I’m looking to pick up my first automatic wristwatch after wearing a Casio AE-1000W for the last several years. I have a Dalvin manual wind pocket watch and bought my wife a Seiko Presage automatic, and I feel like making the leap for myself.
I’m looking for something that is more utilitarian, with a strap instead of a bracelet, and the same size or smaller compared to the Casio. The quality of the movement is most important to me, closely followed by build quality and durability. I have it narrowed down to a Timex Expedition Capstone, a Timex Expedition Field Post Titanium, a Seiko Automatic 5 Sports, and an AVI-8 Flyboy Wingman Worldtimer. I don’t know anything about the AVI-8 brand, and any help would be appreciated!
AVI-8 sells mostly pilot watches, which in my opinion are beautiful ones. Most of the watches have mechanisms on them(from what I have seen), which means are no different from other watches in that market(micro-brand).
Be careful because they also sell quartz ones . I just checked and I do see Airmaster GMT Automatic, 3775A Automatic and Wingman Worldtimer GMT Automatic.
Any particular watch from AVI-8 that you like?
Fratelo has done a hands on ln 2775A automatic. https://www.fratellowatches.com/hands-on-with-the-brand-new-avi-8-cvrt-3775a-automatic/
Thank you! The Wingman Worldtimer is the one that I’m looking at, but I think I’m leaning more towards the titanium Timex. Shock resistance is an added benefit, as is the tougher construction. Not that I do anything too adventurous, but I am one hell of a klutz. The AVI-8 sure is a pretty watch, though!
So let’s do a bit of a dive, because beauty can be one factor, but mechanism does the job.
The wingman has a Seiko instruments NH34 mechanisms, with 41 power reserve, anti shock, Central hours, Central minutes, Central sweeping seconds, GMT and a date window at 3:00 o’clock.
The miyota caliber 8215, has 42 hours power reserve, and shock system.
See here for more information. https://calibercorner.com/seiko-caliber-nh34/ https://calibercorner.com/miyota-caliber-8215/
That is an amazing site! Thank you so much for the links!
Thanks again for all the help! My Timex Titanium field watch arrived today, and I’m unbelievably happy with it! It is almost exactly the same size as the AE-1000W, is comfortable to wear, and seems to be keeping accurate enough time. It looks like it may have gained about 3 seconds over the last 6 hours, and +12 seconds a day is well within the advertised +20/-40.
