Only "one watch"/only "two watch"

[RevolverRob]

Mine is the discontinued 39mm Explorer (214270). Just about perfect for my wrist.

The Explorer is the 'stealth' Rolex. As others have mentioned, it is the watch for all occasions. Dress it up, dress it down, the Explorer works. It flies under the radar but is a Bat Signal for other watch nerds. It is the most accurate mechanical watch I own.

And I love the vintage Explorer advertisements.

Well...except that by all accounts it probably isn't true...Hillary wore a Smith's on his wrist and may have carried a Rolex in his pocket. Tenzing Norgay was supposed to have worn his personal Rolex, a gold datejust - not an Explorer prototype. Hunt didn't summit and it's unknown what watch he actually wore. Rolex supposedly lent watches for testing for the expedition, but only Norgay's personal Rolex is the only one known to have been worn during the '53 Expedition.

So...if you want a true explorer's wrist watch, worn on a wrist, you want a Smith's Everest PRS-25...or I guess a Rolex Datejust circa 1952.

[HeavyDuty]

Well...except that by all accounts it probably isn't true...Hillary wore a Smith's on his wrist and may have carried a Rolex in his pocket. Tenzing Norgay was supposed to have worn his personal Rolex, a gold datejust - not an Explorer prototype. Hunt didn't summit and it's unknown what watch he actually wore. Rolex supposedly lent watches for testing for the expedition, but only Norgay's personal Rolex is the only one known to have been worn during the '53 Expedition.

So...if you want a true explorer's wrist watch, worn on a wrist, you want a Smith's Everest PRS-25...or I guess a Rolex Datejust circa 1952.

Next you’re gonna tell me that stripper didn’t actually get turned on by dancing for me. Buzzkill.

[camsdaddy]

Random Responses CD. I am in all caps to differentiate. I am not yelling.


I hate to sound like a dumb poor but here I go.
[YOU DO NOT AT ALL. Most folks could cover all of their watch needs in two watches. Jacket and tie folks 3 max.]

Other than we like nice things or a sense of pride in ownership is there anything a higher end watch does that a cheaper one will not?
[THERE ARE POINTS OF DIMISHING RETURN. THOSE POINTS ARE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 3000 DEPENDING ON THE MISSION. IT IS A CONTINUM, NOT A OR B]


I see this sort of like a (timex) Glock 19 vs (rolex etc)a full custom 1911.
[AGAIN, I WOULD SUBMIT IT IS A CONTINUM, NOT A OR B. MOREOVER, A GLOCK IS A FAR NICER FIREARM THAN A TIMEX IS A WATCH.]

The timex keeps time, is reliable, is easy to replace and functional and the same can be said for a basic Glock.
[TIMEX, IMHO IS WIDELY OVERPRICED AND OVERRATED AT ALL BUT THE MOST BASIC OF THEIR DIGITAL OFFERINGS. THEIR NON SAPPHIRE CHRYTALS ON 200 ISH WATCHES ARE HIGHLY PRONE TO SCRATCHING V A VAER FOR THE SAME OR LESS MONEY. CASIO EATS THEIR LUNCH IN THE DIGITAL REALM.]

The nicer watches have more detailed movements and must be serviced and recalibrated and such which can be said of custom handguns.
[SOME TRUTH TO THIS IN THE AUTOMATIC WORLD. USUALLY NO MORE THAN A BATTERY CHANGE IN THE QUARTZ WORLD.]

No one will ever look at my wrist and think man that guy has a nice watch but I will be on time.


Of course that said I guess if I only cared what time it was I would simply look at my phone.
[PHONES ARE NOT OPTIMUM WATCHES JUST AS THEY ARE NOT OPTIMUM FLASHLIGHTS]

BOTTOM LINE-Give me you use case and a budget and I suspect a solid watch can be had.

Thank you this was an excellent explanation

[RevolverRob]

Next you’re gonna tell me that stripper didn’t actually get turned on by dancing for me. Buzzkill.

If you think that's bad wait until you learn about the prostitute's actual test results...

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Coming in late. Not living a particularly rough life - I wear day to day:

Timex Men's T49949 Expedition Digital CAT Black Fast Wrap Watch - not expensive.

I have a vintage Seiko brass self-winding watch that I wear if I dress up (rarely now).

I doubt I will be significantly under water anytime soon.

[JSGlock34]

Well...except that by all accounts it probably isn't true...Hillary wore a Smith's on his wrist and may have carried a Rolex in his pocket. Tenzing Norgay was supposed to have worn his personal Rolex, a gold datejust - not an Explorer prototype. Hunt didn't summit and it's unknown what watch he actually wore. Rolex supposedly lent watches for testing for the expedition, but only Norgay's personal Rolex is the only one known to have been worn during the '53 Expedition.

So...if you want a true explorer's wrist watch, worn on a wrist, you want a Smith's Everest PRS-25...or I guess a Rolex Datejust circa 1952.

I'm not too hard up over the first watch to summit Everest mystery, but that particular advertisement is carefully worded to not make that claim, only that Rolex provided watches to the Hunt expedition, which I don't think is in question. It definitely wasn't an Explorer though, which didn't exist back then, but I think the Explorer certainly descends from this lineage. I think this (The Truth About Rolex, Smiths, and Mt. Everest) was a balanced article on the topic.

But I'm much more committed to arguing that the Explorer is really the original James Bond watch.

[Wondering Beard]

But I'm much more committed to arguing that the Explorer is really the original James Bond watch.

It is what Ian Fleming wore.

Though I would argue that the GMT is a more fitting watch to an "international spy". But Pussy Galore was there first.

[RevolverRob]

But I'm much more committed to arguing that the Explorer is really the original James Bond watch.

Fleming wore an Explorer. But...the first watch worn by Bond in Dr. No is a Gruen Precision 510.

[JSGlock34]

It is what Ian Fleming wore.

Though I would argue that the GMT is a more fitting watch to an "international spy". But Pussy Galore was there first.

Fleming wore an Explorer. But...the first watch worn by Bond in Dr. No is a Gruen Precision 510.

In the literary Bond, there are precious few references to Bond's watch, but enough. It is described as a Rolex with a metal band and numerals on the face - probably Fleming looking at his own wrist as he wrote. This is from "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" after Bond breaks his Rolex after using it to beat up a henchman and considering what to buy.

“Another Rolex? Probably. They were on the heavy side, but they worked. And at least you could see the time in the dark with those big phosphorous numerals”.

[MountainRaven]

Rolex has claimed - or worded things in a way that make it easy for people to assume - some pretty counter-factual things.