Inexpensive watch recommendations

MRC01 said:
Another option is the Seiko 5, purely mechanical. It will run for many years without any maintenance and never need a battery. It uses a 7S26 movement which is the least expensive of the mechanical movements having good accuracy and reliability.
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The caliber 7526 was replaced by the caliber 4R36 (Seiko branded) and the identical NH35 (unbranded) in 2011. They may have kept installing 7526 movements until they ran out. Nothing wrong with the NH35. It's cheaper to replace it than to service it. It's reliable and can be regulated to be very precise and accurate. Because it's an automatic movement it's not for the occasional wearer. You must wear it most of the day or use a watch winder to keep it running. The power reserve is 41 hours when fully wound. People who are inactive will never get that thing fully wound by wearing it. And manually winding an automatic is not ideal.
 
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spasm3 said:
Thats a decent watch. I had one, until i didn't have the strap on all the way and if fell off as i was walking backwards with a pushmower!
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That's why I like NATO straps on sports watches. The strap passes between the case and both spring bars, making the watch head almost lossproof. Unless both spring bars fail, the watch head will still be attached to the strap. The strap itself is tough and I have never seen one break. I would hate to lose my watch while surfing!

NATO straps explained:
 
Nukeman7 said:
I have worn this exact Timex watch day-in and day-out for the past decade. It truly "takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin"!

It is currently on the third replacement watch band since they wear out in 3-4 years when worn daily.
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This very similar to the Timex watch I most recently had issues with.

Won't keep time agter 6 months and the button for the back lighting is WAY too stiff to even use.

That and the watch is loud. Like, have to put it in another room at night while trying to sleep loud. Maybe I just got a lemon?
 
I seriously suggest that you use a NATO or Zulu strap on a watch you wear under conditions that may cause the loss of the watch head. This includes any activity from jogging to climbing to skiing to watersports and, mwahaha, skydiving. You can get a decent NATO strap from $15 and up. They come in different materials and thicknesses and endless colors and color combinations. A watch usually falls off the wrist when one of the two spring bars breaks because the spring bars are the weakest components. A strap or buckle rarely fails. Bracelets, whether they have pin and collar or screwed links, can come apart. With a NATO or Zulu strap, one spring bar can break and you will not lose the watch. You may want to get an extra-long NATO strap because then you can wear your watch over a sleeve or wetsuit etc.

Single-piece NATO vs two-piece strap/bracelet

 
Just found three battery watches lost, misplaced could believe that none of the batteries leaked. Replaced them all are working. None are more that $300 but have been dead for 20+ years.
 
Fitter30 said:
Just found three battery watches lost, misplaced could believe that none of the batteries leaked. Replaced them all are working. None are more that $300 but have been dead for 20+ years.
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You got lucky. If those are silver oxide cells, their chemistry is very corrosive. After 5 years of usage the risk of leakage increases.
 
There are a few watches on sale on Amazon every day.
I saw today, there are a few good brand around $50 or a little more.
Keep checking Amazon till you find something you like?
 
BTW, if a Casio Duro, go with the MDV106 because that's the one with 200 m WR. There's a newer model but it's tiny at 35mm across and has only 50m WR. More of a kid's watch. With a cheap watch like the Duro I'd opt for a rubber strap rather than a metal bracelet because at that price point you get an ultra-cheap hair nipper, one with folded links and a pressed clasp, and hollow end links. The rubber strap option will be nicer and more comfortable. The best option would be a $15 NATO strap from an online vendor like Crown and Buckle. I almost forgot, Bill Gates wears a Duro. 🤑
 
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MRC01 said:
Another option is the Seiko 5, purely mechanical. It will run for many years without any maintenance and never need a battery. It uses a 7S26 movement which is the least expensive of the mechanical movements having good accuracy and reliability.
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I had a Made in Japan Seiko 5 for many years as a daily wear, it was great until it got killed in a MC accident. I really liked that watch.
 
Trav said:
I had a Made in Japan Seiko 5 for many years as a daily wear, it was great until it got killed in a MC accident. I really liked that watch.
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I liked to older Seiko 5 models. The new ones are now categorized as sports, suits, or street style. I don't know if all of them have been downgraded in specs but the ones I have seen didn't have 200 m WR or screwdown crowns. There's a Seiko 5 SKX GMT that looks nice but it's only 100 m WR, so just good for splashing in the pool. The price has gone up from the higher-specced older models. The ISO-certified SKX007 and SKX009 were discontinued a few years ago but NOS can still be found for $600. I think Seiko wants their customers to buy into the much more expensive Prospex line or to step up to Grand Seiko or Credor. I think Citizen is killing Seiko right now in the more affordable range.
 
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www.casio.com

GAS100B-1A | Black Analog-Digital Men's Tough Solar Watch - G-SHOCK | CASIO

From G-SHOCK, the watch brand that is constantly setting new standards for timekeeping toughness, come new models based on the big case Tough Solar GAS-100. Variations on a basic black design are created by three different bezels. The GAS-100 comes with a stainless steel bezel for a standard...
www.casio.com www.casio.com
bought for around $100 though, but very durable and solar. Wear it as a daily.
 
I didn't read through all the replies, just the first page.

I have worn Casios for the last 10 years or so. Before that, it was a Timex. The Timex face was stainless and had a rotating circle where you could rotate the minutes outside the face or something. Some feature I never used... Anyway, one day, my arm/wrist whacked the face of the watch against something and that ring became loose. Not falling off loose, but loose where it would rattle slightly. I sent it back to Timex for them to repair, I think I paid them $15-20 for the repair and they sent it back. It was not repaired.

I went to a cheap Casio for a few years and about 4 years ago, I bought the Casio G-Shock Mud-resistant watch from Costco. This thing is about $200 retail, I think Costco sells it for $170. It's a larger face watch, I get compliments on it from time to time and it still looks brand new. I am not easy on stuff, but I don't abuse it, either. I will say that I have to watch the same Youtube video twice a year to adjust the time to DST/Standard Time. I'm sure there's a setting I don't have right but whatever. I use it to tell me the time. All the other stuff is not used, I don't have time to learn how to use every single intricate detail on everything I buy.

Anyway, I'll agree with the others, I think you should up your price range and then you will enjoy a better watch for a very long period of time. This one is solar-charged/operated. As long as it gets 3-4 hours of light, whether it's inside light or sunlight, per week, I think it stays fully charged.


Holy cow, after trying to find this watch that Costco sells, it appears their $170 price is about 60% of what they go for on Amazon...
 
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vavavroom said:
I liked to older Seiko 5 models. The new ones are now categorized as sports, suits, or street style. I don't know if all of them have been downgraded in specs but the ones I have seen didn't have 200 m WR or screwdown crowns. There's a Seiko 5 SKX GMT that looks nice but it's only 100 m WR, so just good for splashing in the pool. The price has gone up from the higher-specced older models. The ISO-certified SKX007 and SKX009 were discontinued a few years ago but NOS can still be found for $600. I think Seiko wants their customers to buy into the much more expensive Prospex line or to step up to Grand Seiko or Credor. I think Citizen is killing Seiko right now in the more affordable range.
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I got it around 1984, the crown at 4 o'clock and bracelet. IIRC it had no manual winding, I do miss that one.
 
This is not on-topic but because not too many people are interested in watches I think I can add this here instead of starting a new thread. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see more watch threads but I know I'm in the minority. If I were in the market for a sub-$400 proper dive watch the Undone Aquadeep looks very appealing to me. It has 500m WR and a screwdown crown. This watch is made from Grade II titanium. Lumed sandwich dial and lume pip in the timing bezel. It also has a proper oversized high-visibility minute hand. The watch is also customizable. You can add a custom logo or name to the dial and the caseback. It has a proper oversized framed dive watch minute hand framed in high visibility orange It has the workhorse Seiko NH35 movement. 43mm across the case so for medium and larger wrists. The design, including the style of numerals used on the dial, looks great to me - a tool watch.



 
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