Does a Watch Obsession Inevitably Lead to the Diver Watch?

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, misguided, presumptuous, or just ill-informed, but after studying watches for the last several years I'm under the impression that watch obsessives inevitably move away from fashion, business, and dress watches and move toward non-chrono, automatic diver watches, what I call Diver Tool Lume Torches. Is this correct? 

For the record, I've purchased a lot of watches over the past 7 years (too embarrassed to disclose the amount) and my favorites are divers. My single favorite is absolutely the first generation Orient M-Force shown above. 

As much as I love my two Velaturas, their busy chrono dials turn me off on a certain level. If I became a diver purist, I would sell them. But for now, the diversity they offer works for me.  

Comments

[jonnybardo]

I'm glad to hear you love the Orient. My two favorites watches - the Saturation Diver and Revolver - are both Orients, which is why I said to you that Orient is the new Seiko. Maybe its a good thing they don't have the sheer quantity of different styles.

Anyhow, while what you say is true for me I don't think it is true as a general rule. Many watch fanatics aren't into divers at all, but prefer dress watches.

Now while I prefer divers as a group, I also like "cross-over" or "hybrid" watches that are made to be divers but are sporty, everyday watches that can pass as dressy. Actually, at least for me, just about all of my divers fit that mold, but then again I'm not a suit-and-tie guy but a jeans-and-button down guy.

I'm very, very tempted to place an order for that Orient...I don't mean to rub salt in wounds, but at $283 there may be no better bargain.

[herculodge]

No wounds. Happily, I used Invicta money for it. I love the Revolver but looks very similar to the M Force. I'm down to 15 watches. Feels good.

[jonnybardo]

15?! Did you just sell a bunch more? Of my latest batch only the 0507 and 6661 sold. I've still got five or six Invictas to sell that haven't sold, plus one Pulsar and five Seikos, although I haven't tried the latter on Ebay. I might also sell my Citizen Black Eagle.

So that leaves me with a dozen watches in my rotation and a dozen up for sale.

[herculodge]

Yeah, I sold several more, enough to buy a Tuna, but as you know I balked. Now I'm tempted to get blue and orange versions of my M Force.

[jonnybardo]

I wouldn't force the big purchase, unless you're comfortable going used for ~$700...that's easier to take than ~$1,100. It is hard getting around the fact that you could either have the blue AND orange M-Forces and some change, or the one Tuna.

I was eying this Sawtooth, but thankfully it sold:

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/sold-seiko-shc057-beautiful-blue-dial-sawtooth-sapphire-340%24-840827.html

[jonnybardo]

I think the reason this M-Force and my Revolver are similar is that the M-Force was a bit of a remake of the Revolver - a newer version.

(I lost another post, btw)

[jonnybardo]

One more. Here are some comparison shots of the M-Force and Orient Saturation Diver. Looks like they're very similar in bezel width, but the OSD is just much thicker:

http://yeomanseiko.com/2011/06/04/orient-m-force-diver-el03002m-part-ii/

[herculodge]

I realize the M Force hit the bull's eye with that rugged bezel. Had I got mine for 283, I'd upgrade the bracelet for another 100.

[Ulysses]

I think for the vast majority of us who don't have particularly dangerous occupations, the diver watch is in some ways a substitute for our unfulfilled desires. A diver watch is a masculine watch, consisting of heavy links, hard lines and an aggressive design. It's designed primarily to be a functional tool, it is tough and not vain, always ready to take a blow or two and come out OK if such circumstances should arise. They're a quiet reminder of our past where we used to suit up in armour and perform all kinds of dangerous jobs, and are a tragic sign of the diminishing relevance of masculinity in the modern world. That tiny machine encircling our wrist gives us a personal attachment to our all too often untapped potential.

I'm hoping that didn't sound too chauvinistic.