Retired military here. MilSpec simply means that the vendor met the requirements of the solicitation. They delivered exactly what the government specified, the vendor priced, and the government paid for. Everybody complains about their gear, but almost none of them were ever involved in procurement. MilSpec doesn’t suck, but it is a minimum set of requirements.
I was a combat developer for a couple of years for some equipment used in airborne ops. The requirements called for some fairly durable construction for man-packed airborne ops in everything from artic to tropical environments. So that was pretty rugged stuff.
I was in the Navy and from what I understand the QA may be a little more stringent to be MilSpec so it could amount to one extra inspector on the assembly line testing every 10th widget instead of the 30th. So same crap you are just less likely to get damaged crap, but you pay ten times the price lol.
I love atomic too ! It lets the watch do its sole or primary function perfectly ! I suspect the people who down play atomic or make fun of the atomic feature are automatic and or dare I say "perpetual" watch owners who are simply jealous that their expensive (overpriced) time pieces can't compete in what watches were ultimately invented for in the first place. Gordon and the Weasel are no doubt two of them. 😆
The 5610 is epic. Stomps all over my GMT's for practicality and nobody gets mugged for a $100 Casio. Solar means I don't have to worry about the battery going. 5 programmable time zones (including 15 and 30 minute offsets), Stopwatch, countdown timer, multiple alarms. Radio sync works unobtrusively and means perfect timekeeping. And if you want a bit more glitzy, the GMWB5000D hits the mark.
The solar just charges up a capacitor again and again, so eventually the capacitor may go, so you need to worry about that instead of the battery going.
The GMWB5000D in silver is a rugged metal bracelet Casio which has the added blue tooth link to phone option so it can adjust time if you cannot easily get the radio signal to set the time.
Many of the rechargeable solar watches have a rechargeable battery and not a capacitor. For example even though Citizen, at times, calls the power cell a capacitor in the literature, if you look up the part number it is just a Panasonic rechargeable battery, and these rechargeable batteries can go bad if not kept fully charged. @@nicodimus2222
Tissot PRX is my take. The only non digital quartz I wear, plus I have the automatic to switch. Excellent build quality and finishing for either price, can't go wrong with Tissot if you want something long-term.
I got a timex Ironman back when I was in elementary school, I loved it. My very first watch, wore it everyday, never lost it (to the surprise of my older brother) and I still have it 10 years later. It will always hold a special place in my heart and in terms of quality, it lasts.
@@DIYCameraGuy part of the problem is the movement -- It takes up almost the entire diameter of the case, so they really can't shrink it by much. That said, if it was 42mm they definitely would sell way more of them.
The problem with the Flighty is that you-gly bracelet. Take that off, put on a really nice leather strap; and you've got a watch that doesn't look out of place with a blazer or even a suit. If you'd wear a Navitimer dressed, up, you could wear the Flighty. I wear mine on the Bond (Connery) NATO. The Bulova LP is quartz recreation of the mechanical watch Dave Scott wore on the Moon. His watch was a prototype which was never put into production.
Glad to see a prime example of the old adage "opinions are like arseholes- everybody has one!"😂 PS the Bulova Lunar pilot is NOT the original moon watch it is a fantastic Homage (in the correct meaning) of the original mechanical prototype.
Both my Casio Duros' second hands hit their marks perfectly, or close to it, and one of them is also my most accurate quartz watch, within a second a week. The crowns are buttery smooth, the bezels have the right amount of resistance and line up well, so to me the Duro is A-tier. The only thing that holds it back is the shitty factory strap, if it came with a good bracelet it would be S-tier all day.
Indeed no way it's F tier! It's easily C tier if not A tier. The only complaint I have is the date window/date is too small and hard for me to read. But yeah mine also hits the seconds bang on, no issues with the crown the fact it's screw down is a bonus. 200M WR! F tier WTF lol.
I have the Duro as well with none of the issues he mentioned. No problem with the strap either but that is more of a personal preference. "Bang for the Buck" . . . best watch I own.
Nothing like going into Iraq in 04 knowing everything we had was made by the lowest bidder. Mil Spec means nothing to those of us who depended on it down range.
I had the very same conversation at work like 3 days ago about the “MIL-SPEC” title. Don’t let marketing get you all hot and fizzy…. Coming from a prior active duty Marine that still works on a military instillation. Great video Jory, love ya my man!
Recently I started looking at some of Casio Edifice offerings as a good, cheap quartz to be essentially a beater watch for work. Stumbled on both the EFR-S107D and EFR-S108D which are surprising good spec wise for their price. As for a CasiOak, arguably the S108D fits that name better than the G-Shock 2100 does imo.
I have the S108D in black and I'm kinda regretting not getting the white one. It looks beautiful in white. I also have coming an EFV 130D in white, it's like an Edifice Duro
@@TheDonCucaracho I actually just pulled the trigger on the S107D last night. I did like the S108D with the black dial a bit more, but really didn't want an integrated bracelet, as I'll probably throw it on a Barton Elite Silicon eventually.
Keep the Timex's. The Casio Oceanus T200, is a definite S-tier. I know, I know, (whiny voice) "I can't buy it in the USA". A non-issue for me. Followed by the Lineage line. They are THE best bang for the buck on a watch that doesn't use a resin strap. The INOX is an A for me. The best anti-reflective coatings and amazing durability. Personally, I love the overbuild cosmetics. True tool DNA. I'll just also add that atomic/satellite-controlled watches, along with solar power, represent some of the best features of modern horology. A watch you never have to set or adjust that is accurate to 1 sec in 4-million years, with never the wrong day or date and never needs a battery is a real pleasure.
Not a bad list. Personally, I would have the Citizen Nighthawk in the S tier. For 200 bucks it is absolutely beautiful, incredibly well made, tough as hell, and fantastic for any application. aside from the mineral crystal, it is absolutely perfect. My issue is with the Casio 5600. C tier? I’m sorry, but how in the world is a timex expedition better. For a mere 30 dollars more, you get Solar and Atomic, spectacular wearability, and the legendary g shock toughness. Not to mention, you don’t get the annoying timex ticking. I’m not sure what more you can ask from a watch at 90 dollars. The 5600 is an absolute legend, and quite frankly, a watch that I believe every man should own.
Good content! shout out to Mark. Helped me out with an Islander diver slightly out of warranty no questions asked. Stand up guy, stand up company, great value products. He deserves your money
Great vid, good way to interact and piss everyone off ..🤣🤣 I own about 6 from your list and the Seiko Arnie is elite IMO S tier all day ...... and the Duro maaaan F!! Someone sold you a lemon dude give it another chance 🙏..... also I agree with you and Timex Ironman thats a watch I grew up on and cannot fault superb digital 👌..... finally the G Square is defo worth extra 50quid for atomic and solar ...so iconic and from my birth year 😎
There's a Swatch store that sells Moonswatches in San Francisco, that's in California. I know because it's my nearest Swatch store that has them. It's alos over 600 miles from me, so my desire to own a Moonswatch is waning (that's a moon joke).
MILSPEC just means made to certain specifications for the cheapest price possible. That being said, occasionally, a company makes a great product for the government. The GSAR is one of those gems.
Watch reviews are both entertaining and essential to help you make decisions that can be expensive. However, more important are the comments from owners who actually live with the watches long term. Some great opinions here.
Casio Lineage LIW M700. Sapphire, worldtime, alarm, atomic, solar, chronograph, countdown timer, day, date, 100m water resistant. AAND its not digital..i love this thing! Hasn't left my wrist since i got it..except for showers. If you're after a ton of features.. check it out! Also has half decent lume!
Atomic radio time fucking rocks. Shitting on a watch because “maybe in the future someday possibly perchance it might not work” or whining cause you don’t get radio coverage in Antarctica is fucking weak. I’m ranking the Time Teller as an F-Tier reviewer for liking inaccurate watches. It’s 2022, watches were invented 75858394 years ago. Why are you still adjusting the time on your watch?
Certina and Tissot both have a few ETA Precidrive watches that aren’t too expensive from some sellers on eBay that also have their own websites. The cheaper ones are the plainer women’s watches, not too feminine apart from being under 32mm or so, and many are under US$200. It boggles my mind that some of those Certina watches have Powermatic 80 versions that cost considerably more despite being far less accurate. The 80-hour power reserve is bought with a slower frequency and some plastic parts in the movement. I’d rather just replace a battery every few years.
@@kieronw1511 I'm a massive Yema fan. I have a vintage 1960 Yachtingraf that was passed down to me by my dad. It's one of the jewels of my collection so Yema will always have a special place for me.
Hey Jory, How could I shun you about the Timex Expedition. It was because of your review that I bought it, imported it from the USA and saved myself £30. ...And I LOVE it! ...Keep up the good work mate! 👍🇬🇧🙂
Here in south Florida, fringe reception for WWVB time signals, Citizen H145 movements usually but not always sync. In my experience, Seiko is slightly worse and Casio is worst of the big three makers, but this probably varies with the movement and various other factors. I want one of those 5 SPY or 1 SPY Citizen watches but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a watch that has no warranty outside Japan. Thermocompensated quartz ETA movements supposedly are 10 SPY and some pass COSC quartz standards at least: Tissot and Certina have a few models available from U. S. sellers on markdown, but under US$200 you’re stuck with women’s watches. Tissot PR 100 quartz with COSC certification, Certina DS Stella…
I’ve found a few of the G-Shock, Casio, and Timex options on clearance at Walmart. When you get a G-Shock or Ironman for under $20, grab it! Duro, $15, grab it. And TJ MAXX had them from time to time as well. I passed on an INOX for $60. Lol. Oops.
I loved(love) my Bulova Marine Star Alarm. All stainless, classy, great look. Broken twice and would cost more to repair than replace. Never again. My $45 Duro has needed a single battery change in six years and runs fine.
I can almost, almost whole heartedly agree with your rankings here. I have to say that the duro is one of my most worn in my collection. I currently have 26 watches and the dw5600 as well as the lunar pilot are the two most worn of them all. Both offer pretty much everything you could ever need in a daily wear. I'm actually really surprised that you don't own a lunar pilot yet. You should pick one up even if for just a short period because you won't regret it and if you look hard enough you can find them for a really good value. I picked mine up for $250 and it was in like new condition.
Personally if a quartz watch isn't solar I would be very reluctant to put it above C. The newer casioak now has solar. I would give the oceanus t200 honourable mention as it is over $500.
I'm calling foul on the Victorinox INOX ranking so low. You're judging how the watch would feel on a wrist by how it looks. My INOX is almost a daily because it's actually very comfortable...and I wear the paracord strap.
Absolutely right, it wears amazingly comfortable! It wears fine on my small wrist, even though numbers would suggest it doesn't. It should be up there among the absolute best. And if their marketing (130) tests are to be believed (like driving over it with a tank) it's definitely the real deal when it comes to extreme ruggedness.
I love my Bulova 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot, but I wear my Bulova Accutron II Snorkel and Bulova Accutron II Lobster more. They have the Precisionist quartz movement and the second hands tick 16 times per second. They cost less than $500, but re no longer made. I bought mine after they were discontinued.
I love your videos and this is no exception, however the best Quartz in my collection is the Duro. I truly believe you got a dud. Mine has never missed a beat and hits every marker. I wear it more than my Omega Seamaster because of the comments I when it's on my wrist. People can't believe you can buy them for £50. Please please please try another one for that price its gotta be worth it!!! 🙏
As someone who wears a suit and tie every working day, most of my watches need to fit under a normal shirt sleeve. I have a gorgeous Citizen "Stiletto" (like, 3mm thick) eco-drive with a blue dial, and no annoying ticking seconds hand. Maybe the perfect quartz dress watch, but I'm sure you could uncover ones under $500 I'd never considered. With many auto dress watches approaching 13mm thick, I recall my father and a lot of his mid-level executive buddies having gold quartz seikos and whatnot. You already showed your opinion of the tissot prx, but what about other thin quartz dress options? Solar for extra points?
My three favorite quartz watches under $500 in my collection are the Seiko Flightmaster SNA411, Seiko SBDL087 JDM Prospex Chronograph, and the Citizen Navihawk AT.
It takes a war in Ukraine and global warming to accelerate the adoption of renewal energy. But what does it take the watch industry to go green by stopping the sales and production of battery powered quartz watches?
Thank you very much for the video. I am starting to consider an analog watch over a smart watch so this is helpful. I visited Swatch store the other day and saw quite nice looking watches (not the collab with Omega ) for quite affordable prices. Are those worth anything? Also, The first watch you showed is effin ugly LOL…I had one of those as a kid back in the 80’s. Who want to wear it these days? Thanks!
My wife had a Longines flagship quartz watch. It stopped so we thought, battery. 2 watch specialist said the electronics had died. Unrepairable. I bought her a 1980s Ricoh automatic mechanical watch. Beautiful and with a fresh service for $50. She loves its pretty looks. No more expensive quartz watches. I use a $10 Skmei 1412 metal finish . 50m water resistant and with a bright reverse night light. That's plenty to pay for a quartz watch.
I like my 4 o'clock date moonphase with ISA movement. It's got the SWEEP .. I like a simple chrony. That and a great retrodate .. If you know what to look for, flea bay can be a great friend!! You should do a BEST FIND on flea bay video edition. I could show about 8 watches right now that you would really enjoy on the cheap. All swiss made with awesome movements.
Used to wear my Timex ironman on all my runs. Had to laugh on all the running forums when they used to all bang on about garmins and suunatos at the time my runs would outlast their battery life. Great big digits on the ironman, perfect to read at a glance.
Please review the san Martin sn034 with the ronda 6004 .d tough as nails. This watch cant be beat for the price and beats many watches that cost much more just give it a chance pls
I own a number of those watches and the Bulova lunar pilot on black and grey nato strap is increasingly my daily wearer. I wanted to get all 11 moonswatches but will not pay over retail and as my nearest swatch store is over 200 miles away it doesn’t look like I will be getting one. The final nail in the coffin for moonswatch is I have found out this week that the plastic crystal is fused to the case so cannot be changed. This means if you damage the crystal beyond polishing you have to throw it away.
I love my Nighthawk and my Duros, but the best quartz watches in my collection are my E820-driven Eco-Drives (chronographs) and the Eco-Drive Promaster Diver. Both A-Tier for sure.
Enjoyed the vid 👍🏻 I have 2 of those Victorinox I.N.O.X. watches (black dial & blue dial). They don't wear thick at 13.6mm. It's another story when you put the rubber bump guard over the case. At that point it's chunky and has the semblance of a G-Shock.
I agree: not too thick at all, and in general amazingly comfortable. I have a small wrist and it suits me perfectly. They really knew what they were doing when they shaped that case. IMO the only negatives are that the quartz version is the exact same design and look (though it could be a positive too?), and that there are no versions with more complications available.
I think that’s the problem with giving opinion based on looking at pictures and not wearing the watch…21mm lug width though, what were they thinking of?! Love mine, came with horrible coloured brown strap now on a Barton Elite.
@@richardshaw1968 Since I already have some Seiko's with the 21mm conundrum; I have a small inventory of straps and bracelets. My blue dial came with the rubber strap while the black dial came on the bracelet. My only gripe is the bracelet clasp is NOT user friendly.
As well as some others I am very content with my Citizen watch with Atomic Timekeeping and Eco-Drive, they are supporting six Radio-frequencies so it should work fine in the most places, I live in the southeast of Sweden (Gothenburg) and have a constant good connection from Germany. BTW: I am still waiting for you to test some watches from Citizen! You promised that in November! ⌚ It's Time now ⏰!
My 2 favorite quartz watches are the Seiko tuna Marine master and the Chronosport UDT Sea quartz equipped with a Breitling movement aka The Rambo watch ⌚ that I been trying to find in good condition. Hope all is well T3
Active duty military here milspec is trash it just means it meets requirements which are extremely low most stuff doesn't work and if it does it doesn't properly
G 6900 has all the GW 6900 features but without the multiband 6. And it's around $60. I love mine, and it's being tough solar means I don't really need to worry about seal failures related to battery change for about another decade. Why hasn't these model catches on is beyond me, it's only about $10 more than the stock DW 6900.
My job requires me to use Zulu time (UTC) and so I love having an atomic watch because I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I will have the most accurate time on my wrist. I can be +/- 4 seconds, but why would I want that when I can have the most accurate time I can get? And when I’m out in the field, I never have to worry about my watch dying because it’s solar. Win/win.
I wonder if you got a fake Casio Duro (apparently this is a real thing... I've seen a few videos claiming fake Duros being sold)? In the multiple examples I've come across (including the one I own), the second hand hits all the marks, the bezel action is smooth, the watch is clean, and the crown screws down smoother than any of my Seikos. Also, I'm not sure how you can criticize the Duro strap that is better than most G-Shock ones. My example keeps better time (+1.5 s/month) than my Seiko and Swiss quartz watches.
I would like to experiment with a solar / Eco Drive but I am worried about the price of a replacement battery. Should I just stick to straight quartz if I want as a watch that will last the longest with the lowest cost of ownership & lowest maintenance? I ask because I was in shock at the price of a replacement capacitor for my Seiko Sportura.
Integrated bracelets are a crime against horology! Been looking for a replacement bracelet for my Oris Artelier now for ten years. No luck. Oris could care less!
I have the GWM-5610. I love the solar power aspect of it, but the atomic clock feature is pretty worthless. I don't regret buying it, but I don't feel like it's a $100 watch. I would say $75 or $80.
The timex solar expedition that I bought is built incredibly cheaply. Mine literally started disintegrating (needle falling out, being behind several minutes, second hands not aligning the dial marks). I would not wear it if someone paid me to do so.
Very interesting point about the Arnie/Tuna-Lite's "composite" (plastic?) shroud, horrible and ruined what could've been a really decent affordable Tuna. I love Tunas, but there a little bit expensive for me, so I got myself a SNE497 with the intention of modding it. Garbage bracelet and tinny clasp, cheapo and ineffective shroud, awful laminated (plastic?) bezel insert all removed and replaced with quality stainless steel replacements. Cost me a little under $200. Would I have paid $600 for it finished like that from Seiko? Well I'm guessing they'd be able to do it for less and I absolutely would have paid $500 for it. Solar powered watches rock, very practical for a dive watch, treated correctly should be years before the case back needs to be removed. Seiko dropped the ball on this one. Mind you, still time for them to do a $750 Limited Edition...
