I want a watch. Not just any watch. It must have presence, yet be elegant, be made of brushed titanium (ah, that colour; that texture!) and never need a battery changing.

Complications are fun, built-in LCDs aren't necessarily bad, and price is not the primary consideration.

My current watch is an old version Citizen Skyhawk (Titanium) and Citizen still do some nice watches:
- Promaster (not elegant enough - too much red, LCD screen is too large)
- Perpetual Calendar (don't like the big bezel)
- Skyhawk (new model of the watch I already have, but the only nice face on a titanium bracelet is on the Japanese-only model which has punitive import costs to the UK - otherwise I'd have gone for this one already: it's a bit too messy to be truly elegant but it does look very smart and does do a lot)

Nobody else at that price range does such nice watches, especially without battery power quartz movements. Seiko are the only candidate and their range doesn't have anything that appeals at present.

So I'm considering buying a proper watch for the first time.

A local shop suggested an Oris Divers Titanium Chronograph but it's just ugly and has nasty knobbly bits sticking out.

A friend recommended a Breitling Blackbird, and I have to admit it's a very nice watch - shame it's not in Titanium. And I think I need convincing a watch is worth that sort of money.

Rolex don't appear to do anything in titanium (and most of their watches are garish) and I just can't afford an Urwerk UR-202 or I'd skip my 'must be titanium' mandate..

I just don't know which manufacturers make genuinely nice watches, that meet my (relatively arbitrary) criteria. Any suggestions from the Wigber chronophiles?

That is actually a great question for this forum Cederic.

I think we had a watch thread a while back.

I have always been fond of seikos myself, elegant and they have a lot of perpetual choices but I don't think they have a brushed titanium now....

I've got a Citizen Promaster Ecodrive with a brushed titanium case, kevlar strap and super light-absorbing black dial. I love this watch.

The only problem is when it's daylight savings time, because adjusting the time has to be done carefully as to not fuck up the perpetual calendar. So I'm currently waiting for Daylight Savings time to end so I can start wearing it again.



I'm an old woman, so I appreciate a highly legible dial.

promaster.jpg (47 KB, 557 downloads)

I've found more chronoporn: The De Grisogono Meccanico dG (available in more detail on the de Grisogono website but I can't deeplink there).

Obviously since I can't afford the Urwerk there's no point even asking the price of that one.

The only chronograph I've ever been tempted by is the Lip Mach 2000 designed by Tallon in 1973. They were rereleased a couple of years ago, and I'm sorely tempted.

I have a Swiss Army kinetic movement watch...it's not 100% accurate unless you happen to move your arm the exact right amount each day, and you have to fix the date for short months, but it's waterproof, stainless steel, highly readable (glow in the dark bits) and nigh indestructible.

It looks like this: (the face was a special centennial anniversary model or something IIRC? I don't see any like it in a cursory look on the webs)



The cool thing is that the back is transparent and you can see the works working (sorry for pic but the band gets in the way):



LOL have just noticed that I neglected to adjust the date October 1. I have been a wee bit distracted

ETA: I have been wearing this watch daily for approximately 13 years, and it's still great. Swiss Army does have titanium models, as well.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: theminx,

quote:

Originally posted by editengine:
That is actually a great question for this forum Cederic.

I think we had a watch thread a while back.

I have always been fond of seikos myself, elegant and they have a lot of perpetual choices but I don't think they have a brushed titanium now....

some nice ones,


and this is the one I was looking at for a long time but ultimately decided to pay my rent rather than buy it.

Ignoring the requirement for titanium, I'd say a Sinn 656.


Or a low budget Cayce Pollardized, debranded, redialed Seiko automatic from a Hong Kong sweatshop. Or perhaps a similarly obscure aluminum-cased knockoff of a cheesy old watch. On a nice strap. But that's only if you're cheap. Like me.

The Demise of the Wristwatch.

I've read and heard similar articles more recently, but this is the first I found. Basically, with accurate timekeeping mobiles, for everyday use the only wristwatches left to wear are fashion accessories. Oh, older people still wear wristwaches.

quote:

Originally posted by Black Jacque:
The Demise of the Wristwatch.

[farnsworth]Oh yes, it's the apocalypse all right![/farnsworth]

I've always found most Citizen watches fugly as hell. They're latest wonky-oval Aqualands, ugh, I'd stick with a Suunto or something.

The old 1980s era Aqualands had a certain rough-hewn, roughly-filed elegance to them, though, but I tend to get romantic about any ads from the back of old National Geographics.



There's always those Russian watches. Cheap as chips, accurate as carpet bombing and they've been working with titanium longer than anybody. Some actually have Citizen movements, though.

I've got a Vostok Amphibia, and like many things designed for the Soviet military, it's cheap, inaccurate, and it's made of the simplest mechanics ever. But like their submarines, is actually waterproof to the depth it's meant to be.

As long as the fucking thing doesn't explode.

quote:

Originally posted by Black Jacque:
Oh, older people still wear wristwaches.

Listen here, kid. I'm older than the internet.

I prefer my watches to be simple and unobtrusive. I don't go for big shiny things with dials, buttons and bezels.

For the past few months I've been wearing a watch by Lexon Design. Can't find a picture of it online, but it's got a matt silver (pewter?) casing, hands and numerals and a black face.

Not at all flashy or impressive, but I like it.

quote:

Originally posted by Gromit:
...it's got a matt silver (pewter?) casing...

We'll find out when your wrist goes limp.

quote:

Originally posted by Fashionpolice:
Listen here, kid. I'm older than the internet.

Aww heck, I'm going to have to steal that one! (And get technical about the differences between Arpanet and the Internet to make it accurate)

Someone in an expensive jewellery shop tried today to sell me one of these:


A different shop tried to sell me one of these:


Turns out watches with titanium cases _and_ titanium bracelets are hard to find. I nearly got thrown out for asking if they could fit a nice bracelet on instead of the leather strap.

I also found out that the proper watches with automatic movements need a regular service - every 3-5 years, at the cost of a top-end Citizen watch each time, and you have to send it off for 10-12 weeks to get it done. The manufacturers' websites all kept that one quiet!

So although I have the most expensive watch shop in Manchester trying to track down one of these for me:


..I'm now less sure I really want anything better than another Citizen Eco-Drive with the sexy titanium bracelet.

quote:

Originally posted by lithos:

There's always those Russian watches. Cheap as chips, accurate as carpet bombing and they've been working with titanium longer than anybody.

Can't find anyone in the UK selling them. The FORCE-V F1023Q is uglier than anything from Citizen but it's mean and menacing enough that at that price point I'm sorely tempted just to have something durable for archery competitions.



Hmm. Remind me to start a thread for beautiful mechanical projectile weapons next..

16th Century Gun Powder Flask-Sundial Compass Watch

I have a sad story about a titanium Seiko kinetic watch.

A number of years ago, I bought the ladies model of just such an animal. Very nice, light weight, although the titanium seemed to accumulate more scratches than I expected.

Shortly after that purchase, I spent a bunch of time practicing .45 caliber pistol marksmanship, including left-handed stuff. (The recoil partially gets absorbed by your arm)

Anyway, after a bit of this abuse, the watch wouldn't hold a charge overnight. Sent it off, paid $$$ to get it fixed. That worked for a while, but also eventually failed.

So, is it a design flaw, or just incompatible technologies? (motion-driven charging + firearms)

I've got a Citizen eco-drive which works great, but I haven't been shooting for a while, either.

Ouch, that's unfortunate SRu May just have been unlucky, the compression and recoil from the discharge should be sufficiently dissipated by the time it reaches a watch not to cause damage.

Finally found something I want: Blancpain Leman



I'll keep looking though, in the hopes of finding something I can actually afford Unless I find something nicer first I'll probably end up with the Citizen Calibre 2100 in Titanium:


Ah well, the hunt's kept me busy for a few evenings.

Is it just my dodgy Grade 7 French, or does 'Blancpain' mean something like 'whitebread'? ;-)

quote:

Originally posted by Boogerhead:
16th Century Gun Powder Flask-Sundial Compass Watch

This is the most impressive gizmo I've seen in ages.