EMP through nearby lightning strikes (happened to a mate last year, caught out and a tree got zapped. His watch stopped working at that moment) cheap thing, don't know the make) ; further, batteries can die for any number of reasons (even self charging things like citizen eco drive, for example, can reach end of life, by achieving the maximum number of charges (it's a particular problem with LiPo and LiIo batteries). I don't want to be in a remote location, and have a battery do down for any reason. Hence an automatic movement ☺
+1. I don't have this watch, but sure looks like something I'd add to my collection! I'm a sucker for Seiko automatic movements... and if I were in the market, I dig the price as well as the look! Thanks for highlighting this @jcombs! L'chaim! Moshe ben David
D'OH! I hadn't noticed that it had a seiko movement! So, a seiko watch, versus a Gigandet watch. Aaaaargh! Now I have to go through the Gigandets to see if there's a black one with a day/date display!
There is a watch collector, on another forum, that has a huge, almost insane collection of everything from G Shocks to high end Swiss pieces. There is no way to know but he must have in excess of 500 watches and he speaks highly of this brand and owns several models. Based on his opinion alone, I would recommend these watches and have almost bought one myself. I haven't looked for a day/date option within this brand but I think the NH36 movement has this feature, but I may have my models mixed up.
The 'calibre' is the Seiko 4R36 movement (automatic winding mechanism, three hands, day/date display); however, having just had a look at their website, they only use the date display, not the day/date. The unbranded version of this movement is what they sell to smaller watchmakers, and yes, it's called the NH35A; see http://calibercorner.com/seiko-caliber-nh35a/ for more on this movement. Given it's a Seiko movement, it does make the Gigandet more attractive, however, I have to temper this against the lack of a day display. A minor quibble, to be sure, but it's a missing spec that I wanted filled. I can't escape the difference in price either; the Gigandet is about fifty to seventy quid cheaper, for what is essentially the same watch less two spec requirements (Missing the compass bezel and missing the day window). I have some thinking to do. Thanks everyone, for your comments and observations
Invicta is a Swiss made watch ( I believe they use Japan made Movements). Could you find a dealer in the UK?
Good point. Just had a quick look, but while I could find Invicta watches here, I couldn't find an automatic one with a black case. I'll keep looking, though
This is as close as I can find to your criteria. Not a black or green case, but bead blasted/matte stainless steel. Unless you find a black or green DLC finish, in my experience they'll show more wear than a matte/bead blasted stainless steel. Seiko Men's Kinetic Watch SKA725P1
That looks very similar to my existing G1098 watch, pictured below. If I drop my requirement for a black case and face, yes, the selection widens appreciably; I'm not really ready to do that at this point, however. Thanks for the suggestion, though.
Take a look at Longisland Watches, Orient is well in your budget only i'd suggest spending a little more for quite a big step up in quality. Only £5 delivery to England, bought 3 watches from them so far, all came within 10 days & skipped through customs. Also try Chronomaster here in England, his prices aren't too bad.
Ahh Invicta *shudders*, an American owned company with a customer service centre in Switzerland that mainly uses Japanese movements that were made in China. You can pick them up cheap on Amazon....as low as £40. It's more along the lines of a fashion watch like Fossil than a tool watch such as the other offerings that have been mentioned.
Thanks; I think I'll be sticking with the Seiko brand for QC and reputation; just a question of deciding which one to go for; a couple of higher than usual bills have put back the decision a month or so, however
In my experience I have found the Eco-drive movements slightly more reliable and rugged than an equivalent automatic - While the rechargeable cells in them will eventually wear out, I believe Citizen are currently claiming a 20+ year lifespan, and the watches also have low power indicators that should let you know if there are any issues with the charge. The movements are also typically that bit more reliable and shockproof than a mechanical equivalent which has been my experience. I have never had a problem with any of my eco drives (which includes the watch I grab when I am going somewhere like out cycling, camping, etc, where I don't want to risk a nice one) while I have had a mechanical watch unexpectedly stop on me a few times. It is also perhaps worth mentioning quartz watches in general are far more accurate than mechanicals, so if you want something that will keep time long term without having to reset it regularly, then a quartz would be a good choice (a basic mechanical should run to around 20 seconds accuracy a day, so normally I aim to reset mine every week or so to keep them to a reasonable accuracy). I will admit that I love automatic watches and wear them regularly, but do also find myself gravitating toward one of my eco-drives when I will be anywhere out of the ordinary and appreciate the reliability. Regarding a few places to look for a new watch, Seiko would probably be my recommendation for being great value, and having a range to fit most tastes - you may not be able to tick every box (especially a non-silver coloured watch, as those seem to be fairly limited in availability), but there is usually something to suit most people. Obviously, from what I have said above I am a fan of Citizen - this will mean a solar powered quartz rather than mechanical, but again they are superb value with an option to suit most styles. If the colour is an issue, the two 'field' style watches that come to mind would be the Timex Expeditions and Bertucci field watches, though both battery powered quartz. As you have linked to above, there are also a few Seiko models available in black too. There
I follow what you're saying regarding quartz movements, but one of the reasons to go away from them is the EMP/battery issue; I'd like, where possible, to have wearable tech that doesn't rely on electrical power, where possible. Now, this isn;t possible for the most part (phones, radios, etc), but if even one item can be non-electrical, then it's a start May not sound like much, but hey, gotta start somewhere, and a mechanical timepiece is a good place to start Next up, coal and steam-powered computers ...yes, I'm joking on that last bit... ... or am I...?
So, update and conclusion... Al things considered,I prefer to buy stuff from UK-based retailers, or distributors with a physical UK presence, where possible and practicable. So. This limited what options I had. I decided that I'd go with the nearest thing to my desired specs; this meant that the case colour was optional, and resulted in the Seiko SNZG09K1 design, which mechanically fits the bill to a 'T' It arrived this morning, registered mail, from an Amazon Marketplace retailer, Yorkshire Watches (the day after ordering, no less, VERY swift service!). Visually, it looks a lot like my existing G1098 watch, if a little bigger, and has the day/date display windows I wanted. Here's a comparison photo, my new Seiko on the left, the surplus military issue G1098 watch on the right. The strap on the Seiko will be changed for a 22mm NATO strap; I have two of those on the way, one for special occasions will be scarlet, my old Corps colours from the Army Reserves over here, the other for day-to-day wear, will be olive green. I have a strap removal tool for that job, which arrived in today's post as well My thanks to all of you for your views and inputs, they were very helpful indeed EDC Forums win again
Wear it and enjoy it for many years in good health! One of my favorite watches for sure! L'chaim! Moshe ben David
