I have been without a watch for going on ten years. Well, sorta. I have a timex od green watch that I wore when in uniform, but I have no civvy watch and have basically gone without one for the past decade. There really was no reason. I have been either a student or a teacher the past ten-fifteen years, and I would just got o class as a student when I saw most people moving with a purpose, and now I just use the computer to look at what time it is before heading to class early.
At any rate, to make a long story short, I am looking at watches. What do you recommend? I like the look of some Tag’s, but I really like the price and utility of the Seiko kinetic watches. I also absolutely detest things clinging to me, and weight is an issue. Furthermore, I don’t want to spend a small fortune on a watch.
Another Jeff
I suggest a nice Swiss Army watch. You can get some nice ones for around $250-$300.
Tague are awesome, but the price is steep. I keep considering getting one, but I’m perfectly happy with my Swiss Army.
Besides, I just got the fiance a Tague for her birthday, so i guess I’m preparing myself for marriage in that i’m doing without for myself because i’m spending my money on her.
Steve S
I have a Tissot PR50, cost me $100 back in the Internet heyday from newwatch.com or some such place. It’s nice, simple, etc. They have a new T-Touch model which is more high-tech.
Although I’ve been looking around recently, as I want to get something with a leather or cloth band as I find them more comfortable in the summer. The Swiss Army watches come to mind, and Citizen or Seiko have some nice ones.
Some day I’d like to get a Tag or Omega, but my priorities lie elsewhere.
Charles M
Would not recommend a Seiko in the strongest terms. Bought one a few years ago – ~$475 or so. In a matter of months, the crystal (which is actually a piece of plastic) was so burnished I couldn’t read the calendar. Mechanically, the watch is very solid. However, a dependable but unreadable watch wasn’t really what I was looking for.
Needless to say, the crystal is the one part of the watch not covered by Seiko’s limited warranty.
tBone
It really depends on what you want in a watch. If you want one that announces to the world, “Hey, I’m a huge dork!” – here you go.
Andrei
I love my Mandarina Duck watch.
Scroll down to #1293 :: Mandarina Duck Watch, Chronograph with black rubber strap. It’s simple, durable, comfortable, light-weight, and snappy. Plus I hate digital watches, and this analog watch is classy but subtle.
Shinobi
If you’re looking to spend under 100 bucks I’ve had very good luck with Fossil watches. They are cheap, (Usually around 60 bucks) have a good warranty and I wore one for 5 years of college and it never broke. They don’t have very many nifty features, but personally I just want a watch that will tell me what time it is.
I’ve never had a Swiss Army watch, but I know their luggage is amazing, so I bet their watches are too.
Don
tBone – I heard the WSJ’s tech writer in an interview once and he commented that having a young female assitant was handy for multiple perspectives on things and mentioned the MSN news watches as an example. His reaction was that they were kinda big and unnecessary but otherwise not very notable. Her observation was that they were possibly the best birth control devices she’d ever seen.
srv
You’re better not being bound by time. Once you’ve gone naked, it’s hard to get comfortable with a watch again.
Buy an iPod nano or spend the money on a slimmer cell phone with a time display.
Or do what real conservatives do. Get a pocket watch.
Steve
I always get a Fossil. They are cheap but don’t look cheap.
tzs
Hmm, I picked up a Seiko in Akihabara many many years ago for 10,000 yen. Nice square gold watch. So far it’s gone through six years in Japan, a camel safari in Australia, taiko drumming, hiking in the mountains, two winters in London….just keeps going. I change the battery roughly once every two years, no problem.
Tim F
I wear a digital Timex with the electronic compass. It’s not small and the design practically screams Eddie-Bauer-edition-Ford-Explorer, but it gets used once or twice a day. The auto-calibration feature is especially cool, although when you’re doing it people think you’re drunk.
srv
Oh, and if you’re athletic or clumsy (or both) about banging a watch, find one with a bezel that is higher than the crystal. That will protect the face from scratching, etc.
Demdude
I absolutely love watches, I have had a TAG for awhile and it is very tough watch. You can also go full geek on those and get any useless option you want.
For stylish, I love Movado. The plain museum watch is very classy. I have about ten different stles of those. They range in price from $350-$500.
But for everyday, a Fossil is a good day to day watch,. You can get them for $50 – $75 a piece and if you lose or smash one, no big woop. It has some stylish designs and you can go goofy to classy (I have a Batman watch that is way cool).
Yes, I know I have a problem. My name is DemDude and I’m addicted to watches. I used to be additcted to various forms of narcotics and this is definetly cheaper. And you try to find a support group for watches.
Anyhow, my two cents…
Vladi G
One word: Swatch!
Actually, I agree with the Fossil crew. I wore one for a long time until my parents got me a brand I’ve never heard of and now can’t remember, but it’s got my university crest on the face, and it hasn’t broken in the couple of years that I’ve had it.
mark
I got a Tag as a gift from work. Beautiful watch, but it is very heavy and the band tends to pinch the hair on my arm. I also have a Casio wave captor. It synchs up with the atomic clock in colorado(?) every night. That one is very light and I especially like it because it has an analog face with a small digital portion on the bottom of the face. The hands are automatically adjusted to match the digital time. No muss,no fuss.
TallDave
I’m surprised anyone wears a watch anymore. Virtually everywhere I am there is a clock somewhere in view.
TallDave
I also absolutely detest things clinging to me, and weight is an issue.
I’m the same way, I can’t even stand to have keys or change in my pocket. That’s why I don’t like watches, and because of the above I don’t feel I need one. Also, my cell phone has the time anyway.
RSA
I have a couple of watches I wear regularly, both Swiss, and neither very expensive. My current everyday watch is a Wenger that I picked up in a duty free shop a few years ago, and when I dress up (rarely) I put on an old Tissot (a dark gray granite Rockwatch, which I keep for sentimental reasons but which also has survived its outdated trendiness surprisingly well over the past 20 years.) Neither has ever needed repair or even having the crystal changed, despite lots of abuse (e.g., a parrot got hold of the Tissot a couple of years ago.)
Aaron
I’d like to second the Swiss Army suggestion. I received one over ten years ago and it hasn’t given me a single days problem (except replacing the battery every two years or so). Keeps great time, clean look and not too expensive (I think it was about $200-$250). Very nice watches somewhere between your Timexs and your Breitlings.
RSA
Forgot to mention: Sometimes I find myself turning to what I call the most expensive clock in the house, when I open up my Mac laptop to see what time it is and I don’t have my watch handy.
rilkefan
Haven’t worn a watch since I left Geneva and its Swatch store ten years ago, but I started wearing a wedding ring a few months ago and my wrist has begun feeling naked.
tBone
Yeah. Combine one of those with a pocket protector and you could probably repel women in a 10-mile radius.
John S.
Go with a Solar Powered watch, John.
I have two, and they are fantastic. They really never need batteries and tell the time perfectly.
I suggest the Citizen Eco-Drive series.
They average around $150-$200, and are well worth it.
Joe A
I have a Seiko Kinetic AutoRelay, cost me about £250, $400ish about 4 years ago now. No battery changing every sheer brilliance. I love it.
KC
I don’t wear watches, but I do know this is pretty funny.
bg
I like my ESQ a lot – it’s a cheaper brand made by Movado. Cost about $375. Very simple, very stylish. Just like me.
Tom Bowler
Since I used to do a little running, I kinda like the Timex Ironman watches. They’re cheap, light, reliable, and they’re not jewelery. $25 or $30.
Rick Lee
I like the Seiko titanium watches because of the weight factor. They are beautiful, but weigh less than a cheap plastic watch. Around 200 dollars I think. I’ve had 2 of them… no complaints.
stickler
I got a very nice, slim Skagen watch at Costco ($70!) three years ago, and loved it — but the thing just devoured batteries. At least one a year.
Since February I’ve been wearing the above-mentioned (and hippy-dippy named) Citizen “Eco Drive”. It looks great, is solar powered, keeps time, and hopefully I’ll never have to visit Battery Hut again.
McMartin
On the “ridiculously cheap” end if you just want something with the time on it, the Timex Expedition is under $30.
platosearwax
Just to third or fourth or whatever the recommendation for a Swiss Army watch. Bar none the best watch I have ever owned. Almost 10 years now and it still keeps perfect time. I got the gunmetal brown and it doesn’t even scratch. I even popped the winding stem off at work once and they replaced it for free.
The only downside I can think of is replacement bands can be hard to find, at least on my model. I had to order from some outdoorsman’s shop in CT as they were the only ones who had it. Got it in two days though.
Shygetz
I second the Citizen Eco-Drive watch suggestion. I’ve had mine for six years now, and it’s a good watch. Not nearly as bulky as the kinetic ones, and never needs a bettery. Plus, many of them have very distinct yet classy looks due to the textured watch face.
the friendly grizzly
Any of you like me? I “eat” watches with my skin chemistry so it means having to find all-stainless steel watches. It is why I tend to stick with Seiko. I have one with the “railroad face” and it has worked flawlessly for about 12 years. Just a new battery every 4 or 5 years.
Phillip J. Birmingham
We must be long-lost brothers. I bought a Chase-Durer about three years ago for its all-stainless construction, and I have to say that I love it. Usually by now a watch would be leaving green marks all over my wrist, but this one hasn’t eroded a millimeter. (I suspect not even a nanometer, but I don’t know that.)
goonie bird
I got a real good watch at WALMART for under $5:00 just last month
Pudentilla
Swiss Army. Why – nothing ever goes wrong with it and the face is large enough that teachers can watch the time without their students seeing them do it (for non-teachers, if the kids see you look at your watch, you can kiss the last five minutes of class goodbye). My partner bought me one when I my last watch punked and I have found it to be an excellent watch for teachers.
Lee
I second the suggestion to just go to wal-mart or target and find a cheap (
Angry Engineer
I got a $160 Festina titanium watch from my wife about five years ago, and it’s held up extremely well. I think it’s required only one battery change in that time. The nice thing about the titanium case and band is that it doesn’t look bad when it’s all scratched-up.
TexasMike
Bought a TAG in 1987, my freshman yeat in college. Cheapest one they offered. I just retired it last Christmas for a Citizen Eco Drive. TAG was an outstanding watch. Only had to change batteries. Water resistant to 200m (never take it off). Citizen is nice too but will have to see if it stands the test of time.
TallDave
Here you go, John.
GammaMaster watch sports built-in Geiger counter
Unlike the Active Reactor Radio Active wristwatch, which only pretends to detect radiation levels, the GammaMaster from GammaWatch includes a fully-functioning Geiger counter to keep you safe after the Commies drop The Big One. Predetermined, user-defined thresholds let the watch know how much radiation you think you can handle before it’s time to give a warning. For those who will be traversing in and out of a hot zone, the watch measures both single-dose gamma ray levels as well as cumulative build-up. And to prove that their product isn’t bogus ala some gadgets you might find in the back of Popular Science magazine, GammaWatch thoughtfully offers to sell you small doses of radioactive material to ensure the accuracy of your $500 investment.
gswift
I don’t wear a watch, but friends and my wife love the Seiko’s. I’ve also heard good things about the Citizen’s. I bought my wife a titanium Seiko, and the weight is fantastic. It’ll ratchet up the price a bit you can, I’d also recommend a sapphire crystal. Much harder than glass, will scratch less.
I bought my wife’s at this store on ebay.
Looks like the Citizen’s and Seikos with Titanium start at around 80. Or you want to spend 300 there’s ones like this with titanium and a sapphire face.
Jeff
Get a Swiss Mallard (about $110.00). Tough and well-made. Get a silver and gold watchband and it goes with anything.
mac
Timex Ironman: Includes stopwatch, countdown, 2 alarms (great for traveling) 3 second indiglo and a velcro band. AND it’s easy to set.
the friendly grizzly
The Indiglo face is amazing! Now if they would just find a way to make a watch I don’t eat with my skin.
gswift
Timex Ironman all the way…if you’re 12.