Bomb Proof... reasonably priced watch

Going through the shed with my daughter a few weeks back... She was amazed at the "huge black cd's" ie records
She was also amazed at the "clock bangles" ie watches HA!...
Even im amazed people still wear watches :eek1

It's just so damn convenient. There was a guy who stitched in a few neodymium magnets into his wrist so he could mount his iPod Nano on his wrist. Google iDermal. Maybe that'll be the next trend.

I think it's the BM6400 18E.

Terrisomething......

Under $600? Lot's of GOOD stuff under that price point.


Seiko SKX009 [007 has all black] with WJean super oyster, about $300 all told. 200 meter dive rated watch.


Around $400 with shipping from Timefactors.com, the 100 meter WR Smiths Everest - has an acrylic crystal which scratches easily, but is an incredible value - a Miyota 9015 automatic movement in a top quality stainless case/bracelet - it's a touch thick and wears really big for a 40mm


My current favorite, the Japanese market Seiko SARB017 on the optional bracelet - just a hair over $600 with the bracelet, this WR 200 meter automatic watch has the fine 6R15 movement. Mine runs just about 4 seconds a day fast since I got it, has a sapphire crystal and is a smaller 38 mm and wears nicely on my wrist. The green dial has to be seen to be appreciated, it changes color depending on the background light and the Cathedral hands have plenty of lume to read in dark all night. The hour lume pips are smaller than I'd like but they work fine. There's a black dial, silver version SARB017 and a more rugged SARB059 that is in the same case as the SKX009 and has an external bezel instead of internal.

My favorite Seiko:



A Macchina Sportiva designed by Guigiaro. Kind of sucks, though. It has a proprietary band and I broke the fastener. Seiko doesn't have a replacement and a standard band won't work on it.
IIRC, I paid about $400 for it at Ashford.com some 15-16 years ago.

It's a BM6400. I'm not sure of the suffix for the bracelet version. I bought this one used. On nylon it's BM6400-00E.

Ooops. 205'd.

My newest, from April of 1969. It has the 6139 movement, arguably the first automatic chronograph ever.

I'll be damned. First auto chrono...and first vertical clutch. Nice.

My current favorite, the Japanese market Seiko SARB017 on the optional bracelet - just a hair over $600 with the bracelet, this WR 200 meter automatic watch has the fine 6R15 movement. Mine runs just about 4 seconds a day fast since I got it, has a sapphire crystal and is a smaller 38 mm and wears nicely on my wrist. The green dial has to be seen to be appreciated, it changes color depending on the background light and the Cathedral hands have plenty of lume to read in dark all night. The hour lume pips are smaller than I'd like but they work fine. There's a black dial, silver version SARB017 and a more rugged SARB059 that is in the same case as the SKX009 and has an external bezel instead of internal.[/QUOTE]

i really like this!!!!!

I am super excited to see the raving reviews for the Seiko Automatic Diver's longevity in this thread. However, in the name of full disclosure, I report the death of mine after 12 years of nonstop abuse.

Wow, that one looks really abused.

But you should be able to get a new movement for around $50 and a fresh bezel insert for $20. Or find a cheap used Seiko with a 7S26 movement on eBay and let a watchmaker do the swap.

Are you kidding? I've been all but praying for a justification to buy a new timepiece for years! This one just, wouldn't, quit. It very nearly went to the bottom of the ocean after I caught the wristband on a lifeline. The watch went falling overboard still ticking... and safely into the dinghy. Even my dad tortured me on our sailing trip from San Juan with a shiny new Automatic Diver of his own.

Maybe I should be more sentimental? I bought mine in high school with the money I earned mowing lawns. That big hefty scratch in the bezel at 6-o'clock was the first of many, yet I like to think that it prepared me for the first scratch I put on the GS when it was new!

Bump for the thread all about 'thumper' watches

+1, same one, still going on it's 6th year.

Here is my latest bombproof watch, G-Shock 7900 with moonphase and tidegraph:

My newest is an Ironman Shock.



Thanks overlandr for kickstarting this one again.

It's been several years since I saw this video and bought a Casio G-Shock 5600E. I paid less than $50 on amazon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrYQmRRmCOM

I have worn it every day, I never take it off for anything.
It's been through a couple of mc trips to Central America and a couple of summers of swimming and kayaking plus all the mechanics and carpentry, wood splitting and hauling, cross country skiing that comes along. It bicycled 1200 miles and was my training watch for an couple of months of classic ski the Birkiebiner training.

Through all of that movement and several years it has lost 15 seconds.

The price today?

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-DW5600E-1V-G-Shock-Classic-Digital/dp/B000GAYQKY

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!

bill

Disclaimer, I have not read through the whole thread so this may be a repeat. But here goes: The Seiko SKX series dive watches. For $200 or less, it's the most serious, legit, real use dive watch bargain in the world. Personnaly I do no like their standard stainless band and prefer the harder to find "Oyster" style--think Rolex Jubilee vs. Rolex Submariner. I personally like running mine with a "zulu" band, the one-piece nylon bands that run about $20. For $220 or less, that's a real deal bargain.

This is not my watch, but add 16-years of use and a badly faded "Pepsi" ring and that's what is on my wrist right now:


I got that one after the summer of '98 because I wanted a day feature as my job then (as now) didn't run on a normal schedule. My older Seiko dive watch is like above without the day marker and I got it at the MCRD in San Diego summer '94. That watch is one work scared mo'fo', but it's running like a tank. Neither watch has ever been down for service.

After that, I have what I believe to be the best bargain in the "I'd own a Submariner if I could afford one" category of watches. It's the Invicta 9937OB. This is the old style 9937OB with the "old bezel," get it--OB--which is the same as coin edge that Rolex uses AND the saphire crystals front and rear. I got it on a sale at World of Watches, delivered, for $200. 304L stainless, saphire crystals, Swiss movement (not assembled is Switzerland, however, so it's not "Swiss made"), and the most classic dive watch style ever for $200?! A bargain! These "old" 9937OBs are hard to get now, I'd say expect $300+. This watch did go in for service after a year, costing me $100 at the local Rolex certified watchsmith. The bezel has a nice, thich black ring that is scratch/ding resistant--a nice quality touch--and looks near new after 4+ years of almost daily wear. (Again, not my picture)



Funny, the knock-around watches haven't gone down once in well over a decades use where the "good," Swiss watch needed it's but wiped. Kind of like old Jeeps and new cars, I guess. Still, for daily wear, the Invicta 9937OB ("Fauxlex"), for days where I expect to knock the watch around (or when I don't know what day it is!), the Seikos.

Still, without a doubt, those are what I'd put up as the best two bargain watches going in the working/dive category.

Wow, that Seiko Samurai is NICE!!! :eek1



*If* you can find a contract overrun on the Marathon watches, those are similarly very nice and just under the $600 limit in this thread.

I'm rocking a g shock riseman lately.