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What price beater?
In reading Amanico's review today of the new JLC Polaris Automatique, he calls it "the new daily beater". And starting at US$6600, I immediately wondered: Would I call this a daily beater? A beater at over $7000 including taxes? Seriously? Ahhh, first world problems, as we might say.
But then, I started thinking more about the issue at large. What makes a "beater" watch? And does price matter in this regard? So lets look at some examples.
Seiko 5 at under $500
Sinn circa $2000
Tudor Pelagos LHD $4400
JLC Polaris Automatique $7000
Rolex Sea Dweller circa $13000
Richard Mille RM53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough $900,000!
At first thought, it seemed ludicrous that I, or anyone, would consider a $10,000 watch a "beater". I mean, what is a beater watch. At its simplest, I would call a beater watch any watch that one wears and does not worry about what may happen to it. It doesn't matter what the water resistance rating is, nor whether the watch is shock resistant, nor steel, nor precious metal nor anything. Who cares if the watch is "tough".
Now, $10,000 is a lot of money. When I bought my Tudor Pelagos LHD, I said to myself, this will be my ultimate tool watch. But tool watch and beater watch are not synonymous. $4400 is a lot of money. Do I really want to risk beating up my Pelagos?!! If don't, well, then, my Pelagos is not a beater, at least not for me.
Recently, Jocke posted a great photo diary of servicing his daily beater, which was... a Rolex Datejust! And yes, the Richard Mille watch, for a cool million dollars (so I'm rounding up a little... at that price point, what's the difference?), is built to take more shock than any human would live through. So why not. Yes, a million dollar beater. You can't take it with you when you die, so you might as well enjoy it now.
If you can stomach it, any watch can and will be a beater. Give the watch whatever you can throw at it. At worst, the watch will stop working. And you'll have a great story. As long as you don't care about the money, money, money 
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What price beater?
In reading Amanico's review today of the new JLC Polaris Automatique, he calls it "the new daily beater". And starting at US$6600, I immediately wondered: Would I call this a daily beater? A beater at over $7000 including taxes? Seriously? Ahhh, first wor...
Not fond of the new JLC...
The side of the case is too masculine and brutal looking. Looks like a German IWC to me from the side. The side of the case doesn't look anything like a French-Swiss design to me. And it's thick like an IWC. Give me the Tudor on your list or a Rolex GMT B...
The left side of the case on...
Modern JLC Sports watches always been their Achilles heel. Since second generation of the Compressor case, Navy Seal Case, ... Best Blomman
You're right!
Someone needs to tell JLC that they need to be more French and less German.
Sinn is my choice of beater
I still wouldn’t wear it fixing the car - no watch is safest when working around hot, electrical and rotating machinery- but my Sinn watches have been used everywhere else. Cazalea ...
Cazalea, I'm still waiting for the Sinn for me. In the meantime, as of today, our friends Jim and Maryanne at the Manhattan boutique still do not have my SPB069 yet. They said...
that they only were allotted 40, and of course I am one of those forty. I place my order on December 9th. Maybe this week? I hope so. Marc
I used to wear a sub ND as my beater. It was for golf, gym anything and everything. Then I foolishly sold it. Now I wear a Protrek for exercise and
a Seiko Diver for all other strenous activities including water sports. Keeping my nice watches to just office and non-active functions. I would not consider the JLC Polaris as a beater.
Perfectly fine as a beater, IMO.
I wore a Sub for 15+ years everywhere before I bought other nice watches. It’s dinged, scratched, a chip missing from the bezel, the clasp is slightly bent. It’s all good though. A fine watch to wear anywhere and to do anything. I still have it but rarely...
I completely agree with the OP.
If you don’t care about the price, or more correctly, are willing to part with the amount with no regrets, any watch you can afford can be a beater. I don’t have one, I have a few. There are some at lower price levels (Seiko divers, etc) as well as some a...
I have no “beater” as I take care of all my watches whatever their price. I don’t use them to do my work out, swim or everything which can hurt them.
Maybe that’s stupid as a watch is made to “live” but even if it’s a lot of money or not, I want to take care of them. Best wishes Alkiro
Hey, everyone looks at this differently.
There are some watches I wouldn't even wash my hands while wearing, no matter the price.
Let me correct it: A chic Beater. ;) Let's make a parallel, now. I know a lot of people for who buying a watch which is more than let's say 1, 000 USD, is pure madness.
Then, when they buy such a watch, their level of madness is a bit higher, let's say 3, 000 USD. Then, 5, 000, then 10, 000, then the sky is the limit. Everything is relative. Best, Nicolas
I do not have really a beater, there are some watches which "required" less attention I think
My opinion is, if you can't afford to lose the watch and assume a major repair, don't buy it. ...
Not sure I have a beater watch
As others have said I'm careful with all of them. So no matter what I probably now wouldn't play golf wearing one of my mechanical watches. I've got a couple of Swatches that I'd wear - even then think I'd be annoyed if I broke it, but again when they fai...
For me it's less about the price and more about the general robustness of the watch itself.
I wore a Sea-Dweller for many years every day, all day. It wasn't that I didn't care for it, I wasn't intentionally trying to bash it up, but more that I knew the watch was robust. Do i think the same way about my far cheaper vintage Grand Seiko? Nope, I ...