AKICILJ: Watches.
Jun. 8th, 2010 08:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaI am a Type A, time-focused person. I need to wear a watch and always know what time it is or I get very uncomfortable. Even when there's no place particular for me to go.
For the last fifteen years or so, I've always worn a basic Timex Indiglo watch. I like the extremely plain/classic aesthetic: black band, silver-colored bezel, plain white face with big clear black numbers. I like that it lights up. And, until recently, I've always liked that it is both cheap and reliable.
Until now.
When my last Timex died, I bought a nearly identical one at Target. A few weeks later the little loops you thread the band through fell off, so I returned it to Target and got a replacement. A few weeks after that the pin that holds the band to the bezel broke, and I returned that one to Target for a replacement. The next one had the entire "winding"/setting pin fall off.
At this point, I began to suspect that it wasn't so much that I was buying individual Timex watches that happened to suck, as that Timex had just gone completely to hell as a brand. But I gave it one more chance. All the pieces have stayed on my current watch for several months now, so that's definitely a plus. But instead of falling to pieces, it has a more insidious problem.
The little setting pin has a tendency to pull out during the course of normal everyday activities. When that happens, of course, the watch stops - waiting for me to set it. Typically I don't notice until something suddenly happens to demonstrate to me that it's half an hour later than I thought it was. I look at my watch frequently, but I'm usually immersed in other things and I don't stop to think about the fact that it couldn't possibly still be 11:40. I just glance down and think "oh good, I've still got time." And then suddenly I am late picking Alex up from something or the babysitter is here and I am nowhere near ready to go to work. It is the most unbelievably frustrating thing imaginable.
So I need a new watch, but I need more than that. I need an entirely new brand and style of watch. I need to go out and spend money on an unknown kind of watch at precisely the moment when I have the least possible amount of faith in watchmakers. Please advise me, LJ! What would be relatively inexpensive, not offensive to look at, and actually reliable?
For the last fifteen years or so, I've always worn a basic Timex Indiglo watch. I like the extremely plain/classic aesthetic: black band, silver-colored bezel, plain white face with big clear black numbers. I like that it lights up. And, until recently, I've always liked that it is both cheap and reliable.
Until now.
When my last Timex died, I bought a nearly identical one at Target. A few weeks later the little loops you thread the band through fell off, so I returned it to Target and got a replacement. A few weeks after that the pin that holds the band to the bezel broke, and I returned that one to Target for a replacement. The next one had the entire "winding"/setting pin fall off.
At this point, I began to suspect that it wasn't so much that I was buying individual Timex watches that happened to suck, as that Timex had just gone completely to hell as a brand. But I gave it one more chance. All the pieces have stayed on my current watch for several months now, so that's definitely a plus. But instead of falling to pieces, it has a more insidious problem.
The little setting pin has a tendency to pull out during the course of normal everyday activities. When that happens, of course, the watch stops - waiting for me to set it. Typically I don't notice until something suddenly happens to demonstrate to me that it's half an hour later than I thought it was. I look at my watch frequently, but I'm usually immersed in other things and I don't stop to think about the fact that it couldn't possibly still be 11:40. I just glance down and think "oh good, I've still got time." And then suddenly I am late picking Alex up from something or the babysitter is here and I am nowhere near ready to go to work. It is the most unbelievably frustrating thing imaginable.
So I need a new watch, but I need more than that. I need an entirely new brand and style of watch. I need to go out and spend money on an unknown kind of watch at precisely the moment when I have the least possible amount of faith in watchmakers. Please advise me, LJ! What would be relatively inexpensive, not offensive to look at, and actually reliable?
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Not cheap, but inexpensive for a good watch -
Date: 2010-06-08 01:37 pm (UTC)The Longines is still ticking, is analog, has a second hand and a date window - and I've had to replace the battery _once_. I think the Longines was in the mid 300 dollar range when I bought it, but all in all, I rather think I'll get my money's worth out of it.
ETA: EEEK!! Never mind. I just looked up the prices for current models. I did a very smart thing buying it so many years ago, it would seem. I wish my retirement fund had appreciated like that!