Controversial Watch Opinions.....Again

I kinda agree with you, it’s not a bad watch but it is heavy and bulky hence I traded mine. Off course this is just my opinion as well…also I’m referring to the heritage line 

Yeah I tried on the bronze one today, and actually I'd say that buying a bronze watch is really dumb cause it looks awful when it oxidises

😂 Don't think it’s dumb it’s just a matter of preferences…we can’t all like the same things then it gets boring…🍻

I agree and disagree 🤣

I had the harrods one and it was too big but my root beer GMT fits lovely. Admittedly though I'm a big chap so it's 40mm minimum for me

I am not a fan of the Black Bay, and the prevalence of them seems to suggest that I might be the one with the issue and not others. I agree, I think it doesn’t wear particularly well on my wrist, but I also find that some of the model‘s original references do not either, so again it’s probably a @SteepleOfKnives issue rather than a BB issue. Then again, I think my main issue with Tudor are the finishes, I am not particular enamoured with the ceramic in the bezel, they just look a little powdery to me, slightly dull; I think the rest are slightly uninspired. I am also not a fan of the snowflake handset either, it’s too distracting. I also like to swim against the current so perhaps that fuels my aversion to many popular brands.

Idk the one I tried on today looked like junk (was second hand) but still 3,5 k for that nahhh 😂

It really hurts me cause I absolutely love Tudor especially the Black Bay and really want one but I can't really wear the 58 cause I have packed on size from weight training so now my wrists are too large and I hate the way the standard one wears, here is to hoping the Pelagos works for me.  

It kind of depends on what you’re comparing to. If you’re use to thinner watches, it will seem thick. But as far as larger watches go, it’s not all that big. It’s all about perception and expectations. When I tried on the GS Snowflake, I was disappointed/put off by how light it was on the wrist. But I think it’s just because it wasn’t what I was used to.

Fair enough I see what you mean I think all these brands are super hyped tbh I tried on a Rolex recently and was immediately disappointed, and Tudor well a used Bronze Black Bay looks in my opinion awful as I discovered today actually. I think that's what makes me hesitant to buy a proper luxury watch cause I can get buyers remorse quite easily. 

I have a Seiko turtle which is a Thiccc boi watch, but the case shape is nice and smooth and makes it feel a bit more sleek, whereas with the Black Bay it feels a bit boxy, I think the shape kind of accentuates that. 

The BLUE bay 36 is rather slender. Slimmer than the Baby Alpinist it replaced, but the slab sides gives it a kinda brutal presence for it's size 😊

They look boxy to me. Not keen on the hands either. 🤷

The case shape IS boxy. You’re right about that!

I think the Black Bay series, while generally wonderful has been oversold.  I think the slab sides are a much more specific aesthetic than people think they are.  I know I have historically disliked it.

Here's a controversial opinion.  Dive watches are too casual to be real GADA watches. GADA also includes times where one might have to wear a suit.  And while Bond might do it, there's just no percentage in deluding ourselves that we can.

I think the BB58 wears well, but all larger ones are too much for me. Also I don’t like the snowflake hand, it looks like belonged on a kids toy watch

I agree that bronze is a daft addition to the watch case roster, but then again I don’t particularly wish to go around with what will eventually look like pirate treasure strapped to my wrist. I have a black beard, but I am not Blackbeard.

If I may offer a controversial opinion for discussion:

• The best watches containing Seiko NHxx movements are not made by Seiko, be it for value or execution.
   

If you mean the original Black Bay, I agree. They're thick chunks of watches that I can't wear. If you mean the Black Bay 58, they wear a dream. Back when the BB58 was the overhyped watch of the day I wasn't interested, until I tried one on. It fits a dream. And the black and gold design speaks to me. And now I want one. I'm still thinking about it (maybe the bronze?).

I'm assuming you don't own a bronze watch as you seem to really dislike the idea.  And that makes me wonder why you think you know so much about them.

I've had mine for 5 months and worn it more than any other watch during that time.  It looks almost exactly like the picture I posted which was from a couple of months ago.  I wear it in the pool, occasionally in the shower, and to wash my hands.  That's all the cleaning it gets.  I guess wearing the watch is rubbing patina off as fast as it builds up, or keeping it from building up in the first place.  

So my question to you is this: when should I expect this transformation into a disgusting rusty piece of metal to occur?

Follow-up question: is it possible that you've been seeing a bunch of staged pictures from people who have treated their watches with chemicals to create an effect?

I think a dive bezel makes a watch too casual.  It brings attention to itself when the last thing you want is attention on your watch.

That said, take it for what it's worth, someone who has owned maybe a dozen divers over the years, none of which have lasted more than a few months.  I'm pretty sure that's a personal problem.

Also, when people see a sub they tend to understand you paid $10k+ for it which immediately makes it ok to wear with a suit.

I mean by this logic a Richard Mille goes with everything!  As I mentioned in my reply to @CombatWombat , I think a diver brings attention to itself in formal situations because of the bezel.

As for alternatives, I think you're pretty spoilt for choice. Plain bezel, 100M WR with screw down crown, decent bracelet.  Explorer 1 is the exemplar though I find it a little boring.  Aqua Terra is also very good.  Grand Seiko's catalog overflows with possible options.

I've taken my SBGA429 hiking and swimming, rolled around in the dirt with my kids and walked into a board meeting with it.  It works pretty well across more use cases.

My logic on the sub included it having a black face and, to me, not calling that much attention to itself. Certainly no more than most things from GS which have a tendency to flash a bit. All that zeratsu eye-candy.  RMs are an abomination with no natural habitat. 

Also, Mehta do you say the last thing you want is attention on your watch?  I think many people very much want attention on their watch or suit or whatever else they spent a lot of money on. Incidentally, have you read American Psycho?  Its full of scenes where the main character is noticing little besides the suits and watches of others. Fiction sure, but also a commentary on 80s culture.  Which is to say human culture from all ages. 

It's great fiction for sure and probably what some people would even want. Delicately put, my experience hasn't really matched up to the idea that flashy watch helps me successfully get what I want done in a meeting.

I tend to find that when I'm in a meeting and someone is paying too much attention to my watch, they aren't paying enough attention to what I'm saying and the meeting invariably goes poorly.

But one man's opinion.  Your mileage, of course, may vary.

So I had the chance to try all three variations of the original BB and... I honestly liked them. I thought that I wouldn't, judging by what I saw online, but I thought the slab side kind of worked well with the aesthetic. Interestingly enough, my wife did ask why the watch looked so tall.

I surprisingly did not like the gilt dial though. It seemed like way too much bling for a dive watch.

The larger ones possibly, but my BB36 is fine

Yeah that’s not controversial that’s  well known. You’ve only tried the OG versions. Try a newer version like the BB58 and BB36/41. They wear very well on the wrist. 

(Not on the main point, because I don't have any opinions about watches, but to yours: saw a lawyer today in court wearing a chucky diver and thought that it did not mesh well with his suit and alligator shoes. It was a watch to wear on a boat, not with business attire.)

Despite the recent trend of downsizing watches, I still think watches are too big. You could shave off another 2mm+ from the most popular watches and they’d look stunning.

BB58: 39mm 😕 -> 37mm 🤩

GS Snowflake: 42mm 🤢 -> 36mm 🤩

Orient Bambino: 38/40mm 🤢 -> 34mm 🤩

Tissot PRX: 40mm 😒 -> 35mm ❤️ (I know it exists. Y’all should consider this one before you consider the 40mm)

You get the idea. I admit, I have a small wrist, and I’ve been wearing vintage watches lately, so anything over 36mm looks large to me. However, I think that’s a good thing. My tastes have downsized, and I think the watchmaking world should follow, even if it means I‘m tempted to spend all my money on new watches. 😂

You are not wrong, the trend for larger watches started in the late 80s with the rise of the action movie star, and the fact that anything less than the size of a hand grenade wouldn’t work on their frames. 32-36mm was always considered a acceptable sized man’s watch, with 28-32mm even being popular in the 30s - 50s. Anything over 36mm was termed oversized. I think Panerai might be one of the exceptions as early models were based of Rolex pocketwatches with 45mm+ cases, and these were designed to go over your diving suit anyway, and needed to be legible so the size played into that. Anyway, ramble over, I agree watches have been too big for the last 40 years.

I don't inherently dislike the idea or I should say I didn't, but having seen one with an age of approximately one year I have ruled it out. It seems like a waste cause IMO the oxidisation looks awful and rusty. I cannot say when yours will start to turn green but in time it will. Steel and even gold is a far better option as they won't patina as rapidly as Bronze will, it just seems to me like a bad purchase as you are essentially buying something that will age faster than the alternative which again IMO is a waste of money. I'd never tell someone who had bought a bronze watch that they shouldn't have cause that is up to you (I am also a huge fan of Oris I think they are class) but to me after what I saw yesterday I have ruled it out completely. 

And to your follow up question I tried on a 2021 Tudor Black Bay Bronze (supposedly one of the higher tier Bronze watches).