Question 1
This first photo is the one I currently own. It will be the last thing I ever part with. The Air-King was a gift from my Father in 1968. I was all of 13 years old at the time. She is an heirloom piece. It has literally been through hell and back with me, and flawlessly, for 51 years. (Strap a watch on a 13-year-old and see what you get back.) I have worn this one everywhere, through any activity.
Question 2
The next would be the one I’d buy to serve the same function as above. I already have a Royal Oak (since 1989) and it’s great. It just is not rugged enough to go though anything I might want to do (shock / water resistance). So, since the RO Offshore is much too large for me, the smaller OS version shown here should do the trick. The photo here is from this site. I credit the owner.
An alternate for me would be the original Rolex Yacht-Master, before they make the overweight Y-M II version. I think this one is the sweet spot of the Oyster line for me.
HAGWE
All the best… HEO