Watch Thread

Discussion in 'Geek Cave: Computers, Tablets, HT, Phones, Games' started by Shem, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. IUONA

    IUONA Thief that stole Bloom Audio gear

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    I’m fairly ignorant & a noob when it comes to watches. I never even wore a watch until this past year, and so far, a comfortable small Timex with a cream face & olive green fabric band (field watch, I think?...) on my left wrist has been what I ended up with & it’s been good enough, but I’d like something better.

    Suggestions on a watch that’s practical, comfortable (from my limited experience that’s been fairly light weight, not a gigantic face/body or whatever you cal it, and no giant dials positioned to dig into my hand/wrist when I move or bend my wrist), non-digital display that’s easy to read at a glance, and waterproof down to 50m+? Preferably day & date elements since I suck at remembering dates and having it on a watch saves me from embarrassment. Tritium elements or whatever for night would be nice, but not necessary. I wear a lot of blue hues, but ideally it’d be neutral enough that it’d match most things, but tasteful use of bolder colors is fine. Bonus if it’s beautiful in an understated way.

    I don’t go diving very often since I’m in the Midwest and rarely vacation, but I’d like the watch to keep up with me when I do. Most diving watches are pretty big, which isn’t practical for day to day use, so the big ones are out.

    I haven’t done a lot of research and I’m not very familiar with a lot of watches, but of those I’ve seen, aesthetically, these watches are in line with my taste: I’m a fan of the Bertucci watches I’ve seen on Drop, the DropXArmourlite Ember looks nice, Oris Artix GT day date, Shield Marius Pro Diver, and the Oris BC3.
     
  2. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    What is your wrist size? While no hard rules, it can help you with general sizing. Also, what is your budget? Do you care about the movement in your watch?
     
  3. IUONA

    IUONA Thief that stole Bloom Audio gear

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    I’ve never even measured my wrist size... But, I will! (Assuming it’s just the diameter?)

    EDIT: It’s ~8.5 inches or 21.5cm

    I probably wouldn’t buy anything beyond $50-$100. Ideally the cheapest I can get that comes closest to what I like/need. It’s not a hobby or anything for me so my interest is more practical.

    Movement - (forgive me if I misunderstand or screw up any meanings) I don’t care how it works internally as long as it’s accurate.
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2020
  4. squishware

    squishware Friend

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    [​IMG]
    I quit wearing a watch after squeezing every ounce of life out of this Black Monster. Pic was taken right before she was donated to a Seiko Modder.
     
  5. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    That's a pretty big wrist. Do you know what model Timex you are wearing? Is it the right size for you preferences? With your wrist, I'd think something in the 40mm+ range would be nicely balanced, but if you want something smaller, then knowing what you are starting with would help.

    For your price range, you are still in the budget realm of "real" watches. You will likely be making some sort of compromise. If you search field watches on amazon, you can get an idea of what is available. If you can update with your current watch and how it measures up to your ideal, I can throw out some suggestions.
     
  6. IUONA

    IUONA Thief that stole Bloom Audio gear

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    Yeah, I was the kid who was 6 feet tall in 5th grade. lol Shoes, watches, hats, most things like that are often challenging to find in an appropriate size that’s comfortable.

    I’m not positive, but I think it’s a Timex Weekender model, and I think the case is 38mm. I’m attaching a picture. The blue arrow indicates which holes I use. The last hole is most comfortable, but the second to last is almost as comfortable but it keeps the watch from sliding around at all. (Ideally, the strap/band would be a bit longer, so I’d have enough extra length to slide the end through the metal loops to keep it securely in place & keep it from sliding out of the first one & sometimes slipping out / sticking out.)

    The 38mm (which I think this is) is comfortable & doesn’t cause any problems when moving/bending my wrist, so I’m assuming a 40mm would be fine, too.

    Things I like about my Timex that I’d like to retain or make better: It’s comfortable - I think in large part to the fabric band/strap, which is not too wide or narrow. (I’m hairy, and I don’t want anything that’ll snag my hair.) The watch (case?) itself is smooth & there are no sharp bits that poke or irritate me when I move my wrist or anything. It’s relatively easy to read at a glance, and I generally prefer the analog dial movement to digital displays. The Timex Indiglo thing is nifty when it’s dark (but not ideal). User replaceable battery. (If not a user replaceable battery, then a power source that’s reliable & doesn’t require much effort to maintain.)

    The highest priority things I want that the Timex doesn’t have: Clear day & date elements (because I’m shit at remembering those sometimes.) A water resistance rating greater than 50m. Better materials, build quality, and reliability.

    Things I’d very much like, but aren’t requirements: Legitimately effective & functional glow in the dark elements that don’t require me to activate a light/backlight to see what time it is in the dark (tritium isotopes & other isotopes are what provide that, as I understand it.) A slightly longer strap/band (or a readily available optional replacement that’s longer.) I’m assuming sapphire crystal & the like is not within my budget, but I‘d like a watch that’ll stand up to life for many years.

    Stream of consciousness: I sincerely appreciate input & ideas. I know next to nothing about watches, but I deeply appreciate well engineered, practical & reliable gear when it comes to things I use regularly. It’s funny how obsessive & specific I get about things I use regularly. Underwear, socks, pens & paper, flashlights, I went through 30+ wallets until I found the right one, etc., but I‘ve never invested the time to learn about watches since I only started wearing one regularly in the last couple years, this Timex has mostly been okay, and didn't want to dive into one more thing where I’d want to spend a lot of money. So, again, thank you. (If anyone ever needs advice or info on aquariums, musical instruments, pens, paper, pillows, socks, water filtration, ...I’m your guy.)

    Oh, if anybody on here is quite rich & wants to send me a watch they don’t use a lot, I would certainly be willing to accept that. Ha :bow:
     

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  7. LetMeBeFrank

    LetMeBeFrank Won't tell anyone my name is actually Francis

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    If the watch you end up getting takes a 22mm strap and isn't long enough, I use this strap from gadgetwraps on my Citizen H820. My wrists are about 8.25 inches and I have 5 holes left on the strap.
     
  8. IUONA

    IUONA Thief that stole Bloom Audio gear

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    Oh, nice. Thank you. Saved in my Amazon wishlist in case I need one in the future.
     
  9. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    So to not leave you hanging, you can take a look at this list: https://gearmoose.com/best-field-watches-under-100/ for some ideas. Alot of Timex since it fits the look and price range. You can also take a look at field watch searches for Wenger, Seiko, and Citizen for the possibility of a good watch. It looks like you have a Timex Weekender in 38mm so I don't think going up to a 40mm or down to a 37mm would hurt. You are looking at a quartz watch in your price range if you want a thinner watch, as most budget automatics are a little chunky. I have a Seiko field watch that you could have for pretty cheap, but it is only rated to 30m (and it has been taken apart and put back together).

    At any rate, if you are ok with gray market watches, Jomashop has a good selection. Also, if you were feeling up to it, you could go for an Aliexpress special. If you get a good one, you can get sapphire, tritium, and water resistance for under $100, but you could also get a dud. The one Chinese special I bought was actually an excellent watch (all the specs held up), but I returned it so I could start making/modding my own watches. Brands to take a look at are Cadisen, Starking, and Pagani Designs. Carnival does tritium, but apparently is hit or miss as to whether you get sapphire or not.
     
  10. IUONA

    IUONA Thief that stole Bloom Audio gear

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    Ironically, my Timex appears to no longer be keeping accurate time. I changed the battery to make sure that wasn’t it. Then 24 hours later, it was still drifting ~3 hours over a 24hr period. lol So I’m glad I started asking around about this.
     
  11. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Dude, check this out. He is doing what Seiko should be doing.

     
  12. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    It arrived. The crown is perfect, the bezel is perfect, the loom is perfect and it wears smaller at 43/44-ish mm.

    I paid retail but if you want something that beats out many beater watches, this is a good deal. Think of it as a metal G-Shock with a rotating bezel and basic functions. I like this watch a lot. The standard dive strap is actually quite nice.

    [​IMG]

    Yeah, I will check for a nato.
     
  13. Mr.Sneis

    Mr.Sneis Friend

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    Killed it... dropped about 3 feet onto my bathroom floor.

    No movement :(

    Any tips?


    20200616_185259.jpg
     
  14. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
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    My dislike is a "I dislike that this happened to Ricky." I'm sorry for your loss here.
     
  15. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Noooo, the SBAF family watch! Sorry, I don't know enough about repair yet. You might be able to get replacement crystals and movements, but will require some surgery.
     
  16. Melvillian

    Melvillian Friend

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    Movement might be fine. Maybe they can take a look while replacing the crystal.
     
  17. will_f

    will_f Friend

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    Good chance glass grit stopped it. Might be able to replace the crystal, clean the movement and bob is your uncle. Take it to a certified watch repair tech and he/she will tell you what can be done.
     
  18. Mr.Sneis

    Mr.Sneis Friend

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    M3ntal is on the case, hes checking to see if a local shop is open. Fingers crossed!

    Other functions still work but yeah seconds hand stopped.
     
  19. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Any thoughts on the Seiko Alpinist (SARB017)? While I have enjoyed building/modding watches, something about the Alpinist kind of speaks to me as a finished product that has kind of one-watch-to-rule-them-all vibes for me. While I am too out of shape for real mountaineering (and Covid has locked us all down), I like the idea of a mountaineering heritage homage watch as opposed to the ubiquitous divers. Good movement, sapphire crystal, 200M water resistance, classy enough to dress up, but enough outdoors references to feel manly and useful. Open to suggestions in the sub $500 range.
    [​IMG]
     
  20. spwath

    spwath Hijinks master cum laudle

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    I love the alpinist, have considered buying it a few times.
    Apparently stock leather band sucks.
     

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