[Majikthese42]

I wear a 1976 6306-7001 Seiko automatic diver that I just received back from the watchmaker.

The service cost $219 and the watchmaker's waiting list was 5 months long.

If it lasts another 35 years, the watch will last longer than I will.

[Kid Eh]

These watches are great.

http://ca.nixonnow.com/mens-watches/

[SixShotEspressO]

Originally Posted by jayback42

Citizen eco-drive or Swiss Army in that range.

+1

I picked up a Blue Angels Titanium Citizen for 265.00. I think it is a SKYHAWK model, most satisfying and durable watch I've owned.

[asifjahmed]

Seiko Arctura:

http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Kine...8049273&sr=8-2

[BTTGMan]

Originally Posted by John 070

Yes, seiko makes good automatic diver watches that list for $500 and sell for anywhere between $150 and $300 on the web...

http://www.seikoskx007.com/

Then again, Seiko would be what in your dad's world? LOL

My grandfather was so pro German he had a Leica camera collection. Kinda nice that one lens like a 50 mm 1.4 would cost a multiple of the top of the line Nikon body. But guess which one took the worlds best pictures? It wasn't the German made. A few weeks ago at this BMW only party, one guy shows up in a new 750 and took pics at a 1 y.o. b-day party with a Nikon D3X. It's so funny to see people who always have to be "seen" with nothing but the best. Once in a while like electrical equipment, it's good to be grounded.

Bmw only party? Tell me where this is, so I never move there!

[ceb]

Originally Posted by zachar3

dress. And I want something fairly basic. Almost along the lines of a rolex submariner. Black bezel, black face?

Submariners are not dress watches. A dress watch, by definition, has a plain dial with few functions, a date perhaps but no fancy bezel.

Dress watches commonly have a leather strap as opposed to a metal bracelet.

Citizen makes some nice dress watches in the Stiletto line.

The only automatics in your price range will be those horrible Stauer or similar watches that you find advertised in magazines as "regularly $20,000, now $2.95" that will make anybody that knows watches laugh at you.

[BTTGMan]

Originally Posted by ceb

Submariners are not dress watches. A dress watch, by definition, has a plain dial with few functions, a date perhaps but no fancy bezel.

Dress watches commonly have a leather strap as opposed to a metal bracelet.

Citizen makes some nice dress watches in the Stiletto line.

The only automatics in your price range will be those horrible Stauer or similar watches that you find advertised in magazines as "regularly $20,000, now $2.95" that will make anybody that knows watches laugh at you.

+100

[ceb]

OTOH, there is a BMW watch that looks quite nice. While it isn't technically a dress watch, it does look nice with a suit.

[07GraphiteXI]

If you want a Rolex copy, get an Invicta.

Personally, I have a collection of Seikos I buy on sale for daily wear (work, evenings, etc)

My next watch will be a tag aquaracer

[Kolyan2k]

I have sapphire crystal kinetic Seiko thats about $500-550 in stores, I bought straight from Seiko dealer for $250. Very nice watch.

My thoughts were: battery watches are crap, mechanical watches are good but need winding and some maintenance, and really good ones are expensive. kinetic is somewhere in between, manual mechanism is charging a capacitor that runs the watch. battery quartz watch is also more accurate then mechanical.

also read that Rolex is just overpriced watch.....they used to hand-built them, but now its automated factory. < maybe i am wrong here.....read this a long time ago.

[nabeel776]

Try worldofwatches.com

[ennis]

I've got a few decent watches - a quartz Tag 6000 series chrono, an automatic Omega DeVille dress watch, and an automatic Oris BC4. I also have a swiss army that I paid $175 for.

Not sure about all this "Tags last forever" talk. I bought mine in late-2001 and it is currently in the shop getting the movement and one of the buttons for the chrono features replaced. About $400 all together, the damned little button is $160. Started having problems with the movement a few years ago (the hands in the chrono dials wouldn't stay set to the right positions, if you re-set them they were out of whack within a few minutes). Nice watch, but certainly not indestructible.

For the price range you are looking in, my advice would be to get a swiss army. Not flashy, but a well-made swiss watch, and they have all kinds of styles to choose from. Don't worry about getting an automatic in that price range.

[Kolyan2k]

If you wanna be real cool.....you can always score some Patek Philippe watches and call it a day....


and some people buy fakes. the thing is that a good fake Rolex for $100-150 bucks is probably just as good as real. fakes also can be good (100-200 bucks) and crappy (20-30 bucks).

[BTTGMan]

be forewarned that invictas have a huge INVICTA logo on the side, that they dont show in pics. probably only reason that rolex hasn't shut them down for copies.

dont buy a watch trying to be something that it isnt. get a really nice functional watch in that price range. personally i'd go with a nice non-dress watch, as times have changed and you can now wear these with suits in most settings too e.g. http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wat...tml?rcmndsrc=2 or

this one that saks fifth avenue is selling for $500 in all their stores: http://www.yourwatchconnection.com/p...ch-241158.html

[pjm]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

maybe i am wrong here.....

You are.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by pjm

You are.

proof please

EDIT: even in Rolex forum people say they have NOT been hand built for a long time now...since 1980s (or even earlier). and automated factories produce up to 2,000 watches per day and up to 800k-900k per year.....doesnt sound like hand building

sorry buddy.....i suppose you have "hand-built" Rolex

EDIT: Rolex was hand-built in early 1900s, then robots replaced humans, but Rolex kept its status symbol

[apc3libras]

Originally Posted by 07GraphiteXI

If you want a Rolex copy, get an Invicta.

Personally, I have a collection of Seikos I buy on sale for daily wear (work, evenings, etc)

My next watch will be a tag aquaracer

Originally Posted by BTTGMan

be forewarned that invictas have a huge INVICTA logo on the side, that they dont show in pics. probably only reason that rolex hasn't shut them down for copies.

dont buy a watch trying to be something that it isnt. get a really nice functional watch in that price range. personally i'd go with a nice non-dress watch, as times have changed and you can now wear these with suits in most settings too e.g. http://www.overstock.com/Jewelry-Wat...tml?rcmndsrc=2 or

this one that saks fifth avenue is selling for $500 in all their stores: http://www.yourwatchconnection.com/p...ch-241158.html

Most lower end watch makers produce Rolex copies. I agree that Invicta does make a lot of Rolex look-a-likes but they also have some unique styles too, that are a little higher end.

[Thud]

In that price range, Citizen is a good bet. Their quartz movements have been pretty accurate in my experience. I have a titanium eco-drive that gains about 2 seconds a month.

These days, automatic (mechanical) movements are more of a novelty, and accuracy is not their strong suit-- even a cheap chinese quartz movement will keep better time than the most expensive mechanical one. However, just wearing such a complicated piece of mechanical machinery on your wrist feels so.... nice.

My weekend beater is my eco-drive.
I also have two mechanical watches: an early 90's Rolex Submariner my dad gave me after he retired, and one I bought last year, a Sinn 656.

I love my Sinn, it's the one I wear every day to work. Clean German design (nice match for a German car). Gains 5-10 seconds a day so it's not super accurate, but I like wearing a watch that you don't see on everybody else's wrist and I get lots of compliments.

Now, back in your price range, if it were me I'd be looking at Citizen, Swiss Army, Seiko as my top 3.

[BMWsky]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

proof please

EDIT: even in Rolex forum people say they have NOT been hand built for a long time now...since 1980s (or even earlier). and automated factories produce up to 2,000 watches per day and up to 800k-900k per year.....doesnt sound like hand building

sorry buddy.....i suppose you have "hand-built" Rolex

EDIT: Rolex was hand-built in early 1900s, then robots replaced humans, but Rolex kept its status symbol

The bands are assembled by an automated process, the mechanical parts are still "made" by a machine, but assembled by hand.

[Michael Schott]

I'm a moderator on a watch forum listed earlier in this thread.

I do not recommend Invicta. They are either crap or overpriced. Seiko makes some nice automatics in your price range. At that price level you will probably get the 7S26 movement which is an automatic but cannot be would through the crown. You have to gently shake the watch to wind it but if you wear it daily it will stay wound.

Look at Debaufre watches. They make watches that are in the Rolex style with very good quality at a good price. They are a little higher than your price range but worth it.

Also look at Christopher Ward watches.

I will also echo that none of these are true dress watches. A dress watch is on a strap and is thin and simple. But the truth is that most do not notice so if a watch looks good to you and doesn't stand out under a shirt sleeve then I wouldn't worry.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by Thud

In that price range, Citizen is a good bet. Their quartz movements have been pretty accurate in my experience. I have a titanium eco-drive that gains about 2 seconds a month.

These days, automatic (mechanical) movements are more of a novelty, and accuracy is not their strong suit-- even a cheap chinese quartz movement will keep better time than the most expensive mechanical one. However, just wearing such a complicated piece of mechanical machinery on your wrist feels so.... nice.

My weekend beater is my eco-drive.
I also have two mechanical watches: an early 90's Rolex Submariner my dad gave me after he retired, and one I bought last year, a Sinn 656.

I love my Sinn, it's the one I wear every day to work. Clean German design (nice match for a German car). Gains 5-10 seconds a day so it's not super accurate, but I like wearing a watch that you don't see on everybody else's wrist and I get lots of compliments.

Now, back in your price range, if it were me I'd be looking at Citizen, Swiss Army, Seiko as my top 3.

mechanical watch will never be accurate by design. it also needs maintenance to keep them running good. but yeah, feels good to have mechanical watch on hand.

i would also look at Orient watches. they should be real good

edit: DAMN man, you got me hooked, i wanna buy Orient mechanical watch now ! they sure look good

[BTTGMan]

Originally Posted by Thud

In that price range, Citizen is a good bet. Their quartz movements have been pretty accurate in my experience. I have a titanium eco-drive that gains about 2 seconds a month.

These days, automatic (mechanical) movements are more of a novelty, and accuracy is not their strong suit-- even a cheap chinese quartz movement will keep better time than the most expensive mechanical one. However, just wearing such a complicated piece of mechanical machinery on your wrist feels so.... nice.

My weekend beater is my eco-drive.
I also have two mechanical watches: an early 90's Rolex Submariner my dad gave me after he retired, and one I bought last year, a Sinn 656.

I love my Sinn, it's the one I wear every day to work. Clean German design (nice match for a German car). Gains 5-10 seconds a day so it's not super accurate, but I like wearing a watch that you don't see on everybody else's wrist and I get lots of compliments.

Now, back in your price range, if it were me I'd be looking at Citizen, Swiss Army, Seiko as my top 3.

important to note that "swiss army" is the victorinox brand, and not the wenger brand.