Crown at 4 o'clock ?

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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
I used for a decade a cheap wrist watch that was looking pretty similar to a Rolex Submariner. Now I need to replace it somehow and slowly start to think about the options which are out there.

Of course it should be waterproof and shockproof, if possible it should have a steel bracelet or a plastic webbing strap or even a rubber band.

But the most important seems to me:

It should have the crown at 4 o'clock to prevent pressure on the back of the hand.

Because the crown on the 3 I found really disturbing at my old model. It was really impossible to swing an axe when wearing it. And also in other situations the crown stiches into the back of my hand what was pretty uncomfortable.

So I would like to learn something about wrist watches that have the crown at 4 o'clock and aren't so horrible large.

Which models do you know?
Did you use them and can tell me something about them?

Because this problem has the axe swinging millionaire as well as the axe swinging student I would like to get informations about all existing models you know, the cheapest as well as the most expensive and perhaps best ones.

If they are relatively small please mention it, because this lowers the problem too.

I mean watches approximately looking like this relatively small German made divers watch here:

Sinn U 50

 

C_Claycomb

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New version of Seiko 5 Sports. New can be had around the £230 mark. 100m. 4 o'clock crown.

Second hand Seiko SKX007

I don't actually have either, but I have been loaned them, and have other Seikos with crowns at both 3 and 4. The Sports have been down graded a little so are not true dive watches now, but 100m is plenty for me.



 
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C_Claycomb

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What kind of money are you hoping to get away with spending? For a long time I didn't want to spend more than £100 on a watch, then a friend of mine got involved and now have a few watches that are much more than that. Seems that there are very nice working watches in the £200 - £400 range. That said, when I go to my workshop or do gardening or DIY, I put on my £86 Casio. For camping outings, I like my Seiko SKZ211 Land Shark, which while being a little heavy and bulky, has good lume, day/date and cost me just £120 when I was visiting Hong Kong. The lume on the Casio is nigh on worthless. A higher grade lume is used on the Seiko dive watches than on most of their land based models.

If you ever watch Youtube, there is a wood worker called Chris Schwarz who can be seen planing away wearing a Sinn 104, which is a £1000 watch :eek3:
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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It depends a bit on how the Covid 19 / Corina Virus things continue because I am an event and concert manager with currently more free time than it's good for the wallet.

Currently I tend to buy a pink plastic girls watch from Aldi if I would buy now.

But it's also possible that I will buy the Sinn U 50 if the circumstances become normal.

Possible too, that I simply sell something now and buy such a Seiko from the money, if you recommend it. I own enough of stuff I don't need and have a lot of time to get rid of it.

So the price range is pretty unsure.

Regarding other equipment I usually think, that it's a fault to set a price limit with the first question, because often one makes a better deal with the more expensive stuff in the long run. Of course not always...



I found an even cheaper one from Seiko, it seems to be less waterproof but has the crown on the 4.
Seiko military
SNK 805 K2

 

C_Claycomb

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Yeah, that Seiko Military looks good. Not what I would want, but that is to do with size of markings and lume, but for day use, if your eyes are good, it would be a good choice.



One word of warning on particularly cheap deal watches (not sure if its particularly Seikos) from the internet, they might be shipped direct from Asia. I have heard some people have bad experiences, say if their watch doesn't work properly, and the usual risks of international shipping. A quick check of that particular site brought up these old threads. Not saying don't use them, just saying to check whoever you use out.

.

 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Oh thank you for the reviews!

Do you have such reviews for the Seiko 5 Sports too?
Does it have a screw crown?

The black or green version of the Seiko 5 Military is better visible, because the hands are framed white and contrast with the dark leaf. The hands look larger and like that the shape is better visible.

(I noticed that the black version has the day/date rings in black. One reason why it looks more elegant too.)

I personally would buy it in a real clock maker's shop in a real street anyway.
 
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C_Claycomb

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....
Do you have such reviews for the Seiko 5 Sports too?
Does it have a screw crown?
....

I am sure Google can provide reviews, which is how I found the ones I posted. I do remember seeing quite a few when the new 5 Sports were released and my friend was all excited about them.
To save time...this should tell you all you need, and more. No, the crown does not screw down...and you will have to decide how important that really is to you, given that they are still 100m rated.

 
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Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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Thank you!

Without regarding the costs, I ask myself if the Seiko 5 military isn't for bushcraft use the better option.

The Seiko 5 sport has the far better watch face. It's designed absolutely clear and well visible. And it's waterproof to 100 m.
The crown is protected against shocks from the side.

But the Seiko 5 military is a bit smaller and the small crown is pretty deep hidden too.
I guess that's better if using a full size axe and more comfortable in daily use.
But it's only waterproof to 30 metres.

Do you think, that's enough if wearing it for swimming and under the shower, also in the long term?


If you think it's OK for that, I tend to buy the green or black Seiko 5 military because it's smaller, lighter, far cheaper and especially the crown is nearly hidden away.


I mean it costs under 100 €, the risk can be calculated. Both aren't real expedition watches anyway. And as long as one stays in Europe one could run to the watchmaker to dry it out should really water enter there.
 

TLM

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I am after the current issue automatic watch of Russian military Ratnik 6E4-1, the problem is that specs are mostly not available but from the few found impact is not the way you are going to break this one. The crown is on the left.
 
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C_Claycomb

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The question on what you can do with a 30m rated watch rages on. Some say you can't wear in the rain, others say you are fine swimming (not diving). There is also a question about whether the seals degrade over time. I take all my watches off for showering, just because. Why get water deposite and soap on my watch when I can take it off and put it 1m away from me? If I was going to be swimming a lot I might want more than 30m rating, but if I was just going to swim occasionally, or maybe fall out of a canoe, I wouldn't worry.

You really need to be asking these questions on watch forums, or reading up there. That is where you will find most of the answers.

My own dive experience is very limited, I took a 100m rated little Casio G-Shock down to 23mm, about 6 months from new. I used to get my Casio calculator watch with 50m rating wet all the time.

I would expect a military type watch to be able to cope with a rainy day, or a little swimming, otherwise it is really just a fashion watch!
 
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Erbswurst

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Mar 5, 2018
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I personally use for traveling for my job regularly showers on camping grounds where the risk to throw the watch on the ground is pretty high. So I prefer to wear it under the shower. In such cases I also don't leave it in the tent.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
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Did some additional reading on Ratnik watch, apparently one has to be somewhat careful which version to order and accept.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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I bought after the reunification a Poljot watch. It was great but after 2 years stopped working.
They bought swiss tools in the quartz crisis, but it simply isn't the same quality.
 

Wushuplayer

Tenderfoot
Aug 16, 2020
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Thank you!

Without regarding the costs, I ask myself if the Seiko 5 military isn't for bushcraft use the better option.

The Seiko 5 sport has the far better watch face. It's designed absolutely clear and well visible. And it's waterproof to 100 m.
The crown is protected against shocks from the side.

But the Seiko 5 military is a bit smaller and the small crown is pretty deep hidden too.
I guess that's better if using a full size axe and more comfortable in daily use.
But it's only waterproof to 30 metres.

Do you think, that's enough if wearing it for swimming and under the shower, also in the long term?


If you think it's OK for that, I tend to buy the green or black Seiko 5 military because it's smaller, lighter, far cheaper and especially the crown is nearly hidden away.


I mean it costs under 100 €, the risk can be calculated. Both aren't real expedition watches anyway. And as long as one stays in Europe one could run to the watchmaker to dry it out should really water enter there.

How do you view the time when is dark? Do the hands and numbers glow in the dark?
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
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Berlin
I think you charge them with light and they glew a relatively short time after it.

Earlier models had been as bright as radioactive. I think expensive ones nowadays glew themselves without being dangerous but I am unsure about it.

But in my opinion it doesn't matter for bushcraft use. If it's dark I should sleep or sit by the fire instead of running around and stich twigs in my eyes or break a leg or another bone.
A watch is for a bushcrafter mainly interesting to choose the place for a camp one hour before sunset, for navigation using the sun, and to catch the last bus in time.

But of course in the daily life of bushcrafters we often need a watch but might do bushcraft things around the house as well.

I for example do not swing my axe on foreign ground, but I use it pretty often.
 

C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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I like to be able to see my watch hands and numbers in the dark, so that when I wake up at some ungodly time before dawn with cold feet or a full bladder, I can see just how little undisturbed sleep I managed to rack up! :lmao:
Modern dive watches will hold a glow all night, without being radio active. The Seikos should be reasonable, although Field Watches are less bright than Dive Watches. Tritium illuminated watches are even better, but I do not know of any that fit the other requirements listed.
 
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