This is my SRPE55 after 6 months of (almost) daily use. I only remove it when I shower and when I'm exercising. Pretty much all of these are from slamming it into doorways, because my spatial awareness is only set juuuust above the minimum requirement for survival. I knew this was going to happen, which is one (of several) reasons why I wear a Seiko 5 and not something in the € 4k+ price bracket. A G-shock would probably be more suited to my "lifestyle", but they're big, bulky and I don't like plastics.
The rest of you klutzes and poorly coordinated bags of flesh, what do you wear? Do you try to actively overcome your natural instinct to bang into everything and everyone? Have you gone the plastic route? The case-hardened Damasko solution? Or have you bit the bullet, bought your grail and accepted every nasty ding and scratch as battle scars?
At work I'm less likely to damage my watches, so I wear my nicer ones to work. I wear my beater/more affordable watches when I'm not at work because I bump into stuff from time to time.
I gave up on worrying about scratches, dings and dents on any of my current watches. I can't count the number of times I hit door jambs. Wear your beat up watches like a badge of honor.
I’ll preface this by saying scratches don’t bother me. I wear watches, and considering how many scars I have on my hands, i figure the watches are going to get some too.
Look for a watch that’s made with a good hardening treatment. It can help prevent that. I wear this all the time, including in the ocean, paddling (canoe/kayak in the summer), on hikes and rock scrambles, and it doesn’t live in a box or case. Sits on a night stand with a bunch of other watches. I have a Swiss dive watch i often rotate with this, also a great watch, but the clasp is pretty scratched up. This is toward the higher end of what I’m prepared to spend, by the way.
I’ll preface this by saying scratches don’t bother me. I wear watches, and considering how many scars I have on my hands, i figure the watches are going to get some too.
Look for a watch that’s made with a good hardening treatment. It can help prevent that. I wear this all the time, including in the ocean, paddling (canoe/kayak in the summer), on hikes and rock scrambles, and it doesn’t live in a box or case. Sits on a night stand with a bunch of other watches. I have a Swiss dive watch i often rotate with this, also a great watch, but the clasp is pretty scratched up. This is toward the higher end of what I’m prepared to spend, by the way.
Nice! I have pretty much the same watch in "dark green sunset". I consider it one of my "nicer" watches, even if it isn't the most expensive. I definitely wear it for daily life and aquatic activities like it was designed for, but I take it off for rougher activities like yard work, vehicle repairs or home renovations. Wear and tear from adventures seems acceptable, but the case finishing is quite nice and detailed so I try not to scratch it unnecessarily. I like to wear my watches but don't like to abuse them.
I still have issues with scratching my watches! After twenty five years of collecting I always told myself it would go away and I will be able to accept it! But I guess I have gained a heightened awareness of my surroundings but it bugs me to be this way!
I consider minor scratches and dings part and parcel of watch ownership. By this point my Speedy looks like it could have gone to the moon and back.
I wore a Damasko for awhile and the scratch resistance on that thing was phenomenal. However, it's not otherwise my favourite brand and life is too short to only wear scratch resistant watches. Also, no scratch resistant watch is going to defeat rocks. Paper beating rock is BS. Rock wins all the time.
Also, I have developed an instinct for getting my watch arm out of the way when in the vicinity of other objects or people. If I'm forced to walk next to a wall or some rocks etc, I have my fingers extended so they touch the wall before my watch does. It's probably not the most manly way to walk but I already have a wife so I don't really care.
If doorways are a major problem, you might consider an eye exam and pair of glasses! This is only half in jest as I know people who weren't aware of their vision issues until they got a real prescription and experienced how the rest of us, literally, see the world.
I actually have astigmatism on one eye, but my other takes over. So with both eyes open my sight is damn near perfect. Which is weird as all hell, but also kinda cool.
I was kind of exaggerating a bit, but what I do find interesting is that the door frame is pretty much only an issue with the watch on (unless I'm really tired). Which means my body has enough spatial awareness to not hit things, but is cutting things close, as the clear space between wrist and wall evidently is less than 12 mm. My theory: my body as being its usual lazy self and will absolutely not put in any effort above the bare minimum unless there's alcohol involved.
I wear my watches carefully - for instance, I have a habit of tapping door frames with my fingers as I pass through them; this way I know my watch is safe (pretty OCD, hey?) - and so I accept the scratches that do occur despite my best intentions as normal wear and tear that add character.
Having said that, I have been mulling over a Traska Summiteer with super hard coating - a compelling differentiator at such an affordable price.
G Steel. Nice heft, mostly metal, and take take a beating. The Damasko suggestion is a good one too, I had a DC66 for a while with their DLC coating and it got banged into all sorts of stuff including rock walls. Never had a single scratch.
I just resign myself, knowing that any watch I wear will inevitably end up with various scratches and dings. Pro-tip: buy used, pre-scratched, and that way, you're never worrying about "that first scratch" moment.
It's also why most of my watches are more affordable, GADA types. Some, I take pride in the "love" shown to them over the course of wear, etched into finishes, surfaces, and edges. Definitely not safe-queens. Others - Archimede, and Traska in my experience - have hardened treatments which stand up well to my kind of everyday use (not abuse).
I have the same interactions with doorways and hallway corners. I used to be a ski racer and am still a bike racer, so I tend to cut corners and move fast in general. My solution is much like those of the other posters in this thread: Buy rugged non-polished watches and save a single dress watch for special occasions, and above all else, don't worry too much about it.
I would rather see your well used and loved example of a watch, rather than a watch with not a scratch on it, yet people are syaing 'found my grail!'
I wore my Rolex Submariner almost every day for 3 years, going on long runs, at the gym, walking, work etc. and a few close friends kept saying why are you wearing it? Well, it's a watch, that's its purpose!
Keep wearing and adding scratches to your beautiful Seiko 5, life is too short to worry about them.
And i'll add, scratches are part of life. I dented the corner of my Seamaster lug and there are some scratches in the bezel that i'll always remember how i got them.
When I saw "clumsy chaps", I knew you were talking to me!
It happens. If I wear a watch, it gets scratched. Much like @happyscrappyheropup it opens my consideration to lightly scratched, pre-owned options. Definitely saves me money
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