Badenoch

Yes. The radio-controlled watches I have require a local time zone be established and will pick up the nearest transmitter. The reception function works in North America, Japan, parts of China, Western Europe, some parts of Eastern Europe and the UK.

The GPS watches work everywhere. I've looked at the Seiko Astron for travel but it's a bit out of my price range for a travel watch.

RandomNobody

Holy %#@. Yeah, $1500 to $3500 from a quick Google search would put it out of travel range. Though Amazon has a listing for a penny shy of $1K.

Doc Savage

.....

Finkface

Rolex Midsize Stainless Datejust Oyster for me. Submariner for Mr. Fink (his 50th birthday present). We love Rolex - I also have a vintage Ladies Two Tone Datejust and Mr. Fink also has a Men's 18k Two Tone Datejust.

greg99

I have a 20+ year old Submariner (college graduation present) as my daily wear on the left and a Fitbit Charge HR on the right.

I was already dating the woman who is now my wife when I got it, so I can't comment on women swooning, but I have, in fact, had waiters comment on my watch...

At the gym or if I'm traveling to, ahem, sketchier parts of the world (including the area around my office late at night), I swap out the Sub for my Polar heart rate monitor watch.

Part of me really wants an Apple Watch, because I'm a gadget whore, but I can't imagine giving up the Sub.

Greg

boltjames

Same here, much as I loved collecting watches for 30 years the Sub has ruined me for life. There's nothing more worthy of wrist time, even if I'm at the beach it still makes more sense than some plastic Luminox thing.

BJ

T8191

I've just changed the battery on one of my my OH's £7 disposable watches. I think that cost me £0.06

greg99

I'm not saying that this is why you should get a Rolex, but it does get you attention.

I swear I'm not making this up, but just this morning, at the dry cleaner where I've had my clothes cleaned for 10 years, the owner pointed at my watch and gave me a thumbs-up, and said that her husband really liked it.

Over the years I've had dozens of people comment on it. Plus my wife likes the way it looks on me. On my wrist, it's not a large watch, so while it's noticeable, it doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME DANGIT!!!" the way many current big watches do.

For me, the watch has a strong emotional tie. I'm the third generation of men (my sister also received one) to have received a Rolex upon the occurrence of a significant event (grandfather when promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer, father at college graduation), and my kids have been told that if they work hard and graduate from college, they'll also receive one. I'm already stashing money away for them.

That's why, although I love looking at watches, and admire their engineering, I've managed to avoid such an expensive hobby, because I can't imagine giving up my Sub. It's beat up the way you'd expect a 20+ year old daily wear watch to be, and it desperately needs an expensive service, but I just hate to take it off.

My dad still drives a nearly 25 year old Mercedes V-12, because it's an amazing piece of machinery. He still uses his film Leicaflex. I look at my watch as being in a similar class.

If something were to happen to my Sub, I might replace it with a GMT-Master II, but it would be a tough call.

Greg

T8191

I fully understand the family history/tradition. That's nice.

It's still something that tells the time, though. I really, honestly, don't get this "Hey, look at THAT watch" mentality. I guess I have to accept I'm wired differently, and don't think about that sort of thing. I'm just a simple old realist. Anyway, doesn't everyone do this on iPad/iPhone or whatever?

greg99

I think it's like anything else.

A Honda Accord carries 4 people and bags exceptionally competently, and IME, more comfortably, than, say a Porsche Panamera. An aluminum Rimowa suitcase arguably carries clothes less competently than a Costco special hardsided bag, etc.

To each their own. Some people don't care about any of that. I live in a pretty modest house, don't drive a flashy car, don't wear Kiton, etc., but like my watch.

You are right, though, about changing times. A colleague who recently joined us noticed that we both wore a Rolex and a Fitbit, and said "you realize, of course, that we're total dinosaurs, right?"

I told him that I thought it was like records - hipsters were rediscovering them. He told me that I should keep dreaming.

Greg

T8191

hahaha ... like that post, greg99 ^

I have a PostIt telling me to get rid of a ton of old vinyl
After some 15+ years I no longer drive 4.0L XJ6/Jeep, but instead an all-electric Peugeot iOn.

I am also getting a bit old, and have yesterday celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary, so willy-waving is no longer on the agenda

BA Humbug

I spotted at least six things wrong with the Breguet face (not even looking at the movement), I can't even tell what the Patek Philippe is trying to copy (Calatrava 7200?) because that's not even the font they use, and... an automatic Patrimony Contemporaine? that's funny.

I have to say, I am very, very disheartened by the brazen flaunting of fake watches here. There are plenty of good-looking non-brand name watches that pass muster for fine events. Why must you insist on getting one with a fake name? To show off? You've said it already, $35 will get you something that can tell the time. Why do you need to convince yourself & others that it's more expensive than it needs to be?

Luxury is personal, and should be enjoyed first and foremost by the person who experiences it. What's the point in "fooling" [lying] your friends, family, and acquaintances that that you have something that you would never pay the money for? If one can't afford it, they really shouldn't be trying/pretending to live beyond their means. If one can afford it, they shouldn't market themselves in a way that leads others to see themselves for who they aren't.

I won't even get into the ethics of supporting these counterfeit products, but they're there. Read them if you're so inclined.

Ah, a fellow watch enthusiast, and hopefully the only one on this thread who won't flame me!



To keep my post relevant to the OP's question, I use a manual double-sided watch wherein I can adjust one face to a new time zone, so all I need to do is click the button on the side to get it to the time zone I need. No batteries, no waiting for cell service Haven't figured out Newfoundland, India, Venezuela, Iran, or middle-of-nowhere parts of Australia yet, but I figure it'll be a rare chance to use my brain

Badenoch

Luxury goods have always been counterfeited. Watches, luggage, handbags, clothing, etc. are all regularly faked. There also have always been pretentious posers who buy faked goods in some vain attempt to impress people. People who understand watches can easily pick out the fakes and will pass immediate judgment on the posers who wear them.

LtKernelPanic

Apple watch for daily wear. Fitbit Charge HR for working out and an old cheapie watch that's waterproof if I'm at the pool/beach/etc.

lhgreengrd1

The purpose of the fakes is to mock the folks that think a $12,000 watch says anything other than that they are trying to flaunt status. The fact is, I'm singularly unimpressed by the fancy name brand watches, but I know lots of folks who are. So I'm tweaking those folks - especially the 95% of the population that ARE impressed by those brands, and cannot distinguish that they are fakes. And BTW, It's pretty hard to find a thin, mechanical watch that works, and can be bought for well under $100 - other than these various fakes. If I could still buy a good mechanical, handsome Bulova or similar, for such a price, I would. But frankly, those $35 fakes work better and look better than any genuine article mechanical watch I can find for less than, say $700. I own a roughly $650 Raymond Weill that is clearly an inferior looking, less utilitarian timepiece compared to those 3 fakes. If that fake Patek or Vacheron said Invicta, or Casio, or Seiko, and still worked and looked as good a those fakes do, and were sold for $35-99, I'd happily buy one and wear it proudly. The simple fact is, even if you ignore the counterfeit branding - those 3 fakes are better than any mechanical movement sub-$100 watch I know of anywhere.