I'm looking to purchase my first automatic watch. I started looking at Invicta but I thought I should go the next step up. Possibly an Orient Kamasu. Before I pull the trigger I thought I'd check with the Sigforum brain trust. Thanks for your comments and recommendations.

Orient punches well above their weight.

Seiko is even better.

Friends don't let friends buy an Invicta.

Definitely steer clear of Invicta.

Orient and Seiko are fine, but for the same $200-$300 price of an Orient or Seiko, I recommend Islander instead.

Same Seiko auto movement inside, but better fit/finish, upgraded sapphire glass and ceramic bezel for extra scratch resistance, and better quality bracelet.

https://longislandwatch.com/islander-watches/

They offer several different styles in a variety of colors.

Tissot from Jomashop

Black friday is around the corner so I'd look around for those. I'll second the islander watch brand that Rogue pointed out. They're running text message specials currently.

quote:

Originally posted by dgshooter:
I'm looking to purchase my first automatic watch.

What style do you like (diver, field, aviator, dress, etc...)? At what price point?
Lots of good watches in all those categories and at different price points.

What style do you like (diver, field, aviator, dress, etc...)? At what price point?
Lots of good watches in all those categories and at different price points.[/QUOTE]

Good point. I am looking for a dive watch. Maybe 40mm. Preferably with a silicone band, but those can be switched out.

quote:

Originally posted by dgshooter:
Good point. I am looking for a dive watch. Maybe 40mm. Preferably with a silicone band, but those can be switched out.

O.K. here's something to get you started.
https://teddybaldassarre.com/b...ve-watches-under-500

Happy hunting

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Definitely steer clear of Invicta.

Orient and Seiko are fine, but for the same $200-$300 price of an Orient or Seiko, I recommend Islander instead.

Same Seiko auto movement inside, but better fit/finish, upgraded sapphire glass and ceramic bezel for extra scratch resistance, and better quality bracelet.

https://longislandwatch.com/islander-watches/

They offer several different styles in a variety of colors.

Can't go wrong with Long Island Watch. Its propriety Islander line is an exceptional value.

For $70 more than an Islander, you can step up to a titanium case pilot with ridiculous lume. Four left in stock as of right now. Coupon code ZULUTIME shaves another 10% off and drops it to $296.

https://countycomm.com/collect...-mil-band-by-maratac

When I was an active and not so much old man, the only watch I owned that didn't leak was a Rolex.

I had dive watches, dress watches, and active watches, all automatics. All were rated to 330 ft or more. I never went deeper than 80 ft and that was rarely

The only one that didn't leak was a Rolex.

What I had paid for all the wet rusted watches I could have bought another Rolex or two.

Things might have gotten better over the last couple of decades.

I just gave my son the Rolex.
It is around 40 years old, I bought it new.

Planning on getting another one someday.

Rolex is opening a new factory soon, it may be possible to get one soon without paying above retail and a long wait.

What is your price range?

As others have said, I’d avoid Invicta. They are really known for making oversized fashion watches with sky high MSRP’s, cheap finishes, and movements. You can find them in TJ Max or on HSN for cheap. I’d also avoid MVMT, any watch with a fashion designer name on it ie Gucci, Michael Kors, etc.

There are a bunch of nice watches from Seiko, Orient, and Citizen. It’s also worth looking at some of the “budget” Swiss brands like Hamilton, Tissot, Longines, Vulcain, and Mido. Check out Hodinkee.com.

Yes, steer clear of Invicta, it would be like strapping a Lorcin to your wrist. Seiko and Marathon make good entry level divers. Stick with an auto, while I have a few beater quartz watches, an auto will hold it's value better and will last several lifetimes id serviced every 4-5 years. Beware, watch collecting is like gun collecting. Welcome to the asylum!!!

Not sure what your budget is, depending on what you want Oris makes some nice watches.
They are Swiss made and can be a lot more expensive compared to Seiko watches.

I’m kind of on a Seiko kick right now. I have some really expensive watches but if you asked me what watch I grab the most often it’s a Seiko Tuna.

Seiko has a bazillion different dials and price points from $300 up to their Grand Seiko’s that are $10k+

If I am spending $300.00 on that Maratrac analog.

Is there
Way to protect that glass ?

I wear watches only 50% of the time and am about half carless about scratching up the faces.

It's going to look silly if I have to wear a terry cloth sweat band to avoid damaging my watch face.

I'll be fine for the next five months,

As I will be in sweat shirts or parkas.

It was mentioned earlier, but Tissot is the way to go. Great deals from Jomashop can be had.

Why? Tissot's Powermatic 80 movement is a really tough movement and you get 80 hours of power reserve.
Tissot is also part of the Swatch Group, so if you need service, you can always find it.
My Tissot Carson Chronograph that I bought for 300+ bucks off Jomashop keeps time at chronometer standards. Basically, it keeps time like my Rolex, Omega, and ORIS.
Speaking of ORIS, if you want an entry level luxury watch, ORIS is the way to go. ORIS is an independent watch brand and I would put their quality on par with Omega but they don't have that Omega price.

Good luck and welcome to the watch collecting disease.

I have several brands of watches, some higher end stuff. Between my wife and I we also have 3 Tissots and I have to agree with statements above, great bang for the buck and all have been solid. My favorite is the older version SeaStar. That thing has been a great daily wear, been around the world, used snorkeling many times, never a glitch. Had it fully serviced including case and bracelet polishing and refinishing and new bezel. If memory serves it was a little over 300 bucks. Try that with the other bigger brands.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
If I am spending $300.00 on that Maratrac analog.

Is there
Way to protect that glass ?

To both you and the OP, watches with lab-created sapphire crystals are incredibly tough. You’d have to rub diamonds or diamond carbide tools on the crystal to scratch it, or have some sort of serious accident. With a titanium case and sapphire crystal, it doesn’t get a whole lot tougher for a wristwatch. Maybe some of the Sinn models made from submarine steel, but they also have sapphire crystals.

I’m really hard on watches. All the ones I have actually spent any time wearing have some good scratches and dings on the cases. They all have sapphire crystals and I’ve yet to make a mark on one. One got knocked off a bathroom counter and landed face-down on the tile. No visible damage, but it loses several minutes a day now, so I need to get it serviced, but if there was an impact that would have been likely to crack or shatter a watch crystal, I think that one would have ranked.

It’s hard to make an informed recommendation without knowing your budget and what style you like.

The Steinhart Ocean is a great deal. Swiss made and you should be able to get into it for well under $500. I think I paid $325 for mine.

For a little more, I would go for a Christopher Ward. I have 6 of them and find they punch well above their price. Swiss made and amazing finish. If you order one, price it in GBP rather than USD. You end up saving a fair amount on the conversion and removal of VAT.