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Watches

In what sort of mid-level watch could I find a good ETA?

JB said:
If the watches main focus is merely to tell time, then I would say everybody should have a digital watch. Others like it as an accessory and want the smoothest movement and things that only certain movements can offer. Just because these things do not have interest to you, does not mean they dont interest some. Its no different than features in cars. Some like certain features that others dont find they need. However what is under the hood, is in fact a better made movement. Stronger, more durable, more accurate (over time), are all features that high end movements offer than most others cannot compete with.

I find it so ironic that you said you bought a Citizen because you heard the movement was as good as others. If the movement does not matter, why listen to that advice at all? Why care at all? The movement is what separates watches and a good movement can last generations.

For the record, a good movement such as an ETA, is not only available in extremely high end watches. It just so happens that most high end feature great movements.
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Actually, ETA makes several different movements, though there are a couple that are more high production and used by many watch 'names'. ETA wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the heap when it comes to beauty or function, in the high end watch world, off the top of my head I could name probably 20 and that would just be a small portion. But they are very good, very dependable, well known and respected, and I am not slagging their name. ETA is part of the Swatch group, with Swatch, Omega, and many other top name brands.

Quartz will most typically be more accurate than mechanical. Rolex acceptable accuracy ranges but can be something like 10-15 seconds a day - and it can easily vary even within 2 of the same model (not just with Rolex, with any maker). Many quartz movements don't lose that in a year. The top of the top in mechanicals would be a few seconds a month lost or gained. The top of the top in quartz might be 2-3 seconds a year.

HOWEVER

A mechanical doesn't require a battery, it self winds from your natural movement. If you are extremely sedentary, this can be an issue. But a mechanical harkens back to a simpler time, and many people feel that they have a soul. There can be tremendous beauty in the engineering and decoration of a mechanical movement, something I don't think I've ever seen in a quartz.

The most expensive quartz I have seen would be a high end current model Seiko around $3-4,000. I'm sure something higher end exists, but it's not common. As you probably know, you can buy mechanicals in the millions of dollars.

A really great forum for watch info is watchuseek dot com, with many subforums dedicated to brands, styles, price ranges, accessories, and on and on. I don't go there much because it has a strange power over my credit card that my banker is not fond of. :p
 
JB said:
If the watches main focus is merely to tell time, then I would say everybody should have a digital watch. Others like it as an accessory and want the smoothest movement and things that only certain movements can offer. Just because these things do not have interest to you, does not mean they dont interest some. Its no different than features in cars. Some like certain features that others dont find they need. However what is under the hood, is in fact a better made movement. Stronger, more durable, more accurate (over time), are all features that high end movements offer than most others cannot compete with.

I find it so ironic that you said you bought a Citizen because you heard the movement was as good as others. If the movement does not matter, why listen to that advice at all? Why care at all? The movement is what separates watches and a good movement can last generations.

For the record, a good movement such as an ETA, is not only available in extremely high end watches. It just so happens that most high end feature great movements.
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lol, we said the same thing in different ways....I totally agree with you here!
 
TYork said:
For the record there are many different ETA movements. Some are lexus priced and some are pinto priced. Just about every swiss watch out there uses them. The beauty of the higher end ETA movement is that they are powered by your body movements (automatic). Would you pay more for a lexus that never required gas and kept on running for years? Most of the time decades. The other beauty with higher end watches is that they function as jewelry. I despise all types of jewelry on men except for watches. A nice watch tells a lot about a person. That being said, I wear really nice watches (3-4k+) and 45.00 casio's. Just depends on the occasion.
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ECO Drive requires no winding or batteries either

What exactly does a watch tell you about a person??? Very shallow statement there

Anthony Weiner looked like he was wearing a nice watch on TV the other day what does that say about him?

I'm sure Arnold has many Rolex's what does that say about him?
 
Jacob Robertson said:
In what sort of mid-level watch could I find a good ETA?
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Hundreds and hundreds of different things. Here's a "boutique" (note the quotes) hand made in Germany with Swiss ETA 2824 movement and other Swiss parts, homage (not copy of) a Submariner. $320 Euro = about $500 landed.
Stein1.jpg


Some very good Swiss made watches that should be readily available to you and start around $2-300 for a mechanical include:

-Tissot
-Swiss Army
-Esquire
-and many others, plus there are dozens or hundreds of small shop boutique makers using ETA's. Next step up, into the $6-800+ range would include the Hamiltons (another Swatch name) and yet again many others.

Seiko, though not Swiss, makes EXCELLENT mechanicals. Citizen makes some but they are not common. The Eco drive is essentially a quartz, using power storage from (I think it's solar) instead of an actual battery.
 
keto said:
Hundreds and hundreds of different things. Here's a "boutique" (note the quotes) hand made in Germany with Swiss ETA 2824 movement and other Swiss parts, homage (not copy of) a Submariner. $320 Euro = about $500 landed.
Stein1.jpg


Some very good Swiss made watches that should be readily available to you and start around $2-300 for a mechanical include:

-Tissot
-Swiss Army
-Esquire
-and many others, plus there are dozens or hundreds of small shop boutique makers using ETA's.

Seiko, though not Swiss, makes EXCELLENT mechanicals. Citizen makes some but they are not common.
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Wonderful. I was looking to spend, at most, 500 US. So, from what I gather, as long as you take care and do not mind adjusting about once every week or so, over time, a high quality mechanical movement will offer better durability and functionality. Is this a reasonably accurate synopsis?
 
Next to golf equipment, watches are my favorite way to spend good money.
I have a Tag 'Link' that gets worn to church and other occasions and for daily use I have a Wenger tide and moon phase watch which came in very handy when I had a boat to take in and out of the water and had to work around low tides.
I havnt yet had any self winding type watches batterys these day seem to last for a good length of time. I have had some wind-up ones before but always seem to forget to do it and ended up having to always reset the thing.
Next watch in my sights is a Omega Speedmaster "moon" watch. Some decent deals on ebay for those.
 
Jacob Robertson said:
Wonderful. I was looking to spend, at most, 500 US. So, from what I gather, as long as you take care and do not mind adjusting about once every week or so, over time, a high quality mechanical movement will offer better durability and functionality. Is this a reasonably accurate synopsis?
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In theory, yes. That said, one of the Seiko quartzes I posted previously is a 1976 (or 77 I forget) and runs perfectly. In either case, occasional servicing is recommended....a service on a mechanical is usually some cleaning, check for and replace worn parts, etc. and can run $100-300 depending on what you want done. I haven't had one done, just been doing lots of reading - the recommended interval ranges 3-5 years, but many people go lots longer without. Regularly serviced, a mechanical can last many lifetimes. Quartzes have only been out ~35 years, so I suppose it's too soon to say but they are (and I'm generalizing here, make no mistake) **somewhat** more prone to failure over time, though I suspect lots of that is letting a dead one sit in the drawer and have the battery leak, destroying the guts.

If you want reliability and accuracy and nothing more, quartz is the way to go. If you want something that's a bit more of a work of art, that you can take pride in and that others who are into watches will recognize and acknowledge, go mechanical. But you will put a bit more into it of your time - adjusting occasionally, setting it if you let it run down, plus the aforementioned servicing. On the subject of letting it run down, most mechanicals have a reserve of around 2 days from a full wind. Some can be hand wound with the crown, some cannot and need to me moved to be wound.

If you want to learn a LOT more and have a bit of time to read, go poke around on watchuseek.
 
keto said:
In theory, yes. That said, one of the Seiko quartzes I posted previously is a 1976 (or 77 I forget) and runs perfectly. In either case, occasional servicing is recommended....a service on a mechanical is usually some cleaning, check for and replace worn parts, etc. and can run $100-300 depending on what you want done. I haven't had one done, just been doing lots of reading - the recommended interval ranges 3-5 years, but many people go lots longer without. Regularly serviced, a mechanical can last many lifetimes. Quartzes have only been out ~35 years, so I suppose it's too soon to say but they are (and I'm generalizing here, make no mistake) **somewhat** more prone to failure over time, though I suspect lots of that is letting a dead one sit in the drawer and have the battery leak, destroying the guts.

If you want reliability and accuracy and nothing more, quartz is the way to go. If you want something that's a bit more of a work of art, that you can take pride in and that others who are into watches will recognize and acknowledge, go mechanical.
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Thank you, you have been a tremendous help. I will look at some mechanicals as well when I shop. I have about a year until I buy anyway.
 
I have own lot of watches but my favorite is my Omega Speedmaster. Also I think my next watch needs to be a IWC. I love the few of models of this brand.
 
Also, I forgot a fairly important point. If at all possible, get a watch with a sapphire crystal. They are much less prone to scratching and marking than the typical plastic crystals used on most mainstream retail watches. The flip side of that coin is that a sapphire can shatter if it takes an extreme blow, whereas the plastic ones (called many different names, if it doesn't say sapphire then it's not sapphire) are more like bullet proof glass and won't shatter. I haven't broken one but suspect if you shatter a sapphire you're likely to also have a broken wrist, so they are not exactly fragile.
 
keto said:
Also, I forgot a fairly important point. If at all possible, get a watch with a sapphire crystal. They are much less prone to scratching and marking than the typical plastic crystals used on most mainstream retail watches. The flip side of that coin is that a sapphire can shatter if it takes an extreme blow, whereas the plastic ones (called many different names, if it doesn't say sapphire then it's not sapphire) are more like bullet proof glass and won't shatter. I haven't broken one but suspect if you shatter a sapphire you're likely to also have a broken wrist, so they are not exactly fragile.
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What is the extra cost I can expect with such an option?
 
Jacob, more than welcome. Best of luck finding something you love.


gadiel said:
I have own lot of watches but my favorite is my Omega Speedmaster. Also I think my next watch needs to be a IWC. I love the few of models of this brand.
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Ah yes. My dream watch possibly within reach in my lifetime is a Seamaster chrono, but I wouldn't kick a Speedmaster to the curb if offered to me! I wish the Planet Ocean chrono (45.5mm) was just a hair smaller, it overwhelms my wrist - but it's stunning. I like IWC's but my lottery win watch is a Zenith El Primero chrono. Zenith has had a new CEO for the past couple of years that has taken them back to a more rootsy/retro styling, and their new stuff is amazing. All in house movements too, whereas IWC mixes in house (minority if I remember my reading) and external built.
 
keto said:
. My dream watch possibly within reach in my lifetime is a Seamaster chrono, but I wouldn't kick a Speedmaster to the curb if offered to me! I wish the Planet Ocean chrono (45.5mm) was just a hair smaller, it overwhelms my wrist - but it's stunning.
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45.5mm is a pretty big watch. I was looking at some vintage military watches from the 40's and those things are 33mm and 34mm and looked like kids watches. The sizes have really changed.
 
I like the Carrera.

Girlfriend bought me a TAG as a Christmas gift years ago. Still wear it every day, although I should really clean it more given the value. Same as my golf clubs!
 
I LOVE watches. I too refer to them as a piece of art. I'm always mezmorized walking by the high end watches in a jewelery store. My wife wanted to buy me a rolex for our anniversary one year, then she found out the price tag. I bought a pretty inexpensive mechanical watch and I tried explaining how it works to my wife. She didn't understand that either. All in all, I'd love to have a few of those high end watches, but at this time it certainly is a want and not in the budget! So it will be a sweet sweet day when I do get one...
 
found the right thread. lol.

anyway...ToyWatch. tells time. tells the CORRECT date at Noon. I'm too lazy to change the setting.

what happens on the inside isn't my thing. i could use a few more cool watches though.


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I love my Citizen Eco-Drive. Never needs a battery, gives the date and time, and looks great.
 
This was my college graduation present. I've wanted one for like 10 years.

svZC0.jpg
 
Currently on my wrist (been wearing the same watch every day for over 6 months, very rare for me to do that!!)
Citizen Skyhawk AT, Black! I fell in love with this watch after my girlfriend bought it for me as a one year anniversary gift. I will be buying the blue angels edition at some point! the black is done with PVD, awesome process, and damn near indestructible!

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Bird said:
I have no idea about the Golf watch because I am not interested in this game.
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Then why are you here? For the contests?
 
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