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Any watch people here? Any non-watch people that like giving their opinion anyway?

Discussion in 'Tilted Gear' started by Borla, Mar 2, 2012.

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  1. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    This month is our 14th wedding anniversary. I'm very picky, tend to buy what I want before someone can buy it for me, and am just generally difficult when it comes to getting a gift for. Typically I just pick out my gift with my wife, or tell her what I want, and we get it.

    This year I want a new watch. I want a nice watch, but don't want to get too crazy budget wise. Maybe several hundred bucks. I'm looking for something that could be worn with a suit, but wouldn't look to over the top when paired with jeans and a nice shirt either.

    My current daily wear watch is a Citizen E820 like this:
    Citizen E820

    So I don't want to get something quite that busy, maybe a touch more understated.

    Here are some of the options I've come up with (though the Tag exceeds my budget):

    Tissot Men's TIST0356271605101 Couturier Black Dial Watch

    TAG Heuer Men's WAP1112.BA0831 Aquaracer Stainless Steel Blue Dial Watch

    Hamilton Men's H36516535 Jazzmaster Black Dial Watch

    Hamilton Men's H71556537 Khaki Field Black Dial Watch

    Hamilton Men's H40615735 Rail Road Black Dial Watch

    Hamilton Men's H38515735 Jazzmaster Black Dial Watch

    I wish the Hamilton that is 3rd down had a sapphire window instead of mineral though, if it did I'd probably get that one. As it stands, I'm probably leaning towards #4, with #6 close behind.

    Thoughts or opinions?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 3, 2012
    Borla, Mar 2, 2012
    #1
  2. KINZEL

    Kinzel New Member

    I wasn't a watch person for several years, since I realized that the cellphone made the watch redundant and most of the time, I was removing the watch anyway to type, work on the car, etc. But my girlfriend gave me a solar powered Seiko for Christmas; it only needs to get a bit of sunshine now and then to keep running. I'd actually forgotten how a watch can polish you up and give you a bit of class. (Now she's trying to talk me into an earring.) I like understated, too. My Seiko has a black face and just bars around the face instead of numbers. It's silver. Just my opinion, but I prefer silver over gold, which to me is overstatement. Maybe an earring is overstatement, too?
     
    Kinzel, Mar 2, 2012
    #2
    • Like Like x 2
  3. Remixer

    Remixer Middle Eastern Doofus

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    Stayed up to make this post, because I love watches...

    I'm generally a big fan of Breitling and Montblanc. I also strongly tend towards black steel watches. What is your budget here?

    My current one is a black Police watch and looks like this:

    [​IMG]
    (Moderators, please resize the above image for me. I'm clueless with this techy stuff.)

    I'd suggest this Montblanc:

    http://www.amazon.com/Montblanc-Tim...r_1_1?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330718846&sr=1-1

    this Breitling:

    http://www.amazon.com/Breitling-A17...1_70?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330718329&sr=1-70

    this Omega:

    http://www.amazon.com/Omega-3570-50...1_18?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330719466&sr=1-18

    and this TAG Heuer:

    http://www.amazon.com/TAG-Heuer-CV2...107?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330718418&sr=1-107

    If your budget is between US$ 1,000 and US$ 1,500 (as your OP listing indicates), I'd go for this TAG Heuer one:

    http://www.amazon.com/TAG-Heuer-WAP...=UTF8&qid=1330715374&sr=1-10&tag=533633852-20
     
    Remixer, Mar 2, 2012
    #3
  4. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I love some of those, they are just more than I'm ready to spend at this point. The Omega I really like is $4500. But my planned budget is more like $500-800. I prefer a sapphire face and a case over 40mm.
     
    Borla, Mar 2, 2012
    #4
  5. Remixer

    Remixer Middle Eastern Doofus

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    Alright then, here's the ones I'd suggest for your budget.

    Citizen | 44mm | Mineral
    http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-CA029...1_16?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330751072&sr=1-16

    Citizen |45mm |Mineral
    http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-JY000...1_12?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330751501&sr=1-12

    Citizen | 42mm | Sapphire
    http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-JY000...1_12?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330751501&sr=1-12

    Tissot | 43.2mm | Sapphire
    http://www.amazon.com/Tissot-T01342...1_10?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330751501&sr=1-10

    Tissot | 48mm | Sapphire
    http://www.amazon.com/Tissot-T-Navi...1_91?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330752326&sr=1-91

    Tissot | 42.8mm | Sapphire
    http://www.amazon.com/Tissot-T02442...1_13?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1330752242&sr=1-13

    Personally, I'd go for one of the full-black Citizen watches (cause I luv blacky) even with the mineral face.

    If sapphire is a must, I'd go for one of the above Tissot watches (especially second one from the bottom).

    Let us know how your hunt is going.

    Cheers.
     
    Remixer, Mar 3, 2012
    #5
  6. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    14th wedding anniversary? Isn't that the blued steel and walnut stock one?
     
    Plan9, Mar 3, 2012
    #6
  7. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    I bought an iPod Nano and the Courier Clip I wanted a hanging watch.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2012
    cynthetiq, Mar 3, 2012
    #7
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    That's a pretty cool little tool.
     
    Baraka_Guru, Mar 3, 2012
    #8
  9. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
    I had one of these in the 90's and loved it. company went belly up and I never got the band that would let you put in any watch you wanted...

    [​IMG]


    like this...

    [​IMG]
     
    cynthetiq, Mar 3, 2012
    #9
  10. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Remixer, thanks or all the suggestions! I tried on watches for about an hour today. I'm way too picky, and need a big case to feel right on my gorilla forearms.

    I did find a Hamilton 46mm Khaki Pilot watch that is the front runner for now.

    Last year was a Colt Big Boy in .44 mag. :D
     
    Borla, Mar 3, 2012
    #10
  11. Remixer

    Remixer Middle Eastern Doofus

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    Well, since you're smitten with the Hamilton watches, and them being almost exclusively leather-band watches, I couldn't hit your taste anyway. :p The only acceptable watch to me is a steel one.

    Either way,

    From the Hamilton watches you've posted up, I'd go for either of these two (in order of preference):

    http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Mens...=UTF8&qid=1330715581&sr=1-43&tag=533633852-20

    http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-H365...=UTF8&qid=1330715374&sr=1-19&tag=533633852-20

    Also, do you have a link to the Khaki Pilot you mentioned? I found a bunch of them in Amazon...
     
    Remixer, Mar 3, 2012
    #11
  12. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I'm on my phone and can't find an easy way to go from my Amazon app to here with a link. But it is Hamilton Men's 64715885 Khaki Pilot Grey Dial Watch. :)
     
    Borla, Mar 3, 2012
    #12
  13. Remixer

    Remixer Middle Eastern Doofus

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    Remixer, Mar 3, 2012
    #13
  14. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    Borla, Mar 3, 2012
    #14
  15. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I miss my old watch. It's somewhere in a box. Most ladies' watches just aren't my style, though.

    I like the last Hamilton in the OP and the Tag Heuer. I know you say it's out of your budget, but it looks beautiful and it's only a bit more than your budget. Isn't it worth it for something you will truly enjoy? I suppose I see a man's watch as more than a functional item--it's a fashion accessory and a tasteful piece of jewelry rolled into one.
     
    snowy, Mar 3, 2012
    #15
  16. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I tried on that Tag this morning. It was tiny on my wrists. It looked like a lady's watch. :eek:
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2012
    Borla, Mar 3, 2012
    #16
  17. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    Aw, sad! I think a man's watch should have some heft.
     
    snowy, Mar 3, 2012
    #17
  18. Shadowex3

    Shadowex3 Very Tilted

    Weighing in as the invited non-watch person I often find myself looking at people's watches and thinking two things:

    1. What on earth IS all that crammed in there?
    2. Dear god it's HUGE, how does he stand up straight?

    I think watch "culture" has gotten really out of hand lately with ever larger and even worse ever busier watches. A watch is an accessory. One that shouldn't draw the eye unless you're actually looking for it. The ideal of an accessory on the level of a watch is something that adds to the overal outfit, bringing it together or altering the flavor in some way, without being overtly noticeable entirely by itself. Now by no means am I advocating a watch so light and flimsy you wonder where the rest of it is, a man's watch should be built like a brick shithouse... just on the inside rather than as a matter of size.

    You said you wanted a watch that wouldn't look out of place with jeans and a nice shirt... the way to pull that off is to find a watch that fits YOU. My mother wears her (bloody ancient) gold watch with everything from torn up jeans to handmade silks and half the time you don't even realise she's wearing it because the size, contours, and face of the watch are such that it's less eyecatching by itself than she is as a whole. I've seen men with excellent taste do the same with silver, steel, or white gold watches.

    To put that to some examples, compare #4 in your OP with #2 (out of your budget, I know) and #6. Wearing a watch with a tachymeter, dive functions, or other similar superfluous extras is a lot like carrying a guitar you don't actually play. Unless you're a pilot, hiker, diver, or similar that uses those functions it's very easy to backfire and come off looking quite poorly for it. Of course that's coming from the guy with the vintage pocketwatch who lives in a city where spinning-rim watches are common enough to be sold in the mall. I might be having an allergic reaction here that's making me a bit biased, so take my advice with as much salt as anyone else's.

    Like I said earlier: The best thing you can do is put on a good suit and go try on watches and then out of those come back in your casual clothes and give them another shot, since you can always go from formal to casual but it's pretty hard to go the opposite direction. The best watch will be the one that fits you as a person well enough to work with whatever you're wearing.
     
    Shadowex3, Mar 4, 2012
    #18
  19. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I appreciate the input from all. I spent a lot of time trying on watches in person and figuring out what I like and what I don't like.

    I have thick wrists and forearms and am just an overall really broad guy. I feel most comfortable wearing a watch that has some weight and size to it. A lot of the really nice watches I tried seriously looked like a woman's watch when I put them on. I need about 44mm or bigger to make it even feel and look right to me. And though my wife defers to my taste since it will obviously be my watch, she agreed whole heartedly that those smaller watches just didn't look right.

    So I think I'm leaning towards this one right here:
    http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-H647...1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1330905539&sr=1-1-catcorr

    It's the same one Remixer posted above. I've also attached a pic of it.

    However, my family is getting us some anniversary gifts at the end of the month. Since I am incredibly hard to buy for I've been asked to suggest ideas. One of the ideas I gave them was just to give me some Amazon gift cards to put towards a watch purchase. So I'm going to wait until the end of the month and see if they do that or not before purchasing it. :)
     

    Attached Files:

    Borla, Mar 4, 2012
    #19
  20. Shadowex3

    Shadowex3 Very Tilted

    If a larger (physically) watch is what blends in well on you then that's what works for you, the key thing is whether you wear the watch or its the other way around. If you're a large enough guy that that hamilton doesn't look as ridiculous on you as it does the guy whose picture is on amazon then you're actually a fairly lucky guy since it gives you some more space to work with on the watch's face.
     
    Shadowex3, Mar 5, 2012
    #20
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