Please help a guy pick out a watch....

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#2
I really like the first one. It has clean, simple lines and looks like it can go from jeans to dress. The second one and 3rd ones are too fussy, IMHO.

What are you looking for in a watch? There are so many choices...do you want quartz (battery) or automatic (winds by the movement of your wrist), do you want dress or casual, what size, do you want something fashionable/trendy or classic?
 
#3
Thanks for replying. I don't know anything watches lol. I just go by the look. I want a fashionable watch, that's all I want lol. I want one that can go with casual clothes and dress clothes.

What is better Quartz or automatic?
 
#4
Neither is better, it is just what you prefer. If you only want to worry about a battery change every couple of years and you might leave the watch off your wrist for extended periods, go with quartz. If you are into mechanical movements, go with automatic. Automatic watches need to be serviced (cleaned, oiled) every 5 years or so to keep them running in good order.

Have you considered Movado? Really fashionable, comfortable on the wrist, work horses, go from jeans to suits with ease. They can get pretty pricy, but this one is gorgeous...and inexpensive...on overstock! The case is 36mm, so you won't feel like you have a tuna can strapped to your wrist. The Bulova line is nice as well. http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wa...Dial-Swiss-Quartz-Watch/2089370/product.html?

If you are into mechanical stuff, this Citizen has the same movement (guts) as some VERY VERY VERY expensive watches. It is a minute repeater, perpetual calendar. It is larger than the movado at 41mm, is powered by light and has a sapphire crystal which is much stronger than mineral crystal on the Bulova. There are many different dial choices. Go to Eb*y and look!!!

http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wa...00-Mens-Eco-Drive-Watch/3062193/product.html?
 
#5
Those are some different styles and price ranges.

Automatic is generally considered a higher quality movement. There are fair quality automatic movements and excellent automatic movements (which are also extremely expensive... think $100,000).

I think the biggest thing to think about is how big you want to face to be (how many millimeters) and what your price range is. Also think about your lifestyle. Are you going to be banging around the watch a lot? Would you scratch it to all hell? If so, think about titanium or ceramic (scratch resistant) or brushed steel instead of polished. Do sapphire crystal (scratch resistant) over mineral crystal (hard to shatter, easy to scratch). I see that you like both the round and rectangular watches.

The big thing right now is larger faces. I would recommend a 44-46 mm, because most guys can pull off something of that size.

Here are some that I personally like, for a variety of prices $80-$600. I like my watches to be unique in some way. Some are titanium, most stainless steel/steel with gold plating.

j172440_04_swatch

j175474

j175076_00_swatch

j175463

j172582

j175145

j174685_00_swatch

ME1038_main
 
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#6
Actually, automatic isn't necessarily considered the better quality. It is just that most people who like/enjoy/collect watches prefer automatic to quartz. Now, if you get into the 15-500K range, I would agree that the automatic movement can be far superior.

I am pulling this from timezone because it is so wonderfully informative.

Accuracy, design for service, design for long life Jun 26, 2008 - 11:34 AM

Hey, some (quartz) are even hand assembled.

The Seiko 9F series, for example, is thermocompensated. This means that it's accurate by design and that its accuracy is stable - none of this rubbish when someone says -- "my watch last one second over two weeks" -- what did it do in between the two reference points? Its stepper is in a vacuum sealed chamber and it has a fifty year major service interval. (There's an anniversary version accurate to 5 seconds a year c.f the usual 10.)

The Citizen 660 isn't as pretty but it's also thermocompensated and accurate to fithin five seconds a year.

The Rolex Oysterquartz (sadly no longer in production) had a lot of traditional watchmaking in its gear train.

The JLC and F.Piguet quartz chronographs have a good traditional chronograph driven by steppers.

ETA do a (diminishing) range of Thermoline movements which have proper plates, jewelled bearings and thermocompensation.

Seiko make a range of "high beat" movements which run at 196KHz as opposed to the standard 32KHz - the high beat movements of the quartz world.

The Beta21 (vintage) because it was a product of the entire Swiss industry and is of tremendous historical significance.

The Seiko Astron because it was the very first quartz wristwatch on general sale.

Early Omega chronometers because of the design work thet went into the temperature invariant crystals.

Citizen's Campanola movements are hand assembled and finishes as any good mechanical watch would be.

Reliability and toughness, have a look at the COSC certification (I know that it's just marketing fluff), the quartz certification process requires that the movement be whacked a lot of times with a hammer like thing - this is conspicuously absent from the mechanical certification process.

There are some things that make even the cheapest of disposable quartz movements a wonderful thing. The technology, quartz technology has led to a huge number of other technologies because of the effort that wristwatch movement makers have put into very low power electronics.

The history, quartz timekeeping goes back to... oh, the 1920s at least and the Nobel laureates that discovered and developed the underlying piezoelectric science and technology, Pierre Curie, Gabriel Lippman. The non Nobel laureates, Paul Langevin, Walter Cady, Warren Marrison (first quartz timekeeper, 1927) Tsuneya Nakamura, Gerard Bauer, George Thiess, Willy Crabtree, Juergen Staudte (his photolithographic techniques made quartz crystals cheap and also led to Patek's Spiromax balance spring). There are so many more.

You know, quartz stuff is more interesting than mechanical stuff.

Now, what makes a good mechanical movement? ;-)
 
#7
You're right, it's preference. I just happen to live with a watch geek. :sweatdrop:

Quartz movements do keep better time, but for horologists or collectors, automatic is far more desirable (especially if it has a see through case back).
 
#8
jan228 said:
You're right, it's preference. I just happen to live with a watch geek. :sweatdrop:

Quartz movements do keep better time, but for horologists or collectors, automatic is far more desirable (especially if it has a see through case back).
Click to expand...

I'm laughing because I am a watch geek, LOL!!!!! DH is one as well and he really is a collector. He has mostly automatic, but there is a quartz thrown in here and there. Usually something rare and something that is only worn on occassion. I definitely prefer automatic. I tried to love my Tag diamond aquaracer, but it is hitting Evilbay this weekend in favor of another Rolex.

For someone buying a first watch, I like the selections you posted. He has the luxury of wearing any size watch...smaller case might be more comfortable on a watch noob but larger is definitely more stylish these days.
 
#9
Thanks for response! I think I'll be good with Quartz then. I have looked at Movado and their watches look very nice! I will look on Overstock at Movado as well =) Wow the prices on Overstock look great. Is Overstock a good website to buy from?


FlgirlFM said:
Neither is better, it is just what you prefer. If you only want to worry about a battery change every couple of years and you might leave the watch off your wrist for extended periods, go with quartz. If you are into mechanical movements, go with automatic. Automatic watches need to be serviced (cleaned, oiled) every 5 years or so to keep them running in good order.

Have you considered Movado? Really fashionable, comfortable on the wrist, work horses, go from jeans to suits with ease. They can get pretty pricy, but this one is gorgeous...and inexpensive...on overstock! The case is 36mm, so you won't feel like you have a tuna can strapped to your wrist. The Bulova line is nice as well. http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wa...Dial-Swiss-Quartz-Watch/2089370/product.html?

If you are into mechanical stuff, this Citizen has the same movement (guts) as some VERY VERY VERY expensive watches. It is a minute repeater, perpetual calendar. It is larger than the movado at 41mm, is powered by light and has a sapphire crystal which is much stronger than mineral crystal on the Bulova. There are many different dial choices. Go to Eb*y and look!!!

http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wa...00-Mens-Eco-Drive-Watch/3062193/product.html?
Click to expand...
 
#10
Hi! I will be taking good care of my watch as I do with everything I own =) I'll look for larger faces.... i'll look for watches with a face of 44-46 mm. Thanks for the pictures of the watches you like..... I have a decision to make I guess haha.

jan228 said:
Those are some different styles and price ranges.

Automatic is generally considered a higher quality movement. There are fair quality automatic movements and excellent automatic movements (which are also extremely expensive... think $100,000).

I think the biggest thing to think about is how big you want to face to be (how many millimeters) and what your price range is. Also think about your lifestyle. Are you going to be banging around the watch a lot? Would you scratch it to all hell? If so, think about titanium or ceramic (scratch resistant) or brushed steel instead of polished. Do sapphire crystal (scratch resistant) over mineral crystal (hard to shatter, easy to scratch). I see that you like both the round and rectangular watches.

The big thing right now is larger faces. I would recommend a 44-46 mm, because most guys can pull off something of that size.

Here are some that I personally like, for a variety of prices $80-$600. I like my watches to be unique in some way. Some are titanium, most stainless steel/steel with gold plating.
Click to expand...
 
#11
Overstock is a good website to buy from. The best part is the low shipping cost.

Just my 2 cents on Movado: everyone and their 16 year old kid owns one, so it's not my pick to ever stand out of the crowd. You should get at least 50-70% off of the retail for it to be a good price.
 
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#12
Ok I think I know what I'm going to get....... something from Bulova. I will get another watch a little later but I can only get one right now because I just found a LV belt I really really want! I'll post pics of my watch when I get it..... hopefully tomorrow!
 
#13
If you’re planning to buy couple $600 watches in different brand.
I’d rather spend the money to get one Omega.
It’s young and professional, and has it’s own movement and better resell value IMHO.
 
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