looking for a watch

[Tarsun2]

looking for a divers watch around the $1,000 - $3,000 mark.

Needs to be a steel band
Needs to be automatic/self winding
Needs to display the date (1,2,3,4....) Does not need the day (mon, tue, wed...)

would like at least a few numbers such as 12,6,9 but not a deal breaker if every hour is a dot/dash/marking...

would like to put a high importance on the movement.

im tired of my invicta collection and just want something that holds time.
the invicta kindda works, kindda dosent, they get "sloppy" over time. (the watch bezel is gritty even after cleaning, there is slop in the band and where the band meets the case, the clasp on the bracelet is not very secure...) it seems like every invicta ends up this way.
The time can be faster or slower depending how the watch is sitting as well.
the invictas i have use the NH35A movement.

i know the invicta says its a "divers watch" and even has a screw crown but i dont trust it. i take it off before i go to the beach, pool, and showering.

Looing for something nice that might be below the radar. as a reference, the Tudor and Omega are budgeted out. ive got my eye on the Longines Hydroconquest.

are there any other brands out there that meet the criteria?

[gabe]

Hard to go wrong with a Seiko Prospex series. I really like the PADI dive watches from them.

[Falcon16]

Knowing your budget would be helpful. I'm presuming around $1200-1500 as you're looking automatic and Longines. In that range if you're looking outside Longines I'd say there are some nice watches from Mido, Baume and Mercier, Hamilton etc. If you're willing to go second hand market you could probably get some killer deals on other stuff.

Just saw your budget for $3K you could get a nice condition used Omega, I'd also look at Grand Seiko

[Tarsun2]

is buying a used watch like buying a used car?
is there "certified pre-owned" or is it buyer beware...
i think id be too nervous to buy used in this price range. lol

i love the look of the diver watches and while i dont scuba dive, i do use the rotating bezel to track repairs. (device runtime on batteries and such)

i was even considering the Momentum Aquamatic IV with the 9015 movement. Its comparably better than NH35a and seemed to be well liked by the watch community.
When i try to compare the NH35a to something higher end like the L888, there are no comparisons. lol i guess two different "ballparks" of movement.

[Falcon16]

Depends on where you buy from. Many dealers that deal in used watches often offer a warranty and many people that sell watches in the community are selling them well within the warranty period from the factory. If you like the look of dive watches a Hydroconquest is a great bet or you could with a Seiko Prospex with a spring drive movement for about your budget. Spring drive is automatic on roids basically the rotor generates charge that drives a quartz oscillator and then that drives a stepper motor so you get a sweet so smooth you can't even tell it's starting and stopping multiple times a second.

[Falcon16]

Another brand to look at is Rado. Their captain cook series is stunning, great retro styled dive watch that's accurate and they use ceramic a lot so scratches etc are a thing of the past with them.

[Falcon16]

As for some watches I'd recommend

https://www.midowatches.com/en/ocean-star-tribute-m0268301104100.html

https://www.rado.com/en_ca/collections/captain-cook.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5aWOBhDMARIsAIXLlkc4SE2IHhFIySICLBlMaCt2yQSx-dnewQ_qwBml2bIas3p3oRsk6EMaAoUaEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Hydronconquest is an amazing watch so figure give you some options

[Tarsun2]

YES, the Mido is a brand i never considered and the ocean star 200 and 600 are gorgeous.

[flyweightnate]

These were recommended to me by a local jeweler; he equated the movement to Omegas without the price tag.

[Falcon16]

They aren't wrong. Mido uses some amazing movements. Given they are part of swatch group they get access to stuff like the powermatic 80 and such that's awesome

[Bonjwa]

I find Doxa divers to be very attractive because they are practical, usable watches for like, actually diving. Jacque Cousteau seemed to think they were good enough. The orange is a bit flashy and is either going to fit your taste or not, tends to be pretty polarising, but again, it's there for practicality reasons (they tested for underwater legibility), and is iconic to the brand which to me makes it cool. It's an eta movement which might be a turnoff to you but I think it's worth having a look at the very least.

[Falcon16]

I find Doxa divers to be very attractive because they are practical, usable watches for like, actually diving. Jacque Cousteau seemed to think they were good enough. The orange is a bit flashy and is either going to fit your taste or not, tends to be pretty polarising, but again, it's there for practicality reasons (they tested for underwater legibility), and is iconic to the brand which to me makes it cool. It's an eta movement which might be a turnoff to you but I think it's worth having a look at the very least.

Eta shouldn't be a turnoff if anything the fact it can be serviced by anyone as opposed to always going back to Doxa makes it IMHO a more attractive proposition than an in house movement


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[Bonjwa]

In theory yes this is a factor for convenience but I think if we're being honest we all want an in house movement. Much more sexy.

[Falcon16]

fair point