What's that one watch that gets a bad rap but you just won't get rid of?
This Armani Exchange belonged to my great-grandad, at 45mm it is my largest watch, and probably a touch too big for my wrist, but I'll never sell it, it's the only thing I have to remember him by, and to be honest in many ways it doesn't deserve the hate it gets, its second hand alignment is much better than my quartz Rotary that I own, and the curved case makes 45mm almost wearable. What's the watches people own here that might not get the warmest reception in watch circles, but that you refuse to get rid of for whatever reason?
19-year-old student in the English Midlands with a low-budget collection. Got into watches while researching Soviet timepieces, still have a love for USSR watches. Getting more interested in stepping...
First, that watch is awesome looking. Second, I agree with you that the memories of grandpa are priceless (I have two Siekos from mine).
To answer your question, for me is my Timex. It's 20 years old, quartz chronograph, but it's the first watch I bought as an adult. I think I paid something like $50, which for a poor college student was a lot. It's worth about $20 on eBay now. I won't sell it (but I don't wear it, either.) I'll probably give it to my teenage son to help fill in the spaces in his watch box.
Shinola for sure. I like my Runwell quite a bit, it was a gift from my father and is the watch that really started making me consider watches in general. Besides that though I'll go to bat for the watch on its merits alone. Shinola gets way too much hate.
A brand that has been getting a bit of a kicking lately is Borealis, mostly for how they’ve tried to market their products, which is a shame as I think the quality of their watches speak for themselves and I love my Sintra.
In fact I like it so much that I got another Borealis the Seastorm mk2.
And am very happy with it.
It's not hard to keep any watch with a family or sentimental history, it's actually harder not to. It would be interesting however to see which "bad rap" watches without a heart strings connection are considered Cruncher keepers. For me it's probably one of my San Martin's which are sometimes derisively referred to as "Chinese junk", (most frequently imho by "enthusiasts" that have never experienced one). They're surprisingly solid, well finished watches that look and perform well without any of the worry associated with more expensive pieces.
The Corum Bubble Lucifer
HMT Janata. Bought it nearly a decade ago. $12 for a manual wind is pretty remarkable. Works a treat, but rarely gets much love.
You can't put a price on memories, plus its a really cool watch.
Before I became seriously interested in watches, I wore a Movado Museum Watch. It seems to be universally unloved by the watch enthusiast community and dismissed as a fashion watch, but I still absolutely love the design, and it will always have a place in my collection.
I also have an old Timex Indiglo that my dad wore when he passed away 10 years ago. It's the least expensive, but also the most valuable watch in my collection. I keep it in a watch box outside my home office, and every night before I head off to bed, I turn on the Indiglo light for a few seconds as my way of keeping his memory alive.
I love the fact that you value your grand dads watch in a similar manner.
Can’t beat a watch with such a great sentimental value. That priceless.
Before I became seriously interested in watches, I wore a Movado Museum Watch. It seems to be universally unloved by the watch enthusiast community and dismissed as a fashion watch, but I still absolutely love the design, and it will always have a place in my collection.
I also have an old Timex Indiglo that my dad wore when he passed away 10 years ago. It's the least expensive, but also the most valuable watch in my collection. I keep it in a watch box outside my home office, and every night before I head off to bed, I turn on the Indiglo light for a few seconds as my way of keeping his memory alive.
I love the fact that you value your grand dads watch in a similar manner.
I believe the Movado Museum is one of the generational launches that transcends watch collectors. Many "enthusiasts" get butthurt if a maker produces a wildly successful watch without regard to what the mythical "watch community" wants. Gatekeepers cluck their teeth and clutch their pearls rather then celebrating that perhaps fresh blood is being drawn into the hobby and watchmakers are surviving which is a good thing no? If one's criteria for collecting includes watches that capture an era's zeitgeist then I'm all for adding one to the collection. Like the MoonSwatch many "enthusiasts" sneered at the Museum watch while posturing that their deep knowledge of specs makes them way too cool to join a shindig that doesn't care whether the self proclaimed watch illuminati hangs back and peers through the window at a party where most who are participating, rather than spectating, are having fun. Carefree newbies are dancing to the music while the peeping toms outside gulp their whine and moan that the sound system is digital when analog is sooo much better. Some collectors just haven't figured out how to be a watch nerd without being a watch turd. As always your wrist, your rules.
I believe the Movado Museum is one of the generational launches that transcends watch collectors. Many "enthusiasts" get butthurt if a maker produces a wildly successful watch without regard to what the mythical "watch community" wants. Gatekeepers cluck their teeth and clutch their pearls rather then celebrating that perhaps fresh blood is being drawn into the hobby and watchmakers are surviving which is a good thing no? If one's criteria for collecting includes watches that capture an era's zeitgeist then I'm all for adding one to the collection. Like the MoonSwatch many "enthusiasts" sneered at the Museum watch while posturing that their deep knowledge of specs makes them way too cool to join a shindig that doesn't care whether the self proclaimed watch illuminati hangs back and peers through the window at a party where most who are participating, rather than spectating, are having fun. Carefree newbies are dancing to the music while the peeping toms outside gulp their whine and moan that the sound system is digital when analog is sooo much better. Some collectors just haven't figured out how to be a watch nerd without being a watch turd. As always your wrist, your rules.
Love the line "Some collectors just haven't figured out how to be a watch nerd without being a watch turd.". Lots of truth in that little nugget.
Love the line "Some collectors just haven't figured out how to be a watch nerd without being a watch turd.". Lots of truth in that little nugget.
"Leveling the hierarchy!"👍
The Invicta Corduba, quartz movement at a perplexing 52mm diameter. Why did I buy it? I believe Das Boot was on cable late at night quite often then. Do I ever wear it? Nope. On TWO separate occasions burglars declined to take it with them while clearing out everything else of value in my place. Wouldn't hear of parting with it. I hope it confounds my nephews or their sons some day.