area. So 30 ATM is the pressure equivalent to the pressure an object will experience at 100 meters below the surface of the water.
A watch's water resistance as to do with more than just case construction. It also has to do with gaskets and the fitting of those gaskets --- and not just the case back but the crown too and how the bezel/crystal may or may not be mounted. As a watch designed for depth ages it is important to have the gaskets replaced AND the watch pressure tested especially if it will be used under water.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2013
- Messages
- 261
What watch is it? Most I have seen have a diameter with and without crown.
The Seiko SNZG17. The specs I've seen say it has a 42mm case diameter.
Last edited: