OT: Watch suggestions <$1k (Sinn 556i)

[tmf]

Originally Posted by buldogge

Fess up...Did anyone take advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Amazing Interwebs Week deals to add to their <$1k watch collection?

Anything out there that we should know about??

-Mark in St. Louis

I picked up an Oris BC3 from Jomashop for $799 shipped.

[jr59]

Originally Posted by tmf

I picked up an Oris BC3 from Jomashop for $799 shipped.

That is a DEAL!

Enjoy it

[Louis]

Originally Posted by KWalker

Fired on a Seiko SBDC0027 aka Sumo LE 50th. Completely killed my desire to upgrade to anything but a MM300 and, even then, meh.

Nice - but it doesn't have an hour hand!

[tlittlefield]

Originally Posted by Louis

Nice - but it doesn't have an hour hand!

It's just being covered by the minute hand in the photo...

[Louis]

I know - that was a joke.

[jr59]

Originally Posted by buldogge

42 or 45 PO? Orange bezel?? I really want a PO42/Orange...but...I think I'm gonna hold out for a 43.5 Good Planet (or even "plain" black) GMT!

-Mark

Just the simple black 42. With watches that I wear, I'm more a classic type of guy, no orange bezel for me.

[scrubadub]

I think I've talked myself out of it... For now.

[akelman]

Mark, or someone else knowledgeable about the Seiko line (Flash?), will you let me know the difference between these three watches? My IWC needs servicing, and even if I deal with it immediately -- unlikely, given some stuff going on at the moment -- it will take a bit of time for it to arrive back. In the meantime, I've been thinking about getting something less expensive. I'd appreciate any guidance you might be able to offer. Thanks so much for your help.

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-srp589.html

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-5-mens-watch-srp309.html

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Diver-Or...seiko+stargate

I'm 90% sure the one above is the same as this one, albeit with an orange rather than a blue face:

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-srp493.html

[akelman]

I should probably put my cards on the table. This is my favorite:

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-srp589.html

But if there's some compelling reason to get this one instead, I will:

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Diver-Or...seiko+stargate

Thanks again!

[FlashUNC]

Your two favorites use the 4R36 movement, which is something of a workhorse movement for Seiko at that price range. You're basically picking on aesthetics. Given Seiko's sometimes obtuse lines and Market sales, its tough to see how it stacks up against other movements like the 7s26, but it is hand windable and hackable.

http://watcharama.com/the-seiko-4r36-family-in-brief/

[akelman]

Thanks!

Here's the side-by-side comparison through Jomashop. The Amazon link above actually is for a watch with a different case back, which is annoying. Anyway, I can't really figure out a major difference between these two -- other than aesthetics -- and the slight uptick in size.

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-srp497.html

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-srp589.html

I guess the 497 also has the cyclops. Man, I don't know. And maybe don't care.

[AngryScientist]

i own a bunch of Seiko autos.

few notes:

- IMO, the rubber bands that come with seiko divers; suck. they are stiff, bulky and uncomfortable, that's my opinion, of course. for daily wear, and not actual diving scenarios, a zulu or bracelet is a better option for a seiko diver.

- case size: i dont know how big your wrists are, or how under, or overstated you prefer your watches, but if you roll with a seiko monster and regularly wear a cuffed dress shirt, you may have a hard time stuffing that underneath comfortably. to my girly wrists, anything over a 40mm case size (especially for an auto watch, which tend to be thicker) is too big. if you can try before you buy, that's a good thing.

-movements - they're all pretty good and robust. IMO, the hand wind and hacking feature is a nice to have, but honestly no big deal. i dont ever hand wind my auto watches, and i certainly dont expect the dead on accuracy that would be needed from a hacking movement to set the time precisely to the second. close enough is close enough for an automatic watch, IMO.

- the offset crown is actually a pretty nice feature for not digging into your wrist.

[FlashUNC]

I'd second Angry. The offset crown is a nice feature for less wrist-digging.

But essentially its down to size and looks for you.

And yes, the rubber strap leaves something to be desired. I swapped mine out for a zulu and couldn't be happier.

[akelman]

Thanks again, guys. This is a nice site for comparing Seikos.

http://www.watchsleuth.com/seikodiverfinder/

[jr59]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Your two favorites use the 4R36 movement, which is something of a workhorse movement for Seiko at that price range. You're basically picking on aesthetics. Given Seiko's sometimes obtuse lines and Market sales, its tough to see how it stacks up against other movements like the 7s26, but it is hand windable and hackable.

http://watcharama.com/the-seiko-4r36-family-in-brief/

4R better movement by far. At least IMO. You can get these close, the 7s, not so much