Q. Gonzo!

It’s been a while I’ve been following your posts. No, not that I just passed by them leisurely; I too drool an outcome. But as I presume, this is just one of those queries that will end up in your mailbox-Trash after being answered and I don’t regret that. You help me with my transition choice and you’ll forever have my gratitude.

Something I must tell you here. I’m totally a battery-quartz guy so far with my newly acquired knowledge on the higher-end quartz mechanisms (solar and kinetic; spring-drive et al) which makes the choice harder. The world-time is a feature that fascinates me!

However, I’m not looking to buy any of those for the time being; I guess I need to read a bit more before I turn to you again. My real concern this time is a plain, Swiss mechanical piece; something that doesn’t blow a fanfare for someone entering into a wholly different world. I also need to stay within a thousand dollars. So, I can do without a classy one, if needed.

Hope my question is a pertinent one, so expecting reply.

A.

There’s a Tissot review you’ll find here. If that doesn’t do, I suggest you Hamilton. You get an American style built with Swiss precision. It’s a bit of the American railroads history and bit about the memories of the U.S. troops in World War II.

Hamilton is a part of the Swatch Group now; its funds, facilities and merchandising are Swatch’s headaches. The Hamilton craftsmen; therefore, devote solely to the art of watch-making, minus any distraction. Moreover, it’s an esteemed and well-known Swiss name that doesn’t kill your wallet. Max, it scratches; sometimes a little deep but you can bear with that much pain.

The kind that will suit you perfectly – as far as I could make out – is the Khaki Aviation. They are clean, uncomplicated and relatively inexpensive. The H76665835 is a fine example; it’s a relatively lightweight and compact automatic watch. There are a few more of this kind in different sizes, colours, movements and sub-designs; however, please check them yourself and see if you like one.

The one I mentioned is particularly like-able for its automatic movement, brushed finish, black dial………and – a v-e-e-e-r-y casual-looking Olive/Green leather strap. There’s a clear sapphire case-back showing the gears inside, hard-at-work! The surprise is, in every way it exceeds the expectations one might have towards a budget Swiss and it’s also unusual and casual – with an almost steam-punk vibe – and the heavy-thread stitching plays a large part in that. It makes a statement without being gaudy or cumbersome, so go the whole hog and take pride in this automatic!

Watch(es) mentioned in this post are listed below. Click to see details and buy them:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *