What's a watch you personally dislike that you'd feel comfortable recommending to a new collector?
We all have our horological likes and dislikes; what seems like wrist-worn gold (sometimes literally) to you or I could be a wild animal's fecal matter to another. Typically we dislike a watch because of how overpriced it is or because we find it "ugly". But is there a watch out there that you don't like personally that you'd recommend to someone just starting out in our wacky hobby?
Even though it's pretty cliche, mine has to be the "original" Invicta Pro Diver. Not the 1953/"Zager" variant everyone went bananas over mere weeks before the pandemic, the classic 8926OB. It IS the end-all-be-all to affordable mechanical watches; apart from Vostoks, Aliexpress specials and secondhand microbrand watches, the Pro Diver is the best way to enter the world of traditional, non-smart timepieces. You get a tried and true fully automatic movement and 200m of water resistance, and it looks just like the world's most desirable timepiece. Because of this, I'd recommend a newcomer to pick one up at Walmart or eBay.
For me, though, that's the thing; it borrows too much from the Submariner. Although I'm not "anti-homage", if you will, I feel like I'd get upset over the fact that I don't have the real thing, and probably never will. I personally prefer my watches to have their own identity and design philosophy, instead of just aping someone else's work. It's the same reason why I haven't got one of those $100 Captain Willard homages from Aliexpress; I'd rather spend a grand to get the real thing from the people who made it in the first place than $99 on something that's merely produced to look like the genuine article. But hey, I totally understand why people buy it, and I'm very happy for the scores of Pro Diver owners out there. I'll probably pick one up some day too (if I'm being honest though, that Pro Diver will probably be sharing a watch box with a Grand Seiko SBGA229).
Do you guys have any similar watches?
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Def the Casio Duro. I just dont like the look and "bracelet". But its an amazing piece for someone that just wants a durable watch.
Hate to say it, but the loved Hamilton Khaki. I know all the very real upsides of it, but it just doesn't do it for me... But I know I am a big outlier on this and if the person puts it on they will most likely like it and get a thumbs up from passerbys.
Probably most G-Shocks. In the back of my mind I just know That they’re great watches but I just can’t get myself to wear one for some reason.
I'd recommend a good watch that I do like - A Seiko, Orient or Citizen. Not an Invicta. I wouldn't want my friend to become an Invictim.
FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS BUY INVICTAS.
I like to think that if I don’t like a watch, I can articulate why I don’t like it. As such, I also like to think that I can recommend such a watch with my own caveats represented. Panerai, for example, with it’s Brooklyn Bridge fiasco, the not-in-house in-house movement, not recognizing it’s own fakes, etc. Great design but far from my favourite brand. With those caveats, I can still recommend some models.
Probably most G-Shocks. In the back of my mind I just know That they’re great watches but I just can’t get myself to wear one for some reason.
That's the same reason I bought my Arnie; I wanted that rugged functionality but I don’t really like Casio's design language
Seiko and Hamilton for mainstream brands although neither set my world on fire. Now that I think about it, many smaller brands pitch more often, at entry level pricing: Lorier, Farer, Unimatic.
I agree with @R16013 for a different reason. ITS MASSIVE. I'm also going to go with the casio royale. I just Dont gel with the design but I know it's good quality