What are the best watches that straddle tool and luxury?
For example. Six digit Submariners and new Speedmasters are too well refined and shiny now to be used as a daily tool to be used as are pretty much all their watches. Tudor, Longines, Tag, Oris, Doxa, Sinn, etc. all seem (to me) to straddle that line of luxury branding and tool quality like you wouldn’t be afraid to dive with them or hike with them or get them dinged doing other physical activity. All quality brands but not overly refined where it feels like jewelry like other brands that are higher tier. Any brands out there that you think straddle this line perfectly?
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QuietManClass
I love tool watches, from beaters to luxury. Love this community and want to learn and share as much as I can!
Connecticut
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Does Cory Richards rocking the Overseas on Everest count? I'm just kind of obsessed with this watch.
For me personally though, I mostly wear quartz Seiko's for rough and tumble activities.
Tudor Ranger. It’s plan and simple. Build quality is good so far.
A valid point that makes me wonder - from the pool of elite athletes that:
choose to wear a watch during their sport AND are not sponsored, what the heck do they wear? (excluding smart watches of course, as I'd venture to guess that would be the general choice)
The cheapest here is that Citizen pilot at 700. To me that's already kinda luxury.
And the most expensive is the titanium g shock at like 2 or 3 or 4 grand I don't remember exactly.
What is a Hamilton? I’ll take Japanese watches for $800.
I thought about Doxa or IWC
The best luxury watches are purpose built. Rolex builds a damn fine tool Watch with a luxury aesthetic. Tudor builds a tool watch with a tool aesthetic at luxury pricing.
Determine the specs required (User Design Requirements), then determine the budget available, then decide on the tool based on aesthetics.
I skin dive and do solo ocean touring with these 3. Alpinist Ginza and the Seiko Sea Turtle are both 200m, the Spring Drive Prospex LX is a 300m. All have been bomb proof. All have bright ‘all night’ lume charged fully by daylight only. You can see the time at any hour, even when U can’t find a light in the dark, or your light is dead
6R35 Alpinist and Spring drive both keep perfect time, helpful when off grid for several days and phone is off or dead.
BTW - a date is very helpful (for me feels mandatory)- you loose track of days quickly and it’s best to not rely on electronics
Minor issues:
Alpinist has regular spring bars. I’ve never broke one, but see it as more likely to break than the monster 2.5mm steel springbars used on the other 2. Watches get banged hard from time to time, over water you want confidence
4R35 is +8s a day, not bad but horrid compared to the other 2.
Omega Aqua Terra
My Quartz is my beater, can't fault it.
My thought isn’t the price or how shiny it is. It’s about your comfort level is to use it. If you put a luxury watch on your wrist and can forget about it. And you can go about life and not worry about a scratch or ding. That’s the watch that is the straddle. If your watch screams at you to put it on but your afraid to wreck it and you grab another watch. That watch passed the line. That’s the best I’ve got.
My thought isn’t the price or how shiny it is. It’s about your comfort level is to use it. If you put a luxury watch on your wrist and can forget about it. And you can go about life and not worry about a scratch or ding. That’s the watch that is the straddle. If your watch screams at you to put it on but your afraid to wreck it and you grab another watch. That watch passed the line. That’s the best I’ve got.
That’s a great way of putting it. I have some seamasters I won’t want to beat up by wearing for yardwork and what not but and oris or Tudor I’d gladly wear without care (for the most part).
That’s a great way of putting it. I have some seamasters I won’t want to beat up by wearing for yardwork and what not but and oris or Tudor I’d gladly wear without care (for the most part).
Right on. Glad I could help. That was a great question.