Value watches

[ilikegunspdx]

For a long time I just destroyed watches. They all ended up in the trash.


Just a tool that kept me from getting an article 15.

Nearly all my watches when I was younger didn't last very long. Timex was the worst. Other stuff you could buy at bimart. So many I can't recall them. Nice bulova lasted about 6 months. Had one seiko lasted about 4 months. Gave a seiko as a gift and it died within a week. Only one that lasted was citizen titanium near top of the line at the time diver watch. Eco drive, replaced 1 batt after 12 years or so. Then I lost it not that long after. Today's watches seem to be in a different league to me. Or maybe I've just been lucky who knows. Maybe it changed when the Chinese started making parts for the Swiss and they had to up their standards?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

for all y'all who have working mechanical watches but...
Don't wear 'em...or know what to do with 'em....
Send 'em to me....

Seems like watches are getting to be an "lost art".
Andy

 

[Catbert95]

Was looking for beater watch for everyday and I'm surprised the quality you can get now for very little $. Post up any you have found please! Here is one I ordered. Reviews were all good. Seiko vk 63 mecha-quartz chronograph movement. AR coated saphire crystal. Saphire coating on bezel. That's stuff I never thought I'd see in a watch for $58. Pics from internet. I got plain black band.
View attachment 2252965

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You can't go wrong with a Seiko. I have several of them.

 

[Belial]

Citizen D060 digital watch, and an early G-Shock that both last about 15-20 years of hard use with a $5 battery here and there and a strap every so often. Both Circa mid 80's. The Citizen ended up with a broken crystal and the G-Shock caught so much welding slag that it was hard to read so I tossed it. Stopped wearing watches after those until I started riding the desk which ended with me buying a not so value watch.

 

[Pete F]

My first Seiko was found in a pile of laundry when I worked for the Navy Exchange Laundry in the 70's, making deliveries to the ships. The band was gone, but it was in good condition and was a kinetic. I bought a SS band and wore it for years.

The reason it gave up was my participation in a Foosball league. I wouldn't take it off and the band was flexible. I took Foosball seriously and we would often be playing with no table feet touching the floor.

I finally overwound it and it died. I went right out and bought a Seiko electronic chronograph in all black. I am currently wearing a Seiko all SS chronograph that is getting pretty beat up on the crystal. My Parents bought me a Seiko kinetic, gold plated for my latest BA in Environmental Science. I wore it to work once and (barely) scratched it on a concrete pillar. It now sits in my bed drawer and only comes out for special events/occasions.

All of my Seiko's still run except the first.

 

[randomchance]

Slightly, but not exactly, off-topic:

A rad interactive page showing the dive rating of various watches - The Deep Dive

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Saw on the Berny watch website you can put custom logos:


Some other brands have customization too but haven't looked into it.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Saw on the Berny watch website you can put custom logos:

View attachment 2257022
Some other brands have customization too but haven't looked into it.

I saw what you did there....
Thank you...I really needed that laugh .
Andy

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Saw some "Bauhaus" style watches for around $60. I think they are all automatics but not sure. Sea-Gull probably is more, can't recall price. Edit: sea-gull is $240

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Dang, talk about minimalist. There's like nothing there. Too minimalist for my taste but interesting. $22

Rotating drums. $25. Amazon has this one also.

 

[Tarawa86]

If you are a bit of a watch fan like me, I would recommend the 'Watch Geek' YouTube channel. He reviews low, medium and high-end watches, and also how to set them up. I also admit to collecting antique railroad locks, railroad glass insulators, depression glass, and hurricane lamps lol

Watch Geek

I am a long time horology LOVER and somewhat a collector, meaning I love anything from simple quartz watches to mechanical masterpieces. Horology is my hobby, but I have gained some knowledge over the years and want to share both my joy and knowledge of watches thru reviews and tutorials in...

www.youtube.com

 

[Medic!]

They don't make em like they use to.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Ordered one of these just to see if I like the style. Comically, comically, low price. This is the equivalent to a gas station knife . This is the one you want to use when laying pavers on the patio cuz you know whatever you are wearing will get trashed. Less than $11 shipped

Real life image from internet. Note how the no ar coating mineral crystal reflects light = poor.
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Here is the BS marketing image. They make it look like nice crystal with AR coating. I suggest for any watch (unless known high quality) check for "real-life" photos to see if it reflects light or not. I remember having a black dial watch with all silver markings. It was so hard to read cuz silver reflects light. I think the crystal had a lot to do with that too. I ended up returning it for that reason. Their marketing images didn't show that at all.i bet they use polarizers on the lens when taking these marketing photos.
View attachment 2253134
Is it a good value? I assume no, despite the cost. But a cheap way to test drive the style to see if I want to buy a higher quality version. Probably not the Omega, unless I found a good deal one a used one.

A note about the $11 orange watch. Lume is pretty good. Could see the hands and some of the dial in the morning in darkness. I did not put a light on it before turning in, just normal household lighting. I've had more expensive watches where the lume doesn't last that long. It's not super bright lume, but useable.

 

[BoringCruffler]

The thing that chaps my backside more than anything else I've run into (certain Oregon governors notwithstanding) is being 'in the field' and having a watch battery fail... It has happened hunting, on long motorcycle trips, mid-international-flight, and on one sailing trip. You know how hard it is to get a mew mercury cell 350 miles northeast of Hawaii?

About 30 years ago, I ditched the quartz and went purely mechanical, preferring autowinders. I had a couple, including ones that had names on them that made them jewelry, but the one that really lasted the best was a grey market Seiko. Made for, and sold in Japan. Seiko USA won't warranty it, but that's OK, it cost less than $50USD (in 1995), and with one cleaning, was still running fine when I gave it to my nephew in 2013. I gave it away, because in 2010, I discovered the modern miracle of wrist-mounted time-keeping...

The Casio Solar Waveceptor.
(Que heavenly music here)

Fifteen years now, 1/4 second/day timekeeping, always set, no battery replacement, works for two weeks in a cave (and tells the charge state), recharges from 5% to full in less than an hour of full sun, but will maintain a full charge by moonlight. Updates for time zones or ST/DST with the push of one button, waterproof to 100 feet (I haven't actually tested it that deep, but no issues down over 25), and it isn't heavy or ugly...

And available under $75

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Heads up Ali express has big sales the first of every month. You can put stuff in your cart today and finalize tomorrow at sale time. Also coupons are pretty significant and usually shown at the top.

If it's a brand or watch you are unfamiliar with a lot of times there are reviews on YouTube.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Got the pagani design one today. Very impressed with build quality. Weight feels right. surpised everyhing covered for protection even the pushers, crown, and clasp have little blue plastic. Lot of attention to detail about what steel is brushed vs polished. Strap is leather on bottom and nylon on top. Not bad for <$60

 

[DizzyJ]

My most recent watch purchase.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Ordered a couple inexpensive automatics. One appears to be an homage/replica of a breitling ocean? And the other appears to be the similar watch as the orange planet ocean replica but with automatic movement (date is in different place with this movement). Never tried this brand before so I hope it's not crap.


Also the lume on the Paganini design watch is horrible. The $11 watch lume is way way better.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Not a wrist watch...
And not as inexpensive as they once were...nor as common.

I really like my Westclox Pocket Ben pocket watch.
These can with different dials / hands / markers throughout their production run.
They were made from the 1920s - 1990's
Mine is from the 1960's.
Simple..rugged...keeps time fairly well...not gonna use to coordinate an attack or run a train with it...but runs strong and does its job.

Westclox made lots of different inexpensive pocket watches in their day.
When working models are found nowadays they are around $30 on up.
Personally I wouldn't pay more than $80 for one....and it would have to be in damn near new shape for that price.
Andy

 

[BoringCruffler]

Not a wrist watch...
And not as inexpensive as they once were...nor as common.

I really like my Westclox Pocket Ben pocket watch.
These can with different dials / hands / markers throughout their production run.
They were made from the 1920s - 1990's
Mine is from the 1960's.
Simple..rugged...keeps time fairly well...not gonna use to coordinate an attack or run a train with it...but runs strong and does its job.

Westclox made lots of different inexpensive pocket watches in their day.
When working models are found nowadays they are around $30 on up.
Personally I wouldn't pay more than $80 for one....and it would have to be in damn near new shape for that price.
Andy

Plus-one for the old Westclox pocket watch. I haven't dug deep or looked into variants, but I bought one for Father's Day in what must have been '77 or '78. Purchased for $12.99 at the local Wigwam Hardware in SE Portland (eventually one of the first Ace Hardware stores on the West Coast--damn I feel old...). Dad was not really a pocket watch guy, so it didn't get a tonne of use, but I got it on his passing, and it worx great...

On kilt days (no need to ask), it is always in the left pocket of my Bonnie Prince Charlie, hanging from the silver spoon fob on the second button.

Edit: mine is the Scotty, impact resistant.