Looking to see what 3 types of watches people like the most. Please pick your favourite diver, GMT and chronograph. My picks are
GMT = Rolex GMT master IIc
Diver = audemars piguet diver
Chronograph = omega speedmaster professional
GMT - Rolex GMTc
Diver - Rolex SD 16600 (because I have one, and because it is the last Rolex actually used for commercial saturation diving, it was issued to Comex)
Chronograph - Lange & Sohne Datograph. The beauty of the movement is out of this world.
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GMT - 42mm Explorer II/Bremont Terra Nova
Diver - Sea-Dweller 16600
Chrono - WG Daytona
It's just a matter of time...
So hard to choose. Even though they are in clear categories it would still depend on my mood and where I was. But if I was forced to choose I'd go:
GMT. WG Rolex GMT2c
Diver. Rolex SD James Cameron, I was tempted to say Orient Pro Saturation Diver for its great value for money but this is a fantasy thread, no place for penny pinching.
Chrono. Platinum Daytona. Easiest question of the three. The weight on the wrist is incredible, and that dial!!
GMT - 16710 Pepsi
Diver - SMPc
Chrono - Zenith El Primero 1969
My pick would be:
Rolex 16710 (Pepsi)
Rolex 14060
IWC 3741
Pitch
SMP 2254
Muhle Glashutte Seebataillon GMT
Daytona 6241
The toughest one out there is the Omega Chrono diver, Chrono pushers are operational at diving depth.
A classic would be an Omega Seamaster 300 big triangle.
The Omega big blue is highly sort after and a classic of its time.
Rolex people will always say Subs but Omega gives you the widest variety of professionally and militarily used Divers.
But at the end of the day there are fantastic vintage pieces from Zenith, Certina, IWC, Blancpain, Sinn, Zodiac, Ollech and Wajs, Heuer, Seiko, Jenny, CWC and many others that did the job.
You have to remember that high end manufacturers were dumped by Government procurers in favour of Seikos, Citizen and the like that could do the same job for a fifth maybe 10th of the price.
SMP GMT (2234 I think)
14060m or Sea Dweller (based purely on pictures, not owned either but would like to )
PRS 17C ( but in reality, a digital stopwatch is far more practical than a mechanical chronograph)
Sorry somehow missed the GMT bit. For that it's the Omega Great White with moveable 24 hour bezel. GMT hand and 300m WR. Also doesn't have the HEV that some people hate plus has the Speedie Bracelet. It's a fantastic Sports Diver Watch.
Among chronographs, the Speedmaster definitely deserves a mention, not only because of its supporting role in mankind's greatest achievement with the NASA moon landings, but also because of its classic good looks:
The "moonwatch" is not without a hint of controversy though, as there are some unresolved details in the story around Omega's celebrated chronograph... and things may not be as they seem.
While there's of course not a shred of doubt about the Speedmaster's well-documented voyages to the lunar surface — at least among those who are free of serious brain problems — it appears not to entirely be the originator of the design that it made famous.
A now-obscure company called Rodania evidently produced a watch with a near-identical dial and handset three years before the Speedy (whose renown was later assured from its choice by NASA for their manned moon program):
To the best of my knowledge, Rodania's Geometer came out in 1954. Other than the non-tachymeter bezel, it looks nearly identical to the early Speedmaster, yet this resemblance remains almost unknown in the watch world and very little information has come to light about how Omega ended up making such a closely-related watch. Is this related to some sort of elaborate coverup, possibly to protect the Moonwatch's pioneering image? ;)
Further reading here for those who are interested in the background: Which came first: the Speedmaster or the Geometer?
However, as much as I appreciate the Speedy — and the handsome Geometer, for that matter — the Daytona is the one I prefer for everyday use. In my opinion, no other chronograph offers quite as optimal a combination of slimness, dependable water resistance, robustness, and versatility.
Either one will do, though I'm wearing the earlier 16520 more lately:
Among GMTs, it's without a doubt the plexi Rolex version for me — like the Speedmaster, it offers both classic looks and bona-fide lunar mission history:
As a popular choice among pilots and astronauts for decades, it certainly has seen its share of space missions. In fact, it's even been to the moon with different Apollo missions, including the dramatic Apollo 13 one with Jack Swigert, as well as the less-dramatic Apollo 14 mission with Edward Mitchell — who actually wore it on the lunar surface!
image credit: rolexmagazine.com
Though it's obviously a very mundane role compared to the unrivalled feat of actually going to the freaking moon (!!!), it's also more than up to the job for recreational diving, at least in my experience. (Mind you, space isn't that big of a deal as far as the watch is concerned; diving is the more-arduous challenge, as an underwater depth of more than 10 m causes more of a pressure differential than anything to which it could be exposed on a space mission.)
As I have yet to exceed its depth rating and have no desire to — I get mine periodically tested to 100 m instead of its original 50 m rating — it's also my favourite diver's watch.
It's simply the bomb:
However, if I have to choose a separate watch, my personal favourites among "proper" (i.e. regular ol' non-moon-visiting) diver's watches are the Vulcain Nautical and the 116600 Sea-Dweller.
So here are my personal favourites as the GMT/diver's/chronograph trio:
But the GMT is the only one that has you covered from 100 m below the ocean's surface to 385,000,000 m above it. :D
Last edited by Belligero; 2nd January 2017 at 02:16.
Diver:
GMT:
Chrono:
GMT - Rolex 1655
Diver - AP ROO Driver
Chrono - Zenith 1969
Last edited by pete-r; 2nd January 2017 at 03:32.
GMT - Grand Seiko SBGE001
Diver - SUBc
Chrono - Zenith El Primero 36,000VpH
Interesting choices but is the 1655 even an actual GMT watch though? Yes it shows the time in 24hr format but without a feely adjustable independant hour hand or movable bezel it can't show a second time zone, that feature came in later versions did it not? 16550 I think?
Last edited by Padders; 2nd January 2017 at 10:25.
Dont care, I'll use my phone then. It's achingly cool lol.
Belligero,
Didn't want to cut and paste your detailed post given the size but that was a fantastic read and thank you, I have learnt something this morning.
I haven't ever felt a great deal for the Speedy although I recognise and respect the heritage and of course the quality, perhaps one day.
Many thanks
Paul
^
Thanks for the kind words, Paul — and for having the sense to not quote a long, photo-heavy post! ;)
I'm glad to hear that you found the information useful. I find that the Speedmaster has a lot of charm in real life, but it's completely understandable if it doesn't do much for someone else. Even if it didn't have the benefit of being one of the watches worn for the EVA parts of the moon landings and its crucial role in getting the Apollo 13 mission home safely, I think it's a strong enough design that it would be appreciated as an all-time great watch — though it's likely that Omega would have stopped producing it decades ago in favour of their modern stuff without that bit of publicity.
If you're interested in the heritage and quality aspects of a watch, then I'd recommend checking out the Vulcain Nautical to see if it floats your boat. It's the only watch besides the Seamaster that I can think of which is still produced essentially unchanged from its 1960s design, though unlike Omega, they didn't cut costs on the movement by switching to downgraded versions of it. :P
As it's also 42 mm watch with a domed acrylic crystal, it's more than large enough for modern oversized watch tastes; it must have been gigantic by the standards of 1961!
Despite the exposure it's had from more than one good Hodinkee feature, it remains relatively unknown and highly underappreciated. It's a bit of a time capsule, as the only real difference between the 1961 version and the current production is that the original one used tritium on the dial instead of SL. Quite remarkable, really.
Besides, where else can you get an historic watch with a unique alarm-complication movement like this for what middling companies typically charge for their generic-movement mediocrities?
—Ryan
I'l bite:
GMT. Grand Seiko hi-beat GMT. Unobtrusive and wonderfully well made. Or, Rolex Cellini Dual-Time. Uses traditionally 31.. movement, so very tough, and screw-down crown. Easier to read than the Oyster, and more amusing. Shame they don't offer it in SS. But I suppose that is the point.....
Dive: Rolex Sea Dweller 4000 would do the trick. For me, nicest compromise of the range. Or, if feeling the pinch, a nice cheap Seiko Pepsi. Loads of fun for not much cash. Do you need more for underwater swimming?
Chronograph. The Speedie Pro, because of history, great looks and reasonable price. Or, again if money is scarce, a. Bulova Moonwatch, a bit big at 44mm, but wears well.
GMT: Rolex BLNR
Diver: Rolex SDc
Chrono: Omega Planet Ocean Chrono
All nice new models, none of this old knackered stuff
GMT: Rolex Gmt Master 2. Pepsi. ceramic.
Diver. PP Nautilus Jumbo 5711
Chronograph. PP 5170. Grand Seiko Black Ceramic.
Would be hard pressed to call 5711 a diver!Originally Posted by speedish
Current three favourites from my collection.
GS Hi-Beat GMT
Rolex SD4000
Sinn EZM10
GMT: Rolex BLNR GMT Master II
Diver: n/a
Chrono: Rolex Daytona
GMT
Chrono
Daytona - very hard to read the Chrono function and too precious for a tool / industry environment.
Rolex GMT - one of the better GMT's
Divers - Probably one of the Seiko's like the Orange Monster upwards. Better lume than a sub and not something your going to cry about if the hardex pops or there's water ingress.
Diver
GMT
Chrono
IMHO
z
GMT - 1675
Diver - 1665
Chronograph - I've never owned one but the platinum Daytona is imo the best of them visually.
Fascinating stuff, I never knew about the Rodania, never even heard of it, so thank you for an educational post that will set me (and no doubt others) off on a whole evening of internet research. A great example of why this is my favourite watch forum.
To the original question,
Diver: Rolex Deepsea
GMT: Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel time
Chrono: Omega Speedmaster Pro
Why? It is a 120m.
WR over 100m isn't the only thing that makes a dive watch.
beyond a reasonable water resistance rating, what makes it a dive watch?
Yes, OK. There is no rotating bezel or a helium valve or a divers extension.
The only diving I'm doing is in the city.
GMT - 1675
Diver - 16660 matte dial
Chronograph - sidestepping the speedy pro, I'm going for a vintage universal Geneve tricompax in stainless
Adding a dress watch category would be interesting. Cracking thread!
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The name of the watch was taken from the Jules Verne's novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" where Nautilus is the submariner used by Captain Nemo. It was a lucky choice although the new watch was not actually a professional diver even if it offered a water resistance of 120 metres thanks to the particular structure of the case. In fact, the combination of the wide lugs with the lateral ears provided uniform compression on a rubber gasket that allowed the case to become more resistant to penetration as water pressure increased.
^
Cool — just like the £50 Vostok Amphibia's gasket! :D
Diver - Seiko Tuna (a proper one with a 7549 or 7C46 movement)
GMT - Omega Seamaster GMT
Chronograph - Sinn 142 St
Diver - Submariner No Date
GMT - Explorer II
Chrono - Speedmaster Pro
My favourite iterations of each category...
My current trio are:
Diver - Omega Seamaster Quartz 2664 - robust and economical to run with the quartz movement which also keeps used prices more affordable than the auto 2254 version; very comfortable to wear (10.5mm tall) and fits well under a business short cuff. Has fantastic sword hands which are easy to read in any light - the bevelled edges reflect light when there is any; the superb lume is good enough to light your way to the bathroom at night. And the quick-set hour hand makes it an excellent for travel. Pretty much all the watch you need, but for the want of a chronograph.
GMT - Well, it's hard to beat a Rolex GMT Master II, so after a few tries with more affordable supposed alternatives, I swallowed hard and went for the original and best - a Y-series 16710 from 2003 with lug-holes and solid end links. Now equipped with a choice of black (for discretion); Coke (for at a glance legibility) or Pepsi (for tradition) bezel inserts. It looks good on the OEM bracelet, or on a NATO. Slightly lower profile than the SMP - it's a little smaller - and a watch which represents around 50% by value of my little collection, but which has had 90% of the wear over the last year. It's handy for keeping tabs on local time for family and friends scattered around the world, and unbeatable for travel; and the decent WR coupled with style, but slightly less ubiquity than a Sub, means you can wear it to the beach or for business with equal aplomb.Another One Watch to rule them all.
Chrono - a Grail for the two years it took me to find one, my Fortis Cosmonaut Chrono LE has stayed with me the longest of everything but my RN issued CWC Navigator. The titanium makes the large (44.5mm across x 16mm height) very comfortable to wear, whether on the bracelet or a NATO (head only comes in under 100g). It's about as legible as you can get with a full function day-date chronograph, thanks to the classic Lemania 5100 movement. 200m WR means you can wear it for swimming or diving, and the large display makes for at-a-glance legibility whether in the cockpit of an aerobatic aeroplane or counting down the start of a yacht race. It's hard to know what could replace it - an EZM1 may have even better legibility but lacks the running seconds and the red date letters are pretty much invisible; a Sinn EZM10 or a Breitling M1 have comparable functionality but are ugly.
Those are the three I have now; if they were taken off me and had to be replaced by 3 others, I'd settle for:
Diver - Rolex 1665 Great White
GMT - Omega SMP 2234, for the same sword hands as in the SMP 2264.
Chrono - Speedy Grail 376.0822 (if someone else is paying) or a Breitling M1.
Perhaps one day...
Diver - Blancpain fifty fathoms 8 day tourbillon
GMT - Patek world time 5575g
Chrono - Patek nautilus 5980r
Without over thinking this one, and excluding very rare models...
Diver - Rolex Sub 14060m
GMT - Rolex GMT-2 (coke)
Chrono - Omega Speedmaster 3750
How very original! Need to research and re-think this one!
Diver - Tudor Snowflake Submariner
GMT - Zürich Weltzeit Nachtblau
Chrono - Patek Philippe 5370
Diver: BLANCPAIN FIFTY FANTOMS 45
GMT: ULYSSE NARDIN GMT PERPETUAL
Chrono: BREGUET TYPE XX
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