Which watch for Christmas

[harvey b davison]

I wear a £10 casio, it tells time, is waterproof and has a light on it. Oh and they last for years.

[Rich Rule]

I bought my kids the 10 casios for chrimbo.

 

They love them.

[WesD]

I have a Garmin Fenix 2, it's excellent I do a lot of walking, running, cycling and skiing etc and use it to track speeds distances elevation and much more. It links to Strava has ABC functions vibration alarms and can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth showing incoming calls, messages and emails etc. Oh it also tells the time. I have had mine 2 years and I have worn it every day since it's purchase, it hasn't missed a beat and still looks great. It is a great everyday watch.

 

 

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[agg221]

You could consider secondhand if you fancy a reasonable quality mechanical movement. I tend to ask in watch shops as they often give them a check over so less of a risk. Be warned though the collecting bug can get expensive.

 

Completely agree with the dangers of the collecting bug! I like them as they represent a balance of aesthetics, craftsmanship and engineering and pretty much all of them are still practical to wear on at least some occasions. There aren't many mechanical or engineered items which can be over 100yrs old and yet can still be used today as originally intended.

 

There are some serious bargains to be had in secondhand watches - Smiths De Luxe and Imperial models for example are ridiculously cheap and come in a wide variety of colours/styles. I bought one last year dating from the mid-1950s which had never even been out of its box! The trouble is that earlier watches tend to be less robust and harder to keep running due to parts availability (with a few exceptions such as Smiths where a proper dismantle and service can still be had for £35), unless you have something top end such as Patek Philippe - rather like owning a Bentley where it doesn't really matter what age it is but at the same time you don't ask the price.

 

The movements in most mechanical watches are pretty robust after about 1950 but I tend to keep an eye out for stainless steel cases which are robust and easy to re-finish, rather than the more popular gold or chrome plated ones. Girard-Perregaux are quite a good bet for this. The real problem is the crystal - acrylic was the norm and although it doesn't break easily, it does scratch really badly. Sapphire glass starts to come in from the 1970s but you really need something from the last 20yrs to be sure.

 

I think to an extent your choice of watch can make a statement about who you are - there is anything from basic functional fit and forget to cramming as many gadgets and functions in as possible to engineering masterpieces, styled as plain, understated and functional through to maximum bling.

 

I caught the underground from Oxford Circus rather than Green Park today to indulge in a bit of window-shopping in Burlington Arcade

 

Alec

[cornish wood burner]

Alec I didnt realise I had a clone out there.

Couple of years ago I picked up an Eterna Kontiki complete with box paperwork etc. Absolutely no signs of being worn. Very well engineered watch and apparently Eterna were the first to use ball bearing on their rotors hence the logo. Rolex quality at a fraction of new cost and made in the 90s so a decent crystal.

Something along those lines might suit the op.

[Acer Forestry]

I reckon a decent watch is one extravagance a bloke can allow himself-I'm not into hobbies and work 6-7 days a week, so why not, eh. I bought a SMW (Swiss military watch) divers a couple of years back, nice and chunky but not massively oversized, and will last a lifetime, you can get these for under £300

Edited January 12, 2017 by Flarris
Grammar

[felixthelogchopper]

You could have a look at some of the vintage watch market. I got a Bulova Surgeon watch the same as this for just over £100 before Xmas.

[roys]

Great replies gents thank you.

CWB that Eterna is a nice looking watch.

Flarris I was looking at the SMW yesterday, what like is Lumes after dark on it?

Cheers,

[voj maintenance]

You will not go wrong with a Casio g shock, they have a huge range going from the £60 mark well up into the hundreds

 

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[Acer Forestry]

Great replies gents thank you.

CWB that Eterna is a nice looking watch.

Flarris I was looking at the SMW yesterday, what like is Lumes after dark on it?

Cheers,

 

The luminosity is actually quite good, I don't know if these are Tritium or something else but you see what you need to in the dark just fine. I can post a pic of this later- I thought about selling mine to help finance another saw, but probably a daft move really