What is your least trendy/popular watch opinion?

Pastorbottle · Jan 20, 2023

Most of the blokes I work with won’t wear a watch as they use their phone to tell the time, the problem with this is they end up with a phone they can’t hear as the bloody things get full of fine ground swarf from grinding, welding, machining etc this builds around the speaker magnet an eventually kills the speaker…..at least that’s what happens if the swarf doesn’t short something else out first.
Now going to the trouble of rummaging through you pocket to find a phone only to kill it before it’s time is much more trouble than a quick glance at the wrist. ( kinda reminds ya of why the wrist watch took over from the pocket variety doesn’t it)
And replacing a crappy Invicta that cost me 3/8ths of 31/64ths of fuckall is more cost effective than having to buy a new phone

noelekal · Jan 20, 2023

I like having and using a designated beater watch.

For the owner, sometime the beater watch takes on a charm all its own.

This was a $5 purchase in a Cleburne, Texas pawn shop sometime in the early to mid 1980s, thrown in with some now long forgotten firearms purchase. This was before I had heard the term "beater watch" before I really had descended into a knowledge of vintage watches or love of same. It ran, kept time quite accurately so was immediately pressed into service. It became the hunting, fishing, hiking, weekend chores watch.

In my ignorance, I didn't even service it for the first time until 2006, assuming that it ran well so didn't require attention. There even was a time when I'd have probably tossed it if it had quit on me.

I am very sentimental though and over time the watch wormed its way into my affections as we "conquered" many adventures afield and overcame the endless projects connected with home ownership.

It's been serviced regularly since 2006, its crumbly lume replaced about five years ago. I don't wear it most often, but it's worn quite a lot. It still receives the call when hunting or fishing trips, outdoors activities, or heavy work is on the schedule.

When the going gets tough, the old Glycine gets going.

t268 · Jan 20, 2023

Not exactly an unpopular opinion that faux patina ruins just about every watch, but what probably is(especially on this forum) is that the NTTD is the worst of the bunch.

janice&fred · Jan 20, 2023

Back in the day when I didn't know any better I would often pick up a forlorn watch on the cheap with the intention of it being a "beater". Soon I learned better as no matter what, if I liked the watch enough to wear it I was going to end up doing a sympathetic restoration on it so it could join our swollen boxes of "keepers". For me there's no such thing as a beater or throw away watch. I'm not capable of knocking a watch around. Even an Invicta or Michael Kors. I would rather give it to a kid in the neighborhood than damage it 😁

Aroxx · Jan 20, 2023

bananapeanut
I admit that I rarely engage in bone-breaking activities where my steel watch would run the risk of being "severely damaged or completely destroyed." I certainly care more about my bones than my watches anyway.

For some types of activities, it's just not practical to wear a watch so I just remove it. A clock is never too far away if I need to know the time.

Certainly most people refer to the term beater watch as the watch they wear the most, and why the watch you wear the most should be a beater is what I'm questioning.

Obviously, I don't expect my least popular watch opinion to be popular 😉

There are plenty of activities that will damage a steel watch (don't forget the crystal and movement inside) that won't break your bones or otherwise cause bodily injury. There are also some that will do both. When engaging in them, I'll leave my $6000 Omega at home and use a POS that I don't care about. Also, some of these activities may take you far away from where a clock is located. It may even be critical in those situations to know the time. Maybe it's an unpopular opinion because it doesn't make any sense. 😉

Sure, some (maybe most, but it's far from certain) people refer to a daily wearer as a "beater". I wear my Speedmaster every day and do not baby it. I'm fine if it gets bashed around and scratched a bit. I would not call it a "beater" because I do not intentionally "beat" on it. I just use common sense and say to myself, "Hey, I'm probably going to fυck this watch up right now. Maybe I should put the Casio on for this one."

Modest_Proposal · Jan 20, 2023

I want a company (Longines, Omega, Zenith, etc.) to have the balls to make a sub-36mm (sub 35mm???) vintage re-issue. And keep the original diameter.

It has been done before. But very seldom.

noelekal · Jan 20, 2023

Modest_Proposal
I want a company (Longines, Omega, Zenith, etc.) to have the balls to make a sub-36mm (sub 35mm???) vintage re-issue. And keep the original diameter.

It has been done before. But very seldom.

^This!^

janice&fred · Jan 20, 2023

Aroxx
some of these activities may take you far away from where a clock is located. It may even be critical in those situations to know the time. Maybe it's an unpopular opinion because it doesn't make any sense

Oh it makes sense. In my line of work careful timing is critical. However, I take special care not to scrape my watch on the sides of the holes I saw in rooftops or on the edges of broken glass if using window access.

Tony C. · Jan 20, 2023

Unless one expects to spend time in a third-world country, where it may be necessary to quickly extricate oneself from a very hairy situation, why own a Rolex?

If you are a vintage collector, and do not own and at least occasionally wear a watch that measures <33mm, you are, ironically, a sissy!

😁

Fallout Boy · Jan 20, 2023

Annapolis · Jan 20, 2023

Modest_Proposal
I want a company (Longines, Omega, Zenith, etc.) to have the balls to make a sub-36mm (sub 35mm???) vintage re-issue. And keep the original diameter.

It has been done before. But very seldom.

A reissue 135.011 with the red cross hair technical dial but a Master Chrono movement?—I’m all in: keep it under 36mm.

Aroxx · Jan 20, 2023

janice&fred
Oh it makes sense. In my line of work careful timing is critical. However, I take special care not to scrape my watch on the sides of the holes I saw in rooftops or on the edges of broken glass if using window access.

Bro, I’m sure they have a clock inside. Figure out the average police response time and just use the kitchen timer. Handcuffs might scratch your fancy watch.

MRC · Jan 20, 2023

bananapeanut
Certainly most people refer to the term beater watch as the watch they wear the most, and why the watch you wear the most should be a beater is what I'm questioning.

Really, most people? Not me, most of my watches are 30-60 years old and cannot be guaranteed waterproof, so the "most worn" Speedy Reduced is swapped for either a modern Hamilton if it's likely to get wet or a £20 Casio if bashing applies.

True, in my days of just one watch my 1969 Heuer Carrera would fit your description, it went everywhere with me, did everything, and amazingly survived. Had I known that it would become rather valuable I might have taken better care of it. Of course in those days "bashing" meant undoing or securing knock-on wheel-nuts on sports & racing cars.

meglos · Jan 20, 2023

-Rubber straps make expensive watches look cheap.

-When watch people say "Gold is out of style" it's one of the most stupid statements in human history.

-I wouldn't wear a Richard Mille even if someone gave it to me. I once turned down a chance to handle or try one on at an AD that had one on trade. They were shocked that the opportunity registered zero interest for me.

-The love for Casio, especially the F91W is overblown. It feels like people talk about how great it is just to try to show they aren't watch snobs. Its cheap, it looks cheap, and it feels cheap. Pure land fill fodder.

Omega D · Jan 21, 2023

joeshoup
I love the Seiko AGS/Kinetic movements, and their inimitable 90s styles. It's a dead end in evolution - or maybe a stutter on the way to the spring drive? Anyway, I find their quirkiness and unreliability very charming.

Looking for a new bracelet for my Arctura if anyone has one lying around!

Great it is still going, have you ever serviced it or changed crystal? I have a similar one but after 13 years it became unreliable. Seiko would not repair but wanted to change movement, in its life I replayed the crystal once. The crystal became scuffed again, the cost of a new movement and a new crystal no point. I have no spare braclet I am afraid

Omega D · Jan 21, 2023

Aroxx
Hell yea dude! Now just imagine how much cooler that dude would look with this bad boy on his wrist.

Don’t like diamonds or bright class looking bezel sorry.

hen · Jan 21, 2023

timjohn
The common thread between the ugliness of the AP Royal Oak, the Nautilus, and -- I'm afraid to say -- the Polerouter is Gerald Genta.

Bleagh.

The man managed to distil everything that made the 70s and 80s the rolling design disaster they were and package it up into a wrist-sized turdlet.

Finally! I am not alone in the world to think that, Thank you so much.

His watches are pieces of flat steel stock with a hole drilled in it, put in a movement and cap it of with slotted hex bolt in a hexagonal hole! My inner (and outer) mechanic has no word for this..........practise(?). It simply does not compute.

Thanks for letting me went without fear of torches and pitchforks.

janice&fred · Jan 21, 2023

MRC
"bashing" meant undoing or securing knock-on wheel-nuts on sports & racing cars.

You're my hero

Fallout Boy · Jan 21, 2023

Fallout Boy

I was wrong: you can wear 3 at halloween, if you have 2 arms

And: All the best, buzz, for you and your new wife!

https://twitter.com/TheRealBuzz

Turpinr · Jan 21, 2023

Pastorbottle
Most of the blokes I work with won’t wear a watch as they use their phone to tell the time, the problem with this is they end up with a phone they can’t hear as the bloody things get full of fine ground swarf from grinding, welding, machining etc this builds around the speaker magnet an eventually kills the speaker…..at least that’s what happens if the swarf doesn’t short something else out first.
Now going to the trouble of rummaging through you pocket to find a phone only to kill it before it’s time is much more trouble than a quick glance at the wrist. ( kinda reminds ya of why the wrist watch took over from the pocket variety doesn’t it)
And replacing a crappy Invicta that cost me 3/8ths of 31/64ths of fuckall is more cost effective than having to buy a new phone

I worked in engineering on the shop floor for 45 years and never wore a watch either.
Now I'm retired I regular change my watch twice a day.
I've got arthritis in my knees and hips from being stood up all my working life plus tinnitus from not wearing ear defenders, which I'm currently claiming for🙁
I've still got all my mikes, slip gauges, vernier caliper, digital and prehistoric, Zeus book and apprentice log books.