Value watches

[ilikegunspdx]

Received this one yesterday. Love the design. I'd like to buy more of these inexpensive watches but that k100 deal in great deals section is one of the 2 best deals I've seen in the last 20 years or so. So I'll have to hold off unless they are dirt cheap.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Got this $22 automatic last week. Huge watch, I think it is 49mm at the bezel. Looks to be a replica of the Breitling navitimer. Would love to have the real thing but boku bucks so not gonna do that.

Alloy not steel so it feels lighter than it should for that size. Movement is pretty darn accurate for an el cheapo. Sweep second hand. Little dials are day, date, 24 hour. Might be worth getting the black dial version if the movement holds up. Outside bezel rotates smoothly (no clicks) but no clue what all those numbers are for.

 

[nammac]

Got this $22 automatic last week. Huge watch, I think it is 49mm at the bezel. Looks to be a replica of the Breitling navitimer. Would love to have the real thing but boku bucks so not gonna do that.

Alloy not steel so it feels lighter than it should for that size. Movement is pretty darn accurate for an el cheapo. Sweep second hand. Little dials are day, date, 24 hour. Might be worth getting the black dial version if the movement holds up. Outside bezel rotates smoothly (no clicks) but no clue what all those numbers are for.
View attachment 2262052

The rotating bezel with all the numbers is actually like a slide rule and can be used for basic computations and calculations.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

The rotating bezel with all the numbers is actually like a slide rule and can be used for basic computations and calculations.

Very interesting thx. @sobo needs one of these. They also have one where you turn a dial and the inner dial rotates. That one has too much shiny metal for me. I'll try to find a pic of it to see if dial numbers are any different.

Edit:looks like dials and numbers are the same. Just uses a knob to rotate the dial. Way more shiny metal on that one. Looks like about $18 after code.
I like the rotating bezel cuz can use just like a dive watch. Rotate dial to the second hand for a quick and dirty stopwatch. Rotate to however minutes ahead for a quick and dirty countdown timer.

Skeleton version $22. Lots of shiny metal in this version.

Tourbillion version $31 (various colors). That's a lot going on for a cheap Chinese automatic movement so o don't know if I would trust this one. But don't know anything about it really. Rotating bezel on this one which is what I prefer.

 

[sobo]

Very interesting thx. @sobo needs one of these.

Thank ya kindly for pointing that watch out, but I gots me plen'ny of them slide ruley thingamajigs...

 

[made in china]

Not enough bling, y'all

 

[Ducati_Meister]

For value and a good mechanical movement, I like ETA based movements like in my Tissots. I have a vintage 1960s Omega Seamaster that runs quite well.
I prefer mechanical time pieces over the electronic stuff being a trained watchmaker by trade, though I don't do it as my primary job however.

 

[Cavedweller]

I've had a Timex Expedition Scout that's been my primary watch for 15-ish years that refuses to quit. I'm pretty sure I paid around $25-30 for it.

Timex - "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NHq3Yze6s0

 

[Cavedweller]

I still have a genuine Seiko chronograph my Dad gave me as a high school graduation present. I think it cost about $125, which was big money at the time. But the best (most useful) watch I ever had was a cheap $25 Casio digital. Told time in different time zones, had a stop watch function, alarm clock, count down timer, etc. Lasted probably 20 years before the battery quit.

Retired now, don't wear a watch anymore. Besides, everybody's got a cell phone these days. If I need to know what time it is, I just ask.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Got this $22 automatic last week. Huge watch, I think it is 49mm at the bezel. Looks to be a replica of the Breitling navitimer. Would love to have the real thing but boku bucks so not gonna do that.

Alloy not steel so it feels lighter than it should for that size. Movement is pretty darn accurate for an el cheapo. Sweep second hand. Little dials are day, date, 24 hour. Might be worth getting the black dial version if the movement holds up. Outside bezel rotates smoothly (no clicks) but no clue what all those numbers are for.
View attachment 2262052

Got that Breitling Navitimer vibes lol. The concentric slide rule bezel is quite interesting.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

What I love about Rolex is their movements are modular where it made it easier to adjust and repair when I worked on the. Pics are just a reference using the current production 32 series movement.
The best way to authenticate a Rolex is to look at the movement.
Cannot just rely on the "sweeping" hand movements as most fakes can still do that with a knock off movements.

 

[teflon6string]

Those Internet models need to pick up some weights. Got wrists like women and children

Probably that. But even at 6'1"/200lb I notice that a lot of modern watches are the size of cartoon alarm clocks.

- - - separate anecdote - - -

I traveled overseas a lot with two careers last century. And I remember buying watches in Thailand and Hong Kong. They were good looking, rugged and reliable - probably with Seiko guts.

Back in the States, I was at my son's hockey game when someone congratulated another dad on his recent promotion. He said, "The raise wasn't as big as I wanted but they did give me this," pulling up his jacket sleeve to display a lower-end ($10,000) Rolex. A couple parents leaned in to admire the smooth perpetual sweep of the second hand.

I peeked too, jamming my left hand into my jacket pocket so no one would notice that my identical looking $30 knock-off went tick, tick, tick.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Heads up on the zepellin brand watches, do not buy. The one shown with red background a few posts above is great and I will keep it. But I bought another one and the minute hand just flops around loose. It's junk and I'm returning it. Stay away from zepellin brand is my suggestion.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

The GMT complication is one of my favorites. Basically an extra hand that rotates once every 24 hours vs 12 hours. Nothing revolutionary at this point, but back early in the Jet age, it was a necessary tool for pilots in the day.

 

[Pete F]

The GMT complication is one of my favorites. Basically an extra hand that rotates once every 24 hours vs 12 hours. Nothing revolutionary at this point, but back early in the Jet age, it was a necessary tool for pilots in the day.

View attachment 2263620

It is called "Military" time and is still used (I think) in all Armed Forces and military bases. Shipyard time was 24 hours when I worked at PSNS.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

It is called "Military" time and is still used (I think) in all Armed Forces and military bases. Shipyard time was 24 hours when I worked at PSNS.

It is still used, and the police agencies around here use military time, so I use that when I need to communicate times when they reach out to my shop for anything.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

Another thing liked about working on watches of all kinds was using all the tools that make such overhaul possible.

 

[Medic!]

You ding dongs.

GMT watches have a 4th hand [ Second hour hand] to track a second time zone.



It's not a 24hr hand.

 

[Ducati_Meister]

You ding dongs.

GMT watches have a 4th hand [ Second hour hand] to track a second time zone.



It's not a 24hr hand.

You're, right it's to track a second and a 3rd time zone if the bezel is not fixed like in an Explorer 2.

The second hour hand geared to run half as fast and an additional 24-hour time scale.
The 24-hour hand circles the dial once a day instead of twice, pointing to the corresponding hour, leaving no confusion as to whether it's a.m. or p.m.

 

[Medic!]

Well who's the ding dong now?


Me.