Would you cycle commute/road cycle with a mechanical watch?
Would love to hear people's thoughts on this. I commute to work 2-3 days per week, averaging about 45 minutes on the road on somewhat bumpy terrain and I'm always torn about whether to wear my watch or hide it in my bag for the ride.
I generally like the idea of watches being tools that should just be used, but also aware that the mechanical shocks of hitting speed bumps and potholes occasionally is not great for the movement. With that said, many sports and field watches are made with some degree of shock resistance, so shouldn't they tolerate the bumps?
I'm not talking about cycling with your $50k grail A Lange, but what about a mid-range nice watch like a Tudor (they sponsor a cycling team after all) or Hamilton Khaki or Seiko Prospex. Would you? Should you?
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Darren
Nomos Ahoi, Tudor North Flag, yellow casioak
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Member since
Last active: 2 months ago
I cycle with my Tudor. Never thought twice about it getting damaged.
I should add - I used to wear my Nomos Ahoi daily, but now that I've had to send it in for 3 services in the past 8 years due to accuracy issues, I've questioned if riding with it was the right choice.
Field/sports watches should be able to handle sports activities in general. I would consider it a failure of the product if a sports watch would be damaged by cycling, swimming or running/hiking.
EDIT: I hope you're not wearing the watch on a SS bracelet while cycling.
I should add - I used to wear my Nomos Ahoi daily, but now that I've had to send it in for 3 services in the past 8 years due to accuracy issues, I've questioned if riding with it was the right choice.
The price for a thin case, I guess. Not so much shock protection.
I own a JLC which broke during cycling. So no matter what kind, I am not wearing mechanical watches while cycling again (only quartz).
The biggest enemy of mechanical watches is shock and there are few things in daily life with as much shock as cycling. Some people say you shouldn’t play golf with your watch but that is nothing in comparison to riding a bike.
I also broke my Invicta Pro Diver while clapping (quite intensely I must add) at a concert.
I am more careful with protecting my watches from shock now. 😭😅
Field/sports watches should be able to handle sports activities in general. I would consider it a failure of the product if a sports watch would be damaged by cycling, swimming or running/hiking.
EDIT: I hope you're not wearing the watch on a SS bracelet while cycling.
Why not a SS bracelet? (My other watch has an integrated SS bracelet, so it bracelet or nothing)
Why not a SS bracelet? (My other watch has an integrated SS bracelet, so it bracelet or nothing)
There is this thing called 'degloving', Google at your own risk. If you fall on the bike wearing a SS bracelet, the steel is strong and sharp enough to slice your wrist and pull the skin down from your hand, if you are unlucky enough to fall on the watch-wearing hand and drag it along the road.
I think it's more dangerous to motorcycle riders, because of the speed and inadvertent friction involved in the case of a fall, but still... I wouldn't wear it on a bicycle either.
I fell on a motorcycle doing like 50kph and the mobile phone in my pocket sliced through motorcycle trousers and it also managed to hurt my right thigh. I can very well imagine SS bracelet cutting your wrist like a knife if you fall on it with enough force.
Hard no, based on hard experience. I've mentioned it before. I once gave a G-Shock (and my arm) road rash. I was on a quiet side street that I had ridden on hundreds of times, but somehow that one time I hit a bump or a crack, and down I went. You just never know when you're going to have an untimely meeting with the pavement, never mind that asshole in an SUV. Fortunately the Grand Seiko was safely in a case and a bag. I commute by bike daily, and the "nice" watch is never on my wrist.
I own a JLC which broke during cycling. So no matter what kind, I am not wearing mechanical watches while cycling again (only quartz).
The biggest enemy of mechanical watches is shock and there are few things in daily life with as much shock as cycling. Some people say you shouldn’t play golf with your watch but that is nothing in comparison to riding a bike.
I also broke my Invicta Pro Diver while clapping (quite intensely I must add) at a concert.
I am more careful with protecting my watches from shock now. 😭😅
A round of applause for Invicta!
There is this thing called 'degloving', Google at your own risk. If you fall on the bike wearing a SS bracelet, the steel is strong and sharp enough to slice your wrist and pull the skin down from your hand, if you are unlucky enough to fall on the watch-wearing hand and drag it along the road.
I think it's more dangerous to motorcycle riders, because of the speed and inadvertent friction involved in the case of a fall, but still... I wouldn't wear it on a bicycle either.
I fell on a motorcycle doing like 50kph and the mobile phone in my pocket sliced through motorcycle trousers and it also managed to hurt my right thigh. I can very well imagine SS bracelet cutting your wrist like a knife if you fall on it with enough force.
Ah - good point. I'm a doctor, so I've seen 'degloving' in the flesh (in training, don't work in that kind of field these days thankfully). Hadn't thought about it due to SS bracelets, but that totally makes sense.
Sorry to hear about that motorcycle accident. Sounds like you were relatively unscathed, all things considered!
15 years ago I rode from Disneyland to Disneyworld here in the states and wore my early 70's Datejust and it did just fine.. Enjoy the hobby
Depends the watch, my diver? Heck yeah. Dress watch? Heck no
I do that all the time