All,

My older brother, after 15+ years of manual labor work, has landed his first office job. While his previous work was respectable and in no way less honorable than a promotion into the office, he is at the age that it's time to work sitting down.

When he rang to give me the good news, like any good brother, I said "Do you have a watch?". I knew the answer to this and I could hear the excitement in his voice with his realization that these were the kind of work readiness thoughts he would have now as opposed to the years of "which boots or gloves worked best."

So I come to the group in a long winded way of asking.... What kind of watch do you get for the non-watch enthusiast?

Office Climate: Casual. While my brother would not be able to tell the difference between a 10k Rolex or a $300 Seiko, the Rolex would definitely not fit in. Same goes for any high end watch. Not to mention it just wouldn't be his style.

He has large wrists and I don't think anything under 40 would do. I want him to be proud to wear it, but not scared to wear it. My default intro has always been Seiko or possibly Hamilton.

Any other thoughts/insights?

I'm going to close this novel by saying there are some amazing individuals out there doing work everyday that most of us wouldn't care to do for an hour. Sure you can play the education card, but it doesn't change the fact that these jobs need to get done. No political or any other agenda here.... Just one human's humble and grateful rant for the hard and sometimes unnoticed hard work of other humans. Thanks to everyone reading this who strives daily to make the world a better place, take care of their families, and love their neighbors.

(All that without a drop of alcohol... I'm getting soft in my old age!)

 

Realistically I think you need to decide if you are looking to spend a few hundred or a few thousand as well as used or new (personally I'd feel weird buying a used watch as a gift).

 

Hamilton or Seiko are great options and ran through my mind before reading you list them. These two seem like they could fit as they give off a vibe off combining his past with the present.

I though of doing something similar with my brother in law. He starting bagging groceries at age 14 and stuck with it; dropped out of college. After about 10 years he worked his way up to grocery store manager. I convinced him (although it felt at times like I was beating my head against a brick wall) to go back to school and finish a degree. He is 1 semester from a bachelors. And in the process he got promoted to the corporate office. He is a watch guy and I’ve gifted him 3 under $200 watches in the past, I am thinking about gifting him another, but nicer, when he graduates but part of me thinks he should be gifting me a watch for pushing him in the right direction lol.

 

I got my brother a birth-year Seiko dive watch (6105-8009) for his 50th birthday. He had never worn a watch previously, but he loved it. Nice sized watch (41mm), robust, and easy to determine the year of manufacture. Obviously I also had it serviced, with water-resistance restored and tested.

If you prefer a new watch, I think Seiko could still be a good choice.

 

Seamaster 300m in blue on steel or a Seiko Diver on Rubber.

 

https://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watc...lX_uEm_GkAqPY2ytAWjU16A2StcsP1joaAjEUEALw_wcB

or

https://www.jomashop.com/omega-watch-210-30-42-20-03-001.html
You can get this for less at WatchMaxx

 

I second something like this. A good tool watch that can dress up, dress down, and take a beating when necessary. And one that would work on a larger wrist. Something like:

- Seiko (so many options - from $200-$3000+)
- Tudor Black Bay
- Sinn (857, 104)
- A modern Omega diver
- Doxa sub
- Hamilton field watch

It does seem like the forum consensus is leaning towards Seiko though. Good luck making a decision!

 

Aqua terra is another good choice. At $3k or so I'd look at AT, smp, & black bay.

Sub $1k seiko diver or alpinist.

 

Mondain Stop2go. Not expensive. Nice clear design and watching the second hand stop every minute can be quite engaging.

My next choice would be a seiko diver or chronograph.

Congratulations to your brother for his promotion. I think this forum has members from all walks of life and I don't recall any instances of snobbery concerning what other people do for a living. One of the best things about this forum is that the focus pretty much stays on the watches. It's not a p#ssing competition. (I have two brothers, one of whom is a Carpenter the other a bike mechanic. My sister and I both went to university. Different things suit different people.)

 

Will you be my brother Dan? 1972 is easy for birthyear choices- Red Sub, Seamaster Pro, Seiko pro diver, Slate 1603....

Hamilton Khaki Auto- comes in a variety of sizes- easy choice by a mile. Robust, classic, respected, reasonably priced and he won't flinch wearing it to the office or doing yard work.

 

Something off the beaten track, Marathon Watch Co. ("designed in Canada, made in Switzerland") makes some nice rugged milspec timepieces... their classic SAR (out of production, sadly) is my favourite, but they have other current models also built like a tank.

Longines Heritage line had some nice pieces from 2019-2020 (I'm talking about the ones with less/no fauxtina), though some find them a bit overpriced so you might consider grey market.

 

It would help to know your budget maximum. Quartz or mechanical?

If you can spend the money, an Omega Speedmaster Pro Moonwatch would be a great choice, and a good used one can be had for about $3000 if you look hard.

If you want new and a lower budget, then consider some kind of Seiko Turtle, moving up to a Marine Master or some sort of Prospex if you can afford more. These would all be humble choices, durable, and a fair size. You could start at under $400 out the door, to as high as $3000.

If it needs to be a budget Swiss watch that wont cause the wrong impression (no Rolex) then a Hamilton or Longines would be a good choice, with TAG as my 3rd choice. You can find a good sized watch for between $400 - $1500, from a Hamilton Khaki to a Longines Heritage Diver.

Then of course if you want low maintenance costs there are many good Citizen Eco-Drive watches out there, dressy or sporty, so you can go Diver, Dressy, or Chronograph. A Bulova Acutron would be cool too.

 

All great suggestions, but, to truly help, it would be best if the OP gave us a little more information...
Budget
New or Preowned Modern
Vintage

Dan S, my thoughts exactly when I first read the OP's post... vintage Seiko Diver
6105-8000 symmetrical case
6105- 8110 asymmetrical case
6309-7040 ( just tell him Mick Jagger wore this watch... hopefully he's heard of the Rolling Stones)

 

Martin Sheen wore the 6105-8110 mentioned above in the movie Apocalypse Now. Nicknamed the "Captain Willard". Hodinkee sold one for $1900 a while back.

https://shop.hodinkee.com/products/1960s-seiko-captain-willard-ref-6105-8110?variant=31397839863883

 

I remember that now, and also, of course, Marlon Brando wore a Rolex GMT without the bezel in the movie too.

 

Orient bambino is made for him

 

Set your budget and let him choose.

Gift voucher at a Seiko boutique if your not in close proximity.

 

Nomos: high style, in-house movement watches under $2,000. Can't beat it.

 

I think the best way to approach this is to take your brother out for the day. He can try on a few he likes the look of, and choose the one he likes most.

If he’s happy, you’re happy

 

Seiko 5 is the best all rounder as a gift.