Timepieces

[Too Tall]

I'll have to echo previous endorsements for a Seiko auto diver. I wear my SKX007J (Japan-market - in the US look for SKX173) daily. If you want some more color try a SKX009/SKX175 with deep blue face and "pepsi" bezel. Have both of the US "Monster" (SKX779 & SKX781) variants that come out occasionally, also highly recommended.

Highlights:
200m water resistance
Insanely bright/enduring lume
Built like a tank - service maybe once every 15 or 20yrs from reports I've heard.
$200 gets you a brand new w/ warranty one.

Ding ding ding. Total agreement. I was pretty amazed how nice a watch I got for <$200 and it served me more than well while I waited for my Seamaster to get refurbished. My watchmaker (love saying that) said that this Seiko mechanism was infamous for it's durability. I'll prob. give the watch to a nephew.

YES the SinnU(series) was on my short list for a long time. The entire mfg. process is appealing. If I were to ever find a SinnU1/U2 well used from a reliable source I'd be very tempted, they are rugged as heck. Saving my pennies for the Speedy.

[marcus]

I've used Walter Gooden in the past for Omega service:

Walter Gooden, Inc.
2050 Bundy Dr., Ste. 290
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Telephone (310) 820-5952


I'm not sure if they even have a website but they came highly recommended on the watch forums when I was searching a few years ago. It's kind of a wierd experience -- trust your watch to the US Postal Service and wait, with minimal feedback or interaction. But it worked. When my watch returned it looked like a brand new one. I was definitely a satisfied customer.

--Marcus

Who the hell would have ever thought it.....


Yes, it could use a through service but I don't know where to have it done...

[mainemike]

Who the hell would have ever thought it.....


Yes, it could use a through service but I don't know where to have it done...

E.B. Horn
Boston

[Disturbed]

Thank yous both.

[gt6267a]

I know this is way off topic for a bike forum, but I cannot resist. Good luck, enjoy.

If you must do Rolex - Sea Dweller, but get a non-metal band for the thing. SD is the only one that is fully ruggedized and lives up to its reputation. In a field test, SD & Panerai were the only automatics that survived the tests/came out equivalently on top.

Panerai - Luminor Marina together with B&R below has the best visual field of any quality watch. Go with the stainless, "left hander fit" built for wearing on the right wrist, use it on the left wrist like normal and the crown points toward your forearm and does not dig into the back of your hand on the bike. They come in a couple of different sizes . . . big and bigger. Like all my suggestions . . . bomb proof . . . go with the rubber dive band. I wear mine whitewater kayaking where is gets bashed up against rocks, so I can attest to its ruggedness.

Bell & Ross - Hydromax. Similar case to the watch B&R designed for bomb squad professionals only this is their professional dive version . . . kindof redundant to say . . . bomb proof . . . It is filled with silicone gel liquid for extra impact and pressure resistance which requires a Quartz movement but enables it to function at a depth of 11,100m. The crown is offset by 45 degrees so that it does not dig into the back of your hand while riding, spear fishing, welding, or de-fusing bombs. Quartz movement keeps the afficionados away, but it rocks, and fits easily under barrel or french cuffs. Oh yeah, and it is the lightest of the recommendations, so it is great for hill climbs. Comes with a 7 year battery, requires a certified shop to replace due to the silicone fill.

Finally in the budget automatic category (<$3,000), ORIS makes several great, if chunky, automatic movement dive watches that are really rugged. Also with crowns that are rotated 45 degrees for freedom of hand movement. Dual time zone, titanium dive version is light, interesting, and quite a good deal.

OK one more: for the truly budget conscious, Seiko makes a couple of old school dive watches that have offset crowns and look great. They are more of the disposable variety, and in my experience they last for a few years with hard use.

Rolex, Panerai, B&R & ORIS will get stolen before you wear them out or break them. Seiko is a good alternative for the money.

Wheelwright

You mention the B&R is the lightest of your recommendations. This is a topic of interest for me and watches. A while back, after a watch thread across the hall, I was inspired to pickup a Stowa. I loved the look but it was extremely heavy and eventually was sold because of this. Since, I tried on a friend’s Ti IWC and still found it heavy. What are the lighter / smaller automatic / quartz watches?

Kind regards,
Keith

[Jason Musgrave]

Not going to get lighter than a plastic swatch (quartz) atmo--learn to read the sun maybe ; )

[link]

This tells me that it will run late, but very precisely.

I like the island humor. I lived a short while on Reunion Island.

Still would enjoy reading feedback on the German Arctos and Italian Anonimo.

[gt6267a]

Not going to get lighter than a swatch (quartz) atmo--learn to read the sun maybe ; )

i have a swatch, er 4, and like them a lot. i just checked their site and see a new batch of swatche chrono autos has been released. i might pick one up ....

[steve575]

I bought this Panerai Luminor Marina in '04, before they really got popular in the US. I had it for 2 years and sold it for more than I paid for it. You can't do that very often.

[frenk]

i have a swatch, er 4, and like them a lot. i just checked their site and see a new batch of swatche chrono autos has been released. i might pick one up ....

I thought the same, but then I checked the prices...

[flick]

My wife got me the model prior to the "Bond" revision. It is a high quality, unpretentious, watch. Never have had the back opened, propabably needs a service but runs great. Has a saphire chrystal, automatic movement, neat engraving on the back, metal band. I don't think that they are too terribly expensive on eBay, mine was like 800 new, that was a few years ago

[dashDustin]

Visited a few watch stores today...

1) IWC Big Pilot is absolutely beautiful.
2) IWC has a full skeleton at about $51k...the shop had one of those. I rate very few things as stunning. That piece of art was stunning.
3) Hamilton Khaki Officer is at the top of my list after trying on a few wat...timepieces.

[Ryun]

While I am a panerai collector, I would recommend looking at Glycine watches. Nice movements without the adorments and finishing work give nice reliable action without the high price tag

[steve575]

I think it’s interesting that guys who appreciate fine bicycles, also appreciate fine mechanical watches. It must be the “mechanical” part of it. Precision gears meshing in harmony, hand worked metals and so on. I can’t bring myself to buy a battery powered watch. Like Too Tall, I think I’ll try a manual wind next. Probably a Speedmaster Professional, with the display back. It may be a while though. They got this recession on.

[Too Tall]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Speedy :)

[fpalitang]

SMP are hard to beat...darn near impossible.

Anonimo are not as nice as I thought they were. They just don't have the same feel as a Panerai. I know they're supposed to be less expensive, but still.

Stowa and Sinn are great recommendations. You can't go wrong. I've got a hankering to pickup an Airman (no logo).

My favorite wearer right now is...

[Too Tall]

Hmmm I *think those watches are in todays NYTs.

Can't get the speedys off my mind. Must start scouring pawn shops.

SMP are hard to beat...darn near impossible.

Anonimo are not as nice as I thought they were. They just don't have the same feel as a Panerai. I know they're supposed to be less expensive, but still.

Stowa and Sinn are great recommendations. You can't go wrong. I've got a hankering to pickup an Airman (no logo).

My favorite wearer right now is...

[fpalitang]

Hmmm I *think those watches are in todays NYTs.

Can't get the speedys off my mind. Must start scouring pawn shops.

There's a MK-IV on pmwf for a tick under a G.

[Too Tall]

There's a MK-IV on pmwf for a tick under a G.

Thanks :)

[dashDustin]

picked up the Hamilton this evening.



Everything that I wanted. ETA 2824 movement, decent sized case, sapphire, relatively inexpensive.