Desk diver question

Hi all, 

I was thiking about wearing my submariner as my daily beater watch. Figured no point sitting in watch winder looking pretty when I paid so much for it. Might as well wear it so I can attach some emotion or history to it. 

My reluctance is that I type alot on a keyboard and I'm afraid of the clasp/bracelet getting beat up like my black bay (I posted a picture of that here recently). 

Do you guys recommend any type of protective film, etc or do you even think I should wear it as my daily, knowing that I will scratch it? 

May seem like a dumb thought. But wanted to pick you guys brain ... 

Thanks 

Reply
·

I can't remember whose post it was, but there was a thread on here about a dude's friend's uncle who had a bunch of Rolexes, but ended up buying Chinese replicas which he actually wears, while keeping the real deals in his winders at home, because he didn't want to scratch up the real deals.  I'll say the same thing I said in that thread:

  • You bought something to wear that you love
  • But, because you love it, you don't wear it
  • That is no way to live life

I mean, I guess if you didn't buy it to wear it, that's cool, right?  I mean, for example, if I were to buy Amazing Fantasy #15, I would never open it and read it.  

Amazing Fantasy Facsimile Edition (2019) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel

But, that's because I would buy it solely for it to be a collectible that I would display in a glass case in the middle of my living room.  In which case, I would say the same thing about the Sub.  If you bought it to serve as a collectible to display in the middle of your living room, then absolutely you shouldn't wear it, and instead only wear the Black Bay.

·

Wear it, scratch it, enjoy it. 

Why own a common watch that you won't wear?

Wear the heck out of it at your desk. If the clasp becomes so scratched that it's an eyesore (to you), pay a good jeweler to refinish it.

·

Personally, I like divers on silicone straps. Get a Bergeon 7825 and carefully install a silicone strap. Is more comfortable while typing IMHO.

·

Just buy a quality strap. What's the point of getting a watch if can't enjoy it.

·
JJMM1983

Just buy a quality strap. What's the point of getting a watch if can't enjoy it.

Any recommendations on a rubber strap that won't take away from the classiness of a submariner? The ones I've seen and tried in the past, etc horus etc, look very meh and cheap. 

Ideas? 

·
Mazharshah

Any recommendations on a rubber strap that won't take away from the classiness of a submariner? The ones I've seen and tried in the past, etc horus etc, look very meh and cheap. 

Ideas? 

I agree with the strap idea. Everest makes great ones from what I've seen. 

·

Get a large desk mat to put under your keyboard and mouse.  Not 100% but keeps the bracelet and clasp from banging and scraping against your desk for the most part.

I use this Monoprice mat for my home office:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=36636 

and I take this Logitech roll up mat with me when I have to go into the office office:

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Desk-Mat-Multifunctional-Spill-Resistant/dp/B09DV8WKK8?th=1

·

put that sh*t on a nato.  :-)

·

I wear mine often while typing (or doing anything, really) and this post inspired me to look at my clasp, which I don't really think about. I think it wears the mileage well!

Image
·
buettner

I wear mine often while typing (or doing anything, really) and this post inspired me to look at my clasp, which I don't really think about. I think it wears the mileage well!

Image

Thank you for the picture. 

I've always babied my stuff and I guess I need to just wear it, since I did get it to wear it. Better to have a scratched watch that has been enjoyed rather than a pristine one without any physical bond to the wearer. 

I'm overthinking all this, but this is the right place to overthink lol! 

·
ds760476

put that sh*t on a nato.  :-)

Lol that Is a great idea. I'm personally not a nato guy, feels like watch itself is detached from the bracelet...(which it kinda is lol). 

·
buettner

I wear mine often while typing (or doing anything, really) and this post inspired me to look at my clasp, which I don't really think about. I think it wears the mileage well!

Image

To grossly misquote Stalin — If you get one scratch it’s a tragedy, but a thousand scratches is just patina. :)

·
KristianG

Wear it, scratch it, enjoy it. 

Why own a common watch that you won't wear?

That's true. Two of my friends have submariners and wear them when it's safe to do so. It's a decent watch but it is not unusual at all and suffers from being massively over hyped. Too predictable for me, but if you own one you should wear it!

·

Buy a cheapish replacement clasp, then when that gets too scratched for your liking, buy another. Don’t spoil the enjoyment of wearing the watch because of what’s underneath and in most cases, no one sees anyway.

wear what you enjoy, and enjoy what you wear 👊🏻

·

True story…I had an uncle who was hard of hearing and wore an old-style hearing aid—the type you carry in a shirt pocket with the wire running to your earpiece. He never turned it on, because he said he didn’t want to wear out the batteries.

Your post brought him to mind. Thank you. RIP, Uncle Bill.

·
Image

Well here goes.....

Will post pics after a few days to show you guys the rate of wear/tear. 

:)

·

I understand your feelings on this subject. 😅 I have a Tudor BB 36 and really hate to scratch the clasp. Fwiw, I might suggest wearing it only occasionally to work and to be careful when using the keyboard. But otherwise, to wear it as often as possible outside of the office. 

·
Image

Bruce feels your pain 😂 

·

Wear it!  Take a bit of care in your daily life and perhaps don't wear it in truly hazardous (for the watch) situations, but wear it.  Any scratch that's not truly epic will likely polish out at the next service.  My daily driver is a Speedmaster Professional.  I don't wear it if I'm going to be underneath my car, hiking or at the beach, but otherwise it's generally on my wrist.  I live in New York City where sidewalk sheds and scaffolding are a fact of life; if I'm walking through a zone where exposed bolt heads and other random protruding bits of metal are prevalent, I'll tuck my wrist into the small of my back as I pass through.  Otherwise, I just live my life, and get a nice warm feeling when I glance at my wrist :-).

·

I like to wear my quality watches as I don't see the point having a safe queen at home gathering dust. Watches are meant to be functional. I always wear on a bracelet but take Cape Cod polishing cloths to my watches ever couple of months to buff out the scratches. 10 mins with a Cape cod cloth and any scratch that isn't a deep gouge disappears. I spent an hour buffing an old Breitling beater watch that was in a terrible state last weekend with Cape Cod and honestly it looks 99% like new now. Brilliant result. So I wear my watches and don't stress about scratches as I know I can make them look like new. highly recommend.

·
GavinBadcock

I like to wear my quality watches as I don't see the point having a safe queen at home gathering dust. Watches are meant to be functional. I always wear on a bracelet but take Cape Cod polishing cloths to my watches ever couple of months to buff out the scratches. 10 mins with a Cape cod cloth and any scratch that isn't a deep gouge disappears. I spent an hour buffing an old Breitling beater watch that was in a terrible state last weekend with Cape Cod and honestly it looks 99% like new now. Brilliant result. So I wear my watches and don't stress about scratches as I know I can make them look like new. highly recommend.

What does cape cod polishing do to the value of the watch, if anything? 

Considered 'polishing' I assume?

·

I use a protective covering when I’m desk diving with my tool watches called a “shirt sleeve.”

Just kidding. I roll my sleeves up and let it scratch away. It’s a tool watch. To me, it would be a bit like buying a Jeep Wrangler or a Land Rover Defender and worrying that a tree branch might scratch the paint if I took it off road. It will buff out. If it doesn’t buff out, it’s a scar, and as the great Lance Murdock once said, “Chicks dig scars.”

Image
·
Mazharshah

What does cape cod polishing do to the value of the watch, if anything? 

Considered 'polishing' I assume?

I dont think anyone would notice as you are getting rid of scratches not changing the watch in anyway. Anyone who then wanted to buy the watch from you would be impressed with how clean it is I guess.

·

Put mine back on bracelet in unity with the OP. 

About to go desk diving... BRB 😁

Image
·
GavinBadcock

I dont think anyone would notice as you are getting rid of scratches not changing the watch in anyway. Anyone who then wanted to buy the watch from you would be impressed with how clean it is I guess.

Reason I ask, is because I usually see used rolexes for sale specifying, 'unpolished'. But yeah I don't plan on selling anyway so not sure why I care about the monetary value lol

·
IanCognito

Put mine back on bracelet in unity with the OP. 

About to go desk diving... BRB 😁

Image

Yessssss! Let's do this!!! Let's share pics in a week or so

·

Thanks! Doing so as we speak!

Need to be a little more adventurous than desk diving though! 

Maybe cave diving ? Lol

·
Image

My desk diver… Only 5 months old. Do the scratches hurt? Yes. Do I regret it? No. 

·

You can polish and/or replace the clasp.  I don't have a "beater" watch and I don't really believe in beating any watch, even a cheap one.  If I know I am going to be doing something that will damage my watch, I take it off for that activity.