I don’t have much luck with watches. I want a cheap (less than £100) simple analogue watch that is smalll, light,durable and waterprroof. I know about Casio G Shocks but they all look a bit space invader. Any suggestions? (I don’t need lots of functions)
Thanks
Eddie

Seiko 5

Seiko snda57. I’m sure I got mine for less than £100.

Good steer thanks. Seiko seem to tick the boxes but the snda 57 looks a bit big but absolutely the right idea. Thought about fixing my current watch but it would be the 4th time in 18 months.

I’ve got skinny wrists and It’s not what I would call a large watch. it’s fairly thin and the fabric strap helps to keep the weight down.

very recent similar thread with some ideas

I love my 5s but they’re not that durable. A decent knock can put them right out.

Great thanks. I will sort it out next week, why is Singletrack better than the general Internet?

Apeks 200M divers watch around £70.
Analogue, seiko movement I think. Glass is recessed so tends not to scratch. I do use it to dive as a backup to a dive computer, rinse it post-dive then wear it as a day to day watch so I’d say it’s fairly tough
hand luminosity is pretty good.
Battery seems to last about 3 years, cost £12 to replace but that included pressure testing to 100M
Calendar has 31 days so dates need to be manually changed on the 1st of a month following a month with less than 31 days.

snda57 is my everyday watch. It’s big(ish) but also it is a chrono, and you did say

(I don’t need lots of functions)

Is a stopwatch lots of functions? Dunno.

Oh, and make sure you bin the stock strap in favour of a Timefactors NATO strap. Much better.

Buy a Japanese quartz watch – Seiko, Citizen or even something like a Lorus. Put it on a nato strap. They don’t break and with a nato strap you will never lose it.

Creation watches is the place to buy one.

And if you can live without an analogue watch, Casio F91s are surprisingly tough.

I was buying some boxes from Muji today online and noticed they do some very cheap ok looking watches.
http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=5&Sub=131
Don’t know about tough though or even water resistant!

recently picked up a Casio for 6 quid at TK Max. Does all that you want from a watch…. It tells the time.

I have several ‘nice’ analogue watches and for the last 18 months I have worn almost exclusivley one of these:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2533393.htm

It is cheap, really light, does not try to destroy your wrist when riding off road and is an anti-watch against all of thost brash statements that people wear!

Edit: Beaten to it by Alpin

I like my timex weekender. Nice and simple with indiglo back light.

Boccia watches from Amazon look like they may be a decent option – sapphire crystals and titanium cases at less than 100 quid.

Bit of a Nomos / Junghans Max Bill vibe to some of them:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0027WLUXA/ref=mp_s_a_1_29?qid=1439760443&sr=1-29&pi=SL75

Mainly dress style watches so maybe more vulnerable than diver style watches with thick cases and crown guards.

CaptainFlashheart – Member
snda57 is my everyday watch. It’s big(ish) but also it is a chrono, and you did say

I took this mans advice two years ago. Mines been through thick and thin and still looks great and gets a fair few comments, I love it. It seems a rare balance of simple yet superior function and subtle yet manly looks.

” I love my 5s but they’re not that durable. A decent knock can put them right out.”

Knacker them completely or just knock the hands out of adjustment? (am thinking of a 5 for daily beater duties)

I’ve always broken watches from lots of manufacturers in short spaces of time, ranging from very expensive to cheap casios- until I was considering painting the time on my wrist.
Mainly from working outside with chainsaws and mtb’ing.
I’ve currently had my £50 g-shock for 18 months, so would well recommend a g-shock, as all other watches I’ve had have lasted nowhere near as long.

My 5 has been faultless and I wear it while using a pickaxe, chainsaw, splitting maul, sledge hammer and hammer drill. If it breaks I suspect I’ll have something more pressing, and bloody, to worry about.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9025873.htm

I had the Argos one listed immediately above, it has a plastic lens and scratches being looked at. Avoid.

Military Watch Company (MWC) G10 LM

Had a seiko 5 too and was bitterly disappointed, kept really poor time and broke in a matter of months!
I returned to good old bombproof GShocks…..if you look around you will find an analogue one going cheap without all the storm trooper looks.

I have a Lorus Titanium which has been used and abused for many years by me and by my dad beforehand. Current price seems to be about £45.

bensales – Member

I love my 5s but they’re not that durable. A decent knock can put them right out.

RustyNissanPrairie – Member

Knacker them completely or just knock the hands out of adjustment? (am thinking of a 5 for daily beater duties)

One of mine got knocked off a mantlepiece. Cosmetically perfect after it hit the floor but the regulator was way out. Same happened after I whacked my wrist on a wall working in the garage. Casing survived, albeit with scratches, but again, regulator was out.

And given than getting them serviced and regulated costs about the same as a new watch, I don’t tend to wear them that often now. Fenix3 is permantently on my wrist.

Just sneaks in price wise:

http://www.creationwatches.com/products/seiko-kinetic-68/seiko-kinetic-smy143p1-smy143p-smy143-mens-watch-4738.html

I have a Lorus Titanium

I have one too, think I found it for about £35 online. It’s a good day to day watch, it tells the time and date. Mine has a couple of scratches on the lens now, which is a surprise given how I abuse watches (it gets worn for redecorating/riding/spannering engines). It fits nicely under the cuff of a shirt, which is useful if you have to wear them for work.

Timex Camper of some variety. Can’t go wrong.

I have a Lorus Titanium

too, bang on for lightness, comfort and £.

2nd Hand CWC G10(£150 new), Miltary issue analogue quartz watch.

(chubby freckled wrist not included)

There are similar cheaper options like the MWC version but the jurys out on whether there as good.
Good 2nd hand resale market for them too.

There are similar cheaper options like the MWC version but the jurys out on whether there as good.

The MWC version is well worth the £50 you can pick them up for new. My wife and I each have one for general outdoor stuff, and hers still looks perfect despite being worn during army exercises in all sorts of weather.

good old bombproof GShocks…..if you look around you will find an analogue one going cheap without all the storm trooper looks.

These can be had for less than £100 and are quite subtle, a little more will get you a solar & radio controlled one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-AW-590-1AER-G-Shock-Quartz-Analogue/dp/B000V5CPP2

My £10 Casio has lasted longer than my £350 Tissot did by a good few years. And has had just as much abuse.

Oh look.. they are only £7 now on Amazon. Really cannot beat them for the price. Japanese quartz movement and all 🙂

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-Unisex-Quartz-Analogue-Display/dp/B000JNKABW

There are similar cheaper options like the MWC version but the jurys out on whether there as good.
Good 2nd hand resale market for them too.

IIRC the CWC has a ‘plastic’ crystal which is supposed to scratch easier than the MWC. Considering i’ve gouged the hell out of my MWC i’d hate to have been wearing a CWC.

The problem with G-Shocks is the straps are always too chunky and inflexible and if you try to mod them to accept Nato straps they just look all wrong. That Argos Casio £13 watch ticks all the boxes apart from its strap.

The problem with G-Shocks is the straps are always too chunky and inflexible and if you try to mod them to accept Nato straps they just look all wrong

Had my G-shock for years and it’s much lighter & more comfortable than my Apeks (as mentioned above). Chunky is most definitely an adjective I’d not use to describe the G-shock strap, infexible- possibly, but that doesn’t detract from comfort. I can forget that I’m wearing the G-shock, my Seikos, on the other hand, weigh a ton.

Thanks for all the tips. Will probably be an MWC at £50.

This is my current cheap ‘beater’ watch

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sekonda-Mens-Bracelet-Sports-Watch/dp/B007BCHZ08

The bracelet is low rent, but I always wear it in a Nato or Zulu strap anyway.

Only had it a year, no issues, my previous Sekonda beater is about 12 years old and still going, I just fancied a change.

Casio W-42H

Paid £11 for it, gains a minute roughly every 6 months but otherwise perfect if you just want a timepiece that can be thrown away if it gets radioactive contamination on it. Also has a backlight, stopwatch and alarm function.

Looking at the absolute tat MWC also sell nowadays I seriously doubt they supply any military contracts. Saying that- mine has had a real beating but the crystal is now badly scratched and the PVD has worn off on the edges. The battery has died and I cant be bothers replacing it.