Understanding of term 'sports' watch

[Archduke]

Have been thinking about categories of watches based on when / where they are used recently - e.g. dress, everyday, casual, beater.

To my mind dress would be Calatrava or cellini type watches, everyday would be something versatile like a SS DJ or AT, casual would be something like a Sub or Speedy, and beater a G-SHOCK.

This clearly leaves a big gap between the casual and beater categories, and I thought 'sports' would be a good term - e.g. for a 'nice' watch that you might conceivably wear for sports, like a quartz SMP or Tag.

To Americans 'sports' watch seems to equate to a G-SHOCK, while to traditionalisits it would be a DateJust / AquaTerra type watch. Would be interested in the consensus.

[pashmolean]

I wouldn't class a DJ or AT as a sports watch regardless of WR rating.

'Sports' watch in my mind would be what you class as a beater ie G-Shock, Suunto etc

Even a dive watch could fall into the sports category which opens it up to a lot of watches.

Not sure where something like a YachtMaster or Daytona would fit in, perhaps 'pseudo sports' or 'posh sports'. You can of course wear most watches for 'sports' wether people would though is a different matter.

Back in the day 'The' sports watch was the Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso after all it was designed for Polo Players.

[Archduke]

I read an article a while ago where either the AP RO or the PP Nautilus was defined as a 'sports' watch when it came out in the 1970s, because it was a watch you would wear while watching sport (presumably polo).

[andrew]

Multithousand luxury watches are "sports" watches in the same vein as 3-ton "sports" Range Rovers.

[PickleB]

Found this on-line:

"Sport watches cover a wide range of functions. Some sports watches are specifically targeted to sports including sailing watches, referee timers and running watches. Others are dedicated to outdoor pursuits with high levels of water resistance, barometers, thermometers and other useful features. Sports watches also include the many chronographs that have stopwatch functionality and can be used to time events to varying levels of accuracy, many chronographs are allied with high achiever sporting events such as Casio Edifice and the Formula 1 Red Bull Racing team or Seiko and the Barcelona Football club."

That covers just about any watch with a timing or other sports related function. That's quite a large section of the market, so I'm not sure it's a useful term. It's certainly not one that I use.

[E_2_Right-Force]

I find the term `sports watch`bizarre, and never use it to describe one*.

It`s just a watch, they just differ by having different styles/functions.

I just wear the bloody things without stressing whether they`re suitable for the activity or occasion in which i may be partaking.

I wore a `diver` while flying the other day - i live on the edge, me..





* i do have a `sports` microwave, though.