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Best Bang For The Buck?

6K views 13 replies 11 participants last post by  astronut 
#1 ·
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First lets define the basic purpose and requirements for a watch for most users.

Provide accurate time. This is the prime requirement for any decent watch.

Be dependable. A broken watch or one with a dead batterydoes not meet the prime requirement.

Require minimal maintenance.

Based on these requirements it appears that a radio synchronized, solar recharged and bothwater andshock resistant watch such as several Casio G Shockmodels meet the basic criteria at relatively low cost.

Ignoring questions of aesthetics and pride of ownership, which group members will not of course, can anyone argue with the logic of this choice? Leave out the radio synchronization and the number of choices expands considerably but they are no longer quite so idiot proof.
 
#2 ·
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The G Shock is a great choice. I prefer the Citizen Eco-Drive radio controlled watches as, for me, they offer a little bit more styling. The G Shock is more of an outdoor, rugged watch. The Citizen goes a little better with a dress shirt at work. JMHO.
 
#3 ·
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It depends on the cost. A G-Shock can cost a few hundred dollars if thats the case I will take a Kinetic or an Eco-Drive over a solar Casio. Aesthetic wise there is no comparison for me. I will take a SS case and bracelet over plastic all day.
 
#4 ·
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I had not thought of the Citizen Eco-Drive A-T watches but they certainly qualify too. A check on Amazon does indicate the Casio watches with this technology start at under $80 while the cheapest Citizen is about $350 it looks like.

I agree that the Citizen watches are a lot more attractive though. To me a lot of Casios, particularly the G-Shocks, have always appeared to have been styled by the creator of Transformers movie special effects monsters.:)
 
#7 ·
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I picked up a Citizen chrono military watch for $135 ( i think it was). It works as advertised, and has a solar cell, so the watch will probably wear out before the rechargable battery needs replacing. Downside? I had to send the first one in after a month because the chrono stopped working. They replaced the movement and it seems to be going well
 
#9 ·
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astronut wrote:
Avery;

Some of us do not have cellular phones. When out of the house I do not want to be phoned! Darren, I did mention accuracy in the first post. How good is your eye for sun position, +/- 1 hour maybe?
I think the guys were being a little more tounge in cheek than anything. :b

As far as the G-shock goes.
It depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for function and dependability over fashion or style, Absolutley.

If you want something a little more stylish, then there are others ways to go.

But I am looking to pick up another G-shock. Used to have alot of them as a teenager, and wore one alot when working in the kitchens.

Kinda just wanna pick one up again, just because. Something a little different, very rugged, and something I know I never really have to worry about.
 
#10 ·
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I would go with finding a good deal on a quartz watch. To me, I don't need radio controlled. Just check it every 5 or 6 months,or when you have to reset the clocks back or forward, and if it's off by a minute you adjust it.

To me personally, I would like to get a G-shock but they're to big for my small wrist.
 
#14 ·
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RandomTask wrote:
Best bang for the buck is any Val.7750 that you can get in mint condition for $500 or less. I like the Wenger GST series.

Another would be any minty ETA 2824 for $250 or less. Like my dFreemont original Ancyent Marinere I picked up for $225 shipped.
Isnt that more "Greatest prestige for the buck" rather than best bang? IMO that is a matter of opinion. I have several mechanical watches, including a Rolex GMT Master bought new in about 1967, and none are nearly as accurate as even a inexpensive quartz watch, and never have been. My mechanicals are the Rolex, a Heuer Autavia and three Seiko automatics includingtwodivers. Also several mechanical pocket watches including Swiss and American models. The Swiss oneis a ETA 6498 movement watch as I recall, a Camero. The Ameican is a 17 jewel Waltham. I also had a original Bulova Accutron which was a step up from the Rolex in accuracy. It needed to be more rugged though.

The successful Swiss watch industry campaign to convince somany peoplethat the mechanical watch is "The Prestige Watch" regardless of accuracy and ruggedness issues has been amazing to observe.:whatever: Probably one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history. It kept part ofthe Swiss watch industry alive while the American one is as dead as the dinosaurs.

I suspect that properly done the LCD display and no moving parts digital quartzwatch could be both the most accurate and ruggedest possible watch, particularly if done with solar recharging and radio signal setting so that the case could be completely sealed. As it is I just ordered a Citizen Eco-Drive World PerpetualA-T as what should be about the most accurate possible wrist watch using currently available technology.

I guess that posting opinions such as these make me a bit of an iconoclast in this group.:%
 
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