# Need help on reliable watches..



## Zephyr (Oct 23, 2002)

Hello everyone,

I'm thinking about buying an analog watch and would really appreciate it if I could get your inputs. I'm thinking of a price range between $100 to $200. I just recently bought a Wenger Swiss watch thinking that it would be reliable, but I was proven wrong as it broke down on me already with only a few months of use. Are there any good and reliable watches out there that any of you can recommend. Something not too expensive, but rather reliable and dependable. Are the Swiss Military watches okay? I would appreciate the help. Thank you very much..

ZEPH


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## rycen (Oct 23, 2002)

Check out Invicta.I do not own one but as soon as some employment comes so will a new watch.Great features for the price.


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## Wolfen (Oct 23, 2002)

take a look at this military watch with tritium in glass tubes

http://www.countycomm.com/590DESCRIP.htm


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## sotto (Oct 24, 2002)

3 years ago, an acquaintance was getting rid of their Guess Waterpro model watch and gave it to me. It's still running, and I wear it everyday and have banged it around and scraped it quite a bit. I even have worn it kayaking and had salt water running down my wrist onto it on several occasions. It still looks great, and I can't get it to break (although the dial light has never been reliable--drat!).


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## Wingerr (Oct 24, 2002)

I'm assuming you're looking for mechanical watches; otherwise the Casio G-Shocks are pretty much indestructible, though it won't meet your price requirements. It's the only watch I'd feel comfortable hurling to the ground at full force with an expectation it'll continue to work (though the price plays a factor in my comfort level- ;-)


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## Zephyr (Oct 24, 2002)

I actually have Casio G-Shocks already and I love it. It is pretty reliable and indestructable. I don't know if any of you is a member of Costco wholesale, but they're selling their G-Shocks for only $29.95. I got mines for about that price too. I am looking for a mechanical or analog watch. Any of you have positive experience with a reliable Swiss Army watches? I'm leaning towards purchasing one of those...Any feedback? Thanks everyone!

ZEPH


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## Wolfen (Oct 24, 2002)

I have two Cavalry model Swiss Army Watches. I have the stainless with leather strap and the blue steel model with nylon and leather strap.I like mine and would recommend them. 

Swiss Army cavalry $123.00 at World of Watches

http://www.worldofwatches.com/showitem.asp?dept_id=119&gen5=WWAFFPRGAPGENBNR&sourceid=00396723656686725491&pf_id=7452

Did you look at the link for the military grade watch with tritium? I can't stand not being able to read a watch in the dark. Thats the only thing I don't like about my Swiss Army Brand watches, no tritium vials.


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## Zephyr (Oct 24, 2002)

Thanks Wolfen,

I really appreciate your help. I looked at the Luminox watches with tritium markers on it and it looks awesome. But I've heard some negative comments regarding this particular brand of watches though. Are they really Swiss made, or are they just Swiss movement? Are Luminox really reliable? Thanks so much!

ZEPH


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## PeterM (Oct 24, 2002)

I have a Swiss Army brand, Swiss Made, NOT THE LUMINOX, titanium case/band with a sapphire glass crystal. I got sick of replacing a $100 watch every year because of scratched crystals, etc. I bought it three years ago and have never taken it off except for cleaning and battery replacement, (one battery rep. so far). I kayak frequently, fish, swim, dive, hike, and basically beat the crap out of it and it still looks new. Can't scratch the crystal if I try. It dosen;t have tritium vials, but glows real well at night. Especially with an Arc!! 
I bought it at a mall on impulse for about $400 when titanium was uncommon. I'm sure if you shopped around you could find it for 1/2 of that. The sapphire glass is the big deal. I'll never have a watch without it again, if I can help it..


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## Wingerr (Oct 24, 2002)

I've had my Luminox 3101 for a while now, and it's been fine so far- I try to be careful with it and prefer to not submerge it; it still looks pretty new, and runs with accuracy. And the tritium markers are just essential for any self proclaimed Flashaholic.. From total darkness to bright sunlight and everything in between, it's instantly visible without buttons, shaking, or squinting. 

Wingerr- who wears two watches for symmetry-


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## Wolfen (Oct 24, 2002)

Zeph, chech ebay for Swiss Army Brand (victrinox)


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## PeterM (Oct 24, 2002)

Wingerr
A REAL flashaholic would have a variety of flashlights at his fingertips, dedicated and uniquely adapted for use as a watch illuminator/dial recharger. Are you trying to deprive poor Zephyr of a perferctly plausible reason for purchasing another flashlight?
Shame


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## PJD (Oct 24, 2002)

Zeph...I have about 7 watches; a couple Casios, a Citizen, a Timex, Armitrons...and a Luminox Navy Seals watch. The Luminox is far and away my favorite! It is extremely rugged, very lightweight, and IMHO, I think the tritium trasers are the best illumination system for a watch that you can buy. Half life of 10 years, never needs to be "charged" by an external light source, and won't drain your battery like an electroluminescent backlight. It's the best watch I've ever owned...

PJD


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## duffahtolla (Oct 24, 2002)

Hey! I've got good news for you!


> New recommended half-life for tritium (3H): A recently completed re-evaluation of all published experimentally determined values of the tritium half-life between 1936 and 2000 by NIST concluded in a slight revision: 4500 ± 8 days (8 days is one standard uncertainty). This corresponds to 12.32 instead of 12.43 years (the use of days for expressing the half-life is preferable).


<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You just got 2 yrs for Free!


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## DieselDave (Oct 26, 2002)

I have the Luminox 3101. Best watch I have ever owned as well as the most comfortable to wear. I wear it all day and night in and out of the water. I removed the rubber watch band and I use the velcro strap. Not a fashion statement but it is more comfortable for me. I have owned it for about 15 months and have scratched up the crystal some and had to replace one band post when I hung it on a tree limb. Tritium is great. The crystal is scratched up but I have to hold it at an angle to see them. Ultimately I don't care how it looks just how it performs. I own 3-4 "handsome" watches, I might wear them once a year. I have turned on 2 others here at work to the Luminox and I have heard no complaints, maybe we are just lucky.


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## DieselDave (Oct 26, 2002)

Here are some shots of my beat-up Luminox Beat-up Luminox watch


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## Saaby (Oct 26, 2002)

Hmmm...again it doesn't meet your price requirement but if you looked real hard you might be able to find a Casio Twincept watch in the G-Shock style housing. Cool thing about the twincept is it's Analogue with a digital *overlay*...the LCD is above the hands, so when you have the LCD off you'd never know it had digital.


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## Minjin (Oct 26, 2002)

DieselDave,

Get yourself some Brasso, an old t-shirt, and with some elbow greese, you can make those scratches go away. Just keep wetting the t-shirt and rubbing it in until they're all gone or mostly gone. I've done it many times. Learned that little trick at the Naval Academy.

As for watches, I still prefer the quick reading and accuracy of a digital and have owned many Timex Ironmans through the years. Currently wearing a Timex Ironman Triathlon Datalink. Durable, very functionable, cheap, and look just fine to me...

The highend watch market is one that I still don't quite understand. But then again, I still don't understand jewelry and I guess thats what you're buying...a piece of jewelry, not a timepiece.

Mark


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## hoss (Oct 27, 2002)

Just my thoughts... Over the last 35 years the most expensive watches I've owned were a Benrus ($50 in 1968), Sieko ($150 in 1970), and an $1800 Omega that I won in a sweepstakes in 1999. Several other so-called quality brands in the interim.
All were plagued with problems.

Now I buy a nice new $20 watch from Walmart every year as a Christmas present to myself and am very happy; they get banged up and I don't care.


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## geepondy (Oct 27, 2002)

hoss, how did you win the Omega and what was wrong with it? I own an Omega. It is by more then a factor of ten the most expensive watch I've ever bought and I'm not sure if I'd do it again but it has performed flawlessly.


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## Zephyr (Oct 27, 2002)

> Originally posted by hoss:
> *Just my thoughts... Over the last 35 years the most expensive watches I've owned were a Benrus ($50 in 1968), Sieko ($150 in 1970), and an $1800 Omega that I won in a sweepstakes in 1999. Several other so-called quality brands in the interim.
> All were plagued with problems.*


<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">This is exactly the kind of thing that I'm worried about. My Wenger cost me about $90 at Costco hoping that it would at least last about four years or so. But it didn't!




Now, I'm really leaning towards Luminox or Swiss Army watches and hopefully these watches won't Peter out on me two to three years down the road. I've heard that even though Wenger's are Swiss made, but they are poor in quality, dependability, and craftsmanship. My G-Shock digital that I bought on the other hand for a mere $30 or so, has served me well for about a year or two now with no problem what so ever. It doesn't even have a scratch on it, even though I pretty much abuse it a lot. 

ZEPH


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## hoss (Oct 29, 2002)

The problem I had with the self-winding Omega Seamaster was that it started losing as much as a half hour per day. By the way it was won in a James Bond sweepstakes.

Most of my other watches stopped working altogether even with new batteries. The Seiko was self-winding and I had taken it to a watchmaker several times before I just gave up on spending any more money on it.

Like I said, for me getting a cheap watch every year has given me a lot of satisfaction and frees me from the worry of spending lots of money and time on repairs.

Just my experiences, perhaps yours will be different - good luck.


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## iddibhai (Oct 29, 2002)

good resource for mechanical watches:

http://www.chronocentric.com/

maybe you weren't active enough when wearing that omega? unless one is fairly active, it won't wind very much.


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## hoss (Oct 29, 2002)

The Omega got a good workout. I'm a mechanic for a large chemical company and wear my watch continously. My hands are the lifeblood of my job wielding hammers, pipe wrenches, and an assortment of various handtools on a daily basis - the watch I wear is not pampered.

Maybe it got wound too much?

By the way iddibhai thanks for that chronocentic link. Lots of good info there!


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## RailLight (Oct 30, 2002)

> Originally posted by Zephyr:
> *Hello everyone,
> 
> I'm thinking about buying an analog watch and would really appreciate it if I could get your inputs. I'm thinking of a price range between $100 to $200. I just recently bought a Wenger Swiss watch thinking that it would be reliable, but I was proven wrong as it broke down on me already with only a few months of use. Are there any good and reliable watches out there that any of you can recommend. Something not too expensive, but rather reliable and dependable. Are the Swiss Military watches okay? I would appreciate the help. Thank you very much..
> ...


<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Try a Marathon Navagator from http://www.broadarrow.net
My daily watch is a composite version - accurate
light and takes abuse including submersion no problem. Looks cool too.


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## Zephyr (May 9, 2003)

Well, I finally did it! After months and months of contemplating, I finally bought myself a Luminox Marine series (Thanks to Chris at Meridian Tactical who pulled it off for me) Anyway, I am sooooo impress with this watch! The Tritium Vials really makes a big difference if you're viewing your watch in low light situation. This thing is amazingly bright; I can't even believe that this is actually not a glow in the dark paint or Indiglo or something. Hopefully, it would live up to its claim as "reliable" and "dependable" watch. Anybody else has a Marine series Luminox?


ZEPH


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## Catdaddy (May 9, 2003)

http://membres.lycos.fr/jjcasalo/Chronoswiss/cs_opus.html

I just purchased this Chronoswiss Opus Limited Edition Skeleton watch. It certainly turns the head when out in public. Even the snooty Rolex guys cab't help but stare and ask.

The beauty is in side and you can see it all.
John


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## Zephyr (May 9, 2003)

Wow, Catdaddy! That is one amazing watch!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif



ZEPH


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## Lara (May 9, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*Zephyr said:*
Hopefully, it would live up to its claim as "reliable" and "dependable" watch. Anybody else has a Marine series Luminox?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a Luminox 'Ladies Steel' and I'm very satisfied. I have replaced the strap with the rubber version (I don't like those heavy steel straps). I often wear it while swimming and I have also accidentally 'crashed' it on door knobs, walls and other hard surfaces. It's still like new, no scratch on the glass.


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## mhejl (May 9, 2003)

I've always gone through watches every 1-2 years until I got a Luminox Captains Field Watch about 8 years ago. It shows some wear but still looks good and works great! I'm just now noticing the tritium is getting dimmer.

After the 3rd or 4th battery change, the o-ring self destructed. I just got it back from Luminox where they worked it over and pressure tested it for $28.

While it was out for repair, I bought a Seiko titanium chronograph which was defective out of the box /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif


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## avusblue (May 9, 2003)

IMHO, one can't beat the accuracy and durability of Timex, even if you spend 10 or 100 times as much. I synchronized my good 'ol Timex Ironman some time last summer to my NIST radio clock. It's still within a second! AMAZING quality for something that costs under $30 and holds up under very hard use.

And the indiglo feature rocks. 

I can live without the fashion of a "prestige" watch -- owning Timex gives me all the functionality I want, and leaves more discretionary dough to spend on flashlights!

Dave


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## keithhr (May 10, 2003)

I don't think luminox uses real tritum vial tubes in their watches. See what you can learn while recovering fron spine surgery. Real Tritium is supposed to glow independently for at least 25 years.


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## Penguin (May 10, 2003)

Swiss Army watches are very reliable! The Renegade seems like a pretty good choice if you're into the luminous numbers and stuff.


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## shrap (May 10, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*keithhr said:*
I don't think luminox uses real tritum vial tubes in their watches. See what you can learn while recovering fron spine surgery. Real Tritium is supposed to glow independently for at least 25 years. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you have anything to back that statement up? Perhaps you know of a cheaper, also self-luminous material that Luminox is using.


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## Lara (May 10, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
*keithhr said:*
I don't think luminox uses real tritum vial tubes in their watches. See what you can learn while recovering fron spine surgery. Real Tritium is supposed to glow independently for at least 25 years. 

[/ QUOTE ]

They do use Tritium, and it is not the Tritium that glows but a paint containing phosphor. Tritium has a half-life of 12.5 years which means that the radiation that causes the paint to glow will be half after 12.5 years. Furthermore, even with the glass vials, some Tritium escapes over time.


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## Catdaddy (May 10, 2003)

Zephyr 
Thanks. 
It's was a tough sell to my wife!


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## Chris T (May 12, 2003)

My Wenger has lasted about 10 years now w/o a problem. I would definitely send any bad ones back for service.

Chris


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## keithhr (May 14, 2003)

I stand corrected, I read another article that confused the issue but here is a good one from the time zone that discusses it in more detail and luninox does use the tritium vials. Here's the article:

http://www.timezone.com/messageView.aspx?forumId=tzclassic&msgId=tzclassic001211


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## keithhr (May 14, 2003)

I have the wenger swiss military watch field century model 70744 chronograph that can be seen here in the link below, it's accurate to with in 1/10 of a second per day, and that's no lie, that's 3 seconds a month, I bought mine after doing a lot of research and found it at costco for less than a $100.
http://www.quanta.net/images/watches/70744.jpg
http://www.quanta.net/images/watches/70744Close.jpg


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