Etcetera

What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Posted to Etcetera on Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:19:28 AM EST (promoted from Diaries by port1080). RSS.

A poll.

(No politics, please.)

Swiss, Japanese, American, German, Canadian (no, really), Russian?

Chronograph, Dress, Diver, Fashion, Field, Flieger, GMT, Haute Horlogerie, Marine, Mickey Mouse, Sports?

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This story: 83 comments (0 from subqueue)
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1

Re: What's on your wrist?

T Slothrop.

Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 09:05:32 PM EST

none

My present watch is a Seiko Kinetic. Generally I like it, but I'll probably not buy another. A regular motorized watch winder won't work with the Kinetics, so that means it'll stop after just a couple of days if I don't wear it. I like watches, and I like wearing different ones, but owning a Kinetic essentially means that you will wear it all the time.

[I'm not that guy.]

2

^ 1

Re: What's on your wrist?

T Slothrop.

Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 09:25:49 PM EST

none

Perusing wikipedia after I wrote this, it appears that newer Kinetics (or at least the newer, more expensive ones) no longer have this problem and can run for as long as six months without being worn. The "5M42" movement in mine is supposed to run for two weeks, but in my experience it's more like three days.

[I'm not that guy.]

60

^ 1

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 12:32:46 PM EST

none

Weird, I have a Seiko AGS from the early 1990s and it runs for at least 3 months with no wrist time.

I bought it cheap as it was apparently doing the same thing yours does.  Replaced the capacitor (looks like a watch battery) and it now works great.

If yours is more than 10 years old, that's probably what's going on....

Chris.

64

^ 60

Re: What's on your wrist?

T Slothrop.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 01:38:12 PM EST

none

Interesting. That certainly sounds like what my problem is. And yeah the watch is about a dozen year old.

If you don't mind me asking (and assuming that you even remember) how much did the parts and labor cost you?

Thanks for the info!

[I'm not that guy.]

66

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Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 01:47:46 PM EST

5.00 (informative)

I did the labor myself, but it should be around $20 - it's like changing a watch battery.

The part is probably about the same (don't remember), but they are difficult to source and you need to make sure you get the updated part numbers as they fixed the long-term durability issues (apparently).

Check here (http://www.ofrei.com/page953.html) if you can see your movement (caliber) number.  It should be on the back of the watch (mine's a 5M43).

3

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 09:41:14 PM EST

none

Seiko Kinetic as well, that's the daily driver. And yes it dies in a few days but shaking it a few times usually 'wakes it up' in a short time.

My "party watch" is a Rado.

*Images are the ones I have.

67

^ 3

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 01:49:35 PM EST

none

See my post above about replacing your capacitor to fix the Kinetic issue...

4

Re: What's on your wrist?

joshv.

Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 10:23:20 PM EST

none

Citizen Eco-Drive.  Never needs a battery, sucks power from ambient light.

15

^ 4

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:53:40 AM EST

none

I have a gray Eco-drive chronograph and that thing can stay charged for months it feels like. And I like how it has a charge bar.

61

^ 15

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 12:33:46 PM EST

none

I used to have one of those, sold it on as just didn't like the way it looked.

5

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 11:12:51 PM EST

5.00 (agreed)

Hair. I haven't worn any wristwatches in years. My phone, my computer, and almost everything I look at tells time.

12

^ 5

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:29:44 AM EST

5.00 (agreed)

You wear a watch less to tell time and more as an accessory, the only accessory a man should really wear.

But I do admit, I'm not trying to pull my phone out of my pocket everything to see the time.

Also, exact time is different from analog time. You perceive it differently. I have exactly 14.32 minutes or I have about 15 minutes.

16

^ 12

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 10:11:57 AM EST

5.00 (cool)

If I was even remotely cool, I would probably get my own "accessory". But you have no idea how uncool I can be.

23

^ 16

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 12:18:58 PM EST

none

You're cool in my books. Especially because between you and GP I have gained a better understanding of foreign issues.

28

^ 23

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:35:57 PM EST

none

Thanks for redefining "cool" so that I qualify.

22

^ 12

Laid so easy

Acefantastik.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:43:57 AM EST

none

the only accessory a man should really wear.

The trick is, you get a watch shelooks at, but if you don't.

Related: Mickey. (NSFW)

24

^ 22

Re: Laid so easy

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 12:19:28 PM EST

none

Don't get that joke?

BTW, is that video safe? I mean stomach safe?

36

^ 12

Re: What's on your wrist?

Gaius Petronius.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 03:15:04 PM EST

5.00 (astute, interesting)

Analog watches don't tell you what time it is, they tell you what time it isn't. The watchface is an interface that lets you unconciously divide future duration into recognizable segments. Think of how calendars organize days into weeks, and how you have developed a visceral understanding that two rows equal a certain amount of waiting. Digital watch displays make you insert the current exact time into the schema an analog watch handles for you.

I also agree that using your phone as your timepiece is no different from having a pocket watch and fob pinned to your waistcoat. The wristwatch was invented by people who didn't have the time.

17

^ 5

Re: What's on your wrist?

thefadd.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 10:52:12 AM EST

none

I haven't worn a watch since the strap broke on mine in tenth grade. I think I'd worn one pretty much straight through since the age of six previous to that. I don't like having it on my wrist and I hate the way they slide up and down on my wrist. I would love a nice one as an accessory though I'd probably barely realize it told time. One nice upside to not wearing a watch all these years is that if I look at a clock once in a day I can tell time within three minutes the rest of the day. I was considering a pocket watch for awhile.

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

25

^ 17

Re: What's on your wrist?

cloudofdust.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 01:34:23 PM EST

none

The only time I regularly wore a watch was when I worked on a ferry and needed to know when it was time to close the gates and cast off. After that I had so many jobs where watches and rings were verboten that I got out of the habit.

If I was going to buy a watch to wear as an accessory I'd probably go for something vintage like this or this.

48

^ 25

Re: What's on your wrist?

thefadd.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:48:55 PM EST

none

Right after the Soviet Union collapsed there was this catalog my friend got that was selling tons of incredible looking old Soviet stuff. They did red really tastefully. That was when I was most seriously considering a pocket watch.

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

26

^ 17

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:32:06 PM EST

none

I, too, can almost always tell time based on what time it was when I last looked. I also don't need morning alarms, as I seem to be able to program myself to get up within minutes of when I need to.

I hate how things I wear on my hands or wrists feel, and I have already lost some expensive (OK, not more than about $500 per) pieces of jewelry, so I don't trust myself wearing stuff.

I thought of pocket watches until my phone became my pocket watch.  

29

^ 26

Re: What's on your wrist?

port1080.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:40:07 PM EST

none

I used to take off my wristwatch when I was sitting in class or out eating...and I left at least two or three on the table over the years.  Fotunately they were just cheap junk, but if I had a nice one I'd have probably still left it...

Allons-y!

31

^ 29

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:51:20 PM EST

none

I used to take jewelry off and put it in my pocket, from which it would then disappear (fall out?). Incredibly stupid, in retrospect, but I sometimes couldn't stand wearing that stuff.

47

^ 29

Re: What's on your wrist?

thefadd.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:47:05 PM EST

none

Same with me and sunglasses. Unless they're expensive and I constantly pay attention I invariably sit on them or leave them somewhere so most of the time I don't pay more than $10-$20...so hard to find good sunglasses in that price range!

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

19

^ 5

Re: What's on your wrist?

port1080.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:14:42 AM EST

none

Same here - like thefadd I just don't like having something on my wrist.  I carried a pocket watch in high school and early college, but once I started regularly carrying a cell phone the pocket watch became superfluous.  I appreciate the heck out of the machinery involved with the mechanical watches and I guess if I was trying to impress people with my wealth I'd be all over something like that, but as is it just seems kind of pointless.  

Allons-y!

27

^ 19

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:34:39 PM EST

none

Yeah, if you don't want to spend $10,000 on your wristwatch, why bother? I think of wristwatches as many women think of their diamond rings: if it doesn't cost more than you make in six months, it doesn't impress enough people to be worthwhile.

30

^ 27

Re: What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:44:55 PM EST

5.00 (brilliant, funny)

The Zenith Men's Defy Xtreme Tourbillon Titanium Chronograph Watch or Z.M.D.X.T.B.T.C.M. as I like to call it, is by far the most awesome watch. Chuck Norris riding into the Super Bowl on the back of Godzilla and round house kicking the crowd is no where near as awesome as this priceless poon magnet. When I was just moments from sending my $100k to some needy neo-hippie help group, I stumbled onto this gem. It was like the heavens opened and Jesus himself appeared with this same watch on. I mean how can you not follow Jesus when he's rocking a watch of this caliber. So I asked "What would Jesus do?" Jesus pimp smacked me and said "Forget those hippies, buy the watch!" I was like "HECK YEAH." I busted out my Discover card and bought this rocking piece of art. I mean its art but its also practical too. Like when I take my summer trips to the Marianas Trench, I have no more worries that I am going to miss Tea Time back on the yacht, because water ruined my watch again. It can withstand the immense pressures of the deep due to the wicked awesome titanium. Deep seas, cant beat this. Bullets cant beat this. Heck, I can deflect cruise missiles and the apocalypse. With a watch like this you don't need to tell time, you tell people what time it is.

32

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Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:56:48 PM EST

none

Very fortunately, I no longer need "poon magnets", since they would probably make my sweetie uncomfortable.

33

^ 32

Re: What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:58:05 PM EST

5.00 (astute)

Uncomfortable? No, it would make her amorous.

34

^ 33

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 03:02:46 PM EST

none

She might think I was coming on to random strangers. Plus, she grew up in relative poverty and would almost certainly be upset by my spending that much money on anything you couldn't live in.

35

^ 34

Re: What's on your wrist?

Anywhere.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 03:12:04 PM EST

5.00 (funny)

upset by my spending that much money on anything you couldn't live in.

I'm pretty sure you could live in that watch if you asked nicely.

37

^ 35

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 03:15:21 PM EST

none

I must admit I've never tried to live in something that could fit on my wrist. It makes me think of vampire-Johnny Depp living in his coffin for two centuries.

62

^ 5

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 12:35:21 PM EST

none

I got a watch years ago precisely so I could avoid doing that, esp. in meetings ...  Besides, it is pretty much the only jewelry men can wear.

81

^ 62

Re: What's on your wrist?

novy.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 08:12:34 PM EST

none

I certainly wouldn't be checking time in meetings, and it certainly seems true that men can only wear wrist-jewelry, but I still can't bring myself to buy one.

6

Re: What's on your wrist?

HidingFromGoro.

Tue Aug 14, 2012 at 11:29:11 PM EST

none

Casio F-91W.

I got more styles than prison got bricks- ain't that some shit?

18

^ 6

Re: What's on your wrist?

T Slothrop.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:06:44 AM EST

none

Truly a nerd classic.

[I'm not that guy.]

46

^ 18

Re: What's on your wrist?

HidingFromGoro.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:29:01 PM EST

5.00 (astute)

it's a fashion statement and a political statement!

I got more styles than prison got bricks- ain't that some shit?

39

^ 6

Re: What's on your wrist?

natophonic.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 04:41:08 PM EST

5.00 (funny, interesting, informative)

Welcome to the...
(⌐■_■)
watch list.

50

^ 39

Re: What's on your wrist?

cloudofdust.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 09:11:25 AM EST

5.00 (astute)

Yeeeaaahhh!!!

P.S. Best ASCII art evar.

56

^ 6

Re: What's on your wrist?

Ephraim Gadsby.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 03:54:37 PM EST

none

Zing!

7

Re: What's on your wrist?

gerrymander.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 02:03:51 AM EST

none

Everyday, I just use the PDA. But for dressing up and going out like a sir, there's the Movado Museum watch.

20

^ 7

Re: What's on your wrist?

joshv.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:30:34 AM EST

none

What's this P.D.A you speak of?

21

^ 7

Re: What's on your wrist?

port1080.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:37:57 AM EST

5.00 (funny)

And here I thought a sir would go out dressed like this...not sure the Movado's classy elegance would really go with the zipper face mask, but who am I to judge?

Allons-y!

38

^ 21

Re: What's on your wrist?

gerrymander.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 04:06:45 PM EST

none

This kind of sir. The other dresses as he pleases -- it's his companion who must style herself the latest in latex fashion.

8

Re: What's on your wrist?

Acefantastik.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 03:49:05 AM EST

none

My primary timepiece is a Stührling automatic.  Its is allegedly a Swiss brand, but I'm fairly certain mine was manufactured in Hong Kong.

9

Re: What's on your wrist?

Haggis.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 06:13:42 AM EST

5.00 (timeless)

Nothing.  Time is meaningless.

I am shitfitter; hear me roar.

10

Re: What's on your wrist?

Anywhere.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 08:01:22 AM EST

none

A black-and-gold Pulsar that I got from my parents as a Christmas gift ten years ago when I decided I wanted to look like an adult and asked for a "nice watch"-- i.e. one without a fabric band.  I've replaced the battery three times since then; that makes it a quartz watch, right?

I seem to be one of the few people in my peer group to regularly wear a watch-- on the right hand, left-handers represent!-- which is odd because, prior to joining the Army, I was one of the few people in my peer group to never wear a watch.

13

^ 10

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:33:38 AM EST

none

"Fabric band" reminds me of when I was a kid I was infatuated by Shark Watches and their velcro bands.

11

Re: What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:25:39 AM EST

none

Classic Seiko automatic diver SKX007 on a custom bracelet. Same setup that one blogger calls a "The Poor Man's Marinemaster." (An actual Marine Master is about 10x more, so, maybe one day.) It's a great watch: automatic movement, accurate as hell (spec is something like -15/+25 seconds per day, unregulated, but mine is pretty reliably -2 seconds per day or less), very durable and reliable, ISO certified WR to 200 meters, can run for decades without service, blah, blah, blah.

14

^ 11

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 09:52:19 AM EST

none

Nice watch, Zyx.

40

Re: What's on your wrist?

tjb.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 04:44:03 PM EST

none

A Tissot Touch.  

Extremely light (my wedding ring is heavier than my watch), looks good enough to wear on formal occasions and the compass mode has been handy for getting my bearings in unfamiliar cities (though a smartphone is clearly superior for that nowadays).  The only real downside is that when the battery dies, I need to send it to Switzerland to be replaced (I wish I was kidding)

41

^ 40

Re: What's on your wrist?

tjb.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 04:55:59 PM EST

none

Oh, almost forgot - I also picked up a Rolex Oyster Perpetual in Shenzhen 6 or 7 years ago.

My Tissot is both genuine and awesome, the "Rolex" not so much.  On the one hand, a Chinese "Rolex" only costs about $30 (sans haggling).  On the other hand, it keeps really shitty time which makes it sort of useless as a watch.  It is blingy looking, though.

42

^ 41

Re: What's on your wrist?

natophonic.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 05:38:58 PM EST

none

My brother picked up a "TAG Heuer" for me in Shenzhen for ~$20. It was appropriately heavy, and the self-winding mechanism actually works, but it loses a couple minutes every hour. The only time I've worn it out was for Halloween, when I dressed up like a yachtie and my wife like a trophy wife.

43

^ 42

Re: What's on your wrist?

tjb.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 05:51:43 PM EST

none

and the self-winding mechanism actually works, but it loses a couple minutes every hour

Yup, same issue with the "Rolex" - I'm guessing that they all use the same winding mechanism.  

I actually found it kind of surprising because the build quality otherwise seems pretty good and if it could keep decent time the greymarket export price would surely be a lot higher than what they are charging on the streets of Shenzhen.  

44

^ 43

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 06:01:19 PM EST

none

Guys, they are called "replicas" lolz. But I have seen some really awesome replicas. A buddy of mine just bought a Ulysse Nardin replica of a $18K watch for about $250 shipped straight from China.

51

^ 41

Re: What's on your wrist?

Gaius Petronius.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 10:27:52 AM EST

none

I once bought a Rolex from a pushcart in midtown Manhatten..... or was that a Roolex?

45

Re: What's on your wrist?

MC Nally.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 08:38:55 PM EST

none

Dave Barry nailed it long ago:

An excellence-oriented '80s male does not wear a regular watch. He wears a Rolex watch, because it weighs nearly six pounds and is advertised only in excellence-oriented publications such as Fortune and Rich Protestant Golfer Magazine. The advertisements are written in incomplete sentences, which is how advertising copywriters denote excellence: "The Rolex Hyperion. An elegant new standard in quality excellence and discriminating handcraftsmanship. For the individual who is truly able to discriminate with regard to excellent quality standards of crafting things by hand. Fabricated of 100 percent 24-karat gold. No watch parts or anything. Just a great big chunk on your wrist. Truly a timeless statement. For the individual who is very secure. Who doesn't need to be reminded all the time that he is very successful. Much more successful than the people who laughed at him in high school. Because of his acne. People who are probably nowhere near as successful as he is now. Maybe he'll go to his 20th reunion, and they'll see his Rolex Hyperion. Hahahahahahahahaha."
- "In Search of Excellence"

49

^ 45

Re: What's on your wrist?

thefadd.

Wed Aug 15, 2012 at 11:53:47 PM EST

none

Wow, surprised to look up that he isn't dead. Will have to start taking him in the death pool.

I HAD HAD SEX WITH HUNTER S THOMPSON. HE CAME IN MY MOUTH AND I SWALLOWED IT. I SHOULD HAVE HAD HIS BABY. WE WOULD BE BALLIN' LIKE KOBE'S SON!!

52

Re: What's on your wrist?

rickb928.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 02:27:02 PM EST

none

Nothing.  I'm surrounded by clocks.

I have clocks on my phone, all my PCs, cable box, oven, car, desk phone at work, I don't need a watch any more.  

And since my Bulova Marine Star was stolen, I don;t even bother with the Timex Ironman, Wenger, or Timex Expedition.  They all sit idly counting seconds.

But I may buy another Bulova, or a Seiko, just for wrist candy.

53

Re: What's on your wrist?

Ephraim Gadsby.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 03:16:58 PM EST

none

Seiko quartz, metal strap.

I came close to buying a Reverso once, unfortunately my practical/common sense side showed up at the last minute and quashed the purchase.

54

^ 53

Re: What's on your wrist?

tjb.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 03:27:40 PM EST

none

Yowzers! That's an expensive watch!

Did you decide to buy a car instead?

55

^ 54

Re: What's on your wrist?

Ephraim Gadsby.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 03:45:39 PM EST

none

The basic models aren't that expensive, I think at the time the one I was looking at was around $4,000, before engraving.

57

^ 53

Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Thu Aug 16, 2012 at 05:09:16 PM EST

none

Damn that's beautiful.

58

Re: What's on your wrist?

Gaius Petronius.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 11:21:47 AM EST

none

Apparently watch sales are picking up, with the Swiss watch bund reporting sharply increased sales in 2011, at least in comparison to recession sales drops. Of course, they seem to be talking about watches as fashion items, rather than mid-priced accessories. The most expensive watch I own is a Seiko that cost less than $100 that I wear only on special occaisons. I'm not sure where that segment is going. I do know that things like Swatchs and Movados, while eye-catching, aren't really practical for telling the time.

63

^ 58

Re: What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 12:38:37 PM EST

none

...they seem to be talking about watches as fashion items, rather than mid-priced accessories
That article mentions The Swatch Group, a firm comprising luxury brands such as Omega, Longines, and Tissot as well as lower priced fashion brands. The Swatch Group also owns ETA, a company that makes the movements used by most high-end Swiss watch brands.

65

^ 58

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 01:42:10 PM EST

none

In the last 5 years or so, wearing large, expensive watches has become really 'in'.  If you watch press conferences from sports players, for example, they often have some honking watch on....  And in large parts of Europe & Asia, having a nice watch is part of the dress code.  Particularly in Asia, there's been a upswing in the luxury watch sales.

This has translated into a pretty big upswing in watch purchases, particularly in the low-end of the luxury market (e.g. $500 to about $2500)  as well as a re-emergence of high-end brands.   Some brands have pioneered expensive, complicated timepieces that are almost impossible to use as watches but look awesome on wrist, like UrWerk.  It's a good thing as the Swiss watch industry almost died in the late '70s/early '80s.

Finally, it's also true that there is a pretty large, visible difference between middle of the road watches (Seiko/Citizen/Sector) and high-end watches.  Quite a few people notice my Mido as the AR coating pretty much makes the glass disappear and the quality of workmanship is pretty obvious.  They might not equate it to $$$, but they know it's different - not that I care, that's not why I wear it.  It's also way more comfortable to wear than other watches I own, which is probably due to curved surfaces and very tight tolerances in the band.

69

^ 65

Re: What's on your wrist?

tjb.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 02:14:53 PM EST

none

complicated timepieces that are almost impossible to use as watches but look awesome on wrist, like UrWerk

If you had shown me the pictures in that link without context, I don't think "watch" would have been in my top ten guesses as to what those were.

Also, holy crap.  I think I would rather have a Ferrari at those prices.

71

^ 69

Re: What's on your wrist?

Gaius Petronius.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 03:38:04 PM EST

none

I swear one of these things has a flux capacitor on it.

79

^ 71

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 06:47:00 PM EST

none

No, these have the flux capacitor.

78

^ 69

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 06:32:10 PM EST

none

Yeah, I love the 202, esp the insane winding mechanism


The UR-202 is also the world's first wristwatch featuring an innovative new winding system regulated by compressing air utilizing minature turbines.

Turbines, compressed air?  Really?!?

Honestly, I hope they keep making their watches more & more insane.  It's fun thinking about the design discussions behind these watches - and what a conversation piece, even without owning one...

70

^ 65

Re: What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 02:28:21 PM EST

5.00 (interesting)

...middle of the road watches (Seiko/Citizen/Sector)...
Just wanted to point out that although they are little known outside Asia, the Grand Seiko line of watches are at least the equal of anything from Switzerland in terms of price, workmanship, and technology.

76

^ 70

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 06:20:24 PM EST

none

Yes, I know, but it was a little too much to include in my post.  There are also some Casio Pathfinder and Citizen Promaster models, esp. the Japanese market versions, that rival any Swiss watch in terms of complexity & quality.

That said, there are a lot more 'really nice' Swiss watches (esp. obscure brands like Titoni or Edox) that are relatively cheap and superbly made.

Chris.

80

^ 76

Re: What's on your wrist?

zyxwvutsr.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 07:49:17 PM EST

none

Well, look, there's no accounting for taste. I don't like dress watches at all (for men) and I think that the idea of a chronograph diver's watch is unspeakably perverse.

75

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Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 05:08:54 PM EST

none

The Urwerks are definitely something else. Unique as hell.

59

Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 12:30:40 PM EST

none

Mostly either a Sector Diver or a Mido All Dial  Chronometer- both Swiss made, one quartz, one mechanical.

The Mido All Dial series are my all-time favorite watches, the anti-reflective coatings on their crystals is amazing and I like having the glass go all the way to the edge.  If I had the money, I'd get the titanium chronograph version and be done with buying watches forever.

I also have a Timex TX 770 Titanium (very underrated, they are well made & less $200 street price), two Seiko AGS Titaniums (kinetic, but from 20 years go), a Suunto T3, a Titoni AirMaster and a couple of cheap Pulsar & Casios.  

I also have an almost perfect replica Panerai Luminor Marina.  Even if I had $15k to spend on the real thing, it's doubtful I'd buy one, it's just not really my style - too bling compared to the Mido's I like.

If you are looking for a new watch for not too much, Sector & TX are my go-to brands.  TX's have Swiss-like build quality & features at Asian prices, and Sector makes a huge variety of Swiss-made quartz watches.  For well priced automatics, Orients are really nice.

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Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 05:06:52 PM EST

none

You have an amazing watch collection and your taste is off-the-charts.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Mido. The Suunto T3 is beautiful as well, especially for a digital watch.

77

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Re: What's on your wrist?

ckm.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 06:24:26 PM EST

none

Thanks!  Glad you like the Mido - I lusted after one for at least 10 years before I could afford to buy one.  I think they look great and have great presence, but I'm always surprised that no one knows about them.

BTW, I also have a Mido All Dial Diver.  The color and lume of the numbers is insane...

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Re: What's on your wrist?

indecentspeech.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 08:52:06 PM EST

none

Dude, the color on the that... wow.

I'm sold. Next watch is going to be a Mido.

68

Re: What's on your wrist?

Ephraim Gadsby.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 02:00:43 PM EST

none

Romaine Jerome, which I'm told is a real watchmaker and not a practical joke, known for the Day&Night watch (no hours, minutes, or seconds, just two tourbillons each operating for 12 hours, some of the steel used on the watch was recovered from the Titanic), has a new model called the Air/Moon: "Carbon fibre & stainless steel bezel with parts of Apollo 11. Stainless steel case. Lunar grey dial in mineral structure containing Moon Dust".

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Re: What's on your wrist?

Gaius Petronius.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 03:45:20 PM EST

none

I wonder if the only moon dust here is in Romaine Jerome's marketing department.

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Re: What's on your wrist?

Ephraim Gadsby.

Fri Aug 17, 2012 at 04:15:50 PM EST

none

I wondered that, too, because moon rocks are hard to come by, but they say the moon dust has been authenticated by the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

83

Re: What's on your wrist?

tomc.

Sat Aug 18, 2012 at 01:22:49 AM EST

none

I own three watches: a Tag Heuer Formula 1 quartz with a rubber watch band with grooves in it so it looks like a racing tire, includes timers and an alarm; a Victorinox quartz with a plastic band that I wear when I cycle - inexpensive, but the hour hand has this huge triangle on the end of it to easily tell time with only half a glance; and my father's Ebel, spring-wound, made in the 1930s, one of the first watches they made - I sometimes wear it on special occasions.

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