The wrist watch.

[Honeybadger]

Not retro but my current wear

 

[Trenchfriend]

Gelsenkirchener Barock days.

Pa's Casio AQ 229.

 

[Oil Tanned]

Anyone a fan the Seiko Pogue "Re-interpretation"? I just picked this up and really loving it. It's definitely a great casual watch. I'm also about to pull the trigger on a Hamilton Khaki King (champagne dial) which will will be more of a dress watch. What do you think of both?

I don't know much about Hamiltons but I have always liked the Pogue from the time I first saw it. Had one when I was a kid but didn't appreciate it well enough and now have no idea who's enjoying my old Colonel Pogue. For a long time afterward I wanted to replace it but I'm not a true watch enthusiast and didn't think I wanted a fully manual or automatic. It took a long time but I finally found one of the early tributes that Seiko built long ago. Found it in London and had it rebuilt in Munich (would never have a Japanese watch rebuilt in Germany again).

It jumps on my wrist more often than any of the others in my meager collection. If I recall correctly this watch series was the first quartz chrono that Seiko ever built.

 

[gearfreakny]

I recently tried on a few top-tier elegant dive watches and was pleasantly surprised by a brand that I'm typically not interested in, which impressed me even more in person and especially on the wrist. My favorite was the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “No Time To Die” Bond edition in Titanium 42mm. I’ve never liked metal watch bands and am strictly a durable nylon NATO strap guy, but the Titanium Milanese bracelet is breathable and flexible enough that I liked it so much that I bought the Titanium Milanese band for my Apple Watch Ultra. Always suggest seeing and trying them in person because they are totally different than seeing them in marketing campaign pictures. I also have to give a shout-out to Tudor as well.

 

[JackPhantom]

Can't afford Le Tissot, etc. so I simply rock a Peugeot Tank copy, or A vintage looking Sturhmling or Timex.

 

[Honeybadger]

Can't afford Le Tissot, etc. so I simply rock a Peugeot Tank copy, or A vintage looking Sturhmling or Timex.

on the budget side I like the christopher ward watches

 

[JonS1967]

Friday’s watch choice.

 

[T. Rayville]

Hi, I’m a new member, and one of my passions is military-issued watches. I have a particular fondness for the ones used by US Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Among them, one of my favorites is the Benrus Type I—a military diver with a sterile dial that holds great appeal. The watch I own dates back to 1973; below, I’m showing it with its original nylon strap, alongside a photo of a Navy SEAL wearing one in Vietnam (courtesy Schorr MWR Forum).

 

[Peacoat]

Hi, I’m a new member, and one of my passions is military-issued watches. I have a particular fondness for the ones used by US Special Forces during the Vietnam War. Among them, one of my favorites is the Benrus Type I—a military diver with a sterile dial that holds great appeal. The watch I own dates back to 1973; below, I’m showing it with its original nylon strap, alongside a photo of a Navy SEAL wearing one in Vietnam (courtesy Schorr MWR Forum).


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I too, am a fan of military watches, especially the VN era SOG watch.

A point of clarification in your post. The US Special Forces is the title given to the "Green Berets." I know they don't like to be referred to as Green Berets, but that is the only way I know to specifically identify them to the general public as most people know them as such. They prefer, and rightfully so, to be called Special Forces because that is their official title.

The Navy SEALS, are not part of the Special Forces; they are part of "Special Operations" a generic title for the specialized units in the Army (Special Forces), Marine Corps (Recondo) and Navy (SEAL) that engage in covert operations, often behind enemy lines.

While this may appear to be a minor, and perhaps trivial, point, it isn't trivial to the guys who are involved in special operations.

And now you know.

De Oppresso Liber,
Ghost Rider 172

 

[T. Rayville]

Grazie per il chiarimento, apprezzo il tuo contributo.

Colgo l'occasione per mostrarvi il retro della custodia, con i dettagli relativi alla sua emissione militare.

 

[Peacoat]

You are certainly welcome.

That is a nice Benrus.

Ir occurs to me that you might be interested in the original MACV-SOG watches (Watches of Espionage). The video linked below will get you started down that rabbit hole. Additionally, I believe in this thread, there is a discussion of the SOG watches.

 

[Edward]

Honestly, I wear a Garmin Forerunner 165. Most people don't care what watch you're wearing. Only time it has really entered conversations is the sleep tracking, GPS, and workouts.

I doubt most people *generally* notice what watch someone else is wearing - unless (as below) they're young enough now for the practiced of wearing a watch to be seen as an active choice rather than an assumed / default norm.

It really all depends what you want. My daily driver is a Vostok Mrs Marlowe bought me for Christmas a few years ago. Has the look of an early 60s diver, but it's its own thing at the same time; it's in the same ballpark, looks-wise, as a Submariner or a Seamaster, but it's not trying to clone either, which I like. I do have a couple of older watches that have been handed down through the family, though those are of too much sentimental value to wear out with regularity.

As a rule, for heavily used stuff I prefer recent manufacture in an older style; my one dealbreaker is it has to be mechanical. I fully accept that a mechanical automatic will never be as accurate as a quartz, but they're close enough for me. I have an entirely a-rational attachment to the fact my watch depends on neither a battery nor tech, that's it's a small, physical machine that could be taken apart and repaired. So any things these days depend on batteries and electricity, I like not needing those things here and there.Nearest I had to Quartz in the last couple of decades was a Citizen EcoDrive. Nice watch, effectively a solar-powered quartz type of thing. Still have it (it was a fortieth birthday present some years ago), but unfortunately it stopped working for reasons I couldn't figure out. Not enough sun when tucked up my sleeve all the time? Alas, nothing seems to revive it...

Of course, my watch won't do anything other than tell the time in two timezones. My wife likes having her step-counter and all the rest, so she has one of these smart watches. Horses for courses and all that. These days my undergraduate charges, all children of the twenty-first century (most this year born in 2006 or 2007), find it quaint and charming that the Old Man actually wears a watch. (They typically notice this because I tend to remove it and sit it on the desk beside my notes while I teach, for an easy eye on the time.... a habit I picked up many years ago during exams). Aside from the handful who use a smart watch, most ofc them view a watch as a non-essential, using their phones for the time on the go. Which, I suppose, isn't all that dissimilar to the practice of a pocket watch back when. Pocket watches I do wear on occasion, but without the regularity some of my friends do, several of whom wear them daily in preference over a wristwatch. I enjoy them for the sort of event where I don't need to keep a regular eye on the time, though having it on my wrist most working days, at least, is very much a convenience.

 

[Edward]

I recently tried on a few top-tier elegant dive watches and was pleasantly surprised by a brand that I'm typically not interested in, which impressed me even more in person and especially on the wrist. My favorite was the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M “No Time To Die” Bond edition in Titanium 42mm. I’ve never liked metal watch bands and am strictly a durable nylon NATO strap guy, but the Titanium Milanese bracelet is breathable and flexible enough that I liked it so much that I bought the Titanium Milanese band for my Apple Watch Ultra. Always suggest seeing and trying them in person because they are totally different than seeing them in marketing campaign pictures. I also have to give a shout-out to Tudor as well.

Yes, if I was gonig to spend what would be, for me, seriously big money on a watch, the Tudor Black Bay would very much appeal. I know in a lot ofc circles they're looked down on as a poor man's Rolex, but personally I much prefer the aesthetic they have over modern Rolexes.

What I really have my eye on, though, is a Hamilton Ventura. Not the original quartz / electronic type, though, but one of the more recent automatic movement options. Something of ana anachronism that would feel perfectly at home with me. not cheap by any means (around GBP500.... a watch is still something I view more as a tool than as jewellery), but neither is it the sort of financial investment where I'd be scared to ever take it out and wear it for its intended purpose. A slightly dressier alternative to my daily driver Vostok.

 

[Honeybadger]

I doubt most people *generally* notice what watch someone else is wearing - unless (as below) they're young enough now for the practiced of wearing a watch to be seen as an active choice rather than an assumed / default norm.

It really all depends what you want. My daily driver is a Vostok Mrs Marlowe bought me for Christmas a few years ago. Has the look of an early 60s diver, but it's its own thing at the same time; it's in the same ballpark, looks-wise, as a Submariner or a Seamaster, but it's not trying to clone either, which I like. I do have a couple of older watches that have been handed down through the family, though those are of too much sentimental value to wear out with regularity.

As a rule, for heavily used stuff I prefer recent manufacture in an older style; my one dealbreaker is it has to be mechanical. I fully accept that a mechanical automatic will never be as accurate as a quartz, but they're close enough for me. I have an entirely a-rational attachment to the fact my watch depends on neither a battery nor tech, that's it's a small, physical machine that could be taken apart and repaired. So any things these days depend on batteries and electricity, I like not needing those things here and there.Nearest I had to Quartz in the last couple of decades was a Citizen EcoDrive. Nice watch, effectively a solar-powered quartz type of thing. Still have it (it was a fortieth birthday present some years ago), but unfortunately it stopped working for reasons I couldn't figure out. Not enough sun when tucked up my sleeve all the time? Alas, nothing seems to revive it...

Of course, my watch won't do anything other than tell the time in two timezones. My wife likes having her step-counter and all the rest, so she has one of these smart watches. Horses for courses and all that. These days my undergraduate charges, all children of the twenty-first century (most this year born in 2006 or 2007), find it quaint and charming that the Old Man actually wears a watch. (They typically notice this because I tend to remove it and sit it on the desk beside my notes while I teach, for an easy eye on the time.... a habit I picked up many years ago during exams). Aside from the handful who use a smart watch, most ofc them view a watch as a non-essential, using their phones for the time on the go. Which, I suppose, isn't all that dissimilar to the practice of a pocket watch back when. Pocket watches I do wear on occasion, but without the regularity some of my friends do, several of whom wear them daily in preference over a wristwatch. I enjoy them for the sort of event where I don't need to keep a regular eye on the time, though having it on my wrist most working days, at least, is very much a convenience.

Just a small input on the quartz battery thing - I am old enough to have tried a mk1 Cassio g shock with the 5 year battery-
After about 2 months it died on me so expecting a faulty battery I got it changed on warranty and bang 3 months later same ! Tried again and again it failed - turns out that genuinely some people have a stronger EM fired around their bodies that can mess with electronics ! Who knew - but it paid me back as in my military career many units went back to mechanical as mechanicals can’t run out of battery at a critical moment or when the re is no resupply - so there you go

 

[theeprimitivesound]

Heuer Monaco, my grail watch, id been longing for one for 20 years, 10 years on, i still look down and can't believe i actually own one.

 

[Oil Tanned]

I doubt most people *generally* notice what watch someone else is wearing -

In all my years of wearing a watch only once has a stranger walked up and mentioned it. It was at a Thai restaurant and he walked up from across the room on his way out.

Once. More than ten years ago. A Rolex, probably recognizable by the cyclops.

It brought to my attention that a watch is a private thing and nobody else gives a rip what's on your wrist. Around the same time it occurred to me that a watch does say something about the wearer and what a Rolex says is that the wearer is middle aged.

 

[Harp]

It brought to my attention that a watch is a private thing and nobody else gives a rip what's on your wrist. Around the same time it occurred to me that a watch does say something about the wearer and what a Rolex says is that the wearer is middle aged.

Or, a 19 year old US Army Special Forces kid wearing a Rolex Daytona. Escape $ wrist wrapped chrome golden bracelet. Also had a Top Secret clearance and a ''get-out-of-jail-free''card.

Nota bene: Airline stewardesses noted the Rolex wrapper which automatically got you to First Base. European girls were especially observant. Home plate advantage.

 

[Edward]

In all my years of wearing a watch only once has a stranger walked up and mentioned it. It was at a Thai restaurant and he walked up from across the room on his way out.

Once. More than ten years ago. A Rolex, probably recognizable by the cyclops.

It brought to my attention that a watch is a private thing and nobody else gives a rip what's on your wrist. Around the same time it occurred to me that a watch does say something about the wearer and what a Rolex says is that the wearer is middle aged.

I doubt fewer people care than notice my watch, tbh.

Rolex is an interesting one. People I've known in the jewellery trade are often not fans: a friend had a late relative who spent years in that business and wouldn't even stock them as he believed they didn't have the quality of movement as a lot of other watches, even if cheaper or a less well known brand.

There was a spate of watch thefts last Summer in the West End here in London, typically ****** and grabs from people wandering around wearing very flash and obviously expensive watches. Me, tbh, when I see a Rolex I've realised I tend to default assume that it's a fake. I do have a fake somewhere I bought on a trip years ago (kept great time, actually); nobody ever remarked on that, though if someone had demanded I hand it over I'd have done so without resisting, and then spent the rest of the week chuckling to myself at the thought of them trying to fence it.

 

[T. Rayville]

You are certainly welcome.

That is a nice Benrus.

Ir occurs to me that you might be interested in the original MACV-SOG watches (Watches of Espionage). The video linked below will get you started down that rabbit hole. Additionally, I believe in this thread, there is a discussion of the SOG watches.

Thanks for sharing. I also read in a previous post that you were a MACV-SOG pilot, thank you for your service and honor to you and all veterans!

I’m also an enthusiast of the Seiko watches used by SOG. Given the extremely high cost of original Vietnam-era models, I decided a while back to build one myself, starting with a 1990s Seiko 5 (7S26-3180) that features a steel case back and a case similar to the original 6119-8100 model used in Vietnam. I fitted it with a dial featuring Arabic numerals and baton-style hands, which I purchased on eBay.

In the end, I spent about 150 euros. I’ll leave it to you to judge, what do you think?

In one of the pictures, I’ve paired it with a vintage Waltham compass, which was often used alongside this watch in Vietnam.

Roger Smith, Recon Team Hawaii 1-0, October 1971.

 

[Harp]

Thanks for sharing. I also read in a previous post that you were a MACV-SOG pilot, thank you for your service and honor to you and all veterans!

I’m also an enthusiast of the Seiko watches used by SOG. Given the extremely high cost of original Vietnam-era models, I decided a while back to build one myself, starting with a 1990s Seiko 5 (7S26-3180) that features a steel case back and a case similar to the original 6119-8100 model used in Vietnam. I fitted it with a dial featuring Arabic numerals and baton-style hands, which I purchased on eBay.

In the end, I spent about 150 euros. I’ll leave it to you to judge, what do you think?

In one of the pictures, I’ve paired it with a vintage Waltham compass, which was often used alongside this watch in Vietnam.

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Roger Smith, Recon Team Hawaii 1-0, October 1971.

^ Smith looks far too relaxed without weapon held ready; also note M17A1 left hip,
which wouldn't be carried Vietnam. And no front reachable knife. Not in country. A Stateside training pix probably.