The Watch Thread

Stereodude

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Okay, so maybe we do need one of these...

I don't have any really expensive luxury watches. Just a few nice Casio watches. These three are post Christmas eBay pickups (bought new).

Casio Ediface ERA500DB-1A

Casio Ediface EFM502D-7AV

Casio G-Shock G-STEEL GST-W110D-1AJF - Haven't received it yet


This one I've had for a long time that I bought in Hong Kong a long time ago.

Casio G-Shock MTG-520-8B

Part of the band is plastic and broke a number of years ago so I stopped wearing it. I recently refurbished it by buying a similar US model of the same basic watch on eBay for cheap (~$20 shipped) and swapped the band between them. The US model had a completely metal link in the band where the plastic piece in the band broke in the version I bought while in Hong Kong. I tried to swap just that problematic partially plastic link on each side, but that wasn't possible because there were subtle differences in the band's mechanical design. So, instead I swapped the whole band starting with the broken link. Anyhow, now I'm wearing it daily again.
 

Chewy509

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I'm still wearing an old Citizen Promaster 2502 as my daily watch. The band was replaced early with a NATO strap, but otherwise hasn't had any issues since owning it. (I've always preferred the Promasters over the G-Shocks).

All my other "luxury" watches have died over the last few years, and haven't bothered to replace them (even though my wife says I should wear a nicer watch to work).
 

LunarMist

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Nowadays aren't many people wearing those digital display watches that show everything from the cell phone internet data to the oxygen supply of the bloodstream, etc.?
 

Stereodude

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Nowadays aren't many people wearing those digital display watches that show everything from the cell phone internet data to the oxygen supply of the bloodstream, etc.?
I don't know about "many", but some... I tried a smart watch that was given to me as a demo unit at my last job. I didn't find it to be remotely useful or worth even a fraction of what it cost. I left it on my desk when I left the company.

What's your point?
 

LunarMist

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I was just asking, but obviously you have tried one. I haven't worn a watch more than a few times since 1972 due to my condition.
 

Stereodude

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I was just asking, but obviously you have tried one. I haven't worn a watch more than a few times since 1972 due to my condition.
What condition precludes wearing a watch?

One more thing on "smart" watches... I have this crazy idea that a watch should have a battery life that's measured in years, not hours or days. One of the Casio watches I bought and mentioned in the OP is solar powered and long as it gets regular light exposure it'll run forever*.
 

LunarMist

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I was wondering how long they run and if the display remains on continuously.
In the early days of digital watches we had to press a button to light the LEDs for about 30 seconds. :lol:
 

Chewy509

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From what I've read/seen most smart watches last 3-5 days depending on use between charge... compared to most watches where 3-5 years is considered a normal battery life...

12mths ago I used to see a lot of them, but more recently they seem to be very rare...

Also one has to to consider the expected life of a smart-watch, depending on durability I doubt you'll see one last more than 3 yrs before dying... not to mention OS/app updates, etc... Compared to a decent watch where 10+yrs would not be uncommon.
 

LunarMist

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The battery is probably not easily or economically replaced so that limits the functional life.
 

timwhit

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I see numerous people wearing smart watches everyday. I wouldn't buy one myself, but to say they're not popular might be misleading.
 

sechs

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I stopped wearing a watch, except when traveling across time zones, as I keep a clock in my pocket.

Since I'm definitely going to keep the clock in my pocket (it happens to also do telephone calls), I generally don't see a need for another personal device to tell time.
 

LunarMist

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I stopped wearing a watch, except when traveling across time zones, as I keep a clock in my pocket.

Since I'm definitely going to keep the clock in my pocket (it happens to also do telephone calls), I generally don't see a need for another personal device to tell time.

I do that at work, but it is not so practical when one's hands are busy such as in the outdoors. :)
Since I don't wear a watch I sneak a peak at the time on the camera. ;)
 

Stereodude

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I stopped wearing a watch, except when traveling across time zones, as I keep a clock in my pocket.

Since I'm definitely going to keep the clock in my pocket (it happens to also do telephone calls), I generally don't see a need for another personal device to tell time.
I don't keep a cell phone in my pocket. Additionally, it's easier to glance at my wrist then wrestle a cell phone out of a pocket then have to put it back in. Finally, we're back to the hours / days of battery life situation with a phone.
 

sechs

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Before the invention of the wrist, the pocket watch served for hundreds of years. No one complained then about wrestling....
 

LunarMist

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Yes, but that was all they had and pocketwatches were expensive. Miniaturization to the wristwatch was an improvement.
 

Stereodude

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Before the invention of the wrist, the pocket watch served for hundreds of years. No one complained then about wrestling....
Do you wear a 3 piece suit with your phone on a chain slipped into a front pocket of your vest too?

I don't, so getting at a phone in my pants pockets while sitting wouldn't be easy.
 

LunarMist

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I store a Samsung or LG in my front offside pocket. It's not good for outdoor use, but fine for business.
Where is your phone?
 

Stereodude

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I store a Samsung or LG in my front offside pocket. It's not good for outdoor use, but fine for business.
Where is your phone?
Usually on my desk at work, the counter at home, or a side pocket on my laptop bag in the car.

I figured you for someone concerned about the radiation of your phone and would be against keeping it on your body.
 

LunarMist

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If you are not at home, work, or vehicle, then what?

After the Chernobyl incident we had to wear the film badges for radiation monitoring, but I'm not familiar with radioactive phones.
Wouldn't such dangerous phones be recalled?
 

Stereodude

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If you are not at home, work, or vehicle, then what?
Case by case basis. Might be in a pocket, might still be where it was before. Its still not in a pocket an appreciable percentage of the time.

After the Chernobyl incident we had to wear the film badges for radiation monitoring, but I'm not familiar with radioactive phones.
Wouldn't such dangerous phones be recalled?
Perhaps you should refresh your understanding of the word radiation.
 

LunarMist

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But I didn't say anything about ionizing radiation.

I seriously doubt there is any health benefit to carrying a device around on your body that is constantly transmitting in the 600MHz-2.5gHz and 5.0gHz range.

I'm mainly concerned about ionizing radiation. Of course I could be cooked by microwaves, but a phone in my front pocket is not my highest risk at this point.
 

Stereodude

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So this one arrived in my mailbox over the weekend. I think it looks quite sharp in person. It's a little on the large size, but I knew it would be a little bigger than my reworked G-Shock MTG-520. After reading the English manual for the functionally identical European version since the included manual was only in Japanese it seems to be working correctly. I only had to change the time zone and it was able to sync to the US atomic clock signal overnight and sort out automatically enabling DST.

I left it in the window at home facing the sun yesterday and today to charge itself up fully. I need to shorten the band and it'll be ready for wear.
 

LunarMist

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Rocklin heavy duty. :)
I'm not a fan of the analog in general but that looks pretty good in blue.
 

Santilli

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300. dollars for service every 5 years.

Watch was in an estate. Guy never wore it. Wore a fake Rolex, when he had a real one.
Almost perfect condition, but did replace the crown, with an original issue from Seiko.
 
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