Reply With QuoteOur host may be able to help:
I'm looking for an 'out-of-the-office' watch that I can wear in the weekends, spare time and holidays. I want it to have a pretty rugged tool-watch-y feel to it, so no big highly polished surfaces and delicate movement / details. Something I can bang around, bring into the water without feeling bad about it (thus it can't be too expensive either).
It's important to me that it's a 'proper watch', with heritage, attention to detail and a solid movement. Something a fellow watch guy would recognize and appreciate.
My thinking so far;
I think a diver / military watch would fit the bill, and have been looking into the Tudor Heritage line.
I tried a BB on a few times, and I do like it a lot. The one thing that put me off is the mirror finish on the case, which I think is going to scratch terribly. It's also a bit too elegant for be perfect.
That brings me to the Ranger model, which I really like. Brushed case surface, definitely a more rugged feel to it. However, I can't really find out much about it on forums, blogs etc. It seems that nobody is wearing this watch, so its hard to tell if it's any good. For instance, what movement does it have and how does it perform?
Then there is the Omegas, I guess Seamaster/Railmaster is the models I'm looking for. I have to admit I know very little about Omegas in general, however the one thing I do know is that I'm not a fan of the big-blue '007 Seamasters'.
Seiko have a few, but most of them are JDM as far as I can tell, so impossible to try before buying. Also I worry about the attention to detail, the last thing I want is a slightly off-center date window or wiggly bezel.
Vintage is definitely an option, maybe an 'ordinary' Tudor Sub if there is such a thing (again my ignorance here is pretty embarrasing). I think I need to some ref numbers to get going here.
Anything else that comes to mind?
Thanks for any help.
Our host may be able to help:
Steinhart Ocean One
How about Tudor Pelagos, since you seem to like the brand? I would go for Breitling Avenger Seawolf with that criteria.
Last edited by Possu; 24th November 2014 at 20:08.
The ultimate REAL tool
and the hard to equal, never mind beat, heritage is real too.
Oh, and it keeps good time too
I'm going to say Sinn U1. Beadblasted hardened steel, and I've never seen anyone else wearing one so sufficiently 'WIS'!
I think a Damasko of some sort ticks all of the boxes. Brilliantly made watches.
Got to be the 82 or the 18 Imo.Originally Posted by gentlemenpreferhats
Our host may be able to help:
The 18Q.
Nato watch.
How about Eddie's latest the Prs 40, Ralphy has tested it to 68 mts and although not a dive watch, it just shows what a great watch it is.
Although an acquired taste I love mine.
I like the Pelagos, or any 300m SMP Omega - even an older Planet Ocean - they all fit my idea of a weekend watch. But... If you are looking for cheaper hardy watches, I love my Smiths and Precista watches, and I'm tempted to pick up both the new Quartz models at some stage.
It's just a matter of time...
The pelagos would be a happy non shiny medium as has already been said, but in fairness, the polished sides are pretty much the last part of the watch that's likely to take a knock. I bat about in watches with polished sides and they're usually unmarked bar a couple of hairlines by the end of my ownership.
Plus sleeves etc protect from most accidental smacks.
Really i wouldnt worry too hard about them. They're protected and anything you do can be tidied at service time.
Thanks for all the replies, lots for me to follow up on!
CWC quartz diver, with several Natos so that as one gets dirty and needs a wash you will have a spare to pop on. The fixed bars mean you wont lose it.
You can remove the "extra bit" of the Nato strap so the watch will sit lower on the wrist.....
Also you can keep your shiny darlings scratch free and let the CWC absorb the damage ;-) .......
F.T.F.A.
Stowa Seatime?
Depends on how expensive you want to go but my Breitling Colt is quatz and tough and brushed. Also I think looks smart.
Or a Steinhart as others have said.
Prs-82 looks fantastic in the flesh, the photos don't do it justice.
Understated, quality bezel, nos movement
What's not to like?
Tudor Pelagos or Seiko MM300 are great choices.
What about a JDM Seiko Shogun, Dia-Shield titanium, very scratch resistant, light and good looking.
Great built quality and nothing flimsy about it.
You keep a lot of spare cash for other stuff as well.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
JDM are a pain in the ass to service.
Why?
The engines are the same.
No, they are not, Seiko Netherlands can do the job, and so can Seiko UK.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Almost anything Sinn or Damasko, as mentioned U1 is a good shout, but anything tegimented.
Tutima? I've only ever seen Germans wearing them?
But you could have a PRS-82 and a PRS-68 for any of those watches and still have plenty of cash left over for straps and a great night out!
Pelagos! Or a Helson Shark Diver?
Not this again!
and how long do they keep spares for that?
I have the Ranger and totally love it. Wear it on Hirsch alligator though and it looks dressy enough that it's my suit watch rather than my weekend watch! Dressy weekend I wear a PAM0048, but just picked up a Breitling Steelfish off SC and that's my weekend / evening tool now :-)
Back to the Ranger for a second - should also point out that it handwinds as well as auto. So if it's for weekends it's ideal as you won't need to do the masturbation dance to get it running if it's been in the box all week.
Photos please.
As rugged as anything mechanical for no worries money.
Sure, here's the three most worn watches side by side (sorry for iPhone photos);
And here's the Ranger on wrist;
I've had quite a few of the recommended options here- I think my vote would probably go with Sinn or Damasko- I'm liking the look of the new bracelet version of the DA36
.
http://www.gnomonwatches.com/damasko...-with-bracelet (apologies to our host for advert from another dealer but the damasko website doesn't show the bracelet!!)
one of my other all time tough watch choices would be a Muehle Nautische nautic timer if you can find one, or ebay/chrono24 have some of the seebattallion model thats quite new and looks a peach imho
http://www.muehle-glashuette.de/en/f...bataillon-gmt/
Last edited by GOAT; 26th November 2014 at 20:11.
How about a Seiko 007 on a Super Engineer? Rugged, reliable movement, lights up like a torch at night, eminently recognisable by other WIS and cheap as chips so if you do break/lose it, it won't be the end of the world.
I have had numerous Seiko's and never had any issues with the quality.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1417029313.648710.jpg
I would suggest the Sinn 556 - basic design, common movement, dial designed to be legible to the max.
Failing that, something with the 7S26/36 movement in it would run, run and run.
- - - Updated - - -
I would suggest the Sinn 556 - basic design, common movement, dial designed to be legible to the max.
Failing that, something with the 7S26/36 movement in it would run, run and run.
Agreed with the 556 if you want a watch you can relax around the water with but isn't too diver-styled. Also the armida a6 is an inexpensive ranger alternative...
The last 4 suggestions fantastic. I brought a 007 a few montjs nack and absolutely love it. Looks great. And nothing to worry aboat.
I saw a damasko da36 for sale about 8 mths ago. Fantastic looking wath. Unfortunately not something i could just afford to purchase. Alwaus regretted it. You dont see many about either, well i dont.
A sinn 856 or Damasko DA36 would be my choice. The DA36 pops up occasionally on sales corner, but the 856 less often.
Tried a Pelages on this weekend, pretty blown away.
Ticks the boxes, but a bit on the expensive side for a care-free weekender. I'm sure it will look fantastic on a black nato/zulu.
Not sure how delicate the movement is, if it will deal with being banged about while out biking etc.
Anyway, looks like you can pick one up for a bit under £2k so still OK.
One of our hosts PRS18Q fills this slot for me! Robust, accurate and good looking
Trying before you buy, for a number of brands, is going to be nigh on impossible., unless you visit mainland European sellers.
Even so, here are a few ideas for something that offer a different option that the fairly ubiquitous Pelagos (good and all that it undoubtedly is).
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Edox-Class...-/131132432030 – I've had a conversation with the seller previously (about a different brand he sells), so you should have no problem arranging a return if it's simply not for you, once you've handled it. He'll also be happy to accommodate requests for photos of the actual product rather than basing a decision on the renders used.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EDOX-MEN-C...-/111490552823 – fancy a deconstructed timepiece? Regulateurs can be quite novel and interesting, but both these links won't satisfy the 'recognition' criteria.
https://www.chrono24.com/en/tutima/d...-id2649760.htm
https://www.chrono24.com/en/tutima/d...-id2577248.htm
https://www.chrono24.com/en/tutima/g...-id3041537.htm
I'd love to enthuse about the Sinn 857 and U1, as options – but there's something about them that doesn't ignite the spark of desire. Maybe they are one you definitely need to see in the metal for it happen.
Even though that could be just for me, it's possibly worth taking a look at these two:
https://www.chrono24.com/en/sinn/857...-id1984908.htm
https://www.chrono24.com/en/sinn/u-1--id2815432.htm
+1 for TutimaMine is superbly built and very tough
I tried on a Pelagos vs. Tutima DI300, but preferred the DI300. It's the thinking man's Pelagos
Last edited by Dougal; 9th December 2014 at 03:49.
my everyday beater is the Sinn UX, tough as old boots and quartz so no danger of issues with impacting other solid objects. good thing about it is it doesn't drop time after playing around at the range. not exactly common either.
wear it every day for work and so far i have a small mark on the coating at the 11o'clock lug after a year of use.
Sorry I'm new around here and just got my first watch.and the hard to equal, never mind beat, heritage is real too.
Oh, and it keeps good time too
What watch is this?
Sounds like you may have a good budget. These are my favourite watches in this kind of category, don't own any of them but tried them all on and would love any of them some day:
A Marathon in either Automatic (GSAR) or Quartz (TSAR) version:
Bit late as usual. How about an Orient M Force?
Posting Permissions
