Good, cheap watch thread.

[Kingfisher101]

I've had a few Casios, the G shock and a couple of those inexpensive ones with metal bracelets. They have all been absolute rubbish. People seem to love them but mine have either fallen to bits straight away or been unwearable because the bracelet was garbage. I wouldn't get another but if they work for some people then that's great.

 

[AlanW]

Well any thoughts of getting my trusty old Seiko Pogue watch up and running have now been utterly and completely dashed as its simply not cost effective to repair.
I had a mail from the guy that is repairing it this morning, and unfortunately now he has stripped it down even further, its not good news:

I made a start on your watch late last week and was due to mail you. Unfortunately, it wasn't likely to be a 'good news' type mail as I've found additional issues with the movement in your watch. As your watch is currently disassembled, I've attached a picture from another movement to help explain...

As we discussed previously, I could see that the upper pivot from the minute register in your watch had broken off. Having now disassembled the watch, cleaned everything and during the reassembly, I've seen that the centre chronograph wheel is also damaged. I think what has happened is that when the chronograph was reset and the minute register pivot failed, with nothing to stop it, the reset hammer has also 'crashed' into the centre chronograph wheel, damaging the clutch mechanism.

This isn't particularly great news as the centre chronograph wheel is the most sought after part in the 6139 movement and consequently, the most expensive to replace. Buying a used part can also be problematic as the clutch is prone to the spring weakening, so you could spend well over £100 on a used part, only to find that it too is compromised, leaving the only option to try a find a new old stock (NOS) part, still sealed in its original packaging - not at all easy and certainly not cheap for a 50 year old part.

So, the question is, what to do from here? I had a replacement minute register in my own parts stock, and I stock full gasket sets and crystals for these watches anyway, so at this point, I haven't bought any additional parts specifically for your watch.

Given that it needs a winding stem, crown and spring, crystal, gasket set, minute register and now a centre chronograph wheel, I do wonder whether it is worth investment in trying to get it back up and running after all as the parts bill alone will probably be around the same as the value of the watch afterwards.

I'm sorry that the news isn't better but I'd be interested to hear what you think is the best way forward from here.

I will not lie, I'm totally gutted, as I was so looking forward to wearing it again. But with the overall total now likely to exceed £500 and despite the memories that it holds, I'm not going to spend that amount of money on it, as sad as it is 😭

 

[slowmotion]

My £50 dumb phone has a clock on it. OK, it isn't a fashion statement or a desirable piece of jewelry, but it does tell me the time.

 

[Punkawallah]

I’ve worn a Casio Digital for the last 40 years. They are like cockroaches, you just can’t kill them. Worn in the pool for hours on end, bounced around house clearances, snorkelling the Med, hiking the Dales, camping Northumberland . Comes with alarm, back light and stopwatch, about £12 from Argos. When the strap eventually goes, it’s almost as cheap to buy.a new watch. And the old one is pinned to the garage wall for a clock.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Well any thoughts of getting my trusty old Seiko Pogue watch up and running have now been utterly and completely dashed as its simply not cost effective to repair.
I had a mail from the guy that is repairing it this morning, and unfortunately now he has stripped it down even further, its not good news:

I made a start on your watch late last week and was due to mail you. Unfortunately, it wasn't likely to be a 'good news' type mail as I've found additional issues with the movement in your watch. As your watch is currently disassembled, I've attached a picture from another movement to help explain...

As we discussed previously, I could see that the upper pivot from the minute register in your watch had broken off. Having now disassembled the watch, cleaned everything and during the reassembly, I've seen that the centre chronograph wheel is also damaged. I think what has happened is that when the chronograph was reset and the minute register pivot failed, with nothing to stop it, the reset hammer has also 'crashed' into the centre chronograph wheel, damaging the clutch mechanism.

This isn't particularly great news as the centre chronograph wheel is the most sought after part in the 6139 movement and consequently, the most expensive to replace. Buying a used part can also be problematic as the clutch is prone to the spring weakening, so you could spend well over £100 on a used part, only to find that it too is compromised, leaving the only option to try a find a new old stock (NOS) part, still sealed in its original packaging - not at all easy and certainly not cheap for a 50 year old part.

So, the question is, what to do from here? I had a replacement minute register in my own parts stock, and I stock full gasket sets and crystals for these watches anyway, so at this point, I haven't bought any additional parts specifically for your watch.

Given that it needs a winding stem, crown and spring, crystal, gasket set, minute register and now a centre chronograph wheel, I do wonder whether it is worth investment in trying to get it back up and running after all as the parts bill alone will probably be around the same as the value of the watch afterwards.

I'm sorry that the news isn't better but I'd be interested to hear what you think is the best way forward from here.

I will not lie, I'm totally gutted, as I was so looking forward to wearing it again. But with the overall total now likely to exceed £500 and despite the memories that it holds, I'm not going to spend that amount of money on it, as sad as it is 😭

Why? You will easily be able to get over £1,000 for it on Ebay etc. These go for a premium.

 

[Fastpedaller]

My £50 dumb phone has a clock on it. OK, it isn't a fashion statement or a desirable piece of jewelry, but it does tell me the time.

That looks like the same as my phone - Is it a Doro? My Daughter says "Dad - don't forget your Dorothy!"
If it is, have you been able to send or receive photos? Our understanding is that 'criteria' being various inputs need to be entered to make it send and receive photos, and we got the full list from 1p Mobile (the supplier piggy-backed on EE). Despite putting in these settings, their 'titles' weren't the same (I hope that makes sense) and even with my Daughter's help we couldn't make it work, despite various combinations of these inputs.

 

[slowmotion]

That looks like the same as my phone - Is it a Doro? My Daughter says "Dad - don't forget your Dorothy!"
If it is, have you been able to send or receive photos? Our understanding is that 'criteria' being various inputs need to be entered to make it send and receive photos, and we got the full list from 1p Mobile (the supplier piggy-backed on EE). Despite putting in these settings, their 'titles' weren't the same (I hope that makes sense) and even with my Daughter's help we couldn't make it work, despite various combinations of these inputs.

Yes, it's a Doro and no, I don't take photos with it. The phone usually lives in our kitchen drawer leaving me largely unenslaved by mobile phone obsession.

 

[AlanW]

Why? You will easily be able to get over £1,000 for it on Ebay etc. These go for a premium.

Well thats what I thought, but I found this for sale this afternoon. Although that said, there was never any plans on me selling mine to be honest.

https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0143...olar-1969-ReInterpretation-415mm-Mens-Watch/p

 

[Drago]

Well thats what I thought, but I found this for sale this afternoon. Although that said, there was never any plans on me selling mine to be honest.

https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0143...olar-1969-ReInterpretation-415mm-Mens-Watch/p

I never knew such a thing existed.

Duly ordered!

 

[palinurus]

I've had a Pulsar (Seiko) self-winding watch for years, it has been great. Tells the time, the date* and you can leave it on while swimming**

*If you remember to adjust it after any month with less than 31 days
**And it will wind itself while you do so

 

[Time Waster]

My £50 dumb phone has a clock on it. OK, it isn't a fashion statement or a desirable piece of jewelry, but it does tell me the time.

My need for a good cheap watch is because my workplace has security issues that mean anything capable of sending information or recording information needs to be left outside the buildings or in the entrance porch in special lockers. Phones of any kind are banned from increasingly more buildings on site. My garmin fenix 6 smartwatch is also forbidden for similar reasons.

Besides I have a £300 smartphone already so buying a £50 dumbphone to strap onto my wrist makes absolute no sense to me . And my smartphone tends to be stashed in my bag when being carried so I need a readily accessible timepiece on my person. So far the most convenient is a wristborn timepiece since I do not have a waistcoat for a timepiece on a chain. I could wear a nurses style timepiece but aesthetics mean I prefer the watch style of timepiece.

I appreciate your input and did seriously consider the option, however after due diligence I have determined the dumbphone is not suitable for my needs. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[slowmotion]

So far the most convenient is a wristborn timepiece since I do not have a waistcoat for a timepiece on a chain.

Good Lord! No waistcoat? Have you no standards??

 

[T4tomo]

Good Lord! No waistcoat? Have you no standards??

no urgency either, started thread over 3 months ago and still hasn't made a decision. Accy has bought 3 suits and a monocle in that time

 

[Time Waster]

No urgency as I got my seiko solar working. Then my casio royale. Recently I found my casio db-290 and a village shop that sells replacement straps and replaces batteries. So that is now an option.

Then I found out my AE-1200WH Royale in silver and stainless Steel bracelet has two dodgy links so I couldn't use it. Then yesterday I got a second one for £19.99 from argos. Sorted out the bracelet length and replaced the dodgy links on my old one with the spare ones from my new. I also now have the manual to set it up fully. It has a little too many features to just play around until it's right. I've done that but I have since learnt. There's more than I found out about it.

So, no urgency because I now have 4 good watches to pick from. Plus I could nick my partner's casio, a vibration alarm model which is good for waking you up of worn but not anyone else. So that's 5 I could use. I actually think there's more somewhere if I look.

I am also in trouble. I found the casio reddit and the casioroyale reddit. Hmm! Should I buy the SKXMOD kit for my old royale? Expensive but if it gives me a steel case instead of the silver painted plastic case it would turn it into a better vintage classic.

BTW Royale nickname comes from it appearing in casino royale AIUI. Similarly my DB-290 is known as the mission impossible because in the first one of the Tom Cruise franchise he wore it. BTW casio gets product placement in hundreds of films and popular TV series and shows. Plus there's a whole load of fans who ID casio watches if you're interested. I'm not but my two film models I before I knew about any film connection. One bought for me as a leaving present the other bought for the look and features.

Watches are things that do get under your skin and you start collecting. At least a casio collection is cheaper than patak, rolex even Tag Heuer collecting. There's some real classics, vintage models for sub £10 so long as you don't buy direct from Casio! Plus a modding scene. A batman Royale anyone? No? Not me that's for sure. Although I did see a cheap rectangular basic casio with a mod that turned the digital screen into diagonal black stripes such that you can still read the time. Crazy mod.

 

[AndyRM]

Having seen cheap Casio's mentioned I thought I'd make everyone jealous with my comparatively expensive £19.99 beauty...

I don't normally wear a watch, but I am on the clock with my current employer so breaks are precious. I'd rather spend an extra couple of minutes outside than faffing about getting my phone from my locker to keep the time.