Inexpensive Watches

[bigwheelzip]

(The Swiss, they are not.)

Very funny. At least we weren't stuck with a Russian car. Those were broken down on the side of the road everywhere we went in the East Bloc.

 

[OLDSTER]

$20 Timex from Wally World keeps better time than my $2500 Omega Sea Master.

 

[steelslaver]

Wrist watch is something that gets scratched up, gets welding splatter and a hang up on my wrist. Will not wear one under any circumstances. When I work I glue a cheap watch to the inside of my hard hat or carry a small pocket watch. Shame that decent small pocket watches are hard to find. Currently only watch I own is a cheap woman's electronic that had loops for a chain bracelet on my key ring. Got it on the last job and never removed it. Mostly it just dangles in the trucks ignition sw because I leave the keys in it and the trucks radio has a clock anyway.

Time? are the stores open? The rare appointment, other than that to me there is day time, night time. I eat and sleep when I want.

 

[Farmer17]

I also recommend the Casio G-Shock for a cheap, tough watch and a lot of scuba divers wear them and some are as low as $18 but one is called the "heavy duty" and its about $40 and its very tough.

 

[03hemi]

I love luxury watches, mechanicals, as posted in 03hemi's thread. Those are just gorgeous. Not that I own any. (Do have my Dad's 1950 stainless Rolex Oysterdate which from time to time I have repaired and overhauled. Rolex Geneva refused to repair it back in the late '80s — to far gone, they said — but I found a guy in Boston who would... Then later another guy in Yokohama... And I have several quite nice American railroad pocket watches...)

But, anyway, this thread is about moderately priced, or inexpensive, or cheap watches.

Jayframer's post of his new and attractively retro Timex WWI replica watch reminded me of what nice - attractive and good quality — watches are available for reasonable prices these days.

Here's one of mine, a Citizen. One of their Eco Drive models. Runs off sunlight or fluorescent light. Battery might need replacing after 20 years, I've read. Water resistant to 100 ft, so swimming and snorkeling are okay, but not rated for scuba. (Which is okay with me as I am unlikely to go scuba diving at this point.)

Specs are to be within 15 seconds per month, though this one does better, I think. So-called "saphire" crystal which is some sort of highly scratch resistant glass usually seen on higher end watches.

I replaced the original leather band with the stainless one shown, less than $20 off Amazon.

This watch retails for about $150. (I got it with points from a discount electronics shop where I bought computers and such for the kids years ago when they were still at home.)



It's a big, somewhat clunky watch, but attractive, I think. I have another, smaller, lighter Citizen eco drive that I'll maybe post later. That one's about $100 retail.

So, whatta you guys have in this class of watch?

One of my favorite watches was a Citizen Echo Drive Perpetual Calendar and I wore it until the "capacitor" croaked in it after about 4 years, the cost to replace it was about the cost of the watch so I traded it in (for parts) and got credit applied towards my Seiko Sportura, Flyback that I had always lusted after.
Here's my Seiko and a web image of the Citizen I had. Man, I loved that watch!

 

[03hemi]

$20 Timex from Wally World keeps better time than my $2500 Omega Sea Master.

lol, a mechanical watch will never ever be the time keeper a quartz is, but you knew that already.

 

[03hemi]

Wrist watch is something that gets scratched up, gets welding splatter and a hang up on my wrist. Will not wear one under any circumstances. When I work I glue a cheap watch to the inside of my hard hat or carry a small pocket watch. Shame that decent small pocket watches are hard to find. Currently only watch I own is a cheap woman's electronic that had loops for a chain bracelet on my key ring. Got it on the last job and never removed it. Mostly it just dangles in the trucks ignition sw because I leave the keys in it and the trucks radio has a clock anyway.

Time? are the stores open? The rare appointment, other than that to me there is day time, night time. I eat and sleep when I want.

Not if you baby them, I've had this one for 30 years and this is a recent photo of it, Seiko "Suedo" Diver from the 80's.

 

[Texas Star]

Arlo-

I think your watches may be rated in meters, not feet. Check.

Iv'e got two Seikos. The older I got soon after my divorce in 1980, when my automatic Zodiac quit on me.

It's a Sports 150 model, rated for 150 meters, I think. Paid about $150 at J.C. Penney. It closely resembles the Rolex Thunderbird.

The other was an impulse buy. But I can hear it tick when my arm is down on the keyboard and that's an irritant. I never wear it. Cost aout $125, I think on sale.

The only watch I really wear is my TAG-Heuer. I think it's a Sports 100 model, bought about 2000. Quartz. Rated for 200 meters. It was serviced earlier this year and sent back looking new. I can't see what a Rolex Oysterquartz would offer that t doesn't.

I paid $895 plus tax about 1999-2000. I sold my Rolex Explorer 1 and bought the TAG-Heuer, which doesn't scratch the crystal and which is more accurate.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I also recommend the Casio G-Shock for a cheap, tough watch and a lot of scuba divers wear them and some are as low as $18 but one is called the "heavy duty" and its about $40 and its very tough.

Here is my SIL's G-Shock. It's been the only type of watch he's used for the three decades he's served on the NYPD Scuba Team. He keeps a new spare G-Shock in a box, as a backup in case the one he wears fails.

 

[Grayfox]

inexpensive? Nah, my watches are just plain cheap.
42 years a truck and equipment mechanic. I was hard on watches. For many years I wore those cheap Wally World all plastic watches. They used to be $2. But by the time I retired they were up to about $12. They kept perfect time and were actually safer to wear at work. Once many years ago I wore a cheap watch with a metal expansion bad while working. I was digging around inside a dash board of a truck and the darn thing hit an exposed electrical connector and shorted out! Luckily, being cheap it burned in half. But I still have a scar from it.
They also just broke if they got hung up on something. Again, cheap is safer.
Off work I've always worn pretty cheap watches too. Got a $30 Timex on my wrist right now. It keeps perfect time.

 

[armorer951]

I have a couple of older Seiko chronograph watches that I purchased through Overstock several years ago. They both have the "7T92" movement. Incredibly accurate movements for some reason. The watches were both under $50.

 

[muddocktor]

Wow, some of you have a rather different opinion of "inexpensive watch" than me.

I've been wearing Casio G-Shock watches since the late 80's/early 90's myself, as I find they are good digital watches that hold up well while working in the oilfield. I just bought a replacement in 2018 so that I could have a backup watch in case something happens to the new one. The model number I buy is the DW5600. This newest Casio just so happens to be the most accurate watch I've ever bought too. Since I got it, the only time adjustments I have done are to set daylight savings up or down an hour.

 

[Eagle 477]

Still Have the Seiko Sports 100 my wife purchased at the USAF Exchange in 1987 for my birthday, Had it repaird a few years ago by Seiko when it stopped been good ever since with the exception of changing the battery every few years. Oh and the hands don't glow in the dark any more..

Rob

 

[ContinentalOp]

Wow, some of you have a rather different opinion of "inexpensive watch" than me.

I've been wearing Casio G-Shock watches since the late 80's/early 90's myself, as I find they are good digital watches that hold up well while working in the oilfield. I just bought a replacement in 2018 so that I could have a backup watch in case something happens to the new one. The model number I buy is the DW5600. This newest Casio just so happens to be the most accurate watch I've ever bought too. Since I got it, the only time adjustments I have done are to set daylight savings up or down an hour.

I just checked mine. DW-5600E.

 

[DWalt]

I am still wearing a Vix Swiss Army watch which I bought at a garage sale sometime back in the mid-90s (Ronda movement). It looked unused when I bought it for $10 back then. Never had to do anything to it except replace the battery every few years. I have gone through at least a half-dozen different bands for it. It now has a Timex expansion band on it, has over three years of service so far and it's still in perfect condition. I respect the Timex expansion bands.

 

[Walter Rego]

I have a couple of Seikos, one a super thin gold dress watch and the other a chronograph with moon phase dial. It needs to be serviced, the stopwatch function no longer works. Both are about 30+ years old. I also have a couple of Wengers with Swiss movements. The Wenger chronograph is out for service now, same problem as the Seiko. Stopwatch second hand is stuck. That one is about 17 years old.

And I have an ESQ which is made by Movado that was made in 1998 and other than replacing the battery every couple of years has given me no trouble.

 

[italiansport]

Like many of you; I too wear a Citizens that's solar powered I don't know the initial cost since it was a gift but its run flawlessly for around 20 years!
Jim

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

I have an admitted thing for watches. Drives my wife crazy. I would love to join that watch of the Month club "Watch Gang" I read about, but can't justify the expense, deal or no deal. While watching the hit show Longmire I was curious as to the watch Walt was sporting on the show, turns out he borrowed it from a crew member because the showrunners thought as Sheriff he should be wearing a watch. For $49.95 on Amazon it is a pretty nice looking watch and keeps perfect time. Here is a stock photo:

 

[mauser9]

Love the hunky dive watches myself. Sold a few Seiko dive type watches myself on E-Bay. Was surprised at how much I got for some vintage models. Spent a lot for the Seiko SRPA 83 but really like it. trouble is the 4R36 movement is not as accurate as quartz for sure. Eco-drive Citizen I bought my wife is great for accuracy.

 

[soFlaNative]

Shame that decent small pocket watches are hard to find.

Bought three Timex pocket watches for the guys who stood with me at my wedding in '84, couldn't have paid much as I could barely afford squat. About the size of a silver dollar I'd like to have one.