Recommend a watch

[SteveDallas]

Dammit, I'm tired of going through watches. Somebody recommend one that will be reliable (aka last more than a year--maybe this is a stupid requirement for the disposable merchandise era). I've tried buying cheap ones and I've tried more expensive ones (~$20 and ~$70-100 respectively) on the theory that a more expensive one will last longer, but it hasn't panned out. I'd be happy to pay ~$5 for one and consider it disposable if I could find one that didn't look like a kid's toy. (I'm not super hung up on appearances, but it kind of detracts from your managerial cachet in those meetings with the other vice presidential types when you casually pull up your sleeve and flash a Boba Fett watch like my kids just got from Burger King for $2.) But once I get up around $20 I, perhaps foolishly, expect it to run for a while.

[dar512]

Personally I've had good luck with Timex. They last through a couple of battery changes - so ~ 5 yrs.

But if you're hard on watches and have the money, get a Rolex oyster. They're not fancy, and they're very expensive. But they're built like a tank.

[Happy Monkey]

Timex Ironman Triathlon is good. I currently have the "Flix" and it's lasted several years so far.

[Undertoad]

Your mobile phone gets its time from the network and therefore is more accurate than watches. Mechanical watches are a quaint leftover relic from an earlier day. They should not be used. Thank you.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Your mobile phone gets its time from the network and therefore is more accurate than watches. Mechanical watches are a quaint leftover relic from an earlier day. They should not be used. Thank you.

Yeah, but checking the time on your cell phone or PDA makes you look like a tool. Watches are more for looks than function, anyways.

Do you keep your money and ID in a velcro canvas wallet, too?

[SteveDallas]

Bullshit! Next you're going to be telling me print is dead.

Well you have a point about the timekeeping accuracy of a phone, but I prefer to continue to maintain a wristwatch for several reasons.

• Checking the time on my phone requires me to pull it from my shirt pocket (assuming it's not already out, on a table or something) and flip the cover. (Yes I know some models display the time on the outside of the case, but I like what I have now.) There are situations where this isn't practical for logistical reasons (standing in line at wawa with a bag of donuts in one hand and a coffee in the other) or because I don't want to draw attention to myself by doing so (committee meetings, school plays, etc.)
• Believe it or not, there are times when I don't have my phone with me.
• Force of habit. I've worn one for 25-odd years. (Some of them very odd.) I'm not stopping now. What are you going to do, come to my house and impound my watch, fountain pen, and books??

EDIT: I won't start about an alarm clock either. I believe I've mentioned before that my vision is rather horrible. I have an alarm clock with 2.5" tall red LED numbers. I can actually read it lying in bed without my glasses, as long as it's only a few inches away. Well, the "minute" button is getting flaky, making it increasingly hard to change the alarm. I just tried out one of those clocks taht will project the time, but I found its lens arrangement didn't enlarge things much at all. (Aiming it up at the ceiling, it got to maybe 3 inches tall, which is not big enough at that distance.)

Picky, aren't I?

[glatt]

Analog or digital?

[Troubleshooter]

This is what I have except I have a black face on mine. I didn't pay much for it and it lasts. I'm on my second one after Little Sidhe used my wrist as a swing set without warning.

It's simple, water resistant, inexpensive and resilient.

http://www.timex.com/bin/detail.tmx?item=048148438927

[glatt]

I like that one, TS. It's nice and simple, not ugly, and pretty cheap.

[Kitsune]

I've had a Seiko that has been running perfectly since 1997 and has taken a hell of a beating. It has an analog face but is quartz-driven and even has a pleasing alarm. The battery has to be changed about every three years or so.

[wolf]

I'm a big fan of Casio watches. Over the years I've owned maybe three or four of them.

When I say "years" I mean "since high school."

Last year would have been my 25th Reunion, if my class wasn't too apathetic to have one, so it was just my 25th anniversary out.

They have both analog and digital styles.

My favorite Casio watch (and the one I was saddest to see go) was the one that was featured in the movie "Blue Thunder."

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by wolf

My favorite Casio watch (and the one I was saddest to see go) was the one that was featured in the movie "Blue Thunder."

Damn it! I looked for one of those for *years*! @#$!~%&!!*@# !!!

Back in the days before the Internet, all you could do was cruise the damn stores, and no one *ever* had it here in the Midwest. I was so pissed. I wanted that watch desperately.

Anyway, I can also throw in a vote of confidence for Casios. I've had several, and lost them all before they ever broke.

[MaggieL]

It's totally impractical. I plug it in to my USB port every night to resync and recharge.

Almost satisfies my nostagia impulse for an HP-01. (http://del.icio.us/MaggieL/hp01)


I don't care: it's way too much fun to have. $60 on eBay.

And when synced to a Linux box running NTP, it keeps excellent time. :-)

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive...g_website.html

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Elspode

Damn it! I looked for one of those for *years*! @#$!~%&!!*@# !!

Back in the days before the Internet, all you could do was cruise the damn stores, and no one *ever* had it here in the Midwest. I was so pissed. I wanted that watch desperately.!

It took a LOT of looking. Finally found it at a now-defunct discount chain called BEST. You had to order your stuff at the counter and it would come down the conveyor to you. Not a cool merry-go-round or ferris wheel conveyor like Brookstone, but a regular industrial one.

I really miss BEST. I got a lot of totally great stuff there. I get nostaligic every time I go to the Montgomeryville Borders.

Anyway, I can also throw in a vote of confidence for Casios. I've had several, and lost them all before they ever broke.

The plastic wristbands tend to be the biggest problem. I would typically go through three or more per watch, which over the course of the life of each watch really wasn't all that bad when you think about it.

My newest Casio has a nylon fabric wristband that holds up quite well.

My current watch is actually a Timex. Yes, I am appropriately ashamed by this. It's a Timex Expedition clip watch that I hang from my belt loop. It's a lot easier to lend to coworkers who need to take vital signs than a wristwatch. I also have a very cool Remington Pocket Watch that an Avon Lady friend gave me. It has a graphic of a Pheasant in flight on the case and face, but the hands are pretty thin and it's harder to read than I like.

I also have an Avon novelty watch of the First Moon Landing Life Magazine Cover, but I don't often wear it because I really need a backlight.

Oh, and I still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.

[richlevy]

Does anyone have an opinion on Eddie Bauer watches? Are they just branded cheap crap or do they have any durability?