(Part 2) Top products from r/watches

Hi r/watches! Most of the women who have written to this sub for engagement watch advice either have very different budgets or SOs with very different styles than mine, so I was wondering if I could ask for your guidance/approval! I sort of doubt whether I have the guts to propose myself, but regardless the idea is to have the perfect watch on hand when the time comes (he's told me just to ask) -- plus, I'm going to see his best friend and also his brother over the course of the next month, so I'd like to have a solid idea of what I'm aiming for to run it by them!

Here's the breakdown: I have told him to absolutely never spend more than 3K, but for a really lovely watch, I'd be open to stretching a little beyond that (I have ~2.5 saved now). He's in tech (well, we're grad students for now, but eventually) so definitely a desk job type. He dresses fairly nicely for his field-- on a normal day, he wears a causal collared shirt with jeans or khakis-- and is about 6'2" with a slender but not super-skinny build, probably about 175 or 180 lbs (1.9 m/80 kg). Lower-maintenance watches would probably be better suited to him, like ideally no date, because I lack confidence that it won't just trick him into thinking there are 31sts in months where they don't belong. However, I want this to actually be a nice gift that will last and potentially eventually go to one of the many children we plan to have, and I'm sure he will bring it in to have it maintained.

I am strongly inclined to go with a leather band over a bracelet. Style-wise, [he seems to like this sacrilegious watch I bought him for Christmas before I discovered this sub] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HG08YEG/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3BSX9GDNHBET8&coliid=I3H27771YTNYAK). He's said these are his favorite grad-school-priced watches 1 [2] (https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNDC33-Classic-Leather-Chronograph/dp/B004JY6X90?ie=UTF8&colid=3BSX9GDNHBET8&coliid=I2YQVOOD2BMDOD&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl) [3] (https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Eco-Drive-BM8475-26E-Stainless-Leather/dp/B005MKGOOY?ie=UTF8&colid=3BSX9GDNHBET8&coliid=I3SE95ENY1DIU9&ref_=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl).

I think that Nomos' watches looks very sleek and sophisticated (and he likes colorful watch hands), and the Tagente seems to be a favorite on here for weddings and engagements. Personally, I think that some of the TAG Heuer Carrera 1964 Chronographs are beyond stunning, but I'm not sure I have the know-how to handle a grey market purchase. Is there anything else that might be worth considering in this price range/based on the styles he likes? Would you be OK with getting a simple, sleek watch like a Nomos Tangente Gangreserve or Tangomat as an engagement present? (I know most girls seem to want something glittery, but I'm much more on the simple side of things -- is that OK in the watch world?) Is there a reasonable place to look for one of those beautiful Carerras (or my understanding is that a Chronograph might not even be appropriate for this type of occasion?)

I really appreciate the resources you've put together here because I've already learned so much. Thank you for any thoughts or guidance you have -- I am kind of in shock that I'm doing this but also really excited!

Three completely different watches I'll recommend for you because I'm not really sure of your style or what you want and I'm not sure you are either. All of these are from good brands and have good movements at a good value and you can't go wrong with any of them.

Tissot Le Locle
http://www.amazon.com/Tissot-TIST41142333-Analog-Display-Automatic/dp/B000JKSS8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421482962&sr=8-1&keywords=tissot+le+locle
Great movement from a good brand, available in several color combinations. Don't own one yet but I plan on it. Fantastic watch and a beautiful piece.

Hamilton Field Khaki Auto 42mm
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-H70555533-Khaki-Field-Black/dp/B000EQ0BM2
Another fantastic piece. Very very versatile, not really sure if it's your style as its more of a military design but it's built like a tank and has a very iconic history. The Hamilton field Khaki was commonly worn in WW2 and a couple other wars. Same great movement as the Tissot, highly recommended.

Obris Morgan Explorer II
http://www.obrismorgan.com/explorerii.html
Going a completely different direction is a divers watch. Also very versatile and sporty at the same time. This one is from a smaller brand but it has a very respectable movement in it and the brand has been highly regarded in what they have put out. While it is the cheapest that doesn't mean it's the worst by any means it's just the best value of the three. It comes with a Miyota 9015 which is just as good if not better as the ETA 2824 which the other two have and a sapphire crystal. It's a great value if you like the looks of it I would highly recommend it.

While I wouldn't recommend the Versace or really any fashion brand at all it's your choice in the end. If you like it but it, wear it, and love it but I would highly recommend any of the three above. There's plenty of options out there but these three should give you a good variety. If I had $1100 to spend on watch(es) I would buy these three in a heart beat because with these three you would have a watch for every possible occasion in your life. Obviously you're not going to buy all three but any of these three are versatile enough to wear pretty much anywhere. Best of luck!

So I've worn watches since I was a kid, but only recently got into mechanicals and I've been fascinated ever since. I've always been a one-watch guy, but that "one" has gone through a ton of evolution before finally reaching here.

For the longest time I wore super cheap Casio models: F91W etc., progressing to other sporty digital plastic stuff like the Timex Ironman.

Wanting something classier looking, but still not knowing anything about watches, my next move was to a snazzy-looking Guess piece, which lasted me a good while until a tragic end involving an unscrewed crown and a dip in a pool. D:

Looking for a replacement is when I found this sub and fell headlong into horology. Pored over all the buying guides trying to figure out what I liked; picked up a Timex Expedition to tide me over while I did my research.

Right off the bat, I knew it had to be:

• a chronograph: in equal parts because I love the look of chrono subdials, and because I love timing things.
  
• automatic: more impressive engineering imo, and less needy for a daily wearer.
  
• with a display back: because I'm not going to get a watch for its movement and then not even be able to look at it.
  
  Okay, so automatic chronographs. Christopher Ward seemed like a well-regarded entry-level brand; browsing their collection, I found and was initially smitten by the C700 Grande Rapide (pic from here, it doesn't seem to be listed on the CW site anymore). "Valjoux 7750" -- hmm, what's that? Thus I discovered a somewhat surprising fact - auto chrono movements are few and far between.
  
  Suddenly presented with so many other 7750s, the luster wore off a bit. The ubiquitous 12-6-9 dial with boxy day/date cutout that I saw on almost every watch I looked at just wasn't doing it for me anymore, though I did find and fall in love with the IWC Portuguese -- sexiest watch ever, particularly in blue/silver, but a little too dressy for my style. Not to mention way more than I wanted to pay -- although Hamilton does a credible homage in the Maestro, for a lot less dosh -- but they put the date cutout back in. The Carrera 1887, while not a Valjoux, fell into the same bucket.
  
  Speedys seemed a lot more my style -- more tool than bling -- but the Pro wasn't automatic, the Reduced sub-dials just looked way too small and far apart, and the DSOTM was a bit too large for my smallish wrists (and again, mucho dinero). Although the cal. 9300 is a stellar piece of work; maybe someday!
  
  Throughout my search, one other name kept coming up: El Primero. Arguably the first, in my mind the coolest (hi-beat, integrated, column-wheel), certainly the only one still standing from the original three movements that launched in 1969 -- the other two being the Seiko 6139 and the Chronomatic from an alliance of Heuer, Breitling, and a few others.
  
  I was initially looking at the classic A386-style dials; hadn't even heard of the Rainbow series, but when I saw this one while idly browsing listings on WUS I immediately fell in love.
  
  Hope you enjoyed the read! I feel like I could talk about chronographs forever now...

Holben's for European brands like Colareb, Fluco, Di-modell, Bonetto Cinturini, Eulit, etc. Colareb leather is super soft and comfortable, but lack any kind of splash resistance. Fluco does some really good suede. Di-modell has some great water-resistance leather options. Bonetto Cinturini is one of the most recommended for rubber straps, along with Watchgecko, which actually get their straps made by Bonetto Cinturini. Eulit is the most recommended for perlon.

Some of Hirsch's entry-level models are in your budget.

Barton is a great affordable option and comes with convenient quick-release spring bars.

Panatime has a lot of stuff, but the highlight is probably that they carry RIOS1931, which is a nice german brand.

Cheapestnatostraps is probably the most budget option, but their QC and lack of consistency is kind of iffy in my experience.

watch band center has a huge selection, though I don't really have any experience with them.

Crown and Buckle is pretty popular, though I only have experience with their natos, so I can't really comment on the quality of their leather

Clockwork Synergy is a budget option with quick-release spring bars like Barton. Clockwork Synergy's leather is really soft, but it's also weirdly spongy, which I don't like, though that's more of a personal preference on my part, maybe you'd like it.

B&R bands is mostly out of your budget, but worth a mention for their quality. The only knock against them that I have is their aggressive taper might not suit certain watches.

Etsy is a great place to get custom handmade straps made to your specifications; some of the strapmakers on etsy offer premium leathers like alligator or shell cordovan at cheaper prices than the big box strapmakers.

if you need a spring bar tool, I recommend the Bergeon 6767-F with the fine forked tip. Cheaper spring bar tools with the wider forked tips might not be small enough to remove the bracelet on your Citizen.

Almost a year ago I made a post about how “working man’s” watches need to be recognized too. I posted the super beat up watch I wore to rock climb and it got a surprising amount of love. The next guy up to the task is nothing but a Timex Easy Reader with a black nylon NATO strap, and has been nothing short of reliable, functional, and even fashionable when necessary. Every feature on the watch, even down to the strap does not go without a use.

When in the midst of time-sensitive and sometimes dangerous activities like rock climbing, checking the time needs to be as fluid and easy as possible. The watch itself also needs to be inexpensive, lightweight, and durable. You may think this is a tall order, but surprisingly, Timex’s lower end watches fit the bill. This is why I chose the Weekender last time, and it’s why the Easy Reader has proved itself an amazing next choice. The giant digits prove its namesake and the bright red second hand provides nothing but reading clarity. The lightweight case and durable nylon strap allow me to climb with confidence and efficiency, as if the watch weren’t even there. The day/date feature is the cherry on top, making this thing a virutal wrist-calendar without sacrificing simplicity and legibility.

Oftentimes when I am out on a climbing trip I like to find a place to swim as well. Naturally, Timexes are freaking cockroaches, and the “WR 30M” label need fool no-one. This thing is straight up waterproof up to at least ten feet. And when camping, I make frequent use of the indiglo feature, as I hammock camp and there is nothing more frustrating than trying to reach for your phone in pitch darkness while stuffed in an Eno.

I’ve even worn the watch “out on the town” and have still gotten compliments on its understated and universally applicable design characteristics. In terms of fashion, this watch is a chameleon. It compliments anything I wear it with.

If you are an outdoorsman/woman but don’t like the gaudier sports watch options marketed to the outdoors, trust in the basics. They’ll do the job just as well without making you look like there’s a Squirtle strapped to your wrist.

>a good first everyday watch that would be fine in situations such as interviews

Formal and semi-formal situations? I'd go with a simple dress watch.

For budget and great looking, consider a Timex Easy Reader, $30, it's a white dial watch with leather strap, great for what you're going for.

What's your budget? Around the hundreds, I'd go with an Orient Bambino, it goes for around $120-$150. It's very classic, minimalist, has a dome crystal, and is not very distracting. It's an automatic too. There's 4 versions of the Bambino. I personally like version 1, and version 2 with blue hands.

A little higher, Timex has been doing some great reissues. The Timex Marlin, $200, is pretty understated but eye catching. It's a manual wind movement watch with a call back design. This will probably be my next watch.

Lastly, Tissot has some great automatic's. The Tissot Visodate, $400, is a fantastic watch for the price.

All these watches can be had for much cheaper if you're open to looking at the gray market (watch exchange forums, ebay, etc.). I hope this helps, at the very least to show what's out there. Cheers and best wishes!

Invicta pro diver - ~$85. has a Seiko automatic movement and a huge aftermarket following

Parnis sub Homage - $112. decent all around watch...nothing fancy, but has a Miyota movement which is reliable

Tisell Marine Diver- ~$220. r/watches favorite. uses high beat Miyota movement

Phoibos Great White - IIRC can be found for about $200 or slightly under on Ebay. same movement as the Tissell. seems to be a newcomer to the homage game. nice offering from everything I've seen.

Steinhart Ocean one - $500 - higher end, swiss made, ETA movement. great watch from what I've seen.

all are pretty good bangs for your buck. the Cyclops kinda goes hand in hand with the "Looks like a Submariner" aesthetic. it's going to be hard to find something that doesn't look VERY similar to this watch.

Thanks to user ultra7k for the guide, updated a bit

Seiko Chronograph SSB031 and variants

Price: $139.00 for SSB031


LINK:Amazon


Movement: Seiko 6T63 Meca-Quartz (more on this below)


Style: Chronograph


Size: 40mm
Link: 6T63 Database


Description: This line of watches has been out now for a few years but can still be had on the internet, or eBay. I believe some sale links are found on the database as well, though some models can be hard to find. A cheap Speedmaster alternative that isn't a direct homage. The Seiko Meca-Quartz is being used recently in a lot of microbrand chronographs, and sold at a much higher cost than the SSB lineup. The 6T63 movement (also known as VK series when used in a non-Seiko branded watch) features an automatic like chronograph movement. The watch itself has a non signed, non screw-down crown, and raised pushers at 2 and 5 o'clock. These pushers have significant tactile feedback that is hefty and nice for a watch at this price range. The chronograph hand also immediately snaps back upon reset, rather than rotating the remainder of the distance. Battery life is expected 3 years.

So what is meca-quartz? Link to a quick guide
What this means is the watch will be a quartz watch, however the chronograph hand will sweep at 1/5 seconds intervals, rather than tick. This means you get an automatic like sweep, with quartz accuracy for a way lower cost than an automatic chronograph, and you don't having to worry about keeping your watch wound. This particular line of watches has a wide variety of dials with different combinations to choose from. The cheap feeling metal band can be a downside, but that can easily be swapped out for something nicer. Overall, you get the best of both worlds, quartz and automatic for a very nice price. Refer to the database linked above to see the different combination of faces and model numbers that make use of the 6T63 movement and where they can be obtained.

Maybe you can still find some swatch automatic chronographs based on the C01.211 but they are basicly disposable.

Also the chinese airforce with the ST19 allows a mechanical chronograph for quite cheap, (not automatic) but reliability is an issue, sizzle watches also has this http://www.sizzlinwatches.com/proddetail.php?prod=ticino-military-aquachrono-watch which is Panerai inspired and uses a chinese 7750, dont expect reliability or accuracy,

Unless you want to buy a 2nd hand Seiko 6138, i dont think you should go for anything mechanical under 700-900 bucks which is what entry level swiss 7750´s cost.

Now quartz wise, you were right to look Casio, Seiko and Citizen. The japanese still make some of the best quartz movements around, Casio makes bottom bargin watches which are amazing.

If you want something sporty, Omega speedmaster Inspired
http://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF503D-1AV-Edifice-Stainless-Steel/dp/B003URWNOG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425228660&sr=8-1&keywords=casio+edifice+chronograph

Something Millitary Inspired ?
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SSC231-Analog-Display-Japanese/dp/B00I1M0FZ4/ref=sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&qid=1425228771&sr=8-39&keywords=Seiko+chronograph

Or maybe something with a bit of class to it
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Black-Chronograph-Leather-SPC083P2/dp/B00BQL3XAQ/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1425228771&sr=8-45&keywords=Seiko+chronograph

I don't know what the price is supposed to be, as it says 9999.99 right now, but that looks a lot like a Hamilton Khaki Field to me, but a bit more simplified.

The Hamiltons have a little more going on on the dial usually, but you can get a Khaki Field brand new for well under 500 USD. The dial isn't as simple on the Hamiltons as what you posted, but they're similar in design, have decent automatic movements, and are pretty decent mid-level watches IMO.

If you'd be okay with something with a date window...
Khaki Field

Day / Date
Khaki King





Aviation / Pilot (with day/date) Khaki Aviation


Not quite what you're looking for, but a much cheaper option with a similar style would be the Seiko 5 SNK809, which can be had for around $60 brand new.


Seiko 5 SNK809


I just bought a Seiko 5 Sports SNZF17K1, a step or two up from the SNK809 in Seiko 5's and I love it so far. But it doesn't look anything like what you want...

Seiko's 5 and 5 sport series are great, fairly inexpensive, automatic watches.


I've seen some reallllllly cool Soviet and Russian watches that are really simple like what you want, but I honestly don't know what to tell you to look for as far as those go.

Looking for a watch similar to the Fossil Decker chronograph, or the Casio Edifice. I'm looking at a watch for flying but general usage day to day as well. I like the look of a tachymeter (the overall busy look) and a big face. I do have really small wrists but I prefer the look of a 44mm watch over a 42mm.

Quartz movement, Chronograph are the requirements. Preferably under $CAD 200.


I love the look of the Seiko SSB031 link but it's too small at 40mm. I like to have a larger dial so I can see it easier, and it's helpful to have a visible second hand, can be pretty useful during instrument flying.

Good points. I'd love your further thoughts on a companion for the Bambino. I'm partial to beige and cream dials, like a calendar, and prefer simplicity but am open to a good looking not too flashy chronograph, like this 38 mm Seiko Seiko Men's SNDC31 Classic Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch with Brown Leather Band https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004JY0KP8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_WF44ybGASF23T. On the other hand (as it were) I really like blue and green dials and have been drawn to the green dial Bambino (like I need two dress watches, never dressing up), and also to blue dial solar Seiko and Citizens. All that said, I'm very open to other ideas and really appreciate your time, insight and encouraging way of communicating. Edit I also like this brown on brown, looks like I'm laying out a mini collection! Seiko Men's SNN241 Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Band https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044XDZII/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ON44ybTNQB826

Both the watches are capable of having a NATO band on them. Personally, I think that the classic silver T2H281 would look best with a wider variety of NATO bands. It's also kind of the watch I like more in general of the two, so I could be a little biased.

You are going to want to buy a tool to remove the spring bars in the band/strap which hold the strap to the lugs of the watch. Different watches have different lug width. Both of the watches you were looking at where 18 mm lug width, so you are going to want to order an 18 mm NATO band to accompany, along with your spring bar tool.

AND since I am being extra nice today I went ahead and showed you what a NATO strap entails and how to put it on.

Step One: remove the strap with the spring bar tool.

Step Two: notice the spring bar within the strap, remove this and place back in between watch lugs.

Step Three: The watch should now look like this after the spring bars are put back on, lay out the NATO strap next to it exactly like so.

Step Four: Weave through the watch spring bars like so, and then weave the main band through the metal bar I am holding in order to secure the watch to the NATO band.

Step Five: End result with complimentary wrist shot, showing the spring bar tool and leather band I removed (which I happen to often wear). Loop excess strap through the bars on the NATO strap like pictured.

Good luck my friend, Cheers!

Is this going to be a dressy watch for formal/special occasions? Or are you looking for a daily wear watch?

If the former latter, then perhaps a hard-wearing quartz is a good idea. If you want something special, but that you'll have to take care of, then your budget could easily allow you a dressier mechanical watch (auto or hand wound).


In fact, fuck it, here's a list of shit I dug up. I love internet-window-shopping:

Young-looking Seiko automatic diver

Hamilton Khaki

Another (larger) Hamilton Khaki

Khaki Pilot (very diver/aviator-esque look)

A Tissot auto chrono

A fairly dressy Hamilton

A nice and clean sporty Tissot

A rather large but eye-catching Hamilton


Yes, I know I went kinda overboard on the Hamiltons, but I was working off the impression your watch example and fondness for divers gave me.

EDIT: got my former/latter mixed up. I blame Mr. Walker's magnificent amber restorative.

There are several!

The Christopher Ward C60 Trident 300. It's the quartz version of what I personally feel is one of the best Diver watches on the market.

Casio MDV-106. Another quartz diver, and also pretty inexpensive!

Actually basically any Casio watch. The F91W, the A158W, CA-53W, any of the Edifices, etc.

There are also a tonne of quartz Seikos out there. I can't think of many of the top of my head, but like all Seikos, they're great quality for a decent price.

If we can bend the rules to include Solar watches, that opens up to both more Casios, as well as Citizen's lineup of watches. My personally favourite is the Nighthawk (A pretty cliche choice, I know), but they have watches in so many styles, include dressier ones. Another Neat one is the Altichron which has a manual compass and altitude display.

That's also not including more high end Quartz watches, such as the Seamaster 2541 that Pierce Brosnan wore as James Bond in Goldeneye (I know that piece is no longer available on Omega's website, but it's easy enough to find secondhand).

So basically, I think I'd be okay lol

Nice pickup, I'm in the market for a affordable Bauhaus-styled watch.

I believe this watch has a 20mm lug width, so here we go.

For NATO straps, I think a blue and white stripe one will suffice, but you can look here to see what you might fancy. $13 here.

If you want something similar to a NATO but more 'dressy', you can buy a perlon strap. Search for Eulit on eBay.


By 'link', I don't know if you mean like a metal bracelet, but if you want to achieve something like this (not my photo), then you can buy something similar here for $10. If you want, you can spend more to get better quality, but this one gets the job/look accomplished.

For leather, I think any kind and color goes well. Recommended bands are Hadley Roma, Panatime, and Hirsch if you want to spend a bit more.

Don't forget a spring bar tool to switch out the straps, option 1 and option 2.

Hope this helps and welcome to the watch world! Post pics once you find something.

I own the Timex Allied Three GMT and it is a decent watch, but not great. I bought it primarily as a travel watch. The dial finish is always sort of mediocre on these, but that is due to the indiglo. It is a quartz watch, and the top pusher advances the 24 hour hand.

As NginOP mentioned, I think one of the coolest automatic GMT models is the Orient Polaris. It looks amazing, and is a watch that can be dressed up or down depending on the strap ( there have been a few posts here on it as well ). The only knock is that it doesn't have the rotating outer bezel. -- https://www.longislandwatch.com/Orient_DJ05003W_Polaris_GMT_Watch_p/dj05003w.htm

Seiko makes some interesting Kinetic GMT watches ( kinetic is quartz charged by a rotor ). There are a bunch of these SUN033P, SUN035, SUN041, or my favorite of these, the SUN037. These hover close to $200.

Some of the Steinhart GMT models are closer to $600, but are worth a look, and have quality ETA movements in them. -- https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/catalogsearch/result/?q=gmt

There are some Citizen Eco-Drive ( solar quartz ) models that are worth a serious look. I own a Citizen Nighthawk, which is really a dual-time. There is a 24 hour on the interior of the dial ( it is the one with the planes on the ends ), and the hour hand can be set independently. and it has a jumping hour setting, so you can quick-change the hour. This is on Amazon for about $220. The Citizen Calendrier is a world time, and super cheap right now at $180 ( the price fluctuates wildly on this model and it was $340 a month ago ).

Hello! I know everyone has their own tastes, and this may very well have been exactly what you wanted. If you knew exactly what this watch was, and still felt okay spending what you did on it, then I'm happy for you and you can stop reading!

However, just in case you are not aware, I'd like to let you know to that TH watches are very cheaply made. Basically, anything like this, GUCCI, or a major fashion brand take very cheap parts, slap their name on it, and sell it at a crazy inflated price. Cartier is the only exception coming to mind right now.

Anyway, so with how much you spent on this watch, let me show you some alternatives that are much, much better.

[Here] (http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Chronograph-Stainless-Leather-SSB097/dp/B00G4EJRNM/ref=sr_1_72?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1450830780&sr=1-72&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=chronograph&refinements=p_36%3A8000-11500), [here] (http://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF-547D-7A-Edifice-Stainless-Multi-Function/dp/B0183GMPCI/ref=sr_1_121?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1450831046&sr=1-121&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=chronograph&refinements=p_36%3A8000-11000), [here] (http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SSB031-Chronograph-Stainless-Steel/dp/B007554XQU/ref=sr_1_4?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1450830693&sr=1-4&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=chronograph), and [here] (http://www.amazon.com/Lucien-Piccard-LP-11570-02S-Chronograph-Leather/dp/B009EDUTUU/ref=sr_1_11?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1450830716&sr=1-11&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=chronograph&refinements=p_36%3A8000-11500).

Each of these have a better movement, better steel, better craftsmanship, and feel much better than the TH does. Again, I hope this post helps you. Still though, it's good to see that you are getting into watches, and I hope you add some quality pieces to your collection!

Any questions, please ask!

Repost from an old comment of mine, but still relevant.

I originally got started with a Citizen Eco-Drive chrono. Mine still runs after 10+ years, and looks great on a black leather strap with white stitching.

It's solar powered, and Citizen's solar tech is crazy good. After a year in a box it starts ticking the moment it comes out, and with regular exposure to light it'll just keep going. No battery changes needed, and it has quartz precision. Like I said, mine is over 10 years old.

That's where I recommend starting – simple, hands-off operation. Only once you've started to develop a budget and a more genuine appreciation should you venture into the land of automatics. Going to college you definitely want to be on time, and you don't want to have to care about setting the watch every time you don't wear it for a few days.

Though I don't own any myself, Timex is a reputable low-cost vendor to consider as well. Their Expedition series is nice, as well as the some what odd Flyback. If you happen to be into pure digitals, then Casio is the king.

The Timex Fairfield Chrono is a good pick, though at your budget I would recommend the upgrade to either one of the Tissot Everytimes for the sapphire crystal or one of the Citizen AU1080 for sapphire in addition to solar power. For something a little more "sophisticated" looking there's the Tisell Bauhaus or one of the Junkers quartz Bauhaus watches.

Clean dials (Bauhaus, especially) are usually pretty versatile because they blend better with more outfits without clashing, though they can get a little dressy. For more simple dials that aren't too formal:

-Seiko SNKN47

-Citizen "Chandler"

-Citizen "Corso"

-Citizen "CTO"

-Messerschmitt KR200-SS

-Bulova Accutron - Quartz movement, but has a nice sweeping seconds hand similar to that of a mechanical watch instead of the ticking motion of a standard quartz.

You could go another route which is the dressy chronograph. You don't want it to be too big though. Depending on wrist size and your overall build I would say 42mm tops, around 40mm or less is best. For example:

-Citizen AO9000-06B

-Bulova 96B262

-Orient Panda

-Seiko SNDC31 and SNDC33 - These two would be my top pick for the dressy chronograph, or the Orient Panda.

You could probably get away with wearing a diver too. Divers are tool watches so I personally wouldn't wear them with anything past maybe business casual (James Bond wears his diver in a tux on a Nato strap no less, but he's fucking James Bond so he gets a pass). Some popular ones are:

-Seiko SKX

-Orient Mako II

-Orient Ray II

Edited for spelling and link fails

This watch-face is called "Das Slick" and was made available by a developer named "jdixl" on the Pebble app store. Its online link is available here. The developer did a great job of all the graphics, animations, and proportions of the different pieces. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any contact info for jdixl, but hope I can still perhaps find a watch that was his inspiration for this face.

As Pebble products are in a tricky state of being these days, I have been looking for a different watch to switch to. This watch-face was my favourite on my pebble watch, so finding something close or identical would be really awesome.

If you don't think you know any relevant info... I would still appreciate your advice. My taste is more towards slim and simple watches, I like Timex Weekender watches, and recently ordered one with an even slimmer profile called Timex Easy Reader Day-Date. So far the Timex Easy Reader is the closest I've found to the Das Slick face. Perhaps you can give me some suggestions or ideas based on that info & the picture in this post.

Thanks for your advice and time guys.

The Casio MDV106-1AV is a perfect daily use watch and does look like the Rolex Submariner but is a great watch in it's own right. It is quartz rather than automatic but considered by many to be best available budget dive watch. You can purchase the bracelet for it for less than $30.

If you must have an automatic rather than a quartz then the Orient Ray II is a great option that is also similar to the Submariner in terms of design but again a quality time piece in and of itself.

And if you aren't bothered about having the Rolex style looks, the Seiko SNZH55 is designed along the lines of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and also an excellent timepiece.

The new Tissot Heritage series Visodates would fit the bill nicely. Bulova makes a similar, simple design.

http://www.amazon.com/Bulova-98H51-Leather-Dress-Watch/dp/B000WUKJ0O

Citizen has some Eco-Drives that are nice and simple.

Hamilton Jazzmaster is a very popular and highly regarded watch around these parts. That would be an excellent choice, although most are a bit larger than you're looking for.

I sell a lot of vintage pieces and have plenty that would fit the bill well within your price range if you're into vintage watches. Great option for a smaller wrist as vintage pieces tend to be much smaller than today's huge watches.

If you're interested in seeing what I have, feel free to PM me.

Why everybody, I am looking to buy a everyday watch for under $100. I’m really just looking for a watch that will go with everything and I can always wear. So far the ones I’m considering in no particular order

Timex Weekender

This is nice because it’s cheap, and I could swap straps. However a lot of people complained of how loud it ticks, and it’s not water resistant

Timex Weekender Chronograph

This was my initial choice, but I have since second guessed myself and now am leaning elsewhere. I feel like the case is too thick, and it’s not too water resistant.

Invicta Pro Diver

I’m iffy on the metal band. I do enjoy the actual look of this, just not sure if it’s too classy.

Seiko 5 Automatic

This is the watch that’s in first right now. I would definitely purchase a leather strap for it off top, but some people reported it didn’t keep time well.


That’s my list. Overall, I’m just really looking for advice. I’m not very watch savvy, and would appreciate help by some of you pros. Let me know why these watches are good or bad, and offer some insight. I appreciate it!

Interesting, you can't even tell it's solar powered. I'll see what other suggestions I get before I buy it but it's looking good, thanks!

EDIT: I found this EcoDrive. It's looking like a winner! Thanks again! :)

The black one you linked is the first "Swiss" automatic I ever purchased, and I absolutely love it.


You mention that you want a 38mm face, but the one you linked is 42mm (which I have, and recommend). The 42mm really isn't a large watch, I personally think the 38 would be to small, but I don't know how large your wrist is.


Either way, it is a fantastic every day kind of piece, the leather is really comfortable and nice looking, and the face doesn't seem out of place with casual wear or slightly dressed up.

Good luck!

So many ideas after looking though this. So far I have a few watches in mind that I can easily buy and probably will.

1. Tissot Visodate 1957 Heritage - Link to review - I really like how this looks and some people think it's too big for a dress watch, but I like it. I'm going to hopefully see one in person today after work (also want to get an idea of how much it really costs).
   
   
2. Rodina Automatic Watch - Saw that someone posted this, I would really love a Stowa Antea but it will be some time before I can convince my wife on that purchase. But spending $120 shouldn't be a problem whatsoever.
   
   
3. Citizen BJ7000-52E Nighthawk - Ever since this subreddit I've started disliking complications (other than date) but for some reason this watch has really grown on me. I think I've also seen another version that was pretty similar (perhaps a japanese version?) that I can't find anymore. If this goes on sale I'll just pull the trigger.
   
   I currently own a Maratac Pilot 2013 Large and I had a Vostok Amphibia (which unfortunately broke and I got a refund), and various other quartz beater watches (Weekender, etc). So I am thinking I should maybe just save up some money and buy something nice than what I have. In the future I'm definitely looking into a Stowa Antea, Omega Speedmaster and possibly an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Mid.

The one I linked to comes with a green NATO strap, but the watch is available in a wide variety of straps. Changing straps is not hard. Just make sure to get the right size, the Weekender uses standard 20mm straps. Here is a video that shows how it is done. A tool like this is a great help. Some straps have a "quick release" feature, which makes it super easy to change them without any tools. Here's a video that demonstrates the how quick release straps work.

Hey nice looking watch man! All I know is that it uses a Japanese Miyota quartz movement, a common quartz movement in today's watches. Nixon is mostly associated with skaters. surfers, snowboarders, and other street sports of similar kind. As others have said though, they do not get much love around /r/Watches because they are considered a fashion brand. My first watch was a Nixon Timeteller years ago. It was good, then I lost it. Then I found it again recently.

Watch collecting can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be. If you lurk around this sub for a while you'll see lots of different styles in all different price ranges. I love watches, but at the point in my life that I'm at right now (that being a broke college kid), I promised myself to stay in the sub $200 range for the time being. Learn the difference between quartz and mechanical first if you don't already, then here are some commonly referenced budget options out there:

Seiko

Seiko SNK809 $75

Seiko SKX007K $179

Seiko SKX009K1 $189

Casio

Casio F91W $12

Casio MDV106 $45

Casio G-Shock

Casio Calculator Databank $43

Timex

Timex Weekender Chrono $50

Timex Expedition Field Chrono $45

Citizen (There are many more, these are just some popular ones)

Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Diver $150 also in blue

Citizen Chronograph $120

Citizen Nighthawk $200

Tissot

Tissot Everytime $130-$150

Swatch

Swatch $30-$$$

Bulova

Bulova Precisionist $175

Orient

Orient Capital $100

Orient Esteem $120-$180

Orient Symphony $100-$200

Orient Bambino $150

Tisell

Most Tisell Watches

Flieger/Pilot style

Most Messerschmitt Pilots

Most Aristo Pilots

You can also check /r/WatchExchange for some good deals and interesting pieces. Just be sure to check /r/WatchExchangeFeedback as well.

There are so many more too! It really pulls you in once you scratch the surface. There's something for everybody here. Welcome to the hobby (cough addiction cough)!

Edit I always forget to mention the Vostok Amphibia. It's a Russian dive watch, built like a tank, and there are many bezel/dial combos. Found on Ebay for about $70.

So do you want a diver or a business casual dress watch? The two watches you posted are VERY different in terms of where they work. Regardless, I would shy away from the Invicta. Here
is a higher quality diver, the Orient Mako, that is virtually the same. Same dimensions and everything.

It's hard to tell by your post but it seems you want this for the purpose of being able to dress it up more than dress it down. If you are willing to save another hundred dollars I think you could do well with the Hamilton Khaki Field. Can be either dressed up or down quite easily and goes well on a NATO.

Otherwise, dress watches like a Rodina or Orient Bambino might be more up your alley. Good luck!

The SARB033 is very much worth the price IMO. It has a sapphire crystal and uses Seiko's 6R15 movement, based on the venerable 7S26, but has hand-winding and hacking. Fit and finish should also be superior to Seiko 5s, but YMMV depending on the Seiko 5 model.

If saving for another month is out of the question or you just absolutely must have a watch within your target budget right now, there are a few Seiko 5 alternatives. Note that the 5s all have day/date complications as opposed to the date only on the SARB033.

There's the SNK795, which shares the same design as the SNK793 you posted, just in black with a red seconds hand. It's about $100-110 depending on seller.

This SNK605 comes a bit closer in terms of the design of the hands, but is still a far cry from the SARB033. The dial is textured instead of flat black and Amazon seems to have some discrepancy over whether the dial is dark brown or black. Jomashop's picture shows a black textured dial and the price is much lower than on Amazon so I would go with them if you pick this model.

My last suggestion before I have to run is the SNKK71. It has a refined look reminiscent of the SARB033 while keeping it's own identity. Again, priced lower on Jomashop than Amazon, but not by much.

The Orient Bambino is another watch to consider. ~$130-200 depending on who you get it from. The ER24004B version is the one with the tapered hands, but may be slightly more difficult to find now.

For reference, here's Watch Sleuth's Seiko 5 Finder. It's pretty nice for comparing the different Seiko 5 models and maybe you'll find something you like. FWIW, I would personally save up for the SARB033 instead of settling or a Seiko 5 if that's what you really have your eyes set on style-wise. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with any Seiko 5 IMO.

I'd recommend one of Orient's divers:

Ray

Mako


There are several color options and they are great for the money. In house movements, decent bracelets and in my opinion, great looking. I have the ray raven and love it.

If you want to spend a little more, the Bernhardt Binnacle Diver is another great option. I also own one of these and I can tell you the biggest difference compared to the Orients is in the bracelet. It has to be one of the best ones on the market in that price range.

Here are some things to consider before buying and installing a strap :)

1. Strap Width: Figure out what your watch's strap width is, usually called the "lug to lug" measurement. Watches commonly have 14-24mm wide lugs. A ruler works just fine. Length is usually not an issue unless you have far larger or slimmer than average wrists, if the stock strap works, you should be OK. WPT: check amazon/other sellers, often times they list the strap width. It's listed here as being 22mm for your watch.
   
2. Strap Style: Purely up to you, some common styles other than the typical leather are Aviators (stitched+rivet for strength), NATO/Zulu (one piece of fabric/leather, very secure and simple), and of course, bracelets. Look here for more examples, though the relatively recently introduced Leather NATO isn't shown.
   
3. Tools: I will say this once; BUY A SPRING BAR TOOL! They are available dirt cheap from amazon and ebay, and will greatly reduce your frustration level when it comes time to swap straps. (Note: No tools needed when swapping normal NATO style straps as they thread through the spring bars. You will need a tool to remove your stock strap and install the bare spring bars however.) Also a spring bar tool will reduce the odds of your tool slipping and marring/scratching your case while you try to compress the bar. Important thing to consider, especially if you have a plated or treated case as you can't just polish out scratches. I bought this one though there are a couple cheaper.
   
   I am a huge fan of amazon for basic tools and even some straps. For NATOs I like to use www.natostrapsco.com as they have competitive pricing, great CS, free (USPS) shipping, and almost always have an extra 10-15% code on their facebook page. Their leather NATOs are very nice as well.
   
   Here's a pic of a new strap I put on my Pulsar:
   https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6742429/2015-01-12%2011.59.20.jpg

I was need some help deciding on a entry-level skeleton watch.

I did some digging in the side bar but could not find (with the exception of one or two) any good skeleton watches. I've always had a fascination with those style of watches and would like it to be my style of choice for my first watch.

Edit: To give you a better idea, I was wanting a skeleton watch with the characteristics of a dress watch. Slim, shallow, not bulky, dark leather strap, black, mechanical, and with the face missing to see the functioning guts. Imagine this: Citizen Eco-Drive Men's BM8475-26E Stainless Steel Watch with Leather Strap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MKGOOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_o6hYxb55G7QEW , but with a skeleton face.

This watch would be something that I would wear everyday, with or without dress clothes. And something I thought would be really neat if it was also to be a diver. Sometimes I can be in rather unfavorable conditions (ie water), so for it to be water proof would just be unbelievable.


Thank you guys for your time.

Right now this $10 Casio is the only slightly dressy watch I have.

I like it but the crystal (plastic?) has gotten more and more scratched from general wear. I don't think I want a nylon band since the watch will get wet frequently if I wear it while working.

I don't have a lot of money to spend but would like to get a slightly nicer analog watch with a date function for under $100. I plan to use this watch while bartending so it will be splashed in triple sinks for a few hours every day. But I might just wear the Casio I have now while working since it's already slightly dickerd and only $10.

So far I've found these two through Amazon:

$21 Tonnier

$29 Timex Easy Reader

If someone had a gun to my head I'd buy the Timex but I'm not in a rush to buy and need to do more research.

I'll link a few more to get an idea of the style I'm looking for. Definitely looking for a smaller watch that won't get in the way or snagged on stuff.

$25 SONGDU

$22 Biden

$20 Curren

$24 VAVC

Didn't do much research into those last couple but just linking the style I'm looking for and I'll add some more on. I like high contrast black/white faces but I'm also cool with red/brown/blue accents but the more color neutral the better.

I think you could find good citizen Eco Drive that has similar function as PRC200 : http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-AT0200-05E-Eco-Drive-Chronograph-Canvas/dp/B000EQR6H0/ref=sr_1_6?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1335766853&sr=1-6

Or a Seiko Kinetic
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SSB045-Special-Value-Kinetic/dp/B00756FJJ4/ref=sr_1_5?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1335767001&sr=1-5

Another option for quartz since you were looking at PRC200, is Orient TT0Z001B Limited Edition STI Ion Plated chronograph.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TeMpz-cxl8A

The Orient used to give out 50% off coupon but they don't do that anymore just 30%.. so $440 retail, 50% would have been $220.
http://orientwatchusa.com/tt0z001b

For what you get, I think it's good deal at $170. 5 left until sold out. 4 left.
http://www.discountwatchstore.com/Orient-TT0Z001B-Mens-Limited-Edition-STI-Black-Ion-Plated-Chronograph_p_27651.html
_____
If you want an automatic mechanical watch, I would suggest Orient Mako, Seiko 5 series, or Sea-Gull watch.

http://www.amazon.com/Orient-Mens-CEM65002D-Automatic-Watch/dp/B001EWEQ3K/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1335767894&sr=1-1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-MENS-ORIENT-ORIGINAL-DIVER-AUTOMATIC-STANLEY-STEEL-WITH-BOX-GIFT-/350497575972?pt=Wristwatches&var=&hash=item519b489424#ht_1402wt_901

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350497575972?var=620037004130&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_1402wt_901

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Sports-Automatic-Watch-SNZG13/dp/B006BUE84M/ref=sr_1_31?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1335767513&sr=1-31

I have that Seiko SNZG13 and it's great on my wrist. I think for smaller wrist, you should look at 38mm~42mm. I have a 43mm watch and the lugs hover over my wrist. I have two 41mm watches that I wear most frequently and those are Orient and Seiko SNZG13.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Sea-Gull-M186S-automatic-designer-watch-multi-purpose-comfortable-to-wear-/280841797985?pt=Wristwatches&var=&hash=item416379c161#ht_642wt_1141

I'm getting this Sea-Gull next. For the price this is a beautiful piece with classic roman numeral dial with blue hands. I have a cheap Parnis with ST-25 but the movement is just dead accurate. More so accurate than my Orient and Seiko 7s26. I'd say accuracy is Sea-Gull>Orient>7s26 in this order with Seiko being most elusive sometimes. Plus with Sea-Gull automatic, you get the movement that you can hand wind as well as hack. So all in all the Sea-Gull may be your best bet at EXACTLY $120. You'll get a penny back.

Hope it helped.

Hi guys, looking for something similar to the Timex Men’s T49905 Expedition Rugged Field Chronograph Black/Brown Leather Strap Watch here

I like the black/dark case and face. Chronograph would be great but not a necessity. Band could be leather or NATO. I would like something that is durable and rugged as I plan to use it for camping, canoeing, etc. but also could go well in a casual setting.

Budget is $100-200, although I do like $50 price tag on this one, some of the reviews raise concerns about the durability and quality of the watch. If any one can offer any similar recs or has experience with this watch it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Context, budget, and desired features
I am a mid thirties dad, with a desk job in the maintenance field. I work with my hands very frequently, am outdoors a lot and I normally dress casually. I will wear colored shirts once in a while, and often wear jeans or khaki shorts. I have a fossil watch with a bracelet that I got as a gift about 10 years ogo and quickly stopped wearing it after I got a cell phone. I'm sick and tired of pulling my phone out and being chained to it. I tried a smart watch, but I'd much rather live a simpler life with my EDC. I would like a watch for every single day, in the future, I could see getting a piece with more bling for dressier occasions. My budget is up to $300, but I'd rather be around $200, so that I'm not too hurt if it gets broken or lost.


Movements
As of now I am gravitating to non battery operated due to the cost of battery replacement with a water resistant model costing $70 to keep the guarantee. I realize that I can do it myself most likely, but I want a quality piece, and don't want to mess it up.
I don't mind solar.
Romantically I want a auto, but would prefer one with a winder also.
I'm worried that I would forget to wind a mechanical.


Size
My wrist is around 8 1/4 inch. I prefer a 38-42 mm.


Wanted features
Black dial
A simple face that is not busy
Replaceable strap
Date
Sapphire crystal
Brushed, not polished body
I'm not sure how bracelets work, I don't mind as long as it can be switched out to a nato.
*A black body would be nice, but I'm concerned about the looks of scratches showing though.


What I have looked at
Timex Men's T49961 "Expedition Scout"
I like the looks of this watch a lot, but the overall quality is lacking.


SEIKO 5 SNZG15J1
The only thing that I don't like about this piece is that the numbers are not placed at the outside edge near the bezel.


Citizen Eco-Drive BM8475-26E
I'm not a fan of the large numbers and the painted body will not likely hold up.


Citizen Men's BM8180-03E Eco-Drive
I really love this piece other than the polished body


Hamilton Khaki field HML-H69419363
This is a front runner other than being on the small side of my preference and me forgetting to wind it.


Hamilton Khaki Field Auto #H70555533
This I like, although I would need to buy used.

Are there any other that you can recommend? The only place that I've really looked is Amazon. I cant seem to find a better retailer.

Hey! So I've been lurking around here for a while, not sure what the fuss was about but after a bit of review videos, going through top>all, I think I'm starting to catch the hype about watches, and kinda wanna dip my feet in to start off.

I did my research and was going to pull the trigger on a Seiko 5, but thought about chronograph watches for a second. While I do enjoy the look of a chronograph, I also have use for them as a result of a couple of my hobbies, but realistically its more of a want than a need.

This subreddit seemed really enthusiastic (I wonder why) about watches, so, I figured it'd be best to ask here for opinions and go through my options for a chronograph before I pull the trigger on the Seiko.

A couple of chronographs that I've found and liked so far:

The Seiko chronograph, sndd87

Not usually a fan of Timex but this one caught my eye: Timex Men's T2P380 Stainless Steel Watch with Leather Band https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HYUSIXK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bX1OybPPVHCHZ

Seiko ssb031: Seiko SSB031 Men's Chronograph Stainless Steel Case Watch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007554XQU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SV1OybPJEQN4C

My budget is really around $50-$150, and I'm open to used options as well. (Is buying/selling low end pieces a thing in the watch world?). I'd really appreciate any input you guys can give.

Last note, I'd rather just get the Seiko 5 if any other option is a bad quality chronograph that's mainly designed for looks. I'd want for it to work properly, but I'm kind of expecting my budget to not be in the proper range for that.

Thank you!

I'm just getting into watches again and this is my first automatic. I've been enjoying reading this subreddit and watching a lot of Youtube watch channels and picked up that the Seiko 5 line is a great entry level watch. Most people recommend the 809, but I didn't want to go for that one as I've already got my eye on a few other higher-end Flieger-type watches, so I wanted to find something different in the Seiko 5 line and this one caught my eye: https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK789-Analog-Automatic-Silver/dp/B0018N0HL0. I've had it a week and it's been great. It's surprisingly high quality and looks even better in person than it does in pictures. I just put it on a NATO yesterday and that's been a nice change, too, although the bracelet it comes with is not bad, IMO.

Citizen, Seiko, and Orient would probably be your best best in that price range, here are some examples you might like, all on the smaller side
orient
seiko
here
here
here
Citizen
here
here
here

the biggest one is 43mm, which would probably look fine, I wear a 42mm and have small writs as well and it looks good. good luck

Hello, I really like this watch and the price but would like a different color. I’m looking for a similar color scheme as this watch , more of a dark watch with blue trims or highlights while still having luminescence. Is there any watches that fit this description or should I just settle for something. Any help would be incredibly appreciated

Edit: even a version of this where the orange spots are blue would be amazing

You are going to have a really hard time finding a watch that matches that description in that price range. Nothing I'm gonna tell you in this post is anything that any other member of this sub wouldn't know by heart because there are so few things worth looking at in that range. At ~150 you're almost guaranteed not to find something with sapphire. You looking for analog or digital? There's this - it's not simple/clean, but comes from a decent brand.

In your price range, your best bet is to go with a G-Shock. They're well known for their durability, and there are about a bajillion options to choose from in terms of looks. They have some cool features (radio sync time) but don't necessarily match your aesthetic, as they're kind of busy.

The Citizen Eco-Drive is also highly regarded for its accuracy for the price. I can't speak to its durability though. It's got a mineral crystal. Looks like a pretty decent watch for your specifications.

As for the Timex Expedition...well...you get what you pay for. This is hard - your options would open up radically if you would double your price range you could pick up a Hamilton Khaki or something a little nicer by Victorinox. There's always the tried-and-true, nobody-on-this-sub-ever-shuts-up-about-it Seiko 5, which also has a billion options, and is cheap, but I don't know if they're military durable.

I don't think it's terribly big but it's far too thick for your hand IMO. I'd look for thinner options if you want an automatic watch with lume (the stuff that makes the dial glow).

Unfortunately, you can't really get an automatic for that low unless you look at used options. BUT, I'd give the Seiko 5 lineup a glance.

Here's a watch that perfectly fits all of your specifications, That is: Under $100, Automatic, has Lume on the hands, and it should fit your wrist size.

• Seiko SNK789
  
  Here's another:
  
  
• Seiko SNKL07
  
  And another:
  
  
• Seiko SNKK47
  
  I'd return it and keep looking around. The watch gave you a good idea of what wrist sizes you should be looking at. All of the watches above are between 36mm and 39mm respectively.
  
  Look through the Seiko 5 lineup. Alternatively, look around the used market or try to hunt for deals when they come up. Massdrop always has watches for sale so it's worth a shot there. There's also /r/Watchexchange to buy watches from other redditors. You can't do much with $100 but if you try something good will usually come along.

Whoa thanks /u/tross13!
I didn't expect you to deliver in such a short notice. I appreciate you took the time and effort to do this.This is so cool, people like you make this subreddit shine. I too got the Seiko bug.Got my first one two weeks ago. Since everyone seems to go for the very popular SNK007 (for a good reason, this watch is truly amazing) i wanted something a little different and went for the SNZ55 . I couldn't be happier. What everyone says is true : Seiko delivers a lot a bang for the buck. Thanks again OP!!

It's not the initial style you were thinking about, but just for some variety, the Casio edifice series is pretty well received around here, and they have a good quality chronograph on sale currently for $39.99. If you like how it looks, you can't go wrong. With a leather band this thing is very pleasing to the eye.

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF503D-1AV-Edifice-Stainless-Steel/dp/B003URWNOG

> Or is Amazon just crossing out a really high price to make it look like a good deal?

Yes, yes it is. That's a very common tactic to sell cheap watches, chinese companies are especially guilty of this.

If you like the bold black look you could try to save a bit more and go for a Citizen. With the Citizen you'd get a nice and well-made watch from a good company that will run for the next ten years without even changing the battery.

I would choose the first one. More of a sport look and interesting and easy to read look without being distracting. The chrono can be useful and the dark steel finish is nice, but be aware that it will probably be easily scratched to reveal the silver color underneath. If you are new to watches you may actually prefer a quartz model instead of an automatic.

My advice would be to check Citizen Eco Drive line before making a decision. They are proven quality, the solar power feature is very convenient and the variety in styles is really wide. This is a popular choice I've seen in r/watches. If I was looking for a casual watch I would go for something like this (I think the version with the steel bracelet works well for dressing up too) or this. The latter is probably too sporty/casual for some ocassions.

What's a good, masculine, automatic diver's watch for a TINY wrist?

It's a gift for my girlfriend. I like mens watches on ladies, but many can be too big or, in the alternate, look like they were made for women. I'm looking for something mid-size and good quality at a price range similar to the example below.

Something like this would be perfect but I'm afraid it'll be too big for my girlfriend's wrist:
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SKX009K2-Divers-Automatic-Stainless/dp/B000OP1M6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451785747&sr=8-1&keywords=skx009

Timex has some watches, specifically the Expedition model, that fit in that price range, are 40mm dials, and have some darker models, but doesn't have lume, instead you push the crown down and it lights up. The bands are nylon or leather. They go for around $40 USD. The Weekender might work too. They're very good watches, but be warned that Timex watches tend to tick loudly.

Then there's the Casio dive watches (the MDV106 gets recommended a lot, but mostly because of it's appearance, there are other models that you might prefer over it, just search for "casio dive"), it has lume (e: the lume on these watches is apparently not that great, thanks /u/mojojojoborras) and is about $10-35 USD. It has a plastic band. It's very big though (44mm, I'm told the size on amazon is wrong), and some don't have arabic numerals.

Then there's the Seiko 5 SNZG17K1 if you want an automatic watch, it is 42 mm black watch face and with lume and a dark grey metal band. Amazon has it for $169 USD. Since it's automatic you will likely need to set the time each morning (unless you buy a watch winder).

I can vouch for Timex and Casio being solid brands, and have an Expedition myself that works great (with a new strap at least), and Seiko is a brand that a lot of people here recommend very often.

To build on what Coffeeshopman said, if you're going to invest a hundred dollars, it may as well be a hundred well spent. The brands they listed are all Japanese and offer a good value of reasonably well made watches at lower price points. Citizen may interest you in particular as their Eco-Drive watches run off of batteries which are recharged from sunlight and artificial light, requiring very little maintenance.

Furthermore, you may need to investigate what kind of watch you want ( e.g., quartz vs. automatic, which is to say, battery-operated vs. self-winding mechanical gear operated) and what features you would like (some watches you linked have a chronograph / stopwatch for measuring elapsed time). There are pros and cons to these things, but most people on this subreddit heavily favor automatic watches.

Based on these ideas and your aesthetic guidelines, I've pasted a number of links below. I hope they are of some use to you. You will note that Casio is absent. This is merely because they are better known for watches that are more sporty in design and which are typically digital.

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BM8240-03E-Eco-Drive-Black-Leather/dp/B000EQS1D8/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799711&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BM8180-03E-Eco-Drive-Canvas-Strap/dp/B000EQS1JW/ref=sr_1_34?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799804&sr=1-34

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-AT0200-05E-Eco-Drive-Chronograph-Canvas/dp/B000EQR6H0/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799828&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BM8475-26E-Eco-Drive-Strap-Watch/dp/B005MKGOOY/ref=sr_1_4?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799828&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BM8475-26E-Eco-Drive-Strap-Watch/dp/B005MKGOOY/ref=sr_1_4?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799828&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BV1085-06E-Sport-Eco-Drive-Strap/dp/B006D0UB28/ref=sr_1_6?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799828&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK809-Automatic-Black-Canvas/dp/B002SSUQFG/ref=sr_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343799975&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Orient-ER1X003B-Chicane-Leather-Automatic/dp/B007SAKK9Q/ref=sr_1_15?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343803840&sr=1-15

That'll be a pretty tight price point for something "cool". As far as sizing, look in the watch description for the case size. 40mm or smaller will work fine on a small wrist. From there, I'd go to Amazon and search Men's Timex Watch -- that's one of two companies who make decent watches in the $20 range. The other is Casio but they tend to make bigger watchs that might be too large for your wrist.

Something like https://www.amazon.com/Timex%C2%AE-Reader-Brown-Leather-T20041/dp/B000B55AEA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473330695&sr=8-1&keywords=men%27s+timex+watch will be a classy looking every day option and it's well sized for your wrist. If you want a digital readout, you could go with something like https://www.amazon.com/Timex-T78677-Classic-Gold-Tone-Expansion/dp/B000SQM5PE/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1473330695&sr=8-11&keywords=men%27s+timex+watch for a retro look, or something like https://www.amazon.com/Timex-T5E901-Ironman-Watch-Black/dp/B000AYTYLW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1473330695&sr=8-4&keywords=men%27s+timex+watch for more features.

Enjoying breakfast and a cup of coffee with my buddy today in Downtown LA and spotted his daily beater. Asked him if I could take a pic and post it here, so I dressed the shot up a bit. :)

Details on the watch:

• Military-inspired stainless steel watch with round dial, red contrasting second hand, and rugged green canvas band
  
  
• Japanese quartz movement with analog display
  
  
• Charges in natural sunlight or indoor light
  
  
• Features include protective mineral crystal dial window, date window, three subdials, luminous hands, and buckle closure and
  
  
• Water resistant to 330 feet (100 M): suitable for snorkeling, as well as swimming, but not diving
  
  Info on Eco-Drive:
  
  > One pivotal technological breakthrough was the development of a light-driven watch. CITIZEN pioneered this engineering innovation well ahead of other watch manufacturers as early as 1976, which led to the launch of the highly acclaimed Eco-Drive in 1995. Utilizing electrical power converted from virtually any light source, this extraordinary innovation changed forever the way watches could be powered. Eco-Drive eliminated the need to ever replace batteries, which made it especially beneficial to areas where such specialist batteries were not obtainable. This leveled the field for citizens of virtually every country to be able to experience unrestricted joy of wearing and using a CITIZEN watch.
  
  He got it for around $200. Found it on Amazon for about $170.

I got this watch from my grandmother for Christmas, and while I love the thought and I like the face of the watch just fine, the faux leather strap really doesn't do it for me.

I'm curious what you guys might recommend for this face? Would a bright orange NATO strap look stupid because the color of the oranges might be just a bit off? What about a black strap with an orange stripe? Or something completely different. Would love to hear your suggestions.

Thank you!

Happy to help!

Generally, most bracelets on watches can be easily swapped out unless they're integrated into the case or have an uncommon size or shape. Keep in mind though, you will need a spring bar tool to swap bracelets/bands. Takes a bit of getting used to, but it's quite easy once you figure it out. If you don't want to do it yourself, it's an easy and cheap fix at a local watch-maker.

I see this one recommended often, but I've been doing okay with the free ones that often come bundled with straps.

Fulfilled by amazon isn't the same as sold by Amazon - a citizen sold by Amazon will have a 5 year citizen warranty. Sold by a third party and fulfilled by amazon means you're stuck with a seller warranty if they aren't an authorized dealer.

This may not be a big deal -- jomashop for example has a well respected warranty. But the old rule still applies - buy the seller first, then buy the watch.

For the watch you linked, you can buy from amazon for an extra six bucks - I think it's worth the expense :)

http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-AT0200-05E-Eco-Drive-Stainless-Canvass/dp/B000EQR6H0/ref=owo_wa?_encoding=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

The Nautica brand is fine. They are known for their clothing, but their watches are made by the Timex group, whose name might be a little more prolific in the world of horology.

Some other alternatives I think may pique your interest and give bit of variety based off the Nautica would be:

• Citizen
  
• Seiko
  
• Timex
  
  Hopefully that helps and let me know what you think, I'll be happy to help you look for more!

I'm glad to see someone on here that isn't automatically suggesting some flieger styled auto. Yeah they're awesome and have a history of being a pilot watch, but honestly something quartz is much better suited for actual flying. I'd recommend something like a Citizen Nighthawk or a Seiko SNA411. Recommending an automatic old school flieger to an actual pilot is sort of like recommending an M1 Garand to a modern infantryman.

These 2 Citizens should fit the bill:

Citizen AW1236-03A

Citizen BM8475-26E

THIS is a search I did on Amazon for Citizens under $150. There are plenty here that would fit your requirements.

Also, if you find one with something other than a leather band, switching it is super easy. Clockwork Synergy have a line of band that are great quality and easily interchangeable.

This youtube video is a good place to start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmhSzISB-2c

Once you start changing straps you may never stop, so I'd suggest getting a decent strap changing tool. Bergeron makes really good stuff, but something like this is fine: https://www.amazon.com/GGI-Spring-Bar-Tool-Set/dp/B005ZEWGSA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1474832095&sr=8-4&keywords=watch+strap+tool

To buy your replacement strap you'll need to know the width between the lugs (where the strap attaches). Measured in millimeters. Amazon is listing your watch lug width as 21mm - most people will suggest to buy a 22mm nato strap and squeeze it in (they usually are even numbers - 18mm, 20mm, 22mm etc). You might need to buy some 21MM spring bars (ebay or amazon) - you don't say how or where the current bracelet is breaking, but its a small expense to buy new spring bars.

Something like this might look cool, but the trick with Natos is that they are pretty cheap, and you can buy three or four for $50 (try cheapestnatostraps dot com) and swap them out depending on your mood.

https://www.amazon.com/StrapsCo-Premium-Orange-Stripe-Ballystic/dp/B00ZJ49AC6/ref=sr_1_40?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1474832536&sr=1-40&nodeID=6358539011&keywords=22mm+nato+strap

Hamilton Khaki Field

Price: $325


Movement:Automatic, ETA 2824-2


Style: Military Field Watch


Size: 38mm without crown,also 42mm and 44mm versions

Link: Official Website, Amazon


Description: A classic and very popular military field watch worthy of any adventure, sapphire crystal and water resistant to 100m. Available in a range of dail colours. Available in 3 sizes and in both hand wound, automatic and even quartz movements, going from the bottom of the price range to even slightly above. Generally accepted as great value for money. A picture

You have to search for the lug width to determine which size band you need. Googling gives me a general consensus of 18mm, but a few listings say 19mm or 17mm, so it'd be best to measure yours when you get it.

Here's the most recent buying guide for watch accessories. Check out the recommendations for watch strap stores.

At the minimum, you'd need a decent spring bar tool for changing the strap, like this.

Finally, no it's perfectly fine having multiple straps for one watch as it really does change up the look.

I also don't know what the minute hand is for.

Congrats on your promotion buddy!
If you really want to stick to your budget, one of the best budget watches that will last a long time, have an automatic movement, numbered dial and a beautiful but small face is the SNK807. You could also use the remainder of your budget and purchase a nice metal bracelet to complete your criteria and end up with something like this.Other than that I would suggest purchasing this Invicta however there are no numbers on the actual dial. Happy hunting!

I understand completely! It's a big world of watches these days. I always recommend picking up a seiko 5. Here's one that's 36mm. I'd also recommend checking out the watches on /r/watchexchange. There are good deals and good people to be found over there. Best of luck!

​

edit: and of course check out the buying guide here on /r/watches.

I don't think this is what you wanted exactly but… I would recommend all 4. Seiko and citizen are two great watch companies for the price point. My one other recommendation is for the orient mako Black, Blue, Amazon search for other colors. That said to help make a decision you should ask yourself a few questions.

Do you want an automatic or quartz?

What size watch do you want? (How big are your wrists?)

Which one do you like the best?

Two watches come to mind when you mention the speedmaster, Tissot has a nice offering in the Tissot V8 though it is a quartz watch, as well as the Seiko which, both of which look really nice and are kind of homages to the speedmaster. At that price range if you want a really nice finish on a Speedmasteresque watch it's possible to find but the quartz in that range are beautiful and certainly worth consideration. I'm not familiar with automatic speedmasteresque watches in that price range but if that's what you want let me know and I'll look around for you!

Assuming the Movado is the 1881 automatic I suggest something other than a dress watch or sports watch unless he is the type of person to only like one or two styles of watches. Like the other poster stated the Bambino is a great watch for $150 but compared to the $1000 watch in the same dressy category it wouldn't be fair.

Personally I would go for a more casual/fun watch at that price range. A dressy watch would have to compete with the Movado and Omega for wrist real estate but a casual watch he can wear for yard work or whenever wearing the other watches would be too risky.

Field Watch-Quartz-$200

Field Watch-Quatz-$130



Pilot watch-Quartz-$200

Classic Square G-Shock- Auto updates time in the northen hemisphere every night-95$


If you still want a dressy automatic Orient and the Seiko 5s are your best best.
For dressy Quartz check out the Citizen watches.

I couldn't give it up! I want to be able to pass it on to my kids and have them wear the first watch I bought. I have a strong feeling it will be able to last that long.

Thank you! I knew there was a word for them, but didn't know for sure.

What would you recommend for tool watches? I really like the look of this Citizen BM8475-26E but the crown looks huge and I sort of want a chronograph.

About that price range, yes. Thank you!

As soon as I opened the box and saw the watch in person, I immediately bought a new strap from WatchGecko. It's one of their cheaper vintage straps but I love it. The company is in England so shipping to California took a couple weeks. If you're thinking about changing the strap on your Bambino, I would recommend getting a good quality spring bar tool like the one I bought off Amazon.

The Bauhaus style watches appear to wear very big even if their measurements aren't physically big. Take the Braithwait for example - they are 40mm but check out the dial, it stretches across almost the entire 40mm width, with hardly any bezel, and minimal detail on an otherwise spartan dial. That is going to appear very big on the wrist.

My tip is, when looking at these styles, try to keep it back closer towards the 37mm mark if that is what he is used to wearing.

Check out this one as an example. I have recommended it elsewhere as a good budget minimalist watch but by a happy coincidence it works out to be that perfect size. 98H51 is similar version with a two-tone case and a bit of detail on the dial.

It's disappointing to hear that the $150 restriction will need to go, especially because I am pretty convinced that it is possible to make the watch I want for a lot less than that. Digital watch modules are dirt cheap, so 90% of the cost will be the steel and sapphire, and there are <$150 analogue watches that have those.

My $150 budget wasn't arbitrary. I actually did the maths, based on my age, countrie's life expectancy, how long my plastic Casios usually last me, planning for 3 instances of loss/theft over the rest of my life, etc. At about $150 for a watch that can last roughly 17 years, I am basically paying the same as a never ending string of $15 Casios. I'm willing to pay a bit more than that for the convenience of not having to go watch shopping every few years, but not twice as much, that's just not sensible. The watch market just seems really messed up / distorted by people with impractical utility functions.

I have checked out the Citizen Ecodrives, and really do like the technology. The fact that they go into a "sleep mode" when they don't get enough light where they stop moving the hands but keep the quartz oscillator running is super sexy. I did find a chronograph for under $150, so it's an option (all it misses is the calendar and the sapphire). What turned me off was being unable to convince myself that analogue chronographs are a good idea. Looking at that photo, I can envisage times when the chronograph hands are occluded by the minute or hour time, meaning I might be stuck with +/- 2 minutes of uncertainty on the chronograph time unless I wait a long time for the hands to move, and that just feels like such a stupid limitation to have to live with.

Regarding the perpetual calendar thing: it's not that I literally don't have a spare 50 seconds per year. Part of it is that, as explained above, my baseline watch experience is cheap digitals, which just do this for me and I don't have to think about it - paying a bit more to get a nicer watch is not an appealing prospect to me if doing so gives me more work to do. It's not hard work, or a lot of work, it just feels kind of perverse to me, in a philosophical sense. I buy machines to make my life more convenient, not less. Having to reset the calendar most months is an obligation, and a machine should not give me an obligation unless it is removing an equivalent obligation(s) from me. Another part of it is that I just know full well there will be months I'll forget to do it, and it's the kind of error which could conceivably go unnoticed for a week. I just feel like things which are important enough that they need to be right, easy enough to forget that I'm likely to do it once or twice a year, and simple enough to automate using a very small, very cheap, very reliable bit of technology (like a 4 bit digital counter) should be automated.

I fully understand that people in group (iii) (people who appreciate the intricate mechanical engineering and/or fine traditional craftsmanship of mechanical watches) might actually appreciate the necessary interaction with their watch that resetting the date requires. Kind of like feeding a beloved pet, almost.

OK... this is an often-visited topic here. Most high-end watches are mechanical movements, but many non-watch people wear quartz watches. (here is the section of the FAQ that explains this)

If mechanical sounds good to you, the go-to suggestions for cheap blue-dialed diver's watches are:

• Orient Mako
  
• Orient Mako "Pepsi"
  
• Orient Mako XL - it is really huge at 46mm diameter!
  
• Seiko SKX009 "Pepsi"
  
• Seiko SNZH53 - this doesn't have a screw-down crown, but gives the look of a diver.
  
  The two bold-text choices are far and away the most popular blue-dialed diver's watches for under $500.
  
  I hope this helps.

Seiko SNK795

Price: $60 - $90

Movement: Auto 7s26

Style: Classic / Semi-dressy

Size: 39mm

Link: [Amazon] (http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK795-Automatic-Stainless-Bracelet/dp/B0058VJWTQ)

Pictures:

[Wrist photo] (http://imgur.com/vxV8h3u,NhI6MwK#0)

[Silly fantasy shot] (http://imgur.com/vxV8h3u,NhI6MwK#1)

Description:
A clean, black Seiko 5 with red seconds hand. This one came with a crappy bracelet, but I have a brown leather band arriving soon. Right now it's on a Nato band. It's a perfect mix of casual and dressy without any flash or pretense. As soon as I put it on a leather band it will be my standard work watch. [Here's an internet picture with brown leather] (http://uhrforum.de/attachments/41232d1250715406-seiko-snk795k1-kopy-kam-ich-sah-die-uhr-siegte-dsc_0099.jpg). This particular watch averages +4 seconds per day! I think it looks nice with the old Canonet rangefinder in the photo above :)

I need some help deciding on what watch to buy. This will be my first watch and I want a nice looking watch that will last for a long time. I have been looking at 4 watches.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BWQGXD1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Hugo Boss Talent 1513582

https://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-skx013k2.html Seiko SKX013K2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OP1M6M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AL76JXRI1B1S9&psc=1 Seiko SKX009K2

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Divers-Black-Stainless-SKX007P8/dp/B07JNG16M5/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=seiko+007&qid=1562278031&s=gateway&sr=8-4 Seiko SKX007P8

Is there a difference between the SKX009 and 007? Is Seiko a good brand?

These watches are gonna cost me between 250$ and 350$ with shipping and taxes so if you have anything in that price range that would be better I would like to hear suggestions. Any advice for me?

I bought it a few weeks ago and it has been working great ever since!
Great deal if you have Amazon prime. If you don't have it, then get it because it is amazing. Ha!
GGI Spring Bar Tool Set - 5in., 7 Pc https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ZEWGSA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_hKk2wb65N82FH

I just graduated from high school and I wanted to get myself a small watch reminiscent of those generic clocks they have in all the classrooms. The Timex Easy Reader was the cheapest and classiest looking option.
It's exactly as the name describes, an easy reader. The dial is a very light silver which I'd rather be plain white but oh well. Day-date is a nice touch. Indiglo is also nice. It's just a nice little 35 mm watch. I also put a new strap on it if anybody was wondering.
Link

Here are two suggestions, both a bit above your budget but still worth considering. Seiko is a reputable brand, but obviously there are other options.

1. Seiko SNE031 - white dial with black hands on a bracelet. 37mm size is very traditional and will look classy. I really like this type of watch since it is the type of classic look that really works with anything. It is quartz, which may be relevant or not - depending on who you are. You should Google prices for it, but here is one place you can find it: https://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-se-sne031.html
   
   
   
   
2. Seiko SNK795 - this is basically the same sell, but with a black dial rather than the white. A little more casual therefore. It is automatic, rather than quartz - which, again, may matter depending on who you are. Roughly the same prize https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK795-Automatic-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0058VJWTQ

The 7K2 would be better in my opinion, it is 3mm bigger than your Invicta so it should fit fine, and the reviews on the 7K2 are better than the reviews on the 9K2 as well.
Also, for $10 more you can get an Orient Black Mako diver watch which has better reviews than both of them, just throwing it out there for you in case you're interested! http://www.amazon.com/Orient-CEM65001B-Black-Automatic-Watch/dp/B001EWEQ3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416272316&sr=8-1&keywords=Orient+Mako

You're basically looking for a dress watch from the looks of it. I set some filters and tried to find you a watch under $150. Also threw some expedition watches into the mix. I hope you don't mind that most of them are from Bulova. Their dress watches look pretty great.

• Bulova Men's 96B104 Stainless Steel Dress Watch
  
  
• Bulova Men's 98H51 Stainless Steel Dress Watch With Croco Leather Band
  
  
• Seiko Men's SNDC31 Classic Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch with Brown Leather Band
  
  
• Orient Men's FDB08004B Esteem Open Heart Dial Watch
  
  
• Seiko Dress Men's Quartz Watch SUR065
  
  
• Caravelle New York by Bulova Men's 43B137 Analog Display Japanese Quartz Black Watch
  
  
• Bulova 96B217 Mens Dress Brown Leather Strap Watch
  
  

Seiko 5 is the only mechanical option here, but I'll skip hyperlinks because others already mentioned Seiko 5.

Here are my top quartz choices that you should consider:

1. Timex analog - Family of weekender, easy reader, expedition, etc. My vote goes to expedition:
   http://www.amazon.com/Timex-T49905-Expedition-Rugged-Leather/dp/B0083XFHIG/
   
   
2. Digital watches - G shock is my favorite. It looks quite manly in person, and its functionality for an active high school student would be perfect.
   http://www.amazon.com/Casio-DW9052-1V-G-Shock-Stainless-Digital/dp/B000GAYQLI/
   
   
3. Casio analog - Edifice, MDV (diver), MTP (dressy), and others. I suggest the Edifice:
   http://www.amazon.com/Casio-Edifice-Measures-Seconds-Analog-Black/dp/B005S102AY/ref=sr_1_3?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1422601385&sr=1-3

I see alot of people mentioning Skagens, so I figured I would post some Bulovas!

Here
and
Here depending on what you're looking for.

They're the nicest ones I have found for the price, but I'd recommend checking out the other models listed on Amazon.

Good luck!

There are dozens of Citizen watches within your price range, and yes, they are respectable, innovative, and definitely worth having! One such Citizen is the AT0200-05E Eco Drive Chronograph. It's solar powered like all Eco-Drives and has a chronograph function which is amazingly useful and fun. No one will look down on you for wearing that sucker, and you'll find that many people here on /r/watches own some type of Citizen, myself included.

[Hamilton & Khaki Field 38/42]

Price: $380 - $450

Movement: ETA 2824 Automatic with 80-hour reserve

Movement: Hamilton H-10 Automatic with 80-hour power reserve (Thanks /u/InternMan for the correction)

Style: Sports, Pilot, Outdoors, Field

Size: 38mm or 42mm

Link: Amazon 38mm : [Amazon 42mm] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQ0BM2/): Joomashop 38mm

Description: Great all around everyday watch. Perfect entry level Swiss piece. The bracelet is very comfortable. Watch is a strap monster with the black dial.

Edit: Pricing, I guess prices have gone up. If it's your first Joomashop you can save $30 sometimes.

Thanks for your help.

I've taken the plunge but have gone for a SNK289 instead: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0018N0HL0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00.

Went for this strap by Hirsch http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009NK6OHG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I've got a black face Skagen with black leather strap coming for Christmas which I intend to use for work (black leather shoes/black leather belt.)http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skagen-Analogue-Leather-SKW6104-Quartz/dp/B00O13IJ82/ref=sr_1_12?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1450886945&sr=1-12&keywords=black

Went for the SNK289 as it has a white face and the brown leather strap will go well with my smart casual wear which tends to be brown leather shoes, brown leather belt.

Nice to have some variety.

Watches like Seiko's SKX007, SKX013 or SNZH57 are much better quality watches, and would be great for you because they have a very healthy modding community. You can buy all of the bezel inserts you want to use with a SXK007/SNZH57/SKX013 and swap them yourself. You can even change everything to make it look just like a blancpain fifty fathoms.

Thank you for the detailed post on buying guide , $0 to $250. I have hardly used any watches before. Based on the guide I have decided to buy a Quartz watch. My budget is $100. Help me decide a watch from the list below. Thanks.

List: 1) Men's BM8240-03E Eco-Drive Stainless Steel Watch with Leather Band

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EQS1D8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494270964&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=citizen+men+BM8240-03E+eco+drive&dpPl=1&dpID=41KCGnPIymL&ref=plSrch

2) Intelligent Quartz Fly-Back Chronograph Watch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0053EXKFK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494270993&sr=8-1&pi=AC_AA280_QL65&keywords=timex+intelligent+quartz+fly-back+chronograph+watch

3) Seiko Men's SNDC31 Classic Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch with Brown Leather Band

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004JY0KP8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1/130-9437886-7050325?ie=UTF8&qid=1494271471&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=seiko+men%27s+sndc31&dpPl=1&dpID=51gtIrWHCeL&ref=plSrch

4) Men's BM8180-03E Eco-Drive Analog Japanese Quartz Green Watch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EQS1JW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494271069&sr=8-1&pi=AC_AA280_QL65&keywords=citizen+men%27s+bm8180-03e+eco-drive+analog+japanese+quartz+green+watch

5) Weekender 40mm Case Slip-Thru Strap Watch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LW3RCW8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494271119&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=timex+weekender+40mm+case+slip-thru+strap&dpPl=1&dpID=51OZU4ySzOL&ref=plSrch

6) Seiko Men's SNDC89P2 Leather Synthetic Analog with Black Dial Watch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005HIREJK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494271155&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=seiko+men%27s+sndc89p2+leather+synthetic+analog+with+black+dial+watch&dpPl=1&dpID=51QopEmf-uL&ref=plSrch

I'm looking to buy a watch that I can use everyday -formal,casual setting with minimal maintenance. I haven't used a watch in years so there may be times when I won't use a watch. Based on the buying guide, I feel a Quartz watch may be better suited for me than an Automatic. I can't really finalize a watch from the list. Your advice/recommendations will help!

I got this watch for Christmas (Link)
It came with a horrid red alligator skin strap and I finally got around to swapping that out for an old worm brown leather band I had laying around from my Timex, I think it looks great on this watch. Excited to finally have a watch with an off-white face, I really love it! Hope you all like the pictures and the time-lapse. I did not even realize the watch had a hour hand on the chronograph before I recorded this.

You cannot go wrong with a Seiko 5. Absolutely beautiful watch, automatic, and very trust worthy. Just don't fall for a crappy Invicta.

Edit: You also can't go wrong with Citizen watches. I'm not a huge fan of them, but my old chief used to have the Citizen Nighthawk and it looked great.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Timex-T49905-Expedition-Chronograph-Leather/dp/B0083XFHIG/

Its been a very good beater watch, excellent in fact. "Beater" meaning its cheap enough that I don't worry about what I'm doing when I wear it or if I need to carry things at work or do something physical and yet good looking enough to wear on a lot of occasions. I would say its an excellent starter watch.

I would like to buy a watch that is affordable and durable, i like the style of chronograph watches, and prefer black leather straps, here are some options i was looking into, but have no idea which brands are best bang for the buck
Fossil Del Rey Chronograph Leather Strap Watch CH2972
Seiko SKS495
Casio Men's Edifice EF503L-1AV
Seiko Men's SNDC33
Fossil Grant Chronograph Leather Band Watch FS4812
Fossil Decker Chronograph Watch CH2573

which one of these/ or other than these do you recommend?

I'm just starting a watch collection (I've been meaning to since last summer so it's not as impulsive as one would think) and I'm hoping to buy a few watches around the $200~ price range.

​

Currently own:

​

• Fossil Grant Automatic and I really enjoy it. Don't really have any complaints about it, I enjoy looking at the mechanism move.
  
• I also have a few $20 watches that i wear casually.
  
  ​
  
  Looking to buy (want to get as much variety and total budget around $600):
  
  ​
  
  
• Sternglas Naos (Either black or white dial), I wanted to get a Bauhaus and this one looked really good, i've not heard much about Sternglas but what I have heard is that it is high quality. I'm only thinking of the quartz version since its $100 cheaper and I can buy more watches with the remaining money).
  
• Swatch Skin Irony (Not sure which one). I know swatch gets a bad rep sometimes, and I was considering the Sistem but I've seen a few bad reviews on it and how it feels cheap so i feel iffy about it.
  
• Orient Bambino (Not sure which one). I was considering getting the Version 4 Blue dial but it might look a tad cheap. Thoughts on the 2nd Gen Version 3 blue dial?
  
• Seiko SNK795 I have a $20 Titan that looks similar (but needs a new battery).
  
• Citizen Chandler (Grey), Corso (Silver/Gold), or Black/Gold. All 3 look really nice and Citizen has a reputation for quality.
  
• Timex Weekender as a daily beater watch that I can wear when doing something more active or when I get my hands dirty.
  
  ​
  
  Among those watches (or any other suggestions you might have), which ones should I look to buy? Also if there are any Youtubers/reviewers I should follow to be in the know, that'd be great also!

The watch that everyone on this forum is sick of hearing about because of its bang for your buck is the Seiko 5. The Seiko 5 is actually a line of watches and while most people think of the military looking ones there are actually several dress versions of the Seiko 5. Here is one example, and at this price you can afford to get a leather band as well. This way you can have both the metal bracelet and the leather strap to interchange as they are relatively easy to change.

Also take a look at some of the FAQs on this sub and you can google it as well but you may want to read about why we all love mechanical watches so much.

Good luck!

I definitely agree with all the Seiko 5 comments. Its a ton of watch for the money-I got mine for $55 on amazon, leaving you $25 to get a few different straps if you like. Something like this might be up your alley as well. Solid, simple, inexpensive. If you don't care about whether its automatic, Timex or Casio are probably a good bet in your price range. Tons of style choices.

At this point i'm just trying to establish a collection from nice watches that will last me a while. Right now I only have an Invicta Aviator Tritnite, but I am looking to expand to different ones. I found several watches that interest me from a simple aesthetic stand point, such as this bulova as well as this other Bulova 97B151 and this Seiko diver, but I am not sure if they are good watches to stem a collection off of.

I am new to the watch & reddit game. Read posts on reddit and went out and got the Casio EF503D-1AV for $39.99 (Super deal somehow, thanks camelcamelcamel) + Croc strap $12.71 & the MDV106-1AV for $40.99 with the NATO strap for $5.95. Two watches and two straps for $99.64. I love them both. The straps are from Clockwork Synergy straps using a 15% coupon. Thanks for the help.
Amazon links:
Diver: https://www.amazon.com/Casio-MDV106-1AV-Stainless-Steel-Watch/dp/B009KYJAJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467421208&sr=8-1&keywords=mdv106
Chrono: https://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF503D-1AV-Edifice-Stainless-Steel/dp/B003URWNOG/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1467421297&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=ef503

I bought a smart watch U8 its called( to celebrate losing 2 stone). Then last month, I decided to buy a proper watch for my birthday.


I missed out on a second hand, Seiko 5, on Ebay. Showed my friend, & he bought me a brand new one from Amazon. SNK789
Loved it, but since I missed out on ebay, they kept showing other Seiko 5's from India. So I bought another, just to wear daily, to keep the new one for special occasions, like the weekend.
Found this community, & I have been looking at other watches on Amazon & ebay. Damn! I keep buying watches now. I just bought a Casio Diver's watch

I got an old display cabinet from a charity shop, I volunteer at, to display all my old film cameras. But now, it has more watches than cameras.
I need to un-sub from here.

Sorry if I'm not posting at the right place, I'm not a regular lurker of this sub so bear with me here.

I'm looking for a decent, inexpensive watch I can wear every day, pretty casual. I wouldn't dress it up too much so it doesn't need to be very fancy. However, I'd still want a good watch that won't make me look dumb to the watch community, haha.

How is the Timex Expedition line?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0083XFHIG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1453726120&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=timex

Anyone have any similar/maybe better recommendations? Anything I should know before buying?

Thanks guys!

What you want is called a chronograph, which at least in the world of analog watches means a stopwatch right on the main dial, with a dedicated button to start and stop. Such a watch should fill your "quick access" requirement just fine.

Cheapest would probably be the Casio Edifice (example one two three) line of quartz chronos, but there are others, e.g. Timex Fly-Back (another [in white] (http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Intelligent-Fly-Back-Chronograph-Leather/dp/B0053EXKVE/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1368595494&sr=8-13&keywords=quartz+chrono) ) There are may other brands like Pulsar, Citizen, Festina or Bulova who offer cheap quartz chronos; even some Seikos go for under $150.

Now of course if you need more features from your stop watch, like multiple timers or lap-times you'll have to look into digital sports watches, there are also plenty of them around (g-Shock is recommended most of the time). Here I's recommend trying them out in a store because usually you won't find the description on how to access the timers on the web easily.

I have one of these Seiko Chronographs and I love it. It is quartz but if you can get past that its a great piece. Chrono function is very snappy and the pushers feel really good. I got mine from my girlfriend for Valentines day a couple years ago. Its less than $150 all day long online as far as I can tell.

Timex Men's T20041 Easy Reader Brown Leather Strap Watch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B55AEA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Kj-wCbQWDA41S

30 bucks, meets all of your requirements except for the black leather band, but you can just buy a black leather band.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Seiko-Automatic-SNK377-SNK377K1-Men-See-Through-Day-Date-Stainless-Steel-Watch/372579905159?epid=2205496148&hash=item56bf7e2e87:g:Y3AAAOSwKpVbNeUS

This one is probably the best choice if you’re comfortable removing the bracelet. SNK377, 37mm

I'm looking to get an affordable, entry level chronograph and have narrowed down my choices to the Seiko SNDC81 and the Seiko SSB031. Both fill the same niche for me as being a semi-daily wear in a very casual, business casual environment. The SNDC81 has a really simple and retro look and I love the look of the textured crown. The SSB031 has a sportier look with the red accents and I find the mecha-quartz movement to be an extremely cool feature. Could anyone way in and help me decide?

Invicta; Pro Diver 8926

Price: 70-80 dollars

Movement: Seiko NH35A movement w/ Handwinding & Hacking (Aka, seiko 4r36)

Style: Diver

Size: 40mm

Link: Amazon Black, Amazon Blue

Description: One of the few Invicta watches I'd actually recommend. Yes, it's a blatant homage of the Rolex Submariner, but you're still getting pretty decent build quality for what you're paying. It's a solid movement seen in watches three times it's price range and is a solid all around watch. I'd personally recommend removing the cyclops, mainly to make it less homage-like. It's also basically the only diver under 40mm at this price point. Actually, it might be the only automatic diver at it's price point period

Hi all. I'm looking into purchasing a new watch with a budget of about $250. I want to get something a little dressier, as most of what I have tends to be more "sport" looking.

I understand Seiko fits some of these requirements, but I just don't love how they look. I was considering this https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Eco-Drive-Quartz-Stainless-Leather/dp/B079995GSP
It is somewhat between sport and dress, and I love the silver face.

If possible, I'd like something solar powered. I have big wrists so anything less than 40mm looks tiny on my arm.

Thanks!

Edit: I take back what I said about Seiko and I'm considering this boi https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNZH55-Automatic-Black-Stainless/dp/B0045D6570/ref=pd_sbs_241_42?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0045D6570&pd_rd_r=0fe56069-b6d5-11e8-b96a-75051c3f57a5&pd_rd_w=5FeUn&pd_rd_wg=C4sYy&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=8017971983328801850&pf_rd_r=F7H19SASNW0D43Y3ES1R&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=F7H19SASNW0D43Y3ES1R

Some recommendations by Seiko, who I always recommend for a good cheap watch, and as for the strap, easy to replace with a nice leather band, metal isn't as heavy as you think it is either.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HG7O5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_XcxYBbQ879Y3M

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058VJWTQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_efxYBbT8GA478

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQS1JW/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_qixYBbVB15E40

There's also many nice timex ones for cheap if you wanna go quartz

Lmk what you end up with.

I would recommend sticking to brands like Casio, Timex, Citizen, or Orient. Brands like Sturhling, Invicta, Nixon, Fossil etc. aren't quite as good quality and frankly won't be too well received here, not that you should care too much what other people think. Citizen makes really good pieces in that price range, check out these:

1

2

3

4

5

6

Watch

Strap

I was never a fan of bracelets, especially since I have small wrists and the sizing makes the clasp sit awkwardly. I had a devil of a time finding a small, quality strap but finally managed to, even though shipping from Germany takes a bit of time (2 weeks, in this case, slightly prolonged because of holidays I'm sure).

The padding helps the strap match the case thickness better, but it's rather inflexible and the shortness of the strap doesn't help there. Overall, though, I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

Hey guys, looking to spend <$120 on my first watch, I'd like to wear it daily as well as sports and nights out. I've looked at this Timex Chronograph as well as this Seiko and this cheaper Seiko. I value durability/reliability and comfort over style/functions. Was wondering if you guys could offer some advice.

Edit: Also I have a 7.1 inch wrist, I'd like the watch to not be as bulky as a g-shock for example.

I was wonderign if you guys could recommend a watch band for me.

I just bought this on prime day: https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-BJ7000-52E-Nighthawk-Stainless-Eco-Drive/dp/B00074KYC8

and I think a nato strap would look good, maybe in #8, or in natural leather.

What's a good band, price, durability, and comfort included?

I think the Orient Bambino would be a good pick (it's also available in a silver finish but black band so you'd have to change that yourself), more interesting than a sea of similar Bulova, Citizen, and Seiko quartz dress watches.

This Seiko Chronograph might be nice also but busier. And coming in well below budget is the Timex Forty Weekender.

obviously there's going to be a lot of personal preference involved in something like this, so at the end of the day you need to buy what you love (especially on something like a watch that doesn't serve a whole lot of practical purpose beyond looking cool).

Personally, I find the design of MVMT to look really cheap, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask for advice if that's the aesthetic you're looking for.

That said, some of my favorite less expensive watches are the Seiko Samurai and the Citizen Nighthawk on the sporty side, with the Tissot Visodate and Seiko Cocktail Time as more dressy options.

Weekenders check all the boxes of iconic, presentable, and affordable. Probably the best watch in its class.
For a slight step up from the Casio 91w, I like the 105w, which has a slightly cleaner face and a much better lume.
The Seiko SNK809 and its variants are also classic for a reason, and still well under a hundred bucks.

IMO, i would steer clear of two tone watches (gold and silver) as they can look tacky if not done right.


buy a clean watch. if you want a bit more formal, white dials are not a bad way to go. the timex you listed in all "steel" is good https://www.amazon.com/Timex-T2N647-Weekender-Watch-Black/dp/B004VR9GCQ



also, a seiko 5 such as this one is a good bet (remember usually bezels are considered a bit sportier). see if you can change the nato to a leather strap to dress it up a bit more.

I bought my own tool from Amazon and it has been my saviour on many occasion like helping friends to change straps and bracelets etc. Its very cheap and worth the while to get one for yourself. Cheers

Thanks! I like the SNK809 and SNKE063 and they definitely seem like an upgrade to my black Weekender that I'd definitely be interested in, but I'm ideally looking for an upgrade to my white Easy Reader… any ideas?

Thinking about something mildly similar to the style of the Bambino, perhaps you could get a Seiko SNK795 (38mm) at $68.99 (according to Amazon), then invest in a leather strap. You could get a really nice one like this 19mm Hadley Roma and still remain well under $200, maybe even well under $200. I think it looks great, and the Seiko 5 series is known to be good and reliable.

Someone already mentioned Seiko 5, and the Seiko 5 finder will give you a lot of options.

Aside from that, I'd check out Citizen. They make good watches, many with 5 year warranties:

BF0580-06E

BI1030-53E

BM8240-03E

BM8475-26E

They might cost you a little more depending on the model, they're well worth it. The Eco drives are an excellent value, powered by light and expected to run at 80% capacity after 20 years, and when fully charged, can keep on ticking after being left in a dark drawer for up to six months.

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SSB031-Chronograph-Stainless-Steel/dp/B007554XQU ~142 ish looks similar enough, I have the SSB033 myself and I like it a lot.

https://www.amazon.com/Bulova-Lunar-Pilot-Chronograph-96B258/dp/B01D2S3KF8 ~400 but a far superior watch and a more faithful lookalike to the speedmaster.

You just missed the black friday / cyber monday sale, but what do you think about this? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083XFHIG?keywords=timex%20expedition&qid=1449717644&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Not my taste but a couple of my friends have it and love it.

> i was wondering what i should get as a replacement. Still leather, and if yes, same color?

Seems versatile. I'd say google image search around and see what strikes you; e.g.:

lighter brown leather, contrast stitching?

tan leather, black stitching?

red leather?

mesh?

This watch has enough of a military feel that it could look good on a NATO strap as well, and those come in all colors and can be changed without a spring bar tool though you'll want to buy one of those anyway.

My point is, variety is good. It's like having more than one watch, but much much cheaper. Just make sure you get the right width (probably 22mm).

Also look at what people have done with their Sinn pilot watches, particularly the 656, which has a similar dial. If you wear leather shoes most days/at work, consider matching. Crown & Buckle is often a recommended place to start shopping.

Outside of the basic Seiko 5 here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002SSUQFG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1425320793&sr=8-1&keywords=seiko+5&dpPl=1&dpID=51CP7x7F8FL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40 I've included a few other popular Citizen Ecos.

Citizen Dress - Simple
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EQS1D8/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?qid=1425320857&sr=8-15&keywords=dress+watch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=41-PsH8Qk%2BL&ref=plSrch

Citizen Blue Angel - Some versatility when the strap is swapped out
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009DRP9RU/ref=s9_simh_gw_d2_g241_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-2&pf_rd_r=1YSBGC990WPR15ZXPN6V&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1838506702&pf_rd_i=mobile

Citizen Nighthawk - A very popular choice
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00074KYC8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1425320750&sr=8-1&keywords=citizen+nighthawk&dpPl=1&dpID=51ka9S1vWTL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I'm a groomsman in about a month and I'd be happy with any of these choices.

Seiko SNK809 is a great watch for starters and is very popular in this sub. The Timex Weekender is an alternative if you're a little tight on the budget or prefer quartz over automatic watches. And finally there is also the Classic Gold Casio if your teenager in particular wants to be a true OG.

Most really rugged watches will be durable, like a Casio G-Shock. The Casio DW-5600 is excellent for that. I'll make a list of some other options!

Dressy-

Orient Bambino ~$130-$200

Seiko SARB035 ~$400

Citizen Eco-Drive AW1236-03A ~$100

Rugged-

Cadio G-Shock DW-5600 ~$50

Casio G-Shock GA100A-7A ~$70

Victorinox 241675 ~$150

Digital-

Casio F91W ~$10

Casio "World Time" ~$25

Timex Marathon ~$15-$20

Entry Level Mechanical-

Seiko SNK809 ~$60-$75

Orient Mako II ~$150

Invicta Pro-Diver (Submariner Homage) ~$80

Fantastic Quartz-

Timex Weekender ~$20-$30

Timex Expedition ~$50

Casio "Duro" MDV-106 ~$45

unpopular opinion to follow:

Personally, I don't understand the G shock for every day wear. For going to the gym or sporting activities, sure - but i'd prefer something less...gaudy? for edw.

For a proper adults watch and a really reasonable price point look to Orient, specifically the bambino or mako to get you started.

I've seen men at nicer events wearing g-shocks and it always strikes me as what happens when you tell a child to 'wear whatever you want', you shouldn't be too surprised when they come out of their room wearing a spider man costume.

/2cents.

If you're into a 'chunkier' design, I would reccomend the Suunto Core It's a bit higher than your price range but it's got a more streamlined look, I have one and it's tremendously useful if you're active / outdoorsy.

I've had this one from Amazon for a couple years and it's nothing special but totally adequate to the task. There are nicer ones like this if you want them.

I own this Hamilton Khaki Field watch
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EQ0BM2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_9JFGub08YP463

I got mine on sale for $330 but $400 is a normal price. It's an awesome watch I wouldn't wear it with a suit but it can dress up with a nice sweater or something.

I mean, ok, if we were to compare Orient and Seiko, I think Orient wins overall.

For instance, the Orient Ray II is $159:
https://www.amazon.com/Orient-Japanese-Automatic-Stainless-Diving/dp/B01AK5TQE0/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1510583470&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=orient+ray+II

The Direct Seiko Competition (SKX009) is $203:
https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SKX009K2-Divers-Automatic-Stainless/dp/B000OP1M6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1510583493&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=seiko+skx

The Orient gets you a bit better bang for the buck with hacking and handwinding. Something that the Seiko doesn't give you. Now if we look at the look at Seiko's cheaper option, the SNZF15 at $139:

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Stainless-Steel-Automatic-SNZF15/dp/B001ELSSOO/ref=sr_1_16?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1510583493&sr=1-16&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=seiko+skx

The Seiko SNZF15 doesn't hack or handwind, has only 100m water resistance, and although I haven't seen the two side by side, I'm willing to bet that Orient has slightly better quality materials/finishing than the Seiko 5.

Now the amusing thing about the Invicta is this, it uses Seiko's own movement that they use for $200-800 watches, yet they pack it in watches that come in under $100. Their quality and materials aren't even that bad, no worse than Seiko 5!

Thanks for the suggestions! Currently this is my top choice. However, do you think it would be worth the splurge for something a little nicer like this?

Well in that case I'll echo what I said above. An all black watch, in my opinion, would be an interesting 3rd or 4th piece maybe, but I would not recommend it as a daily wear.

Here are a few Seiko watches in 3 different styles that I personally think will be better suited for daily wear. I also like seikos, they offer many solid options across the price spectrum, but they arent your only option:

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SKS405-Stainless-Steel-Watch/dp/B00GX7NA74/ref=pd_sbs_watch_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SY785GTYZH8T4Y4SCYS

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Silver-Brown-Leather-SGEG97/dp/B00I14ALCY/ref=sr_1_46?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1418404534&sr=1-46&keywords=seiko+watches+brown+leather

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNDC33-Classic-Leather-Chronograph/dp/B004JY6X90/ref=sr_1_4?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1418404630&sr=1-4&keywords=seiko+watches+black+leather

How about something more like this
Or this
You can shop around find maybe some better prices, and you can always change straps pretty easily.

That's a chronograph. Start by browsing Amazon. You can filter by price range, brand, features, color, ect. Read the brand guide in the side bar if you want to know if a brand is any good. Would you consider something like this Seiko or a Tissot PRC200? These are just a couple of options, you should do your own search and see if you can find something you like.

Edit: Keep in mind you can easily switch out the band on the watch if you don't like the one that comes with it.

Hello gents, I'm trying to decide what watch to buy. My budget has a hard limit of $400 (weird right?) I've read the watch buying guides and there are some divers there that I like but lately this watch has been catching my attention. Does anybody here own a Citizen at4010-50e? Any reviews? Can I switch out the straps for nato straps or even leather ones? Also, any recommendation on good divers?

Thanks guys

As the Seikos mentioned here are only water-resistant to 30m, you should be fine with light splashings from hand washing only. No dunking or swimming.

However, these Seiko watches are mechanical, not quartz. Most people here prefer mechanical watches to quartz ones, but mechanical watches are much less accurate (and often more expensive) than quartz ones. You may have to reset the time every 1-2 weeks.

If you want a decent quartz watch with a good metal bracelet, check out the Casio EF-503D. This watch uses solid end links to securely connect the bracelet to the watch (many watches use cheap/flimsy hollow or folded end links). It does not have numbers, though.

I have been eyeing this Seiko myself.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007554XQU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_EVOnub0D427QT
This would be more inexpensive. I haven't picked it up, but from what I understand the SSB line have a special meca-quartz movement. It is a quartz with a few mechanical parts which allow the chronograph hand to move in 1/5 seconds.

ProTip: Google "Best [Classic Watch Name] Homage" and you're sure to find a thread or ten on PMWF or Watchuseek. Sometimes there are a bit old and the stock is gone, but here's a few I pulled out of a WUS thread.

• from Alpha and has a few choices for dial and complication colors. Fun to start with the Alpha and work your way to the Omega...har har. They have other takes on the theme too, and used to have a speedmaster (Alpha Speedy) but this is the closest I found to the Speedy currently (besides a recent listing for second-hand on WUS.
  
  
• Casio Edifice seems to be mentioned a lot.
  
  
• Graf Zeppelin whose pics look bad on the site but much better in other threads.
  
  
• Invicta Speedway (might be more of a Daytona homage)
  
  
• Slava / Cjiaba beater
  
  
• Another Seiko model SND367PC. and their Flightmaster series is close but a bit busier. And this one which is mentioned in other comments I think and is apparently import only.
  
  There's a Citizen AN5120-53E that's discontinued (I think) that's really the closest to a straight copy I've seen. If you can find one used or old-stock...

I am looking for a watch for my father.

We found a few watches that he likes, but are a bit too expensive. Here they are: C3 Malvern Chronograph MK II, Tissot T0636171603700.

This one already has too much stuff on the dial.

So I'm looking for a watch with a chronograph, pretty clean dial and that's not too big (45mm is too big). And the budget is 200 Euro, (~220 USD).

Take a look at some of the Casio Edifice models, I picked one up a while ago for $70 and feel like it was a great value. Here are a couple from Amazon:

Link 1

Link 2

I bought this watch after looking through the Buying Guide thread. Someone mentioned the SEIKO 5 SNZH55 and in that comment the Fifty Five fathoms mod was mentioned. Intrigued, I looked it up and the original watch by Blancpain and was blown away. This is the second watch in my collection (My first being a Tissot Visodate), and I love this very much.

I'm very new to watches but spend waaaay too much time on this sub. I am no where near delicate enough to mod a watch on my own, so I bought this one modded off of eBay.

I've ordered a Brady Strap with Gold stitching to replace the original band with. Loving this watch so far.

I like those, but I just bought this. The pepsi bezel won me over, and I like automatic watches, not electric.

Yeah, also right now the Black Orient Mako w/ bracelet is used on Amazon for $66 as an option. Quite a good watch, and this vendor cycles through which used watches are on super sale ~every 30 minutes. Just to consider.

link

• Under $100, chronograph: Seiko SNN241. I use the chrono function every day.
  
• Under $100, time only: Seiko SNKK65 (automatic). I like mechanical watches.
  
• Under $50: Timex Easy Reader, day-date on leather. This might actually be the best looking watch under $100, period!

For bauhaus watches you might want to look at mondaine or braun.

http://www.mondaine.com/mondaine-watches/

http://www.braun-clocks.com/watches

With the more military look, these are always popular http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seiko-Mens-Automatic-Watch-SNK805K2/dp/B000LTAY1U/ref=sr_1_6?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370202169&sr=1-6 there are a few choices of dial color, and you can get a better case for a little more money.

This kinda fits and would be good for a bartender
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seiko-Mens-Automatic-Watch-SNZH55K1/dp/B0045D6570/ref=sr_1_110?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370202318&sr=1-110

or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Citizen-Eco-Drive-Canvas-Watch-BM6400-00E/dp/B000ZPMYCC/ref=sr_1_109?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370202318&sr=1-109

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Citizen-Eco-Drive-Stiletto-Ion-Plated-AR3015-53E/dp/B002BWPDE8/ref=sr_1_59?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370202602&sr=1-59

don't know yhis brand http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jorg-Gray-Commemorative-Edition-Italian/dp/B002R86V10/ref=sr_1_167?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370202707&sr=1-167

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-EF-509L-1AVEF-Analog-Chronograph-Leather/dp/B000VE41PU/ref=sr_1_174?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370202707&sr=1-174

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Citizen-Eco-Drive-Chronograph-Stainless-AT0550-11X/dp/B0012IR0BG/ref=sr_1_439?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370203076&sr=1-439

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mondaine-Swiss-Railways-Chronograph-Watch/dp/B0009362BE/ref=sr_1_443?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370203076&sr=1-443

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seiko-SKA371P2-Black-Rubber-Quartz/dp/B000VJRV9I/ref=sr_1_468?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1370203076&sr=1-468

Nah, get a Springbar tool they're cheap enough and you can swap out the straps in about 1 minute. Re-sizing a metal bracelet is hard but on a cheap watch I use a bobby pin and my bench vise and push the watch down on the needle and it pops the bar out easily. A price bracelet Id take to a jeweler and pay $5-10 to have them fit it, most do it for free though.

I can't speak to either of those directly, but I do have a Khaki Field Auto 42 mm that I recently purchased and absolutely love it. It's a bit more casual than the Jazzmaster collection and it goes with just about everything I wear.

Start by checking out the r/watches buying guide for watches under $250. There are a lot of good recommendations in there. The Casio MDV106 can be had for less than $70 (and often goes on sale for less than $50) and it does a good job of giving a Rolex Submariner-ish look without being a straight-up copy. You mentioned that you like the look of the Omega Speedmaster, so take a look at the Casio EF503D for a similar look and much lower price. If you're looking for a mechanical, there are lots of good options listen in the buying guide, like the Seiko SKX007, which shares some visual similarities to the Rolex Sub, but very much has it's own distinct design as well.

I would pick up a swatch for the everyday/match most things piece to balance out what you have. Or save some coin and pick up a Seiko 5 — have fun with that gift card!

Exactly. A watch is like a pair of shoes: you wouldn't wear penny loafers when going out for a run, and you wouldn't wear sneakers at a funeral. There are a ton of different kinds of watches (like the Rolex Submariner compared to an Omega Speedster...different functions for different types of people and different activities), and within those categories there are different stylistic choices that are based on personal tastes (modern and sleek, big and bulky, etc).

I could recommend something like the Hamilton Khaki Field, or something like a Seiko diver, or a Citizen Eco-Drive chronograph, or the popular Seiko SARB065. Very different watches for different types of people and different occasions.

I’m sorry you are having to deal with cancer. I hope the diagnosis is good and that you can avoid chemo, but if you do need it, I wish you an easy journey. As for the watch, I bought this a few weeks ago as a gift for a friend and had no problems whatsoever. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000EQ0BM2?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

The Seiko 5 SNK795 is rather neat for the price. The red second hand is a nice touch. It comes with a bracelet, and you ought to be able to find a cheapish leather strap for it, along with the spring bar tool for DIY bracelet/strap swaps. All together, your total is under $100.

Just make sure to get the same lug width bracelet. Then buy this fella so you don't fall victim to exorbitant pricing. Just make sure to do your research for compatibility, but yes it can be done and very easily at that.

After scouring the buying guides (thank you for those!), I've decided that I want to purchase a Seiko watch for my SO, but I'm stuck between these three options. I want to get whichever of these options is the best value. The first one is a solar watch, but one of the reviews as well as the lack of description made me wary that it might not be legitimate. The second is a Seiko 5 watch, but the Amazon description has different measurements than I've found for the same watch elsewhere, which again makes me wary. Do you guys have any advice for me on which of these three watches to purchase?

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNE039-Stainless-Steel-Solar/dp/B0043ZT04K/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1506408012&sr=1-1&nodeID=7147441011&psd=1&keywords=Seiko+solar&refinements=p_89%3ASeiko+Watches

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNKK71-Automatic-Stainless-Steel/dp/B004MAVO72/ref=sr_1_4?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1506406794&sr=1-4&nodeID=7147441011&psd=1&keywords=Seiko+5&refinements=p_36%3A-8000

https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK789-Analog-Automatic-Silver/dp/B0018N0HL0/ref=sr_1_5?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1506406794&sr=1-5&nodeID=7147441011&psd=1&keywords=Seiko+5&refinements=p_36%3A-8000

Buy a strap from wherever (hirsch is pretty good http://www.hirschstraps.com/collections/leather-hirsch-straps) and if there's a watch boutique or kiosk near you, they'll probably switch it out for free. Or you can buy a spring bar tool and do it yourself https://www.amazon.com/GGI-Spring-Bar-Tool-Set/dp/B005ZEWGSA

Invicta is not going to be recommended on this sub. They generally are pretty bad watches.

Common suggestions here would be a Seiko 5, or a Seiko diver.

Here are some Seiko watches to consider:

• Military Style Seiko 5
  
  
• Diver Seiko SKX009
  
  Both watches are pretty small so they would work well on a tiny wrist. Hope I helped!
  
  Also, for more information you can check the buying guide in the sidebar.
  

Invicta. Everyone rides the hate wagon, but the truth is they are really cheap (Amazon) and great quality. I got a SS Rolex Sub "homage" for $65 on Amazon
This

It’s hard to beat the Invicta 8926OB for the price. It’s a great watch if someone isn’t used to wearing a watch and just wants to try one out to see if they like it.

Turns out, I liked it. Now the collection continues to grow!

I really like this Citizen: https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Eco-Drive-AW1430-86E-Sport-Watch/dp/B00UMD8FCA it's a little on the larger side though, at 43mm.

Same size for this one: http://m.kohls.com/product/prd-2458135/citizen-eco-drive-mens-sport-stainless-steel-watch-aw0050-82e.jsp

I don't know why I didn't see it before, but this Seiko 5 would be a nice alternative to the SARB: https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK795-Automatic-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0058VJWTQ

Or this: https://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNKL45-Stainless-Steel-Automatic/dp/B00EVPMFUS

Hope that helps!

Zeppelin is made by PointTec, which also makes Junkers watches. They are fairly well respected for a budget pricepoint. I'm not sure which particular model appeals to you, but you might also like the look of the Orient Symphony, Esteem, or maybe the Monterey. Seiko also has the SNDC31 and SPC131P1 that you might like, both of which are quartz.

Assuming you want a mechanical watch, here are my suggestions.

Desk Diver (a dive watch that looks a little more fashionable than utilitarian):

• Orient Blue Ray
  
  
• Orient Mako
  
  Utilitarian Divers:
  
  
• Seiko Black Monster or Orange Monster
  
  
• Seiko SKX007
  
  
• Citizen Promaster
  
  These watches will have a lot of the same basic features: water resistant to 200m, screw down crown, time lapse bezel, mineral crystal etc. The Seiko's will arguably have the best lume and they also use their "Hardlex Mineral Cyrstal" which may have an advantage over the crystals of the Orients or Citizen. All of these use workhorse movements. The Citizen uses a Miyota movement that can also be hand wound.
  

Here's a link to the (0-$250) buying guide if you haven't already perused it:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/comments/2mkg05/rwatches_buying_guide_0250_usd/

If you want a mechanical watch at that price, your best bet from my (admittedly limited) research would be a Seiko 5. Here's three of varying colors that fit your requests:
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK795-Automatic-Stainless-Bracelet/dp/B0058VJWTQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1419273671&sr=1-7&keywords=seiko+5
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNK793-Stainless-Steel-Automatic/dp/B002SSUQF6/ref=sr_1_8?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1419273671&sr=1-8&keywords=seiko+5
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SNKK65-Automatic-Stainless-Steel-Bracelet/dp/B004JOBXAY/ref=sr_1_14?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1419273671&sr=1-14&keywords=seiko+5

If you just put in "Seiko 5" in the Amazon Search bar you should have more options than you think.

Orient's parent company is the Seiko Epson Corporation, and does not have any interaction with the Seiko watch division (as I understand it.) Orient uses their own in-house movements.

Given that you will be using the watch at the beach, I would want a watch with a screw down crown, so I would choose the Orient over that particular Seiko. However, you can get a Seiko SKX diver for around the same price on Amazon, which I happen to like better, and there are a good number of aftermarket bracelets specifically made for it available.

Well thanks all for the ID.

Bad news (well not bad, just news) is that i can get it cheaper in Canada, so I'll be putting htis purchase off for a few months when I return.

I was hoping that it would be cheaper in Japan; it would have made a great souvenir.

This Seiko SNDC33 looks good, and is your price range with the features you want. Good luck on your proposal.