Seiko or Citizen.

I just want to point out that you are breaking the rules.

To post about watches you have to,

A) mention how you are willing to spend up to $10,000,
B) refuse to lower yourself to buy used,
C) are willing to travel across the globe to find a deal,
D) say you need something to match your $2,500 suits,
E) all of the above

Stop embarrassing yourself...

Thanks for the advice. :) I think I can amend my mistake by saying that I just need something that is a step up from my Timex Ironman. That should impress the watch snobs.

Oooh. I just had a brilliant idea. I will setup a GoFundMe account so people can contribute money so I can buy a $10k watch.

<edited to add> I do enjoy reading the watch threads and appreciate people who want and can afford a fine watch. It sounds as if quality watches are probably better investments than other luxury items and the bottom line is - it is your money, buy what you like.

They are making a comeback.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Tissot or Hamilton might fit the bill.

+1 on Tissot

I think I can amend my mistake by saying that I just need something that is a step up from my Timex Ironman.

Now I feel bad, I'm wearing my Timex Ironman right now.

Snob! Had to get in a backdoor brag didn't you?

Maybe a Shinola

I went through this exercise a few years ago, had some crap Fossil watch from college that was my only 'fancy' watch. I posted a thread on here I believe, pretty much same parameters ($300-$500) and I did a ton of research outside of here.

I wound up buying a Citizens (https://smile.amazon.com/...ge?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

And a Tissot (https://smile.amazon.com/...F&_encoding=UTF8

The Citizens gave me fits to set but once I figured it out it's been great. Both have been fantastic and I've gotten a ton of compliments. I love the Citizens because it looks great when I'm in jeans in a t-shirt and also a suit, hell I wore it for my wedding.

Festina?

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm seeing a lot of watches that are in line with what I'm looking for.

Another question. I'm considering whether I would need a chronograph. This probably won't be an everyday all day watch, but there may be times where I want to keep track of elapsed time.

Anyone have thoughts as to the usefulness of a chronograph?

Get any watch you want with this one neat trick!

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

I recently picked up a Hamilton for about that. Nice looking dress watch. Simple and classic.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Something "like" this: http://www.ebay.com/...5:g:g5IAAOSwWxNYplZe

Many beautiful vintage dress watches out there since everyone is buying boat anchors for their wrists.

I agree.

Normally I wear my Timex IM but I picked up a classic Mickey Mouse watch off ebay for about $150. It is quite large and Mickey is very noticeable. I wear it for those times to make a fashion statement around the watch snobs. I also have a vintage Swiss watch that is very nice. Can't remember the name at the moment. Another option is those Chinese copies. My brother picked up a couple of fake TagH's that look identical to his real ones. He wears the fakes on most days and only the real one for those business suit days.

Victorianox falls squarely in that price range for a nice durable everyday watch. Here's my current lineup, $350 (retail $600) and $200, respectively.


For a classic style beater watch, the Timex Weekender series ($40ish) is really sharp.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Shinola has had my attention, lately. They're made in the USA, which I know doesn't mean jack in horology, but if that's something you're after...

I picked up this one at christmas: https://goo.gl/8sdWHJ

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LLLEEEEEEEEEEEERRRROOOYYY JEEENNNNNKKKIIINNNNNS!!!

IMHO this may be one of the best value-for-money on a gentleman's automatic watch is the Seiko SARB033 & SARB035.
https://www.amazon.com/...matic/dp/B001AE9XS0/



Seiko's 6R15 movement in this $300 watch is comparable to the Swiss ETA 2824 movement that you'll find in some $2000+ Swiss watches (i.e. Breitling Superocean)

Check out some of the 'watch geek' forums to get your bearings. And if you're willing to spend a little more (i.e. $2,000) consider a Grand Seiko. You'll get a watch with movement and class as good (if not better) than a $10k+ Swiss Omega or even Rolex.

https://monochrome-watches.com/...b033-fully-reviewed/
http://forums.watchuseek.com/...3-spirit-257162.html


There are other JDM automatics from Seiko that are also good alternatives. JDM = Japan Domestic Market. The Japanese make excellent automatic movement but for some reason only keep it domestic. The movements they mass export are meant to compete with the cheap flood of Chinese and other brands. Avoid the mass export models.

Another option is this: https://www.amazon.com/...bdial/dp/B0066GKTM6/
Its got good quality Japanese movement (Citizen/Miyota 9132) and is oh, so very, very good lookin'.
Junkers is an old German brand, best known for their aircraft. During WWII they were appropriated by the Nazis (as were many German firms) and made the famed Junkers Stuka dive bombers.


If brand-name appeal is your goal, you'll generally only find quartz in the $500 price range you stated. Quartz - Why bother? Sure you can get a 'pretty' Swiss Tissot or American Bulova or something similar for that price. I have quartz watches from both brands. They sit in a box.

There are also 'Hybrid' watches - solar quartz, mecha-quartz, etc. They are known by names like 'Ecodrive', 'Kinetc', 'Solar'. They are all available in your price range (some well below it) and a cool in theory, but all have some sort of battery and ultimately lack the beauty of a mechanical movement watch.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

https://www.momentumwatch.com/product/steelix-steel/

Spend the extra $35 and get the sapphire crystal. I have the nylon band, use it as a beater, and it holds up very well. Another buddy bought one and wore it on deployment, held up well.

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If I don't, who will? -Me
It's like being bipolar in opinion is a requirement around here. -TripleThreat

Why Quartz? Because unlike an automatic, a Quartz actually works?

And a $10 walmart quartz works perfectly well and is super acurate.
But if you're going to buy something mechanically beautiful, a wonder of human ingenuity and precission, and the only acceptable piece of semi-ostentatious jewellery for a gentleman, then for god's sake get a decent mechanical watch.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

I absolutely agree. I bought that watch on (I think) your rec from a prior thread. It's now my everyday and I just love it. Most comfortable band I own. Love the off white face with the stainless. Looks a lot like the Grand Seiko.

It's more of a classic size so if you want a modern baller sized watch it will be small.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

A very common gateway quality swiss automatic watch would be the Hamilton Khaki automatic. Lists for $575, but can get online all over for $350-400. Nice classic appearance with brown leather band, sapphire crystal, Swiss ETA (or now Hamilton's H7) movement with display on the rear, very accurate and a perfect 42 mm (there is a smaller 39 mm that is small for today's watches) size. Can't go wrong here.

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Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
- Andrew Coggan, PhD

I also have the white one and love it. Its become both my everyday work and dress watch.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

I was just looking at the Hamilton Khaki on Amazon. That is a nice looking watch. I'm going to have a tough choice to make with all the great suggestions.

  
As people have stated Hamilton is a very good brand, as is seiko. Others to consider: Orient (the star line) makes very good watches. Edox also makes a very good diver watch as well. Even if the watch has a metal bracelet for a band...you can purchase very nice leather bands and switch the band out. I do this all the time with my rotation.

All of these watches are automatics which is what I assume you are looking for? There are a ton of forums on watches that you may want to peruse. Probably the most important thing to figure out is what size watch face you want. Unfortunately once you start down this path, you will massively expand your watch collection as well as the necessary watch winders.

Also if you are looking at Hamilton's sign up for slickdeals alerts with the keyword activated for hamilton. They compile a bunch of specials on hamilton watches so within a month you will find a killer deal on the hamilton brand.

"assembled" in Detroit!

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

That's nice.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

I like the look of that also.

The F5 is out now and I know it is over your budget but if you wanted a workout watch that has smart features that is not a bad way to go. Of course if you don't want anything like that the other options mentioned are good.

This. I have a Victorinox Maverick that is maybe 25 years old. I just now researched it and the new one is up to $495.00.

This is an interesting thread for me. When I retire in September, I get to pick a retirement gift. It will be a watch. The ones I get to pick from are all in the price range being discussed in this thread. I'm curious what folks think. I'm leaning toward the Citizen because I've never had a watch that didn't need a battery. And I don't think I want a chronograph. Here are my choices:

• Tissot PRC200 Black Chronograph
• Movado Museum Dial
• Victorinox Night Vision
• Citizen Signature Eco Drive
• Bulova Precisionist Champlain

Oh, there's also a Garmin offered, but that ship has sailed already.

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"Honestly, triathlon is a pussified version of duathlon on that final run."- Desert Dude

It has to be said, Get the Rolex Submariner or the Omega Speedmaster Man on the effin Moon. See Archie Luxury on youtube for all your watch needs.

I know these may be a little out of the price range but whats a few grand more?

Where do you get the fake TagH's and what price range are we talking?

My brother picked them up in China. About $100. each if I remember right. They look identical.

Hi teekona - not all these watches are alike:

• Tissot PRC200 Black Chronograph - This is an mechanical-automatic watch. It has no battery and winds itself as you wear it. It uses a basic Swiss ETA movement. Automatics need to be worn almost daily to keep them wound. If you take it of for 48hrs. you will need to reset the time. They are also slightly less accurate than quartz - they lose/gain a few seconds per day.

• Movado Museum Dial - This is quartz watch. The 'guts' are a not all that much different than those in a $25 Timex. There is no mechanical beauty of the finely engineered and crafted gears and springs that make up a mechanical watch. You're paying for the Movado brand name and a pretty face. Quartz is very accurate but you need to change the battery.

• Victorinox Night Vision - same as above

• Citizen Signature Eco Drive - the Eco Drive does use a battery, but not in the classic sense. The face is effectively a solar panel that charges a permanent rechargeable battery which then powers a quartz movement. Ultimately its a quartz watch. It works quite well unless the internal battery fails or if you wear your watch under your shirt sleeves. If you do consider the alternative Seiko Kinetic series that uses the movement of the watch as you wear it to charge an internal battery that powers a quartz movement.

• Bulova Precisionist Champlain - same as the other two quartz watches.

If you're looking for something to tell you the time all are good options. If you're looking for a mechanical marvel and wish to be a bit of a chronophile then the Tissot is the obvious choice. Also Tissot is a respected Swiss brand and looks good to boot.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

Thanks for the info. I'll need to think about this. Still not sure that I like the "busy" look of the face of a chronograph. I've always preferred a simpler looking watch face. Regarding the Eco Drive, does it need to be exposed to direct sunlight to recharge, or does indirect light do the trick?

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"Honestly, triathlon is a pussified version of duathlon on that final run."- Desert Dude

caveat emptor

http://forums.watchuseek.com/...co-drive-715910.html


https://www.wristwatchreview.com/...e-citizen-eco-drive/

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/...ive-watches-Any-good

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's

Here you are:

Thank you. I appreciate the information. As far as "buyer beware", I'm not buying- it's a gift. I have a little less than six months to think this over...

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"Honestly, triathlon is a pussified version of duathlon on that final run."- Desert Dude

Citizen Eco-Drives are great, trouble-free watches that look good. Can't go wrong there. Some of their discontinued pieces like the Orca are so cool and wearable.

If you want an automatic that's painless, Seikos are your best bet in that price range. Divers to dress...they've got a little bit of everything.

If you want to tumble down the rabbit hole of boutique watch makers....there's that too. It's an addiction. My personal favorites there are Squale and Magrette. Squale uses ETA movements, Magrette uses Citizen / Miyota There are too many others to list.

That said...you really can't kill a Citizen.

All that aside, the only thing that broke my watchfever was buying a Fenix 3. I bought a few bands to scratch that "gotta change" itch...but haven't spent any money on watches in over a year.

Not sure of the quality but this brand has been buzzing lately. The minimalist look is nice.

https://www.brathwait.com/

Don't let anyone convince you that you have to have an automatic (mechanical) movement in order to have a fine watch. Many respected makers offer nearly identical watches in quartz or mechanical, the only difference is the movement (and the price). While mechanical watches may require more "craftsmanship" (e.g. manual labor) to create, realize that at that price range any mechanical movement will be based on "engineering" from the 17th century and "hand crafted" in the millions of units. They are not "slightly less" accurate than quartz...even the best mechanical movements are off several seconds per day when in perfect condition, and need periodic (every few years) maintenance to keep any sort of accuracy. On the other hand, quartz such as the Precisionist you mention are accurate to a few seconds per year...and need virtually no maintenance, especially an ECO drive, Kinetic, or similar, which do not even need battery changes. Now, which really represents the higher level of engineering? The Precisionist is actually quite a remarkable watch, especially for the price, and it's accuracy is not matched by any watch, much less a cheap one. Oh, and it has a more "sweeping" second hand than most automatics to boot. Before quartz came along (thanks largely to Seiko), there were plenty of cheap automatics, hence the Timex slogan "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking". You don't see them anymore because they are simply inferior technology for any practical application. Automatics remain popular among watch enthusiasts mainly because that is what is marketed in high end watches and marketing works.

Of course this had been debated endlessly.

Have a look at these guys.

https://www.momentumwatch.com/

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If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

I have the black version of the first watch shown.I think it looks very nice, it is not huge and it did not break the bank.

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To defy the laws of tradition is a crusade only of the brave.

Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun.

Thanks. I appreciate your perspective.

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"Honestly, triathlon is a pussified version of duathlon on that final run."- Desert Dude

If you are still looking: the hamilton chronograph automatic is a killer price. Less than 500 for this nice looking time piece...
Here is the link on slickdeals. https://slickdeals.net/...ch-479-free-shipping

I had never heard of that website before now, but I've bookmarked it. I just saw this post and the deal has expired, but notice that they have a good deal on the Hamilton Khaki Field that rroof posted on an earlier page. Both of those watches look really nice. https://slickdeals.net/...ipping?src=catpagev2 I thought I would post it since several people commented on the watch and seemed to like it.

Thank you for remembering this thread and posting the link.