Is city commuting by bicycle bad for my watch?

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My advice. NEVER wear a nice watch when cycling. If you go down it is the first thing to hit the ground. I have seen it happen 3 times. Heuer and 2 Rolex. It makes an expensive fall very expensive.

Look at it as an excuse to buy another watch and get a G-SHOCK to cycle in.

I ate asphalt a month ago while wearing my Seamaster. The very first thing I checked, obviously, was how many people had seen my crash to determine how embarrassed I should be feeling. But the very next thing I checked was whether or not I had scuffed up the bracelet. Thankfully, it had survived unscathed (unlike my knee and elbow that are still missing a fair amount of skin), but no more nice watches on bicycles for me.
 
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If riding for exercise I leave my watches at home, but as a bicycle commuter I wear a watch everyday during my morning, afternoon and often lunch commutes. I've been biking regularly for over 30 years. In that time I've been hit by cars twice. Both times I never saw it coming, they came from my blind-spot. This is the same thing that worries me so much about motorcycles and why I try to ride in pairs or a group. However, I've damaged watches more in daily wear than while cycling and figure I will continue to do so.
 
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Listen to @neilfrancis ... I believe I posted about wearing my GMT and Or Reverso whilst cycling. He set me straight ... I went out and bought me a Timex from Todd Snyder. This is also my workout watch.

Put your good watch in your bag for the office.
 
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Riding a bicycle in NYC is bad for your health, let alone your watch. I know so many cyclists here that have become victims to cars making a turn, running a red light, and of course the dreaded opening taxi door into the bike lane. My wife used to commute on her bike in Manhattan but after one too many scares she gave up - although, I think that what really made her quit was being on her bike behind a garbage truck that was undergoing a compression cycle...a half in half out garbage bag exploded its contents all over her!
 
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I think the normal shock of potholes skills should be fine. An accident? That's what insurance is for.
 
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I say life is short, so wear the watch you love whenever you can. (especially if it's worth less than 50k) Maybe you could get your watch its own little helmet? I wore a Sub cycling for many years without incident. Ed White wore his Speedmaster on the first American EVA. But cycling in the city is probably more dangerous, so...
 
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Last bike accident I was in I was just wearing a Casio DBC, and I enjoyed the piece of mind that the starched the hell out of watch I paid 40 bucks for rather than my 1941 Wyler Incaflex or SKX013. Some do say the vibrations alone can hurt your watch in the long run, but I am way more paranoid. Some days I stare at my watches looking for new marks. These days I cycle with a Casio M5610
 
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I bike wearing my SKX...
Funny I was going to say that riding with my SKX in Spain the rotor came off inside my skx007...