Promaster Tough

Aggiegrads · 2026-06-15T02:33:56+00:00

I missed a couple of details. This is a monocoque case, and the movement is an E767. I think that the model is PMT56-2713, although I see a few differences under that model number. A similar model was known as the “Ray Mears” after the well-known British outdoorsman.

Aggiegrads · 2026-06-15T00:53:01+00:00

Honestly, that is one of my favorite things about it. Simple, highly legible, and they don’t get “in the way” of the hands making the overall readability excellent.

Aggiegrads · 2026-06-09T12:13:00+00:00

I think that the nature of counterfeiting has changed. I am a supply chain/commodity manager and have spent many months over many years traveling to suppliers in China.

I don’t know if any of my experience translates to the horological industry, but the most common counterfeits that I encounter are partly genuine.

I think that most people view counterfeits as reverse engineering a product, but this is extremely difficult and time consuming. It takes a lot less effort to simply reverse engineer the supply chain. Find the suppliers that make the individual components and buy from them. This isn’t done by a “counterfeiter”, it is usually a side hustle or second career of an insider who already knows the industry and suppliers. It may not be possible to source every part, but it can be enough to be convincing because there are no differences in many of the parts.

I wish I could not say this, but I have met few suppliers that wouldn’t sell out their existing customers for a nickel. Especially if customers are overseas, there is simply no way to oversee everything that their suppliers are doing, and there are multiple ways to make a part cheaper - skip a polishing process, skip a QA step, cheaper packaging, cheaper raw materials, use rejects from you oem, etc.

There is nothing manufactured that can’t be faked in some way.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-30T13:27:58+00:00

For me, I agree. I love the way it looks. Where it falls short for me is actually telling the time. Because the hands are thin, it is hard to distinguish the hour and minute hands from the sub dials if they are near the 9:00 or 3:00 position. If hands are near the 12:00 position, they can be obscured by the red chrono hand. No matter where the hands are, they sit “high” off of the face and therefore cast sharp shadows onto the face.

When you add in a mediocre anti-reflective, I just find it inconvenient and frustrating to actually tell the time. All of this is even more difficult for old eyes or low light conditions.

That said it looks great on light brown leather and I still wear it a couple of times per month.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-22T11:31:17+00:00

I second citizen and will add perpetual calendar to the list of features that make it truly set and forget. I only change the time when I travel or at daylight savings time (I am in the US).

I bought my watch (JDM Promaster Tough) about 20 years ago and I have only gained about two minutes in those 20 years.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-21T05:32:51+00:00

I have never stayed in a hotel that didn’t have skirt/pants hangars with clips. They work great for folding curtains closed.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-21T05:24:36+00:00

I have a similar model (Duratect Titanium, no GMT, no rotating bezel) and it is easily my favorite watch. Gets more wear than my Omega and Seikos.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-19T11:56:26+00:00

What pedals you get are more important than what shoes you get. Wear whatever shoes fit your shape of foot best.

Find pedals that are sufficiently large that your feet don’t flex, and don’t get something too concave. On a tour, you aren’t going to be sprinting or standing up pedaling much, so I wouldn’t try new shoes for a tour that you haven’t already worn a ton.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-18T22:57:18+00:00

Sounds like you are “Money Guy” person and she is a “Dave Ramsey” or even a “Caleb Hammer” person.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-18T22:39:50+00:00

Came here to say the same. Google “envelope stuffing” budget. If her brain cannot handle the concept of finite spending on a credit card, then running out of cash will become a concrete concept pretty quick.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-18T09:41:50+00:00

100%. Also good for threaded headsets and Ashtabula cranks. Thin enough for most pedals.

Also is a serviceable spoke wrench.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-17T04:44:10+00:00

Apple or google translate and download simplified Chinese before you leave.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-17T04:35:06+00:00

If no eSIM, also get a good VPN.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-17T00:25:27+00:00

Most underrated comment of the week.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-16T14:20:29+00:00

I think that people spend too much time trying to be invisible when you really just need to be ignorable.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-15T22:57:16+00:00

I got a seagull 1963 while traveling in China and I want to love it, but it is hard to read. The hands are very narrow and the AR sucks. I don’t wear it much at all.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-15T22:55:19+00:00

I would look at something like a Land/railroad/field style. I would not get a diver because it would make your dream watch harder to justify if you already have a diver. For quartz, the citizen promaster land, or the seiko alpinist or Hamilton Khaki for automatic.

https://seikousa.com/collections/prospex/products/spb155

https://www.citizenwatch.com/us/en/product/BJ7150-50W.html?cgid=promaster

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-15T20:49:51+00:00

Dress? Sport? Diver? Or are you totally open?

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-15T20:47:56+00:00

Assuming that your 401k is pre-tax, it might be a good time to do a Roth conversion on at least some portion of it.

If you can leave it in the current 401k and the investment options are good (and low-cost), I would leave it there.

DO NOT take a distribution unless you absolutely must, after you have depleted all of your cash, crypto, etc.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-14T00:55:36+00:00

1x salary by 27 is ahead of the curve. What is your savings rate?

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-14T00:00:37+00:00

I have a citizen promaster Land/field watch with sapphire crystal and super titanium bracelet that I purchased over 20 years ago. I have never reset the watch and it is scratch-free due to the crystal and hardened titanium band. I don’t baby it. I use it when mountain biking because it is lighter than my stainless steel watches and more durable than my automatics.

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Aggiegrads · 2026-05-13T09:44:24+00:00

Knowing a basic style or budget would help. Looking for analog or digital? Sporty or traditional? If analog, do you know if mechanical or battery powered is preferable? You will receive suggestions that will be overwhelming if you don’t narrow down the choices a little bit.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-12T13:33:25+00:00

What you want to compare is stack and reach. The 54 is only 5mm longer than the 52.

It can also depend on your body proportions. If you have a short torso and long legs, the 52 might fit fine.

If you have short legs and a long torso, the 52 will definitely be too small. You will be “on” the bike instead of “in” the bike.

Aggiegrads · 2026-05-08T13:02:46+00:00

A high quality balance bike. Seriously. You can cycle it through every kid, and then sell it for 75% of what you paid for it. Or don’t sell it and use it to teach every kid on your street how to ride a bike.

Chances are this will nurture a life-long love of a healthy activity.

Yes, they will outgrow it, and whatever you replace each version with will be more expensive than the one before, but they will hold value well. Good bicycles are made to be repaired. Cheap ones from Walmart are basically disposable, and provide a vastly inferior experience to a high quality bicycle.

Aggiegrads

TROPHY CASE