The Watch Thread (3 Viewers)

[FestiveKnight]

The world would be such a better place if everyone took some damn formal logic classes. Some of the arguments on here are dumb as fuck.

Anyways, nice pickup at a great price at a vintage market couple weeks ago. Needs a new band asap. I like the style but this is shit unoriginal leather. Though I kinda like the erm, “connecty part” where the band attaches to the watch which I think is part of the band not the watch.

 

[Old State]

The world would be such a better place if everyone took some damn formal logic classes. Some of the arguments on here are dumb as fuck.

Anyways, nice pickup at a great price at a vintage market couple weeks ago. Needs a new band asap. I like the style but this is shit unoriginal leather. Though I kinda like the erm, “connecty part” where the band attaches to the watch which I think is part of the band not the watch.

View attachment 1675045

It looks like it’s the band and that there is a traditional spring bar under it. Watches of that era usually have drilled lugs so you can depress the spring bar with a pin from the outside and take the band off easily. Just buy a strap with a quick release spring bar and you won’t need a tool. You just need to measure the lug width. 19mm was common with a Seiko of that era and I bet that’s what it is. They are out there but not as common as 20mm. Many modern Seiko divers are 22mm.

I wouldn’t get that watch near water despite saying “waterproof”. The gaskets are likely deteriorated. You can take it to a watchmaker and they can replace them and possibly pressure test it..but they may still tell you to keep it away from anything but a splash. “Waterproof” is never used now as it’s misleading. Water Resistant is what watches claim now.

 

[FestiveKnight]

It looks like it’s the band and that there is a traditional spring bar under it. You just need to measure the lug width. 19mm was common with a Seiko of that era and I bet that’s what it is. They are out there but not as common as 20mm. Many modern Seiko divers are 22mm.

Thanks for the info! I’ve got a “watch friend” (just like I’m the poker/booze/cigars friend) who will be sorting me out.

I wouldn’t get that watch near water despite saying “waterproof”. The gaskets are likely deteriorated. You can take it to a watchmaker and they can replace them and possibly pressure test it..but they may still tell you to keep it away from anything but a splash. “Waterproof” is never used now as it’s misleading. Water Resistant is what watches claim now.

Fortunately I never get closer to water than the comfiest chair I can smoke in!

 

[Dunc]

I bought this Zodiac about 10 years ago for 20% of the MSRP when I worked for Fossil. It became my favorite and is the last watch I've purchased. I've worn it daily and put it through a lot.

-When it was new-

-What it looks like today-

-Different lighting-

 

[Old State]

.

 

[Taghkanic]

Teddy Baldassarre is one of the fastest growing watch channels on YouTube. Go to his channel and look at all the videos. What percentage of his content is cheap quartz watches? He got all those subscribers by producing content people are interested in.

And the snobby self-owns keep on coming…

Here is Teddy Baldessarre eight years ago, building his subscriber base with a video about watches under $200.

His first one is a $30 Timex quartz, and virtually the whole video consists of quartz/automatics… Swatch, Citizen, Casio etc. plus Seiko, Orient. Don’t see any featured mechanicals in there at all besides a brief reference to Rolex as an example of a very different luxury watch.

 

[Taghkanic]

The world would be such a better place if everyone took some damn formal logic classes. Some of the arguments on here are dumb as fuck.

Anyways, nice pickup at a great price at a vintage market couple weeks ago. Needs a new band asap. I like the style but this is shit unoriginal leather. Though I kinda like the erm, “connecty part” where the band attaches to the watch which I think is part of the band not the watch.

View attachment 1675045

Buying a basic watch management/repair kit off Amazon was one of the better purchases I made in 2025. Has made stuff like removing links and case backs so much easier. This is the one I got:

https://a.co/d/09Gn7wmz

FWIW I also got a fairly inexpensive case which holds 10 watches in the glass display area and has a drawer for tools, straps, etc.:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BDSY3PX4

 

[Old State]

And the snobby self-owns keep on coming…

Here is Teddy Baldessarre eight years ago, building his subscriber base with a video about watches under $200.

His first one is a $30 Timex quartz, and virtually the whole video consists of quartz/automatics… Swatch, Citizen, Casio etc. plus Seiko, Orient. Don’t see any featured mechanicals in there at all besides a brief reference to Rolex as an example of a very different luxury watch.

You just can’t stop digging a hole. His content for the last 8 years is probably 98% mechanical watches jackass. Anyone can click on his channel and see that. You did some deep search to find one video and try and paint it as the norm. You are so incredibly dishonest. Go away please. You are pathetic

Mechanical watches can be had for for less than many on this forum pay for a rack of chips. Take your desperate “snobbery” narrative and stick it up your ass. You started this crap with a shit post after a guy posted about his new watch. All you do is shit post. You are a really horrible person

 

[Taghkanic]

You just can’t stop digging a hole. His content for the last 8 years is probably 98% mechanical watches jackass. Anyone can click on his channel and see that. You did some deep search to find one video and try and paint it as the norm. You are so incredibly dishonest. Go away please. You are pathetic

Mechanical watches can be had for for less than many on this forum pay for a rack of chips. Take your desperate “snobbery” narrative and stick it up your ass. You started this crap with a shit post after a guy posted about his new watch. All you do is shit post. You are a really horrible person

Baldessarre also has lots of videos on watches under $100.

You continually show yourself to be someone who is incapable of accepting any evidence except whatever supports what you already wanted to believe previously… And lambasting others as ridiculous when such evidence is presented.

If one is incapable of ever revising an opinion or learning, and just gloms onto “official” and established taste, that is a recipe for becoming snobbish, elitist and dismissive. Q.E.D.

There is a vast world of well-designed and accurate watches which people like you will never give the time of day (pun intended) because you are so afraid to step out of conventional, safe prestige brands.

 

[Old State]

Baldessarre also has lots of videos on watches under $100.

You continually show yourself to be someone who is incapable of accepting any evidence except whatever supports what you already wanted to believe previously… And lambasting others as ridiculous when such evidence is presented.

If one is incapable of ever revising an opinion or learning, and just gloms onto “official” and established taste, that is a recipe for becoming snobbish, elitist and dismissive. Q.E.D.

There is a vast world of well-designed and accurate watches which people like you will never give the time of day (pun intended) because you are so afraid to step out of conventional, safe prestige brands.

I’ve watched his channel since it started. I know what his content is His and all the other top channels since they have been on YouTube . Just shut up. You are a buffoon

Keeps spinning you snob narrative. You completely manufactured a position I never took becasue you can’t support you stupid and pointless argument. You are a scumbag …the only person on this forum I can comfortably say that about

 

[Taghkanic]

People with unoriginal but expensive taste trying to gatekeep their hobby are the unwitting enemies of so many types of collecting and connoisseurship.

A young guy who buys an $75 MVMT quartz watch — because he thought it looked cool on Instagram — should be encouraged, and embraced by the watch community, not demeaned as not a “real” enthusiast.

… because in the age of smartphones and smartwatches, fewer and fewer peole are wearing traditional watches. If rich snobs ridicule anybody that tries to enter into their hobby because they didn’t spend enough, or don’t share their exact same fascination with echt mechanical Swiss movements, well, watches are going to die.

A certain percentage of cheap quartz watch buyers are going to graduate to $500 watches, and $1,500 watches, maybe eventually $15,000 watches.

Without them, the hobby and the industry both will wither. It becomes like certain old line men’s magazines (one of which I was a columnist for) who realized too late how their audience was aging. Now they are just limping along.

When someone shows up on PCF showing enthusiasm for Monacos or other injection molded plastics, most of this community understands that it’s worth investing some time in coaxing them to educate themselves, in the hopes that they will become fans of Paulson, CPC, what have you.

If instead PCF were to mock and deride people who haven’t graduated to the next level, eventually there would be no market for “real” clay poker chips.

But maybe this needs to be retiitled The Expensive Boring Watch Thread For Guys Who Still Attend Lions Club and Shriners’ Meetings Yet Think They Are Masters of the Universe

This guy is an extremely knowledgeable collector and watch industry analyst. But he’s not a hidebound snob:

 

[Old State]

Now it’s “gatekeeping”. . What a clown. Switching to “cheap watches” now?

Didn’t read anything past that. All desperate nonsense. Keep searching YouTube for odd videos. The guy in that video has content almost exclusively on automatic watches. Most over $2000. Been watching for years as well.

 

[Taghkanic]

Didn’t read anything past that. All desperate nonsense.

^^^ This is how you protect your snowflake ego from ever having to reconsider any boring, staid opinion. Don’t read it, yet respond to it.

(It’s now an established fact that you need to gatekeep this thread by insisting that only the highest-end collectors count as watch enthusiasts. You’ve said so repeatedly to more than just me.)

 

[Old State]

^^^ This is how you protect your snowflake ego from ever having to reconsider any boring, staid opinion. Don’t read it, yet respond to it.

(It’s now an established fact that you need to gatekeep this thread by insisting that only the highest-end collectors count as watch enthusiasts. You’ve said so repeatedly to more than just me.)

The overwhelming super majority of watch content on YouTube biggest watch channels is mechanical watches. That’s not an opinion. Keep spinning.

 

[FestiveKnight]

because in the age of smartphones and smartwatches, fewer and fewer peole are wearing traditional watches.

Wtf are you trying to get at with this over and over? This is watches thread, why does it matter the folks who aren't wearing watches? Everything you are spouting is just drivel dude. I like a lot of your chipping posts. I actually love em. But you must be bored as fuck like the other guy who apparently played mega dick for a couple days cause he "wanted distraction on vacation." Seriously, just leave the threads of people appreciating stuff to people who appreciate it. Wtffffff

 

[Old State]

Wtf are you trying to get at with this over and over? This is watches thread, why does it matter the folks who aren't wearing watches? Everything you are spouting is just drivel dude. I like a lot of your chipping posts. I actually love em. But you must be bored as fuck like the other guy who apparently played mega dick for a couple days cause he "wanted distraction on vacation." Seriously, just leave the threads of people appreciating stuff to people who appreciate it. Wtffffff

He has a long history he of doing this. He either jumps into a thread with a contrarian position to the consensus and then tries to prove why peoples person preferences are wrong…OR….decided to jump into a thread on a topic he knows almost nothing about (but must have recently got interested in) and argue a contrarian point with people who know far more than he does. When he gets beat he shifts the focus or does the Strawman thing.

He actually recently started a thread for the sole reason of giving a dissertation on why various commonly held preferences and likes in the poker community are wrong and how his opinions are superior. He has mental issues.

If this doesnt illustrate how f’d up this guy is I’m not sure what will. He was justifiably berated .

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/everything-you-thought-you-knew-about-poker-is-wrong.139154/

 

[Taghkanic]

Wtf are you trying to get at with this over and over? This is watches thread, why does it matter the folks who aren't wearing watches? Everything you are spouting is just drivel dude. I like a lot of your chipping posts. I actually love em. But you must be bored as fuck like the other guy who apparently played mega dick for a couple days cause he "wanted distraction on vacation." Seriously, just leave the threads of people appreciating stuff to people who appreciate it. Wtffffff

It helps to actually read, not just skim and spaz out. (Leave that to OldState, who openly admits that he replies to stuff he refuses to read. Which is the opposite of a reply, more like a tantrum.)

Now:

The point about the watch industry dying — which it is — was in response to all the gatekeeping and snobbery on display by a few people on this thread. As I explicitly said: If you chase newer/younger watch enthusiasts away from the hobby, by insisting that only the highest-end niche watches “count,” then you accelerate the decline of the hobby.

Here again is one of the very best watch commentators discussing this precise trend. The guy is both tremendously knowledgable about watches, and also an accomplished management consultant with all the tools to analyze industry dynamics:

As far as my chipping comments... Name one that is “drivel.” Be substantive, not just angry. Even my somewhat tongue-in-cheek post (going back a good 5-6 years) about denominations is backed up by very specific usability arguments, from my background in design criticism. You can disagree, but it should be an honest disagreement, not ad hominem childishness.

(And FWIW I’ve been collecting HCEs and then Paulsons since 2017, and am actually writing a history of the industrial design of poker, which includes a detailed overview of the evolution of tokens and cheques and chips going back to the earliest days of the game. Actually farther back, since obviously people were playing games which required such objects long before poker was invented.)

 

[Taghkanic]

He actually recently started a thread for the sole reason of giving a dissertation on why various commonly held preferences and likes in the poker community are wrong and how his opinions are superior. He has mental issues.

If this doesnt illustrate how f’d up this guy is I’m not sure what will. He was justifiably berated .

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/everything-you-thought-you-knew-about-poker-is-wrong.139154/

Let’s be frank. OldState has a personal grudge against me going back to the Politics forums.

Now he trolls practically every comment I make, because he can’t support his views, makes stuff up, and can’t seem to tolerate anything but mainstream/conventional opinion.

Repeatedly calling someone mentally ill is a violation of this site’s rules. It is totally out of bounds. He has never met me, and I should not have to give my resumé (which happens to include two Ivy League degrees, writing and editing for more than than two dozen national magazines, running juries for the Webby Awards and national-magazine-award winning publications, receiving awards for my separate activist work at places like the Waldorf-Astoria, getting 50+ candidates elected to public office, meeting with major political figures from Democratic Senators to Republican governors... Yeah, I did all that because I am “mental. I seldom if ever brag about my accomplishments, but I won’t be defamed by someone who is just butthurt over online disagreements.)

You can call me contrarian, but do try to keep your tempers.

And that thread OldState posted as some sort of proof of his defamatory smear? I stand by every word. Some people just can’t handle hearing a strongly-argued opinion different than their own.

 

[FestiveKnight]

It helps to actually read, not just skim and spaz out.

ad hominem childishness.

As far as my chipping comments... Name one that is “drivel.”

It helps to actually read, not just skim and spaz out. Your comments here that are just to start fights are drivel. Your chipping posts are generally great.

Be substantive, not just angry.

but do try to keep your tempers.

The ultimate boomer argument winner. “I am correct for thou art but raging whilst I am a bastion of intellectual clarity.”

Repeatedly calling someone mentally ill is a violation of this site’s rules. It is totally out of bounds.

Hehehe. Appeals to a higher power + boomer argument winner number 2: you said mean things, you are evil if I can portray you as just childish and rude, your arguments lose all merit.

two Ivy League degrees, writing and editing for more than than two dozen national magazines

Navy seal copypasta (@BigGrizz)

OldState has a personal grudge against me

I don’t! And I’d like to keep it that way. There’s been two people on here I actively disliked and one is completely inactive (I think over on boomerchipper). So I’m not in the habit of trying to build animosity with anyone.

I guess I just don’t get coming into perfectly good threads and stirring shit. I figure someone with all your experiences and accomplishments would have a better way to enjoy their time and would not feel the need to see themselves as a “disruptor.”

And FWIW. It’s not about strong opinions. @Old State brought up your poker/chipping opinions thread. I think that thread is great! You had a perspective to share and created your own space to do it.

And I honestly think your post that sparked this all wasn’t so terrible, but I think if we weren’t arguing facelessly over the internet, if we sat and chilled out and had a drink, you could admit you knew it would spark some fighting. And that’s the part I just don’t get.

I actually don’t get it.

 

[Old State]

Let’s be frank. OldState has a personal grudge against me going back to the Politics forums.

Now he trolls practically every comment I make, because he can’t support his views, makes stuff up, and can’t seem to tolerate anything but mainstream/conventional opinion.

Repeatedly calling someone mentally ill is a violation of this site’s rules. It is totally out of bounds. He has never met me, and I should not have to give my resumé (which happens to include two Ivy League degrees, writing and editing for more than than two dozen national magazines, running juries for the Webby Awards and national-magazine-award winning publications, receiving awards for my separate activist work at places like the Waldorf-Astoria, getting 50+ candidates elected to public office, meeting with major political figures from Democratic Senators to Republican governors... Yeah, I did all that because I am “mental. I seldom if ever brag about my accomplishments, but I won’t be defamed by someone who is just butthurt over online disagreements.)

You can call me contrarian, but do try to keep your tempers.

And that thread OldState posted as some sort of proof of his defamatory smear? I stand by every word. Some people just can’t handle hearing a strongly-argued opinion different than their own.

Personal grudge?? I guess you don’t remember accusing me of lying….and….your absolute foot in mouth masterpiece in arrogant jackaserry …accused me of Dunning Kreuger because I stated the fact that the emancipation proclamation didn’t legally and effectively free any slaves. Here you perfectly illustrated text book “Dunning Kreuger” while accusing others of it . Its was too good to be true. Then you do it again on this thread.

You have an incredibly inflated superiority complex and zero self awareness. Couple that will a seemingly uncontrollable urge to agitate, argue, and lecture people on your personal (and often uneducated) opinions.

You read a tiny bit about a subject and then jump into conversations with people FAR FAR more knowledgeable ….and always with mysteriously strong opinions exactly contrary to the consensus of those who know more than you.

You self awareness is so completely lacking you doesn’t even realize how your continuation further illustrates your ignorance of the subject. You dont understand the basic principal of when you’re in a hole stop digging….because you have no idea you’re in the..

You seem to find every thread I’m active on. Now you are playing the “victim” card. You are simply pathetic.

 

[Frogzilla]

I dunno what “gate keeping” all these rants are about. I’ve never seen any gatekeeping on here and i wear cheaper mechanical watches often. I probably get the most comments/questions on the mvmt that has the cool little heartbeat. It’s like $300. Always positive. I have an affordable seiko on today. I like it. What gatekeeping. Lol

 

[Budha]

The point about the watch industry dying — which it is — was in response to all the gatekeeping and snobbery on display

IIRC, I think it was you that put forth the notion the watch industry is dying (comparing to an old men’s magazine you used to write for).

I would argue you didn’t look at the data. If anything I think there has been a massive resurgence of the watch mkt since Covid.

In terms of gate keeping, I agree with @Frogzilla and have not seen or experienced that in this thread. I have had good discussions on this thread with @mipevi on Seiko Prospex watches. They are hardly Grand Seiko’s, but still great executed watches. I’ve also had discussions on Hamilton’s in this thread as well.

Yes I have “nicer” more “premium” watches, but also enjoy and appreciate non “marquee” watches. Many in this thread do as well.

I think the point of the argument got lost. IMHO all @Old State was saying is that watch collectors and most people that would call themselves an “Horophile” have an appreciation of Horology which is largely focused on mechanical movements.

Does snobbery in horology exist, of course. Is it prevalent in this thread - not that I have noticed. I’ve never seen @Old State or anyone else ever shit on someone’s new watch.

 

[Old State]

I dunno what “gate keeping” all these rants are about. I’ve never seen any gatekeeping on here and i wear cheaper mechanical watches often. I probably get the most comments/questions on the mvmt that has the cool little heartbeat. It’s like $300. Always positive. I have an affordable seiko on today. I like it. What gatekeeping. Lol

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Seiko automatics have been incredibly popular among watch enthusiasts for years! I own three. Every watch guy seemed to own a $250 SKX years ago …even if they had $50K watches in their collection.

Here are my inexpensive automatic watches -

Seiko jacked their prices up over the last 10 years and the SKX on the left is a bit of a collector item now, but the most I spent on any of the first three is the Turtle which was $340…only because is had a rare grey dial. The SPB143 (shown on the original bracelet and then the retro tropic strap i always have it on now) is part of their mid level “Luxe” line. Its MSRP was $1200 …but I got it direct from Japan for $800 brand new. Except for the Glycine, these all spent time as my daily beaters vs my more expensive watches.

Seiko has lost some love int he watch world since COVID as their QC was spotty while their prices almost doubled on these classic models.

While my SPB143 is aesthetically one of my favorite watches and honestly looks like it way cost $4000, the movement is not very accurate. In the past 10 years several Swiss brands like Tissot, Longines, Oris, etc are putting out very cool watches under $1500 that are providing more value than Seiko has currently.

I impulse bought that Glycine for $260 I think at Costco. It has a run of the mill Sellita SW200 movement and its more accurate than the $1200 Seiko

 

[Old State]

@Frogzilla

“Gatekeeping” is a line he picked up from someone else in another thread where he was getting crucified for his stupid comments. The guy was a very new member and made a blanket statement that he had on been here for a few weeks but was appalled by the hostilities. I mentioned that he was new and had unfortunately just stumbled on a thread where our knucklehead friend was shit posting and pissing people off. I commented that he hadn’t been a member long enough to form a proper opinion as 99.9% of the content isnt like that. He claimed “gatekeeping” and Tag-man must have picked up on that. I never heard that before in my life. It’s a victim play.

 

[Old State]

I think the point of the argument got lost. IMHO all @Old State was saying is that watch collectors and most people that would call themselves an “Horophile” have an appreciation of Horology which is largely focused on mechanical movements.

He knows this and I explained in a dozen different ways. He is here to simply stir up shit. That’s why he did the scumbag move of claiming I said “if you didnt own a $5K+ watch would weren’t a watch enthusiast”… which I never even remotely implied or said. This is his trademark. He makes a stupid argument, gets crushed, and then starts the strawman arguments.

This whole thing started after a guy posted a pic of his new Rolex he was proud of and people were commenting possitively about it. This jackass decided to post this nonsense.

Post in thread 'The Watch Thread'
https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/the-watch-thread.26658/post-2895239

“TBH… Most high-end watches do absolutely nothing for me.

Here’s why:”

 

[DNV]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the new AP x Swatch collab?

I see there’s a lot of mixed opinions. For me, i’m definetly gonna be picking one (or two, or three) up on release day!

Can’t wait to see what comes out as far as aftermarket bands as well

 

[Old State]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the new AP x Swatch collab?

I see there’s a lot of mixed opinions. For me, i’m definetly gonna be picking one (or two, or three) up on release day!

Can’t wait to see what comes out as far as aftermarket bands as well

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Honestly not a fan of any of these these. I didn’t really like the Moonswatch thing but I could kind of understand it as the Speedmaster is a more fun watch and so strongly associated with space and NASA. Also Omega has already made a million versions of the watch

The 50 Fathoms and this are odd.

The Royal Oak has unfortunately become a flex piece worn by celebrities and rappers …and this cheapens the watches repuation further I think

The 50 Fathoms made the least sense. A very important historical piece and high horology….but relatively unknown outside the enthusiast crowd. I don’t know who their target customer was

 

[ukas]

What are everyone’s thoughts on the new AP x Swatch collab?

I see there’s a lot of mixed opinions. For me, i’m definetly gonna be picking one (or two, or three) up on release day!

Can’t wait to see what comes out as far as aftermarket bands as well

What are everyone’s thoughts on the new AP x Swatch collab?

I see there’s a lot of mixed opinions. For me, i’m definetly gonna be picking one (or two, or three) up on release day!

Can’t wait to see what comes out as far as aftermarket bands as well

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I wonder how soon the modders find a way to put these on wrists

 

[DNV]

I don’t know who their target customer was

I think they were aware of how many were being faked. Personally I would never wear a fake watch. I don’t mind if someone else does, but I enjoy the craftsmanship and history that goes into the brand and image.

If people are willing to pay for a fake, they’re most certainly willing to pay for an alternative, authentic version. Why not capitalize on that market?

I dont think it devalues the brand at all. Royal Oaks are still exclusive. What if Ducati made a bicycle?

You’ll be able to tell from a mile away that it’s a Royal Pop so I don’t really see the issue.

 

[DNV]

I wonder how soon the modders find a way to put these on wrists

i’m thinking you’ll just model the “ring” that it pops into and build a band around that. They’re all interchangeable anyways lol