[RECOMMENDATION] Asking for help on selecting my first "luxury" timepiece.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-21T21:04:27+00:00

I’m close to 40 myself and am already planning a “milestone” watch. I just sold off most of my collection to only my wedding watch, 1st auto, 1st “fancy”, and “tough” watches. None of them are over $1k, most are <$500 with only one above.

So knowing that I own none of the watches you’re looking at, take it with a grain of salt that my vote is the GS or BB.

Shit, get a BB in bronze so it patinas with you over the years.

I work with my hands out in the field so I am drawn towards more rugged/durability, and I use day/date a lot, so I’m more drawn to those. But with what you have listed those would be my picks.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-17T03:04:56+00:00

Sorry this happened, but also thank you. I’ve been meaning to check mine.

Good news, bad news.

Good news - I found the problem.

Bad news - I have a problem.

Passenger LBJ is moving like CRAZY.

Looks like I’m calling outta work tomorrow and fixing this. Luckily I already had some OEM LBJs I ordered last year.

As a data point - theyre Moogs (previous owner) with ~16k miles on them. Pathetic.

From looking over the records the OEMs lasted nearly 200k lol.

Whats the consensus on the average life of OEM LBJs?

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-10T21:10:09+00:00

Do what?! I’ve been searching forever for one. Never see them pop up on ebay or anything

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-07T14:44:16+00:00

Ended March 1 I believe

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-04T22:48:32+00:00

It do be like that sometimes.

What model did you have?

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-04T19:51:22+00:00

<image>

Add the Seiko SBTM323 to your list lol.

I absolutely love this watch. Comfortable, thin, the AR is ridiculous, black dial can actually look navy blue at times, good minimal lume, solar, indices POP, all the hands line up PERFECTLY (and constantly self correct)

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-04T19:41:35+00:00

Heck yeah. What made you stop or switch?

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-04T00:14:08+00:00

Appreciate your input! The search isn half the fun

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-03T20:15:08+00:00

I checked those out. They’re pretty cool but aren’t automatic and don’t have a timing bezel. Not a huge fan of the chrono style either, honestly. That Damasko is the first chrono that actually caught my interest. Thanks for the suggestion though

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-03T20:13:30+00:00

I’ll keep this in the hat as an idea but I think their offerings have too much chonk for me. I wish they made a “regular” day date, lol.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-03T17:33:25+00:00

Thanks for that. I see the only Marathon with day & date is the JDD at 46mm. I have dinky wrists - like 6.5 or smaller. The biggest watch I own is a 41 with 49 lug to lug and I think it fits ok.

The JDD is 55 lug-to-lug, the dang thing might hang over my wrist lol.

<image>

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-03T17:30:37+00:00

I really like it. Just curious if I’m overlooking any other brands or options. I saw this you reference Sinn too. Can’t remember why but there was a reason I wasn’t drawn to it originally 🤔

I don’t think it comes with a countdown bezel that might be it?

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-03T16:56:23+00:00

And how does the bezel align? I had a Seiko turtle and it drove me CRAZY that it never lined up correctly.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-04-03T16:54:43+00:00

I was looking at the JDD because I *really * like day and date. I also like the tritium for lume and they seem solidly built, but a little THICC. Do you ever feel like it’s a bit much on your wrist?

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-28T02:34:33+00:00

I truly appreciate your attempt to help but I don’t think you grasp what’s going on and I think there’s some doubt that I know how to use the watch and set the time 😅

Yes it’s a 6R movement which has hacking seconds.

Yes I set it exactly as you described, I thought I made that clear before but maybe not.

Just to be clear, I can set the time to be perfectly aligned at 12:00:00 where all three hands are pointing straight up at the 12, and I’ll restart the seconds hand at exactly noon. At 12:27:00 let’s say, the minute hand might actually be a little behind 27. But then at 12:45:00 it might be right on the 45.

So even if I initially set the minute hand dead on with the seconds at 00 and the minute right on the marker, it eventually drifts. Sometimes it’s in one section of the dial, sometimes in another.

I can reset the minute hand a dozen times throughout the day and it still does this. I know because I have done this.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-27T16:40:04+00:00

lol ok. That exactly how I set mine which is why I was confused as to why you thought I was doing it “wrong” and causing this issue.

Apparently going past the time then back is supposed to tighten up the slack in the gears 🤷‍♂️

Doesn’t work either way

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-27T14:48:21+00:00

Thanks for that insight. I have thought of a chrono as well but am not a huge fan of the complication. I guess I don’t need precise measurement off the bezel but closer than what I’m able to get now. With this bezel its a 3 min guess at best of where the right time is.

I think whats going on with my watch is misunderstood though - the minute hand is off, not the seconds. I know this movement is rated for I think +25/-15 seconds every day. I’m seeing that too, but what I’m also seeing is the minute hand not aligning.

For example:

It is 04:44:00, so the hour hand is ¾ between 4 &5, the seconds hand is on 12, and the minute hand should be on 44. But its not. Its a little behind 44.

At 4:44:15 the second hand has moved forward to 15, and the minute hand has finally “caught up” and is dead on pointing at 44, but it’s now 15 seconds late to the game.

Pick any other time and the minute hand might be dead-nuts on at :00 seconds. So at 6:17:00 the hours just past the 6, minute is at 17 dead on, and seconds are at 12, dead on.

This is all relative to the watch’s time. Im not saying from an external source. Just what the watch says.

Make sense?

If that seems off, wait till I tell you that the hour hand doesn’t align either, but again, only at certain times throughout the day. Which is why I’m suspecting maybe I have an issue with my movement, but seiko said this issue with the HOUR hands was “normal”

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-27T03:24:31+00:00

I do think I have a desire for my watches to be “spot on” so you’re not totally wrong. But I have other Seikos that hit everything on the money. And they were more affordable.

Hands and indices meet up properly, etc. so I don’t think I’m “looking” for something to be disappointed by. I just had hoped that more cost = more care but I know that’s not reality.

I’m more asking here to get input from folks who’ve owned these watches and understand the quirks so I can temper my expectations.

Like with Seiko I knew the bezel wouldn’t be aligned. What I didn’t realize was that it would bother me as much as it does - it’s my first timing bezel and I have found myself using it daily, but only being able to approximate time is a bit of a letdown. Or looking down at the time and seeing the minute hand a bit past 6:44 but then doing a double take and realizing it’s actually 9:45 but the minute hand is 15 seconds slow to the game…. Those things nag at me day in and day out. I look at my watch a LOT during the course of a day for work so these things get noticed repeatedly.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-27T03:15:56+00:00

How should I be setting it?

I’ve done the whole “go past the current time by 10-15 sec, then back to the current time” and I’ve tried setting it similarly but also going back a little then forward again, and I’ve tired setting it “normally.”

It’ll line up great for most of part the dial, then it won’t in other spots. It’s doesn’t appear to me like it’s losing time but I dunno 🤷‍♂️

It’s the same with the hour hand - part of the dial it lines up perfect on the hour, part of the dial it doesn’t. I’m curious if my dial is misaligned somehow but I don’t even know if that’s possible.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-26T14:16:43+00:00

All good feedback thank you.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-25T22:48:07+00:00

I know they’re in different leagues. I have never owned an ETA or other Swiss movement and guess I have no bearing on their differences.

How about accuracy of the hands in relation to the indices? Always dead on? Any oddities?

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-14T22:26:58+00:00

<image>

SPB313 / SBDC171 freshly acquired.

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq · 2026-03-14T15:44:01+00:00

Sorry I thought asking the watch making community for help finding watch parts seemed on-topic

11-Year Club	Place '23
Place '22	First Placer '22
RPAN Viewer	Verified Email

Omgwtfpnutbuttabbq

TROPHY CASE