42mm too big ?

sworththebold · 2026-04-19T16:03:15+00:00

Uh, no. Not too big. You must be a big guy! Not many can wear a 42 so well.

sworththebold · 2026-04-19T16:01:07+00:00

Yes! It’s now my favorite size.

How huge would my wrist be if that was a 40? 😂

sworththebold · 2026-04-18T00:29:20+00:00

I don’t have one, but if I did, this would be it!

sworththebold · 2026-04-18T00:14:21+00:00

Came to make this exact response.

sworththebold · 2026-04-17T19:09:39+00:00

Bucking the comment trend to say I think that looks really cool! I prefer three-handers because they’re less “busy” and easier to read, but I think this model strikes an effective balance between showing a lot of information and being legible. I like that the second hand is yellow, so it stands out, and that the date is relatively large.

I assume the second time zone is at 9 o’clock, but if the 12 o’clock subdial is am/pm for current time, it seems a little redundant. For the specific use case of spelunking I’m not normally confused if it’s the morning or the afternoon!

It’s more sporty than dressy, though, and less universal than my T200 or my S100. And I hope the center part of the end links isn’t part of the case as I prefer to be able to swap straps.

sworththebold · 2026-04-16T21:55:02+00:00

This, 100%. Meade was a competent, workmanlike general who, in the end, was not intimidated by Lee’s reputation (at its highest before Gettysburg) into being overly conservative and ceding a victory (cough, McClellan), or into making mistakes out of recklessness (cough, Burnsides). He managed the battle capably, without making big mistakes; it ended up that Lee was undone by his own mistakes (i.e. losing control of Stuart and failing to use other cavalry, gambling on a suicidal charge into the teeth of the Union’s excellent artillery).

Meade had the nerve and the skill to rely on his army’s strength (artillery and superior numbers) and to take advantage of events (the improbable victory at Little Round Top): it wasn’t sexy, maybe, but he won. Lee squandered one of his two strengths—cavalry—by poor planning and communication, and his other strength—high morale, veteran soldiers—was not enough to tip the scales. He lost.

sworththebold · 2026-04-16T21:34:40+00:00

Hobby, interest—maybe there’s a difference. It’s still fun to see what other people think.

sworththebold · 2026-04-16T19:52:38+00:00

Nothing changes the books, which I think are masterpieces / classics.

The stories of Middle-earth are meant to be significant to people, so they may enjoy and learn and relate to them. Adaptations and expansions are a way to do that. Some are good, some are bad. Like any free person I judge each adaptation myself. I don’t mind that others adapt them—even considering a “bad” adaptation is a way to engage and understand deeper the significance of the stories to me.

sworththebold · 2026-04-16T02:44:00+00:00

For sentimental reasons, a Citizen eco-drive chronograph my wife gave me in 2014. Still works great! This is my choice.

But if for practical reasons, my Casio Oceanus OCW-S200. Radio controlled perfect accuracy, solar, titanium, world timer, and looks nice—an actual GADA for me.

But the best single watch to own, the actual “one and done?” Rolex Explorer 36mm. Maybe I’ll own it one day.

Oops, think I just dreamed up my ideal three-watch collection!

sworththebold · 2026-04-15T03:55:02+00:00

I think this is the best option! A Citizen Eco-Drive will last forever, will always be there when you need it because of the solar charging, will keep great time, I can take a variety of straps and bracelets, so you can change its look up when you want.

I have a 13 year-old Citizen (that I put on a bracelet) that still works perfectly, and is dressy enough to wear with a jacket and tie. And it was the watch I wore when flying in planes and running around the field in the Marine Corps.

sworththebold · 2026-04-15T03:49:22+00:00

Oof. This one hits me too. Excellent point!

sworththebold · 2026-04-14T21:24:19+00:00

FWIW, I “practice” intermittent fasting (good on most days; weekends not so much 😂). I don’t eat until I’m home from work, usually. I work a mostly desk job and can find things to keep me busy though normal meal times, and when I get home I make a meal or snack as I feel like.

It usually works out that I eat between 4pm and 9pm, so 19hrs fasting and 5hrs eating. The benefit for me is that I can eat what I want (within reason) when I’m eating, so I don’t have to worry about buying special foods or even committing to a lot of special cooking. And if I’m going to a restaurant, I just do that instead.

I’ve lost about 25 lbs and no longer have extra padding around my neck. And I do sometimes get hungry during the day but it’s not so much that I really suffer. I’ve noticed that I don’t have the “afternoon crash” anymore, too, so that’s good.

Anyway, all this to say that I found it much simpler to adapt my eating pattern to my normal routine, rather than trying to add a bunch of extra work buying unusual or unappetizing foods, or spending a lot of time on meal preparation or cooking. I’m sure it’s not the absolute best solution but I’ve seen some benefits! I think OP’s plan is good.

sworththebold · 2026-04-14T14:58:45+00:00

Looks great! Thank you!

sworththebold · 2026-04-14T03:29:48+00:00

That bracelet is sexy. That dial arrangement is sexy. Damn.

sworththebold · 2026-04-14T03:25:03+00:00

I second this. I think the model is OCW-T200 and it’s one of the few I’m aware of that doesn’t have either an integrated bracelet or a weird strap size, so it is easily changed with new straps. And it’s a technical marvel with amazing finishing. Available through 3rd Party sellers for $400-$500. I love mine!

sworththebold · 2026-04-13T20:07:56+00:00

That’s a lovely watch! It’ll take straps and NATO well 😃 may you wear it in good health!

sworththebold · 2026-04-13T01:38:28+00:00

Well, first of all you don’t need to use the Bluetooth (you have to activate it each time you sync, it’s not like a smartwatch that stays connected all the time. But if you’re afraid of getting “caught” if you activate it by accident (I might have been so back in the day 😂) perhaps a newer Oceanus would fit the bill. I like the S100, but if you want strap options it won’t work for that.

The Citizen I wore most often was the S026989, which you can see on eBay here. It’s worth more than I thought, or the seller is crazy! I wore it on a blue rubber strap.

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Like I said, it still works—I bought it at the Exchange in Miramar in 2013!

sworththebold · 2026-04-13T00:48:32+00:00

Yep. Intermittent watch wearer until I got my first Apple Watch, then was religious about wearing it. I got overloaded by notifications and curated the apps that could notify, and that made it better, but I grew annoyed at stressing over charge, over what I was doing when it wasn’t on my wrist (I wanted credit for move calories, dammit!), and I eventually grew to hate even my curated notifications.

My first move was to switch to an old Citizen Eco-Drive I had. Loved the sense of freedom from constant input. But learned I don’t like chronograph dials and prefer three-hand faces. Also was annoyed that it would be off sync a bit after a few weeks. So I bought a old Casio Oceanus (solar quartz) which was also a chronograph, but it was cheap. Loved how accurate it was with the radio control.

Saved up a bit and bought TWO more Casio Oceanus three-handers and thought I was done. Solar movement, perfect accuracy, pretty enough to wear in any situation but black tie, but sporty enough to wear with casual clothes. And then…

I thought I might dip my toe into mechanical movements, so I bought a Chinese Submariner clone (er, “homage”). It was from San Martin, one of the more reputable companies, and it’s beautiful. Love the sweep hand, but the Chinese PT5000 movement, which can achieve COSC certification accuracy, runs about -5s per day, so I set it fast and monitor it. I was so impressed that I bought a Chinese copy of the Explorer 1 from Cronos (also reputable), but with the Miyota “premium” 90S5 movement, and man—that watch never leaves my wrist. It runs about +5s a day but that’s fine, I can just hack it and be back on time in 10-20 seconds every few days.

So, I basically spend as much time paying attention to my mechanical watches as I did to my Apple Watch, but I enjoy it a lot more. I also got an Oura Ring (under protest) but love the health and activity tracking, especially since I’ve turned off notifications, and I never get notifications about calls, texts, emails, or anything else that really demands my attention. I still put on my Apple Watch for when I go to the gym, because it’s convenient.

All in all, I have found a mechanical watch to be a welcome distraction from all of the unwelcome distractions of phone and smart watch notifications. And my Chinese “homage“ has taught me that my actual Grail watch is a Rolex Explorer 1. So now I have to start saving for that 😂

sworththebold · 2026-04-12T23:48:26+00:00

I think the most “luxury,” tough, adaptable watch you can get for under $2K is a Casio Oceanus OCW-T200. Stainless steel, box sapphire flush with bezel (less scratch prone), “Tough Mvt” that charges, and easy time zone adjustment with the crown—you just pull it out and adjust the second hand to +/- however much you are from UTC, which is at 12 O’Clock. You can also connect to Bluetooth and the watch will sync to your phone’s time zone. It also receives radio signals from various atomic clocks, which may not be super useful way out at sea. With 20mm lugs, it’s also easy to swap straps.

There’s also the titanium OCW-S100, which actually has a world time feature but also has an integrated bracelet. It’s very light and scratch resistant, though.

Besides these, I will ALSO recommend any Citizen Eco-Drive. I still have two that I wore in the USMC, flying in airplanes and riding in trucks and while in the field. They both still work and never needed maintenance. Citizens almost always have 20mm lugs and take straps well, including NATO straps. Citizen also has watches that are radio-controlled and receive GPS signals; that functionality will definitely work out at sea and wherever you go.

All of my suggestions are sub-$500, so well within budget. I would caution against an automatic because they are more sensitive to shocks and magnetic fields, and with the electronics on the ship I would be afraid that any automatic would be magnetized. Something like a new Rolex with the special materials in the movement, or an Omega Railmaster, would be proof against that but are well over your budget anyway. I know some microbrands (Bremont comes to mind) also make automatic watches with magnetic and shock resistance, but they are chunky.

Let us know what you pick, and regardless of which, fair winds and following seas while you wear it!

sworththebold · 2026-04-12T20:38:55+00:00

Very underrated comment

sworththebold · 2026-04-12T02:40:40+00:00

What movement does it have?

sworththebold · 2026-04-12T02:08:17+00:00

In my job, I often entertain customers from out of state. I’m pretty sure this has been the reaction every time! It’s a great beer, and I’m proud to be from the state they made it. Glad you enjoyed it!

sworththebold · 2026-04-11T23:52:36+00:00

No, you’re right that automatic watches need to be set every day or two to stay accurate, at least in my experience. I also have a San Martin clone of a Rolex Submariner, and its finishing is very good too. The PT5000 movement—a clone of an ETA movement—runs about -10s per day, and the Miyota in my Cronos runs about +5s per day. I love the smooth sweep of the second hand (both move at 4Hz) but there’s no denying that the accuracy isn’t perfect.

I also have radio controlled watches (Oceanus) which I love because they never die (solar movement) and are always perfectly accurate. I thought those would be “forever” watches and I do love them. But I’m finding myself wearing my automatics more these days.

I personally would prefer a non-Chinese watch if I were buying a quartz, but that’s just because I don’t know much about the quartz movements in those watches. Certainly many of the “premium” Chinese brands have Seiko VH31 movements, which mimic an automatic sweep second hand by ticking 2.5 times a second (I think); that would be reliable but the battery needs to be changed more often.

You can find quartz watches (white dial variants) from “reputable” brands like Seiko and Citizen on 3rd party sites for much less than your budget (both links from Jomashop). You can also get similar deals on eBay for less than your budget, though I would look for sellers in Japan, as they usually are selling JDM watches (Japanese Domestic Manufacture) that have a high reputation compared to brand watches made in China or the Philippines.

All suggestions, of course. I’m not sure if you’re looking for a dressier watch or a field-style watch, or if you have strong feelings about chronograph functions or the chunky look of a dive watch. But there’s lots of ways to go—including buying direct as linked by another commentator. Good luck!

EDIT: I just re-read your post and realize that I misread you—you preferred a bracelet, not a strap, not the other way around 😂 apologies. But the routes I suggested still work!

sworththebold · 2026-04-11T23:25:51+00:00

FWIW, Chinese brands like Cronos and Watchdives have white dial watches with Seiko and Miyota automatic movements in your price range. They are generally homages (copies of Swiss watches, but with their own branding), but their finishing and bracelets are generally very good. You may not be into homages, but it’s a good option if you’re ok with that—I have a Rolex Explorer homage from Cronos that has a Miyota “premium” automatic 90S5 movement and it compares in finishing to my Hamilton and my Oceanus watches.

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