Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with watch

Watch adjustment

Proginoskes — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:43:41 -0800

I have this type of watch. The manual suggests that I should get Timex to repair the battery. I'm hoping to be able to do it myself and save a few bucks. However, I don't really see any way to get the back off. I also want to adjust the band as it's too large for my wrist. But, again, I really have no idea how to do this. Hoping someone here can tell me if this is something I'd be able to do from home (and tell me how to do it) or whether I should take it to a jeweler.

Where did all the radium watches go?

rtimmel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:47:46 -0800

Is it legal for me to purchase a used radium watch? If so, where can I find one? If I had one, how hazardous would I be to the people around me, if at all?

Mechanical Pocket Watch

raphael19 — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:31:47 -0800

I browsed pocket watches on amazon.com and I noticed that nearly all mechanical ones show the skeleton movement (gears) inside. And it is not pleasant on the eyes. Why do manufacturers not hide the inner workings with cover, like the old times? Do they try to say implicitly "Look, we said mechanical and you see it yourself, no battery inside" ? Or is there some other reason for producing these ugly watches?

Daring to pick three of good/cheap/fast

andrewcilento — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:46:51 -0800

I'm looking for a fitness watch I can use for interval training. I don't need anything fancy, but I do want something that'll vibrate in place of beeping. Can anyone recommend something? I've been looking at fitness watches, and I'm not looking to break the bank--something like the Forerunner 610 sure is nice, but it's probably overkill for my needs. All I'm really concerned with is something that's lightweight and durable...and, as I mentioned above, I absolutely 100% want something that can vibrate at a set interval, as I usually have headphones in when I'm exercising and probably won't hear something beeping.

That said, if there is a really great top-of-the-line-does-everything watch you love, I don't mind saving up and getting one down the road. Kinda want something I could order off Amazon today and be using by the end of the week.

(I did a search before asking this and saw some recommendations for the Gymboss, but I do want something that's designed to be strapped to my wrist without having to buy extra parts.)

Anti-semitic lizards. But why.

phunniemee — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:16:06 -0800

What's up with the swastikas on my watch? This is a 12 dollar children's watch from Target. It has lizards on it. Clearly not an intentionally subversive item. For reasons relating to battery life, clutter, and laziness, I have four copies of this watch. I was on at least watch two (maybe three?) before someone pointed out to me, hey, there are swastikas on your watch.

I've been wearing this watch for a good 6-7 years now (it's comfortable and actually fits my absurdly small wrists; also it has lizards) and the swastika thing comes up from time to time. Never in the since-when-are-you-a-nazi sense, but more in the that's-weird-I-wonder-why sense.

This seems like the kind of thing you could google for (just noticed my son's watch has nazi symbols on it! scandal! outrage!), but no dice. Seems that Timex is still selling this watch, but the astute observer will notice that they've ditched the swastika thing for a swirly bit and jacked up the price another ten bucks (and the lizards look kind of portly).

I know it's a common and not-evil symbol worldwide, but I'm wondering--does it have any special significance to the lizards? How does something like this slip by unnoticed for 5 years (at least--I'm just going by the time between my first and last purchases of the original version of the watch). I'm pretty tied to this watch by now so I'm not going to stop wearing it anytime soon...any info I can give folks who ask about it would be great.

Where can I sell my watch online and/or in Sydney or Melbourne?

MT — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:23:08 -0800

I have inherited a watch that was purchased a few years ago for about $2000. It has rarely been worn and I think it has all of the box/paperwork with it (from what I can see from similar watches online), including the purchase receipt. My question is where/how can I sell it? Either by listing it online, but there seems to be so many websites, or in person via a second hand dealer or similar? I've seen lots of watch websites, but are some better than others? Especially considering I don't have a profile or history on such sites. Thanks

Classic, quality watch under $1000?

ohsnapdragon — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 07:21:23 -0800

I want to buy my partner a watch. Where do I start? My partner is a woman with generally masculine/androgynous style. I want to buy her a "nice" watch but I don't really know what that means. I was thinking something in white gold possibly. I think she'd like a very classic, clean design that would never go out of style. Something like this, but fancier, somehow.

I don't want to spend less than a couple hundred but I don't want to spend thousands either.

1. Is there a great men's or butch fashion blog that would talk about watches?
2. Any recommendation for watch brands in the, say, $200 - $1000 range?
3. What am I even looking for? I am most concerned about style/beauty, as if this is a piece of jewelry, though of course it must be of decent quality. I don't need any fancy features though. Trouble is, I have no idea how to look at a men's watch and tell if it's stylish and well designed the way I can tell about women's jewelry.

(My partner doesn't know anything about watches either, so unfortunately I can't just ask her.)

Thanks everyone for your help. I am totally lost here.

How to properlly set a Patek Philippe Celestial 5102 Watch

pgswim — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:37:45 -0800

I was recently gifted a knockoff Patek Philippe Celestial 5102 watch and am curios as to how properly set the watch's many functions. With all the face time & celestial functions I'm a bit overwhelmed. Does anyone have the instructions or know how to properly setting this watch?

Replace the motion of my Pop-pop's pocketwatch

runcibleshaw — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 22:43:31 -0800

So I have my father's father's retirement pocketwatch. My father gave it to me almost twenty years ago and it has never worked. Recently I pulled it out of the china cabinet and tried to fix it myself following some youtube tutorials. Unfortunately I forgot that I am clumsy and bad at not losing small things. Long story slightly longer, I lost/broke a couple pieces. At that point I took it to a jeweler/watchmaker and he could not fix my mistake. Now I'm wondering if I can just replace the entire internal mechanism of the watch while keeping the part that has my Grandpa's name on it. I'm having no luck finding anything online. The watch itself says "F.C. Caravelle Watch Division, Bulova Watch Co, Swiss, 890" On the actual mechanism (which I'm told is called "the motion") it says "Caravelle Watch 16 0A" and "Seventeen, 17 Jewels". Pictures here and here. I'm willing to spend under $500 to get this done. Bonus points if you can point me to a nice matching chain (like the one Lincoln had in 'Lincoln').

Digital watch with an alarm that will wake me up?

makethemost — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:52:50 -0800

I'm looking for a pretty cheap digital watch that has an alarm that will actually wake me up. I'm traveling and would rather not have a separate battery-powered alarm clock. But I also don't want to spend an arm and a leg. Anyone have any experience with a digital watch with an alarm that will actually wake me up?

Thanks so much!

Silent Night...

wearyaswater — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 22:45:30 -0800

I'm trying to find a watch that does not beep when I press the button to illuminate the watch face. I also need it to have an alarm and to be somewhat water resistant (suitable for jogging/hiking in the rain). It would be awesome if this watch cost less than $50. Any suggestions?

Nice, cheap, digital: pick two

Silentgoldfish — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 16:33:21 -0800

I'd like to buy my girlfriend a pretty, cheap, digital watch for xmas. Does such a thing exist? She can't tell time on an analogue watch so only wears digital, and as far as I'm concerned most of them look like they're still in the 80's, and also have a million functions that she won't need or want.

I've looked through some previous similar questions and there are some really good suggestions, but the problem is most of them cost a bit, and she's the kind of person who'll get uncomfortable if I spend a lot of money on her.

So, what I'd like is something like this but for less than a hundred dollars (I'll happily pay more for shipping and not tell her about that part). Oh, and we're in Australia.

Pipe dream or reality?

Why 18-hour schedule on submarines?

cthuljew — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:59:59 -0800

Why do US Navy submarines operate on 18-hour schedules, with 6 hours on watch and 12 hours off? How did this start? Is there independent justification, or is this some hold-over from old traditions? Why did someone think this was a good idea?

Help me find a wristwatch for my mom with very specific criteria.

victoriab — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 09:36:31 -0800

Do they make a pretty woman's analog watch that lights up, is easy to read and has both the day of the week AND the date on the face? I'm trying to find the perfect watch for my mom for Christmas but am having trouble locating it...too many options and no site (even Amazon) lets me search easily. She's having trouble with her eyesight and memory so here are the requirements -
- It needs to be easy to read. This means numbers around the face (not just dots) and high contrast between the background color and the number color.
- It needs to have the day of the week and the date on the face
- It needs to light up (if possible) so she can read it in the dark
- It needs to be pretty. Gold or silver or fabric band...all are fine...it just needs to be something she could wear all the time...not some huge sport watch.
- Price range is anywhere from $50-150. Cheaper is better but I'd pay more for the perfect solution.
- I'd prefer it be analog but if someone could find me a digital watch that didn't look like she should be running a marathon or climbing a mountain...I'd definitely consider it.

I've always bought Timex watches for her but I can't find one that fits all of these criteria. Here is the closest Timex I've found but it doesn't show the day of the week and the contrast between the face and the numbers isn't great. This Pulsar comes close but doesn't light up.

Thanks!

When a wizard turns 17...

SuperSquirrel — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 12:17:58 -0800

Can any Harry Potter experts tell me more about when a wizard turns 17 and receives a watch? My daughter is a Harry Potter fanatic. I've never read the books or seen the movies. She turns 17 next week, and she recently made a point of explaining to me how a wizard receives a special watch on their 17th birthday. So I bought her a fancy Doctor Who watch (her other love).

Is there anything special about the presentation of this watch that I can replicate? Is it wrapped in a particular way? Is there any kind of ceremony associated with receiving it? I'd like to do something special for her related to this whole wizard-turns-17 thing, but I don't have the time to read the whole series to understand it. And googling just turns up examples of Harry Potter watches.

So what can I do to make it seem as real as possible for her? She's super into fantasy-based anything, and we (her mom and dad, the math geeks) aren't, and often [gently] tease her about living in Fantasyland. So she'd be thrilled if we take this all very seriously this one time.

Where can I find a watch like this?

john the fourth — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:09:40 -0800

I'm looking for a replica of this antique watch (or something similar to it) that I can purchase online. My mother has an antique watch from her grandmother that is very small. It's less than the width of a finger and it has a "jewelry clasp" on the thin leather straps. Is there a name for this style of watch? Or, is there a similar style that you have happened across online? I'm not looking for this exact watch, per se, just something this small and of the style.

Where to watch election results in Berkeley?

toomuchkatherine — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:49:26 -0800

Anybody have a good idea where to watch the election tomorrow in Berkeley or North Oakland? A bar or otherwise festive atmosphere is great, but we want to be able to see and hear the TV, too. Bonus points if they have an actual map that they'll update, a blackboard where they'll keep track of the CA ballot initiatives, or anything like that.

Taking the black

DynamiteToast — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:28:15 -0800

I want to be a night's watchman (from Game of Thrones) for halloween. It's not too hard of a costume, considering I just get all black stuff and wear it, and try to find some black fur looking stuff too. However, in the tv show everyone's outfits are pretty faded and covered in snow. How can I replicate that? Any other suggestions? I'm going by the costume store today, and maybe goodwill too. I have a shirt and gloves that'll look fine and am probably just gonna wrap some brown boots in black fabric and wrap rope around it to hold it. But when I buy a cloak and pants, its gonna look brand new. Is there a way to artificially fade black clothes in the next two days (there's a party I'm going to on Wednesday)? As for snow, I don't want it to be a huge part of the costume, just thought it'd be a nice touch if the clothes were a little white. I guess I could buy some false snow, but would throwing a little bit of flour strategically accomplish the same look?

Also, any other neat small touches are appreciated. I'm thinking for the "fur" look I might buy a black shag bathmat from walmart and cut it to fit my shoulders...

Is sleeptracker still the best in 2012?

Infernarl — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:23:39 -0800

Is there something better than the Sleeptracker watch now for waking you up when you are in the least deep part of the sleep cycle? Original Sleeptracker watch broke and I want to upgrade. I own the original Sleeptracker watch and have used it for many years. It's alarm was very quiet so I removed the strap and attached it to my eye mask I use for sleeping. It seems to have broken and I would like to upgrade to a new Sleeptracker or something better if it exists. With all the improvements in accelerometers brought on by smartphones and gaming in the recent years there must be something better, right? The only function I care about it is an alarm that wakes you up when you are in the least deep part of your sleep cycle. I don't need or care about other data tracking features. I also do not move very much when I am sleeping but my partner does. We both keep our smartphones on the bed so I am guessing that an app would not be very effective. There is also a computer at the head of my bed so software/hardware recommendations are also welcome. Any recommendations?

Buy my kid a watch

latkes — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 13:23:09 -0800

I would like to get a watch for my 10 year old with the following specifications: 1) Fairly easy to read and use. She had a watch with no numbers printed on it and that was very complicated to program and she couldn't understand or use it.

2) Cute as defined by a 10 year old girl.

3) Has alarms, preferably more than one. She's very spacey and she thought a watch with alarms and/or a timer feature would help her to remember to do certain tasks.

Thanks for your help hive mind, I'm useless at shopping.

Would you look at the time? (And try to recognise this watch)

lovedbymarylane — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 05:01:19 -0800

My friend lost her beloved silver watch, which she bought at Disneyland 1-2 years ago. Her birthday is coming up and my friend and I want to pitch in and get her another one in the same style. Can you recognise the type of watch from these semi-blurry Facebook pictures, and/or tell me where to find it? Photos of the watch here, here and here. The stack of bracelets she wears with it are not part of the watch.

If said watch doesn't really exist anymore, any suggestions as to something similar for under $150 (deliverable to Australia) would be most welcome!

Have you seen this watch?

bricoleur — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:58:53 -0800

Is there a digital watch out there that displays nothing but the time? Just a big old "12:30 PM"—no date, no seconds, no day of the week, no timer, no heartrate, no temperature or barometric pressure—would be perfect. And the fewer buttons on it, the better. This is for someone with Alzheimer's who doesn't process visual information well, so simplicity is the watchword, so to speak. And since it will probably be lost and replaced monthly if not weekly, inexpensive is a must.

multi-alarm woman's watch

anadem — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:42:58 -0800

My googling is inadequate. I need a woman's watch, a small one, with TWO OR MORE daily alarms, for a friend who needs reminders to take her medications. I'm hoping to find a watch that costs less than $30 (the only one I can find is $70) I've googled enough to prove my skills are inadequate. Can anyone point me to a low-cost watch that won't look horrendous on a woman's wrist, and which doesn't cost a lot? (money is tight).

It would be a crime to not watch the Superbowl in Boston this year

pazazygeek — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:33:31 -0800

Where should I watch the Superbowl in Boston? So far no parties have come into my purview... but my boyfriend and I would like to watch the game amidst some of America's most loyal and boisterous fans (Bostonians, natch). There are bars in my neighborhood (Allston), and I fully expect them to fill up very early (and I'm not a big fan of the Allston bar crowds), but I want to know: Where's the best place to watch it and also, how early do you think I'll need to get there before it fills up?

I'm perfectly willing to travel to Cambridge, Somerville, etc etc.

rolex watch accuracy

kingfish — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:53:52 -0800

Rolex watch accuracy i bought this rolex watch from a retailer in vegas about 5 years ago. it was given to my father-in-law as a birthday gift at that time. a couple of months ago he "re-gifted" it back to me.

it costed me over 7K at the time when i bought it and it's automatic self winding. so far it has worked well on my wist, except that, based on my observation, after i set it according to the standard time, it can run as many as 5 minutes ahead within 30 days. my question is that: is this sort of expected / normal for watches with this mechanism at this price point? should i expect something more accurate.

shall i bring this watch to repair shop? thanks for any suggestion...