Watches - another OCD problem
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Since there are a bunch of Blancpain fans around here, there's a piece on the new Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph at aBlogToWatch.
It's got a new, 5 Hz in-house movement, and the pushers can be operated at depths up to 300 metres. Unfortunately you probably won't be in a fit state to do so if you're at that depth…
Meanwhile, over at Hodinkee, there's the announcement of the new Jaeger LeCoultre Geophysic 1958.
If I was drawing up the specs of my ideal watch, it would be water and shock resistant, anti-magnetic, chronometer rated, have an interesting in-house movement, and be wearable both formally and casually. I reckon this piece does it.
For the watch nerds, the original Geophysic was derived from the Jaeger Mark XI, which is one of my favourite vintage pieces.
I'm very tempted…
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I know the majority of this thread focus's on watches which cost the same as a small island, but I was looking for an opinion on the Seiko Monster diving watches. I know that they might not be everyones thing aesthetically, just wondering if they are good enough to be worn daily for a number of years as an everyday thing.
I'm not a watch nerd, but my Rado is just about dead so a replacement is not a million miles away.
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The Monster is (I believe) a mechanical watch, so it should be good for at least five years if you don't service it. Possibly indefinitely if you do get it serviced, but that's likely to cost as much as watch did in the first place!
What sort of Rado do you have Gav? Again, getting it serviced could get it back to an as-new condition.
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The Monster is a great value and a fantastic watch. I love that JLC, but 9800 is too rich for me. Maybe if I can find one on the secondary market.
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The Monster is indeed an automatic, and a very good one. There are millions of them out in the world, and for good reason. They're cheap and they last forever, and if you feel like making one truly your own, there are endless aftermarket parts and people willing to modify your watch for you.
One thing to look for when buying- recently Seiko changed the movement from the 6R15 to the 4R36. The new one can be hand wound (the old one had to be shaken to wind) and "hacks", meaning that the second hand stops when you set the time. In the 6R15, the second hand kept running while you set the time. If those things matter to you, make sure you get a newer model- manufactured in the last couple of years. If that doesn't matter, I'd recommend buying on the used market. Watch Recon is a good place to start.
Oh, and I'm not a Seiko fanboy, but the Monster's reputation among the watch nerd crowd is really impeccable. It's a great choice if you like the aesthetics.
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Massive and super heavy but one of my favorite divers.
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Sold the Breitling and the Benarus and am now looking for a "beater" (aka a watch to wear when the Sub is out of place but it won't see much beating per se, got a G shock for that). Definitely over big watches, never thought it would happen to me but the difference in comfort and wearability is too big a thing to overlook. Been eyeing the Sinn 556 and am hoping to find one used but that might be along shot given my target budget. Want something fairly simple and preferably not another dive watch and want to keep it in the sub 500 € range. If you guys have suggestions, feel free to do so - automatic or handwound are both ok, and I'd like to keep it in the 39-41 mm range. Wearability on nato/zulu is a definite plus. Oh, and definite no-no:s are roman numerals, numerals for all the hour indexes (3-6-9-12 or less is ok) and day-date displays. No direct homages either..
I've also looked at the JDM Seiko SARB033 (I've probably mentioned it earlier in this thread, funny how things go in circles) but something's holding me back even though it could do double duty as a more dress watch if I can't do the James Bond thing and wear the sub
It is pretty though…
Regarding the Seiko Monster, it most definitely is a lot of watch for the money and it is quite iconic. I've never liked it from an aesthetic viewpoint so I would prefer the classic SKX007 and get a "super oyster"-bracelet from the 'bay if I wanted to spruce it up. I've owned a SKX-series Seiko and liked it quite a bit. The movement is very reliable, no hacking or hand-winding though but never bothered me that much. Mine did a steady +12-15s/day which IMHO was quite good considering the price. Probably possible to regulate it for better performance but never bothered.
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Have a look at the maratac pilot watch. Comes in a 42mm approx model. Very clean, large sapphire crystal done. Nice fucking watch!
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Pic of 42 and 46 models
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Yeah I have looked at the smaller one but can't get over the number indexes….
And by the way, Seikos 6R15 movement is hacking and hand-windable, the 7s26 found in the seiko 5 and SKX:s is not. I was under the impression that the Monster had the 7s26 but I've been out of the loop regarding that for a few years so I might be wrong.
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@Jii:
Yeah I have looked at the smaller one but can't get over the number indexes….
And by the way, Seikos 6R15 movement is hacking and hand-windable, the 7s26 found in the seiko 5 and SKX:s is not. I was under the impression that the Monster had the 7s26 but I've been out of the loop regarding that for a few years so I might be wrong.
You're right about the 7S26; I had a brain freeze on that one.
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The Tissot Luxury Automatic COSC is a above your budget, at around €790 inclusive.
Yes, it's got an ETA movement, but it's chronometer certified, so should be accurate. Not only that, but ETA have dropped its frequency to 3 Hz, and used low friction materials, meaning that it's got an eighty hour power reserve. It's a bit more horologically interesting than the average budget timepiece.
There are write-ups on it at Hodinkee and Watch Insider.
Going up a bit more (I know, I know) is the Nomos Club. It's €1080 inclusive, but you get a piece with an in-house movement, which gets you credibility amongst watch nerds.
It's got five numbers, which I hope isn't too many, and it's a bit small at 36 mm. But it does come on a Cordovan strap.
(Sorry Jii, I got mixed up between you and Snowy from your similar avatars, and thought that you'd not be paying VAT. Hence things are a bit pricey…)
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Nomos makes an amazing watch. I have a TAngente and it is perfect.
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Haha, thanks Graeme for the suggestions. Both are a little bit too "dressy" for me right now. And really trying to keep to the budget (or going under it preferably) since this watch won't get much use I suspect. Doesn't have to be that fancy either. Bumped into this and it ticks almost all the boxes: not a direct homage, cheap, clean dial, works on a Nato, decent movement but why oh why does it have to have a mineral glass crystal?
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I'd have thought the Sub would have worked in most situations, and what it didn't cover would be handled by the G-Shock. But I'm coming from the position of being a one-watch man. Were I looking for something else, I'd probably go for something a bit more dressy, like the Nomos, which would work better with a suit.
The UHR looks nice, though.
How about a really leftfield suggestion: a Moto 360.
They're due out later this summer, and are an Android Wear based smartwatch. The front is a touchscreen, and can switch from a traditional looking timepiece to running apps. I don't know the expected price, but it'll probably be around your budget.
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@jii I have had my eye on a submariner now for a year. I think in the next 2 months it is time for me to finally pull the trigger on a dateless.
