Reply With QuoteMilsub.
C.
I'm planning a couple of trips to South America and Africa. Waring an expensive watch on the streets of Rio or Addis is just asking for trouble so I'm looking for a watch that won't attract attention. Unfortunately in those parts of the world you can get mugged for almost any kind of watch so the important thing is it has to look cheap! Of course I'd rather it was still a semi decent watch.
To get the desired cheapness look I suspect it would have to be digital but I'd be interested if anyone can think of any other "stealthy" watch options.
I'd rather not buy a rubbish watch, but at the end of the day I want to be able to hand it over to the guy with the knife without worrying about the cost.
Any ideas?
Milsub.
C.
My choice was a vintage Olech & Wasj Early Bird. I'm still alive so I assume it works :D
Great suggestion, thanks! I'm sure any kind of Rolex would work just as well. :lol:Originally Posted by watchlovr
Casio F-91W, £8 on Amazon. Don't think anyone would mug you for that!
I agree - go with the 'Al-Quaeda'
Casio ;)
Yep, I actually considered that one. Not sure if it would be an ideal travel watch if the trip included the USA though. I've already got some "suspicious" stamps in my passport and waring the "terrorist" watch probably wouldn't help my chances with US immigration!
It's the best selling watch on Amazon so it must be pretty good :lol:
Actually, this Casio is a serious contender at the moment -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-W-800H-1A ... s_watch_28
Not quite as down market as the F-91W but perhaps cheap looking enough to deter the muggers.
Can anyone save me from buying it with a nicer alternative?
Wear a G-Shock.
If it gets robbed, it finally surved a purpose and saved your life by having something to give a mugger.
Plus.. it will save you the hassle (and precious time) of having to flip the thing one day (inevitable), package it (20 minutes of your life that you will regret on your death bed), and generally feel soiled for having owned one for too long.
I'd also be very tempted to cut the arm of the sleeve of the shirt I was wearing whilst there, to invite any potential robbers to come and get it.
Plus for £100, you can take 4 of them, as they're sh*t.
:)
Hope that helps. 8)
I would take a couple of G's if you think the area is really rough. In some places they would still mug you for any watch though and possibly knife you too - even for a £10 one!
It doesn't really matter what you are wearing on your wrist - where you go, who with, and how you act and conduct yourself is far more important.
I wore my Rolex in Brasil - although there were some days/places when I had my long sleeves covering it :)
It's just a matter of time...
Thanks, nice watch and I'm glad to see you're still with us! I suspect that the O&W might be a bit too eye catching though. For hardcore destinations like Rio and Addis I'd like the watch to be hardly noticeable.
I was looking at a vintage Fortis, manual wind, black face, Arabic numerals, military style, 35mm diameter. I've seen them sell on eBay for less than £20 so that would fit some of the cost and low profile criteria.
A Casio would be more practical and make more sense though.... :cry:
G-SHOCK
Seems pretty much perfect? surely?
Well, you've got nerve waring your Rolex (I was going to say balls but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate).
I guess it depends on the location. If you're taking a taxi to business meetings of having dinner in high class hotels the Rolex is ideal. Unfortunately I'll be mostly walking the streets, taking in the sights and probably waring a short sleeved shirt all the time.
A Casio of some kind is certainly a strong possibility though as Omegamanic said it is possible to get mugged for a £10 watch and G-Shocks do have some "wrist presence". The big "G-SHOCK" branding on the front makes it known that the watch is worth something, OK not a lot but enough to pay for a few meals in a Rio favela...
I was in Sao Paulo and Rio a few weeks ago for work and I just wore my Omega. Never felt worried about it. If its gonna happen, it's gonna happen whatever your wearing.
Why not just wear a cheap Seiko 5 or something like that? I think it'll give more satisfaction than wearing cheap digitals.
I was in Rio and Sao Paolo (and in Buenos Aires) with it. Most people think it is an old sh.tty watch imho :-)Thanks, nice watch and I'm glad to see you're still with us! I suspect that the O&W might be a bit too eye catching though. For hardcore destinations like Rio and Addis I'd like the watch to be hardly noticeable.
I was in Rio and Sao Paolo (and in Buenos Aires) with it. Most people think it is an old sh.tty watch imho :-)Thanks, nice watch and I'm glad to see you're still with us! I suspect that the O&W might be a bit too eye catching though. For hardcore destinations like Rio and Addis I'd like the watch to be hardly noticeable.
LOL, old maybe, but surely not sh*tty
The Seiko might do the trick, though if I was going analog, a vintage Fortis for a fraction of the price would also be tempting....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-VINTA ... 20c53cc043
I have actually owned that one as well as the F-91W. I did wear it for a while for work and found it ok, can't go wrong for £16. I couldn't even wear the F-91W as it just felt too small. I've also had a couple of cheap Timex too that would be up to the job.Actually, this Casio is a serious contender at the moment -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-W-800H-1A ... s_watch_28
Not quite as down market as the F-91W but perhaps cheap looking enough to deter the muggers.
Can anyone save me from buying it with a nicer alternative?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marathon-Quartz ... _pr_sims_t
Thanks Craig. I did have a look at that Timex. Nice big display but it does look cheap, especially the strap. I know I wanted something that didn't look expensive but I think the Timex is going too far down that road :lol:I have actually owned that one as well as the F-91W. I did wear it for a while for work and found it ok, can't go wrong for £16. I couldn't even wear the F-91W as it just felt too small. I've also had a couple of cheap Timex too that would be up to the job.Actually, this Casio is a serious contender at the moment -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-W-800H-1A ... s_watch_28
Not quite as down market as the F-91W but perhaps cheap looking enough to deter the muggers.
Can anyone save me from buying it with a nicer alternative?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marathon-Quartz ... _pr_sims_t
Of those three, my choice would be the Casio-W-800H-1AVES but I'm still hoping something else might come along and divert me away from it.
I have worn my GMT-C on many visits to Addis. I live and work in West Africa and wear a GMT all the time.......don't be such a whimp.....they are tool watches made for adventures....in any event it is not what you wear but how you carry yourself that counts.
I hear what you're saying Woody and I would love to take my Explorer II - I may even do it in a moment of madness. It sounds like you have been lucky or can carry yourself well but I doubt even you would have been a match for a couple of guys with knives on a dimly lit Addis street. I guess it also comes down to "can you afford to loose it?" Some people will hand over their watch when challenged and put it down to experience. I can't afford to do that.
It's probably sensible to do what the locals do. You won't see many Brazilians waring a Rolex strolling along Copacabana promenade.
G10 on a NATO. Job done.
z
Cheap G, that you can use afterwards if you still have it.... :)
Yes, definitely a G10 they make a great travel watch.
LOL, thanks - I think!
Some of the bigger Gs could practically be used to fend off an attacker.
:)
Yup, I was going to say PRS10 - very understated.Yes, definitely a G10 they make a great travel watch.
Agreed.
Dave
And you won't have a problem flipping it if you've still got it when(if) you get back
Thanks Zelig. I like the G10, nice idea.
Yep, the G10 is nice and could be a winner. I always have problems trying to flip things. It's so much easier to buy than to sell....And you won't have a problem flipping it if you've still got it when(if) you get back
I'd stay away from the G10 or any military watch, as not all locals would like the idea of one of the military on their patch.
A G Shock is the one, any model which you'd happily pass to an aggressor without struggle. Well, thinking about it, that's any of the cheap ugly things :mrgreen:
I wore an old Seiko 5 in Kenya, but that was relatively safe in the areas we went to.
A 10 cheap digital thing sounds like your best bet.
Paul
Remember the Sultana of Oman's watch on 4 Rooms the other week (or whatever it was)? Buy and wear that. They will assume you are a major player in the gang world and will go nowhere near you.
I think the same apples to any Rolex, the the louder, blingier and less tasteful it is, the higher your perceived position in the hierarchy of the underworld...
Kinda agree with this. If a mugger crosses your path, he is probably going to know you're a tourist just by looking at you. In that split second, what watch you're wearing is probably immaterial. He's going to get what he can.
That said, why risk a nice watch unnecessarily in a place where there is higher chance of coming across a mugger?
+1Kinda agree with this. If a mugger crosses your path, he is probably going to know you're a tourist just by looking at you. In that split second, what watch you're wearing is probably immaterial. He's going to get what he can.
That said, why risk a nice watch unnecessarily in a place where there is higher chance of coming across a mugger?
I've been to Bogota, Columbia a couple of times this year and wore my Linde Werdelin each time. Hardly the safest city in the world but never felt unsafe.
Wear something that can be replaced should you be so unfortunately to get mugged. Your insurance will cover both expensive and inexpensive watches.
I've always liked the military style. The black face and ability to read at a glance suits me well so I'm not going to rule that out. I doubt whether many non watch people would recognize a military watch so hopefully I wouldn't have to worry about being mistaken for part of an occupying force!
Anyway don't many military people wear G Shocks in the field these days?
An interesting but risky strategy, which could backfire badly!
Muggers aren't stupid, some do check out the watch their potential victim is waring before choosing who to approach. I suspect some muggers even know something about watches and may be able to identify some common luxury watches. After all it's their line of "business" and it's what they do all day long.+1Kinda agree with this. If a mugger crosses your path, he is probably going to know you're a tourist just by looking at you. In that split second, what watch you're wearing is probably immaterial. He's going to get what he can.
That said, why risk a nice watch unnecessarily in a place where there is higher chance of coming across a mugger?
I've been to Bogota, Columbia a couple of times this year and wore my Linde Werdelin each time. Hardly the safest city in the world but never felt unsafe.
Wear something that can be replaced should you be so unfortunately to get mugged. Your insurance will cover both expensive and inexpensive watches.
:-)An interesting but risky strategy, which could backfire badly!
I was hoping the OP would be the one to experimentally prove, or disprove my theory!
There's a few mugging horror stories here :cry:
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f23/mugged ... 72964.html
Travel insurance is unlikely to fully cover a high value item like a watch. Policies usually have fairly low limits for each item, perhaps £500 or less. My home contents insurance doesn't currently cover items outside the house but I guess it could be extended worldwide for a smallish fee. But who wants the hassle of a claim and the trauma of being mugged.....+1Kinda agree with this. If a mugger crosses your path, he is probably going to know you're a tourist just by looking at you. In that split second, what watch you're wearing is probably immaterial. He's going to get what he can.
That said, why risk a nice watch unnecessarily in a place where there is higher chance of coming across a mugger?
I've been to Bogota, Columbia a couple of times this year and wore my Linde Werdelin each time. Hardly the safest city in the world but never felt unsafe.
Wear something that can be replaced should you be so unfortunately to get mugged. Your insurance will cover both expensive and inexpensive watches.
Brings new meaning to the term "daily beater"....
My views have changed over the last few years. Then I would have happily tried my chances with a mugger or two - these days I am not the same, perhaps in some ways naive, younger man. So I'd probably just hand the watch over - however they do say take the upper hand in the first 5 seconds of an encounter. That said life is a lot cheaper in some of these places and you really would have to be prepared to do whatever it takes, and quite frankly I don't think I have that in me any more - unless it came down to protecting my family and then it really would be anything goes.Well, you've got nerve waring your Rolex (I was going to say balls but I wasn't sure if it was appropriate).
I guess it depends on the location. If you're taking a taxi to business meetings of having dinner in high class hotels the Rolex is ideal. Unfortunately I'll be mostly walking the streets, taking in the sights and probably waring a short sleeved shirt all the time.
It's just a matter of time...
If I was a mugger I'd rather take a G-Shock than a Rolex
I'll put my G Shock on a Nato strap and then I can feel safe from bonzo :mrgreen:
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