“LUXURY” Beaters.

Great story. Your grandfather was badass. They’re meant to worn enjoyed and utilized!

First, those are some great watches. Grail watches to a lot of folks.

Second, I would love to return to a time where we could drop in and buy luxury gifts for people to celebrate milestones.

Both those watches are badassss…and doubly so in yr occupation

SS Sub.

They’re looking good given the sector that you work in.

That's a really nice story and a nice way to see watches. My watches are also to remember an occasion or an achievement and my luxury beaters are my Date-Sub and Reverso 🙂

Looks great 😌

That’s awesome and is exactly how these watches should be used. I wish I was as brave as you with some of my more expensive timepieces. Since I’m worry about scratching up my Explorer 36, I currently use my custom built $200 Rolex 1016 Space-Dweller with a Seiko NH35 movement and parts from China as my beater. It looks good and I wouldn’t cry if I scratched it. Not real or luxury but it gets the job done.

Most of my watches are in the affordable range but I have two “luxury” watches my longines hydconquset and my Tudor Pelagos and where them both at work I’m a joiner working in social housing maintenance today I was working in a crack den helping the plumber fix the toilet as it was a two to attend jobs and I had my Tudor on and they was a moment where I thought I better take this watch off and up in my pocket out of site as it was full of unsavoury characters that the first time I’ve ever done that

That's a cool story, and a great way to feel connected to a brand. If you've got the means, why not use them as tools, they are made tougher than ever these days.

In fairness though, in your Grandfather's day, Rolex and Omega were premium tool watches, not luxury items. Back then it was more like the difference between buying a Black & Decker drill and a Hilti drill. Both are tools, but the Hilti is a premium tool for professional use. These days it's like the difference between buying a Hilti, and hiring a contractor to do the work for you... 😜

I don't own this watch yet but it is on my to buy list since I recently tried one on. The G-Shock MTG B3000BD12 (retails at $1050). You can of course buy this watch cheaper on the grey market.

Hard to choose between the SMP and the Sub. Yours look great.

I also chose the SMP as my ‘luxury beater’. I just have zero fear or doubt that it will get damaged inside or out. Plus mines on the rubber strap so there’s that.

My Tudor fits this 100% for me. It’s getting its time in a professional kitchen. In the 8 months I’ve had it it’s already gotten some scratches on the bracelet and maybe a minor scuff on the case. It keeps great time and I just love the look and feel of this thing, being on top of the time is integral to my job and this is truly a tool watch that I’ll hang on to for my life reminding me of a great time working with some great professionals.

Two great watches and great story!

I wear my nicest watches (IWC, Cartier, Rolex etc.) anytime, anywhere

They are a great watch

Great pieces! 😍

Thanks!

My Lux beater is Prx Auto. It’s wasn’t 1k or over but it so far is the most I spent on a watch and I wear it for anything.

Luxury watches=money required

Not always available to the masses

Great story, but what these brands were in the 40’s and 50’s is a far cry from what they are now; brand positioning (as is time) isn’t static — they were tool watches then, they are manufactured, positioned, and marketed as luxury watches now, so I can totally understand your colleagues’ shock today…just as it wouldn’t have been out of place in your forebear’s era to see a Rolex being properly beaten up. How luxurious they are to you is totally relative though, some can afford to toss an AP or wear a gold Sky Dweller to the gym so… 🤷‍♂️. Personally I don’t wear any of my luxury watches as beaters — I’ve got my Casio G-Shock, and Illuminator for that. That being said, no one should be judged for how and when they choose to wear (or not) their watches — they are not ‘meant to be worn’ a specific way.

My two favorite daily wearers, not ‘beaters’, the Explorer II surpassed a previous favorite (Planet Ocean 39.5) in frequency.

And my favorite beater, truly the right tool for almost any situation, the Casio Illuminator:

That's the proper mindset when it comes to watches. Especially expensive ones. You give more money for more quality, so why wouldn't you use it at its full potential? If these watches were designed as tools they should be used like ones, not just keep them in a box and wear them once a month.

In contrast, I read a thread some while ago with a guy saying that he bought a Speedmaster and said he didn't use the chronograph because he was afraid that he would damage the mechanism. I think this kind of people should adopt your mindset when it comes to watches and realize the amount of craftsmanship and quality control that is put into these luxury pieces in order to make them withstand the test of time.

Am I going to be the first to say... they don't look that beaten up? :)

Thanks it does and has started the stories again on my sons wrist. Gave it to him last year for his birthday.

I call my Grand Seiko SBGA413 Shunbun the GAADAA (go almost anywhere, do almost anything) almost-beater. Spring Drive is robust. I doesn't have a delicate escapement, so I worry less about banging the movement around than any other mechanical watch. After three years the case is worn enough that I stopped worrying about scratches. I won't wear it mostly while riding a bike (I once gave a G-Shock road rash, so I won't wear a "nice" watch on a bike). Otherwise it's good for any occasion, other than the most rough and tumble activities. To my mind, a Grand Seiko Spring Drive from the Heritage Collection is among the most robust and versatile watches around.

I don’t own two grails like that but will the Pagani homages will do?

It’s all about how the pieces makes us feel and not about the perception of others. 😎

That’s a beautiful piece! 😍

Definitely for sure you right about it.