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Friday, May 24. 2013

Our friend at the Q&O site is having problems with his semi-expensive watch, so I thought I'd repost this.

We posted a while ago about expensive watches, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Phillippe, and all that. I've had a couple of moderately-expensive ones over the years but over time the repair and maintenance seemed foolish and, sad to say, an Accutron cannot be effectively repaired anymore.

As cheap watches go, I don't like digital watches. I like to see the sweep of time.

When I last went for a dreaded and long-delayed medical check up on the insistence of Mrs. BD, I noticed that my fancy doc wore the same one I did - a Timex Expedition. They are good for about ten years or more, and when you need to replace the leather band it comes with with a nice leather band, the band costs 3X more than the watch.

Any watch I wear gets banged around quite a bit, but I feel naked without one. Are they male jewelry, social signals, or are they tools?

Amazon sells them, real cheap. $31. That is indeed a fashion statement: it declares that you are a sensible person.

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 16:22 | Comments (18) | Trackbacks (0)

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For the last decade and more, I've worn a simple, inexpensive Casio digital watch. Keeps really excellent time (to a few seconds over an entire year), has an interval timer and illuminated dial, the battery seems to last forever, and it is "water resistant" rated down to 50m depth so I wear it while swimming or diving. Best of all is the price: the last time I bought one, which was 3-4 years ago, it was $15-20 depending on the model. When the strap broke on my previous watch, I walked into the nearest drug store and picked up a replacement for it. Can't beat that for convenience.

#1 Agent Cooper on 2013-05-24 16:34 (Reply)

Let me point out that the Timex Expedition Combo gives you the best of both analog AND digital watches. Nine slightly different models currently on offer. I've used both the metal and resin models over the past 20 years - much prefer the resin. http://www.timex.com/search/apachesolr_search/expedition combo

#2 HSNormal on 2013-05-24 16:36 (Reply)

Amen on the Timex Expedition. Just wish the 'lighting up' feature was as durable as the 'keeping time' feature.

#3 archer2010 on 2013-05-24 17:23 (Reply)

.

Recently I bought a watch for $10 from the Sportsman's Guide. It keeps really excellent time, appears to be ± a minute a year. Plastic. Made in China, but with a Japanese movement.

I liked it so much I bought 2 more for gifts — but by that time they were 2/$22. Still a good value.

I don't wear mine, though. Mrs. Scott gave me an Accutron, so I must wear it. Hoping the battery or something will go out, so I can switch to my other watches. But I must say that the Accutron is the most accurate watch I've ever owned. To well within ±10 seconds/year.

Final comment: if you buy a watch for $200, $300, or $500, your money is gone. You can never sell it for even a small fraction of the purchase price.

But buy a Rolex for $5,000, and you will get your money back. I've owned 3 - 4 Rolex's, and made money on every one of them when I sold. Plus, the new ones are really a major improvement over the '60's – '90's models.

.

#4 Dr. Everett V. Scott (Link) on 2013-05-24 18:30 (Reply)

Timex here too. Like the Indiglos. While I like a dial, I really like the timer and alarm functions, so have digital.

#5 Sam L. on 2013-05-24 19:45 (Reply)

I prefer cheap digital watches.

#6 Gringo on 2013-05-24 20:59 (Reply)

Perhaps, it be someone's Birthday.

#7 Leag on 2013-05-24 21:34 (Reply)

I could not resist having 'atomic time' on my wrist, very Dick Tracy, even though I can't stand large weighty watches. Casio, 90 bucks, accurate to the second year round, so long as you can receive WWV.

I do have some nicer looking analog watches for the occasional occasion. So I guess I'd say, male jewelry has a niche, but primarily a watch is a tool. I admit though, to an inward grin at the latest fashion of extremely large and heavy watches worn for "social signals" among the young. So large you nearly need to have your arm in a sling to wear them.

Leag! Is that really you... good to see you.

#8 XRay on 2013-05-24 21:45 (Reply)

Arrr, really, it is, XRay.

Me be relearning qwerty, really slow.

#8.1 Leag on 2013-05-24 21:59 (Reply)

Slow doesn't matter, least on this end. Just good to know your ol' irascible self is still around. I'm under a different nic, here, than what it used to be. Don't want to be banned again, so need be circumspect regards recognition as to our previous discussions. As said already though, glad you're around.

#8.1.1 XRay on 2013-05-24 22:27 (Reply)

Love my Timex Expedition. As you say, the leather strap can be more expensive than the watch. It also tends to wear quickly if you sweat a lot or play in the water. I replace mine with a nylon(?) web band when the leather wears out.

I also love the analog watch becaue in a pinch you can use it as a compass. Try that with a digital!

#9 joated on 2013-05-24 21:48 (Reply)

During one of the oil booms about 30 years ago I wore a $11.03 (including Texas sales tax) Texas Instruments digital that I reset every couple of months when it had drifted off about 10-15 seconds. Shortly after one of those resettings I was in a restaurant near a couple that had just bought matching diamond encrusted Rolexes. They were discussing which of their watches was correct because they were different by several minutes. After a little discussion they settled on a time and synchronized their watches. They were a little over 3 minutes off.
My current watch is a Casio that automatically resets itself every night using the time signal from the naval observatory in Colorado Springs. It cost about 1% of my guess of the cost of those Rolexes and it is probably off about 0.1 sec maximum. It is also shock resistant, good for immersion up to 200 meters, and solar powered. And really ugly.

#10 Dr. Dave on 2013-05-24 22:00 (Reply)

I have a couple of Citizen watches in the $100 range. Never had a problem with either. Also was never tempted by the fancy expensive versions with more dials like the link.

#11 NJSoldier on 2013-05-24 22:15 (Reply)

Once I got my first cell phone I stopped wearing a watch.

#12 Gary in Texas on 2013-05-24 22:46 (Reply)

I've had my Accutron "effectively repaired". Owned it since 1969.

#13 Greg Taylor on 2013-05-24 22:51 (Reply)

I've got a Citizen watch I've had for over twenty years that still keeps excellent time. Also an Expedition I wear for outdoor work or just beating around. Vermont Country store advertises a wind-up watch I might have to try.

#14 Santay on 2013-05-25 04:59 (Reply)

Leag, how can you tell a pilot? By the huge watch on the wrist.

Santay! Yes, you, Santay! How would you like to have a wristwatch that NEVER NEEDS BATTERIES? It not only runs, but it hops, skips, and jumps! AND...It's GREEN! No gas, no batteries, no solar cells, you don't even plug it in! Powered by a finely tempered high-tech steel mainspring! And only $19.99! Buy now and get two (2!) for only $29.99!

#15 Sam L. on 2013-05-25 12:42 (Reply)

Your watch is part of your clothes and should coordinate.

"Clothes oft do proclaim the man..."

Too much bling with cargo shorts and flipflops and you look funny.

Wear a plastic camo Timex with a tux and you look funny.

A big gold Rolex encrusted with diamonds and you're an insecure social climber with more money (or credit card debt) than sense.

#16 Whitehall on 2013-05-25 17:12 (Reply)

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Friday, May 24. 2013

Good cheap watches