I am working on my PhD mainly doing lab work. When I first started, I bought a Tissot LeLocle Powermatic 80, which I absolutely love. However, in the lab, there’s a lot of hazards for an automatic and I started taking it out fairly often. Is there an automatic that’s not too expensive (ideally under 500 but sub 1000€ at most), somewhat magnetic and shock resistant? Been thinking that I’d like to get a Diver, but not a prerequisite
Thanks for your help, cheers!
I’d probably go with a Casio F91W, or even a Casio calculator watch. They should take a beating, and even if you destroy one, you’re only out $15-20. They’re both classics in their own right.
If you want to spend a little more, a G-Shock is another option, as others mentioned.
I’m not sure what you’re doing in the lab and assume you have other ways to time things if needed, but a watch like one of these would be much more accurate for quick timing than any automatic.
If you must have an automatic now, I’d go with some like like a Seiko 5, assuming it can withstand what you’re doing in the lab. Looking up the Tissot, it seems like it’s around $800. If you’re taking that off, I assume you’d also take something off in the $500 range. Sometimes you just need a watch that’s cheap enough you don’t care about it, so you can focus on what you’re doing. I think it’s worth being honest with yourself on what the price point is where you can break it and not care, as it sounds like that’s a real risk.
Save the $500-1000 to put toward a Rolex Milgauss or something (if you’re doing electronics) for when you get your PHD.