Talk to Me About Wrist Watches

[workman]

I totally agree with Cosmic about the "watch vs. phone" dilemma. I think having a watch as a default time keeper would be an excellent idea for the OP's use.

Recommending a watch is like recommending a pipe. It all comes down to personal taste. I am a carpenter and I routinely break phones and ruin my clothes, so I keep a sturdy g-shock digital for work and a prettier not digital for leisure. One is enough, really, but I got the pretty one as a birthday present, so I use it.

 

[didimauw]

This part of my wrist saw sun yesterday for the first time in 3 years. I tried to even out the tan, while holding my watch in the other hand. But that was only for like 2 minutes and then I put my watch back on.

 

[odobenus]

G.L. Pease is a serious watch fan. Maybe as serious about watches as he is about tobacco? Is there a connection?
I carried a Swiss pocket watch for years and years because I don't like having anything on my wrist, but had to put it aside when I started spending so much time around PTO driveshafts. Same reason I don't wear a scarf.

 

[jeff540]

I've worn a wrist watch since the 4th grade (1984), and the very few that I own have been gifted to me. Ironically enough, the one watch that I keep falling back to is an old Russian officer's wrist watch I received as a gift from a pen pal of my grandfather's in the late 1980s. As long as I remember to wind it every morning before putting it on, it's been extremely accurate and reliable for the last 30 years.

 

[elbert]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I go home next month (been out since April...my own choice), so I'll make a decision by then. I'm realizing that upon reflection my previous work never really allowed me to wear a watch, as it was either kitchen work or hot, grimy, dirty manual labor. This is also far and away my best income ever (doubled in 6 months what I was getting before), and so partially the watch is a tasteful symbol of looking forward. Right now that Citizen Jason mentioned has my eye.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If you have an iPhone, the clock option/app has a world clock which would provide the solution you described you were looking for. Sounds more like you're just trying to justify purchasing a watch. Go for it.

 

[elessar]

My Citizen Nighthawk. I wear this one a lot at work. It is also solar powered and has been very accurate. Personally I like the blackout look but it is worthless as tits on a boar in the dark. I do like watches with very bright lume, which this one does not have. The above mentioned Seiko dive watch would glow in the dark throughout the night if that is important to you. If night time glow is important look at light up watches, Seiko dive watches, or watches with Superluminova or something equivalent (or tritium lume if you want to spend that). This watch would be hard to read in a dark cab.

 

[sablebrush52]

I used to sell 'em. I probably still have two or three that haven't been worn in several decades, a couple of Tissots, if I remember.

Generally didn't need a watch as I had the ability to know, within a few minutes, whatever the time was. To the extent I still care, my cell phone does fine for me.

 

[retrogrouch]

Quartz watches can keep better time than mechanical watches as long as they have batteries. That said, I am a fan of automatics and have worn them since the '70s. The watch brand I have been wearing for the last 15 years or so is Orient. They have given good service at a reasonable price. You might want to search them and see what you find.

 

[taildraggin]

I stopped wearing a watch with the first iphone, partially though to avoid the tyranny of time watching. I took off the dog collar. Functionally, the smartphone ended the need, though.
But, I got an Apple Watch in for my bday and it has not been off my wrist since. It’s not as “necessary” as the phone, but augments it well. It’s become almost must-have for me, though.
That said, it’s not really a watch. Just a shrunk phone with size-related constraints. Coming full circle, it’s obvious to me that it will replace the phone not too long from now, for me anyway. The watch and an ipad will specialize in what I use a smartphone for, better. The cost is justifiable to my use.
As a gadget, it’s really good, but it is more than a gadget.
Daily example: i was helping a buddy cut and bale straw last week and left my phone in the car (things get broken in the field). We were way out in the filed and I called the hand to get more fuel for the tractor. Would have been a long walk on a hot day. #2 - I have a sleep app to monitor my messed up sleeping pattern. #3 It is the bomb to pay for gas or items at the supermarket or hardware store (Apple Pay). “Would you like a reciep...” Gone. #3 music and map driving directions on my motorcycle, w/o any crap mounted to the bike... Mail, texts, appointments, bank balances, TV remote, Sirius / Pandora remote, unlocks MacBook, on and on.

 

[voorhees]

Jason, that suggestion is looking good, thank you!

You're welcome. As a side note the jeweler I mentioned sold high end watches as well as Citizens/etc. so he could with confidence recommend them.

 

[haparnold]

I'm really spoiled to the dive watch's unidirectional bezel. For 90% of my timing needs, I only need to be accurate to within a minute or so (distance runs, cooking, etc.), and a diving bezel is so idiot-proof and easy to set.
It's like having a sunroof in a car-- I never realized how much I would use it until I had it available.

 

[elbert]

Think I'll go with this one. Simple unfussy face, good illumination, titanium plated with cordura band. Thanks again!

 

[voorhees]

Very nice.

 

[georged]

I have a so-called "Steve McQueen Rolex" (Explorer 1655) that was bought several years before it became famous.
Because few were sold (the model lasted only a relatively short time), and THEN came the movie star connection, it was a Perfect Storm for collectors.
Truly new and in-the-box examples sell for stupid money, and even rough ones are still worth a substantial amount.
Because mine needs to be cleaned, though, and getting that done these days would cost several times what I paid for it new, it just sits in a box. :lol:

 

[alaskanpiper]

Never been able to stand them. It feels like wearing a cast on my wrist to me. Time sucks.

 

[danish]

I love wrist watches. Preferably (relatively affordable) automatic Swiss ones from the sixties. That's what I am wearing every day, since I was a kid in the sixties I do not find it very smart looking at your phone, just to know the time. Especially at the job, meetings or social gatherings. Contrary to my colleagues, I survived so many years, as a businessman, without having a mobile phone. Until my curiosity made me buy a smartphone. Now I am almost as addicted to that smartphone, as everyone else. But I still wear my old wrist watch.

 

[timelord]

Never been able to stand them. It feels like wearing a cast on my wrist to me. Time sucks.

I have a few friends who feel the same way; however, I'm the opposite, I love watches and even though I will have my mobile (aka cell phone) with me I will never check it for time (unless I need to double check something in another time zone - but a couple of my watches are dual time zone - or three if you include GMT/Zulu time).
Every day wear is a Casio Geoshock. I've got three solar versions which are synched to GPS so accurate and self adjusting as I travel.
For business I usually were a Citizen Eco-Drive Titanium which syncs to one of several atomic clock time signals world wide (pre-dates the later GPS synched versions).
For posh business or when dressed up then it's a Tissot Titanium Touch Solar.
I have a drawer load of watches that take batteries but most need new batteries.
I have a few quicky watches too:
swatch with fixed hands and moving numbers (the hands always read 10 min to 2 if you don't read the numbers; quirky, easy enough to get used to and confuses the hell out of people who insist on asking me the time...)
a French 'left handed' watch. i.e. it runs anti-clockwise (counter clockwise if you prefer). I wore that as my work watch for many years. Makes perfect sense to me, I'm left handed and wear watches on my right wrist...
a couple of Russian manual wound fob watches. Replicas of various Soviet medals on the cases; they keep reasonable time but not too practical
a Swiss Railway clock face watch. Probably has the clearest watch face of pretty much watch I've ever seen. If only it were solar powered. Reminds me; I must get it a new battery.

My Citizen Nighthawk. I wear this one a lot at work. It is also solar powered and has been very accurate. Personally I like the blackout look but it is worthless as tits on a boar in the dark.

I've been thinking of getting one of those for a while - don't need it but I do like the look!

 

[alaskanpiper]

The only watch I own is a swiss pocketwatch with the Matterhorn on it I bought when I was there in 2002. It no longer works, but it sure looks cool on the wall in the study.

 

[elessar]

elbert, pretty sure that Citizen has a sapphire crystal. Very nice for its scratch resistance. I have a dive watch with a sapphire crystal which is awesome as it stays scratch free. Unfortunately it is also a titanium watch which is not so scratch free. The light weight of titanium is nice though.