Decent Inexpensive Automatic Watches
- Thread starter ylekot
- Start date
Well, you told us you had a bunch of dead watches ... but not that you were the one who killed them ...
- Thread starter
- #63
ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
Ooof! My apologies. I kill quartz watches. Dead. I had a Casio Waveceptor. Worked great on the dresser, when I put it on it would go blank. Batteries last 6 months max. I have had analogs do nothing but twitch. Digitals go downright spastic. Just weird ****. My phone has always given me fits. Iphones, multi generations, touchscreen half dies, perfect horizontal split, top works bottom does not. PC's at work randomly fail and I even had one catch fire!
May I recommend a sundial?
I have a few Certinas that I've bought gray market. You can get some damn nice pieces new in the box in the $200-$300 range if you look around and have a little patience. Get lucky and you might find a really nice Mido in that price range too. Both brands are part of the Swatch Group, so they use Swiss ETA movements. With the holidays coming up, keep your eye on places like Jomashop and Ashford.
Aragon's
- Thread starter
- #67
ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
They have some nice looking stuff! Thanks!
Conventional wisdom regarding this topic has been upended with the advent of the Swiss Made Powermatic 80 (P80) automatic movement (created by Tissot, sold to other Swatch Group watchmakers for their own watches).
Watches that include the P80 movement can be bought brand new for less than 500 bucks, whereas a watch with the same type of and quality of movement would previously cost around 5 grand. Of course, you CAN buy a very expensive watch that contains a P80 but the price is driven by other factors than the movement itself (which cost around 200 bucks).
The P80 is an automatic winder that has an amazing 80 hours of power reserve, is basically unaffected by magnetics due to a silicon balance spring, unaffected by high g-forces such as chopping wood, and accurate to within less than +- 3 seconds per day (chronometer level accuracy).
Now that the P80 exists, I'd never buy another automatic with a less capable movement.
My first P80 watch was the amazing "Certina DS Action Diver Powermatic 80 'Sea Turtle Conservancy' Special Edition". This watch is basically a 700-800 dollar spitting image of the "Rolex Bluesy" (20 grand watch) and not just in appearance, but also 300 meter depth and solid as hell overall. This watch is basically my "daily driver".
My second P80 watch was the Tissot PRX with blue dial and blue leather strap. This watch cost me less than 500 bucks brand new, and it is basically a replica of a "Audemars Piguet Royal Oak" (70-80 grand watch).
High quality swiss watches are now sold brand new at prices that almost anyone can afford and toss away after 10 years if you don't feel like paying to service such an inexpensive watch.
Watches that include the P80 movement can be bought brand new for less than 500 bucks, whereas a watch with the same type of and quality of movement would previously cost around 5 grand. Of course, you CAN buy a very expensive watch that contains a P80 but the price is driven by other factors than the movement itself (which cost around 200 bucks).
The P80 is an automatic winder that has an amazing 80 hours of power reserve, is basically unaffected by magnetics due to a silicon balance spring, unaffected by high g-forces such as chopping wood, and accurate to within less than +- 3 seconds per day (chronometer level accuracy).
Now that the P80 exists, I'd never buy another automatic with a less capable movement.
My first P80 watch was the amazing "Certina DS Action Diver Powermatic 80 'Sea Turtle Conservancy' Special Edition". This watch is basically a 700-800 dollar spitting image of the "Rolex Bluesy" (20 grand watch) and not just in appearance, but also 300 meter depth and solid as hell overall. This watch is basically my "daily driver".
My second P80 watch was the Tissot PRX with blue dial and blue leather strap. This watch cost me less than 500 bucks brand new, and it is basically a replica of a "Audemars Piguet Royal Oak" (70-80 grand watch).
High quality swiss watches are now sold brand new at prices that almost anyone can afford and toss away after 10 years if you don't feel like paying to service such an inexpensive watch.
- Thread starter
- #69
ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
Thank you for this info!!
Replacing the battery in a quartz watch isn't difficult at all. It's literally unscrewing the case back. If you aren't comfortable with that (sometimes special tools help) a jeweler that sells watches will do it for 20 bucks or less.
Also I am also enamored with the powermatic 80 movement. I have a Tissot luxury I paid less than 300 for at jomashop. If it needs service 10 years from now, Tissot will ervice it for $195. That's not a bad deal to have a real swiss automatic watch my friend. Even if it is the least expensive one available. Mine is very accurate. It loses 1 second per day on average.
Similar threads
