Recommend a watch

SteveDallas · 01-05-2006, 08:46 AM

Dammit, I'm tired of going through watches. Somebody recommend one that will be reliable (aka last more than a year--maybe this is a stupid requirement for the disposable merchandise era). I've tried buying cheap ones and I've tried more expensive ones (~$20 and ~$70-100 respectively) on the theory that a more expensive one will last longer, but it hasn't panned out. I'd be happy to pay ~$5 for one and consider it disposable if I could find one that didn't look like a kid's toy. (I'm not super hung up on appearances, but it kind of detracts from your managerial cachet in those meetings with the other vice presidential types when you casually pull up your sleeve and flash a Boba Fett watch like my kids just got from Burger King for $2.) But once I get up around $20 I, perhaps foolishly, expect it to run for a while.

dar512 · 01-05-2006, 08:53 AM

Personally I've had good luck with Timex. They last through a couple of battery changes - so ~ 5 yrs.

But if you're hard on watches and have the money, get a Rolex oyster. They're not fancy, and they're very expensive. But they're built like a tank.

Happy Monkey · 01-05-2006, 09:02 AM

Timex Ironman Triathlon is good. I currently have the "Flix" and it's lasted several years so far.

Undertoad · 01-05-2006, 09:07 AM

Your mobile phone gets its time from the network and therefore is more accurate than watches. Mechanical watches are a quaint leftover relic from an earlier day. They should not be used. Thank you.

SteveDallas · 01-05-2006, 10:21 AM

Bullshit! Next you're going to be telling me print is dead.

Well you have a point about the timekeeping accuracy of a phone, but I prefer to continue to maintain a wristwatch for several reasons.

Checking the time on my phone requires me to pull it from my shirt pocket (assuming it's not already out, on a table or something) and flip the cover. (Yes I know some models display the time on the outside of the case, but I like what I have now.) There are situations where this isn't practical for logistical reasons (standing in line at wawa with a bag of donuts in one hand and a coffee in the other) or because I don't want to draw attention to myself by doing so (committee meetings, school plays, etc.)
Believe it or not, there are times when I don't have my phone with me.
Force of habit. I've worn one for 25-odd years. (Some of them very odd.) I'm not stopping now. What are you going to do, come to my house and impound my watch, fountain pen, and books??

EDIT: I won't start about an alarm clock either. I believe I've mentioned before that my vision is rather horrible. I have an alarm clock with 2.5" tall red LED numbers. I can actually read it lying in bed without my glasses, as long as it's only a few inches away. Well, the "minute" button is getting flaky, making it increasingly hard to change the alarm. I just tried out one of those clocks taht will project the time, but I found its lens arrangement didn't enlarge things much at all. (Aiming it up at the ceiling, it got to maybe 3 inches tall, which is not big enough at that distance.)

Picky, aren't I?

glatt · 01-05-2006, 10:31 AM

Analog or digital?

Troubleshooter · 01-05-2006, 10:36 AM

This is what I have except I have a black face on mine. I didn't pay much for it and it lasts. I'm on my second one after Little Sidhe used my wrist as a swing set without warning.

It's simple, water resistant, inexpensive and resilient.

http://www.timex.com/bin/detail.tmx?item=048148438927

Kitsune · 01-05-2006, 10:38 AM

I've had a Seiko that has been running perfectly since 1997 and has taken a hell of a beating. It has an analog face but is quartz-driven and even has a pleasing alarm. The battery has to be changed about every three years or so.

glatt · 01-05-2006, 10:39 AM

I like that one, TS. It's nice and simple, not ugly, and pretty cheap.

wolf · 01-05-2006, 11:22 AM

I'm a big fan of Casio watches. Over the years I've owned maybe three or four of them.

When I say "years" I mean "since high school."

Last year would have been my 25th Reunion, if my class wasn't too apathetic to have one, so it was just my 25th anniversary out.

They have both analog and digital styles.

My favorite Casio watch (and the one I was saddest to see go) was the one that was featured in the movie "Blue Thunder."

BigV · 01-05-2006, 12:30 PM

Timex scores points for the catchiest slogan--"takes a licking and keeps on ticking", but you can't beat Casio for durable watches. I am *hard* on my equipment (go ahead, pun away. I wrote it, deleted it, and rewrote it. It's true) and the Casios are not indestructible, but anything short of a direct hit with a tool to the face will incur cosmetic damage at worst. They are easily the best watches in their price range. And the selection is staggering. Analog, digital, plastic, metal, rubberized. There isn't a chip based gadget that isn't available in some model (stopwatch, timers, altimeter, digital compass, remote control, usb drive, mp3 player, thermometers, radio-atomic timekeeping, solar power, titanium cases, organizers, calculators, you get the idea). There are plenty of dressy styles that I'm certain carry all the same quality and durability characteristics of the sport oriented models I have worn and loved.

You can not go wrong with a Casio watch.

I am straining and failing to think of another company/brand for whose products I hold an equal amount of esteem. Get one, or two. You won't be disappointed, until you lose it.

Beestie · 01-05-2006, 12:41 PM

I've been happy with the Citizen dive watch I've been wearing for years but what I really want is one of these...

Oh, well, maybe next Christmas.

glatt · 01-05-2006, 01:17 PM

I had this Swiss Army watch.
It was a gift, but I once checked out how much it cost. About $200. I loved it while I had it. It died after about 10 years. So that's $20 per year. I think you can probably do better buying a Timex or Casio.

Elspode · 01-05-2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

My favorite Casio watch (and the one I was saddest to see go) was the one that was featured in the movie "Blue Thunder."

Damn it! I looked for one of those for *years*! @#$!~%&!!*@# !!!

Back in the days before the Internet, all you could do was cruise the damn stores, and no one *ever* had it here in the Midwest. I was so pissed. I wanted that watch desperately.

Anyway, I can also throw in a vote of confidence for Casios. I've had several, and lost them all before they ever broke.

MaggieL · 01-05-2006, 07:59 PM

It's totally impractical. I plug it in to my USB port every night to resync and recharge.

Almost satisfies my nostagia impulse for an HP-01. (http://del.icio.us/MaggieL/hp01)

I don't care: it's way too much fun to have. $60 on eBay.

And when synced to a Linux box running NTP, it keeps excellent time. :-)

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive...g_website.html

01-05-2006, 08:46 AM	#1
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Recommend a watch Dammit, I'm tired of going through watches. Somebody recommend one that will be reliable (aka last more than a year--maybe this is a stupid requirement for the disposable merchandise era). I've tried buying cheap ones and I've tried more expensive ones (~$20 and ~$70-100 respectively) on the theory that a more expensive one will last longer, but it hasn't panned out. I'd be happy to pay ~$5 for one and consider it disposable if I could find one that didn't look like a kid's toy. (I'm not super hung up on appearances, but it kind of detracts from your managerial cachet in those meetings with the other vice presidential types when you casually pull up your sleeve and flash a Boba Fett watch like my kids just got from Burger King for $2.) But once I get up around $20 I, perhaps foolishly, expect it to run for a while.

01-05-2006, 08:53 AM	#2
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Personally I've had good luck with Timex. They last through a couple of battery changes - so ~ 5 yrs. But if you're hard on watches and have the money, get a Rolex oyster. They're not fancy, and they're very expensive. But they're built like a tank. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

01-05-2006, 09:02 AM	#3
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	Timex Ironman Triathlon is good. I currently have the "Flix" and it's lasted several years so far. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

01-05-2006, 10:21 AM	#5
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Bullshit! Next you're going to be telling me print is dead. Well you have a point about the timekeeping accuracy of a phone, but I prefer to continue to maintain a wristwatch for several reasons. Checking the time on my phone requires me to pull it from my shirt pocket (assuming it's not already out, on a table or something) and flip the cover. (Yes I know some models display the time on the outside of the case, but I like what I have now.) There are situations where this isn't practical for logistical reasons (standing in line at wawa with a bag of donuts in one hand and a coffee in the other) or because I don't want to draw attention to myself by doing so (committee meetings, school plays, etc.) Believe it or not, there are times when I don't have my phone with me. Force of habit. I've worn one for 25-odd years. (Some of them very odd.) I'm not stopping now. What are you going to do, come to my house and impound my watch, fountain pen, and books?? EDIT: I won't start about an alarm clock either. I believe I've mentioned before that my vision is rather horrible. I have an alarm clock with 2.5" tall red LED numbers. I can actually read it lying in bed without my glasses, as long as it's only a few inches away. Well, the "minute" button is getting flaky, making it increasingly hard to change the alarm. I just tried out one of those clocks taht will project the time, but I found its lens arrangement didn't enlarge things much at all. (Aiming it up at the ceiling, it got to maybe 3 inches tall, which is not big enough at that distance.) Picky, aren't I? Last edited by SteveDallas; 01-05-2006 at 10:34 AM.

01-05-2006, 10:36 AM	#7
Troubleshooter The urban Jane Goodall Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 3,012	This is what I have except I have a black face on mine. I didn't pay much for it and it lasts. I'm on my second one after Little Sidhe used my wrist as a swing set without warning. It's simple, water resistant, inexpensive and resilient. http://www.timex.com/bin/detail.tmx?item=048148438927 __________________ I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. - Aristotle

01-05-2006, 09:07 AM	#4
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Your mobile phone gets its time from the network and therefore is more accurate than watches. Mechanical watches are a quaint leftover relic from an earlier day. They should not be used. Thank you.

01-05-2006, 10:31 AM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Analog or digital?

01-05-2006, 10:38 AM	#8
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	I've had a Seiko that has been running perfectly since 1997 and has taken a hell of a beating. It has an analog face but is quartz-driven and even has a pleasing alarm. The battery has to be changed about every three years or so.

01-05-2006, 10:39 AM	#9
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I like that one, TS. It's nice and simple, not ugly, and pretty cheap.

01-05-2006, 11:22 AM	#10
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I'm a big fan of Casio watches. Over the years I've owned maybe three or four of them. When I say "years" I mean "since high school." Last year would have been my 25th Reunion, if my class wasn't too apathetic to have one, so it was just my 25th anniversary out. They have both analog and digital styles. My favorite Casio watch (and the one I was saddest to see go) was the one that was featured in the movie "Blue Thunder." __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-05-2006, 12:30 PM	#11
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	Timex scores points for the catchiest slogan--"takes a licking and keeps on ticking", but you can't beat Casio for durable watches. I am hard on my equipment (go ahead, pun away. I wrote it, deleted it, and rewrote it. It's true) and the Casios are not indestructible, but anything short of a direct hit with a tool to the face will incur cosmetic damage at worst. They are easily the best watches in their price range. And the selection is staggering. Analog, digital, plastic, metal, rubberized. There isn't a chip based gadget that isn't available in some model (stopwatch, timers, altimeter, digital compass, remote control, usb drive, mp3 player, thermometers, radio-atomic timekeeping, solar power, titanium cases, organizers, calculators, you get the idea). There are plenty of dressy styles that I'm certain carry all the same quality and durability characteristics of the sport oriented models I have worn and loved. You can not go wrong with a Casio watch. I am straining and failing to think of another company/brand for whose products I hold an equal amount of esteem. Get one, or two. You won't be disappointed, until you lose it. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

01-05-2006, 12:41 PM	#12
Beestie -◊\|≡·∙■·∙≡\|◊- Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Parts unknown. Posts: 4,081	I've been happy with the Citizen dive watch I've been wearing for years but what I really want is one of these... Oh, well, maybe next Christmas. __________________ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♦

01-05-2006, 01:17 PM	#13
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	I had this Swiss Army watch. It was a gift, but I once checked out how much it cost. About $200. I loved it while I had it. It died after about 10 years. So that's $20 per year. I think you can probably do better buying a Timex or Casio. Last edited by glatt; 01-05-2006 at 01:21 PM.

01-05-2006, 07:59 PM	#15
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	I like my Palm Watch very much It's totally impractical. I plug it in to my USB port every night to resync and recharge. Almost satisfies my nostagia impulse for an HP-01. (http://del.icio.us/MaggieL/hp01) I don't care: it's way too much fun to have. $60 on eBay. And when synced to a Linux box running NTP, it keeps excellent time. :-) http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive...g_website.html __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

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