Reply With QuoteWelcome! I would be getting a Sinn 857, with UTC if it's needed, although I think the 857 non-UTC is better looking. Looks the business on a chronissimo strap too 8)
Good morning, all!
I've been struck with the need to spend some of my hard-earned wedge and a new everyday watch is in order. Due to the nature of my job it needs to be clear to read, resistant to scratches and dings, and waterproof. Automatic is the way I'm looking, as no doubt a Casio could tick all the boxes albeit without style. The addition of a UTC/GMT complication would be particularly useful and a chronograph would be nice too.
I'm looking at both new and used pieces, the latter is preferable as I think I'd get more watch for my money. My budget is flexible. With an aim of spending around £1500 i've been looking at Sinns and Balls, but if something particularly nice came up beyond that, I'd be willing to stretch my funds. I've always had a soft spot for Rolex Subbies and GMTs, but i'm not sure how durable they are, particularly in comparison to the treated steel of Sinns. Ubiquity is the devil's own work so I want to avoid Tags...
I appreciate the world is practically my oyster, but a few fresh ideas would be very much appreciated - fire away!
Welcome! I would be getting a Sinn 857, with UTC if it's needed, although I think the 857 non-UTC is better looking. Looks the business on a chronissimo strap too 8)
Welcome from Holland..................
Try Tutima, they have some tough cookies as well.
And, there's always Damasko :)
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Tegimented steel case, UTC hand, sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance, copper sulphate capsule...
Sinn 856 UTC
regards,
Nick
Welcome! Others more knowledgeable than I will doubtless be along shortly. In the meantime, have you considered Damasko? [edited - others are already here and have already suggested the same thing :) ]
I've looked into Damasko, but with no UK retailers I'm hesitant - I really want to see whatever I'm buying before I do so!
That budget should get you something very nice from Oris !
Marc
For a chrono, I'd say the Sinn 757 UTC
For a three hander, I'd say Bremont MB2
or Damasko DA47
Uhhh, Eddie???Originally Posted by triguy
http://www.timefactors.com/specials.htm
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Not anymore, he only has a few left as well. If the OP wants to try before buying as well, there's no option.Uhhh, Eddie???
Daddel.
Aaaah, thanks for correcting me on that point :) .Not anymore, he only has a few left as well. If the OP wants to try before buying as well, there's no option.Uhhh, Eddie???
Daddel.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Go with Sinn 757 UTC/756 UTC or with 144 GMT Ti if you want lightness.
Its tough (Tegiment), reliable (7750) and very easy to read. Or maybe if you wanna go full Sinn tech, choose 103 St Diapal UTC
I reckon if you genuinely want tough, get a G-Shock, otherwise go for any pilot watch of choice and ignore relative 'toughness' as there isn't much in it.
I'd quit looking at Balls if I were you, unless you're OK with their Chinese parts and assembly and are aware that their only link to the historical Ball watch company is the name they bought. Damasko, if you like their Microsoft Paint dial design, and particularly Sinn are far better choices in that price range. I can vouch for the durability of Sinn's steel-hardening process, and Damasko's is arguably even tougher.
However, I can also tell you from experience that if you have an itch for a GMT, it's not likely to go away. Mine show no evidence of abuse after with five decades' worth of wear between them, and I have no reservations about recommending one. The 33-year-old movement in my 1675 is running more accurately than my quartz bedside clock, which I find remarkable.
There's a joke in there, somewhere...I'd quit looking at Balls if I were you,
Try looking at the Oris Pilot watches like BC4.
Personally I have had a godo experience with Oris since sale and including service.
Another option for you (slightly more on the vintage side) would be, one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Omega-Seamast ... 35bdeaed9d
Just picked a random ebay link - this one is nothing to do with me
Seamster chrono in titanium, super solid watch - I have had one for a number of years now and they are oustanding timepieces
Good luck with your hunt
.
Chrono plus UTC for £1500 ... better start looking at the second hand market. :wink:
john
Costume jewellery. Ouch!!!
I'd grab a couple of Balls. Because they're so beautiful, you'll be tempted to baby them, and there'll be nothing wrong with wanting to fondle your Balls. If you need something you can beat, well, a Parnis would be the natural choice. They're tough, solid, and can take a licking. A Parnis and two Balls - that's just what every man ought to have.
Your talking about Doxa are you? :mrgreen:
Now I feel underendowed :lol:
Oh, most definitely - Balls are hardly the worst offenders in this area.
Really, do tell.
Some relevant bits in this discussion: http://www.tz-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=146360
I realize that this is far from substantive evidence so I'll refrain from commenting further until I find something definitive.
It is quite easy to substantiate that the present-day Hong-Kong-owned Ball watch company has nothing to do with the extinct company they took their name from, however.
Might I suggest a trawl around the Stowa website?
Plenty there.
Or if you are looking at bulletproof have a butchers at Steinhart's Aviation line.
Go for the Parnis, it's shockingly close to an IWC :D
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Stowa for sure...that Parnis might look like an IWC but judging by the one my cousin owned, is a false economy due to the utter crapness of its build
I fly a B-777 my watch of choice is a Casio GW3500 G-Shock syncs everywhere and tough as nails i also have a Citizen Wingman Vi Ana/digi which has a great lume and a cool Bluey/Green backlight.However at World's favourite the weapon of choice is the Breitbling Aerospace followed by a few Seamasters very rarely a Peedy Pro but also a ton of Casios.Mind You the Sinns and Damascos mentioned are superb.
Ha, nice.
Most of the commercial pilots I know wear digital or ana-digi quartz (generally Citizen or Casio), but I've spotted a Sinn or two among the helicopter pilots around here. The Italian fighter jet trainees seem to adore their Breitblings (extra-shiny, please), but they carry the look off well.
I suspect that most real-life pilots spend considerably less time pondering their choice of wristwatch than the armchair Internet pilots do. In any case, vive la différence!
I've heard many a FOD/hacking/theft horror story about aerospaces, not to mention the fact every jets boy on the circuit is toteing his squadron-engraved one. Nice looking watch, but I'm trying to be a little different..
Of the Sinns, the 756 and 856 are the two that interest me the most - the 757's bezel smacks too much of a hybrid look for my liking. Whatever I get, I think bracelet is the way forward for the use it's going to get. I've spent the afternoon trawling the usual haunts for a GMTMII, as I think that'd be the dream choice... Perhaps something left for later in life?
The 756 Diapal I think hits the perfect balance between looking stunning, being tough as old boots, and would be able to fulfil the role of flying/diving/parachuting/do anything you want in it-ing very nicely. I balk at the price, however - would be nice to find a second hand one out there in the ether!
As the owner of both a Sinn chronograph and a GMT II, I can tell you without reservation: go for the GMT. Good secondhand examples can be had for about the same cost as the current Diapal models from Sinn, and although the Sinn makes a very good watch, the Rolex easily is the one to have once you get into the Diapal cost level.
For me, the 356 model in acrylic is the pick of the range among Sinn's pilot's chronographs. The classic military-chrono styling, the understated matte dial, the tough (and very inexpensively replaced) plexi crystal and the spot-on proportions make for a very appealing watch, and its value for money is outstanding among currently-produced watches. It's plenty tough, as well. Sinn's photos do it no favours in the looks department; it's one to be seen in the metal.
:D :DThere's a joke in there, somewhere...I'd quit looking at Balls if I were you,
Seriously though. Damasko, Sinn or a nice used Tutima lemania5100 powered chrono
Tutima would be a nice option at your price point...
Can't believe no one got the joke about the Parnis. :shock: :? Hello? McFly? "A Parnis and two Balls"? How can you not get that? I blame the public schools... :bounce:
Is there such a thing as a scratch and ding resistant watch ?
Mine have only got to come near a desk or table in order to collect a fresh batch of scratches. Water resistant to great depths, can withstand unbearable amounts of G force, but don't go near an MDF based surface !
Most definitely; I opted for the hardened ("tegimented") steel on the clasp of my Sinn U1, and it's completely unscathed after nearly three years, as is the hardened bezel. Compared to a friend's standard-finish deployant on an 856, the difference is absolutely remarkable. To be fair, I don't wear the U1 very often because it's bloody enormous, but when I do, it's not for dainty activities. Sinn's (and Damasko's) steel treatment is no joke, and gives them some distinction among their numerous generic-movement-using competitors.
Come to think of it, you can see a noticeable difference between a demo watch with a hardened case and a non-hardened case if you ever happen to visit them in Frankfurt. On the other hand, I don't mind some signs of use on a watch, and having a reasonably-sized case tends to reduce the need for special hardening in the first place, as one tends to bash them into things less often.
Also, chicks dig scars.
Damasko's cases are more resistant than the cases of Sinn and Bremont who use Kloisterising techniques which harden the surface.Most definitely; I opted for the hardened ("tegimented") steel on the clasp of my Sinn U1, and it's completely unscathed after nearly three years, as is the hardened bezel. Compared to a friend's standard-finish deployant on an 856, the difference is absolutely remarkable. To be fair, I don't wear the U1 very often because it's bloody enormous, but when I do, it's not for dainty activities. Sinn's (and Damasko's) steel treatment is no joke, and gives them some distinction among their numerous generic-movement-using competitors.
Come to think of it, you can see a noticeable difference between a demo watch with a hardened case and a non-hardened case if you ever happen to visit them in Frankfurt. On the other hand, I don't mind some signs of use on a watch, and having a reasonably-sized case tends to reduce the need for special hardening in the first place, as one tends to bash them into things less often.
Also, chicks dig scars.
Not to be too pedantic, but from what I've come across, Damasko seems to be a bit more resistant to dents, whereas Sinn's stuff is a bit harder and scratch-resistant. I'm not familiar with Bremont, but if they use the Kolsterization process, I'd expect that they're similar to Sinn.
They're all significantly better than standard stainless alloys, but I tend to be much more concerned lately with having a watch that looks good to me than technical minutae.
Vanity: it's my favourite sin.
We were just ignoring you because you were being Sinnful...Tutima would be a nice option at your price point...
Can't believe no one got the joke about the Parnis. :shock: :? Hello? McFly? "A Parnis and two Balls"? How can you not get that? I blame the public schools... :bounce:
Another vote here for the tegimented Sinn! Great watches! I only wish my 656 was tegimented. Oh well.
Probably out of pity as you chose to post about one of the smallest Parnises around...most other Parnises are much bigger than yours!
:D
You should see it after I give it a good polish! It looks twice as big. :DProbably out of pity as you chose to post about one of the smallest Parnises around...most other Parnises are much bigger than yours!
:D
maybe off the mark here..but I use a Torgoen T10
very clean, easy to read and takes a knocking.They have them in different colors, styles and have a GMT
at 45mm is a nice size
I suppose an extra bracelet link would be a Parnis extension, then...
I've owned Sinns and have two Damaskos at the moment, a DA37 and a DC56, which are @ 5 and 3 years old respectively. They are worn regularly and could pass as new. However, looking at your criteria, a Sinn Arktis ticks most of your boxes. Do you really need a GMT functon? I do wonder how many people actually use it. I've said before that if I only had one watch it would be an Arktis.
http://www.chronomaster.co.uk/sinn_current_stock_3.htm
F.T.F.A.
A wise choice, if I may say so......... :)
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
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