[xand]

Great colour on that GS! A Limited Edition?

Yep!

 

[jenkinsontherun]

Hi all,

I saw the phrase "new toy syndrome" mentioned in various threads, and I think I am a victim . Being happy with my current headphone set up, I'm getting an itch to buy something new.

Watches caught my attention. However, I don't want to spend as much time as I spend learning about headphones, haha.

Though this is a cheesy analogy, can someone recommend me the "HD600" of wristwatches?

Specifically
-Vintage, but not super vintage
-1 Quartz recommendation, 1 mechanical recommendation
-Under 500USD, ideally under 300USD.

Many would say buy a watch that looks good to me, I want to start with something agreeable. This way, I can branch out into different subsets of watches. I guess wasting time in this hobby is bound to happen, just like headphones!

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

[xand]

Hi all,

I saw the phrase "new toy syndrome" mentioned in various threads, and I think I am a victim . Being happy with my current headphone set up, I'm getting an itch to buy something new.

Watches caught my attention. However, I don't want to spend as much time as I spend learning about headphones, haha.

Though this is a cheesy analogy, can someone recommend me the "HD600" of wristwatches?

Specifically
-Vintage, but not super vintage
-1 Quartz recommendation, 1 mechanical recommendation
-Under 500USD, ideally under 300USD.

Many would say buy a watch that looks good to me, I want to start with something agreeable. This way, I can branch out into different subsets of watches. I guess wasting time in this hobby is bound to happen, just like headphones!

Thanks for the recommendations.

Seiko generally.

Also see the tissot I posted above.

 

[Zojokkeli]

Hi all,

I saw the phrase "new toy syndrome" mentioned in various threads, and I think I am a victim . Being happy with my current headphone set up, I'm getting an itch to buy something new.

Watches caught my attention. However, I don't want to spend as much time as I spend learning about headphones, haha.

Though this is a cheesy analogy, can someone recommend me the "HD600" of wristwatches?

Specifically
-Vintage, but not super vintage
-1 Quartz recommendation, 1 mechanical recommendation
-Under 500USD, ideally under 300USD.

Many would say buy a watch that looks good to me, I want to start with something agreeable. This way, I can branch out into different subsets of watches. I guess wasting time in this hobby is bound to happen, just like headphones!

Thanks for the recommendations.

Seiko SKX007 is a classic and it was also my first mechanical watch. Can’t go wrong with any Seiko though.
Casio has a bunch of great watches for cheap.
Tissot and Orient are worth a look too.
I would also recommend checking out the used watch market.

 

[KcMsterpce]

I agree that Seiko is great bang for the buck. I have four of them. Love them all. Look up the Seiko Presage series, especially.
Grand Seiko is bigger money, but again... you get a TON of quality and design for the price.

 

[Ziadax]

I can't really say there's an HD600 of watches other than the tried and true Seiko 5 series, as they're the workhorse movement that everyone knows. In terms of durability, G-shocks are still pretty much the king of being indestructible - but in general quartz movements are inherently more sturdy than mechanicals

I would actually argue that now in the budget automatic sector Orient is doing a better job than Seiko, though both are still some of the best you can get and both punch above their asking price range. For under 300 you can get a variety of types from dress to diver to sport/field/casual from Orient all with in house movements that perform pretty decently. You might be able to find some microbrands using ETA, Sellita, or Miyota (Citizen) automatic movements within your budget range as well. Arguably some of these 3rd party movements will be easier to service down the road than some in house movements if you decide to keep them for the long haul.

For quartz I'd stick to either Seiko, Timex, Citizen (Eco-drive is amazing), or Casio (Edifice, Oceanus, G-shock). If you want to go swiss, the new Tissot PRX looks pretty enticing as well if it suits your style. Bulova also has some interesting quartz options within your budget - they're quartz, but they sweep smoother than most mechanicals with the 262khz frequency and honestly probably the closest you're going to get to GS's famous spring drive sweep for a fraction of the price.

 

[musicj]

All those beautiful watches. My wallet already hurt enough when I browsing headphone gears, and now again

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

All those beautiful watches. My wallet already hurt enough when I browsing headphone gears, and now again

It's a...pretty normal problem we all have!

Wait for my first watch, the Tissot PRX (still haven't decided between black or blue dial) is insanely hard.

My local distributor *should* be getting them in the next week or so, but he's expecting them to sell out fast again.

 

[joseph69]

Wait for my first watch, the Tissot PRX (still haven't decided between black or blue dial) is insanely hard.

The PRX is a gorgeous watch.
I'd think that the blue dial will be a good bet being it will look black in certain lighting so you'll have the best of both worlds.

 

[Redcarmoose]

It's a...pretty normal problem we all have!

Wait for my first watch, the Tissot PRX (still haven't decided between black or blue dial) is insanely hard.

My local distributor *should* be getting them in the next week or so, but he's expecting them to sell out fast again.

Tissot really did well reintroducing that watch! I have one Tissot and my Wife has one, that is her main watch she wears every day. Really you can’t go wrong with either, I think!

 

[Jayden]

What about Tudor Black Bays? I heard they are good 'starter' watches for 'newbies'

 

[Zojokkeli]

What about Tudor Black Bays? I heard they are good 'starter' watches for 'newbies'

Great watches. Wish they brought back the rose logo for the new models. I wouldn't consider them starter watches, though. That would be like saying LCD-4 is a great starter headphone for people new into audio.

 

[Jayden]

Great watches. Wish they brought back the rose logo for the new models. I wouldn't consider them starter watches, though. That would be like saying LCD-4 is a great starter headphone for people new into audio.

Oooo! What would be good watches as starters in your opinion?

 

[Zojokkeli]

Oooo! What would be good watches as starters in your opinion?

Depending on one's budget, I think for example Seiko, Casio and Orient are great starter watches on the cheaper end of spectrum. Longines, Hamilton, Sinn, Oris etc. are great watches that are a bit more expensive, but still cheaper than Tudor, Omega, Rolex and other "big names."

 

[Jayden]

Depending on one's budget, I think for example Seiko, Casio and Orient are great starter watches on the cheaper end of spectrum. Longines, Hamilton, Sinn, Oris etc. are great watches that are a bit more expensive, but still cheaper than Tudor, Omega, Rolex and other "big names."

Oh cool! I have a daily Casio, but recently the strap gave way and its beyond repair, so I am looking for a daily watch that's not too harsh on the wallet