Automatic Watch Recommendation

[Sawl Goodman]

Seiko SNK381 has a simple dial with numerals. See search engine images for real life examples.

[SirVicaLot]

Seiko SNK381 has a simple dial with numerals. See search engine images for real life examples.

I like that! Especially with the black leather band! 

[Sawl Goodman]

I like that! Especially with the black leather band! 

Jomashop has it for $79.99. Throw away the bracelet and put it on a nice strap and you'll be ready to step out!

I have a vintage 5 very similar to the SNXS79 as my dress automatic. It has simple baton markers and plain straight hands, much like your Tissot. The 5 has been removed from the dial, which I think is an improvement.

[MadPlumbarian]

Invicta, their a good watch, I have a couple, two in which are self-winders, both divers, nice thing about them is the weight, the bands are not folded but a solid metal,
JR

[Chako]

Invicta gets a bad rep if you troll watch forums,  however, I have a few of them and I like them all. 

[SirVicaLot]

Still looking into the different options. I would like to get a Tissot for the job, maybe a vintage one, to reduce price. Yet I have heard that some of them lose up to 2min per day. That would not be good. Does anyone have experience with that?

Never heard of Invicta either. Will take a look into their collection 

Also found this watch that I like:

According to Amazon it is a German Military Ti Field watch. Anyone have experience with these? 

[Billy Ruffian]

Hi, have you considered the Seiko Alpinist at all? It would seem to fit most of what you are looking for, although the style seems to divide opinion and it really depends if you have an objection to the green face. I have one and I love the green face, it just has this amazing depth of colour when it catches the light.

Apart from that, it is good in water up to 20bar, it has the reliable ‘JDM’ automatic movement, and it has got the Seiko diashock, this is I believe normally only found on their more premium models. Might be worth a look if you haven’t already considered one?

[Billy Ruffian]

Sorry just to add to my post above in case you were interested. I bought mine a little over three years ago and haven’t read anything about them since that time. It appears that Seiko stopped making this model in 2018 and they have just re-launched a new range of Alpinist watches. I don’t know a thing about these new versions so could not say if they are decent or not. The one I posted about above is the SARB017, they are still readily available, just had a look on Amazon and they are selling these at $399, I am sure they are available for less if you looked around.

One last thing I forgot to say, the Alpinist is not a big watch, I have tiny wrists and oversized watches look plain silly on me, this is 38mm I think but wears small.

[SirVicaLot]

Thanks for your suggestion! I like the general look, but I am not big on the green face. Still gonna take a look into the series! 

[Max Stone]

Can’t go wrong with Seiko Sir Vic. There are a lot of brands out there, many with questionable movements. If you want a watch to last, and have years of reliable, accurate use, go with a brand that makes their own movements or sources from a good manufacturer. The only Chinese brand I’d trust for long-term use is Seagull. Just my own opinion of course. 

[SirVicaLot]

I would agree, but Seiko doesn‘t really have something that gets me excited  I am also feeling a bit adventurous, so maybe I am trying something new. Still looking into several brands, so have not made a decision yet 
This phase is part of the fun after all 

[SirVicaLot]

I was wearing my Tissot for the last few days, and realized that I need one more feature in my automatic watch. I wear my watches day and night, and even though the Tissot has luminous markers, they are hard to see in the middle of the night. So I need an automatic watch with either bright/large luminous markers or something like tritium 

Found a Seiko that I really like look-wise: SNKL83J1
Anyone know if that one is easy to read in the dark?

[Smashie]

Five of the best Gaseous Tritium watches

https://gearpatrol.com/2019/04/30/best-tritium-watches/

[SirVicaLot]

Five of the best Gaseous Tritium watches

https://gearpatrol.com/2019/04/30/best-tritium-watches/

Thanks for the link, but they are all out of my price range 

[Max Stone]

I was wearing my Tissot for the last few days, and realized that I need one more feature in my automatic watch. I wear my watches day and night, and even though the Tissot has luminous markers, they are hard to see in the middle of the night. So I need an automatic watch with either bright/large luminous markers or something like tritium 

Found a Seiko that I really like look-wise: SNKL83J1
Anyone know if that one is easy to read in the dark?

Seiko use Lumibrite which is their branded luminescence. It’s better than average and they get good colour and brightness consistency between the markers and hands. 

[SirVicaLot]

Sounds good, I think I will give that Seiko a try 

[Max Stone]

I think that’s a great choice. Looking forward to seeing it!   

[SirVicaLot]

The watch came in:





Gotta say I really like the size, weight and feel. Did not like the band it came with, it was flimsy and very noisy, so I removed it and added a Nato strap. Wanted a more casual look anyway, so I already had that in mind.

[Max Stone]

Congrats Sir Vic! That’s a real stunner. 
And it was great to see all the recommendations and discussion on your journey. Just makes it all the more special. And the NATO strap shows it off really nicely. Classic dial, and the red second hand pops. Looking forward to more pics with your SAKs and daily carry. 

[Mechanickal]

What a Dandy!

[SirVicaLot]

Congrats Sir Vic! That’s a real stunner. 
And it was great to see all the recommendations and discussion on your journey. Just makes it all the more special. And the NATO strap shows it off really nicely. Classic dial, and the red second hand pops. Looking forward to more pics with your SAKs and daily carry. 

  Thanks for all the recommendations! I found some new watch companies, I never knew existed 

Might have to experiment with the different strap colors. Red might look good too. Good thing NATO straps are available in a gazillion of colors 

[SirVicaLot]

What a Dandy!

 

[Smashie]

Good choice 

[Aloha]

  I think a red strap would be awesome.  Nice watch as I always like a simple clean face.  That red second hand is a nice touch. 

[SirVicaLot]

Thanks guys! I might see if I can find a red NATO strap locally. Looks like Amazon has 4 weeks delivery time for non-essential items as of late 

[Chako]

A good looker that one. 

[Smashie]

Thanks guys! I might see if I can find a red NATO strap locally. Looks like Amazon has 4 weeks delivery time for non-essential items as of late 

Although a bit more expensive go for a toxic NATO’s strap. The cheap ones from amazon have put many people off them for life

[SirVicaLot]

Although a bit more expensive go for a toxic NATO’s strap. The cheap ones from amazon have put many people off them for life

Thanks Smashie, will look into that 

[Sawl Goodman]

Beautiful new watch there, SirVic! How is the lume?

I'm a big fan of Nato straps and those woven nylon ones whose common name I can't remember right now. A casual, rugged look, supremely comfortable (especially once "worn in"), readily washable, and last for years. Not as smart as nice leather of course, but definitely more practical IMO. I always cut the back strap off because it makes the watch ride higher on my wrist than I like.

I've bought mine from NatoZulu in Singapore (great to deal with) and Cheapest Nato Straps. The latter stocks uncommon sizes like 21mm, perfect for my Eco Drive. Beware of straps whose buckle is fastened to the strap with spring bars: they always pop out, in my experience.

[SirVicaLot]

The lume is ok, better than the one on my Tissot. It’s enough to read it in the middle of the night, but by morning it is not enough anymore. I still really like it though