[UmYeahNo]

I've been a fan of budget Seiko mechanical watches from the 60's and 70's. Most of the time they run well, servicing isn't terribly expensive, and you can get them for usually a few hundred dollars, maybe a grand for a really nice specimen. What's cool about them is you can decipher the serial number [0] to the month and year they were made, so they can commemorate an event, even if it happened a long time ago. But you do have to watch out for counterfeits. [1]

[0] https://retroseiko.com/seiko-serial.htm [1] https://www.watchesguild.com/articles/Fake-Seiko-Watch

Edited to fix grammar

[ilamont]

I am a fan of another Japanese watch brand, Citizen, particularly the Eco-Drive models. Solar powered, very durable, and they look great. Prices range from $100 for basic models to over $3000 for the Hakuto-R (there is some connection to the Japanese lunar mission, https://www.citizenwatch.com/us/en/product/CC4016-75E.html). Most Citizen watches are water resistant as well.

I've had one model running continuously for 12 years. I love never having to charge it or change the battery.

[hiyer]

Eco-drive is awesome. I used to wear an Eco-drive for ~8 years and I never had to charge it or even adjust the time – I doubt it lost more than a minute or so in all that time.

I have a couple of Seiko solar watches now. They're good too but the charging is not as good as the Eco-drive as they charge pretty poorly indoors or in cloudy weather.

As an aside, the most expensive Eco-Drive is now the Eco-Drive One at ~$5400 (https://www.sakurawatches.com/citizen-eco-drive-one-limited-...) - named so as it is only 1mm thick.

[Nition]

Nice. If anyone else happens to be looking for a particularly thin Eco-Drive watch, my watch is an AR1135-10E which is also very thin and much cheaper.

Looks like it's still 40% thicker than the One though.

https://www.citizenwatch.eu/product/ar1135-10e

[helij]

After a search for a perfect watch buying and then selling anything from very cheap to very expensive I ended up with a solar G-Shock square with radio timekeeping. Indestructible, always on and always accurate. The perfect watch.

[Terry_Roll]

I do love a G-Shock, had a few but I do break them, straps usually break but the casing gets scuffed and damaged from time to time, however they are the closest I've found to be indestructible which is why I keep getting them, havent found anything better.

[Nition]

Seconding this. Eco-Drive is great. Keeps accurate time, never needs a battery change or winding. Prices are reasonable, and they come in lots of different styles.

[jacquesm]

I have one of these, a '5' and it still keeps time just fine after many years. It's a completely mechanical watch, no batteries to replace and no frills. It will likely outlive me.

[aidenn0]

I have a "5" that went through two bracelets before dying. At the time Seiko wanted a flat rate ($149 or $199?) to repair. I got a new kinetic for less than that, and I don't have to set the time weekly.

[UmYeahNo]

Seiko 5's are great, rock solid, last forever. My dad handed down his Seiko 5 to me, it was a 1982 model, that still runs like a champ. Take that Apple Watch we'll see if you're still running in 2062.

[Nextgrid]

> Take that Apple Watch we'll see if you're still running in 2062.

To be fair, smart watches would likely last that long if it wasn't for planned obsolescence (via software "updates"), anti-repair practices (such as impossibility to disassemble them and source genuine parts) and vendor lock-in.

[smcl]

I bought a new Seiko 5 that gradually started running faster to the extent that after a couple of years it's now couple of seconds fast every minute. So after a day or so it's pretty far off the actual time. I have an Apple Watch now which is very nice for doing sports or sneakily firing off messages during meetings, but when I got the Seiko I was determined that if it held firm I would use it as long as required. Maybe I should get it serviced, it could be a very easy fix but I felt really let down.

So yeah, seems a little bit YMMV. The Apple Watch has its drawbacks and definitely has a finite lifespan with little hope of repair in the event of a failure, but it doesn't let me down in the one thing a watch is supposed to do.

[Nextgrid]

If you're into watches there are good channels on YouTube that explain watch repair such as the Watch Repair Channel or Wristwatch Revival.

[jacquesm]

You can just take it into a shop and have it regulated, won't take more than a few minutes and it will be good as new again.

[smcl]

I'll give it a go

[adamomada]

This sounds a lot like the watch has been magnetized. First thing to try is degaussing it