Recommend a watch?

[StoneDog]

I'd like to find a nice mens watch that meets the following criteria:

1) Automatic (eco-drive, kinetic, etc) movement
2) Arabic numerals
3) Either no date or a perpetual calendar arrangement
4) Relatively inexpensive ($50 to $200?)
5) Water resistant to at least 5 atmospheres

Basically I'm looking for a no-worries watch that I set once and don't have to worry about it again for a long time.

I'm getting tired of the battery dying in my Citizen Navitach, getting it replaced and then resetting/enabling/disabling all of the various time zones, etc.

Jon

 

[cheesehead]

Can I recommend a Luminox?

1) No, it's not automatic, but it's jeweled and the battery lasts 5 years, that's pretty close to automatic. I like the idea of an eco-drive, but wonder if its construction would allow it to last much longer that than. Even non-jeweled mechanical watches need to be oiled-jeweled ones can get away with a little less care. Maybe the Navitach needs a little cleaning?
2) Yup.
3) Some have no date, but a date is very useful, even if you occasionally have to fiddle with it, IMHO.
4) Well, upper range
5) Yup.

Anyway, the biggest advantage to the Luminox is you can look at it, day or night, and it'll always tell you the time-i.e. it's a no nonsense watch. It's just silly bright with the tritium vials. I would think it's perfect for a CPF member.

 

[Frenchyled]

Can I recommend A Dakota Watch ?
Its not an automatic Watch but work fine and no battery to change !
1) Dakota Torch (its mine) with integrated flashlight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif $170 At emergency Option ( 10 years warranty)
2) any other Dakota Req (Rechargeable Electromagnétic Quartz)

See Here : Dakota
But buy it on any another site to save money !!

 

[StoneDog]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Both good suggestions, but I'm kinda of thinking along the lines of a cheap Invicta or maybe Citizen.

Perhaps I'll just put up with replacing the battery and reconfiguring my Navitach every two years...

Jon

 

[bigcozy]

Can I recomend what you asked for? Ollech and Wajs at Westcoastime.com, the MP model is a excellent buy IMHO. It uses a automatic ETA 2824 movement like many other much more expensive watches. The Seikos have proven themselves to be as durable as about anything out there as well. Check broadarrow.net for good aftermarket buys. You might drop revolvergeek a PM, he trades for these types of watches very often, I just purchased the band off one of them.

 

[StoneDog]

hmmm, that O&W manual wind 2081 looks pretty nice for only $145. If I had the money I'd opt for the M-16 with tritium dials.

Thanks bigcozy this is exactly what I was looking for, I may ping revolvergeek in a bit too.

Jon

 

[Minjin]

I'm the furthest you can get from a watch enthusiast, but I still thought I'd mention that the kinetic and eco drives are NOT automatics. Just because something doesn't require a battery change out every couple years, doesn't make it an automatic. There are quite a few watches nowadays that are solar powered. As for battery powered watches, if you're constantly changing batteries, you have a bum watch. They should last for several years which makes it a non issue IMHO. I find it funny when people refuse to own a battery powered watch. Those are the same kind of people who won't own a car with a timing belt...

Here's an interesting selection I came across recently:

http://www.pmwf.com/Watches/T20PMW%20List%20Table.htm

Perhaps something there will suit your needs.

Its certainly neat to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into a fine automatic, but above a certain level, all you are paying for is exclusivity. Lots of watch people dislike watches with the 2824 movement, no matter how good it is, simply because its 'common'... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

(I've been reading up on watches for the past week in case you're wondering)

Good luck.

Mark

 

[StoneDog]

Minjin, great site, thanks.

The Invicta 8926 looks like a really strong candidate too. It lacks the arabic numerals and it does have a calendar, but that's OK I guess.

Jon

 

[gregw45]

A Hamilton Khaki sounds about right if you don't mind winding the watch every day. The ETA 2801 is the same movement in the Stocker & Yale 490. It is on the small side at 32mm across not including the crown.

Waterproof to 3atm IIRC which has given me no problems. A few military guys may remember the orignal Hamilton that this reproduction is modeled after.

 

[Frangible]

Kind of offtopic, but one thing to note about watches with rechargable batteries is they can only be recharged so many times. The lifespan of them in the Casios for example is about 10 years.

Conversely, my Luminox's jeweled movement makes a disposable battery last for 10 years.

The only advantage I can see for solar / eco dive is if you use lots of power (indiglo backlight) periodically.

 

[felder]

Add atomic radio controlled and you never have to set it either. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[StoneDog]

OK, thanks for everyone's input. Good points on the solar powered watches and their batteries. The Luminox are sweet watches but for some reason just aren't my style.

The Hamilton Khaki is nice though more expensive than the Invicta (which must use a Japanese movement?). I looked at the Invicta 8926 when I bought my Promaster Navitach back in '00. But, I just had to have the Citizan's backlight, multiple time zones, digital/analog display and all that whiz-bang stuff that I really don't care about now. It was a pretty good deal at $125 with a leather strap. I bought a stainless bracelet later directly from Citizen but had problems with it. Live and learn...

Felder, good point!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Jon

 

[bigcozy]

You may have seen it, but the watch I was suggesting was the MP-2824:

http://www.westcoastime.com/mpas20milwat.html


One of these went for $95 recently on another forum with three extra bands, heckuva deal. I would check with Danny (Revolvergeek) before you buy anything, if nothing else to get his opinion on the matter.

 

[DLG]

I'd cruise around westcoastime.com and see what's there. Also look at the links found there to learn more.

I did some study recently and will buy from Howard @ Westcostime soon.

Good luck.

 

[Max]

How about:

Bulova Millennia Men's Blue-bezel Motion Quartz Watch

 

[Max]

Or you gotta love one of the Seiko 5 military style watches:

SGG609

SNX809K

SNZ196

 

[StoneDog]

Those Seiko 5's are going for $40 on eBay, is that right?! How does the movement compare to the Invicta's miyota(sp?)?

I'm going to need to revise my initial requirement - given the number of watches available for $130 or less that meet most of my requirements, the higher priced watches (Hamilton, new models from WestCoastTime, etc) are probably out. This will be a "beater" every day watch and I'm really not a watch enthusiast...

Jon

 

[revolvergeek]

StoneDog,

Check out the Citizen Diver that I just listed in BST. Might do for what you are looking for. The Citizen and the Invicta 8926 use the same Miyota 21 jewel hand-windable automatic movement.

The 8926 is a great watch, but the lum on the hands and markers is not that impressive. I have an Invicta 93?? (same watch but two-tone case and band and a blue face) and am pleased with it. The newer 8926 models have an Omega Seamaster style bezel that has a nice look, but is somewhat harder to turn than the older bezel.

The MPs, and the various O&W's from Westcoastime look like very nice watches. I thought about the mp2824 for quite a while, but I really prefer a slightly larger watch. If I had the money, I too would buy one of the new M1 watches!!

The 7s26 movement in the various Seikos is at least as reliable and accurate and the Miyota in the Citizens and lower end Invictas. It cannot the handwound like the Miyota, but this is really only a problem if you have several watches in rotation and some might not get worn regularly. I have 3 Seikos (a Black Monster, a skx007 custom diver and a midsize 200m diver) that are my main rotation of watches at the moment and I am very pleased with their accuracy and reliablity.

There are a lot of Seiko 5s for sale cheap on eBay, but a lot of them are shipping from Japan or Singapore and that can add another $15-25 to your cost. Chronograph.com is an interesting site to go wander through and look at all the various models.

I have had a Luminox field watch since 1991, and have had to change the battery in it twice. It still runs fine, keeps good time and glow pretty well. The lum on the Seikos that I have is brighter than the tritium on the luminox initially, but they crossover at around 5 or 6 hours. The Seiko Black Monster glows better and brighter than any other watch that I have ever seen. I basically do not wear the Luminox at all anymore, prefering the heft of the larger Seikos and the smoother ticking of the automatic movements.

 

[Max]

[ QUOTE ]
revolvergeek said:
The newer 8926 models have an Omega Seamaster style bezel that has a nice look, but is somewhat harder to turn than the older bezel.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry to change the subject somewhat... Have you seen the new 8926 in person? Other than cosmetic, are there any other other differences, better or worse, between old and new styles?

 

[revolvergeek]

Yes, I bought one of the new ones for a friend of mine as a Christmas present. It looks very nice and the fit and finish seemed about the same as the earlier watches. The bracelets in the Invictas are heavy with solid links, and are quite a bit nicer than the low end braclets that come on many of the Seiko 5 models (most, but not all, are folded link). Other than the dimish lum, I really don't see anything at all wrong with these Invictas.