Suggestions For Wrist Watches

Off Topic
1

Well, it might seem like a rather dull GAL topic, but never-the-less here it is.

My last watch fell victim to rough treatment, and scince then I’ve relied on my mobile phone for it’s time-telling capabilities.
However it’s not always appropriate to carry a mobile, and it’s certainly less fashionable to be pulling it out all the time to check.

I happen to have my wedding comming up, and would like a reasonably priced dress-y watch to wear, and I also plan on purchaing a watch to wear everyday.

Bascially, I’m interested in mechanical watches, and would like to find two to suit my needs.

For an everyday watch I’m pretty set on something from the Seiko 5 range, like the SNZF21J1

Simple, auto mechanical, cheap and tough.

For a dress watch I’m not so sure. I would really like a mechanical but will probably got for a quartz- I won’t be wearing it that often and having to have a watch capable of being hand-wound, or having to reset the time/date when I want to wear it would be a pain. Also at the price range I’m looking at I’m limited in choice for mechanicals…
So I’m considering another Seiko- Seiko Premier Chrono/Alarm SNA583P1

Again, fairly simple, can be dressed up, dressed down, and I like the look of chrono’s…

So question time!-

Have any of you owned either of these watches, or similar, or had any experience with the 7S36 movement that is in the seiko 5?

Have any of you got suggestions for alternative watches in similar price ranges? ($200 and $390 AUD respectively, however I’d be willing to spend more than 390 on a mechanical dress watch, say- 500 or so.)

Any one know of a decent place to buy online? I’ve found what seems to be a reliable seller on ebay, for those particular models, but not for a wider range of models/makes? Keep in mind I’m in Australia.

Any other general advice, or experience with watches… I know there’s at least one other guy on here interested in watches (hopefully you see this thread KMC!)

2

my pops has an omega watch and it’s fucking baller.

james bond shit up in here

3

I would suggest a leather band or an expensive ass watch.

4

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
my pops has an omega watch and it’s fucking baller.

james bond shit up in here[/quote]

A seamaster? That shit is nice. Pray for an inheritance.

That’s the kind of thing I’m looking for (simple, reliable, mechanical).
Only, thousands of dollars cheaper.

Does the army issue you with a watch? What do you and your brothers in arms wear to tell the time? I guess you guys would be pretty rough on them, and so a military type watch might be what I’m looking for as a daily-wear kinda thing… I hear traser watches are popular, and also g-shock watches seem to get a good rep. Of course these are quartz watches (although some g-shocks are solar)…

5

[quote]tassietaekwon wrote:
HolyMacaroni wrote:
my pops has an omega watch and it’s fucking baller.

james bond shit up in here

A seamaster? That shit is nice. Pray for an inheritance.

That’s the kind of thing I’m looking for (simple, reliable, mechanical).
Only, thousands of dollars cheaper.

Does the army issue you with a watch? What do you and your brothers in arms wear to tell the time? I guess you guys would be pretty rough on them, and so a military type watch might be what I’m looking for as a daily-wear kinda thing… I hear traser watches are popular, and also g-shock watches seem to get a good rep. Of course these are quartz watches (although some g-shocks are solar)…

[/quote]

No, the Army doesn’t issue us watches. My field/PT watch has always been a Timex Ironman…never failed me.

6

Thanks for the input JPCLeary
Ahh, that’s one I forgot, I’ve heard alot of guys are using Timex’s, especially Ironman’s. These are also a self-charging quartz if I’m not mistaken? Such handy technology to have, in my mind it’s almost a necessity in a watch now.

Personally I don’t like digital display watches- I find it hard to just glance and instinctively know a) what the time is, and b) approximately how much time has passed since I last looked at my watch.
I guess it’s also an aesthetics thing for me too.
Part of me really just wants my watch to be functional, another part wants it to look really fucking cool, too.

However, I can see that digital display may be the way to go if you require a timer- splits/laps/count-down etc.

My pick of watches that would fit that purpose would be a g-shock G-1500BD
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/skynet1/tnG-1500BD-1ADR.jpg

This was on my short list of watches, and I might end up picking one up specifically to use in the gym/on runs. For my taste it’s too overly complicated as a general wear watch.
I really like that it still retains an analogue display coupled with a digital… Good for different time zones, or for the aforementioned timing functions.

I’m not sure if the ironman has this feature- but this g-shock (as well as many other g-shock models) have a count-down timer that self-repeats up to 8 times. I can see this being a brilliant tool for use in circuits at the gym. The only short-comming of the feature is that you can only input in intervals of 1 minute (up to 60 minutes, not that you’d do 60 minute intervals/circuits :wink:

But on the subject of “military” watches, it seems to me that much of it is marketing hype. I must admit (as was obvious from my previous post) that I fall into the trap of thinking “well, if it’s issued by the military/conforms to a certain mil-spec, then it must be a good watch (i.e. reliable, tough, keep decent time)”. When of course it doesn’t guarantee anything.

The australian army issued Dunlop Volleys as a PT shoe for a long time- does that make it good shoe for running in? Hell no! It’s got an unpadded footbed, no arch support, no ankle support, and it’s sole sends all shocks straight up through your leg. They do, however, make a brilliant, cheap alternative to wearing chucks as a lifting shoe :wink:

7

I bought a seiko kinetic watch about 3 years ago, it’s been pretty good to me so far. It’s definitely been used and abused since I wear it everyday, keeps perfect time, and the kinetic mechanism holds a charge for around 9 months. Originally bought it for 250$, was 50% off, so basically it was a $500 watch.

It’s nowhere near the likes of omega, breitling, tag, etc, although I would say that seiko is a pretty respected brand.

8

Fossils are nice for the lower price range. I got http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product____22017025_211553?departmentCategoryId=30001&N=0&Ns=p_subcategory_sequence%257c0%257c%257cp_weight%257c0%257c%257cp_order_history%257c1&rec=10&pn=c&imagePath=ME1028 a while ago for my first “real” watch. None of that pokemon shit.

9

These are pretty tough

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productid=17279&TabID=1&CatID=102

10

[quote]tassietaekwon wrote:
My pick of watches that would fit that purpose would be a g-shock G-1500BD
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/skynet1/tnG-1500BD-1ADR.jpg

[/quote]

everyone and their mother in the army that i’ve seen has a g-shock or timex.

i personally like g-shock.

the majority of people i’ve seen have g-shocks and like them

get a g-shock.

11

[quote]postholedigger wrote:
These are pretty tough

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productid=17279&TabID=1&CatID=102[/quote]

there’s another LT over here who’s a PX ranger and has one of those.

honestly for the money i think it’s really not worth it. you can get a sick g-shock for half the price, twice the features, and 95% less of the gayness factor

12

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs022.snc3/10935_1150285516674_1213694613_30371017_5398022_n.jpg
my jordan watch lol in my lady friends hand

13

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
postholedigger wrote:
These are pretty tough

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productid=17279&TabID=1&CatID=102

there’s another LT over here who’s a PX ranger and has one of those.

honestly for the money i think it’s really not worth it. you can get a sick g-shock for half the price, twice the features, and 95% less of the gayness factor[/quote]

Plus, Soulja Boy has one!

14

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
tassietaekwon wrote:
My pick of watches that would fit that purpose would be a g-shock G-1500BD
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/skynet1/tnG-1500BD-1ADR.jpg

everyone and their mother in the army that i’ve seen has a g-shock or timex.

i personally like g-shock.

the majority of people i’ve seen have g-shocks and like them

get a g-shock.[/quote]

X2

The G-Shock Solar Atomic (MTG-900) is a great watch for everyday. I’ve had mine for three years - it’s tough, it’s solar powered and keeps accurate time. The watch synchronizes with atomic clock time signals.

15

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:
postholedigger wrote:
These are pretty tough

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productid=17279&TabID=1&CatID=102

there’s another LT over here who’s a PX ranger and has one of those.

honestly for the money i think it’s really not worth it. you can get a sick g-shock for half the price, twice the features, and 95% less of the gayness factor[/quote]

Right! Forgot about the G-Shock…I don’t know how. I’ve owned 5 in my lifetime. Majority of them are digital but there are some analogs out there (some that utilize solar energy). They even make dressier ones in their Mr-G series. I’ve got an analog one with a metal band.

16

What are you looking for in a watch?

In my opinion, a leather band watch is classier than a metal band (with some exceptions). Also, I think a squared face is more elegant than a round face.

Look for something that is VERY simple looking, something that would look like there is some heritage in its design, like it came from something just as amazing before it, from another time period. Sometimes, that could mean a watch that does not show off in any way, a watch that might look like a hand-me-down but one that nobody would ever talk poorly of. I prefer elegant things that are NOT ostentatious. Again, that’s just me.

I also prefer mechanical watches whose innards are partially visible, to show off the engineering.

17

If you want an analog every day watch, it’s hard to beat this:

Solar powered quartz, so you don’t need a watch winder. Looks nice enough to wear with a suit, feels like a tank on your wrist. Seiko kinetics are pretty good in the same price range as well, but I’ve had friends who have had the capacitors fail on them.

If you want digital, like others above, I also recommend the casio solar gshocks with the atomic clock synchronization.

18

I like a pocket watch. I can wear one with my jeans or when well dressed http://www.pocketwatchsite.com/

19


Storm make some nice watches:
http://www.stormwatches.com/watches/mens/pro-tek-11296

I’ve got one of these myself - it’s unique and simple.

20

Thanks to everyone for their replies! I think watches are really interesting- for the technology/engineering involved, but also because in general men don’t have as much room for expression in the way they dress (unless they follow fads, like skinny black jeans?), but especially with formal wear- although cut of suit, shirt style/colour and tie choice offer us some “freedom”, generally you still have to conform to a fairly strict set of rules… Choosing to wear a certain watch can say a lot about you.

PonceDeLeon- Like I’ve been saying, I feel for formal wear and even my usual everyday beater I want something very simple. For the gym/out on runs I might buy something with a digital timer/countdown timer.
Personally I don’t really mind either way with bands- leather or a nice metal bracelet are fine with me. I’ve tried a few square faced watches and it just doesn’t do it for me.
However I feel the same way about a classic looking watch. I’m personally not a big fan of following the latest fashion/fad, especially with things that should, in my opinion, look timeless- like watches, suits, shoes etc.

Drew1021- I’ve considered eco-drive watches, for a while I was pretty set on getting one or a kinetic… it just saves the inconvenience of every having to worry about changing the battery. I haven’t really found one that really grabs my eye like the seiko premier I posted a pic of, which is a shame- the premier is a normal quartz. That being said, my dad has a Seiko from the early 80’s, and says he changes the battery every 4 years or less, so it might not be a big deal at all.

Silverblood- I love pocket watches, and the one you posted a pic of is really nice. For everyday wear I couldn’t do it- I’d no doubt bump into something and trash it. For formal wear, I dunno. It seems like a nice idea, but I’d probably still be paranoid. I’d love to buy one just for the sake of owning one, though! Especially one like the picture where you can see all the interior workings, call me weird but I could sit looking at that for a looong time…

RSGZ- You’re right about them being unique! I didn’t look at the entire collection, and as far as I could tell they were all quartz movements…
But they have some really original concepts on how to display time, I was very intrigued by the watches with the horizontal LED displays. I think I mentioned before that I like analogue displays for the simplicity of reading them- but I can’t help but be drawn to the nerd-coolness of something like those. The one you posted was really interesting too, and probably just as practical (to read) as any normal display one you got use to it, but I’m sure that it would draw a lot of attention from people who notice it’s uniqueness.

I don’t think that most people pay much conscious attention to the watch someone is wearing- unless of course it happens to be very, very, nice. But I think that it can really make/break the outfit you’re wearing. Imagine plastic digital with a nice suit. It would ruin it, but people might not even be able to say why the outfit doesn’t really work. I think a watch can send out powerful sub-consious messages about you. I also think they’re just so damn practical to own- who in the world doesn’t need to run on time to something these days?

But damn, I’ve been spending a lot of time lately starting at people’s wrists…