I quite like a NATO but only the thinnest and cheapest ones due to the bulk. They aren't as durable as the premium NATO's but at only £3 a pop they can be treated as consumables. I tried the Omega NATO that came with my Speedmaster but it was back onto the bracelet within minutes.
Current favourite strap is the Erikas MN. Not cheap (copies are starting to appear which are cheaper) but low profile and as secure as a NATO.
Posted : 21/10/2019 5:23 pm
The World timer for definate. That dial is lovely.
Them Erikas straps. Was thinking straps are small beans compared to the watch, but... Wow, yeah, they are quite pricey!
Posted : 21/10/2019 6:36 pm
Them Erikas straps. Was thinking straps are small beans compared to the watch, but… Wow, yeah, they are quite pricey!
They're a ridiculous price. Bang on about the rounded edges, allergy friendly latex-free spandex and Swiss-dyed superior European nylon hand-made in your atelier in Valencia all you want, I'm not paying €65 for a stretchy strap.
Posted : 21/10/2019 7:33 pm
75 euro!
If I take out my calculator, adjust for tax differences, consider import duties and handling fee, realise we're still in the euro zone and discount that, but then plug in the current exchange rate, that makes it.....
75 quid!
Posted : 21/10/2019 8:04 pm
These are excellent NATOs, best I've seen for reasonable money, excellent stainless steel hardware, the second keeper floats too, which is very handy.
https://www.watchgecko.com/zuludiver-178-swiss-style-nato-strap
Posted : 21/10/2019 8:14 pm
Black Bay on RubberBee earlier.
Posted : 21/10/2019 8:45 pm
Bought a 20mm blue/grey edged (George's Straps) for my Diver One.
I think it was meant to be.
Posted : 22/10/2019 12:21 pm
Question for the experts here... My first gen Aqua Terra is a lovely watch on the whole, but the clasp really bugs me. It's puny, and has broken a couple of times already. Omega itself replaced it for the second gen (8500) Aqua Terra, but it's amazing it made it through their QC process.
Is there any way to hack or upgrade it with something more solid and reliable, either from another Omega or elsewhere?
Posted : 22/10/2019 2:59 pm
Is there any way to hack or upgrade it with something more solid and reliable, either from another Omega or elsewhere?
I can't be sure but that strap looks to have standard spring bar fittings. If so <£7 so will get you a decent milled clasp from AliExpress.
Posted : 22/10/2019 3:27 pm
Ooooh, great find - thanks!
Posted : 22/10/2019 3:42 pm
That diver one is a nice watch.
Posted : 22/10/2019 4:06 pm
derek, that strap suits itvery well, great colour match!
rob, i do like the original smiley red black bays
nicko, I can't see your photo. it may be possible to fit the omega clasps from the seamaster or PO. they have versions with glidelock style micro adjust now, not cheap though!
Posted : 22/10/2019 6:50 pm
Bit late to the party but here are my two Seiko's, a SKX007K with a Hirsch Robby sail cloth strap and my favorite, a Prospex Black Turtle.
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:05 pm
Nope, can't see them!
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:19 pm
I'll try again
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:24 pm
nope, me neither
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:30 pm
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:38 pm
I can't get it to work either. Watches look nice - if you open them in a new tab...
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:41 pm
well, I'll just use the technical issue excuse for now, let me find another hosting site. Not sure why it wont show but will in a new tab
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:46 pm
Aah, google drive. That's the reason. It's a signing in thing I think. I still use Imgur, but postimage is popular.
Posted : 22/10/2019 7:55 pm
ignore, failed again
Posted : 22/10/2019 8:14 pm
if its ggogle drive its not o bad, if its google photos (and the 2 no longer sync) its more pain. they need to be in a shared album. or you pick up the sharing link and use someting like
https://ctrlq.org/google/photos/?_ga=2.70868752.1677659797.1570106248-970252963.1570106245
to turn th sharing link into an embed code. that seems to work here (for me) but not on some websites...annoying!!!
Posted : 22/10/2019 8:31 pm
Lets give it one more go
I only had the 007 for about 2 months then managed to get a black turtle, have worn it every day for about 18 months now, love it, although it seems large, its very comfortable. I do like that new Seiko Green Sumo though.
Posted : 22/10/2019 9:01 pm
Nice. Love an SKX
Posted : 22/10/2019 9:07 pm
Thought I'd just add some pictures of my recently modded amphibia:
Very much a work in progress but it's looking a bit more distinctive than it did when I started with it...
Posted : 22/10/2019 10:14 pm
That's cool. Any pictures of it before?
Posted : 23/10/2019 6:22 am
Right folks, some advice.
As you can tell from my Casio, I've no taste...
18th birthday present, £100-150 maximum for a nice dressier watch (he has roughty-tufty Timex already).
That said, I know he will end up wearing it lots - and is tough on kit.
He likes slightly plainer face, leather strap (maybe NATO type thing), ideally fewer face numbers or wording but would have chronograph (maybe)
So maybe this without hour numbers:
Or this (never heard of Wagstaff watches).
He liked a green Seiko too.
Posted : 23/10/2019 7:28 am
Topic starter
MOAB - that Seiko is an Snda57. Theres a few on here with those (me, CFH) and they are good “military” watches available in quartz or as a mechanical.
Posted : 23/10/2019 7:32 am
@nicko74 I have a well used, but functional and solid Seamaster clasp, micro adjustments etc. if you need it. I'm out of the country at the moment, but can check suitability etc when I get back.
Currently admiring the Rolex specimens available here 😂
Posted : 23/10/2019 8:20 am
@matt_outandabout I've got a quartz Seiko like that redundant in my drawer. If your lad likes it he can have it, not for a birthday present or anything, I was thinking of offering it up on here anyway because I'm unlikely to use it again. Needs a new battery, but in quite decent nick.
Posted : 23/10/2019 8:32 am
He liked a green Seiko too
How about a green Seiko chronograph? I've got one of these, the dial has a lovely green sunburst - I'm a sucker for a green watch!
JL are after £219 but I'd rather go ebay at <£140 or Creation Watches for £98 myself. If you're hit for Duty you're still quids in vs JL.
I'd give the Wagstaff a swerve myself, you'd be much better off trawling AliExpress for something admittedly Chinese rather than something somebody's just overprinted and added a mark-up to.
Posted : 23/10/2019 9:07 am
if you like green and like seiko then have a look at the alpinist, they are bringing out some new ones soon.
Posted : 23/10/2019 10:44 am
This is my dad's old service watch that he was issued with in the mid-60s due to the fact that hecompeted in the army as a rally driver.
It lay dead in a drawer for 25 years (long story) until a few months ago when I decided to have it looked at - turned out that all it needed was a strip and clean, a new crystal plus a bit of paint on the bezel. I now have it on a rally strap in tribute and at 37mm diameter it fits my skinny wrists perfectly.
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:08 pm
I've just ordered a G-Shock I've been wanting for some time - and I guarantee 99% of you will hate it, but I don't care 😉
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48946094408_63db0d6d9a_o.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48946094408_63db0d6d9a_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2hzcwBs ]2019-10-23_11-31-32[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:10 pm
This is my dad’s old service watch that he was issued with in the mid-60s
Can't see anything LS!
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:17 pm
Hmm, odd, it's showing on my screen! Will try again...
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:21 pm
Ah yes, you've sort of fixed it, but I see a blurred image with a whopping big Photobucket watermark over it. What exactly is it? Looks quite nice.
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:25 pm
That’s cool. Any pictures of it before?
This is what it looked like a bit under a year ago:
'KGB' Dial, horrid cheap strap, but I liked that hidden lugs and pillow retro case shape, It's an old Amphibia I got for ~£25 and it's been chopped about a bit since.
Anyway, great cheap, mechanical watches for modding and not having to worry about breaking the things...
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:28 pm
Oh I give up - it's a Lator chronograph!
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:30 pm
LS - that is rather ace.
200m too. And Incabloc protection. Cool.
Posted : 23/10/2019 12:37 pm
This is a very pleasant thread to browse.
I wasn't that fussed initially, but the enthusiasm has won me over.
Always loved cheap Casios and have a few.
Couple of cheap Timex too.
Ironically, the one I save for special occasions is the cheapest, the F91-W, because the current straps are rubbish.
Couple of G Shocks which I love - metal cased versions appeal for their naffness 🙂.
Am wary of mechanicals - Seiko 5's haven't lasted me long in the past, so I've avoided them ever since. The Alpinist appeals so much, another fan of green.
Might dip my toe in with a Bambino.
A nice, quality quartz/dilithium crystal/whatever diver would be lovely, the more understated the better.
Say £250?
Any pointers more than welcome and I'll reread the thread, must be something up there. 🙂
Posted : 23/10/2019 1:39 pm
....
Posted : 23/10/2019 4:33 pm
@johnners that’s the one we saw – he likes that…
He's a man of excellent taste! Seriously though, it looks better in the flesh, the sunburst on the dial and sub dials is lovely. It's quite "glittery", there's a fair bit of gold colour on the hands and indices but I think it looks good against the green, and it dresses up well with a leather strap or down with a MN or NATO. I'd budget for a strap if I were you - I've never used the strap that came with it so maybe it breaks in OK but it's rather plasticky and stiff out of the box. And less than a ton at Creation is a bargain, I paid £130-ish at Amazon last year and thought I'd done pretty well.
Posted : 23/10/2019 4:38 pm
Rusty, not quartz, they're auto's, but have a look at the Orient Ray's and Mako's on Creation Watches. About the right price and great watches for the moment.
Posted : 23/10/2019 4:40 pm
A nice, quality quartz/dilithium crystal/whatever diver would be lovely, the more understated the better.
Say £250?
I agree with lunge, if you fancy risking an automatic there's a lot of value in the lower end Orient diver's watches. The Kamasu is worth a look and with sapphire is a little quality bump up from the Mako, and they even do a green one! Willowswatches on ebay are punting them out for under £200, I think theirs might even have a green bezel rather than the black one on the US website pic.
Posted : 23/10/2019 5:11 pm
I like that Lator, LS. Definitely looks nicer outside of a sock drawer!
I'm still very tempted by an Alpinist, not seen one in the flesh but everyone seems to love the green face.
Posted : 23/10/2019 5:39 pm
I’m still very tempted by an Alpinist
Not helped any by lack of natural light but here's mine, I've just put it on a Parnis jubilee. It's not too bad a fit but the clasp is an abomination. Unfortunately it's got a spring bar one side and the other's screw-in so a bit tricky to replace.
Posted : 23/10/2019 6:42 pm
Oh my that g-shock is special. How big is it? It looks massive!
Cb200, of that a Cellini?
Posted : 23/10/2019 7:44 pm
This has been a cracker thread! Always liked the Seikos so inspired by this thread I got this one today from eBay. Its lovely...circa 1987.
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Posted : 23/10/2019 8:34 pm
