watch suggestions

Shazkar Shadowstorm

I know this is very vague and whatever, but it constitutes the asking of advice...

I need a new watch. Analog. What are cool/good ones to get, and places to get them? Absolute maximum money $250 or so, but I probably won't want to spend that much... I don't even know, I just need some cool watches and then I'll pick I suppose.

JohnnyCache

Fossil makes nice looking watches for around a hundred clams, in many many analog and digital formats.

I just got this one.

thunderhorse

I bought a Swiss Army a while back and I'm absolutely loving it. Hasn't had any problems so far and it looks bitchin!

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Yeah, my old watch was a Wegner swiss army type thingy.. it was cool.

That Fossil watch looks pretty nice, I only wonder if maybe a black watch is a bad idea because I'm brown skinned... hmm..

JohnnyCache

They happen to make it in silver as well, but seriously, they have like 500 watches most of which are pretty cool.

PorkChopSandwiches

Skagen. Very light, durable. I wear it because I can't feel that I have it on. My only problem with Fossil watches is that they are crazy heavy. I do, however, want the digital Fossil Frank Gehry watch. That thing is cool.

Bitstream

For once, I feel like I can give some useful advice in one of these threads. I work in a jewelry store and focus mainly on repair and maintenance of watches, so here's some advice from behind the counter:

Do not get a Fossil. We sell them, and probably 75% of our sales come back to us within 6 months for repair or diagnosis of mysterious ailments. Fossil makes cool watches (I keep having to convince myself not to buy this great-looking one in our case), but not good watches. Crappy band mechanics, generic cheap watch movements, heavy metal casings and overpriced replacement parts just aren't worth the good looks IMO.

Wenger's Swiss Army watches are good, but a bitch and a half to work on. I doubt you need to consider the feelings of jewelers in the equation, but I will tell you I pretty much instantly hate Wenger owners on principle :P

Whenever a customer asks my personal opinion on watches, I always show them the Citizen Eco-Drives. We (watch repair folks) are shooting ourselves in the feet on these things, but I'm so happy with mine I'd rather pass it along than get the minor profits from battery replacements. Eco-Drive watches are light-powered, and constantly recharge their cells with any kind of ambient light. I've had mine for three years and never had to even crack the case. I'd also recommend a titanium chassis (though I'm not sure where the titaniums sit pricewise anymore - when I got mine it ran about $250 wholesale), just for weight and durability reasons. Plus, you know, there are fairly good odds that your watch spent a previous life as part of a Russian fighter-jet fuselage.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

I was looking at the Citizen Eco-Drives on amazon. Like the Nighthawk. Slide rule! Sweet! Nerdy fun.

edit: but that particular one is pricey

coryj

Shazkar Shadowstorm wrote: »

I was looking at the Citizen Eco-Drives on amazon. Like the Nighthawk. Slide rule! Sweet! Nerdy fun.

edit: but that particular one is pricey

Not sure if you saw this one... it fits within the price you said.

I am saving an eco-drive as a Christmas gift, since my girlfriend told me she'd like to get me a nice watch for work. In the meantime, I got this Timex for myself that I think is definitely pretty nice for 20 bucks.

Fantasma

The best watch I have owned is called Orient, the thing lasted an eternity, and they are very good looking.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

I kinda like this one:

They also have a gold/silver two tone one of this, but I don't think that'd be good for every day casualness. But it looks a lot more expensive than it is, which is cool.

FarseerBaradas

I got a Skagen watch off of amazon, and it's worked really well.

My dad also has one, and he's had no problems with it for the year or two he's had it.

wmelon

I have a Nixon watch and i love it. They've got some really cool styles too.

http://www.nixonnow.com/

CG Faggotry

I love a good gold Citizen, with a solid black leather strap.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Huh, in my post I guess I didn't make the link properly...:
This
or
This
or
This (note, the customer image in this gives a better idea of what it looks like, and is better).
or
This


All seem like good options that I like.

Or, if I get my parents to give me some money in addition to my own:
This

Reckless

Bitstream wrote: »

Do not get a Fossil. We sell them, and probably 75% of our sales come back to us within 6 months for repair or diagnosis of mysterious ailments. Fossil makes cool watches (I keep having to convince myself not to buy this great-looking one in our case), but not good watches. Crappy band mechanics, generic cheap watch movements, heavy metal casings and overpriced replacement parts just aren't worth the good looks IMO.

Really? I've had my Fossil a good 3 years now, and other than battery replacements and getting new face-glass once because I scratched the living hell out of it, I've had no problems at all and I'm constantly getting compliments on it.

I guess you'd know better than I do, being in the business and all, but I'd recommend Fossil no problem. My Dad's got one of those Eco-Drives though, and yeah, they're pure awesome. One of my pilot buddies has a watch with a built-in working altimeter, and it makes me insanely jealous for no reason.

DouglasDanger

JohnnyCache wrote: »

Fossil makes nice looking watches for around a hundred clams, in many many analog and digital formats.

I just got this one.

I have something sort of like this one, but not. Mine has just a plain blue face, with little silver dots at 3, 6, 9 and 12. It is a good watch. I like it a lot. Apparently, they do not make it anymore.

like this, but round.

Djeet

You could buy knockoffs. For $250 you could have a Tag, an Omega, a Rolex, a Patek, and change left over to buy a real Fossil. Even a knockoff usually lasts a couple of years .

I have a Seiko Automatic that's still ticking after 30+ years, I'm not sure if their manufacturing quality has been maintained through today though.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

Oh man. I just invalidated this thread. I realized that my uncle gave me a Seiko kinetic watch a while ago, and I'm wearing it right now. Oh well. This is a fairly nice watch. I like it.