Thread: Watches
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      01-18-2013, 08:01 AM   #176
N8N
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Drives: 2009 E92 335i 6MT
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Berwyn Heights, MD

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Another thought for OP... do you think you could pull off an inexpensive yet technically interesting and seldom-seen watch? One of mine that I actually wear occasionally is a Vostok Amphibia, I think I paid something like $35 for it (really!) and it's just a really elegant piece of Soviet design and engineering, although it also has that Soviet-era kitsch thing going on as well. The bracelets are garbage, they make Seiko bracelets seem quality, but I think it looks great on a rubber "waffle" strap. Obviously NOT dressy! Might not be for you.

Along the same lines, I find the Strela "Sturmanskie" chronographs really attractive and are available for less than $1K.

My dress watch is a 50's era stainless steel Longines which I picked up off eBay in a watch buying frenzy a few years ago for under $100. Surprisingly it was in excellent condition and I wore it near daily for 3-4 years until the stem broke; sadly, it took three tries at repair after that until it ran reliably again. Not sure how a busted stem could cause that, or if it was a botched CLA that caused the subsequent problems.

Finally, a Seiko (yes really) 009 diver's watch or something is very affordable and quasi-vintage cool. I wore mine nearly daily for years until I managed to break it somehow. Seiko bracelets are almost as bad as Vostoks though, I settled on a green NATO strap for that one and it was a great casual look and I didn't have to care about the watch because watch and strap together were about $150 or so.

yes, I'm kind of a watch geek, but one on a budget, because honestly, if it tells you the time and you can read it, that's all you really "need" right? (that brings me back to the Marathons, the tritium tubes are awesome at night... the lume on a Vostok is abysmal!)
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