I bought this Timex watch for $28.75 when my old one pooped out.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000TIIPK
It was the cheapest watch I found that met the following criteria: classic black coloring, second and minute hand, shows the date, can read it in the dark.
My struggle is that I have to replace the bands annually, but the metal bands pull out the hair on my wrist. The band on this will need replacement shortly. If I could find a comfortable band that lasted longer than one year, I would buy it. Any ideas?
Poll: What kind of watch do you own?
Growing up, I have a series of cheap watches with leather, nylon or rubber bands. None of them lasted.
A few years into work I splurged (non ERE years) and bought a Longines. It kinda is like this, except it has a blue mother of pearl dial, it doesn't come with the 2nd little dial, and I got it at a deep discount.
<http://www.amazon.com/Longines-Womens-D ... 629&sr=8-1>
I love love love my watch. (it's also sort of my alias - bluepearl) It's the only watch I have now. I wear it to work and to hike even. Changed batteries a few times, had to fix it once. But once you buy quality, and pick a style you absolutely love, you don't even look at other watches (even for a "former" shopaohlic like myself)
My advice if you have to have a watch is to pick the functionality and style you absolutely love and then buy the price range you can afford whether new or used, but skipping over the fashion brands. There really are only just a few classic watch styles out there... Then just ensure you can find a way to have it serviced if it runs into problems (or learn to fix it yourself if you are like Mr. ERE
In terms of brands, bulova, citizen, seiko, tissot, and omega... in addition to longines... I am sure there are others but I suppose these are enough to look at for an ERE crowd
Rolex if you buy used at a reasonable price is acutually a very good investment, b/c after a few years of use you can sell it and pretty much recoup your original investment. (kinda like what Jacob preaches)
My dream watch, before I got into ERE was also a Patek Philippe - the plainest looking one. Now of course, I focus on redeeming my freedom
Oh, and I am at my mom's and I see five broken watches lying around, hence this post (I wouldn't have wanted to diverge too much of my knowledge about luxury goods otherwise on a ERE forum hehe).
A few years into work I splurged (non ERE years) and bought a Longines. It kinda is like this, except it has a blue mother of pearl dial, it doesn't come with the 2nd little dial, and I got it at a deep discount.
<http://www.amazon.com/Longines-Womens-D ... 629&sr=8-1>
I love love love my watch. (it's also sort of my alias - bluepearl) It's the only watch I have now. I wear it to work and to hike even. Changed batteries a few times, had to fix it once. But once you buy quality, and pick a style you absolutely love, you don't even look at other watches (even for a "former" shopaohlic like myself)
My advice if you have to have a watch is to pick the functionality and style you absolutely love and then buy the price range you can afford whether new or used, but skipping over the fashion brands. There really are only just a few classic watch styles out there... Then just ensure you can find a way to have it serviced if it runs into problems (or learn to fix it yourself if you are like Mr. ERE
In terms of brands, bulova, citizen, seiko, tissot, and omega... in addition to longines... I am sure there are others but I suppose these are enough to look at for an ERE crowd
Rolex if you buy used at a reasonable price is acutually a very good investment, b/c after a few years of use you can sell it and pretty much recoup your original investment. (kinda like what Jacob preaches)
My dream watch, before I got into ERE was also a Patek Philippe - the plainest looking one. Now of course, I focus on redeeming my freedom
Oh, and I am at my mom's and I see five broken watches lying around, hence this post (I wouldn't have wanted to diverge too much of my knowledge about luxury goods otherwise on a ERE forum hehe).
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jacob
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@bluepearl - There's an enormous range of others, but high end watches (which I think of as their collection starting at $3000 and up) are not very popular in the US. Many over here [in the US] think that Rolex is the top of the top but it's actually just the bottom of the top. Rolex used to be a utilitarian watch. Incidentally, the quality of Rolex is very high (for the price). For many watches, people pay more than they get in terms of workmanship.
I went to grad school in Basel, Switzerland which is like the world capital of watches (the biggest watch conference is held here). What you listed is actually considered mostly low-end. Omega and Rolex makes it into the mid-range($1500-3000). Patek Philippe is about the only luxury watch that's advertised in the US (for some reason) but there are hundreds of others. Many of these are handmade. For sure, the price can be bumped by putting diamonds in the band, but what really differentiates high from low is the amount of detail and tolerance that has been put into the movement/mechanics.
For those who like mechanics, there are few mechanical things that are as impressive as a movement (<- the mechanical parts) to watch(ha!). It's interesting to know that movements are often made by just a few big companies, like ETA. This means that a lot of low/mid range watches are actually the same inside. This also means that for those watches, you pay for the case and the brand name. Rolex is one of the cheapest brands that still make their own.
In terms of value, used Rolex Submariners (the original James Bond watch, now it's an Omega Seamaster) have appreciated significantly over the past ten years. The used/collectible watch market is very much a victim of fashions. For instance, the IWC (the low high-end) Mark 12 is a simple windup manual with no complications, but it commands a large premium because it looks good (according to current sensibilities) and because it was the flight watch of RAF during WWII. A Mark 11 or a mark 13 would be worth less than a 12.
If anyone wants to show off your appreciation of watches (which in some ways is like being a wine snob), there are a couple of cheap ways to do that. The Swatch Irony is one. The Seiko Orange Monster is another. Both are under $250.
I went to grad school in Basel, Switzerland which is like the world capital of watches (the biggest watch conference is held here). What you listed is actually considered mostly low-end. Omega and Rolex makes it into the mid-range($1500-3000). Patek Philippe is about the only luxury watch that's advertised in the US (for some reason) but there are hundreds of others. Many of these are handmade. For sure, the price can be bumped by putting diamonds in the band, but what really differentiates high from low is the amount of detail and tolerance that has been put into the movement/mechanics.
For those who like mechanics, there are few mechanical things that are as impressive as a movement (<- the mechanical parts) to watch(ha!). It's interesting to know that movements are often made by just a few big companies, like ETA. This means that a lot of low/mid range watches are actually the same inside. This also means that for those watches, you pay for the case and the brand name. Rolex is one of the cheapest brands that still make their own.
In terms of value, used Rolex Submariners (the original James Bond watch, now it's an Omega Seamaster) have appreciated significantly over the past ten years. The used/collectible watch market is very much a victim of fashions. For instance, the IWC (the low high-end) Mark 12 is a simple windup manual with no complications, but it commands a large premium because it looks good (according to current sensibilities) and because it was the flight watch of RAF during WWII. A Mark 11 or a mark 13 would be worth less than a 12.
If anyone wants to show off your appreciation of watches (which in some ways is like being a wine snob), there are a couple of cheap ways to do that. The Swatch Irony is one. The Seiko Orange Monster is another. Both are under $250.
Jacob, I was aware of Baselworld, but did not know you lived there before. I would be interested in see a picture of your Omega.
The reason high-end used watches appreciate in value is that several of the watchmakers (at least Patek and Rolex do) purposely limit the quantity of watches they produce each year, to keep the demand/ supply ratio high.
The Rolex Submariner was also a military watch - used by the Royal Navy (?maybe the U.S Navy too, I don't recall).
I agree with blue pearl, pick one classic style and stay with it. I don't see myself buying anymore watches for a very long time.
The reason high-end used watches appreciate in value is that several of the watchmakers (at least Patek and Rolex do) purposely limit the quantity of watches they produce each year, to keep the demand/ supply ratio high.
The Rolex Submariner was also a military watch - used by the Royal Navy (?maybe the U.S Navy too, I don't recall).
I agree with blue pearl, pick one classic style and stay with it. I don't see myself buying anymore watches for a very long time.
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ICouldBeTheWalrus
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On the cheap end, I see it's still possible to get a understated, minimal-function digital watch from Casio, the F28W-1. <$12 on Amazon, looks the same as my first digital watch in 1983 or so.
If I felt confident that I wanted to regularly wear a watch again, I'd get the Seiko Orange Monster. I've wanted an automatic/self-winding watch.
Damnit, this thread has got me casually browsing expensive used watches online. Maybe after I'm retired and I have an especially nice year of investment returns.
If I felt confident that I wanted to regularly wear a watch again, I'd get the Seiko Orange Monster. I've wanted an automatic/self-winding watch.
Damnit, this thread has got me casually browsing expensive used watches online. Maybe after I'm retired and I have an especially nice year of investment returns.
I just can't get into the cost of a mechanical watch. If I buy a >$10,000 watch, it might have a very nice movement, but it's not like I'm going to be opening it up and taking it apart!
So for me, the internal workings are almost completely irrelevant. I can appreciate the style, but an expensive watch would mostly be conspicuous consumption (for me). I do understand that some people appreciate the mechanics on a different level than I do.
Aesthetically, automatic movements tend to look very chunky. My wrists are fairly small, so that tends to rule out all the "sport" watches that are so popular now. I don't think I should go beyond 38mm or it just doesn't look right on my wrist.
I probably have a handful of watches that I've picked up over the years ($50-$200 range, Tissot, Victorinox, Skagen, Luminox, one of those crazy tokyoflash watchs) but I tend not to wear them except for special events/purposes. I don't think I could justify buying another watch unless something about my usage patterns would change (although I could probably afford the Patek at a price of around $66/mo for the rest of my life)
If you think watches are cool, I suggest you don't go to chronoshark.com. They are a deal-a-day site for watches, usually fairly cheap ones (hundreds), but sometimes more expensive (thousands).
So for me, the internal workings are almost completely irrelevant. I can appreciate the style, but an expensive watch would mostly be conspicuous consumption (for me). I do understand that some people appreciate the mechanics on a different level than I do.
Aesthetically, automatic movements tend to look very chunky. My wrists are fairly small, so that tends to rule out all the "sport" watches that are so popular now. I don't think I should go beyond 38mm or it just doesn't look right on my wrist.
I probably have a handful of watches that I've picked up over the years ($50-$200 range, Tissot, Victorinox, Skagen, Luminox, one of those crazy tokyoflash watchs) but I tend not to wear them except for special events/purposes. I don't think I could justify buying another watch unless something about my usage patterns would change (although I could probably afford the Patek at a price of around $66/mo for the rest of my life)
If you think watches are cool, I suggest you don't go to chronoshark.com. They are a deal-a-day site for watches, usually fairly cheap ones (hundreds), but sometimes more expensive (thousands).
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jacob
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Yeah, it's like art. If one is only looking to tell time, a $10 quartz watch will do a better job that a $3000 "chronograph". What makes this extra ridiculous is that the $3000 chronograph costs so much because it's uncertainty is 1 second per day (I forget the exact criteria but it's something like that) whereas an uncertified watch will cost a quarter.
Personally, the only "art" that does something for me is mechanical watches and steam engines, the latter being too heavy to carry around.
Personally, the only "art" that does something for me is mechanical watches and steam engines, the latter being too heavy to carry around.
I have a lovely Lord Elgin that was my great grandfather's. It has a conical cyrstal that fractures easily and costs about $250-300 to replace, so I rarely wear it.
My everyday watch used to be a Seiko, better than a Timex but nothing fancy. But I stopped wearing a watch -- and indeed jewelry of any kind -- about two years ago. If I need the time, the mobile phone has it.
My everyday watch used to be a Seiko, better than a Timex but nothing fancy. But I stopped wearing a watch -- and indeed jewelry of any kind -- about two years ago. If I need the time, the mobile phone has it.
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LiquidSapphire
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I currently don't wear a watch, but I am going to buy a La Crosse Technology UV100 Ultraviolet Watch, which monitors the UV level. I'd like to keep tabs on the UV levels when going out, and I'd also like to test how well certain fabrics filter out UV rays.
http://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology ... pd_sim_hg3
http://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology ... pd_sim_hg3
I have one I found on the side of the road during my last bike tour and an old one my boyfriend's mom gave me. Both cheap. Watches in my opinion are like sunglasses in that they are too easy to break or lose to spend much money on.
I wear a watch mostly while sailing and cycling because a cell phone would be likely to be destroyed or uncomfortable to carry respectively.
I wear a watch mostly while sailing and cycling because a cell phone would be likely to be destroyed or uncomfortable to carry respectively.
I've accumulated multiple over the years, and finally stopped ... Seiko 5 for daily wear - no battery ( got tired of chasing batteries). A citizens eco-drive for "dressy" occasions - although I go to far fewer now than before. An 18k Gucci - from my days of appearance over common sense ( methinks its 13-15 years old now, battery just wont die ). Finally a Casio analog/LCD that doesnt last more than a year on a fresh battery.
Well since I don't carry a cell and I always managed to break any wristwatch I ever had I started to carry a pocket watch many years ago.
I have a couple the most expensive was just over $500 but its a dress type with a sterling silver hallmarked (yes its from England) case.
For every day I carry one that is not round but rectangular and has a moon dial as well as a partial skeleton face (means you can see the watch work).
And NONE of them are battery operated....I can't stand the idea of buying batteries...I have no problem winding a watch every day.
I have a couple the most expensive was just over $500 but its a dress type with a sterling silver hallmarked (yes its from England) case.
For every day I carry one that is not round but rectangular and has a moon dial as well as a partial skeleton face (means you can see the watch work).
And NONE of them are battery operated....I can't stand the idea of buying batteries...I have no problem winding a watch every day.
I wear an Omega Seamaster. It was a gift from my father upon graduating from medical school.
I wear it daily, and use it to tell time probably 100 times each day (during the week at least). On my hip I carry a pager and cell-phone (because I'm required to), both tell the time (usually), but it's much faster to look at my wrist. A lot of my documentation must include date and time, so the watch is much faster than pulling out the cell phone (which is password protected BTW).
I wear it daily, and use it to tell time probably 100 times each day (during the week at least). On my hip I carry a pager and cell-phone (because I'm required to), both tell the time (usually), but it's much faster to look at my wrist. A lot of my documentation must include date and time, so the watch is much faster than pulling out the cell phone (which is password protected BTW).