[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help me pick a watch (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 6/13/2006 9:16:11 PM EDT
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Is the Citizen's Eco-Drive technology comparable to Seiko's Automatic/Kinetic? These are two I am looking at; www.ewatches.com/Citizen/BL8000-54L.html# www.ewatches.com/Seiko/SKX781.html |
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I recently bought a $400 Casio that had an altimiter, a barometer, and an electronic compass. When you held it up to your face to read the time, it would sense the ambient light and it might light itself up with indiglo for two seconds if it was dark out. Unfortunately, it didn't have a second hand, so I sent it back. Then I bought a $20 S&W watch that had a luminescent hour/min hand setup and a second hand I could see in low light. That's all I really needed, so that's all I spent. |
Will it outlast you? 
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Nice watch, what did it set you back? |
Nice watch, not sure if it's just the picture, but it kinda reminds me of those phones with the huge buttons. |
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I got a nice Citizen Eco but almost never wear it. It's too heavy. I ended up with a Luminox and it's nice and lite and even though the band seems cheap it's one of the most comfortable I've ever had. Plus of course it's nuclear powered (but does require battery replacement occasionally). You're welcome to check out my Citizen if you want. |
About $450, it was a limited edition. I guess there were only 2500 made. It really isn't that big of a watch, I have skinny wrists. |
That I would like very much! Now I just need to get some time to do it. My next day off from all three jobs will be July 4, only because the hospital will not let me work. 
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I like Movado. My Movado is 6+ years old. I kept my eye on prices and got it for sale at the Bon Marche for $150. It has been beat up and banged around, but is still ticking. Gotta love Swiss engineering!! Personally I don't like a lot of gadgets on my watch. My cell phone has all the gadgets I need; the watch is only for looks. If I were to get one from the website you provided, I would go with one of the Hamilton “tanks”. |
+1 I sure wish I could afford one!  ETA: www.countycomm.com has this one for $375 for Father's Day! |
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The seiko you are looking at is a automatic mechanical movement. It's nicknamed the "Monster" or "Orange Monster" depending on the face color. Unlike the Kinetic, it will stop running after a day or two if you stop wearing it. The Kinetic is kind of a cross between a quartz and automatic movement, in that it has a rotor in it that generates electricity and charges a capacitor inside the watch. The Monster is a well made watch, it will last for years, and does not require a battery, but does require servicing every 5 years of so (oiling and cleaning). It also wont be as accurate as the Kinetic, but then that's not the purpose in owning a automatic watch. ETA; Here's a Kinetic Diver www.princetonwatches.com/shop/SMY089.asp |
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Look here for some reasonable prices: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/browse/browse.asp?c=113&k=watch I really like this watch: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=227160 Though this one seems a very good value: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=262362 efxguy |
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I have a Seiko but it is not the Kinetic series so I cannot comment on the quality (or lack thereof) of that mechanism. I like the looks of the Seiko better, sans the orange face. The Citizen looks like a nice beefy watch but the face is too "busy". It looks like the control panel of a 747. The Seiko's face is much nicer, with a cleaner look. PS the Seiko you are looking for is about $28 cheaper at Bluedial, and Bluedial gives you free 2-day shipping and fitting of the watchband to your measurements. I bought my last Seiko from Bluedial and they are an authorized Seiko dealer, so this is not a gray-market operation. I am not affiliated with Bluedial in any way. |
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I really like the Eco-Drive. I've had some automatic watches (self-winding) and I hated them because I am so anal and compulsive that the lack of precision in them irritated me (the possibility that they could gain/lose time). What I like about the Eco-Drive is that other than being charged by light, it works exactly like a regular quartz watch, and so keeps time accurately. Different versions of the eco have different battery sizes. Some have a 30-day battery capacity, others have longer, I believe (I guess meaning how long it will continue to work if you put it in a completely dark place). Of course, another main reason I bought mine (a dive version) was for the depth gauge, which you don't need. But the benefit of never needing to open the watch up to change a battery is particularly useful for a dive watch, IMO. So I am very happy with my Eco drive.
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I have the Seiko with the black face. The phosphorus works better at night than anything outside of tritium. I am really hard on watches and haven't babied this one, not a single scratch on the face. I got it from Amazon.  I think it was $125 when I got it....... |
Which one do you have DK? |
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i had Ti seikos and ecodrives back to back the seiko was completely scratched to shit within a month- i took it back i got stuck with a Ti ecodrive (fucking exgirlfriend) in 99 it's crystal is still perfect, the band has markings on it comparable to SS, and i have NEVER had to change the battery. this watch has bad memories attatched to it, so i haven't babied it at all. GO CITIZEN |
Thanks for the tip, but I am more intrested in the different mechanisms, than those two particular watches. |
Not bad. I need a stainless band though. |
I'm surprised that took so long  I like my Revue Thommen Airspeed Altimeter  Titanium Case and bracelet Swiss 17 Jewel Hand-Winding Mechanical Movement with hour, minute and sub-second hand Revue Thommen mechanical altimeter with altitude (0-4500m) and barometric pressure (750-1050 hPa) Sapphire crystal for the ultimate scratch-resistance Anti-reflective coating on both sides of crystal Rotating bezel Water-resistant to 30 meters / 100 feet Special edition - limited to 1998 pieces |
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this is the one i have had for 5 years, never skipped a beat. its been abused and the only thing that has happend is i lost the lttle opal looking thing on the bezzell. www.princetonwatches.com/shop/BM0560-57E.asp i sure do miss it, wish i would have picked up a second one when i had the chance. Ronald |
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MKII watch built from a Seiko SKX007k www.mkiiwatches.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=seskx00.htm Here are only a few examples of the many different variations you can get:        he also has similar models built from the Seiko Model SKX78: www.mkiiwatches.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=seskx7.htm |
Beat me to it, I was going to suggest them after I thought about it. Depending on how much you want to spend, Hamilton and Tissot are quite the bang for the buck too. They are in the $375-$600 range and offer automatic and quartz movements. The quartz models are considerably less expensive falling into the $200 range or below. Their automatic and mechanicals are also more accurate sometimes approaching COSC specifications. The Tissot Seastar-1000 is a true diver too for about $375 on the net (retails $535). I have the Seastar on my list of watches to get before I die, along with the Hamilton Aviation Chrono, Frogman and Jazzmaster (a dressy watch). If you want to go another way and are willing to stay in the $500-$600 range, Check out Watchbuys.com. They sell German watches like Sinn, Limes and N.B. Yaeger. Those brands can also go much higher in cost, but start in the $500 range. ETA: Also the Omega Sea Master Pro (the current James Bond watch) can be had for around $1500. |
LOL... That's my bosses watch, and his name is Mike...... odd. 
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The local Heuer dealer damaged my well-used vintage '80s Heuer diver during a simple battery change. Even a trip to the factory in Switzerland couldn't revive it. It's functional, but no longer waterproof.  To make up for it, they applied the declared value to my new everyday watch - a Tissot Seastar 660 - blue. 2nd one down. So far I'm very happy with it, since funds didn't allow another Heuer or Marathon. |
Nice watch, but I would rather not wear something that costs as much as a nice HK, on my wrist. 
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