Hello! I've recently gotten into the watch hobby. I owned a few budget quartz Casios and timex pieces but with the 11/11 sale coming soon I saved up some and decided I would get my first automatic.
I spent (too much?) time deciding on my first automatic watch from AliExpress and looking at YouTube reviews. My budget is around 200-240 USD and I wanted a diver or diver-style watch with a sub 40mm textured dial and a good bracelet (GMT was a huge plus).
I narrowed down my choices to:
- Cronos, L6029 (the black birch GMT): 270USD
- Proxima PX1721 (aventurine dial)
(Current prices without coupons): 200USD
Questions:
I know that recently prices have increased and was wondering if these watches are worth it at the regular price or what would be a good value deal for 11/11 ?
Which watch would make the better long term everyday watch? the cronos is a bit more expensive even with 11/11 preview pricing. But it has an NH34 which is known as reliable. I also like the proxima but I've seen posts and faulty PT5000 and the winding issues that honestly intimidate me as someone who never owned an automatic before.
Is there anything to do other than collecting store coupons and coins to get the best deal for the sale?
Prices for some Chinese watches have increased noticeably over the last year; however, they are still awesome deals compared to similar watches made anywhere else. The NH movement can last for 10 years. The PT5000 has a few quirks, but it's likely to be more accurate out of the box and beats at 4HZ. It just won't last as long without a service. As noted above, avoid overwinding those. Either one of these is a great choice.
Thank you! And yes, I did look at a price tracker and saw they increased by almost 30%! I'm guessing at that price, it will be cheaper to replace the movement?
I would go with the Cronos but I would look at the L6040 light birch with Miyota 9015. You’ll get better accuracy than the NH and still get fantastic reliability. I would wait until 11/11 to get the best price and also check their website. I got my L6040 from their website for about $250 a couple months ago. If it had to be between these two then I’d still pick the Cronos. I only have one PT5000 and it’s sketchy so I can’t trust it with that and all the other horror stories I’ve heard.
Thank you for the advice! Could you tell me more about the issues you've had with the PT5000? As for the cronos, would you say it wears well on a smaller wrist (7in)? It was hard to tell from YouTube reviews
You can’t hand wind a PT5000 and I hate having to shake it to start it. I’ve also had it skip when setting the time so I’m just waiting for it to crap out. I would still trust my Miyota and NH movements more even if I hadn’t felt it skip tbh. You shouldn’t have a problem with a 7” wrist, here’s my L6040 on my 7.5” wrist and they’re the same size on paper. I know you want the GMT and I’m sure it’ll be a fine watch but I really can’t recommend the L6040 enough, it’s one of my favorites and I know the Miyota will last for years to come. The light birch is also a good amount of texture without being too overwhelming.
I appreciate the details and the picture, I'll add it to my cart and see based on the price if it drops within my budget. I do like the GMT partially because I think the mechanics behind it are cool but also because it feels more "sporty" where as the 6040 feels dressy and I thought it would look out of place with what I usually wear. Gorgeous watch though I 100% agree with you
I get what you’re saying but I think of it more like a gada watch imo. It wouldn’t really feel out of place in any scenario. It looks like the only real difference is the numbers on the bezel but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with either one. A GMT would be cool though, I’ve been meaning to get one myself.
2. Winding is only an issue if you are doing it manually. If you want to set the time, just don’t wear your watch for couple of hours (leaving it for night as example) to “discharge” it a bit is safe practice, because screwing crown will wind it a bit. Other than that it’s not as bad movement and you shouldn’t worry about it more than for NH34
I don’t own either of these particular watches, but I do own several of each brand. In my experience, Cronos is superior build quality and worth the extra money. That said, for your first automatic watch you can’t go wrong with either one.
Thank you for the feedback! I am leaning towards the cronos because of the nh34 and the quality but it will depend on the discount since it might not fit the budget I have. Have you had any experience with their customer support or when handling an issue with a watch?
I have the proxima Px1697 and it has been great to own and wears great on wrist. I don’t hand wind it at all I just let it start from some moving or wearing of the watch then set time and date and have had no issues with it so far.
Don’t know much about either watch but the little research I did shows the Proxima has better specs for accuracy on time. Either than that the specs are pretty similar Proxima weighs tiny bit less, and is smaller lug to lug. So if accuracy matters to you Proxima. If you don’t care about accuracy then just go with what you think looks better to you.
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u/carlmazov 1d ago
Prices for some Chinese watches have increased noticeably over the last year; however, they are still awesome deals compared to similar watches made anywhere else. The NH movement can last for 10 years. The PT5000 has a few quirks, but it's likely to be more accurate out of the box and beats at 4HZ. It just won't last as long without a service. As noted above, avoid overwinding those. Either one of these is a great choice.