Do you own a Beater watch?

I have a few beaters. I wear one watch when I’m performing athletic endeavors (doesn’t get much wrist time), one watch when I’m doing outdoor chores in the suburbs, and one I wear hiking/camping. 
 

I would call any watch a beater watch if it was purpose built to take a predictable amount of abuse and you intend to take that watch to that level of abuse on a routine basis. 
 

What are your thoughts?

The F-91W is my prime beater, although the unkillable 25+ year old analog Casio chrono is close behind. And well over half my stuff is just not worth much worry.

However, the whole concept is a little silly. Yesterday I went out to replace a car part, and I just took my Seiko 5 off and laid it on the seat till I was done. Admittedly, this morning I specifically opted against wearing a vintage gold watch due to fears of smacking it on something while grocery shopping, so there is a risk hierarchy.

I would not wear a watch while working on a car. You just can’t get your hands in the right place with one on. 
 

Yeah, I'm not really certain where this watch geek need to wear a watch every second of every day came from.  

It reminds me of the time I was on to a watch meetup and had to change a tire at the side of the road while wearing a 18 karat gold watch.

My watch buds, in horror, asked me how I could possibly change a tire while wearing such a fragile watch.  I replied that I just took it off for thirty minutes while fiddling with a car jack and they looked as though that course of action had never occurred to them.

Like you said, there is a risk hierarchy but sometimes you stash the watch in the glove box for an hour while doing something else.

This one,plus a quartz sekonda for the really rough stuff. Everytime I've worn something 'decent' and done 'things' I've messed them up bad,so this is my beater. But I've done loads of 'things' with this and the damn thing will not get "patina",but guaranteed if I put something special on the glass will scratch,bezel knocked off,crown will go bye bye,so 90% of the time this is my watch(makes me think why bother with the other 30,but that's the conundrum of being a watch collector).

My Casioak is the beater/travelling watch.

I prefer to have analog hour/minute arms on my watch, but being a digital watch it is also capable of seeing home time on the sub display while I am few time zones away.

Its a G shock so I can go swim in the ocean or lake without worry. Take it to camping and no need to worry of scratching or damaging it.

I personally believe you shouldn't worry about hurting most watches. Any watch I buy should be ready to take a lick here and there. I try to be careful with every watch but won't get upset if there's a scratch or ding. I like wristwatch revival. And one of my favorite videos is the Rolex he services and he fines caked crud in the endlinks. The man's grandfather wore it every day for decades. 

Literally own all three of the watches pictured so very conflicted on my answer!  Yes, I will rock a G-shock or Khaki for a lot of activities, be it yard work, building projects, working one the car, etc. 

Holy moly, you Have a ton of great watches!

I wear a G-Shock 5610 for yard work or sporting activities. I have a few cheap mechanical homage watches for appropriate times. I have also been known to not wear a watch on occasion. 

Ha ha ha. What I have is a problem, but thank you! I am hoping to wind down new purchases in 2023.

Best of luck to you!

Thought of not needing one, instead found a reluctant situation which of dress watches to wear to the beach 🙈🙈

So at least one beater that can go with me in every situation

I replied that I just took it off for thirty minutes while fiddling with a car jack and they looked as though that course of action had never occurred to them.

I don't want to believe this, but I know 200% it is possible, or even likely, to have happened. 

As others have stated, there is a risk hierarchy evaluated when deciding what watch to wear to match the activities of the day. 

I have 3 G-Shocks I can employ in heavy manual labor. 

All other watches are free game for pretty much any other activity. 

If, like @Edge168n encountered, an unexpected situation arose that would endanger a watch, it can be removed for the moment & return to wrist duty when the situation is resolved. 

A picture of my beater Casio Twin Sensor....not even a G shock!

Elliott Brown is my work watch as I volunteer in a charity shop warehouse,it gets knocked against furniture and metal shelves, before that i was gas engineer and it was used daily ,the watch has hardly any damage 

When my AD calls me to come pick it up...it will be a Gshock Move 

I used to have a few beater watches.  One for the gym/running.  One for working outdoors and doing diy, and a third for washing the car or working in the rain.

Seemed silly to own three watches I never wore, so sold two.  Now I just have one beater watch to avoid wearing!😉

Don't you just love watch folk?

Where else can you use the word "beater" in polite conversation? 🙂

Anyhoo... my personal preference is for simple 3 handers, sometimes with a date though I have a couple of dateless watches. I do however own a "beater" in the form of a casio g-shock.

 I tend to believe a watch should be "all in" or not at all and I can't think of a better beater than that. My other watches I wouldn't wear gardening let alone fixing the car or chopping wood ... you know, all the manly stuff 😉 

Since my idea of a beater is my PRX, I clicked the Manicure option...  I might eventually get a Casioak.  

Mine are called G Shocks. 😃. I do have a very old Invicta pro diver with a Miyota movement that has the odd scratch here and there but still runs. 

I use my plastic Swatch from the 1980's when I am doing chores outside. 

I think not everyone has the same concept for a beater. Maybe some consider according to the shock resistance to the sport or activity to be carried out, others consider beater for the value of the watch according to the possibilities of each one, and others to the personal appreciation of the watch itself to use everyday.

For example in my reality, my Khaki Field auto, despite the military history and that I use a quite often in the office, I would never call him as a beater or put him in “danger” like a mountain bike trail. Mountain bike trail call for a G-shock, a proper beater in my opinion.

To me, a beater watch is something that you enjoy wearing and won’t break the bank if you damage it, or even lose it. That said, everyone has a different definition of a beater watch. 
 

All of my watches are more durable than I am.  That said, I tend to match the functionality to the activity.  My Seadweller would certainly survive a trail run, but it wouldn't be as comfortable, or have as many useful features, as my Garmin.

From extreme gshock time ( trekking working in the yard) to everyday work orient mako 2 on rubber ( cook kitchen work) to weekend those tree watches makes all the work. If i go swim or canoe kayak in a lake i wear casio duro. 

All my watches are intended to be beaters except my little seiko snkl45 that I wear on a black leather strap for more dressy occasions or my orient black kamasu for summer around the pool. I think buying a watch not to wear it afraid of breaking it is a bad investment. That's my humble opinion. 

Perhaps when I'm very advance in age and I have a less busy life i will buy something more refine and invest more in a one watch do all but for now i enjoy having more inexpensive ones to have a variety of choices. 

✌️

This is why I have more than one F91W (Yeah yeah, there are other reasons as well. No watch lover has just one f91w.)

If I'm working on something where I know there is a "watch risk" and also a need for checking the time, one F91W will be on its way to the wrist!

This is my grand beater! Everyday at the job very hot days and cold and survived on heavy rainy days too.

My G-shocks are the ones I wear when I know there's a high chance of damage.  I have a few daily wear watches the seem to soak up the slings and arrows of outrageous 9 to 5 and I reserve my nicer ones for weekends, holidays and occasions.  Even those seem to find a way to get dinged.  Oh well.