Talk me out of...

Those things are far too fragile. Drop them on a tiled / concrete floor and they're gone. Too top heavy too, especially with the bands - they either slide around on the wrist or you do it up tight to stop that and it then becomes uncomfortable. No alarms, no countdown timer for timing the steak on the BBQ, no stopwatch, lume is average and it doesn't even tell you the day of the week. Have to worry about it when you go for a swim at the beach. Timekeeping is really poor so you have to keep resetting that if you actually want to know the real time and you also have to keep resetting the date for every month with less than 31 days. Scratches easily and there's no protection for the glass. They're just examples of only being an echo of a homage to an antiquated, out-dated and really quite poor design.

For far less you could have a real icon - a genuine revolution in watch-making. A practical watch, still chosen by militaries and LEOs all around the world. Probably the most practical watch ever invented - lightweight, comfortable, thin, strong, shockproof, durable, almost scratch-proof, with all the above features, excellent timekeeping, exemplary WR and fantastic EL lume. Something that can be thrown off a building or run over by a truck and still keep working. A modern classic - a watch that still looks like the original 80s design but is even lighter, better and cheaper now. That watch is of course a G Shock DW-5600, or a G-5600 if you don't like changing batteries. Don't like the colour? Choose from dozens of other different styles and colourways then. After all the G Shocks that have come afterwards, their inventor (Kikuo Ibe) still wears the original "square" design because it is the most practical. A better watch just doesn't exist (unless a vibe alarm is important to you - then a GD350 is the go...). if it starts looking tatty after a few decades of hard use then just buy some new resin and start again.

Print this out and stick it to a wall. Or while you only start looking at Ori and Alpinists, you soon start to see their deficiencies, so you then start being tempted by Speedmasters or Tunas and suddenly you find yourself wondering what you have to sell to get a Rolex, Patek or AP, if you make the mistake of seeing one of them in person. Stand out from the crowd instead - refuse to follow the herd and instead wear the world's most practical watch, with the world's most timeless and classic design!

Well, you did ask...
@RazorPlay - being aware of your preferred mode of transport, I can totally relate to your watch of choice (y). A colleague of mine who works in extreme environments also owns such a watch, and swears by it. Me, on the other hand..... well, I'm a sucker for mechanical designs.
 
I am not averse to battery powered watches; here are a couple of tuning fork designs that I enjoy wearing very much:





Ooof the bulova is noice, history right there.
There is something to be said for having some batteries around huh.
I found a casiotron from the 70s at the salvos for $5 I’m waiting on a battery for..
 
Those things are far too fragile. Drop them on a tiled / concrete floor and they're gone. Too top heavy too, especially with the bands - they either slide around on the wrist or you do it up tight to stop that and it then becomes uncomfortable. No alarms, no countdown timer for timing the steak on the BBQ, no stopwatch, lume is average and it doesn't even tell you the day of the week. Have to worry about it when you go for a swim at the beach. Timekeeping is really poor so you have to keep resetting that if you actually want to know the real time and you also have to keep resetting the date for every month with less than 31 days. Scratches easily and there's no protection for the glass. They're just examples of only being an echo of a homage to an antiquated, out-dated and really quite poor design.

For far less you could have a real icon - a genuine revolution in watch-making. A practical watch, still chosen by militaries and LEOs all around the world. Probably the most practical watch ever invented - lightweight, comfortable, thin, strong, shockproof, durable, almost scratch-proof, with all the above features, excellent timekeeping, exemplary WR and fantastic EL lume. Something that can be thrown off a building or run over by a truck and still keep working. A modern classic - a watch that still looks like the original 80s design but is even lighter, better and cheaper now. That watch is of course a G Shock DW-5600, or a G-5600 if you don't like changing batteries. Don't like the colour? Choose from dozens of other different styles and colourways then. After all the G Shocks that have come afterwards, their inventor (Kikuo Ibe) still wears the original "square" design because it is the most practical. A better watch just doesn't exist (unless a vibe alarm is important to you - then a GD350 is the go...). if it starts looking tatty after a few decades of hard use then just buy some new resin and start again.

Print this out and stick it to a wall. Or while you only start looking at Ori and Alpinists, you soon start to see their deficiencies, so you then start being tempted by Speedmasters or Tunas and suddenly you find yourself wondering what you have to sell to get a Rolex, Patek or AP, if you make the mistake of seeing one of them in person. Stand out from the crowd instead - refuse to follow the herd and instead wear the world's most practical watch, with the world's most timeless and classic design!

Well, you did ask...
Yeah.. the DW5600 kinda sucks.. I have tried twice to own one and their “recessed” A button to prevent accidental mode changes actually makes it really a pain to use if you have large hands.
 
Nice watches @TomG - I know what it's like to drink the watch industry alka-seltzer - I did it myself for a long time. And TBH I still find myself wondering if I should wear a massive stand out watch in an ostentatious colour just for the sake of it like this one... kind of to extend the middle finger to the whole "gentleman" culture (apologies for using a rude word...), even if it is mega uncomfortable!

images


But I'm done with mechanical heritage, BPH, complications, watch winders, servicing etc etc. I can no longer come to terms with paying so much more for a product that is objectively so much worse in so many ways, with a less classic design heritage to boot. When my current G Shock GD-350 dies, it will probably get replaced by a solar, bluetooth square version so I don't have to change a battery or adjust the time or date again.

But that will probably take too long so I will have to find a way to palm my current one off to one of my kids first. They won't die!

@Ferret619 - you are meant to use your fingernails. Although my GD-350 has no such problem - it's fantastically easy to operate - so maybe I should just keep it. The vibe alarm is useful for not waking management in the morning.
 
Nice watches @TomG - I know what it's like to drink the watch industry alka-seltzer - I did it myself for a long time. And TBH I still find myself wondering if I should wear a massive stand out watch in an ostentatious colour just for the sake of it like this one... kind of to extend the middle finger to the whole "gentleman" culture (apologies for using a rude word...), even if it is mega uncomfortable!

images


But I'm done with mechanical heritage, BPH, complications, watch winders, servicing etc etc. I can no longer come to terms with paying so much more for a product that is objectively so much worse in so many ways, with a less classic design heritage to boot. When my current G Shock GD-350 dies, it will probably get replaced by a solar, bluetooth square version so I don't have to change a battery or adjust the time or date again.

But that will probably take too long so I will have to find a way to palm my current one off to one of my kids first. They won't die!

@Ferret619 - you are meant to use your fingernails. Although my GD-350 has no such problem - it's fantastically easy to operate - so maybe I should just keep it. The vibe alarm is useful for not waking management in the morning.
I tried using my nails on both but i keep my nails short and even really smashing em in there was no good... had to use keys.
 
Yeah... i don’t really care about ever buying/using a wolfman, I’m sure they are great but seems like hype nonsense.

What a wise man!

"... seems like hype nonsense ..."
 
What a wise man!

"... seems like hype nonsense ..."
Now... onto these mechanical watches...
In all honesty it’s like the knife world, artificial scarcity is just a turn off for me.
 
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Now... onto these mechanical watches...

Sigh... you can't say I didn't try!

If you insist on this demonstrably inferior 19th century mechanical technology, then I will suggest a SKX dive watch, as they are a bit more robust and legible in the dark than the examples you have offered (and just as classic), without breaking the bank. Dive watches are generally a happier hunting ground for cheaper, quality mechanical Japanese and ETA movements. Being properly waterproof helps keep it clean too as you can confidently wear it in the shower. By the time it needs a service, it will be cheaper to just throw it out and buy a new one. Just have to get used to setting the time every few days if you want to remain punctual...

From there though, you're on that slippery slope of wanting more features / quality / finish / better timekeeping etc, while having to shell out more $$$ in return. A Sinn is a good option at the next price point up if you like bauhaus. Longines and Omega after that. But if you like the aesthetics of watches and detailed, quality finishes then make sure you never enter a watch store that sells brands like Grand Seiko, Rolex, AP, Patek or VC, or your wallet will explode! Even I will acknowledge they are things of beauty, despite being so bad at actually keeping time (Spring Drive excluded). Just make sure you ask about servicing costs.

Want analog classic that actually keeps good time without breaking the bank? Then that Bulova Accutron looks like a good option. Or anything Eco-Drive if you don't like battery changes - there are a few lookers in that range depending on whether you want dive / aviator / chrono etc.
 
Sigh... you can't say I didn't try!

If you insist on this demonstrably inferior 19th century mechanical technology, then I will suggest a SKX dive watch, as they are a bit more robust and legible in the dark than the examples you have offered (and just as classic), without breaking the bank. Dive watches are generally a happier hunting ground for cheaper, quality mechanical Japanese and ETA movements. Being properly waterproof helps keep it clean too as you can confidently wear it in the shower. By the time it needs a service, it will be cheaper to just throw it out and buy a new one. Just have to get used to setting the time every few days if you want to remain punctual...

From there though, you're on that slippery slope of wanting more features / quality / finish / better timekeeping etc, while having to shell out more $$$ in return. A Sinn is a good option at the next price point up if you like bauhaus. Longines and Omega after that. But if you like the aesthetics of watches and detailed, quality finishes then make sure you never enter a watch store that sells brands like Grand Seiko, Rolex, AP, Patek or VC, or your wallet will explode! Even I will acknowledge they are things of beauty, despite being so bad at actually keeping time (Spring Drive excluded). Just make sure you ask about servicing costs.

Want analog classic that actually keeps good time without breaking the bank? Then that Bulova Accutron looks like a good option. Or anything Eco-Drive if you don't like battery changes - there are a few lookers in that range depending on whether you want dive / aviator / chrono etc.
Well.. I have an SKX013.. it’s kinda lol for accuracy but it’s charming..
But I have regulated 7s26s to +/- 1spd in the past.. also you know the alpinist is 200m water resistant, meets the same standard as the G-Shock actually.
 
Well.. I have an SKX013.. it’s kinda lol for accuracy but it’s charming..
But I have regulated 7s26s to +/- 1spd in the past.. also you know the alpinist is 200m water resistant, meets the same standard as the G-Shock actually.

Yeah but I was trying to talk you out of it - as per the thread title. What if I just say it looks terrible instead?

BTW it's still a pretty expensive watch. Get one of these instead:
seiko-automatic-presage-sary051-for-men-made-in-japan_291_720x.jpg

https://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko/products/seiko-presage-automatic-sary051

Much cheaper, still sapphire, decent movement, proper bracelet and no date so it looks better.

If you want a date, then SARX033 is a good reference.
 
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Yeah but I was trying to talk you out of it - as per the thread title. What if I just say it looks terrible instead?

BTW it's still a pretty expensive watch. Get one of these instead:
seiko-automatic-presage-sary051-for-men-made-in-japan_291_720x.jpg

https://www.seiyajapan.com/collections/seiko/products/seiko-presage-automatic-sary051

Much cheaper, still sapphire, decent movement, proper bracelet and no date so it looks better.

If you want a date, then SARX033 is a good reference.
That’s pretty nice actually, not sure on the open heart buuuuut it sure is pretty...
 
On the bright side, my Hamilton just cleared customs ;)
3DEF9wL.jpg

Now you will have to talk me out of a different strap... I throw a lot of stuff on a natio but... this one.. I donno.
@RazorPlay fwiw my G shock of choice is a GA100mc o have had it about 6 years and haven’t done a battery yet..
 
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