Watches, bad trends, and what should I buy?

[Aglifter]

What is your price point? IMO, you're better off buying a good, used, watch than some of the glorified fashion pieces.


I have my beat-up Submariner - Rolexes are tough, and the service is good, and remarkably reasonable, provided you deal w. Rolex directly. I don't view them as "impressive" so much, as just a common tool. (A surprisingly high percentage of competitive shooters wear them, for some reason.)

However, its not a "suit watch." If you want a suit watch, buy a suit watch (thin, leather band, etc - maybe black, but again, thin.)

This watch from Ball would go well with a suit - buy bands to match your shoes and belt.

So would the model that Denis posted.

[rightisright]

Don't buy a watch nicer than the one your boss wears.

[Highspeed]

My idea of sartorial elegance is having biker gang tattoos ( so I'm no help with the style advice ) but I went to a ' car boot sale' last year and a guy there had a display case of what looked to be 60's era's chronometers. They were really classy - I don't know much about watch brands, but those things were beautifully made. Sadly my missis was carrying the money that day
Probably a good thing, I bet none of them worked right and while I can fix most machines, watches are probably a bit beyond my capabilities.

My watch is a modern Lotus chronometer, probably made in China I expect - I bought it off a Bulgarian shoplifter in a Spanish bar in 2008 - he'd also got some nice leather belts and quite a good selection of fishing rods, all in their original packaging

[Captain Wheelgun]

I stopped wearing a watch when I started carrying a cell phone. It's basically a modern day revival of the pocket watch.

[Erik]

I used to carry $30 watches, because they worked and could take a lot of abuse. But I always felt they looked wrong if I dressed up, in a suit or otherwise, so I looked around for a dress watch.
Settled on a $300 Seiko, it's classy enough to fit well with a suit, yet casual enough to not look out of place if I'm in jeans and a t-shirt.

[Rich Jordan]

I wore one Casio DW-200 Marlin from early 1980s until it leaked in 2007 or so. I've since had it repaired but my wife got me the base G-Shock in the meantime and that has served for nearly 6 years. No fuss no worries, does what its supposed to do, don't have to depocket a phone to see the time.

Dress watch/suit watch? Foof, fluff. Pointless. I appreciate the very well made watches (Rolex and the like) but there are so many more important things to spend money on. $2000 watch or a $2000 original Krag carbine? OFTM $2000 worth of ammo or reloading suppplies? I know what I'd pick.

We don't expect to pursue the IOS watch if one comes out, but if Apple does it right I think they'll do very well with it.

[rightisright]

I have a good Fauxlex Submariner that was given to me by a woman I very briefly dated a some years ago. Perfect holograms, very smooth minute hand movement, all the right markings on the band, date magnifier was perfect, etc.

I broke it off with her right after she got busted for selling fake True Religion, Seven for all Mankind*, etc. clothing on eBay. Turned out she had ties to a "guy named Tony" (this IS NJ, after all) who supplied her with this stuff (watches, sports memorabilia, clothing, etc.). I haven't seen the watch in a few years. I'm sure it's floating around here somewhere

*Jeans that cost a few hundred to several hundred dollars a pair...if they are real, that is.

[Denis]

...buy bands to match your shoes and belt.

That is good advice. I usually wear a new watch until I wear out the original leather strap (+/-18 months, depending on how much I've been perspiring), then replace the strap with leather of another colour, so that, over time, I have several watches, one with a black strap, another with brown and maybe also a dark blue.

One thing to look out for with the Mondaine Swiss Railways watch - the straps are parallel-sided, not tapered as many watch-straps are. It can be tricky to find replacements, especially if, like me, you need an extra-long strap. Marburger is one manufacturer that makes good replacement straps to match the Mondaine originals.

[Cybrludite]

"Watch, wrist: navigators
MIL-PRF46374G" from Marathon Watch. I got it half price from www.countycomm.com due to an overrun.

[MiddleAgedKen]

My everyday watch is a Timex Indiglo. It's virtually indestructible but has a classic analog look to it. About $30.00 at box stores everywhere.

Word. Mine will be 17 years old in June, and just keeps ticking along.