Anyone into watches

[RGA]

I live in the watch capital of the world it seems - they're everywhere from 5 for $10 to a $million US.

I bought 5 watches for $12 and 4 of them broke - the other is soon to die - you get what you pay for LOL.

Looking for a decent watch that will last 20 years. My price range is the $300 variety.

So far I have seen nice watches (style wise) from Seiko, Casio, and Citizen in that order of preference. The latter two are solar or eco drives. The Seiko is an automatic manual 130th Anniversary edition Sports 5.
watchopenia: Seiko 130th Anniversary

The Seiko is the least expensive of the ones I'm looking at and has more of a stand out unique look compared to the other two.

But I can't find reviews on either specific watches or watch companies. I found a site that says what you should look for in a $300 watch which basically said it should have Swiss or Japanese movement and have sapphire crystals in the glass. Seiko uses Hardlex.

I assume Seiko is a pretty safe bet in this budget but that's what most people who buy Bose think about stereos - and I know about as much about watches as Bose buyers do about stereos.

[JohnMichael]

I love watches I am currently wearing my Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic. I am also including a picture of the Omega I am trying not to buy.

[JohnMichael]

Seiko and Orient watch companies make some good automatic watches. I have a Seiko Series 5 automatic that is a good watch I found on Overstock. Seiko takes some grief because they use a plastic date dial but all the rest of the movement is metal with 21 jewel movements. The plastic date dial does not create the friction and drag a metal one can in Swiss watches.

Many watches that are made in Switzerland use ETA movements. The movements vary in quality depending on price paid. In your price range I would check out the channels that sell watches and a watch marked Swiss made. The nice thing about Swiss movements is they have the hack function so when you reset the watch you can stop the seconds hand at 12 and restart the watch after the time correction. My Seiko continues to advance while I reset time without a chance to check for accuracy.

My Hamilton gains about 2-3 minutes a month so at the first of each month I pull out the stem to stop the watch and when time catches up I restart the watch. Of course tonight I have already sprung ahead an hour. I do wear my watch 24 hours to keep the mainspring wound since this will maintain accuracy.

A mechanical watch works the same way watches have worked for hundreds of years. A coiled spring, an escapement and a balance wheel create the motor that tells you the time.

[JohnMichael]

Oh and the Omega is only $3,000.

[JohnMichael]

Here is a great site for some of the better Seiko watches that are not imported to North America.

SeiyaJapan | Grand Seiko | G-Shock | Seiko Spirit | Prospex | Marinemaster | Citizen | 3. SEIKO Mechanical

[ForeverAutumn]

That Omega is beautiful John.

I just bough my husband a Tissot watch for his 50th birthday. There are some beautiful Tissot's in your price range. His was $400 CDN but it was a discontinued model so I was able to get it for less. It's titanium. Hubby likes a light watch so titanium was perfect for him. The whole watch only weighs a few ounces. But if you don't need titanium, you should be able to find a nice Tissot in the $300 range.

I have a lot of watches, but my favourite is a Skagen. Both Tissot and Skagen are Swiss.

I'm seriously considering the ladies version of the Tissot that I bought my husband. I love watches!

[Smokey]

Timex all the way

RGA, the Seiko you posted seem to be slightly too bulky to wear (may be for dress wear). However it does really make a nice gift though.

My Hamilton gains about 2-3 minutes a month...

I hope you're not taking somebody's pulse with that watch

[JohnMichael]

Timex all the way



I hope you're not taking somebody's pulse with that watch

Actually 2-3 minutes a month is a high percentage of accuracy. I would not have any problem accurately counting someone's beats per minutes.

[JohnMichael]

That Omega is beautiful John.

I just bough my husband a Tissot watch for his 50th birthday. There are some beautiful Tissot's in your price range. His was $400 CDN but it was a discontinued model so I was able to get it for less. It's titanium. Hubby likes a light watch so titanium was perfect for him. The whole watch only weighs a few ounces. But if you don't need titanium, you should be able to find a nice Tissot in the $300 range.

I have a lot of watches, but my favourite is a Skagen. Both Tissot and Skagen are Swiss.

I'm seriously considering the ladies version of the Tissot that I bought my husband. I love watches!

Tissot watches are very nice. I have been looking at a few models. All my watches are mechanical that are self winding. I do not wear battery operated quartz watches.

[RGA]

I like the Omega watches I've seen here - basically every watch you can imagine is sold in Hong Kong - it's unbelievable.

The Seiko isn't that big - you can buy the same one without the world ring but this is a better picture With the world rings

SeiyaJapan | Grand Seiko | G-Shock | Seiko Spirit | Prospex | Marinemaster | Citizen | SEIKO 5 Sports Limited Edition SARZ010 Movt 4R36 -

without SeiyaJapan | Grand Seiko | G-Shock | Seiko Spirit | Prospex | Marinemaster | Citizen | SEIKO 5 Sports Limited Edition SARZ002 Movt 4R36

In HK the ring version is about $10 more - both come with a black stainless steel strap. I not into the silver. I generally prefer the leather straps but they seem to break more often so the black metal is a bit better.

From what I can tell the Seiko 5s are now automatic and winding and all have hack.

I'll keep looking - But $300 is absolute max - I don't want to take more money away from the stereo system. $3k for a watch is nutty to me but I'm not a watch hobbyist. And I can't stomach paying for diamonds - since there is not real way to police it and the major corporations will spin doctor it to make themselves look like they have clean hands - I choose to simply not buy them Blood diamond | Human Rights Watch

I'll keep looking - they have a healthy second hand market here as well.

[RGA]

Well I am going to keep looking - I went out and tried some watches out at two to three times the price of the Seiko - Tissot, Mont cars (or some such name) and Tag Hauer and The Seiko5. M'eh - I don't see what you get for 2-3 times the money that really wowed me.

Seems to me it's more about brand prestige and marketing than quality and this article notes the same thing http://www.orientalwatchsite.com/swi...use-movements/

And http://www.orientalwatchsite.com/dis...nese-vs-swiss/

Certainly has me leaning to the Japanese models at the budget end of the spectrum.

[JohnMichael]

Watches are interesting because they have features that can change the value of the movements. BPH or beats per hour are important. The more beats the more accuracy and the Hamilton is in the 28,000 range. The balance wheel depending on the materials used can increase the cost. Top of the line watches still use a balance wheel where they are balanced by adjusting tiny screws which as you can imagine is labor intensive. In my better watch the balance wheel is beryllium bronze which is not subject to effects of temperature changes. The hairspring that attaches to the balance wheel can be made from different materials. As the hairspring expands or contracts the watch can run faster or slower. As the hairspring stretches the watch will run slower so you want a quality hairspring. The type of escapement can also effect price as well as long term reliability. The Omega uses a Co-Axial escapement that will be more dependable and accurate. There is a lot going on under the crystal to justify some watches price. Happy shopping.

[JohnMichael]

FA here is the Tissot I would love to own.

[JohnMichael]

That Omega is beautiful John.

I just bough my husband a Tissot watch for his 50th birthday. There are some beautiful Tissot's in your price range. His was $400 CDN but it was a discontinued model so I was able to get it for less. It's titanium. Hubby likes a light watch so titanium was perfect for him. The whole watch only weighs a few ounces. But if you don't need titanium, you should be able to find a nice Tissot in the $300 range.

I have a lot of watches, but my favourite is a Skagen. Both Tissot and Skagen are Swiss.

I'm seriously considering the ladies version of the Tissot that I bought my husband. I love watches!

I meant to comment that your husband is a very lucky man.

[ForeverAutumn]

FA here is the Tissot I would love to own.

You have very good taste John. That's gorgeous. I love the colour. Hubby needed a new dress watch. This is the current version of the watch that I bought him.

He wanted something slighly smaller so we found him the same watch (slightly different face) in an older model that was a bit smaller and thinner. It looks great on him. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it in an automatic.

[Feanor]

Nah! Not really. I can admire a handsome looking watch as jewellery; craftsmanship per se I don't much care about. Expensive watches are for rich folk which leaves me out. Meanwhile you can get great accuracy for really cheap.

To wit, what I wear these days: a Casio Wave Ceptor WV58-1AV, satellite signal regulated. Always accurate to within 1 sec. of official time signals -- and it automatically sets itself for Daylight Savings Time. MSRP C$50 and usually available at some discount.



I must say, though, that I've had good luck with Seiko watches. I have two quartz Seikos that have been running fine for about 25 years. I bought my late mother a mechanical wind-up Seiko when I started work; she wore it regularly for almost 40 years with only a couple of clean-ups.

[JohnMichael]

You have very good taste John. That's gorgeous. I love the colour. Hubby needed a new dress watch. This is the current version of the watch that I bought him.

He wanted something slighly smaller so we found him the same watch (slightly different face) in an older model that was a bit smaller and thinner. It looks great on him. Unfortunately, we couldn't find it in an automatic.

That watch is very handsome. The nice thing about Swiss quartz movements is they still use jewels to reduce friction which of course helps it last much longer. As much as I like mechanical watches quartz are more accurate. Excellent choice both in style and brand.

[blackraven]

I have a Rado and a Raymond Weil. I like the look of Rado's.

[Ajani]

I know the watch fans tend to hate when I say this, but watches are just jewelry. So simply determine how much you wish to indulge and find a watch that looks the way you like it. I had 2 Tissots (gave 1 to my brother and planning to give the other to my other brother) and a Kenneth Cole. I also had a Citizen Eco drive which never worked properly. I like Kenneth Cole for affordable but stylish looking watches. Nothing wrong with Seiko or non Eco drive Citizen, but they are so common. Tissot is nice if you want to spend a bit more than a Kenneth Cole, Seiko or Citizen.

[JohnMichael]

I know the watch fans tend to hate when I say this, but watches are just jewelry. So simply determine how much you wish to indulge and find a watch that looks the way you like it. I had 2 Tissots (gave 1 to my brother and planning to give the other to my other brother) and a Kenneth Cole. I also had a Citizen Eco drive which never worked properly. I like Kenneth Cole for affordable but stylish looking watches. Nothing wrong with Seiko or non Eco drive Citizen, but they are so common. Tissot is nice if you want to spend a bit more than a Kenneth Cole, Seiko or Citizen.

Yeah we hate it. I am more concerned with the quality and design of the movement. I am speaking of mechanical watches be they automatic or stem wind. It takes a lot of precision in manufacture and assembly then the accuracy of the watch needs to be checked and adjusted in different positions. Now I will say all my watches are stainless steel. I have never wanted or could afford a solid gold watch. A well maintained mechanical watch can outlast you. I buy my watches from the inside out. First I look for a beautiful movement. Some folks like high performance autos, some like state of the art audio and there are those of us that like to wear history on our wrists. Remember the days before quartz watches?

[Feanor]

.... Remember the days before quartz watches?

I certainly do. A few years before quartz arrived on the scene, I got myself a Bulova Accutron, (see Wiki here), that was timed using a tuning fork stimulated by an electronic oscillator. It could be called electro-mechanical. I believe I still have that Accutron lying around somewhere though I don't think it's in working order.



Bulova still makes "Accutron" models but don't use the tuning fork mechanism.

Accutrons were typically accurate to <1 minute a month; that was 'way ahead of even the most expensive mechanical watches of the time. Of course a quartz watch is more like a second a month.

[RGA]

Can I get a wind-up or solar quartz - or is it battery operated?

[JohnMichael]

Can I get a wind-up or solar quartz - or is it battery operated?

Some of the solar watches have a storage capacitor that keeps the watch running when not exposed to sunshine. Not a battery in the sense of a replaceable battery. Some Seikos have a rotor to generate power that is used and stored in the watch without the need to replace a battery.

[JohnMichael]

I certainly do. A few years before quartz arrived on the scene, I got myself a Bulova Accutron, (see Wiki here), that was timed using a tuning fork stimulated by an electronic oscillator. It could be called electro-mechanical. I believe I still have that Accutron lying around somewhere though I don't think it's in working order.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...cutronMech.jpg

Bulova still makes "Accutron" models but don't use the tuning fork mechanism.

Accutrons were typically accurate to <1 minute a month; that was 'way ahead of even the most expensive mechanical watches of the time. Of course a quartz watch is more like a second a month.

My first quality watch was an Accutron. I loved the hum of the tuning fork. You are correct that the Accutron watch was more accurate than the mechanical watches of the day but then the quartz watch was more accurate than the others. With each increase in oscillations watches became more accurate.

The Bulova Accutron of today is either a quartz watch or a Swiss mechanical movement. Bulovas without the Accutron designation are quartz or Japanese mechanical movements.

There have been some advancements in quartz watches that are unaffected by tempature and accurate to within a few seconds a year.

[Ajani]

Yeah we hate it. I am more concerned with the quality and design of the movement. I am speaking of mechanical watches be they automatic or stem wind. It takes a lot of precision in manufacture and assembly then the accuracy of the watch needs to be checked and adjusted in different positions. Now I will say all my watches are stainless steel. I have never wanted or could afford a solid gold watch. A well maintained mechanical watch can outlast you. I buy my watches from the inside out. First I look for a beautiful movement. Some folks like high performance autos, some like state of the art audio and there are those of us that like to wear history on our wrists. Remember the days before quartz watches?

I see nothing wrong with wearing an expensive watch if it's what floats your boat. Frankly, admiration of quality workmanship and/history is IMO a far more valid reason to buy a luxury watch than any claims of the need for accurate time keeping. The easiest way to read the time is with a digital clock (like the one on a cellphone), but a digital watch just isn't sexy.