I'm still using the fantastic Orient Tanno watch courtesy of stickman; it's my daily watch.

However, I'm consider using a different watch when I'm out and about (biking, swimming, kayaking, hiking and such). I like dive watches (cosmetics of them) but would consider a different style.

Key requirements:
1. accurate quartz (shouldn't be a problem)
2. solar
3. industry leading lume (superluminova, etc). Orient is pretty good; very bright. If something is just as bright but longer lasting, that would be ideal. Citizen lume is poor in my experience (like my Citizen Pro-diver except for this).
4. clean, high contrast face / hands. My eyes aren't young and I don't need a lot of complications. Easy to read, clean face. Max contrast between hands and face. Large case / face is a plus - 43mm and larger? (size of my Citizen pro-diver).
5. Price $300-800 (lower the better)
6. day/date not necessary - usually to small for me to read.

Current candidates include:
1. Seiko Prospex SNE585 https://seikousa.com/collections/mens/products/sne585
On the small side
2. Seiko Prospex SNE549 https://seikousa.com/collections/mens/products/sne549
Magnified date and larger dots - good.
Not sure but the effective face area (dots, hands) seems smaller than #1.
3. Tissot Seastar 1000 https://www.tissotwatches.com/.../t1204171704100.html
Face is a bit busy for me

Any other brands I should consider here? Most of my life, I've only had casio and citizen; a few others (dress watch) but not in this sporty category.

A few here know that I'm a Seiko fan. That said, of those you listed, I'd recommend the SNE549 to you.

I have that watch, actually, and it's great. Solar/quartz means you never have to monkey with it. The face is easy to read. It's heavy enough to know it's there, but not obnoxiously heavy. It's easily an all-day-every-day watch.

Thanks. I was hoping one of you watch guru's would chime in.

The SNE549 is my top contender of the 3. If there are no other other brands to consider in this space, I'll go with that. But I hadn't really heard of Orient and Tissot until just recently from you guys. So, wanting to check what else, if anything, I should consider.

If the SNE549 is the way to go, easy enough.

You can’t go wrong with sending David Truong an email.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
You can’t go wrong with sending David Truong an email.

And a good Citizen to boot.

The prospex SNE585 looks cleaner to me…less things going on.

Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of the Rolex https://www.rolex.com/en-us/wa...er/m124060-0001.html Submariner, as I like the clean bezel. Date or no date doesn’t matter to me.

I also like the black vs blue dial…but that’s ok too. If Mrs mike got me a blue one I wouldn’t turn it away.

I’m not a fan of the tick marks around the entire bezel, and hat is what has turned me away from buying a new watch.

To be clear, I wear a citizen eco drive garrison… https://www.citizenwatch.com/u...0-03E.html?cgid=mens and I changed the strap to a ss bracelet

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MikeinNC,

I love my Citizen Eco Drives. Priced right, usually. Dave can fix you up.

would you consider a gshock? For me this has become my perfect kickaround watch. It seems nothing can stop it or hurt it.

I'm not wishing to void my bladder on anyone's parade, but comparing any of the OP's 'maybe' watches - all under the thousand dollar mark - with a Rolex Submariner seems rather pointless. It's rather like comparing a brand of bass boat with a 200 foot super-yacht, unless, of course, you can find a Submariner for around a thousand dollars. Hint here - servicing my twelve y/o DSSD last year cost me $1145.18, but that DID include shipping.

Just for fun, I thought I'd throw this into the mix for some supposin'.

Garmin or something like it. Many options well under $500. Even if your not into athletics, it's wicked accurate, gives resting heart rate, can analyze your sleep quality and give recommendations, and pops texts and caller ID to the wrist, so you don't have to dig your phone out to decline a telemarketer.

My point is less this watch, or Garmin, than it is, maybe smartwatch? I use a 245 for what it's worth.

This seems to check all the boxes in the OP:

SEIKO PROSPEX SOLAR DIVER'S SBDJ017



I’ve always been impressed with Seiko’s lume.

My preference is Citizen.

I have three Citizens and a G-Shock. The Citizens are between 10 & 2 years old. All are solar powered, accurate to within 20 seconds per month, and I didn't pay over $180 for any of them. I don't baby them.

I am currently impatiently waiting on this:
https://leitner-wise.com/store...h-Company-c126974591

Cool watch, cool story and cool guy. This version is sold out, there is another on the way which is just as cool.

Agreed Citizen...

Have several and have only had probs w one that is a 25+ y/o ecodrive for which no replacement capacitor is available.

I also have a Citizen Garrison and its my ever day casual watch.

JB

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
You can’t go wrong with sending David Truong an email.

And a good Citizen to boot.

A) I’m a big fan of G shock. Have quite a few.

B) Seiko is pretty hard to beat. I have higher end ones but the best lume I’ve encountered.

C) If you do go up “a little” you can get into some used Oris, Ball and Sinn UX, but then it’s not cheap and cheerful.

D) My favorite bang around watch is my carbon fiber g shock square. I think it was about 250. Very light, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:
I'm not wishing to void my bladder on anyone's parade, but comparing any of the OP's 'maybe' watches - all under the thousand dollar mark - with a Rolex Submariner seems rather pointless. It's rather like comparing a brand of bass boat with a 200 foot super-yacht, unless, of course, you can find a Submariner for around a thousand dollars. Hint here - servicing my twelve y/o DSSD last year cost me $1145.18, but that DID include shipping.

They also aren’t solar. Yes, I love my automatic watches, but there’s something to be said for a watch you can just pick up and wear without having to wind and set, as long as you give it a sunny day once a month or so.

I’m sure there’s other watches that exactly match the OP’s criteria, but I think it would be hard to be unhappy with some of the Seikos mentioned.

I know you weren't big on Citizen.
But, I've been happy with my Citizen F150, from Dave.
The lume needs some UV/solar light to activate, so that may rule it out for you.

Solar charged, satellite set, simple face, day/date.
Wears a bit thick, but isn't overly heavy. Probably weight similar to what my smaller-sized tungsten Movado weighs.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:
I'm not wishing to void my bladder on anyone's parade, but comparing any of the OP's 'maybe' watches - all under the thousand dollar mark - with a Rolex Submariner seems rather pointless. It's rather like comparing a brand of bass boat with a 200 foot super-yacht, unless, of course, you can find a Submariner for around a thousand dollars. Hint here - servicing my twelve y/o DSSD last year cost me $1145.18, but that DID include shipping.

They also aren’t solar. Yes, I love my automatic watches, but there’s something to be said for a watch you can just pick up and wear without having to wind and set, as long as you give it a sunny day once a month or so.

I’m sure there’s other watches that exactly match the OP’s criteria, but I think it would be hard to be unhappy with some of the Seikos mentioned.

I agree with you 100%. I have two Seiko watches. #1, a 1978 Pepsi-style divers 150, keeps perfect time. And #2, the now-called Arnie, I bought in 1985 whilst serving in Northern Ireland. Needless to say, that, too, keeps perfect time. It's true to say that if I'd just stuck to those two watches at the time, I could have saved myself THOUSANDS of dollars over the years....

I also like something with clean, high contrast face. Easy to read as the eyes get a little older.

I found a brand out of Australia called Panzera. Nice looking watches, $3-400 (after the easy 40% discount). Panzera Watches

Downside - not solar. If that's a dealbreaker, read no further.

Most are automatic - but they have some battery powered quartz watches also.

I ordered one a few weeks ago - it took about 10 days to arrive. Nice, solid watch. The lume is just OK. I bought an extra watchband which was easy to change.

I know this only ticks off a few of your boxes, but I think they are good looking watches.

Best of luck.