Need help on reliable watches..

[Zephyr]

Hello everyone,

I'm thinking about buying an analog watch and would really appreciate it if I could get your inputs. I'm thinking of a price range between $100 to $200. I just recently bought a Wenger Swiss watch thinking that it would be reliable, but I was proven wrong as it broke down on me already with only a few months of use. Are there any good and reliable watches out there that any of you can recommend. Something not too expensive, but rather reliable and dependable. Are the Swiss Military watches okay? I would appreciate the help. Thank you very much..

ZEPH

 

[rycen]

Check out Invicta.I do not own one but as soon as some employment comes so will a new watch.Great features for the price.

 

[Wolfen]

take a look at this military watch with tritium in glass tubes

http://www.countycomm.com/590DESCRIP.htm

 

[sotto]

3 years ago, an acquaintance was getting rid of their Guess Waterpro model watch and gave it to me. It's still running, and I wear it everyday and have banged it around and scraped it quite a bit. I even have worn it kayaking and had salt water running down my wrist onto it on several occasions. It still looks great, and I can't get it to break (although the dial light has never been reliable--drat!).

 

[Wingerr]

I'm assuming you're looking for mechanical watches; otherwise the Casio G-Shocks are pretty much indestructible, though it won't meet your price requirements. It's the only watch I'd feel comfortable hurling to the ground at full force with an expectation it'll continue to work (though the price plays a factor in my comfort level- ;-)

 

[Zephyr]

I actually have Casio G-Shocks already and I love it. It is pretty reliable and indestructable. I don't know if any of you is a member of Costco wholesale, but they're selling their G-Shocks for only $29.95. I got mines for about that price too. I am looking for a mechanical or analog watch. Any of you have positive experience with a reliable Swiss Army watches? I'm leaning towards purchasing one of those...Any feedback? Thanks everyone!

ZEPH

 

[Wolfen]

I have two Cavalry model Swiss Army Watches. I have the stainless with leather strap and the blue steel model with nylon and leather strap.I like mine and would recommend them.

Swiss Army cavalry $123.00 at World of Watches

http://www.worldofwatches.com/showitem.asp?dept_id=119&gen5=WWAFFPRGAPGENBNR&sourceid=00396723656686725491&pf_id=7452

Did you look at the link for the military grade watch with tritium? I can't stand not being able to read a watch in the dark. Thats the only thing I don't like about my Swiss Army Brand watches, no tritium vials.

 

[Zephyr]

Thanks Wolfen,

I really appreciate your help. I looked at the Luminox watches with tritium markers on it and it looks awesome. But I've heard some negative comments regarding this particular brand of watches though. Are they really Swiss made, or are they just Swiss movement? Are Luminox really reliable? Thanks so much!

ZEPH

 

[PeterM]

I have a Swiss Army brand, Swiss Made, NOT THE LUMINOX, titanium case/band with a sapphire glass crystal. I got sick of replacing a $100 watch every year because of scratched crystals, etc. I bought it three years ago and have never taken it off except for cleaning and battery replacement, (one battery rep. so far). I kayak frequently, fish, swim, dive, hike, and basically beat the crap out of it and it still looks new. Can't scratch the crystal if I try. It dosen;t have tritium vials, but glows real well at night. Especially with an Arc!!
I bought it at a mall on impulse for about $400 when titanium was uncommon. I'm sure if you shopped around you could find it for 1/2 of that. The sapphire glass is the big deal. I'll never have a watch without it again, if I can help it..

 

[Wingerr]

I've had my Luminox 3101 for a while now, and it's been fine so far- I try to be careful with it and prefer to not submerge it; it still looks pretty new, and runs with accuracy. And the tritium markers are just essential for any self proclaimed Flashaholic.. From total darkness to bright sunlight and everything in between, it's instantly visible without buttons, shaking, or squinting.

Wingerr- who wears two watches for symmetry-

 

[Wolfen]

Zeph, chech ebay for Swiss Army Brand (victrinox)

 

[PeterM]

Wingerr
A REAL flashaholic would have a variety of flashlights at his fingertips, dedicated and uniquely adapted for use as a watch illuminator/dial recharger. Are you trying to deprive poor Zephyr of a perferctly plausible reason for purchasing another flashlight?
Shame

 

[PJD]

Zeph...I have about 7 watches; a couple Casios, a Citizen, a Timex, Armitrons...and a Luminox Navy Seals watch. The Luminox is far and away my favorite! It is extremely rugged, very lightweight, and IMHO, I think the tritium trasers are the best illumination system for a watch that you can buy. Half life of 10 years, never needs to be "charged" by an external light source, and won't drain your battery like an electroluminescent backlight. It's the best watch I've ever owned...

PJD

 

[duffahtolla]

Hey! I've got good news for you!

New recommended half-life for tritium (3H): A recently completed re-evaluation of all published experimentally determined values of the tritium half-life between 1936 and 2000 by NIST concluded in a slight revision: 4500 ± 8 days (8 days is one standard uncertainty). This corresponds to 12.32 instead of 12.43 years (the use of days for expressing the half-life is preferable).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You just got 2 yrs for Free!

 

[DieselDave]

I have the Luminox 3101. Best watch I have ever owned as well as the most comfortable to wear. I wear it all day and night in and out of the water. I removed the rubber watch band and I use the velcro strap. Not a fashion statement but it is more comfortable for me. I have owned it for about 15 months and have scratched up the crystal some and had to replace one band post when I hung it on a tree limb. Tritium is great. The crystal is scratched up but I have to hold it at an angle to see them. Ultimately I don't care how it looks just how it performs. I own 3-4 "handsome" watches, I might wear them once a year. I have turned on 2 others here at work to the Luminox and I have heard no complaints, maybe we are just lucky.

 

[DieselDave]

Here are some shots of my beat-up Luminox Beat-up Luminox watch

 

[Saaby]

Hmmm...again it doesn't meet your price requirement but if you looked real hard you might be able to find a Casio Twincept watch in the G-Shock style housing. Cool thing about the twincept is it's Analogue with a digital overlay...the LCD is above the hands, so when you have the LCD off you'd never know it had digital.

 

[Minjin]

DieselDave,

Get yourself some Brasso, an old t-shirt, and with some elbow greese, you can make those scratches go away. Just keep wetting the t-shirt and rubbing it in until they're all gone or mostly gone. I've done it many times. Learned that little trick at the Naval Academy.

As for watches, I still prefer the quick reading and accuracy of a digital and have owned many Timex Ironmans through the years. Currently wearing a Timex Ironman Triathlon Datalink. Durable, very functionable, cheap, and look just fine to me...

The highend watch market is one that I still don't quite understand. But then again, I still don't understand jewelry and I guess thats what you're buying...a piece of jewelry, not a timepiece.

Mark

 

[hoss]

Just my thoughts... Over the last 35 years the most expensive watches I've owned were a Benrus ($50 in 1968), Sieko ($150 in 1970), and an $1800 Omega that I won in a sweepstakes in 1999. Several other so-called quality brands in the interim.
All were plagued with problems.

Now I buy a nice new $20 watch from Walmart every year as a Christmas present to myself and am very happy; they get banged up and I don't care.

 

[geepondy]

hoss, how did you win the Omega and what was wrong with it? I own an Omega. It is by more then a factor of ten the most expensive watch I've ever bought and I'm not sure if I'd do it again but it has performed flawlessly.