Bezel-Less Dive Watches

Christopher Ward Dune.

Agreed with @CheapHangover

You’re not going to get a better alternative for the money with that level of build quality. Especially second hand.

I love my OG BB36. They may be a little cheaper these days! Swaps the chronometer for an ETA (honestly I’ve not seen any lack of accuracy) and the jubilee is out for an oyster. No adjustable clasp either.

Personally I think it’s a little dressy with the jubilee. I prefer it! But as a GADA the three link is a little easier to clean.

Not everyone gels with Nomos' design language, but definitely fits the bill

https://nomos-glashuette.com/en/club/club-sport-neomatik-polar-747

Aqua Terra

https://www.christopherward.com/watches/c63-sealander-automatic/C63-36ADA3-S00W0-B1.html

Slight off the radar and a good range of colours and strap options

Traska?

Hey John,

I think I prefer your OG BB36 over the current version. Inhouse movement is not appealing for me, I’d take an off-the-shelf movement for easier servicing any day. And I agree, the jubilee makes it dressier, I personally prefer oyster though for a more rugged look.

Haven’t really considered Christopher Ward, I’ll check out their catalogue more. They seem to be a crowd favorite here on WC, so I’m excited!

Nomos isn’t for me bec I feel they lean dressy but I can see how others like its design language. Thanks for the reco Glennan.

The black dial Aqua Terra has got to be the one of the best simple GADA watches I’ve ever seen. It’s way beyond my price range though, it makes the Tudor look cheap haha.

Hey Stu,

This looks great. Both the C63 and the C65 look solid - oh and love the Sandhurst in particular. Holy hell I’ve been sleeping on Christopher Ward.

Not necessarily - here's my early quartz (yes, I know ) which I got from eBay for £1300 a couple of years ago.

It's my dress watch and my beater, very accurate and never inappropriate.

I think of it as a posh G-Shock.

There a great choice I’m looking at the c60 atoll for a summer/holiday watch so I’m not wearing anything too expensive on abroad. They make nice watches at a great price with a good serviceable Swiss movement. Let me know if you buy one, I’m gonna have to wait on mine as I’ve just bought a Tudor pelagos so I’m saving up for mine.

The Traska Summiteer is on my list as an Explorer alternative rather than a GADA but I’ve heard good things about Traskas, thanks for the suggestion!

Hey Steve,

That looks almost exactly like the one that caught my eye except the other one didn’t have a splash of red on the seconds hand. Yours actually looks better, I’ll do some eBay searches.

I appreciate quartz technology, I actually prefer it. Awesome looking watch friend!

My Seiko with a new bracket from strap code. Pretty close to the Tudor. That why I did it.

Just out of curiosity, what disqualifies the Traska Summiteer (or an Explorer alternative) as a GADA for you? For me they are almost the perfect GADA because it's more versatile:

a. The design fits better with a business formal outfit and hence lends itself better as a dress watch

b. This reason is particular to the Summiteer (instead of other Explorer alternative) as it has Traska's super hard coating - it can take a beating even more than a DressKX for example.

Not saying that the BB36 and DressKX are not good GADAs though.

Hey Tom, this looks amazing. The SRPE57 is definitely my favorite dresskx. And there’s enough mods that someone can upgrade the crystal to sapphire if he/she/they wanted to.

Hey Johnny,

I agree with you that Explorer-type (or Adventure-type) watches like the Traska Summiteer/Lorier Falcon/Farer 36/Sinn 556 are all GADA watches. I love the oversized arabics present in all of them. And you’re absolutely right, the Traska’s hardened steel gives it an edge over the others.

I will likely pick up one or two of the 4 above watches in the future as I am a big fan of their designs. But I didn’t consider them this time around because they aren’t available in smaller sizes. So it’s not just GADA I’m looking at, I’m also hoping they’re available in a smaller size so I can match with my wife.

The Tudor BB36 has the 31 variant. The DressKX actually has a 28 variant. The Grand Seiko Heritage 37 has a 29 variant. Hence why all those lines caught my eye in particular.

Getting one for the wife is a nice touch! I wish my wife would actually consider wearing something else than the Apple Watch 😅

The recently discontinued Longines Conquest has 300m wr a simple polished bezel and a simpler dial face than the Hydroconquest (diver). That’s why I bought one in 39 also avail 41, 43. Check Jomashop, under $1,000

Haha my wife only wore a fitbit for the longest time. But she’s kind so she listens when I tell her about the next watch I’m obsessing over. She now has a list of watches she wants to pick up for herself 🥹.

Of course, the downside is 💸 but I guess we can’t win them all haha.

Happy Easter Johnny, I hope you and the wife (and family) have a good weekend!

Happy Easter to you too! Hope you have a blessed weekend ahead!

Hey Lyndon Louie, thanks for the suggestion bud. I agree the Longines Conquest with the arabics is a great GADA and it has a smaller size available for the ladies as well.

This is on our list but the finishing is a little rougher/more tooly so it appeals more to me than my wife (but the smaller variant fits her wrist perfectly as seen below).

Another thumbs up for the Conquest. Took it on vacation last summer. From the pool to the sea to dinner it was never out of place. The black variant is a bit more casual.

Hey Kyle,

How’s it going?

Agreed, the Longines Conquest just looks good whichever situation you find yourself in. The new ones are a bit more dressy imo and have lost their “adventure”-readiness look. Congrats on picking one up before they disappear from shelves.

I have the previous generation 41mm and also considered spending much less money and getting either the Christopher Ward C63 or the Monta Noble

Hey Kyle,

Your BB41 black looks amazing, congrats on owning such a beautiful watch!

I’ve been looking into the C63 and I am quite impressed and what it offers given its price. Very compelling indeed.

Not very familiar with Monta, I heard they have really good quality but their prices are a bit out of my comfort zone for a microbrand. Perhaps in the future.

Thanks! I got it to commemorate my start of fatherhood so it’s extra special. I felt the same about spending ~$2 on a microbrand but everything I’ve heard says they’re well worth the money. I have a 2016 Christopher Ward Trident which is great and they’ve only gotten better over the last 8 years so that’s a great option too at what, 25% the price of a Tudor?

That’s awesome, congrats on becoming a dad!

Yeah, I think the truth is microbrands are usually much better value than bigger brands. But there is comfort to be had from buying for a brand that’s been around for decades.

Glad to hear your 2016 Trident was great :).