Khaki Field Mechanical - less is more.

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Ranger107 said:
Mike, you might wany to consider something like this. Cheap, fairly reliable, and if you don't like rubber it's easy to change over to a Nato style nylon fabric band. Invicta has a lot of styles on sale right now under $100 US, some under $50. I've had pretty good luck with Invictas. Have a couple of Grand Divers. Automatic so no batteries to change, water resistant to 600 ft. Check them out. I have a Casio G Shock Mud Master with all the bells, whistles, and extras. Love watch but it isn't cheap, around $350 or so. A good Swiss Automatic will run you $600+. But the Japanese automatics are very good for around $200.
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Forgot the link.
 

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Field watches are really some of my favorites. I love me a giant dive watch, but really, my roots are in field watches. My very first watch as a young teenager was a Timex Camper, green plastic-bodied field watch with green nylon strap. They were everywhere. I think I paid $12. I bet if I looked on ebay (too lazy right now), they're selling for a lot more than that now. Anyone remember those endearing pieces of junk? I've watched some youtube videos from watch collectors the past few months (haven't been interested for years, but ran into an interesting video that got the ball rolling), and it has been re-affirmed that I'm instantly attracted to field watches. The Orient Defender has been bookmarked for a long while now, but I think they changed production or design or something. I have no evidence I can share from memory, but I think I've read they aren't what they used to be (big surprise). I've talked about this elsewhere on the board, but one of the watches reviewed in those youtube videos was a British field watch still being made in the WWII tradition (WJS?), and when I went to price it, I learned they were $12K. Typical. Aren't Hamilton's around $2500?
 
@Zeno Marx I priced one matching Blackhorse's at $900 Can. from Hamilton. I would pay that for a good mechanical timepiece if I knew I wouldn't ruin it wearing it to work. It would be a retirement gift for myself. Until then I have to be more frugal, because I can't seem to be careful. :rolleyes:
 
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I have a couple that could be considered field watches. My Casio Mud Master for one. An older Timex that still runs but I don't wear it any longer. And an Invicta Russian Diver that looks like an oversized Hamilton except it has a leather band, not fabric.
 
Blackhorse said:
Yeah…I asked myself what I really wanted it to do.
1. Tell simple time (analog).
2. Be effective to set (second hand stops when stem is pulled out).
3. Tough (Sapphire crystal)
4. Accurate (3-5 seconds/month…really)
5. Long power reserve (this will run about 80 hours on a full wind)
6. Something fun (the feel of the stem as you wind it is super silkey)
7. NATO style band
8. Unique coating/color
9. Swiss made
10. Nine is enough
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My parents gifted me with two pocket watches that belonged to my grandfathers in September 1965 as I entered law school. I have never worn a wrist watch since then.
 
Balisong said:
I switched to a pocket watch in High School. Over the years I've transitioned to the ubiquitous cell phone as my pocket watch.
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I have 3 pocket watches but have never worn them. Left to me by my Dad and one uncle. One is a Hamilton railroad watch. Still runs and loses about a second every 5 days. I've worn wrist watches since I was issued my first Hamilton in the service in 1967. Being in aviation my life always revolved around schedules so I had to know time it was even if I was on the line and nowhere near a clock, lol.
 
just for clarity, the brand I mentioned isn't WJS, but IWC. There are a lot of good articles on field watches. Teddy Baldassarre and Hodinkee have written some helpful ones. I think John Mayer (guitar player etc) is an investor in Hodinkee, but I could be wrong about that. This is an odd and interesting "open letter" to IWC from Mayer.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/an-open-letter-to-iwc-from-john-mayer
 
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