So I just went on vacation to the beautiful state of Florida, and bent my Ray-Bans I bought with my bonus money over 14 years ago, I loved those Sun Glasses, I still have my Dad’s Ray-Ban Aviators he wore in the Air Force, but those have a ton of sentimental value.
Then today my Garmin Instinct that I paid about $400 dollars for 2 years broke when I was helping put in a leveling kit on my friends truck, so my question to all of you is, what is decent and relatively cheap for Sun Glasses and a Watch. I’m a Marine, older, fatter and with thinning hair but still break stuff all the time, and just don’t want to invest in something that is in some ways perishable. Here’s what I’m looking at and please let me know if you have any recommendation.
-Watch: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX6B2316/?coliid=I1Y63UXXLSYVRS&colid=14AJOZAYH6YWE&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1
I had a $50 Casio that was rugged and got me through multiple deployments and even had a built in compass but they don’t seem to sell that anymore, I’m ready to go back to a decent watch that just tells time, I can swim in and not worry if it breaks. Negatives, I’m not sure about Fossel but I like the style for work, and out in town.
Check out Safety Glasses USA https://www.safetyglassesusa.com/
Good & cheap sunglasses that are safety rated. Also many are available as bifocal readers.
This Casio is my “disposable” watch: Casio Men’s HDC-700-1AVCF Classic Analog-Digital Display Quartz Black Watch. $32 at Amazon; ten year battery.
My dressier watch is a Seiko ecoDrive. Solar powered. Around $150-$200. Had one 15+ years.
I have both polarized and non-polarized Explorer XLs. Fit, coverage, clarity, durability all good, dropped and flung them several times in typical use. The polarized picked up a couple small blems off center but they’re still ok. No large impacts from steel yet but it probably won’t be long.
I’ve thrown a lot of money away on middle ground watches. ($100-$300). I finally settled on something G-shock solar (since a battery replacement is nearly the price of new watch) if I’m going cheap beater. Lately though, I’m liking the mechanical watch dial over digital (specifically dive style watches), and WillBrink talked me into the Marathon GSAR. They sell add on compasses if that’s something you want. But with watches, there’s a million options.
I get this, but I also know that a gun needs to work in that most critical of times, an accessory like watch or sun glasses not so much. I’ve got a really nice Citizen from my father in law when I got married, and I really appreciate it and wear it at weddings and formal events, but I work with large scale medical equipment now, where I’m meeting with a team of doctors one minute and then shoving my hand into conduit troughs in crawl spaces the next. I remember when I started working at a large scale hydraulic company right out of college, I went to Macy’s and bought lots of nice shirts and slacks for the office, but then found myself on the floor getting hydraulic fluid all over my new cloths. It was Target and TJ Max after that.
I guess that’s what I’m saying I’m okay with doing, although I would like to stick more on the $100-$180 end of things. I’m still young and my boys are not going to be eating any less.
Ray-Ban is on GovX, should you qualify. 40% off MSRP, though I don’t know how that compares to street. I personally wouldn’t use those Magpuls for eye pro, as the page notes, they’re not actually rated for anything, due to the gaps that the frame has, even if it can meet the impact requirements.
My lesson was to just stick with a 75-125 dollar G-shock until I could get serious. I wasted money on a Seiko “black monster” automatic, for example. I can’t remember how much, but it was money down the drain.
ESS sunglasses are great, offer ballistic lenses, made by and comparible to Oakley and many have interchangeable lenses. The Rollbars are my favorite, I have polarized and non polarized lenses to swap.
I have those Magpul glasses. They’re great. Simple but stylish. I have used ESS in the past but last time I went to buy replacement lenses they were out of stock for months.
Primary Arms has Leupold sunglasses on sale currently. They look nice. I bought a like new pair Skeleton Decoys; they’ve become my go to.
Honestly, for a cheap, solid watch, I really like my Casio MDV-106. I stole the rubber straps for a Citizen Eco-drive and use a “James Bond” NATO strap with the Casio. I wear the Casio to work in a corporate office, yard work at home, swimming with the kids, hiking, whatever. And I don’t care if it gets dinged up.
This guy reviews them on his Youtube… Go to 24:28 — With me and sunglasses it’s buy once cry twice because I can break or lose every pair I have ever owned. My last Costa’s I actually broke once, broke twice, lost.
I miss the days when I used to find NIB Oakley mil sets for $35:( Nowdays I just go on Fleabay and pick up Wiley X’s, my Talon’s in use for a couple/three years just had a leg brake off and I picked up a new set for $50. Right now I am using Wiley X Vapor’s as I have several new sets squirreled away in my handpro/eyepro box. I consider eyepro as disposable items, sooner or later they are going to brake, get lost or lens become unserviceable so best to have back ups.
Thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate it, some great finds on here for sure, what this tells me is that this, like most things in life, takes more digging into and isn’t so simple. I did find lots of cool sun glasses and watches, now I need to weigh my options
1 for the casio g-shock. I have been using a $40 g-shock that is going on year 9. My Suunto on the other hand has been less that dependable and the buttons stick. Since you are a veteran, check out govx or expertvoice as they have all kinds of good deals on watches and sunglasses.
That surprises me. My daily wear/outdoors/fishing watch is a Suunto Traverse Alpha and it’s been very reliable for the past 7 years now.
My dress watch is a Tag, but I wear it so rarely that I’ve been tempted to sell it. I’m really intrigued by the Garmin quatix 7X Solar Edition. That would cover my dress, daily and outdoor needs. The bonus is that it would control some functions on my Garmin Force trolling motor and 126sv sonar/chartplotters. But, $1,100 is a LOT of money for a battery-operated watch I’d be wearing outdoors, so I’m reluctant to pull that trigger.
As for sunglasses, Revos are my go-to, but my Rx range glasses are Bollé.
A 51mm watch as a dress watch is obscene, just… don’t.
As for durability, FWIW, sample of 1, but my Garmin tactix Delta has weathered all the abuse I’ve thrown at it no problem. I’ve had it for three years now, and while the bezel is pretty scratched up and one of the silicone straps is starting to come apart, the rest of the watch is ticking along just fine; I’ve kept it on when I’m shooting, running, rock climbing, doing SAR, hiking, mountaineering, etc.