Obligatory Wristwatch Thread

[vcdgrips]

The Seiko Presage Line represents a fine next step into watches. Their dials are superlative at the sub 500 price point and hold up relative to watches costing much more.

My one nit to pick with Seiko is their use of their proprietary Hardlex Crystal in a price range where many competitors and most micro brands use sapphire.

While Hardlex is certainly harder/more scratch resistant that regular mineral crystals, it is not nearly so relative to sapphire crystal. Indeed, I wish that Seiko would just bump their price 25.00 to cover the cost of using sapphire and drive on.

I like this Orient for a dress watch. Automatic, sapphire Crystal, wonderful textured dial etc. 355.00 retail on the Orient website means it could likely be had for under 300.00 on the street.

https://www.orientwatchusa.com/colle.../ra-ak0008s10b

[Wondering Beard]

I want to add a dress watch to my small collection. Something for weddings and date nights. I usually wear a orange Seiko monster or my Garmin as my daily watch.

I'm looking at this Seiko Presage. Thoughts? I like the orient Bambino too, but leaning to the Seiko more.

https://teddybaldassarre.com/product...40629330378845

The Orient Bambino is a great looking watch ... with one problem , often common among lower priced automatics: do not take it shooting!

I came home after a session at the range (a few hundred rounds) and, after a few hours, I was wondering why it wasn't keeping time at all. As I took it off, I hear noises akin to shaking an unopened puzzle game box. When I took it to the local guy, he basically said that the watch had unmade itself.

[37th Mass]

The Orient Bambino is a great looking watch ... with one problem , often common among lower priced automatics: do not take it shooting!

I came home after a session at the range (a few hundred rounds) and, after a few hours, I was wondering why it wasn't keeping time at all. As I took it off, I hear noises akin to shaking an unopened puzzle game box. When I took it to the local guy, he basically said that the watch had unmade itself.

I bought a Bambino a couple of months ago. I like it a lot. Nice looking automatic watch for casual Fridays, and it cost under $200. Good tip to not take it shooting!

Island watch sells replacement sapphire crystals for many Seiko and Orient models. I bought sapphire crystals from them for my original Orient Mako and for a Seiko 'DressKX' that I bought for my son. https://longislandwatch.com/

[Mirolynmonbro]

I like this Orient for a dress watch. Automatic, sapphire Crystal, wonderful textured dial etc. 355.00 retail on the Orient website means it could likely be had for under 300.00 on the street.

https://www.orientwatchusa.com/colle.../ra-ak0008s10b

That's very similar to the orient I was looking at. https://www.orientwatchusa.com/colle.../ra-ag0002s10a

No sapphire tho. I found this one too that I like. It does have sapphire crystal.

https://www.orientwatchusa.com/colle.../ra-as0011s10b

[Mirolynmonbro]

The Orient Bambino is a great looking watch ... with one problem , often common among lower priced automatics: do not take it shooting!

I came home after a session at the range (a few hundred rounds) and, after a few hours, I was wondering why it wasn't keeping time at all. As I took it off, I hear noises akin to shaking an unopened puzzle game box. When I took it to the local guy, he basically said that the watch had unmade itself.

Yikes. Is the Seiko Presage more durable?

[vcdgrips]

I know there are lots of folks who shoot lots of guns while wearing automatic watches. I shoot w guys that have been shooting FRI IPSC and monthly IDPA wearing the same Stainless Rolexes/Omegas/Seikos/Breitlings/Sinns for years with no alleged ill effects.

I have done it with multiple automatic watches on to include my own Omega GMT.

Having said that, when I think about it, and I think about it almost always now, I take any automatic watch off and wear a Casio Digital ( world Timer or Old School G-Shock) of some sort. I can always swap back out when the shooting “day” is over when my fashion sense remerges along with any need/want/desire to show off a given watch. I do the same thing with the few quartz analog watches i own as well i.e. Casio Oceanus in titanium and a Bulova Lunar Pilot.

Juice/Squeeze, Odds/Stakes etc.

YMMV Greatly

[Mirolynmonbro]

Now that I think of it I don't think I've ever shot shot with my Seiko on.

A guy at my local club wear a Rolex to the matches.

[Wondering Beard]

Yikes. Is the Seiko Presage more durable?

Sadly, I have no idea as I have no experience with Seiko automatics.

All I can say is that higher end automatic watches (especially sport watches) are set in the case more solidly and have a movement architecture that is much more resistant to shocks.

I know there are lots of folks who shoot lots of guns while wearing automatic watches. I shoot w guys that have been shooting FRI IPSC and monthly IDPA wearing the same Stainless Rolexes/Omegas/Seikos/Breitlings/Sinns for years with no alleged ill effects.

I have done it with multiple automatic watches on to include my own Omega GMT.

Having said that, when I think about it, and I think about it almost always now, I take any automatic watch off and wear a Casio Digital ( world Timer or Old School G-Shock) of some sort. I can always swap back out when the shooting “day” is over when my fashion sense remerges along with any need/want/desire to show off a given watch. I do the same thing with the few quartz analog watches i own as well i.e. Casio Oceanus in titanium and a Bulova Lunar Pilot.

Juice/Squeeze, Odds/Stakes etc.

YMMV Greatly

None of my Rolexes or Omegas have ever failed me even in high round count sessions.

Quartz watches are inherently more shock resistant as there are many fewer parts to get joshed around

[MountainRaven]

The Seiko Presage Line represents a fine next step into watches. Their dials are superlative at the sub 500 price point and hold up relative to watches costing much more.

My one nit to pick with Seiko is their use of their proprietary Hardlex Crystal in a price range where many competitors and most micro brands use sapphire.

While Hardlex is certainly harder/more scratch resistant that regular mineral crystals, it is not nearly so relative to sapphire crystal. Indeed, I wish that Seiko would just bump their price 25.00 to cover the cost of using sapphire and drive on.

I like this Orient for a dress watch. Automatic, sapphire Crystal, wonderful textured dial etc. 355.00 retail on the Orient website means it could likely be had for under 300.00 on the street.

https://www.orientwatchusa.com/colle.../ra-ak0008s10b

The Hardlex bugs me, but I have yet to scratch one, so... I try not to let it bug me that much.

Now that I think of it I don't think I've ever shot shot with my Seiko on.

A guy at my local club wear a Rolex to the matches.

I think it's worth bearing in mind that Rolex, Omega, et al. are designed to be worn by guys who, at the very least, are going to be playing things like golf. Plus you have SOF guys wearing their Rolexes and Omegas in the sandbox, I'm pretty sure Ken Hackathorn is doing his shooting in the Wilson Combat videos with a Rolly on, and LAV was keeping his Rollies away from the range until he realized that he was never wearing them - so he started wearing them for travel, at the range, &c. (you can see him wearing a Rolex in Vickers Tactical videos going back a few years, now).

Plus, if I do manage to kill one of my watches while shooting, that's why we have warranties. And if your watch is out of warranty, it could probably use a servicing, anyway.

[fatdog]

Although I am now in to the higher end of the lower end automatics, I have not owned a quartz in 30 years. For at least 25 years I only wore the low end Seiko 5's and now I wear the Martac, Steinhardt, and Dekla.

Hundreds of matches, many hundreds of practice sessions, over a dozen high round count classes and nothing has happened to even the least of these. It would never occur to me to take my watch off. Only time I have done it was when shooting the NCOWS branch of cowboy action shooting where by costume rules I was required to switch to a pocket watch for 2 hours.

So I will draw the categorical conclusion based on a 30 year test lab for one person, shooting handguns does not damage automatic watches, even the cheap $150 Seiko 5's.