What wristwatch is most comfortable to wear?

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FMX
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04 Jan 2015, 6:07 pm

It's a relatively minor annoyance, but my crappy watch keeps riding down my wrist, so I have to adjust it, unless I make it really tight (which is also uncomfortable). Do you have a watch that you can wear for long periods of time and totally forget you're wearing it? What kind of watch is it or, more specifically, what kind of strap/bracelet does it have?


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StarTrekker
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04 Jan 2015, 10:43 pm

This is the watch I wear:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Armitron-Unis ... h/38646011

I have very small wrists (less than 6 inches in circumference) so it's very difficult to find anything that fits. Notched all the way up, this one is still a little loose, but it's not floppy and annoying like some I've had. It's very lightweight, and the strap is made of a soft, almost rubbery plastic. The battery lasts about a year (I've had mine since Christmas 2012 and have changed it twice; costs about $6.50 per battery). The watch face is pretty small, about 3/4 of an inch across, but it works well for someone of my size, not too big and clunky. If you have sensory problems regarding the strap getting wet like I do, the plastic dries really easily if you take it off and wipe it down.


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progaspie
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05 Jan 2015, 1:09 am

StarTrekker wrote:
This is the watch I wear:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Armitron-Unis ... h/38646011

I have very small wrists (less than 6 inches in circumference) so it's very difficult to find anything that fits. Notched all the way up, this one is still a little loose, but it's not floppy and annoying like some I've had. It's very lightweight, and the strap is made of a soft, almost rubbery plastic. The battery lasts about a year (I've had mine since Christmas 2012 and have changed it twice; costs about $6.50 per battery). The watch face is pretty small, about 3/4 of an inch across, but it works well for someone of my size, not too big and clunky. If you have sensory problems regarding the strap getting wet like I do, the plastic dries really easily if you take it off and wipe it down.


I also find rubbery plastic wrist bands better to wear than the more expensive leather or metal wrist bands. They hold onto your wrist better and don't slip as much when you wear it loosely than a loosely worn metal band. Leather bands absorb moisture and end up smelling after you wear them too many times in a row. Tightly worn metal bands grip into your skin too much and are uncomfortable to wear. Another alternative is to wear a cloth band, but you don't see too many of these around.
As for the size of the watch face, that depends both on your stature (are you a big person or a small person? The bigger you are the bigger your watch face should be) and your ability to read the watch face if you don't have good eyesight.



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05 Jan 2015, 1:54 am

I like my Swatch. When I have the spare cash I'll buy one of their self-winding Sistem51 models but at least mine is the same shape & colors. It's been really tough and although I prefer analog, I got a Fitbit charge for xmas and it's pretty nice.


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FMX
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05 Jan 2015, 3:51 am

Interesting point, I don't think I've worn a rubber band watch since I was a kid and I don't remember what it was like. Might be worth trying again.

I'm a regular-sized adult male with good eyesight, so other than comfort I don't really have any special requirements for a watch.

The idea of sistem51 sounds cool (only 51 parts!), but the dial looks way too confusing for me! It would take me a good 3 seconds of staring at it to tell the time every time.


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ToughDiamond
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05 Jan 2015, 3:05 pm

I tolerate a watch with a rubbery plastic strap, but it slightly annoys me. I don't like the feeling of the non-porous plastic on my skin, and the holes for the buckle are too far apart, so I have to set it a bit too tight or a bit too slack. So I'd prefer a watch strap made of something porous and soft, with a continuously-adjustable buckle so I can set the tightness just right.

The readout isn't all that good either - just a small LCD with black characters on a grey background. The backlight doesn't make it much more visible either. So I'd prefer something bigger and clearer. I'd like multiple alarms too, but I don't think a suitable keyboard exists for typing in time-related memos. I had one that did that, and it was great as far as it went, but too fiddly to make my life any easier overall.



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05 Jan 2015, 6:33 pm

If you don't mind something over $200 on your wrist all day you might consider Android Wear... (not that I've tried it, even though I'm a developer :roll: )


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05 Jan 2015, 6:44 pm

http://smile.amazon.com/Skagen-SKW6052- ... rds=Skagen


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cberg
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05 Jan 2015, 9:06 pm

tall-p wrote:
http://smile.amazon.com/Skagen-SKW6052- ... rds=Skagen


Behind Swatch they're my 2nd favorite, never had one yet though.


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06 Jan 2015, 12:58 am

tall-p wrote:
http://smile.amazon.com/Skagen-SKW6052- ... rds=Skagen
cberg wrote:
Behind Swatch they're my 2nd favorite, never had one yet though.
I have had a Skagen for over ten years now. I think it may be the thinest watch on the market. The band is infinitely adjustable too, so you can size it exactly how you like it.


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ICollectWatches
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06 Jan 2015, 4:50 am

I think I'm required to participate in any thread about watches :) I own dozens of them and hang out in a forum of watch enthusiasts.

What's comfortable for one person isn't for another, but it sounds like your primary concern is that it stay put without being too tight. That's a tough one. I think what you need is a lightweight, thin watch with a strap that fits perfectly.

If you have a strap that you like but you are "between holes", you might be able to fix that by replacing the buckle. If you have a short buckle, replace it with a long one, or if you have a long buckle, replace it with a short one. Let me know if you want more info on that.

A high-quality metal bracelet will have fine adjustment for better fit. I find that a well-fitting metal bracelet is more comfortable than a leather strap. But the most comfortable of all is silicone or rubber. Except that a sweaty rubber strap is an icky tactile experience IMO :) They all have advantages and disadvantages. Also google "nato watch strap" for another option. Not all watches can be worn on NATO straps, though. I don't particularly like them. My avatar is a watch on a NATO strap (though it's not mine).

The watch itself is an important part of comfort, if you're picky about it sliding to the wrong part of your wrist. A lightweight watch won't press so hard when it's out of place. And a thin watch won't catch on sleeves as much as a thick one. A small watch will fit a small wrist better than a large one. The last point seems obvious, but the current trend is for large watches, unfortunately.



MjrMajorMajor
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06 Jan 2015, 6:16 am

I have a Timex sports watch, with a fabric band. I kept ending up with rashes with other materials.



QuantumChemist
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06 Jan 2015, 8:49 am

ICollectWatches wrote:
I think I'm required to participate in any thread about watches :) I own dozens of them and hang out in a forum of watch enthusiasts.

What's comfortable for one person isn't for another, but it sounds like your primary concern is that it stay put without being too tight. That's a tough one. I think what you need is a lightweight, thin watch with a strap that fits perfectly.

If you have a strap that you like but you are "between holes", you might be able to fix that by replacing the buckle. If you have a short buckle, replace it with a long one, or if you have a long buckle, replace it with a short one. Let me know if you want more info on that.

A high-quality metal bracelet will have fine adjustment for better fit. I find that a well-fitting metal bracelet is more comfortable than a leather strap. But the most comfortable of all is silicone or rubber. Except that a sweaty rubber strap is an icky tactile experience IMO :) They all have advantages and disadvantages. Also google "nato watch strap" for another option. Not all watches can be worn on NATO straps, though. I don't particularly like them. My avatar is a watch on a NATO strap (though it's not mine).

The watch itself is an important part of comfort, if you're picky about it sliding to the wrong part of your wrist. A lightweight watch won't press so hard when it's out of place. And a thin watch won't catch on sleeves as much as a thick one. A small watch will fit a small wrist better than a large one. The last point seems obvious, but the current trend is for large watches, unfortunately.


I agree. Higher quality watches tend to give a better fit than lower end ones. Years ago, I inherited an old, beat-up Rolex Submariner and it was the most comfortable watch for me. However, I cannot justify wearing something like that around other people, plus it can be damaged in my laboratory. So, I wear a stainless steel Seiko for everyday use. That way, if something happens to it, it can be replaced on the cheap.



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06 Jan 2015, 11:16 am

ICollectWatches wrote:
What's comfortable for one person isn't for another, but it sounds like your primary concern is that it stay put without being too tight. That's a tough one. I think what you need is a lightweight, thin watch with a strap that fits perfectly.


Ha! I knew there had to be someone here whose special interest is watches! :D

Yes, I think you're spot on. I wasn't really thinking about the weight of the watch itself, but now that you mention it, it makes perfect sense. My previous watch had a metal bracelet and, from memory, sliding down was less of a problem than with my current fabric strap, but still a problem. It was heavy, though.

So maybe if I can get a light watch with a metal strap it would be alright. (Luckily, I don't care about "current trends" or people questioning my masculinity.) What do you think of the "mesh" straps, like the one on the Skagen watch posted earlier?


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ICollectWatches
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
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07 Jan 2015, 9:05 am

FMX wrote:
What do you think of the "mesh" straps, like the one on the Skagen watch posted earlier?


Some of them are awesome, some not so much. I had a Skagen with a glossy black mesh strap and it was awful. It felt sticky, the edges were rough and it didn't lie on the wrist at the point it attached to the watch. I had a Hamlin that looked more like that Skagen and it was alright.

Hamlin and Skagen are sold in department stores, so you may be able to try one on. I'm pretty sure Macy's sells Skagen.

There are aftermarket mesh bands you can get for any watch with standard lugs. Lugs are those things that stick out from the watch that the strap attaches to. If you can see four of them and the strap attaches between them with a pin (called a spring bar) then they're probably standard lugs. That Skagen doesn't have them. Your current watch might.