Digital Watches

[billrick]

When someone says "timepiece," I think Swiss automatic movements that will be handed down through the generations. What I'm looking for here is a plastic digital watch that I can beat the crap out of. You know, the watch that you wear to tear down the transmission in your old Toyota FJ or to cut up deadwood with an ax or to that bar with sawdust on the floor. My Timex Ironman is fading out and I'm looking for something new.

Casio G-Shock? Sunnto? Timex? Are there any off-the-radar brands that are hot with the armed forces or wildcatters?

Help me out . . . and please name a specific model. I get freaking dizzy looking at the huge variety of G-Shocks.

[Brandon White]

I have a G-shock that I use for the times when I don't require a fine timepiece. That includes riding. It works well and has held up well so far. The biggest complaint I read is that the band goes before the watch since it's plastic and not rubber. Should last a few years though and I only paid about $45 for mine.

[chasea]

Plenty of non-digitals to beat the crap out of. Get a Swatch and be dunzzo.

[Ben]

My buddy has this (or something like it). I simultaneously despise and envy it.

[derailer]

I like this thread, since I know little about digital watches. FWIW, I've read mixed review of Suuntos.

Echoing the comments of the Chasea, J.Crew and Timex have just released an analog watch that looks well-suited to the rigors of fitment. I ride with my Hamilton Khaki, though my corrosive sweat is slowly eating away at the leather band.

[WayneJ]

Plenty of non-digitals to beat the crap out of. Get a Swatch and be dunzzo.

I'll second the Swatch recommendation. Get one with a simple analog face.

[Blue Jays]

Just entered the market for a replacement digital workout watch myself. Similar to OP billrick above, it's for a watch that will see salty sweat, riding, and workouts.
Explored many G-Shocks this weekend...lots of moronic design features and non-intuitive graphic displays that are useless. Watches over 44mm in diameter...yet still with tiny numbers.
Casio could discard the whizbang childish digital subdials and INCREASE the size of the darn numbers telling the time. They would have a sales success story. Help!!!

[Blue Jays]

Swatches tend to be wispy, light, little unarmored things.
Solar-powered and self-correcting DST are pretty handy features on a digital workout watch.
If money were no object...I'd just use a rubber-strapped IWC Aquatimer for this role.

[billrick]

Explored many G-Shocks this weekend...lots of moronic design features and non-intuitive graphic displays that are useless. Watches over 44mm in diameter...yet still with tiny numbers.

That is my issue with the G-shocks, too. Big cases, tiny numbers. If I can't read the freakin numbers on screen at the Zappos store, what makes me think that I'll be able to glance at my wrist while moutnain biking and see the time? Also, the huge number of models makes me mad. Something like a cheap watch shouldn't have that many variations. Mudman, Riseman, Atomic, etc.

This is what I'm looking at now. I know they can be hit or miss in the reliability department, but I'll pick up at REI. Membership, with return priveleges.

[chasea]

Whaddaya need? Time? Temp? Just ride by a lot of banks.

[WadePatton]

When someone says "timepiece," I think Swiss automatic movements that will be handed down through the generations. What I'm looking for here is a plastic digital watch that I can beat the crap out of. You know, the watch that you wear to tear down the transmission in your old Toyota FJ or to cut up deadwood with an ax or to that bar with sawdust on the floor.
...

when i first converted to automatics from timex "expeditions" (analog/digi), i too thought i'd have to baby them. i did for a while.

and then i noticed that i did't have to. it's a little scary what the auto-wind and over-wind mechanisms are actually doing in there when i run the chainsaw or swing the axes or use the sledge and maul. i'll remove the watch for auto-mechanic work, but just to improve access and reduce the chance of knocking a hole in the crystal.

i'm flat out amazed at the durability of the synthetic sapphire crystal used by seiko.

i only take the watch off when there's a good chance of smashing it, or trapping my wrist by snagging it. also to scrape the paint, oil, grease, filings, skin, and dirt from the recesses.

i have two seiko divers mounted with rubber straps w/ deployant clasps (source: ebay). i've been through a dozen bands. the watches look decent, are relatively inexpensive, durable as all hell, and they're automatics!

adjust the date/time every now and then and they're golden!

reconsider?

also, i bought a feiko once-and seller took it back. beware!

[Blue Jays]

billrick, which model Suunto is that you've shown?
Any idea on case size? Bigger than 42mm is nice in my book.

[cody.wms]

One of these. You can borrow mine and try it out, if'n you want.

[chasea]

[QUOTE=cody.wms;316420]One of these. You can borrow mine and try it out, if'n you want.
QUOTE]

What the hell am I looking at here?

[Blue Jays]

That little digitized analog clockface is probably supposed to tell us it is 10:10 am/pm...just above the pics of the digitized sun/clouds.
Ummm, that is what I think it means, anyway....
My mission is still to find a watch that can be read while bouncing along on a mountainbike...as shared by billrick above.

[chasea]

Hours
Seconds
Day
Month
Clown

Buy a dozen and be done with it.

Rad McDonalds Watch Ronald McDonald 80s RED by retroEra on Etsy

[Ben]

Hours
Seconds
Day
Month
Clown

Buy a dozen and be done with it.

Rad McDonalds Watch Ronald McDonald 80s RED by retroEra on Etsy

"Hey, nice watch. Wanna check out my crawl space?"

[edoz]

Want a great piece of life advice? Stop worrying about what time it is and ride until you feel like going home. Life is too short to give a damn about whether you're late or not.

[Blue Jays]

WadePatton...excellent suggestion about the Seiko family of automatics.
They are true workhorses and enjoy a wonderful reputation. They would be great on a rubber strap.

[TACSTS]

If you want to beat on an auto get a seiko SKX007 (shown above) or a SKX779 (the so-called Seiko monster). Me I put up the autos when I'm doing something rough and either wear no watch till I'm done or I'll get out my Gshock 5600. I'm not sure of the exact model number but it's solar powered with a six-month reserve and receives a signal from the official NIST atomic clock every night at 1204 AM so it's always exactly right and I never have to set it.