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Thread: sensibly sized field watch recommendations please

  1. #1

    sensibly sized field watch recommendations please

    Hi - I'm in the market for a sensibly sized field watch, happy with any price up to about £1,000, but ideally I'd like change out of £500. It needs to be worth whatever it costs.

    I like G10 watches and the PRS-10 is of interest; I also like the 36mm Smiths Everest. I'm agnostic about quartz or auto, but I insist on good accuracy and reliability. The CWC G10 would be a serious contender were it not for the stupid price - I'm not paying £200 for what's clearly a £50 watch, although I've always liked it.

    The 38mm Hamilton Khaki is probably the front runner at the moment, although even that's a bit on the big side. I'd say ~ 36mm is ideal but there don't seem to be many options. For reasons past my understanding, most 'enthusiast' watches these days are stupidly large.

    I'm not a collector, I'm after a watch to wear and it'll need to take a battering, so robust build and water resistance are a must. I normally wear a G-Shock 5600, but I'm after an analogue watch with a little bit of vintage charm.

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks,

    Alex

  2. #2
    Master
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    The PRS-29 would seem to hit all of the above. WR 100m, great lume plus change from a monkey.


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  3. #3
    Master
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    The new PRS-10 is absolutely fantastic. I haven't had mine off since I got it.

  4. #4
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    The CWC G10 would be a serious contender were it not for the stupid price - I'm not paying £200 for what's clearly a £50 watch, although I've always liked it.
    Prices for these have shot up ridiculously and very, very quickly. Until a year or so ago they used to be £50-£70 on eBay, except unusual/rare models which could fetch more. Now there's hardly anything under £100, and most are more.

    What happened!?


    Anyway, I think the new PRS-10 would be my choice for this requirement.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by lughugger View Post
    The PRS-29 would seem to hit all of the above. WR 100m, great lume plus change from a monkey.


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    Thanks, I missed that one. It's very nice! If anything it's a bit too 'vintage' but I could certainly see myself wearing one.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post
    The new PRS-10 is absolutely fantastic. I haven't had mine off since I got it.
    Yeah, I like G10 watches. I had an earlier version of the PRS 10 with the acrylic 'crystal' but didn't have much luck with it...

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by markrlondon View Post
    Prices for these have shot up ridiculously and very, very quickly. Until a year or so ago they used to be £50-£70 on eBay, except unusual/rare models which could fetch more. Now there's hardly anything under £100, and most are more.

    What happened!?


    Anyway, I think the new PRS-10 would be my choice for this requirement.
    The new one is certainly of interest, especially with a sapphire crystal.

    CWC prices are pure insanity. I thought it was a bit daft when the G10 was ~£90!! I like the watch, and if it was £50 like it ought to be I'd be wearing one.

    Anyone any thoughts/experience to offer on the Hamilton? Interested in any comments on the new(ish) H-10 movement, anyone able to comment on accuracy and reliability? I think it's the same movement that Certina use in that beautiful DS PH200m, another watch that I'd buy in a heartbeat if it weren't for the daft hypertrophy!

  8. #8
    Master deerworrier's Avatar
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    i have an Manchester Watch Works Rattler and it could be a bit of an outside option for you.
    titanium case, sapphire crystal, good legibility and 37mm.

    edit: im not actually selling mine! just reread the above and it read like a sales pitch :)

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by deerworrier View Post
    i have an Manchester Watch Works Rattler and it could be a bit of an outside option for you.
    titanium case, sapphire crystal, good legibility and 37mm.

    edit: im not actually selling mine! just reread the above and it read like a sales pitch :)
    Looks nice! They don't seem to be easy to get hold of though?

    Alex

  10. #10
    Master sweets's Avatar
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    As well as Eddie's offerings, I would also suggest that you look at the MkII Cruxible, whihc I think is a compellingly well-designed watch.
    Also, there is a thread on MWR concerning the re-issue of the Timor WWW, which looks like it may be lovely thing when it is done, although there is no timetable on when that may happen.

    Dave

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by sweets View Post
    I would also suggest that you look at the MkII Cruxible, whihc I think is a compellingly well-designed watch.
    Thanks, that's nice isn't it!

    Not all that easy to get one though... :-/

  12. #12
    Grand Master abraxas's Avatar
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    Marathon General Purpose Mechanical WW194003SS which is 36mm. I have one but I haven't been talking about it as I am waiting for the Smiths Expedition to do a comparison review. I love it but it is not for everyone. Check it out.

  13. #13
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post
    The new PRS-10 is absolutely fantastic. I haven't had mine off since I got it.
    As per usual miss mine,anyone know when Eddie open again?

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by abraxas View Post
    Marathon General Purpose Mechanical WW194003SS which is 36mm.
    Nice! Bit expensive though isn't it?

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Dr.f View Post
    As per usual miss mine,anyone know when Eddie open again?
    Ah is the shop shut? I tried to buy an Eddie watch years ago but the shop was never open! :-D

    Was just having a look at the PRS-10, looks decent but what's with the funny font at 4 o'clock?

    A

  16. #16
    Craftsman
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    Another possibility is the Momentum Atlas 38: https://eu.momentumwatch.com/collect...cts/atlas-38mm

    They are good value for money for a quartz with a Sapphire Crystal. They also come in a few different colours.


  17. #17

    Quote Originally Posted by matt109 View Post
    Another possibility is the Momentum Atlas 38: https://eu.momentumwatch.com/collect...cts/atlas-38mm

    They are good value for money for a quartz with a Sapphire Crystal. They also come in a few different colours.

    They're nice, I like them!

  18. #18
    Master
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    Quartz with sweeping seconds

    How about a MWC GG-W-113? It has a quartz movement with a sweeping second hand, which is pretty cool.


  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Dougal View Post
    How about a MWC GG-W-113? It has a quartz movement with a sweeping second hand, which is pretty cool.

    I thought MWC were the very spawn of Satan?

    I've not kept up with watches over the past decade or so so it's possible I'm behind the times. Certainly looks nice though!

  20. #20
    Master Man of Kent's Avatar
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    There's a lovely Citizen PMD56-2951 on sales corner. I have one of these and they are all the watch you will ever need.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    Hi - I'm in the market for a sensibly sized field watch, happy with any price up to about £1,000, but ideally I'd like change out of £500. It needs to be worth whatever it costs.

    I like G10 watches and the PRS-10 is of interest; I also like the 36mm Smiths Everest. I'm agnostic about quartz or auto, but I insist on good accuracy and reliability. The CWC G10 would be a serious contender were it not for the stupid price - I'm not paying £200 for what's clearly a £50 watch, although I've always liked it.

    The 38mm Hamilton Khaki is probably the front runner at the moment, although even that's a bit on the big side. I'd say ~ 36mm is ideal but there don't seem to be many options. For reasons past my understanding, most 'enthusiast' watches these days are stupidly large.

    I'm not a collector, I'm after a watch to wear and it'll need to take a battering, so robust build and water resistance are a must. I normally wear a G-Shock 5600, but I'm after an analogue watch with a little bit of vintage charm.

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks,

    Alex
    Have you tried the Hamilton Khaki on? I've got small wrists and have this model and it doesn't wear very big at all.

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Man of Kent View Post
    There's a lovely Citizen PMD56-2951 on sales corner. I have one of these and they are all the watch you will ever need.
    Bloody massive though aren't they? :-/

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by hansblix2001 View Post
    Have you tried the Hamilton Khaki on? I've got small wrists and have this model and it doesn't wear very big at all.
    No I haven't. I'm leaning towards one of the Hammies though. 38mm should be fine and I'm happy with either quartz or mechanical/auto. Concerns are the lack of anti-reflective coating on the crystal, and the 'field' versions without the dressy aspects of the Khaki seem to attract a premium. They look decent watches on the whole though and, uniquely these days, they aren't enormous.

    TBH I'd probably be perfectly happy with a Timex Expedition, but the 36mm version seems to have disappeared and only the 40mm dinner plates are still available. Citizen and Seiko make reasonably priced quartz field watches as well, but again, they're both the size of the former Soviet Union. I don't understand this size trend at all, unless you've got wrists like tree trunks you just look like a kid who's nicked his dad's watch!

    Alex

  24. #24
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    No I haven't. I'm leaning towards one of the Hammies though. 38mm should be fine and I'm happy with either quartz or mechanical/auto. Concerns are the lack of anti-reflective coating on the crystal, and the 'field' versions without the dressy aspects of the Khaki seem to attract a premium. They look decent watches on the whole though and, uniquely these days, they aren't enormous.
    I had a 38mm Khaki manual wind which I initially loved, but it does have long lugs and with its slim bezel, I think, makes it wear larger. In the end I sold it and bought an original PRS-29A which at 36mm is a superb watch and would be my recommendation. This in turn led to my buying an issued Smiths W10 the 29A is based on, which if ideally £500 is your budget, you may not want to stretch to (and is 1mm smaller than the 29A).

    I also later bought a Hamilton GG-W-113 from Sales Corner here, which is a US Pilots issued watch, but only 33m. It is very much the smaller version of the Hamilton Khaki manual, with a robust ETA movement.

    If I were looking for a 36mm field watch now, and wanted something with warranty and a good movement I would go with the current PRS29A with removable spring bars, ETA movement and sapphire crystal. It is a great watch, I don't think you can go wrong...

  25. #25
    Another vote for the Smiths 29A. The quality, fit and finish at this price point are excellent imho.


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  26. #26
    Master Man of Kent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    Bloody massive though aren't they? :-/
    Nope. 39mm I think. Normally upwards of £400 new from Japan.
    Last edited by Man of Kent; 9th September 2019 at 17:50.

  27. #27
    The pmd56 is 38.5mm I think..:-).. Wears perfect on my 6.75 wrists

  28. #28
    Craftsman
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    Citizen PMD56-2951 in the sales corner......damn my low post count!!
    I have had several variants of these and my dad wears a "Ray Mears" blue perpetual I gave him. A perfect watch IMO.

  29. #29
    I bought a G10 for hillwalking last year. I love it to be honest. Doesn’t feel cheap in anyway. Nice to be able to whip it out of the box on the way out the door without having to set the time and wind it up. Good size too. Small enough not to snag in gear but still has wrist presence


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  30. #30
    Master Zephyr's Avatar
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    Boldr Venture?

  31. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by johnthemull View Post
    I bought a G10 for hillwalking last year. I love it to be honest. Doesn’t feel cheap in anyway. Nice to be able to whip it out of the box on the way out the door without having to set the time and wind it up. Good size too. Small enough not to snag in gear but still has wrist presence


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
    I like G10 watches. Did you splash out on the CWC?

    Alex

  32. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by Zephyr View Post
    Boldr Venture?
    They're nice, I'd never heard of them! Sold out though :-/

    https://www.boldrsupply.co/collections/boldr-venture

  33. #33
    Master Zephyr's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    They're nice, I'd never heard of them! Sold out though :-/

    https://www.boldrsupply.co/collections/boldr-venture

    A couple have sold on the forum, maybe do a WTB?

  34. #34
    Hi,

    I have very small wrists, around 6", and have an Hamilton Khaki Field 38mm and wears fine. The L2L is a bit on the larger size, but nothing extravagant.

    The manual wind movement is a joy to wind.

    I have been trimming down my collection in the last few months, and this was one of the keepers




  35. #35
    Perhaps I’m in a minority but I do not think the CWC G10 is overly expensive?
    I have had several over the years and they have all been well made and reliable.
    I currently have the now sold out sapphire crystal model with 200m water resistance and screw down case back and crown. It was around £300 but well worth it for a watch that will last decades in all probability.
    I agree that CWC prices have rocketed in recent years but so has pretty much every other brand worth owning.
    In fairness quality has gone up too. I also have one of their sapphire crystal divers with 120 click bezel and it is also much better than the older mineral crystal version that I used to own. The lume is also much improved.
    For what it’s worth try the G10, I think you will be happy with it (if you do, try wearing it on a 20mm NATO strap. Looks a lot better than on the 18mm).

  36. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by barbosas View Post
    Hi,

    I have very small wrists, around 6", and have an Hamilton Khaki Field 38mm and wears fine. The L2L is a bit on the larger size, but nothing extravagant.

    The manual wind movement is a joy to wind.

    I have been trimming down my collection in the last few months, and this was one of the keepers



    Yeah I'm very likely to end up with a 38mm Hamilton, I really like them. Are you finding any issues with the reflectivity of the crystal? Apparently they all lack AR coatings.

    Alex

  37. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by ODP View Post
    Perhaps I’m in a minority but I do not think the CWC G10 is overly expensive?
    I have had several over the years and they have all been well made and reliable.
    I currently have the now sold out sapphire crystal model with 200m water resistance and screw down case back and crown. It was around £300 but well worth it for a watch that will last decades in all probability.
    I agree that CWC prices have rocketed in recent years but so has pretty much every other brand worth owning.
    In fairness quality has gone up too. I also have one of their sapphire crystal divers with 120 click bezel and it is also much better than the older mineral crystal version that I used to own. The lume is also much improved.
    For what it’s worth try the G10, I think you will be happy with it (if you do, try wearing it on a 20mm NATO strap. Looks a lot better than on the 18mm).
    I haven't seen a recent sample of the CWC G10. I've always liked the watch but I thought it was a bit pricey for what it was when they were about £90! Hopefully they've improved the spec given that the price is now double what it was a decade ago, I haven't checked. Don't forget it's supposed to be a stripped-down, low-cost squaddie watch, designed to be cheap and hard rather than 'fine'. I don't have any problem with spending £200 on a watch, but I wouldn't pay that much for one that was clearly fifty quid's worth.

    Nice watches though, cheap, no frills and ready for a battering so right up my street!

  38. #38
    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    Yeah I'm very likely to end up with a 38mm Hamilton, I really like them. Are you finding any issues with the reflectivity of the crystal? Apparently they all lack AR coatings.

    Alex
    No reflection issues, I've used it several times in the office and a lot of time during the holidays on the countryside with very bright sun and haven't had any issues.

  39. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    I haven't seen a recent sample of the CWC G10. I've always liked the watch but I thought it was a bit pricey for what it was when they were about £90! Hopefully they've improved the spec given that the price is now double what it was a decade ago, I haven't checked. Don't forget it's supposed to be a stripped-down, low-cost squaddie watch, designed to be cheap and hard rather than 'fine'. I don't have any problem with spending £200 on a watch, but I wouldn't pay that much for one that was clearly fifty quid's worth.

    Nice watches though, cheap, no frills and ready for a battering so right up my street!
    To put in in perspective, they use the same quartz movements as used by TAG who charge around £1000 for basic quartz watches. I quite agree that they were designed to be basic, tough watches that above all were cheap. I would argue that the way watch prices have gone £200 is cheap, especially in the fairly pointless world of the Swiss made label.

  40. #40
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    You might want to try these guys.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BvXGmxVn...d=tmz9sb7j6v5s

  41. #41
    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    Yeah I'm very likely to end up with a 38mm Hamilton, I really like them. Are you finding any issues with the reflectivity of the crystal? Apparently they all lack AR coatings.

    Alex
    I’m a fan of Hamilton field watches. Not sure why, I just am. My favourite wearer at the moment is a Khaki.

    My little collection: 40s USN, 60s RAF, late 80s/early 90s Khaki automatic and a quartz of the same era.

    The Khaki is 36mm which is just right for me.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  42. #42
    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    I like the styling! :-)

  43. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by BillyCasper View Post
    I’m a fan of Hamilton field watches. Not sure why, I just am. My favourite wearer at the moment is a Khaki.

    My little collection: 40s USN, 60s RAF, late 80s/early 90s Khaki automatic and a quartz of the same era.

    The Khaki is 36mm which is just right for me.




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Wow, that's a nice little collection!

    I don't see a 36mm Khaki on any websites, but 38mm would do. I just need to have a think about which model. As I said on another thread, your choice is severely limited these days if you don't want to wear a watch the size of the former Soviet Union! The Hamilton Khaki or Field is the front runner at the moment.

    Alex

  44. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by ODP View Post
    I would argue that the way watch prices have gone £200 is cheap, especially in the fairly pointless world of the Swiss made label.
    Absolutely, once you get past non-G-Shock Casios and the likes of the Timex Expedition, most watch prices are insane. Look at the classic G-Shock DW-5600 - one of my all time favourites. I love the thing, but it's a plastic watch with a very crude LCD display, yet costs £74 on Amazon. Now, that's nothing as watches go, but for what it is that's a total pisstake. A company like Casio'll be knocking them out for peanuts, the actual material value is the square root of Football Association!

    Alex

  45. #45
    I don’t have a huge problem splashing out 200 quid on the g10. So what if they used to cost.... stowas used to be a lot cheaper, lacos etc. I find the g10 to be fit for purpose. That’s why I wanted one. The Hamilton field watches are not fit for my purpose because you can’t read them in bright sunlight


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  46. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by johnthemull View Post
    The Hamilton field watches are not fit for my purpose because you can’t read them in bright sunlight
    Yeah, that's what concerns me. I can't believe they haven't fixed that, pretty much every other manufacturer of similar watches applies an anti-reflective coating!

    Alex

  47. #47
    Grand Master abraxas's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Earwicker View Post
    Nice! Bit expensive though isn't it?
    I got it from windy city and it came from the US. With import tax (£18) it was £33 more than the 36mm Smiths Military. British sources charge silly prices.

  48. #48
    Master
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    Enoksen field watch, 38mm and well in budget.
    https://enoksenwatches.com/products/...xoCoxsQAvD_BwE

  49. #49
    Go hunt for a Seiko Landmaster - discontinued but such a great watch and it has a proper, true GMT. Fantastic watch, one of my all time favourites.

  50. #50
    Journeyman
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    Once ı had timex expedition paid 39 us
    Than ı realised field watches not for me
    I suggest that buy not expensive first time

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