Agreed 100%. I been using the expedition MF 13 model..since more than 9(nine) years.no problems yet.just a regular battery change every 2-3 years and strap change .best is the indiglo function.

9 Years . Thats a long time.
After 1st year my original strap was replaced by a aftermarket one (which my dad bought since the original was for 490 Rs) as the mice in my house had a nice dinner out of it.

But last month I came back to the original one which has Expedition written on it. Nothing beats the brown leather strap.

my current watch Triumph 3003,

It is impossible to use anything other than a wristwatch to tell the time while driving , other than you have a timer-in-bike display .

Well ; the RAF solved the problem of using wristwatch in unheated cockpits and using them for navigational timers while wearing leather flight jackets and gloves during the second world war . They comissioned the Bonklip bracelet . http://www.freewebs.com/billyschorr/...%20%5B1%5D.pdf It may be worn normaly on your wrist or over a jacket / glove / shirt-sleeve and is very comfortable fit as it can be adjusted to any length to the end of the band anytime .

Here is my 1965 Milus swiss on 17mm RAF Bonklip & my 1960s tissot seastar on 15mm Bonklip .. I often wear them over my jacket / gloves / shirts-cuff . Third/fourth pic is of an 1953 RAF issue omega / Jaeger-lecoultre ( neither is mine , sadly ) on bonklips for better view of the watchband type .
Although I like manual-wind watches , I am looking to get an digital wristwatch that I may ride wearing when I go swimming everyday in summer . The Casio g-shock maybe . Can I swim wearing it safely everyday ? Will it last this long ? ..... I hate it when any of my watches give up ( which is rare with my watches ) . What is a timekeeper that falls to the passage of time ??

Dunno how I missed this thread for so long .

i think wrist watches are main cause of scratches on our bikes..when 1 places his hands and wrist casually on tank and other parts it leads to a scratch(metal part).i dont have the abit of wearing a w.watch but of my frieds i have experienced it ..even finger rings lead to scratch.

To me ... my bikes are the source of scratches on my watches , and what about zippers and belt buckles ? Stop worrying about scratches that much , life is a scratchy thing , and they don't slow down your bike at all .
I enquired with both titan and casio shops , but they refused to guarantee ANY of their watches to be waterproof if I swim wearing it . LOL , so I think instead of going for the G-shock , I'll just buy the cheapest casio available and try it out in the pool .

Check out this link on the Casio website about the degree of water resistance for their watches
DEGREE OF WATER RESISTANCE OF CASIO QUARTZ WATCHES - Watches - Products - CASIO
You'll get to know exactly what you can do with your watch!

I have read all such publicity ... just ask the watch shop people this simple question . "Will you replace my watch if there is any damage due to water entry while swimming/diving ? " . If the say "no" , they won't , whatever may be written on the company website . Moreover how are you going to convince them that you have dived just to 100meters and not 101meters, when they aren't willing to listen.

The water resistance depth mentioned by watchmakers refers to "static pressure" at sea level in clean fresh water . While swimming the watch is subject to dynamic pressure , think of your arm striking the water and then pulling through and up behind you or you are diving into the pool from the high spring-board , splash ! that's dynamic pressure . Swimming pool / Sea water / After-pool bath with soaps etc may further subject it to water with chemical impurities and lower surface tension . So a watch guaranteed water resistant to 100 meters even may not be sufficient for surface swimming . Watchmakers and shops know about this "static pressure" thing , so they are reluctant to guarantee it . Moreover at service or during battery change , they are supposed to replace all seal gaskets with properly "greased" (with specific grease types) new gaskets , and then test it's water resistance again on a machine ; which they never do . SO after you change your watch battery just once do not depend on it's water resistance marking at all !! Also note even if the watch is water proof it may not be suitable for swimming just because of the band type used with it ! Bands secured to the watch with spring-bar pins and standard fastenings may not withstand repeated stroking and pulling through water and give away , in which case you stand to lose your watch . No warranty for lost watch .
Best design IMHO is a stainless steel/polymer case with gasket-ed screw-down back and screw-down crown and gasket-ed crystal and integrated band . i.e no open points of water entry . Casio/Titan/Timex doesn't have ANY model here with screw-down crowns at all . I asked !

For biking around however I am presently wearing a new HMT kohinoor white-dial ( one tough watch this !! ) , or sometimes even one of my 20+ vintage ones ( which I know are zero water resistant ! ) , and they are adequate for this purpose . I always switch off my mobile phone when I am riding/driving . Few of my favourite riding sunglasses have polarised lense , and I have difficulty reading a digital watch with them , or any LCD display for that matter , so .

I have been using a Timex IRONMAN Triathlon series watch, water resistant upto 200mts. Its a digit display.
I've been using this for my gym/running/sports, riding in the rains(incessant rains), swimming/snorkell in the pool/sea waters for the last 2 years and it has lasted me without any issues.

I have even go to shower after swimming in the pool with it.
Its a safe bet.
However, that said, I have never tried diving or any underwater stuff with it.

yes, I know how they test watches, and the reluctance to replace/repair components. the true blue diver's watches are the Omega Seamaster range, Omega Ploprof, and the Rolex Deep Sea and Submariner series. sadly these are not affordable for most of us, costing upwards of a lakh...

by diving I was meaning diving off the poolside jumping boards . yes the watches are probably ok , I am just wary of the shop's reluctance to guarantee it . hmm the ironman is an attractive watch and i have one in mind next month , specially since you confirm it's good , could you post a pic of yours so that I can identify the same model in the shop , would make it lot easy for me then . I have also had an better idea specific for swimming ; say I get a very cheap digital casio and put in new battery in it and adjust it to correct time ,then seal/fix the back joint and buttons joints and the strap fixing joints (with case) with Cyno acrelate ( superglue ) or 24-hour epoxy (araldite) adhesive ? It should keep proper time for an year or so , no ? Then I can just keep replacing it .
Yes , the omegas and rolexes carry huge luxury taxes here and are hugely overpriced for what they are IMO , but 100% waterproof they are . Here is my vintage ( pre 1970s ) omega DeVille with ultra-thin 620 manual wind movement . It's not water resistant at all because my watch service guy couldn't source the necessary vintage omega gasket set for it .

i have a fast track large and clear dial with a compass on it

its best to have a clock in-built in digi console.

I guess that wouldnt give any protection to the crystal/glass from cracking...

My bike tells me the time
My car tells me the time
My TV tells me the time
My computer tells me the time
My computer has additional clock that tells me the time.
My wall clock tells me the time
My phone tells me the time
My camera tells me the time
My alarm clock tells me the time

Oh yes! my watch tells me the time.

Heard a hardcore biker saying...."loose the watch".
Maybe there is something to it.