First mechanical/automatic - noob questions.

You cant really go wrong with a Seiko but personally for the money I would get this Addiesdive over any Seiko 5, you get an automatic nh35 sapphire and a screw-crown and for much less money and a real tough all round good looking watch

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ADDIESDIVE-watch-brand-aviator-automatic/dp/B08LNFLYN6/ref=sr_1_17?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iMhp-fdPX4JbBK4Hy6lSPmPxoCkH-VabGIGDmWOoNZllPKgS1uA8eBQzCb1Vctw7lfy3HnyVk0_i_lu71PQezrTneQVDXr1yeNOIHQJdGb3OzYEcjYdUufFL5eidsc6xuQH9TCr0CBhqyL3rcX

Wow thanks for the recommendation - looks like a tough and reliable watch.

Don't get hung up on maintenance or service costs, I have never needed to pay anything with automatic watches in my collection, they are tougher than you might think and not something I ever think about when getting the next one, I think service's and maintenance is something other people get done with their Rolex's and Omega's

That’s great to hear!

The service on an entry (and even mid) level mechanical watch is basically movement swap. You don't need to concern yourself very much with it, it will come into play probably when you wear the watch daily for about 5 years.

When the watch is not running, it does not need anything and can stay suspended and ready to go for decades.

If I were shopping for an entry level watch again, I would probably skip Seiko 5 (oh, the audacity!!) and rather try to find something from microbrands or even AliExpress. They all have the same movement (NH35 or 4R35) anyway, the case finishing will be roughly the same and with microbrands or AliExpress watches you often have the benefit of sapphire crystal (I don't know about your use case, but I scratched the mineral glass in the first month of ownership). You sacrifice the resell value compared to Seiko though.

I would look at Phoibos, Traska, Lorier. Don't shy away from Citizen, and quartz watches in general.

Another route is #sanmartin. They make a lot of homage watches with a few original designs as well. Same with #invicta. Both have a ton of offerings so you'll have a good chance of finding something you'll like. They're better value than current Seiko 5s.

There are a whole load of decent affordable mechanical watches. As well as Seiko you might want to look at Orient, Citizen,SAN Martin and Sugess for a manual wind option. And like @Rodiow said I wouldn’t worry too much about service costs on an affordable mechanical watch. I’ve never gotten a watch serviced.

Thank you - that’s great advice!

Honest answer, if you look at watches that contain an NH34/35/36/38 movement then if and when the movement breaks down it is much more cost effective to buy a new movement and replace the whole thing.

Agree with just about everything already posted. You really don't need to worry about servicing for around 10 years by which time you'll know which watches are worth keeping. Personally I think the San Martin watches offer best specs, fit and finish for their respective price points but Seiko do some great designs. Orient and Citizen are also great value IMO. Too much choice will be the biggest issue 😁

I can also recommend the addiesdive pilot watch suggested above, I’ve owned it for a while and it’s superb value and an excellent all rounder, good looking, nice size, sapphire crystal, nh35 movement, decent enough bracelet. Buy it on Ali express and you will get it for less than £50 usually, absolute bargain and a great way to experience an automatic watch for the first time

I'd just like to add, at the end of the day go for what you want. Don't feel concerned or pressured into thinking I must buy brand x from AliExpress because they offer such good value. If it's a Seiko you really want then get a Seiko (or any brand for that matter).

My first purchase was a Seiko 5 and I'm extremely happy it was. I still wear it 4.5 years later. Can't say the same for my AliExpress watches which I bought after, but it's all personal taste!

To answer your question about C. Ward movements, yes they use relatively common sellita sw200 movements. Any reputable watch tech would be able to service them 👍 but if you're buying brand new from c.ward, I think you have to service it with them to keep the 5 year warranty.

Correct on the Ward guarantee although my experience suggests that 5 years should be plenty long enough not to have needed a service in the first place.

Seiko are overpriced and under specd. I would suggest Phoibos or San Martin as a good starting point perhaps.

I would go with CITIZEN automatics.

Echoing what others have said, the variety of entry level autos is pretty amazing.

I have Seikos, Orient, & some AliX autos using NH movements & all have been excellent.

Shop around & buy something that appeals to YOU.

Seiko bracelets & straps aren't great, but it gives you an excuse to personalize.

& FWIW, my snk809 is over 12 years old & has yet to need service.

Hi fellow cruncher, may I suggest the steeldive 1970, great watch, homage to the Seiko Captain Willard, it's a tank have dropped it bunch of times and not a scratch, best of all it doesn't break the bank !

I have Seiko and Orient. I personally prefer Orient. If you are looking at daily driver that is kind of dressy, I would get the Bambino. If you want a bulletproof dive watch I would get an Orient Kamasu. It has better waterproof ratings than the Seiko and I have one that is about 5-6 years old, never a problem and has not needed to be serviced. I guess you also need to consider what style of watch you're looking for. A lot of people are also fans of Citizen, which some consider an unfairly overlooked brand.

A British brand - always like homegrown brands so will check it out.

Eh!? British? Lol. Steeldive are Chinese.

Oh that’s confusing https://www.steeldiveuk.com/contact! Oh well!

Ah steeldiveuk must just be distributors / sellers. They won't own the company though or make any of the products 🙂

I think I’ll kick off with an established brand first. I suppose one thing I need to figure out is how to convince my wife that I should buy another watch - any tricks from the crunchers 😄?

Lol 😉cant help you with that one, maybe get your wife a watch too to sweeten the deal?

I’ve heard most manufacturers recommend service every 3-5 years. I’ve also heard others in the industry say 10 years is frequent enough for any decent watch produced in the past decade, thanks to material improvements like synthetic oils. I think it ultimately depends on how you use the watch and how frequently you wear it, as well as if any unexpected issues develop.

Unfortunately, I had to have my first two mechanical watches serviced within the first year of owning them, the cost of which was around 20% of the watches themselves. The issues were out of my control and not a result of wearing the watches.

I don’t regret buying them, though paying to send them away for several months so soon after buying them was a reality check during the excitement of owning them.

It’s not bad for a mechanical watch to stop running. If anything it’s a good thing to not have it running all the time – just like a car, running it all the time will result in more wear on the movement.

I think Sealanders use Sellita movements, which from my experience should be common enough for most watch technicians to be able to service.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the insight - super helpful for beginners like me 🤝.