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Watches for non-watch guys

DrewMill

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I'm not a major watch guy. The high priced watches discussed here are not in my budget, and I'm not sure I would choose to put my money there even if I could. So, I was curious if anyone had any recommendations for guys weren't looking to spend too much?
 

norMD

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I'm not a major watch guy. The high priced watches discussed here are not in my budget, and I'm not sure I would choose to put my money there even if I could. So, I was curious if anyone had any recommendations for guys weren't looking to spend too much?

What kind of watch do you want? Dress, diver, field? Do you like the idea of a mechanical watch that would need service or do you want quartz and the reliability it offers? And a budget is always nice.. Too much is always subjective.
 

Phileas Fogg

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I'm not a major watch guy. The high priced watches discussed here are not in my budget, and I'm not sure I would choose to put my money there even if I could. So, I was curious if anyone had any recommendations for guys weren't looking to spend too much?

everything starts with a budget. What’s your budget?
 

notdos

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DrewMill

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Thanks. The initial Omega question threw me off, but further in it seems more like what I'm looking for.
 

DrewMill

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What kind of watch do you want? Dress, diver, field? Do you like the idea of a mechanical watch that would need service or do you want quartz and the reliability it offers? And a budget is always nice.. Too much is always subjective.
everything starts with a budget. What’s your budget?

I'd say under 1K is where I'd like to stay. I know that's not cheap, but it's not a Patek either. Not looking for anything specific, more of a brand where I can look around.
 

dieworkwear

Mahatma Jawndi
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I don't consider myself a "watch guy," but wear a converted Swatch automatic in the "jellyfish" colorway with sport coats. You can find them on eBay for about $175 to $200. I like that it has a small and thin profile that fits neatly underneath a shirt cuff, and a reasonably smooth sweeping seconds hand (rather than the ticking of the quartz). It's smaller than some modern Swatch watches and fits my 6.5 inch wrist well. The clear colorway is fun and the style reminds me of my time hanging out with my cousins when I was young.


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I also wear a Gshock DW5600 with workwear. Has a bit of a retro vibe to it and the chunkier silhouette goes well with things like trucker jackets and bombers. These are like $50 on Amazon. The line has a few different "square" variations with different features/ functions.



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Gil_Pender

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Lots of good replies on here already. Really depends on the style you want; Orient (Bambino model) and Seiko have some really nice automatic dress watches in your price range. If you like the Rolex Submariner look, Invicta (yeah yeah, blasphemy, I know) has their Pro Diver in both automatic and quartz movements.

A budget classic dress watch that I really like is the Bulova 98H51.
 

VegasRebel

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Pretty far from anything CM, but FWIW I love my Galaxy smartwatch. I put a shell cordovan strap on it, and I have a separate Horween Dublin strap in black if I want that. The black strap, or a rubber one, would probably work for workwear similarly to the ones dieworkwear posted. Faces are changeable to match my outfit, including digital faces or faces with hands, plus I find it actually functional.

Galaxy2.jpg
 

DrewMill

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I don't consider myself a "watch guy," but wear a converted Swatch automatic in the "jellyfish" colorway with sport coats. You can find them on eBay for about $175 to $200. I like that it has a small and thin profile that fits neatly underneath a shirt cuff, and a reasonably smooth sweeping seconds hand (rather than the ticking of the quartz). It's smaller than some modern Swatch watches and fits my 6.5 inch wrist well. The clear colorway is fun and the style reminds me of my time hanging out with my cousins when I was young.


View attachment 1645677 View attachment 1645679



I also wear a Gshock DW5600 with workwear. Has a bit of a retro vibe to it and the chunkier silhouette goes well with things like trucker jackets and bombers. These are like $50 on Amazon. The line has a few different "square" variations with different features/ functions.



View attachment 1645681 View attachment 1645678

Those are some nice suggestions. I like how you pair that Swatch.
 

dieworkwear

Mahatma Jawndi
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Those are some nice suggestions. I like how you pair that Swatch.

That photo isn't actually mine, just something I found on the internet. But I figured it might give you an idea of how the style can look with tailoring.

I like Swatches, but find some of them are too big for me (I think some are 38?). The jellyfish is about 34, I believe, which feels better for my 6.5" wrist. I also like how they generally look with tailoring. There's something very fun, almost 1980s about the look.

I find the "clear" versions are the most versatile. That said, there's a real danger of these feeling chintzy after a while and they end up sitting in your desk drawer forever. I've bought a few over the years, but find that I only ever wear the jellyfish version. If you're looking for the highest end of horology, these are certainly not it. But if you're looking for something fun that you can privately enjoy while wearing tailored clothing, they might be. My converted automatic jellyfish has to be shaken every once in a while and it loses maybe a minute or something over the course of a day. But I'm fine with adjusting it and fiddling with it.

The converted automatics also don't have the soft ticking sound of the quartz. Swatch Sistem51 can also be nice, in that regard.


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Gil_Pender

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@dieworkwear brings up the good point of wrist size. I also have thin wrists (6.5") and find a 40mm dial is really the max I can pull off. Something to think about.
 
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double00

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i'd wear a date-only watch if they made one it would be a fun statement

somehow i'm always really aware of what time it is but never know what day lol
 

mhip

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You could always take Jodie's advice and get an Ali Express spec monster for under $100.

 

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