Wristwatches, watches and watch-like gadgets

[Athos]

I can write with them but I smudge everything with my hand as I write across the page.

Buy one of Noodlers' quick drying inks. My wife is left handed and I got her a lovely Esterbrook with a left handed nib, and filled it with this ink. She can't write fast enough to smudge it (which is to say that it dries very quickly, not that Milady is a slow writer).

 

[ViolentPanda]

I can write with them but I smudge everything with my hand as I write across the page.

Pens with actual "left-hand nibs"? Bummer.

 

[editor]

Back on to watches, I like the black and white Fortis one even more. Look at that super-clear glass! Those chunky numbers! Dials! Bezels!

And check out the lume power!

 

[ExtraRefined]

That dial is far too busy for my liking. I don't know my way around dive chronos, but here's a simpler design

 

[ExtraRefined]

Baselworld this week, Rolex have loads of new bling

http://www.rolex.com/content/dam/ro...13/Brochure-Nouveautes-Baselworld-2013_en.pdf

 

[Virtual Blue]

if a ETA movement is a must, there are some beautiful affordable options.
Steinharts are way up there, I love the elegance of the Ocean 2, it's a diver but dressy at the same time.

Pretty much the same movement as your £1000 sub tag.

 

[stuff_it]

How much did you pay for yours?
And how great is it?

I paid nowt, it was a gift. It was originally a onner and now I can't afford to replace the glass.

 

[Virtual Blue]

Or if you like Bremont Supermarine and Rolex Submariner, another affordable alternative is the Christopher Ward Trident GMT.
They're pricier than Steinhart but have a 5 year warranty.

Other alternative is the Beijing watch which I love.

And of course, my Communist watch that I'm wearing today.

 

[Virtual Blue]

great video on wearers of omega seamaster watches

 

[gentlegreen]

£20 Timex "Expedition Camper".
Tough and lightweight



The Indiglow lighting packed up ages ago, but it doesn't bother me sufficiently to buy a new watch.

 

[Virtual Blue]

£20 Timex "Expedition Camper".
Tough and lightweight

View attachment 34927

The Indiglow lighting packed up ages ago, but it doesn't bother me sufficiently to buy a new watch.

that watch would probably kill off most of my automatic watches.

 

[silverfish]

Back on to watches, I like the black and white Fortis one even more. Look at that super-clear glass! Those chunky numbers! Dials! Bezels!

And check out the lume power!

I like that, loads of stuff on the face but still nice.

I'm looking for a business like, plain very chunky little hand/big hand watch with a rotating bezel and really bright luminescence. Nite and traser are nice but ultra expensive and I've had traser where the luminescent capsules fall off the hands after a few years

Looking at g-shocks but they have shit/no luminescence

something that takes some damage as well

 

[silverfish]

fuck me just googled fortis prices

I might buy a car or a house in installements..Not a watch though

 

[editor]

The most important bit for me is that the watch has to be solar/eco powered - getting batteries replaced in waterproof watches is a pain in the arse as you have to send the watch off to get it dowen properly (and retain the warranty) and pay handsomely for the privilege too.

I couldn't find a decent super-lume watch with the a rotating bezel, but this one is so bright almost lights up the bed at night!

 

[Virtual Blue]

I like that, loads of stuff on the face but still nice.

I'm looking for a business like, plain very chunky little hand/big hand watch with a rotating bezel and really bright luminescence. Nite and traser are nice but ultra expensive and I've had traser where the luminescent capsules fall off the hands after a few years

Looking at g-shocks but they have shit/no luminescence something that takes some damage as well

Tough and elegance don't go well.
A dress watch usually is thin and small with minor details.
A tool watch is chunky and thick with lots of shit happening on the face.
You may have issues fitting it under a shirt.

I wear an Ocean 2 like the one mentioned above (with a shark mesh strap). It fits in between sports and formal.

The sapphire glass is tough as nuts and it has the same movement as a Tag Heuer that costs £1000 more (and there's no fuckin' way I'd ever buy a Tag).

Lum is awesome.

But there's a 2 month waiting list on the Steinhart website.
Could try Chronomaster who sometimes do good deals.

 

[Virtual Blue]

The most important bit for me is that the watch has to be solar/eco powered - getting batteries replaced in waterproof watches is a pain in the arse as you have to send the watch off to get it dowen properly (and retain the warranty) and pay handsomely for the privilege too.

I couldn't find a decent super-lume watch with the a rotating bezel, but this one is so bright almost lights up the bed at night!

Sorry i couldn't resist (i suffer from watch fetishes).
but this is my favourite Eco Power watch - Nighthawk in stealth.

 

[editor]

Nice but my ideal watch would be like mine, but with a rotating bezel, alarm and more numbers on the dial!

 

[mwgdrwg]

I went without a watch for a decade at least, then I got this one...cheap, tough, and comfortable.

 

[editor]

I went without a watch for a decade at least, then I got this one...cheap, tough, and comfortable.

Does that bezel spin around at high speed and let you cut through handcuffs?

 

[mwgdrwg]

Does that bezel spin around at high speed and let you cut through handcuffs?

Unfortunately not. But you can take it off and use it as a mini-shuriken....aim it for the neck of any assailant.

 

[marty21]

a word about Diesel watches - bought one about 5 years ago, massive watch face - I liked it. When it comes to replacing straps though - you can't nip into a watch place and just get one for £20 - oh no - they have special diesel straps which aren't the same size - so can only be done by Diesel - that'll be £60 please. I didn't want to pay that for a watch that only cost me £80 - plus it wasn't working and needed to be serviced (the watch man said) which would have cost me another £70 so now I have a watch with a knackered strap which doesn't work - if any one wants it - PM me, I'll post it to them

 

[weltweit]

Re dedicated straps, swatch are the same, have to get a swatch strap.

 

[weltweit]

editor have you investigated mechanically self winding watches. I have one with a flywheel in its base which rotates as I move winding the spring and keeping the watch going.

Mine only has three visible moving parts the second hand, the minute and hour hands, no extra stuff as I think it wants to use the minimum energy but I love the technique. The only downside is if I am lazy for a few days and don't move about much sometimes the watch does not recharge enough and loses time.

 

[editor]

I never found a self winding watch that fitted my requirements.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Last watch was a Vostok Troika:

Current watch is a Seiko 5 "Military":

What my watches all have in common is robustness. I've had little sense of balance for the last 20 years, so I tend to careen into things, and bang my hands and wrists with alarming regularity, even when I'm moving slowly (which I usually am!).

 

[catinthehat]

I have this - I like Skagen as they are really thin but my dream watch is from JandS in Reykjavik.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I've got two cheapo ones, and only wear the first when I'm travelling so I know the exact time so I know if I'm going to miss a train etc.

Casio Wave Ceptor - less than £50 as far as I can recall. A basic watch that does what I need it to - show the right time, synched with the atomic clock radio signal.

A Citizen Eco-Drive. Hardly ever wear this, but I bought it because its solar-powered so never needs batteries replacing. Can't remember the price, but I think it was somewhere around £50 or so from Argos.

 

[weltweit]

This is my mechanically self winding swatch although I now have a black rubber strap that I prefer over the metal one. No visible numbers which can at certain times of day make telling the time a bit hit and miss. Nicest piece of bling I have every owned!

 

[Virtual Blue]

Today, I'm wearing this

Vintage Ocean Military - ETA 2824-2 movement. This is probably one of my favourite watch and when it's on a leather Nato strap, it brings the yellow-orangey dials out more. I like the action of the rotating bezel and the loud clicks makes me think of quality. I love this piece.

(The history of the design pays homage to the Rolex Military Submariner that were issued (about 200 I think) to the Royal Navy and original would probably cost more than my house, car and 5 years my salary put together.

 

[ExtraRefined]

We talked about milsubs upthread I think. They're not quite that rare or expensive; about 1,200 were made, and they're worth £40k-£100k depending on exact condition and configuration.

That's a really nice homage though.