Reply With QuoteFor that kind of use I think a G-Shock is the answer.
Hi all,
I'm new here, so please be gentle!
I'm looking for a tool watch that suits my activities well enough to wear all the time. I enjoy rock climbing, scuba, and deep water soloing (DWS) - which is basically sea cliff climbing till you fall off into the water. So, waterproof is good, but none of this "can't jump into the water" malarkey I read here and there.
Will any watches be guaranteed for this kind of DWS activity? Is it just a bad idea for a mechanical watch to receive this kind of shock impact and pressure change? Or is there something hard enough to cope, and still look good?
I'm currently tempted by a Rolex Submariner, but am willing to be swayed, especially if it's a bit cheaper!
Many thanks indavence for your knowledge and thoughts,
Jeff.
For that kind of use I think a G-Shock is the answer.
Welcome to the forum Jeff.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
There's the rub.Originally Posted by mrfunston
Quoll's quite right, a G-SHOCK is the best choice for this kind of abuse. But none of them "look good". For something better looking that will still take some hammer, how about a PRS-18Q?
PS: Welcome. :)
PRS-18 quartz on a Nato strap.It looks good and it should be tough enough.
Altough, i admit it, my " come what may " watch is a G-shock as well.
Welcome!
Ooops.Yeah, welcome! :hello1:
Welcome to the forum Jeff. A CWC diver would do the job if you prefer a watch with hands rather than a digital display.Also the fixed bars mean that you wouldn't lose it to a broken springbar if falling into water and subjecting the watch to shocks. Mine served me well before I retired from the Fire Service, where it got very hot and wet at times. It also sees regular use for hill walking and mountain biking in all weathers. When you finish playing just rinse under the tap,wash the strap when you shower and she's as good as new.Water resistant to 300m and looks pretty good too! :)
F.T.F.A.
Welcome!
I suggest a G-Shock or Eddies Precista 18Q (quartz) depending on which style you prefer.
Welcome!
I'd suggest a Sinn UX if you'd like to wear it with a suit, too:
Well with risk of doing a bit sneak advertisement for Finland now, but have you checked out Suuntos collection of adventure watchs. I dont own one by my self but I heard a lot of good things about them. And planning to buy one my self for similar activeties.
And btw welcome to the forum ( signed up my self yesteday)
Roger
I would go for a Breitling Avenger Seawolf, or if your particularly worried about mechanical ruggedness, go for the super-quartz Chrono avenger M1.
Cheers
Ed
Firstly welcome to the forum!
Not party to your DWS sport, but I do scuba, mountain bike & generally jump/dive into water (albeit not from a great height) with my Steelfish. A great watch which looks damn good (IMHO).
But if a quartz is more for you, then I recommend the Seiko Tuna Can! It is a beast.
/vince ..
I'd say you'd be pretty darn safe with a SAR (Search & Rescue) watch. I've owned the GSAR and now own the CSAR and they are built like tanks.
G-SAR:
C-SAR:
More info: http://www.countycomm.com/CSAR.htm
No one suggested the PRS-50?
Some really nice suggestions coming through! I'd definitely prefer mechanical, if it's up to the job. Ideally something I can wear to work as well. My other limitation is wrist size... I can probably only really get away with 42mm max - so I think "tuna cans" (great name!) are probably out.
If you prefer mechanical, check out the PRS-18A.
The Tuna Can isn't that big really - the lugs are very short, so it wears like a 42mm. next to my Sub and Planet Ocean, it's bang in the middle size-wise. Great bit of kit too, highly recommended. Wear mine on one of Eddie's grey 2 piece Zulu's, it's the mutt's nuts :shock: :lol:
What about a Sinn 656 or 856? My 856 seems pretty darn tough, mechanical, and very accurate.
With that much of a pounding, and with all the shocks from diving/falling/etc., I'd be tempted to go with a nice quartz. There's plenty out there, and plenty that look great with a suit.
Eddie's PRS-18, PRS-17, and PRS-17C would all be good bets I think. I'm personally very happy with my 18A, and it does work with a suit if you've got the right strap on it.
Pounding and shock suggests quartz, although mechanical may hold up well. Frankly, you could have an 18Q and an 18A and have a lot of change left over from the price of a Sub...
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
18 A or C. Period. All you'll ever need. 8)
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
Suunto are really good watches. They're worn on TV by the Star Gate team and in real life TV by Mike Holmes on his Canadian DIY programme 'Holmes on Homes'. DIY is pretty tough on any tool!
I think any of the Seiko divers would do exactly what your looking for. The SKX007 or the Monster are cheap enough that you won't feel bad tearing them up and reliable enough that they shouldn't break down on you.
Marathon, Seiko Monster, PRS 18A, an O&W...
Hi Jeff,
Welcome to the forum...
I too like you enjoy similiar sports, and i usually wear my G Shock Frogman.... they really are very robust.. and at the end of the day if it does get damaged (which again is unlikely)... it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.
I think though, if you prefer a mechanical watch, i don't think you can go far wrong with something like one of Eddies watches PRS diver style watches... or perhaps even a seiko diver!.... loads to choose from
Mike :wink:
A submariner or a SD would fit your needs :wink:
Another recommendation for Marathon. The SAR is used by the Search and Rescue teams of the Canadian Coast Guard and the T-SAR and G-SAR has proved popular with service personnel as well as being supplied to NASA support divers. I agree with the sentiment often expressed about the SAR - that it's a spiritual successor to the Rolex Submariner, taking over the role of the affordable tool watch that is built to take whatever you throw at it, but looks good enough to wear at any time. My G-SAR replaced a GMT Master II and I can't say that I feel that I've "downgraded" in any way.
("borrowed" photo, can't remember the source
(pic courtesy of Davie0146)
Another Marathon vote. I suppose if they can jump out of helicopters with them...
My TSAR:
A lot of people in favour of the PRS18, I'd go for the 17 as the bezel is lower and has a firmer action.
I would warn you, I did an indoor climbing wall course in November [not in your league, I know...] and the 2 times I wore my PRS3, I scratched the bl00dy bezel :roll: - even scrambling generally results in a few scratches per outing.
So I'd go for a G-Shock - as I don't mind a bit of wabi, but I can imagine that a climber puts more wear on a watch than a diver, hiker, etc
Welcome to the forum, and a great opening question - guaranteed to stimulate some debate within this community!
I freely admit to being biased but I'd certainly suggest you think about a Seiko Monster. Very rugged, very well built, pretty darned accurate and an auto as well. They also look surprisingly good with a suit and you can buy them new from our host Eddie here http://www.timefactors.com/seiko.htm for the massive price of just £115...
I know some people here are comfortable subjecting their Rolexes & Breitlings to significant abuse, but if it was me I'd constantly be reminded of how much I'd paid for it as I bashed it against a rock face!!!
Ironically the watch in my collection that I use as a go-anywhere-and-do-anything beater is my Orsa Pro Diver, on a rubber strap.
Simon
If you Don't want to fork out the over inflated Rolex price how about a Grovana Submariner - They compare favourably with the Rolex have a Quality Eta movement, are 42mm, have thick Sapphire Crystal, and onl RRP of £375
I do happen to be selling one on the Bay at the moment - I am only wanting £175 for it - Item number 280191519341
I don't mean to turn this into an advert so if you don't want mine I understand but I still recommend them completely
Can I suggest,
Sinn U-1
Omega 42mm PO,
Or any of Eddie's divers,
I guess you really need to set a firm price range.
I agree, but since you asked about the sub to begin with, you should just cut to the chase, get one, strap on some nylon and off you go. And welcome. :DCan I suggest,
Sinn U-1
Omega 42mm PO,
Or any of Eddie's divers,
I guess you really need to set a firm price range.
Good one. :roll: Please elaborate of the "favourably" part. I think $750 for a 42mm Rolex knock off is a lttle expensive. :twisted: Or is it a hommage? They could have called it something else, like Frogman or something.If you Don't want to fork out the over inflated Rolex price how about a Grovana Submariner - They compare favourably with the Rolex have a Quality Eta movement, are 42mm, have thick Sapphire Crystal, and onl RRP of £375
As usual, I recomend a Modded Nettuno 3. Try to find a used one. Even brand new and modified with a better dial is still a very good proposition for what you pay. And the folks at Marcello are great.
Well if you want cheap, rugged, mechanical and water proof I'll second the recommedation of others and suggest a Seiko black monster or orange monster.
If you want more expensive, rugged, mechanical and water proof how about a Kobold Navy Seal?
Finally, since I'm kind of on a Panerai kick - if you want to spend even more money how about a PAM submersible. However, they are pretty large watches and I'd be somewhat reluctant to bang up a watch that pricey (although they were originally designed for Italian underwater demolition teams in WWII).
I'll second that; done a bit of indoor wall climbing myself & it's one of the very few occasions I've taken the watch off my wrist to protect it.
FWIW I've seen several several dive watches lose their 'waterproofness' :wink: whilst being worn by divers, but not when the were diving. It was when they jumped off the top of the diveboat (popular between-dives horseplay). More experienced divers will counsel the removal of your watch before attempting this; the shock of hitting the water (from say 8-10m) is what causes the seal failure, not taking it down to 30m.I enjoy rock climbing, scuba, and deep water soloing (DWS) - which is basically sea cliff climbing till you fall off into the water. So, waterproof is good.....
Given the OP's DWS requirement I'd be wary of wearing anything that I wasn't prepared to trash. :shock:
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
The PRS-50 is not a "robust tool watch", IMO. It is more of a historic, icon diver. When I think robust tool watch, I think DN, Muhle, Enzo, Marathon, Ocean 7, Seiko, Breitling etc. etc.
When I think of falling a fair distance, then hitting the water, having something of significant weight attached to my wrist seems to me to be something best avoided. :)
The PRS-50 is not a "robust tool watch", IMO. It is more of a historic, icon diver. When I think robust tool watch, I think DN, Muhle, Enzo, Marathon, Ocean 7, Seiko, Breitling etc. etc.
Best wishes,
Bob
I think after all the advice, my best bet is to bite the bullet, get the Sub, and take it off when I do anything like climbing. I've got an old Ironman that I used to use for diving so maybe I should stick to that for anything more extreme!
One of these:
to draw the time on: it'll be right twice a day... ;)
If it's robust you need then I'm surprised that nobody has pointed out that banging about near rocks might show up a sapphire crystal's main weakness, that it might shatter it you catch it on a sharp rock. That's something that might very well happen during your activities.
So I recommend either something with mineral glass or acrylic, preferably acrylic.
I think Eddie's PRS-14 is the best answer.
Drill the lugs and fit shoulderless or fixed bars to whichever watch you choose because surely that must also be a major weak point.
regards
siggy
i might have a nice old superocean avaliable soon.....cheap enough to mod too!
Hehe,
welcome btw...
James. :lol:
I've had to work really hard at not buying one of these. Silverman's have just helped by putting the price up to a ludicrous £250 though!A CWC diver would do the job [...]Water resistant to 300m and looks pretty good too! :)
Are there any plans to re-stock the PRS-3 and related watches? There doesn't seem to be a really high quality alternative RN-type on the market at the moment - so far as I can tell, you're down to Rays and MWCs....
EW
I second the opinions here for a PRS-18Q. Cheaper than the CWC diver or a SAR, good specs (lithium powered quartz, 10 year battery life, sapphire). Technically it's similar to my Broadarrow PRS-4, which in turn is the Eddie's better spec variant of the CWC. And that PRS-4 has now survived a lot of balloon flights, which is roughly similar to military use: shock, dust, grit, mud, moisture, heat...
Wear it on a 2-ring NATO, closer to the wrist than a 3-ring, and you won't lose it even if a springbar breaks (provided the other one holds). It's also not too large.
I know you didn't mean anything by it but that really made me laugh.
:D
I second the Breitling Superocean Steelfish.
I bought mine second hand in the states from another well know watch forum. With the weak dollar it cost me less than GBP 650. That is quite a saving from the Rolex.
It is bulletproof and hardly leaves my wrist (leaving Audemars Piguet, IWC and Jaeger LeCoultre on the watch winder). I have dived with it several times and surf with it regularly.
Brilliant watch and great 'value'.
Posting Permissions
