Best GADA on a Budget

I paid £1300 for my used Aqua Terra quartz.

So that's my choice.

Coundt vote for either as not within my budget. For a lot of people these are not budget. Both really nice though.

I have a sealander 36 in green and the finishing is pretty decent, add on the removable quick release bracelet, the on fly adjustment and its a pretty decent deal imo. The grand seiko has it beat in accuracy and likely finishing. I dont think you can go wrong with either. I would say pick the one you think looks best.

Hey Steve, you know I’ve been keeping an eye out on ebay because I’ve been inspired by your watch. So far no luck but if I do come across a good conditioned quartz AT from a reputable seller, I’d prolly go that route too.

Hey Paul,

I’m so sorry, I tried changing the title of this post but I don’t think I can make any edits to ongoing polls :(.

I didn’t mean to be insensitive by calling a GS or a CW budget, it’s not budget for me either. As you can tell from my WRUW posts, I have never bought a watch for more than a few hundred bucks.

I put budget in the title because the usual crowd favorite black GADAs are much more pricey than these two: think Omega Aqua Terra, Rolex Exlorer, IWC Spitfire. But you’re absolutely right, these are not budget and I was wrong to call them as such.

The green CW looks really good too! So does the white one (I think they also used to have other color dials but those were limited runs).

It'll take a while, be patient.

Good luck mate, there's bargains out there 🍀👍🏻

Ahh no need to apologise my friend. To many a WC'er they are budget ! I suppose one man's budget is another person's fortune.

I posted this same exact poll months ago; great minds think alike, eh?

Anyways, it really depends on what you want. Do you value accuracy, brand prestige, and are generally gentle with your watches? Then get the GS. I'm a stickler for accuracy, and GS's 9F quartz is amazingly good. You can find preowned SBGX061s (double-branded Seiko/GS dials) on eBay and Chrono24 for around $1k in great condition. However, I hear the zaratsu tends to scratch quite easily.

Alternatively, do you value mechanical movements, Swiss (sort of) watchmaking, and love a true sports watch? Then get the CW. I owned a 36mm Sealander in 2022 and I adored it. It felt great for the price and was exceptionally finished. That being said, movement accuracy is a luck of the draw; CW doesn't regulate the "entry-level" C63's.

If it were me, I'd get the GS purely for the movement alone. It's a very special one and you won't find anything else like it. The SBGX is sedated and arguably, a tad boring, but it's such a classic look that it will never look out of place with any outfit.

As an alternative, look at Omega quartz watches from the 1990s and 2000s. They range anywhere from $750 to $2,500 depending on the model and condition. The Omega 1538 quartz movement isn't as accurate as the 9F, but they're well-built and high-quality movements.

You can find quartz Seamaster 120s for just under $1k, Seamaster 300s for around $1200, and even Aqua Terras for around $1500. I prefer Omega as a brand over GS due to its history and prestige, but with neo-vintage Omegas, you also have to factor in import fees, the lack of service history, service costs (Omega charges $700 for a quartz overhaul! Yikes!) if the second hand hits the markers, etc. But if you find a good example, I wouldn't hesitate to grab one!

C. 36mm of charcoal black, unscratchable goodness.

And for less than either of the above.

Hey Jared,

Thanks so much for your detailed post. I looked at your past posts and it looks like you were faced with this same dilemma haha. What did you end up doing?

I agree with you, the GS definitely looks boring and that’s a big part of its appeal for me. It will be my first luxury watch, so I’d like something that’s more flexible and just blends in whatever situation I find myself in.

Yes, I did see a few Omega Seamaster 120s on ebay. I haven’t found a variant that’s caught my eye but definitely open to going vintage - there are risks though that I’m definitely not smart enough to avoid 😅.

Hey biglove,

Awesome looking Traska, this was also in my shortlist. I really like the Explorer layout and I appreciate the toughened steel which is the opposite of the GS’ polishing which scratches easily.

Perhaps I should revisit my thinking - here we go, turtles all the way down 😅😂.

I ended up opening my banking app, looking at the number, sadly closing the app, and realized I won’t be making an expensive watch purchase for at least a couple of months, if not longer. 💀 Additionally, I wasn’t sure if the GS would keep me interested for long, I feel like I would get bored of it quickly.

Anyways, based on your responses, it seems that you lean more towards the GS side. And I’d agree with you on that. No shade to the Sealander, it’s a great watch! But if this is your first luxury purchase, why not make it from a reputable and storied brand like GS?

Have you considered a Longines VHP 36mm? They’re a tad hard to find but they are out there. The rabbit hole goes deep: 2000s Credor HAQ watches, the Sinn 434 St, 2000s GS models…I love and hate watch collecting all at once.

Hey Jared,

Haha I know how that feels, I probably shouldn’t be buying any new watches either 🙈.

I am leaning more towards the GS side, largely because I’m more familiar with it. I’ve never really given CW much of a thought until relatively recently. For some reason, I always thought the Sealander was bigger than 36 🤷🏻.

There’s a 36 Longines VHP? I tried the 39 and found it wore a little big on me so I didn’t pursue that thought much farther. Not familiar with the vintage Credor, Sinn and GS models you mentioned. I’ll check those out, I would like to add a HAQ as a daily.

Thanks for the recommendations mate, have a good weekend ahead!

I have owned two CW Sealanders in 39mm; three hander and GMT. Solid watches but the Traska Summiteer is, for the money, a better watch.

CW has better case finishing but at a steep premium. Traska has better lume and the matte dial is more to my liking for this style of watch.

To me, the CW is a $900 watch selling for $1200. The Traska is a $800 watch selling for $600.

#traska #traskasummiteer #christopherward #microbrands

Hey BigLove,

Thanks for sharing your experience bud! Looks like I have to revisit Traska, I figured the CW was the better all-rounder but value-for-money is definitely an important consideration as I don’t have unlimited budget (unfortunately haha).