Posted: 5/5/2015 6:31:07 PM EDT
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I'm in the market for an automatic “tool” watch that is flexible enough for me to wear with a suit, with casual clothes or while fishing. I want something that can take some abuse, water resistant to at least 100M and isn't too “blingy”. My current watch, a Casio WaveCeptor is 40mm across and I think I could go up to 44mm comfortably. A date feature would be nice but is not absolutely required. My budget is about $5,000, but it looks like there are many good options for far less money.
I looked at the Hamilton watches, but it looks like most of them are not very water resistant. One salesman I talked to said they were not very reliable watches for what they cost. The Steinhart Ocean One looks good and is inexpensive. The Marathon GSAR looks very promising – very rugged and only about $1,000. I'm OK with the way it looks, but not estatic. I like the Sinn 856 and the U1 – fantastic looking watches and very sturdy. The Tudor Pelagos is VERY nice – I like the subdued look of it with the ceramic bezel. The lume is also fantastic. The Tudor Ranger also looks good, but it lacks the date window. The Tudor North Flag looks good in the ads, but isn't widely available yet. I looked at the Omega Planet Ocean and was very unimpressed. I was really looking forward to holding this watch, but was very disappointed with it “in the flesh”. It seemed more like jewelry and didn't seem rugged enough to stand up to minor abuse. I'm waiting for the North Flag to come out before making a decision, but I'm guessing the finalsts are going to be: - Tudor North Flag - Tudor Pelagos - Sinn U1 Does anyone here have experiences with any of these watches? Are there any others I should look at? |
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How about this one? Too cheap for ya?
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/orient-ray-watch |
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FWIW, Hamiltons are just as reliable as any other ETA based Swiss auto.
That salesman that told you otherwise wanted a higher commission. 
They don't have the price tag or name recognition of Omega and Rolex and such though. Have you considered Oris? Their divers are unique and a pretty solid value for the cash. |
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I was looking for something with a sapphire lens, but at that price, I could replace the watch every year and come out ahead 
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No personal experience with any of those, but I like the U1 and the Pelagos (especially with the new movement) a lot. The Pelagos is probably considered a little dressier and more versatile, but unless you're in a field where "style" is highly scrutinized, I think the U1 could be worn almost anywhere too.
I like the Stowa Flieger TESTAF too, but it doesn't have a date window. 
It's a tough choice, but I think I'd go with the Pelagos. The new version in blue is pretty sweet! |
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Quoted:
I'm in the market for an automatic “tool” watch that is flexible enough for me to wear with a suit, with casual clothes or while fishing. I want something that can take some abuse, water resistant to at least 100M and isn't too “blingy”. My current watch, a Casio WaveCeptor is 40mm across and I think I could go up to 44mm comfortably. A date feature would be nice but is not absolutely required. My budget is about $5,000, but it looks like there are many good options for far less money. I looked at the Hamilton watches, but it looks like most of them are not very water resistant. One salesman I talked to said they were not very reliable watches for what they cost. The Steinhart Ocean One looks good and is inexpensive. The Marathon GSAR looks very promising – very rugged and only about $1,000. I'm OK with the way it looks, but not estatic. I like the Sinn 856 and the U1 – fantastic looking watches and very sturdy. The Tudor Pelagos is VERY nice – I like the subdued look of it with the ceramic bezel. The lume is also fantastic. The Tudor Ranger also looks good, but it lacks the date window. The Tudor North Flag looks good in the ads, but isn't widely available yet. I looked at the Omega Planet Ocean and was very unimpressed. I was really looking forward to holding this watch, but was very disappointed with it “in the flesh”. It seemed more like jewelry and didn't seem rugged enough to stand up to minor abuse. I'm waiting for the North Flag to come out before making a decision, but I'm guessing the finalsts are going to be: - Tudor North Flag - Tudor Pelagos - Sinn U1 Does anyone here have experiences with any of these watches? Are there any others I should look at? I have the two Sinn's that you mentioned and the Pelagos. Based on your criteria, I would either go with the 856 or the Pelagos. I have nothing against the U1 (probably my favorite watch), but the 856 is more versatile than the U1. It's thin enough to wear under dress shirts, but casual enough to wear with jeans and a tee. That being said, I would pick the Pelagos. There is something about that watch that I love, and it gets more wrist time than the other two right now. Then again with that budget, you can pick up two of the three. |
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Damn you. Ordered. |
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If you want new production, I would say Tudor Black Bay or Pelagos:
http://davidsw.com/product-category/tudor/ If you decide on Tudor Pelagos, you can get one now, which uses an ETA movement, or wait until later this year which is when they should be releasing them with the Tudor in-house movement. You could go with a used Rolex. A no-date 14060 is easily under $5K. http://www.hqmilton.com/vintage-watches/rolex |
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Quoted:
That is the correct answer. Quoted:
Quoted:
Dude, your budget is $5000. Go get a used Sub, GMT or Explorer and be done. Water resistant, check, shock resistance, check, tough enough for daily use, check, looks good, check, holds value, check. Its all there. That is the correct answer. Absolutely correct answer for your budget. If you want to shop out of your list, get the Pelagos. When you see one in person you will crap your pants. It's universally attractive, solid construction, great depth to the dial, and the titanium is awesome. I don't like the Sinn divers -- they are blocky and unnattractive. Not a lot of resale aside from die hard Sinn fans and forum readers. Service will be difficult too given some of the special attributes certain Sinn watches have. If you want an ugly indestructable auto, get the GSAR. I miss mine so much. Most comfy bracelet I've had, kept 1 second a day, tritium is infinitely more useful than lume. |
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Thanks for all the input.
I actually don't like the looks of the Rolex watches -- they are too "blingy" for me. I'm interested in something more understated. I may wait until the new Tudor Pelagos and North Flag are out and then see them in person. Once I've seen them, I'll order the Sinn 856 and U1 watches and decide which watch of all four I like best. It looks like the Sinn dealer (WatchBuys.com) has an excellent return policy and I can return the watches within 3 days for a full refund. |
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Quoted: I actually don't like the looks of the Rolex watches -- they are too "blingy" for me. I'm interested in something more understated. Maybe the newer ones, but how about something like this Sea Dweller from 2001? Date, but no cyclops lens to draw attention. Unlike the newer models, it also has drilled lugs so it's easy to change from a casual strap to the bracelet to dress it up a little. Plus you never know when you'll need to go down to 4000 feet.   |
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Quoted:
Thanks for all the input. I actually don't like the looks of the Rolex watches -- they are too "blingy" for me. I'm interested in something more understated. I may wait until the new Tudor Pelagos and North Flag are out and then see them in person. Once I've seen them, I'll order the Sinn 856 and U1 watches and decide which watch of all four I like best. It looks like the Sinn dealer (WatchBuys.com) has an excellent return policy and I can return the watches within 3 days for a full refund. Blingy? Not sure how a stainless steel Sub or GMT looks blingy. Is it the ceramic bezel? If so, then go vintage (discontinued). 5513 with a matte dial, or an older 14060 two liner. |
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I've been looking at Damasko lately. Excellent tool watches and certainly within your budget.
Damasko |
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Quoted:
Dude, your budget is $5000. Go get a used Sub, GMT or Explorer and be done. Water resistant, check, shock resistance, check, tough enough for daily use, check, looks good, check, holds value, check. Its all there. That. Get an Explorer-1 and most won't even know there's a Rolex on your arm, it's a very subtle watch. |
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Quoted: I've been looking at Damasko lately. Excellent tool watches and certainly within your budget. Damasko Cruise through the Damasko product like, I think you will find a few you like. They offer lots of exclusive technologies for a great price point. My DA47 pictures below was 1495
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You all are going to drive me into the poor house
The Damasko watches do look like great tool watches. I'm currently waiting to be able to see the new Tudors and the Sinns. The Tudors are supposed to be out sometime in the 2-4 months. I'm also waiting to see where the next watchbuys.com viewing event is -- they have Sinns that you can handle. I'm hoping I can find one watch that is within my budget and is the only one I need. At this rate though, I may end up with a Sinn 857 UTC AND either a Tudor Pelagos or a Sinn U1. |
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Quoted: You all are going to drive me into the poor house The Damasko watches do look like great tool watches. I'm currently waiting to be able to see the new Tudors and the Sinns. The Tudors are supposed to be out sometime in the 2-4 months. I'm also waiting to see where the next watchbuys.com viewing event is -- they have Sinns that you can handle. I'm hoping I can find one watch that is within my budget and is the only one I need. At this rate though, I may end up with a Sinn 857 UTC AND either a Tudor Pelagos or a Sinn U1. I am not being anymore watches regardless of price haha. I told myself one expensive one to scratch the itch. I was --> l-------l that close to buying a Sinn U1 when I stumbled upon Damasko |
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Late to the party, but $5k? Rolex, Sub or otherwise. You can find good condition, certified variants all day long at or under your budget. If nothing else, you can shop around while you have that and then sell it for what you paid. Think of it as a wearable savings account But be warned, you will like it.
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Quoted:
You all are going to drive me into the poor house
The Damasko watches do look like great tool watches. I'm currently waiting to be able to see the new Tudors and the Sinns. The Tudors are supposed to be out sometime in the 2-4 months. I'm also waiting to see where the next watchbuys.com viewing event is -- they have Sinns that you can handle. I'm hoping I can find one watch that is within my budget and is the only one I need. At this rate though, I may end up with a Sinn 857 UTC AND either a Tudor Pelagos or a Sinn U1. Just got a new strap for my U1. It's a baseball glove strap.  " />
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| The new EZM3F is one sexy beast. Removing the numerals really cleaned up the dial. |
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I'll second looking at lum-tec. Why would you suggest watches that use SII and Miyota movements at $800-$900? not that they are bad movements.....at $300. He's looking at the new Tudor with an in house movement developed by Rolex for $3,800. And a Sinn with the venerable ETA 2824 for $1,800 (for the EZM 3F). Two totally different ball parks. Lum-tec is marketed for it's brightness; it's a gimmick, not an actual tool watch. They are priced about 400-500 more then they are worth. I would consider an Orient diver or a Seiko SKX; at least there you get heritage and an in house design, along side a classic diver look. And you can get 3 of them for the price the marketing hype. OP, for your budget and tastes, the Tudors are a great buy. Classy designs from a company with a great heritage. You really can't go wrong. Or, if you want to really push that $5000 budget, I would also look at an Omega Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial. Introduced in 2014, this has a new and innovative escapement. Really cool. And it's as classy and understated at anything out there. And priced nicely at $4,500 for the Steel/Steel reference (233.30.41.21.01.001). Personally, I'm torn between the Steel/Steel and the Titanium with the blue face, but I'll own one of them by next year. |