Thanks so much for the responses. The Breitling is out of our price range. Has anyone had any experience with MTM watches. We were told about these at an event but we don't have a retailer anywhere nearby.
You're lucky I'm a watch hog
The reality with any watch under $3000 or so is that you're paying for style and build quality (mostly the former). Nothing in that price range is a horologically significant timepiece. They're all part jewelry and mostly function, which is perfect for a young man. MTM watches use a Ronda Quartz movement, which is purported to be one of the more rugged and accurate in the industry. Remember, of course, that the "best" is a determination made at the margin. We're talking about thermocompensation and other such trivialities which might matter to the deep sea diver keeping time to the second in 40 degree water, but to the average cadet that's far beyond anything he'll ask of the watch.
The bulk of quartz movements are made by Seiko, ETA, Ronda, and ISA. They're all good stuff, so the guts are sort of a wash. For what you're REALLY paying for, i.e. the style and the materials and what-not, I don't care for MTM. That's a personal thing. They slap the word "military" and "spec ops" on every last watch (despite the fact that no one in the SOF world that I've encountered wears an MTM watch to do anything tactical). It's too much flash. A lot of sizzle and for some expensive salisbury steak.
I like the Luminox 3000 series, because it's not overwrought with the patently gauche military stuff. Sure, it's called the Navy Seal 3000, but it doesn't say it on the watch. And it's black and white and bright as hell at night. The perfect tool. If you want to go a little dressier, the Atacama Field Day/Date 1920 is a nice choice, or dressier still is the Valjoux Field Chronograph 1860 series. As far as quartz watches go, it's one of the more handsome offerings around, I think.
I have owned a Seiko for years (wedding gift) that has taken quite the beating. It did let me down when it died on day 2 of my last Afghanistan trip. I bought $40 Timex off the Germans (worth about $8) and have yet to get the battery in the Seiko replaced. Of course, my wife's gift of a Breitling slowed down my desire.
The question is one of functionality, which most any sub-$700 quartz watch will give you, and style. The latter is of course a personal choice. You can always go the high-speed route and get him a Suunto, but I think they, too, are a bit gauche and scream "trying too hard to look hard." Less is more, I say.
Look at the bright side...when he graduates, THEN you can get him the Breitling with all the college money you didn't spend on him :big grin:. I recommend the TransOcean Chronograph B01, if you wondered.
Cheers.
