Watch Out or Watch on? Pt 2.

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didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,967
31,885
34
Burlington WI
I've been wearing my Gshock for just over 3 years straight now. Bought a couple watches during this time that went into the watch box right away. My Orient mako ii was one of those, purchased over a year ago. Well it has sat for too long, and I'm going to put it through the ringer this year. See how it does in everyday living. Atleast untill 2024.

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scloyd

Lifer
May 23, 2018
5,953
12,087
@scloyd let's see your new Movement watch!
It arrived today.

I always take my phone with me when I go out, but I leave it in my truck. I never bring my phone into stores or restaurants, I don't need it. I dislike carrying the phone with me. So, I've been looking for a reasonably priced watch I can wear when I go out. The Movement watches caught my eye.

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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,837
13,907
Humansville Missouri
My latest watch, an Orient Star Classic with stainless band. I own a couple of Bambinos and a Mako II I just love, but photos cannot capture just how upscale an Orient Star is over a plain Orient.

Each Saturday I pull the crown to reset the time and it’s 15 seconds on the nose fast, and not 14 or 16 seconds. It runs about 2 seconds a day fast, and I suppose you might regulate it to dead even. Orient movements are amazing.

What the extra two hundred buys in an Orient Star over an Orient is a decorated movement, signed crown, display back, power reserve indicator, solid link bracelet, and extra polishing and fit that can’t be shown in photos but is evident on the wrist.

My father’s 1958 Hamilton Thin O Matic has a bubble domed acrylic crystal over a pie pan dial, and this has a hardened mineral domed crystal over a pie pan dial but the Orient Star is much better appointed, with blue hands. I own a better watch.

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ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,439
11,344
Maryland
postimg.cc
Unfortunately the Eco Drive needs sunlight, and is not recommended to be stored in the dark, which is where it would be stored 95% of the time.

@Alejo R. Nice Orient! A classic looking watch
I've owned my Citizen Ray Mears (Eco-Drive) for about a year now. They require 5-6 hours of sunlight exposure per month. I've left mine in the box for a week at a time (vacation) and it's never stopped.

I did finally find the Titanium bracelet that was sold on these watches (they either came with the bracelet, or like mine, with a stiff Kevlar strap. They've been out of stock for years, but a dealer in Germany rec'd some. I wear this at the restaurant at times for work, so the bracelet seems more appropriate (and easier to keep clean).

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didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,967
31,885
34
Burlington WI
I've owned my Citizen Ray Mears (Eco-Drive) for about a year now. They require 5-6 hours of sunlight exposure per month. I've left mine in the box for a week at a time (vacation) and it's never stopped.

I did finally find the Titanium bracelet that was sold on these watches (they either came with the bracelet, or like mine, with a stiff Kevlar strap. They've been out of stock for years, but a dealer in Germany rec'd some. I wear this at the restaurant at times for work, so the bracelet seems more appropriate (and easier to keep clean).

View attachment 212967
I have a soft spot for my Citizen Eco Drive. It was inexpensive compared to my other watches, but it was a lot for a watch at the time. But I've now owned it for almost 4 years, and it still keeps fantastic time.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,837
13,907
Humansville Missouri
I was sitting in the Shady Nook Cafe one spring day in 1980 and reading the paper, and Montgomery Wards had a 70% off sale on LeGant analog quartz watches, or about $37.50. Then Humansville had both a Sears and Wards catalog store, and the Wards catalog store had them in stock.

They said Seiko made them under contract for Wards, and 43 years later that watch (with two replacement crystals and two replacement bracelets) is still running, with a new battery about every five years.

This Seiko is very close to my watch.

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What’s changed since 1980 is this brand new Seiko automatic sells for a hundred of our dollars, and it’s a “real” jeweled watch with a balance wheel that would last five or ten years in constant service, and theoretically could be serviced, although you’d likely just buy another one.

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We are living in a golden age of affordable mechanical, accurate, long lasting jeweled watches.

My choice for a cheap watch is the Orient Bambino, but all mechanical watches are good today, even Chinese ones,

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mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,340
23,496
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I've owned my Citizen Ray Mears (Eco-Drive) for about a year now. They require 5-6 hours of sunlight exposure per month. I've left mine in the box for a week at a time (vacation) and it's never stopped.

I did finally find the Titanium bracelet that was sold on these watches (they either came with the bracelet, or like mine, with a stiff Kevlar strap. They've been out of stock for years, but a dealer in Germany rec'd some. I wear this at the restaurant at times for work, so the bracelet seems more appropriate (and easier to keep clean).

View attachment 212967
Interesting Al, so there is no special care instructions for an Eco Drive?

Thats a very nice looking work watch. I could never wear one in the bakery as it would get all full of flour and gunk.
 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,439
11,344
Maryland
postimg.cc
Interesting Al, so there is no special care instructions for an Eco Drive?

Thats a very nice looking work watch. I could never wear one in the bakery as it would get all full of flour and gunk.
Nope. Sunlight charges it faster, but household lamps also charge it, albiet slowly. I breaded and fried quite a few cases of chicken a couple of weeks ago, but put the watch in my pocket for that messy chore!
 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,967
31,885
34
Burlington WI
I've been wearing my Gshock for just over 3 years straight now. Bought a couple watches during this time that went into the watch box right away. My Orient mako ii was one of those, purchased over a year ago. Well it has sat for too long, and I'm going to put it through the ringer this year. See how it does in everyday living. Atleast untill 2024.

View attachment 190624
Replying to my own post here. I wore my Orient pictured here, for about a week, and couldn't take it anymore. This thing was so inaccurate, and I couldn't get it any closer. So back in the box it went, and my Gshock went back on my wrist.

I'm one step closer to selling all my automatics. As much as I like the idea of them, I just feel better with my Gshock.
 
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