Quartz vs Automatic Watch Movement Crown & Caliber Blog
Automatic Vs. Quartz Watches – What’s The Difference ...
Quartz Vs. Automatic Watches: Which Is Better?
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Quartz vs Automatic Watches: The Difference and Which is ...
Automatic vs Quartz watch movement: which is better and ...
Automatic Vs Quartz Movement Automatic Watches For Men
Quartz or Automatic Watch: How to Choose Linjer Watches
automatic vs quartz dive watch
automatic vs quartz dive watch - win
[Vaer A5 Field White USA Automatic] - Help deciding
Hi Watches, Longtime lurker. I am looking for anybody here whom owns a Vaer automatic watch and can help comment on their experience. I initially began looking for automatic Field watches (Hamilton Khaki) but saw a few posts about Vaer watches. The design is very appealing to me however nobody I know has any personal experience with owning one. If anybody can add their insight regarding; *How is the build quality, time accuracy and reliability of your watch? Quartz vs Automatic? Any regrets? *If you had issues with the watch, was the warranty/return process easy? *If you are a non-US resident (I'm Canadian), how was shipping through customs and were there duties? (I've never ordered anything like this online/cross border) *Are single pass watches restricted to NATO straps only? *Are there other brands of Field watches that you think offer better quality/value at this price ($449 USD)? *Any other callouts/comments/experiences? I would like this to be my daily beater watch and if I go on vacation or exercise I would plan on wearing it (running, diving, etc) Any comments are appreciated, pictures welcomed!
EDC Starter Pack: An Arbitrary List of Gear that Gets Recommended a Lot
Disclaimer: I make no claim to be an expert in any of this, I am just speaking from what I see recommended here a lot, and some personal experience and research. For the record, this is inspired by this list made by Zak over on /flashlight. I noticed that there are often questions here, and wanted to have a compiliation of gear that I can quickly refer someone to. This will obviously not be a comprehensive list, but it should do the job well enough to point someone in the right direction. I won't be going into too much detail, nor super high end stuff, as I believe with anything much over $100 or so, most people tend to know what they are looking for. This should serve as more of a brief overview of some popular gear in the budget/prosumer level-someone who enjoys good gear, and wants to get a good value. So, without further ado, here goes! Hope this helps!
Casio F91W $10 - A small, cheap, and classic design that is surprisingly tough. A good choice for a first time watch user who isn't sure if they would use a watch enough to make it worth a better investment. Review here
Timex Ironman $35 - A more sports styled watch. Very popular, pretty tough, and comes in tons of different styles/colors.
Casio G-Shock $40+ - Reknowned for being very tough. Comes in just as many different styles as the Ironman, if not more. A bit bigger and bulkier than some prefer.
Timex Weekender $30 - Analog watch, for those that prefer that style. Quartz movement. Not much else to say, though some say the ticking is a bit loud.
Timex Expedition $35 - Another great line from Timex. A bit more rugged than the Weekender, but still looks great for almost any occasion. Also available with chronograph versions if you prefer that look.
Casio MDV106 $45 - A great little quartz dive watch. A lot of people like to swap the strap with a nato to make it look and feel better.
Seiko 5 SNK807 $60 - A nice little automatic piece, great for casual wear. A bit more classy than a digital without being too flashy. Comes in a few different colors. Most recommend to get a nato strap for a nice little upgrade. Review here
Vostok Amphibia $90 - Another entry level automatic, this time in a russian diver style. Widely recommended along with the Seiko 5 for those wanting to get into automatic watches on a budget.
Orient Bambino $100-200 - A classy dress watch, automatic again. Comes in a few different colors/styles, very nice addition to any collection.
Seiko SKX007 $200 - A solid dive watch, if thats your kind of thing. Japanese movement. Solid piece, though it can be heavy for some.
Pilot G2 $5/4 - Very smooth roller ball writing, widely recommended if you dont have much to spend on more premium pens, or tend to lose your pens more often.
Zebra F301 $4/2 - Still on the cheap side, but a bit more premium materials. Stainless steel barrel, though the plastic grip sometimes tends to break if you sit on it.
Zebra F701 $6 - A nice upgrade over the F301. All stainless construction makes it more durable, and many prefer the feeling of the stainless steel grip over the plastic. Many people like modding them to accept different refills or making it all stainless steel.
Parker Jotter $12 - A very classy looking pen. All stainless construction again, great for both edc and for more formal events. Very, very nice pen with gel refills. Reviews here
Pilot Metropolitan $10 - Another classy pen, this time available in ballpoint, roller ball, or fountain.
Lamy Safari $25 - Probably one of the most widely recommended pens for someone wanting to get into fountain pens.
Fisher Space Pen (Bullet) $16 - Probably one of the most widely recommended pens here, period. Super small form factor until your need it, and it will write whenever and wherever you need it to. Not an overly pleasant writing experience compared to some, but it won't let you down. Review here
SAK Classic Alox $20 - Super small little tool, with a few different handy tools. Great if you are in a place where knives are frowned upon. Also available in non-alox versions for slightly cheaper.
SAK Cadet Alox $30 - The classic's bigger brother. Adds a couple more tools, still in a very small package.
SAK Super Tinker $30 - My personal favourite. A bit bigger tahn the aforementioned again, with a few more tools. Probably what most people think of when "Swiss Army Knife" is mentioned.
Leatherman Squirt PS4 $30 - A nice little multitool, small enough to barely notice it in your pocket, but still packs a lot of tools.
Gerber Dime $15 - Similar to the Squirt, just with a different name.
Leatherman Skeletool $60 - A no nonsense tool that just gets the job done. Probably one of the most widely recommended multitolols for those who needs pliers in their arsenal.
Leatherman Wave $90 - The tool that should be able to do just about anything you need. Though it is a bit large and heavy for most people to EDC. But if thats not enough for you, its bigger brother, the Charge TTi might be a bit more your speed.
Opinel No.8 $14 - Cheapest quality knife out there. No.8 is the most popular, but there are different sizes as well. Nail nick traditional style with a locking blade. Makes a great steak knife or food prep, and cheap enough that you dont mind losing it. Just beware that the carbon steel versions tend to rust. Review here
Ontario Rat 2 $30 - Probably one of the most widely recommended in the budget category. Solid construction, decent steel, nice full flat grind, and nothing overly aggressive for those who may be in the company of less knife-inclined persons. Now available in a D2 version as well. Review here Also has a bigger brother:
Ontario Rat 1 $40 - For those who like the Rat 2, just bigger-and with better steel. Probably one of the best value knives on the market right now with D2 steel. Review here
Spyderco Tenacious $40 - Some may be opposed the the looks of Spyderco, but at least give it a shot before discounting them completely. Spyderco is reknowned for having great ergos, and the "Spydie hole" is pretty popular once you get used to it. Review here
Kershaw Skyline $50 - Arguably one of the best offerings by Kershaw. Solid flipper, solid construction and materials. Also comes in a Fixed version. Review here
Spyderco Delica $60 - A great little offering from Spyderco. Very grippy and tough handle, though it is easy to get dirty. The 4-way clip combined with the lockback makes for a great fully ambidextrous experience.
Benchmade Griptillian $100 - Super tough workhorse, with my personal favourite-axis locking mechanism. Comes in many varieties of blade material, handle material, blade shapes, opening mechanisms, and colors. Also comes in a mini style. Review here
Spyderco PM2 $120 - Arguably the most popular offering from Spyderco. Super smooth action, great compression lock, exemplary ergonomics, and a whole host of materials to choose from. Cant go wrong with a PM2. If it's a bit big, you may have better luck with the Para3. Review here
ZT 0450CF $180 - Very popular flipper from Zero Tolerance. Very small profile, super smooth action, and rather classy looks if I do say so myself-though it may be a bit overly "tacticool" for some. Review here
Benchmade 940 $180 - The most widely recommended knife if the <$200 range, and one of my personal favourites. Sleek, smooth, snappy action and great lockup in a knife that just disappears in your pocket due to the size, shape, and weight. Unfortunately it suffers from Benchmade's less than stellar quality control-I would recommend buying second hand to avoid a lemon.
Most people prefer neutral white over cool white when selecting tint for flashlights. The majority of the lights listed below are in neutral white, though there are a few that are cool white only.
Nitecore Tube $10 - A small keychain light that can be charged via USB. A significant upgrade over those freebies you get from the car salesman. But if it isnt enough of an upgrade, you can always go for the Tube's bigger brother- the Nitecore TIP ($30) for 360 lumens of keychain awesomeness.
Thrunite Ti3 $15 - Small, keychain light, runs off a single AAA. Waterproof, can be clipped to a keychain or used with the included pocket clip.
Lumintop Tool AAA $20 - Another popular AAA light, this time with a tail switch instead of twisty. Available in a variety of finishes.
Maratac AAA $65 - A more high-end keychain light - basically a Lumintop tool in copper with a twisty instead of tail switch. Favoured by many because of the high-cri Nichia-219C emitter, it is a great option, and with either brass or copper construction, it makes for a bit more of a "dressy" light.
Thrunite T10 $20 - Probably one of the most popular AA lights. Single tail switch, easy to use UI, waterproof, pocket clip-the works. Comes with a diffuser, which can be nice if you want to use it as a lantern for camping. Unfortunately it appears to be out of production, but is still available from some sellers. The Thrunite Archer 1A V3 is available as an alternative, but it is a bit more expensive. Review here
Manker E03H $30 - A decent little AA headlamp. Comes with a sliding diffuser, that allows you to use a red beam if you prefer that over a sub-lumen/moonlight mode.
Zebralight SC53c $60 - A more expensive AA option, and for good reason - the at 90+ CRI, a nice e-switch, and solid build quality, this is a great light.
BLF A6 $20 - Designed by members over on the Budget Light Forums, this thing is pretty great. Very bright, easy UI, and in my opinion, the perfect mix of both flood and throw. Also known as the Astrolux S1. Does not come with battery/charger, so you will need those if you don't already have them.
Atactical A1S $30 - Some would say this light is the most affordable way to get into the 18650 flashlight world. Over 1000 lumens, and comes with a battery that offers integrated USB charging-meaning you won't need to buy batteries and charger separately. The base model A1 is also available slightly cheaper, as are the right angle models - the A2 and A2S
Skillhunt H03 $30 - The preferred budget option for headlights/right angle lights. A few different options to choose from, including cool vs neutral white and throw vs flood patterns. Again, no battery/charger included. Check for coupon codes before buying.
Thrunite Neutron 2C V3 $50 - Moving up the line in the world of 18650. Again, over 1000 lumens, in a slightly smaller form factor, with a rather nice ramping UI. Review here
Olight S1R $65 - Dipping briefly out of the 18650 category, this is a super tiny but powerful light. Uses an RCR123A battery, comes with a nice little magnetic charger. However, some aren't a big fan of it because of the proprietary battery - If you are one of those, the slightly cheaper S1 Baton ($45) might be more your style-and it is also available in neutral white(though more expensive), over the cool white of the S1R. Review here and here
Zebralight SC64c $70 - Very popular EDC light. Nice size-very compact with a side e-switch and a nice UI.
Armytek Wizard Pro $85 - A favourite for right angle/headlight enthusiasts. Very tough, very bright, and comes witha magnetic charger and battery. The cheaper version (Armytek Wizard[$35])is also popular, though it has less output, modes, etc. For value options, the Elf C2 is also recommended, and splits the differences between the Wizard and Wizard Pro.
Zebralight H600w $90 - Another very popular right angle light. Not quite as bright as the Wizard Pro, but it makes up for it in other areas. Very compact, great UI, nice tint. Various configuations available. No pocket clip on this one.
Olight M2R $100 - Moving up again. Premium materials, build quality, etc. Comes with a magnetic charger, battery, etc, etc.. Review here
Magpul Daka $15 - A nice, inexpensive option for a very slim wallet.
Herschel Charlie $20 - A very slim wallet, mostly for cards, but can hold cash as well. RFID blocking. Comes in a multitude of patterns.
Recycled Firefighter $30 - Very popular slim wallet. Made of recycled fire hoses, very tough-should last a lifetime. Holds 4-8 cards and cash.
Big Skinny Slimline $25 - Just your average, classic Bi-fold wallet. Slimmer than most other options in this style.
Vaultskin Chelsea $25 - A nice, slim, leather wallet. RFID Blocking is always nice these days. And if the Chelsea is not quite your style, then Vaultskin also has a bunch of other styles in quality materials that may be to your liking. The Manhatten is another popular one.
Ridge Wallet $65+ - A bit more pricy option, but very popular. Made with premium materials, and has a classy design. very sleek, and it'll work with cash or cards. You can also find some knockoffs on amazon that will do the same thing at a much lower price point.
Disclaimer: I am not in an area where I can conceal carry a firearm, so I cannot comment on any personal experience; however, I am familiar with guns, and with some popular ones for concealed carry. Comments are from this thread because I'm too lazy to write more right now.
Ruger LCP $200 - Super small, super compact, very easy to conceal. Newer model is also available. Review here
S&W Bodyguard $300 - 2013 and old models included a laser. Large sights for a pocket pistols. Upgrades available to trigger and sights. Has a heavy DA trigger pull. Magazines come with flat bottom or slightly extended allowing gripping of the pistol with ring finger. Has a manual safety. Review here
M&P Shield $350 - Easy to conceal and reliable, available with or without thumb safety. Newer version is also available.Review here
SIG Sauer P320 $500 - This is a modular pistol by SIG. In the future caliber and size conversion kits will be available. Extremely short trigger with a clean break and very little overtravel. One of the best on the market (with some saying it's flat-out the best, or at least on par with the VP9 and PPQ). Factory night sights are standard but optional. The compact model is short and thin enough to carry concealed. There has recently been a large fiasco involving this weapon not being drop safe. Upgraded triggers are available to rectify this. Review here and here
Glock 43 $450 - Typical super tough glock construction. Small form factor, easy to conceal. Tons of upgrades availble. Review here
Glock 19 $550 - Another glock, again, really tough. A bit larger that the 43, not as easily concealed, but still manageable-similar in size to the P320 Compact. Like most glocks, lots of upgrades available. Review here
Since there are so many variations for holsters and it ranges by personal preference, and by gun, I will only be recommending brands and makers, rather than specific holsters. Also note that I have not personally used any of these, nor have I done any significant research, so I will not be providing any comments. These are just brands that I see recommended a lot.
For most of these items, I would suggest researching before buying, and make sure you know how to use what you are getting. I would strongly recommend taking an emergency first aid course. Also, be mindful of avoiding imitation gear-especially Tourniquets. There are many cheap clones on the market, especially of the CAT, and the last thing you want in an emergency situation is faulty gear.
SOFTT-W $30 - If you want a tourniquet for EDC, this is it. Packs down nicely to fit in your pocket or IFAK, battlefield tested, has a metal windlass.
CAT $30 - A bit bigger than the SOFTT, but easier to apply to yourself or one-handed. Also battlfield tested more, and proven. Cons: Slightly big for EDC, and has a plastic windlass.
QuickClot $20 - Combat gauze with a hemostatic agent to encourage faster clotting. Great for slowing bleeds in areas where it is not possible to apply a TQ
Leatherman Raptors $70 - A nice upgrade for any EMT who is tired of using disposable shears. A few different tool, and rugged construction. Can cut through just about anything, including rings, zippers, thick leather jackets, coins, and pretty much whatever else you need. Downside is, you probably wont enjoy them much after getting them covered in blood and having to clean them all out rather than just tossing them away like your old disposables.
Isreali Bandages $10 - Great pressure bandages for stopping bleeding in a hurry.
CPR Pocket Mask $10 - Always important to have a barrier device for CPR. If you dont have room for a full size pocket mask, perhaps a keychain mask is something you might want to look into.
Keychain Tools
Keybar $30+ - A nice alternative to a key ring, if you dont like keys jingling in your pocket. Comes in a variety of materials.
KeySmart $20 - Similar option as the Keybar, but somewhat sleeker.
KeyDisk $15 - My personal favourite design for keeping your keys together. Similar idea, different design from the Keybar and KeySmart. Also a bit cheaper.
Orbitkey $40 - Yet another key ring alternative, this time in leather.
FreeKey $10 - If you decide you DO want a key ring, this one lets you get your keys on and off much more easily than your typical ring.
Gerber Shard $10 - Mini keychain Multitool/prybar that comes in handy more often than you would think, especially if you dont carry any other kind of multi tool.
Pico Pulls $5 - Little waterproof pill containers. Great for keeping a spare advil/tylenol nearby if you are prone to headaches, or whatever else may ail you.
NiteIze S-Biner Bottle Opener $4 - What can I say? Its a bottle opener that can also hold your keys. Don't realize how much you use it until you go without it.
Water Bottles
Nalgene $10 - Classic design, BPA free, and really tough. Comes with a lifetime warranty. Very solid choice. Options up to 48oz.
Liberty Bottleworks $8+ - Clean, simple, and sleek aluminum bottle. Available in multiple sizes and colors.
Camelbak Eddy $15 - A more sporty bottle, less likely to spill. Many other options availble from Camelbak are good choices as well.
Klean Kanteen $15 - Another metal option, this time vacuum insulated to keep your drink colder longer.
Hydro Flask $25 - Double walled vacuum sealed again. Multiple options available for different caps, colors, etc.
Belts
Beltman $70+ - High quality leather belt that look great for any occasion, casual enough for everyday wear, but plenty stiff enough to use as a gun belt for your CCW.
Ares Aegis $100 - A solid gun belt made of nylon. Tough and stiff-but if you want something even stiffer for your loadout, the Aegis Enhanced is what you are looking for.
British Belt Company $35+ - Premium leather belts, great for everyday wear all the way up to formal events.
I don't know enough about this category to offer any thoughts or comments - these are suggestions from the comments below. Check the subs linked above for more info.
Kingston Data Traveller (USB) $25 - A sleek little USB drive, metal case, and USB 3.0 compatible. Rather tough, works well, can be easily attached to a keychain, no complaints.
Anker PowerCore $40 - A huge capacity USB power bank. Dual USB outputs is nice. If you look around you can often find sales-I got one for $20 a while ago, and it is really nice. Throw it in a bag for a trip, and you can charge your device several times over off it.
Magpul Phone Case $10 - A solid case that offers great protection at a low price point-though it may be a bit too "tacticool" for some. iPhone 7 version is linked, but they have many other options availble.
NATO Strap $15 - A great upgrade for almost any watch. Super easy to swap, looks great, and feels great. Tons of colors and patterns available.
Field Notes $10/3 - You can't be a true EDC'er without your trusty field notes! Just kidding-but seriously, these get recommended so much. Even if you aren't sure if you want a notebook or not, these are easy to slip in your back pocket and forget about until you need them. Or until you wash your pants.
Moleskine Notebook $15 - For those that need a more sizable notebook/journal. Great for keeping track of stuff in a meeting or just jotting down a quick note at your desk, these are more suited for a bag or briefcase. Thats not to say they wouldnt fit in a pocket though.
Burts Bees $8/4 - If you havent heard of Burts Bees lip balm by now, Im not sure why you're on this sub.
Where to get your gear
If you don't mind buying gently used, here are a few subs you can get your gear, generally much cheaper than retail.
Thats all for now! Apologies if I didn't include your favourite gear, I tried to get most of the most popular, but let me know if theres anything you think I'm missing(I probably plain forgot to add a whole category somewhere..)! Especially the places to buy gear - I'm sure I dont have all of them yet. I already know I didnt include any lighters-Im hoping to make a section for that later if you have any suggestions. Also, is there any bad gear that you think anyone should avoid at all costs? And lastly, I'd kind of like to add links to reviews of each product - if you have any or know of any full, comprehensive reviews for any of this gear, let me know!
I don't think I've seen this idea discussed before regarding "the sound". There's been some incredible theories and discoveries such as the diary latch, but I just stumbled across a pretty simple one revolving around watches. I’ll give a brief summary on what needs to be known about watches before diving into the theory. I’m a lover of watches. Most, if not all, watch enthusiasts prefer automatic movements. An automatic movement has a few distinct features; the second hand had a smooth sweeping movement vs the harsh “tick tock” movement of a quartz watch. Automatic watches don’t have batteries ; they are powered by motion, usually a combination of hand winding the crown or via movement; the natural movement of your wrist and body will wind the watch. With all of that said different watch movements make different sounds as the wind; some are mostly silent, some make slight noises, others can be a bit louder. I'm wearing a watch today that I don't often wear (for reference it's an Orient Envoy open heart v2) and out of nowhere it clicked; the sound of this automatic movement sounds a lot like "the sound". Couple that with the fact thay we know time travel occurs it would make a lot of sense if the sound was in fact a watch being wound , signaling a major change in that timeline. As important as time is in the series I can’t help but wonder if this could be related. If there’s interest I will gladly record the sound that this movement makes when it winds via motion.
[Question] Are affordable Automatic Watches Worth It?
So I'm having a bit of a crisis of Faith at the moment. I have a fun little collection of watches that, at the beginning of this year, transitioned into owning automatic watches. I bought a Hamilton Interstellar, a Glycine Airman, and a Spinnaker Cahill. I've been considering a Seiko SRPA25 My question is, is it worth it to have these more affordable Automatic Watches? I tried to find a similar thread but came up empty which is why i'm posting here. I'm worried that when the time comes for a service, it will be difficult to spend $300 on service for watches that were not far from $300 in the first place. Meanwhile, i'm 7 years in on a quartz piece my wife got me when we got married, and I've spent 20 bucks changing batteries. What I love most is the quality of construction on my Hamilton, mainly the increase in quality of the case, bracelet and clasp vs. affordable quartz watches like some Nixons and Fossils I started out with. But I wonder, if I could find a quartz that's well built and feels like quality jewelry, if that might be a better spend of money considering impending service costs? (any suggestions that match this description would be appreciated) I just wanted to get others thoughts, as I am sure I'm not the only one to splurge on affordable automatics after diving into this hobby!
I originally posted this on Era but I spent a nice chunk of time writing this so I thought I'd share it on Reddit too. I break the game down into big sections. Full spoilers for the whole series including CS4. I originally had written way more than this, but it was too overdone, so I tried to condense my writing. GAMEPLAY: This section has been written from the perspective of someone who already beat CS3. The gameplay systems in CS4 and CS3 are the same. I played the game on Hard difficulty. Coming from CS3 and Kondo’s post-CS3 interview where he noted that Orders are too strong and he wanted to add a progression system for orders, I knew that certain parts of the CS3 battle system were going to be nerfed, and I was fine with that. CS3 was a very broken game, largely due to Orders and overpowered master quartz (MQ). In CS4 Orders are weaker than in CS3 and in some cases cost more BP to use, but you can improve them by completing trial chests (the in-game justification for how your orders got weaker is slightly amusing). MQs also received some nerfs, which include reductions to Sirius’s counter-damage, reductions in Skuld’s break damage, etc. Lastly, the amount of time a boss got delayed for being Broken was heavily reduced, and it’s much harder to Break bosses period. And this worked out pretty well at first. I’d say for the first 1/5 of the game, things are somewhat balanced, though enemies could stand to deal more damage. However the moment Rean rejoins your party, everything breaks wide open. Rean’s overpowered Orders (though overpowered in CS3, there are even more powerful orders in CS3 you can use in comparison) completely decimate the game’s balance; the ability to reduce incoming damage by 40% for only 2 BP, and the ability to instant cast arts for 6 turns with only 3 BP are just too strong. Though the other members do have strong orders, they are usually temporary buffs or healing orders, or raise damage via a set percentage, or just cost too much BP to loop reliably since it’s harder to Break bosses than before. Once you reach this part of the game, you can instacast arts, annihilate an enemy’s health, break them, then regain BP easily by linking attacks after they are broken… basically the same loop as CS3 with Juna and Kurt/Sara’s Orders, just slower. It’s not just Rean’s fault, because after the midpoint of the game where you have more or less a ton of characters at your disposal you can break the game as you wish and everything gets smashed even farther wide open with whatever variety of busted you want. An annoying part of all this is that the enemy bosses have something from CS3 called “Exalt State”, where they gain a buffs (some permanent), big CP/EP gain, a big chunk of health, and take reduced damage for three turns or more depending on how long the State lasts. So if you don’t want a fight to take eons, the game almost encourages you to break it. This exalt state almost feels like a band-aid fix to balance problems, so that people wouldn’t make the same complaint that they made about CS2/3 and annihilating bosses. I haven’t even brought up the incredible link bonuses you get such as healing, blocking attacks (even blocking s-crafts for reduced damage on TOP of having orders reduce damage), and so forth. Linking two casters together almost guarantees an endless pool of EP. It’s the same from CS3, but much worse since you are controlling characters that have way more link bonuses together than before. Enemy bosses now use Orders, but it was implemented in the lamest way imaginable. Instead of having a system of competing Orders with us versus the enemy, the enemy’s Order actually locks out your Order for several turns at the start of the battle, and then after the enemy’s Order expires, they never use an Order again (or do so EXTREMELY rarely). So instead of being something interesting, it became another balance band-aid. The mecha fights are largely just as simple as always. However the ability of boss mechs to suddenly gain a big chunk of health and self-buff (with some of these buffs being permanent, mind you) is ridiculous, basically making matches take way longer than they should be with no real strategic benefit. Since a buffed charactemecha cannot be debuffed in the same category, assist characters that have debuff properties on their arts are useless against big boss enemy mechs. The ability to use Orders with mechs isn’t given until WAY too late into the game, another dimension to battles that is sorely missing for the majority of the game. So like previous CS games, if you don’t mind just breaking them in various ways, you’ll do just fine. UI/UX: Same as CS3. Really enjoy how there are quick shortcuts on the d-pad. There is lag on the character select screen, but it’s not too noticeable. One complaint is no wraparound scrolling on the character select screen. Another complaint is that you still can’t sort quartz by element. When you go to report sidequests there is a big delay before you can actually view them on the computer which is annoying. If you accidentally hit report sidequest, it forces you to sit through a spiel even if you have nothing to report. If you submit notes via ARCUS to other student members and are successful, it will force quit your ARCUS screen even if you have other things on your ARCUS you want to do. If your character is in the corner of the map during battle, it causes crafts and arts to get bugged out where the aiming lines and circles will always set in the wrong direction in the corner by default. A strange bug. After you beat the game, the game makes a separate save and asks you to reload and make a choice to see the “actual ending”. There is absolutely no reason to do this and it befuddles me why they went to such trouble. There is a sidequest that is “only accessible” if you do every sidequest in the game up to that point, and clearing this sidequest it is required to reach the actual ending. But if you don’t unlock the sidequest, don’t worry; the game forces you to beat it if you want to see the true ending anyway. This is rather stupid and it makes me wonder why they didn’t just make this sidequest part of the main plot. THEN, after watching the true ending and watching the second set of credits, you can reload the save AGAIN, to see a “hidden scene”. This feels like a ton of nonsense that’s layered for no real reason. You think you would give me the courtesy of watching such important scenes normally without having to jump through such silly hoops. What is the point of a true ending that’s locked like this, just to say the game has a true ending? GRAPHICS: The opening animation is of such a horrendous quality, that I was wondering if Falcom had lost their minds approving it. Please go back to dramatic “moving” stills if you need to be mindful of budgets. It’s almost like they recognize how bad it looks because they have a “second opening” character reel, but the combination of these things is so cheap looking and awkward that there really is no need to do something like this again. There are a lot of beautiful graphical showpieces in this game and the 60fps is very welcome. Lost Arts in particular are just as pretty as ever and the grand spectacle of scenes is impactful (such as the large airship battles). That being said, my previous complaints about lighting and shadows still stand, I would like to see Falcom attempt more stylish lighting and shadows. The roads are still rather bare, and I would like to see things like rendered grass or more realistic trees. That being said, some areas like the wetlands are very pretty, so no complaints there. I also enjoyed a lot of the graphics in the Crossbell areas like Orchis Tower and Mishelam. Ordis also deserves a special mention for being just as beautiful as always. MUSIC: So I feel like this soundtrack is weaker than the one in Cold Steel 3 and might be the weakest soundtrack in the entire Trails series. The biggest problem is the proliferation of very crappy sounding boss battle themes; Endure Grief, Mighty Urge, Deep Carnival, Blue Stardust, Bold Assailants (why are there so many different boss themes that all suck?). Not only do these boss themes sound terrible, but contextually they have no power or depth at all; can you listen to any of the above themes and tell me which one is the battle theme against Ouroboros members or Jaegers? Bet you can’t. It’s like the exact opposite of Trails SC and Ao, where the “Sora no Kiseki” leftmotif and the “Get Over the Barrier” leftmotif rang proudly throughout many high quality songs, or where the beautiful pacing and instrument choices dictated the emotion of the scene or had a composition texture which reflected the character of the opponent you were facing (e.g. Erosion of Madness and McBurn, Unfathomed Force and Arianrhod). Generally the problem is that Falcom outsourced way too much important music to a dude named Singa who doesn’t have the skill to compose good music, and doesn’t care to put context into his songs either. So there is just this avalanche of shit. Why do I call it an avalanche? Because you will be hearing all of these battle themes A LOT and for a long period of time. To make matters worse, one of the most climactic moments in the whole game (and one of the most emotional, if you’re a big fan of Rean, and I know there are a lot of those) is jarringly ruined by some of the shittiest freestyle rap I’ve ever heard in my life. Meguro this composer is not. Area themes are fine as usual, though I feel that there isn’t a road song as good as CS3’s “Alley of Silence” (though “Witch of the Quiet Forest” comes close). Ordis theme sounds as beautiful as ever, but town themes are largely reused or just basic stuff, which is perfectly fine. Minigame themes sound good, though I feel that the CS3 Vantage Master theme is superior. Dungeon themes are excellent, with “Betting the Fate of the World” and “The End of SAGA” being the pure sugary good stuff. There are some absolute standout battle themes such as Excellion Krieg, Unlikely Combination, With Our Own Hands!!, and Majestic Roar, though Unlikely Combination is played very rarely and Majestic Roar is only played once (for good reason). Give some praise to Unisuga and Sonoda, two long-time Falcom composers, for knowing when to bring the hype. Why am I writing so much about music? Because Falcom is famed for their music and seeing the deterioration of quality in important parts of their soundtracks is very sad. This goes hand in hand with the fact that being the last game in the series, the area, road, and final/major battle/sendoff themes not standing out from the previous entries is a little sad. I do not want to see these games go the way of generic Tales music. The Cold Steel series as a whole has only really had two songs live up to the greats from Sky and Crossbell in terms of memorability, and those are the two sister songs “Decisive Collision” and “Blue Destination”. It’s not a coincidence that these two songs are incredibly popular as they are contextually extremely well composed. There are other weird problems. The place where new songs and past songs are used during scenes is exceedingly odd. The boss gauntlet leading up to the final boss has two groups use “Belief” SAV as their fight theme, which I’ve heard too much for it to have any real impact (and style wise doesn’t feel like it matches the context, unlike how it fit the desperation fight against C in CS1 very well). “Blue Stardust” is used in a fight that does not match the context of the battle. “Sword of Biting Gale” (an absolute crap-tacular screechy song I might add) is used as the cavalry back-up theme even when other dramatic songs which would have matched the characters in question better are available. “Doomsday Trance” plays NONSTOP during one of the last parts of Act 1, for almost two hours straight! The game is entirely devoid of character-specific themes like CS2’s “Altina” or “The Witch of the Abyss”. “Ai no Uta”, sounds like some cheap romance anime breakup song and does not match the context of the ending scene at all (consider that something like CS2’s “Wakare no Toki” is the polar opposite of this situation). I could go on but there is a lot more, and you will notice this when playing CS4, no doubt about it. The two final battle themes, while being good compositions, are probably the most forgettable final arc songs in Trails history. The first has no contextual callback and is simply a generic orchestra which could fit in any game or hell, a movie. The second one has pretty much the same criticism. What kills me is that during the final battle, all the major characters from each arc are fighting, so the fact that despite this huge combination of amazing characters, we could only get a generic orchestra battle theme? Not even an attempt to meld the history of each series together into a beautiful melody? This kills the hype. Now I can already see you reading this review and coming up with some snarky comments as music is usually a touchy subject, so let me head them off at the pass. Peanut Gallery 1: “Why do you care so much about Falcom music? lol just generic rpg shit.” A: I too like 4chan level discourse, oh user who I am sure is a connoisseur of the fine musical arts. Peanut Gallery 2: “All the music from each Cold Steel game sounds the same to me.” A: Apart from being very insulting to composers who work very hard to make memorable tunes for you and generally being insulting to the craft of music composition as a whole, if you honestly think this you can skip this part of the review as well. Peanut Gallery 3: “It sounds fine to me.” A: Your standards are duly noted. Peanut Gallery 4: “The new battle music sounds great, I love hearing crappy guitars, awful violins, cursed freestyle rap, and songs with no emotional depth or context. It’s my fetish to play devil’s advocate at all costs to protect my precious Cold Steel series.” A: I can do nothing for you. Peanut Gallery 5: “The title screen song in CS4 is based.” A: Agreed! WRITING QUALITY: I’ve wanted to write this category for a while. As most people who are astute enough noticed, the writing quality has taken a serious dive since the beginning of Cold Steel 1 (despite XSEED’s best efforts at pruning away a lot of nonsense), but Cold Steel 4 has reached the apex. Almost every scene in the game where there is a past event that the current cast doesn’t know about starts and goes like this. Altina: “This was recorded during my time at the Intelligence Division. [Launches into long expository dialogue].” Other character: “Oh yeah, I think I heard a rumor about that. [Launches into even more expository dialogue].” AND/OR Rean: “Oh yeah, I heard about this (you) from [insert character(s)]. This was [launches into long expository dialogue].” This is seriously jarring because there are many characters and events that are extremely unlikely for any of these people to actually know. But it’s such a transparent attempt to catch people up or remind people of previous characters (hell, they do this for events that happened in the same game!) and the expository dialogue is so out of place that it feels extraordinarily cheap and bad. There is so much time wasted on this junk dialogue and sepia tone flashbacks that I have to wonder how much time would actually be saved if events and characters were merely accepted as they were instead of writing this crap. Freaking GILBERT is reintroduced like this, and I couldn’t believe it. It robs so much joy of rediscovery, and kills the intrigue for those who haven’t played the older games yet. Cold Steel 3 had a pretty similar problem which is one big mark against that game but this is a CS4 review. I never want to see sepia Lloyd cocking his head like a rooster ever again. The next thing I want to talk about is how much dialogue is wasted with very unnatural platitudes. It’s gotten so bad that even Japanese players are starting to beg Falcom to stop doing it. There is confluence between written language and spoken language which creates strange jarring effects during dialogue. The whole of the text needs to be refined and shortened into more natural language. And before you ask, yes the “Rean echo” makes a comeback. That and the listing of every character’s name whenever something emotional happens. No, that’s not natural Japanese. STORY: Here we are, the big meaty stuff. There are so many problems, I don’t know where to start. I originally wrote a far more detailed review, but even then I couldn’t cover everything I wanted to say. So I opted for a more general and condensed style of writing. There’s a lot of dissatisfaction, but at least we can say Cold Steel is over. In my personal opinion, the power of Trails games lies in the characters. The better the characters, the better the character interactions and character stories, the better the game. Well-developed characters are the strong foundation of memorable stories. If you divorce character development from the main plot and the fabric of the main plot development, you risk having a main plot that feels “empty”, with little consequence. And that’s the main problem with CS4. It feels like an empty game. There is no sense of accomplishment or exhilaration. The stakes are almost never there. Even during moments where character developments in the plot puts forward a chance for characters to shine, the majority of things fall flat on their face or never live up to the potential set to them by the previous games. I’m not just talking about heroes either, but also villains. The main reason for these failures comes down to the cast size. There are just way too many characters, period. This includes all the “guest” characters from other arcs that suck up the tiny remaining oxygen in the plot, and act like cardboard cutouts that were purely inserted into the game for nostalgia marketing grabs. There are so many loose ends from Cold Steel 1 through 3 (especially 3), that making Cold Steel 4 an “Everyone is Here” game was actually a big mistake because it acts like a logjam for plot movement. Old Class VII is merely just background characters, New Class VII happily joins them on the plot sideline soon after, and Rean returns to his blank-faced self-insert self. But that doesn’t excuse the game from failing to address or build on so many things built up to this point. The villains either fight us for the most inane reasons, or fight for us for unbelievable reasons, or fight us because the curse dictates them to do, but we just merely handwave it off regardless. Shirley is probably the most jarring example of this, but the scene with Irina and Schmidt’s excuses was so unbelievable I well, couldn’t believe it, especially considering what they had done up to this point. Cao attacks New Class VII under contract and the game handwaves it off later, in a section with such perplexing writing that I couldn’t believe what I was actually reading (and before some dude pops in here with B-B-BUT SKY SC, the battle context in that game was handled 1000% better than this nonsense). Just like in CS2 with Vita, making every villain sympathetic and “totally on our side dudes” or “never did anything wrong, really” without even an attempt at developing and providing acceptable and believable context is just Falcom saying “we didn’t really properly develop this idea at all but we need these characters to be kept in the flow because we don’t want to write anything difficult so lol yeah just ignore all that past stuff”. Or “the curse did it” or “we were just testing your resolve” (the last one is especially weird from characters that have no business saying it???). This results in so many scenarios where I wonder why the hell we are even fighting to begin with and gives me the uncomfortable feeling that despite being part of the main plot, there is a ton of wasted time here and ideas that go nowhere. And one more thing I wanted to mention. Falcom’s disrespect of the dead. Every single character that gets killed in CS3 revives in this game, and the only people that are allowed to die are Franz (I literally cannot bring myself to care about him, and I doubt anyone else did either) Rutger (a character whose motives are so open and who fought us as often as he pleased that it is VERY difficult to care about him) and Arianrhod (probably the only well-executed death in the game, even if the way she died was a bit contrived). All of the incredibly convenient revivals, including the slow roll fanservice moment where Millium is wearing more or less a skin-tight bikini, undercuts all the themes that Falcom has been promoting since the beginning of Sky (saying goodbye and moving past death to save your world and not give in to hatred or despair). It also undercuts CS4 extremely hard as there are quite a few touching scenes where Crow has to accept his upcoming “death”. This unbelievably convenient resurrections, restorations, and such completely kill the punch of everything set up from CS3. Is there any point in caring at all in the rest of the series if someone dies (or is about to die), no matter how important? In an unbelievable end to this section, Falcom shows their total regret at actually allowing Loewe to die by letting him talk AGAIN, which is why I mention Falcom’s disrespect of the dead. They refused to let Loewe rest in peace. Can’t wait to revisit Loewe’s grave in every future Kiseki game so I can call him back from the dead like a 1-800 phone call! I almost feel like if Falcom could think of a stupid enough reason to revive Loewe from the dead for real, they would do it without hesitation, that’s how bad they’ve gotten with dealing with the concept of life and death. Gilbert is one of the highlight returning characters from Sky but he is used way too much. I think I go against him no less than 6 times including (big) sidequests. I think he’s funny, but his comedy was repeated so much that Falcom ruined his shine, just like any repeated joke. At the very least his final scene is amazing. Regarding the conclusion to the game. Osborne is magnificent as always, but the Olivier vs. Osborne rivalry from the 3rd never pays off, as the two never truly and properly engage each other after Olivier is revived. Rean does get a good conclusion with Osborne in the end, but Teo Schwarzer is never really introduced into the whole drama other than an explanation for how Rean was handed off to Teo. Which is 1 lost chance of 1000 of introducing some juicy family drama into the game, just like how the Alisa / Sharon drama was a complete dud (what awful writing for those parts of the game!). Ouroboros has devolved into a joke organization. I’m not sure how I can make this much clearer. That’s largely the fault of Vita and Mariabell. I feel pretty bad for them nowadays, I remember fondly when they used to be a mysterious and threatening organization with awesome power. But who really cares about mysterious power and technological strength when Rean is literally Goku, ARCUS is a catch all powerup, everyone has orbal net and laptops, the Glorious got its ass kicked, and the Courageous II cannon can kill an Aion like it’s nothing? What’s Ouroboros going to do; send some tiny archaisms after our next heroes again for target practice? Cedric joining them is kinda poetic since Ouroboros became so pathetic. On the same topic, McBurn actually turned out to be a real awesome character, and his scene gave me Sky vibes with how interesting and fun it was implemented. Like the rest of the characters in the game, he is really denied proper screen time due to character volume, but at least his scene was super cool and kinda endearing. I look forward to seeing him in the future. A huge war breaks out due to the curse as Rean and company go to the final dungeon, and there is an awesome scene of the war beginning, but the fast conclusion to the war and the bringing of peace thanks to the killing of the curse is relegated to the plot cleanup monologue, which reminds me... ...tons of plot cleanup occur at literally the last minute, with Rean monologuing a drama CD script after you finish the true ending. This includes Rufus getting arrested (why the hell can Rufus get arrested but we are completely unable to arrest anyone else?). Stuff like the noble uprising (thus meaning that the whole “finding the answer to the noble and commoner divide” is more or less a failure; not like it was ever a focus again after the midpoint of CS3), the Crossbell Independence movement that has been teased for so long is completely wrapped up with some intensely described scenes that we never even got a chance to participate in... all of this is relegated to a few lines during this monologue… the whole time I was listening to this, I was incredibly sad that all of these interesting plot ideas that could’ve taken the place of filler was instead placed into a black screen readout. Such a huge disappointment. I absolutely loved seeing the Schera and Olivier wedding, but I didn’t really like how Cold Steel characters took the spotlight in the final photo. It should have been a true, huge group photo with every character you can squish into the shot, with Olivier and Schera in the middle (Schera’s face is blocked by a tree!); after all, it is a big celebratory event in the whole Trails universe. And Rean being surrounded by girls and all the guys shoved to the side or back… like, really? How indulgent is Falcom really? OK, I’ll stop here before I keep writing nonstop. But if someone wants me to write more leave a comment and I will cause there’s a lot to talk about and I definitely didn’t address all the characters and events, like the final boss being Ishmelga, Osborne’s Divine Knight who is the originator of the curse on the empire. Or you can tell me to stop writing. :) FINAL THOUGHTS: For those of you who scroll to the end of reviews to find a rating number or something, sorry, I don’t have anything for you. All I have is my final personal ranking for Trails games. 3rd > Zero > Ao > SC > CS3 > FC > CS1 > CS4 > CS2 CS4 like CS2 becomes more of a disappointment the more I think back to what I played. I’m not here to dissuade anyone from buying the game, after all it’s the “conclusion game” so if you’re already invested this far into the series, there's no way you’re not going to buy it lol. If you don’t really care about the details and you don’t mind if context is all messed up, you should probably have a good time. You can enjoy it as a generic RPG, just like CS2. People docked a lot of the game for the harem aspect, but I accepted that it was going to be part of the game since it was part of every Cold Steel game. You either accept it or you don’t. Yeah, it’s shitty, but that’s a consequence of the bonding system being shitty too. It’s not like the bonding events are bad, in fact they’re usually quite good when the characters in question are not sucking Rean off, but the very way they exist by nature is flawed, and everyone knows why by now. CS4 has really tested my patience though, I won’t deny this. Trails games are no longer an automatic purchase for me. I’m going to be taking a good hard look at the next game… and who knows? If it doesn’t meet my liking, I have no problems stopping here and only playing Ys games from now on. I’m not gonna make the same mistakes I’ve made in the past like where I kept buying tickets to every successive Hobbit movie even though each one was awful. Falcom has a lot of refining to do and a lot of junk to throw out. End review, catch you on the outside.
Eye of the Storm - Full Round (5 AP) Ishmael holds a hand into the air and calls upon the sky to aid him, creating an area in which only one will be able to walk away from. A hurricane of rushing wind, rain, and lightning made of streaks of gold reach out and tear apart everything around it. The high-speed winds of aura change the paths of projectiles shot at it. The storm's small eye is calm, all except for the raging individual inside. Ishmael himself radiates energy inside of the eye, streaks of gold lightning emanating from his eyes, arms, and torso for the semblance's entire duration. A marking of a single eye with a sharp pupil, like that on a Sea Feilong's mask, appears on his forehead and marks him as the storm's master. Effect Ishmael creates a small whirling hurricane centered on himself, with a radius equal to [Composure/2] yards. This aura storm lasts up to [Composure] rounds, and remains fixed on the position where it was first triggered for the duration. The eye of the storm's whirling winds create a barrier around Ishmael, granting him a melee attack bonus of [Composure /2] while within the storm. If anyone, including Ishmael, attempts to pass through the storm wall, they must first perform a contested [Strength] vs [Ishmael's Composure] as part of their move. Subsequent attempts to pass through the wall of the storm may be made as a Move Action. Additionally, all ranged attack rolls passing through the wall of the storm take a [-Semblance] dice penalty. The storm immediately dissipates if Ishmael's AHP or aura Pool is reduced to 0, if he is knocked unconscious, or he exits the area of the storm.
Physical Description
Ishmael sits at an average height of 5'10" and a fairly stocky build with a skin complexion on the dark side. He has a well-toned back, broad chest, and strong arms which come from swinging around his greatsword, with the rest of his body being in good shape but is obviously neglected from time to time. He has snow white hair with most of it with golden blonde streaks that seemingly run through it at random. He has sharp ocean blue eyes. His hair is quite long and rests at his upper back, usually running over both sides of his shoulders. The hair itself is thick and mane-like as it connects with a very short golden colored beard that runs the length of his chin and connects to an equally short mustache that doesn't run past the corners of his mouth. The hair is cared for, but the nature of the long hair tends to tangle easily, creating a ragged and windswept look to most of it. He has a tattoo of a Sea Feilong that starts at his right pectoral and twists around his arm, stopping at his wrist with an open mouth as if it were attempting to devour his hand. The entire tattoo is colored with a vibrant hue of blues, golds, and black that bring the creature to life. Unlike its real-life counterpart, the serpent is colored gold instead of black, and has blue accents instead of red. The beast is surrounded by a myriad of streaking blue and gold colors that run around its body making it look as if it had just breached out of the sea. Small scars from small cuts are sparsely spotted around his body that are obviously from the light amount of fighting he saw in his younger days. He has a strong jawline and a rugged look to his face thanks to his sharp eyes and short beard with it usually being accompanied by a relaxed grin. His clothing represents that of an urban deviant, making it seem like a stark contrast to his actual personality. He has a thin black leather jacket with a white-fur collar which is worn over a navy blue short-sleeve V-neck that reveals a bit of chest. The jacket is quite expensive, ends just past the belt, and is usually kept unzipped. The jacket has a large golden anchor on the back with the same Sea Feilong from his tattoo curled around it. In large writing of blue and white is written "Rogue Wave" in sharp letters meant to look like torrents of water. He also wears a pair of scuffed up black jeans with a couple of rips and tears across the pants legs. A white cloth belt forms an X and crosses over itself while resting on his hips with a golden rectangle for a belt buckle. On the belt is a mask that he usually wears in combat. The mask consists of two flat black plates of thin metal that form a vertical wedge at the center of the face, on the wedge is a blue serpent's eye like the one on his scabbard and sword. The mask has two gold horns that curve around the side of the head and are wide enough to fit just around his hip when attached to the belt. It also contains thin paneling that covers his forehead and a little bit of the top of his head. He wears a pair of black boots with and white laces to accompany the jeans. On his left hand is a nice silver and black watch that oddly has someone else's name etched into the bottom of the face and is accompanied by two silver rings that sit on his ring and middle fingers. He also wears a black leather necklace with a small gold anchor pendant that sits at the center of his chest. A large black nylon sash with a thin metal rail in its center runs from his shoulder to his hip and connects to a belt of the same build. This rail attaches to a flat metal knob on a large scabbard that holds his greatsword up against his lower back. The scabbard itself is fine black leather with a metal border and metal Sea Feilong's eye etched into the entrance of the wide scabbard. The rail and knob locks into place at specific points and allows for the wielder to move the scabbard and sword from their back to their side or vice versa, allowing for the hefty sword to be easily drawn and sheathed. This translates over to his armor as well, which is accompanied by the mask and a hooded black cloak with gold colored tie strings. The armor itself consists of a half-plate cuirass, two pauldrons, and two thigh guards. The cuirass runs from his collar to the middle of his abdomen then stopping just before his armpits and has a very dull convex shape. The metal is colored black with a navy-blue colored gambeson (thick cloth jacket under the plate-mail). The gambeson comes down to just above the knee, forming a thin cloth kilt that has an open upside-down V shape in the front and comes to a point at his belt buckle. Roman centurion-like pauldrons with thick tiered pieces of metal are used to cover his shoulders. A gauntlet with pointed fingers and a matching vambrace covers his sword-arm while his left arm remains unarmored. The shoulders, vambrace, and gauntlet are all painted black with gold painted rivets. Two large thigh guards start just above his hips, are hooked onto the belt over the gambeson, and come down to the middle of the thigh. The guards are quartz-shaped with rounded points and wrap around the thigh to give mostly side protection, but to also provide a little bit to the front and back of the thigh. They are black with a navy outline and his signature image of the serpent's eye on the center of the guards in a gold paint. This same gold outline is also printed onto the left side of the cuirass as well as the back of the black cloak that accompanies the suit. All of this is usually placed over his normal attire, excluding the leather jacket of course.
Weapon Description
Wyrm's Avarice is a wide greatsword that doubles as a semi-automatic marksman rifle. The sword itself is four feet long in length 2 1/2 feet in width. The blade is 2 1/2 feet long and has a symmetrical concave curve that is wide at the hilt, slightly bottlenecks, then widens back up as it nears the point of the greatsword. The Blade is black while in the fuller of the sword are streaks of gold paint centered around a large blue eye with a sharp pupil that act as a centerpiece for the sword. Underneath the blade is the handguard which takes the shape of a flat cone in order to deflect glancing blows on the hands. The handle below it is black and wrapped with a navy-blue cloth for grip and it is accompanied by a wide ring with a flat bottom for the pommel. In its rarely-seen ranged form, the handle angles downwards about 3/4ths of the way down its length for the shoulder to rest on. A trigger guard and pistol grip swings out just below the hilt. The bottom half of the blade splits from the top half and lowers slightly before spinning around, revealing a foregrip that swings out, as well as the barrel of the rifle. The barrel of the rifle is attached to the stationary half and only runs about 3/4ths of the length of the blade. Two magazines of 10 rounds a piece are loaded diagonally into a large triangular piece in between the hilt and handle with ammunition being discarded out of the pommel. This design allows for the rifle to be fired even while the greatsword is being swung or double the top half of the blade as a bayonet, the drawback is that only half of the sword's blade is available, but the angled handle allows for the sword to be swung with better grip.
Backstory
*Deep in an impoverished subsection of Atlas on a cold winter night was a young boy with dirty cut up clothing and a frail frame akin to that of someone who hadn't eaten in days. He somberly walked through a cold back alley and began to rummage around for anything akin to food or warm clothing. People walked past him as he coughed but paid the small child no mind. The bright lights of the modern city shining down on the populated street and slightly shining over the dark alley. The boy simply watched people pass, he knew the typical routine and hated how they looked down upon him. Someone would stare, or dart their gaze away, but both would treat him as if he didn't exist. Sometimes they'd look and whisper to each other, looking down at the boy with faces of pity or fear. Many in the local suburbs knew of the boy's past, after all it had been plastered all over the news in Atlas when the disaster had occurred. The boy was known to have an odd semblance, some knew the truth, but many thought it was some kind of curse. The rumor is that the boy was part of an immigrant family from Mistral and came by ship as a toddler with his family but supposedly had brought disaster to the voyage. According to surviving witnesses the young boy had an odd glow to him and had supposedly attracted a powerful Sea Feilong to the ship like a lighthouse in the night. The powerful grimm easily tore through the transport ship, resulting in only a few of the voyagers reaching their destination alive. Oddly enough, the boy was relatively unharmed and had been saved by one of the survivors despite protests from the others. Upon reaching Atlas he was put into an orphanage but was kicked out due to his refusal to comply and the myths around his past. For survival, the boy quickly became a known pickpocket and a local petty thief. Anything that was shiny and could fit in his pockets tended to disappear around him. He would trade them to people on the street for food and other items, with some of his spoils being actual junk because the young boy couldn't grasp the concept of something shiny or metallic not being valuable. This would soon develop into a disorder, as he began to stockpile the few possessions he had, like how a dragon clings to its wealth, usually carrying it on a tattered bag on his hip. He always felt like he was saving it away in case he needed it and feared losing the only bartering chips he had. This caused the boy to get in trouble often and became even further notorious to locals as a troublemaker and cursed child. As he began to scavenge the alley, a backdoor opened from one of the business and two half-drunk men with surprised looks spotted the boat and quickly took pity on him but they had a different look in their eyes from the other passer byes that occasionally stopped. They walked back inside for but a moment before returning and gently picked up the kid and took him inside the pub they had been drinking in. At first, the boy thought he was being taken back to an orphanage but was too weak to fight back against his presumed aggressors. He soon quit his struggling as he realized he was being taken inside. Instead of harming him, they sat him down in front of a magnificent man that wore fine clothes, an expensive ring on each finger, and a smile just as rich as his possessions. The large coat he wore was well-worn but showed great value in the texture of the lavish furs that lined its insides and was accompanied by a harness with two intricate pistols strapped to his abdomen. His face was rugged and ended with a thick pointed beard just past his Adam’s apple. His hair was long and went past his shoulders, having a mane-like thickness and colored a jet-black. He welcomed the boy over, and the two men, looking akin to street thugs, sat him down at his table. In return, all the man asked was of young boy's short, meaningless history and his name. The boy looked up to the captain with barren eyes and simply told the captain that he no longer had a name and was too young to remember his family. The captain and his men became very somber for a moment, the captain reaching over and patting the young boy's shoulder. The captain told him that he would give him an offer, and if he accepted, he would give him a name. This man of great stature, much taller and stronger than Ishmael was even now, responded in kind with his name and told the young boy of his offer. His name was Abraham Felgrand, in which his fellow shipmen endearingly referred to him as “Captain Ahab.” His proposition was a life like that of the men around him, merriment and luxury with only a small price to pay to acquire such ends. That small price would be the mortal danger that Ishmael would have to put himself through. Of course, being an impoverished kid, that’s all he had to say, and the young boy was practically already part of the crew. The man grinned and stated that with his acceptance he would become an heir to the Felgrand line, with his first name now being known as "Ishmael." The group finished their meal and took the boy to a long-abandoned section of the industrial district with an old factory that looked as if it had been long abandoned. There, they supplied Ishmael with clean clothes, a means for hygiene, and a place to sleep and eat. What sat in that seemingly building of rubble were three Atlesian dropships, obviously stolen and repainted into a black and gold color scheme. On one of the three was nose art of a Sea Feilong’s head with two black swords crossed behind it, the Captain’s fancy personal ship of course. All three had a similar marking of a golden eye with a sharp pupil, like that of a serpent, around the cockpit for easy identification on sorties. The building itself had been a bit remodeled on the inside, with a combined mess hall and barracks of only forty beds that sat on half of what was once the factory floor. The Captain’s room was in a hanging room that could only be reached by the scaffolding and catwalks of the building. It had a view over the entire factory floor and could see into the open Atlesian bay when the heavy bay doors were open, allowing for the captain to watch his success and crew as he lounged. It was obviously the manager’s office at one point but was now covered in nice carpet and contained valuable furniture, with even a few animal heads mounted on the walls. The rest of the space of the factory floor were taken up by the three ships as well as all of the equipment used to arm and repair them. A team of five or so men were tasked with the ship repairs while the rest were used as the boarding parties and crew of the ships. After raids they typically would divide up tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or other mundane tasks then drink and party until they passed out. Ishmael would take part in cooking or learning how to repair the dropships with the maintenance crew after sorties for the first few days. The captain would give the boy a few days to settle in before announcing that he planned on teaching Ishmael how to defend himself, as well as teach him the tricks of the trade, he hoped that with time he could train Ishmael to take up the business after him. The training began just a few days after an introduction to the base and would last for a couple of years under his strict supervision. Captain Ahab welcomed the young boy to the organization known as "Rogue Wave" and talked about the main rules of the crew as well as their goals in order to get him acquainted. Theirs goals were to simply become rich off of the pillaging of Atlesian transport ships. These were typically done in seemingly random strikes against small convoys that carried dust or raw materials which were then sold to underground markets around the city or shipped off to Mistral’s markets if the items were too high profile. The rules themselves were a loose code that everyone had to follow, the first being about following the chain of command, the second was about the distribution of funds which was also determined by rank. Ishmael would get into often trouble with the crew for taking the occasional extra share, being disciplined with no food for the day or a small payment to whichever crew member he stole from. The items he would usually take would be the rounds to other's weapons, shiny trinkets, and occasional armor plating. He would even fish out items from crew member's bags as well as the pockets of defeated Atlesian troops during raids. He usually hid piles of different types of rounds and metals under his bed, which would clink and jingle whenever the bed was pressed on. Finally, the most important rule is that under no circumstances that innocents should be harmed. The captain's reasoning for this was that they were “low down, no good thieves, but we’re not butchers and we shouldn’t aim to be.” This led to most engagements being against Atlesians robots or guards, the latter of which were treated with non-lethal force if required but most men surrendered as soon as the ships were boarded. Even when fighting Atlesian guards in open combat they would be instructed to not mortally wound or maim unless it was absolutely necessary for the safety of a crewman or themselves. This way the crew and their dealings wouldn't be as fervently chased by the military if the government or SDC ever decided to bring the hammer down. By the time he had hit the age of fifteen he had been on a couple of runs with them and Captain Ahab had chosen him to be part of the second wave of the boarding party. Naturally he supplied Ishmael with basic gear and the crew gave him tips on how to go through the motions without getting myself hurt or worse. It took a while, but eventually he was able to shape up to the captain's expectations and became part of the primary raiding party just a year later. The setup for his new gear included masks to hide his face which he had custom made, as well as something dust-enhanced weapons in order to overwhelm the detachments of guards to most ships. Most of these weapons for the primary assault group were personally made by a black-market arms dealer supplied by Captain Ahab, with personal strengths from each member being implemented into the creation process. The usual raids consisted of using the stolen dropships to surround large naval vessels that were transporting dust shipments and military tech out of Atlas. Thanks to this new tech and all the funds they swiped the crew was able to live comfortably for a long time as well as tend to their wounded, which Ishmael was typically a part of due to his brash fighting style. It even made the base seem a bit more like a pub with how often the crew partied. All this downtime pushed Ishmael to focus into activities like learning how to build and repair different weapon systems, as well as enhance his combat capabilities. To train, he would challenge other crew members to sparring matches, taking much joy in one on one settings as well as betting on himself every fight. He was knocked down on occasion, and even beaten due to his lack of ranged capabilities but he soon became known as the best swordsman in the crew. His crewmembers would often bet on him to win, as he rarely lost in hand-to-hand combat, and this would significantly inflate his ego as well as a burning desire to further prove himself to anyone who doubted him. As Ishmael began to mature, the Captain had decided to tell him about what had supposedly happened to his family. Ishmael was oddly unaffected and rejected the captain's offer of researching into the mythical beast. He explained that despite the tragedy, he never knew them, so he felt no connection or anger. What actually filled his mind was how common these kinds of attacks occurred. The Captain explained that hunters and huntsmen usually found glory and fame by slaying such beasts and were seen as folk heroes. To the young man that had only been called a curse, it interested him greatly. He soon began to think about it as a path of redemption, maybe being known as a powerful hero rather than a pocket picking curse. He began to ask for more information on the topic daily, with the Captain becoming increasingly annoyed but being oddly knowledgeable. One day he asked about the Captain’s connections and if he could secure him a way to one of these schools with something about the intrusive question hitting a nerve with Captain Ahab. After a bit of a heated argument about his unknown past and Ishmael's obligation to the crew, the Captain caved and dismissed it as a temporary fixation of the boy, telling him that would see what he could do. Much of the crew's background began with impoverished drifters that had some kind of distaste for Atlas or the Schnee Dust Company and decided that they were going to be the exploiters instead of the exploited. Captain Ahab had the most contempt however, as it always seemed to be more than just business when he went out on raids, but he never divulged his past to most of his crew members. Many assumed he was some kind of hero at some point by the expertise of his combat skills as well as his knack for grand strategy. He always seemed to be two steps ahead of anyone that tried to openly confront him, like rival raiders or the occasional Atlesian ground squad. He also had a plethora of books on Grimm that were usually left open on the desk in his quarters as well as old books on naval strategy. Over the passing two years, Ishmael would often look at these books as the Captain worked, usually learning more about the Grimm and legendary heroes that defeated them as well as forms of combat strategy. As he flipped through the pages of a seemingly newer book, a picture fell out from one of the back pages. On it was an obviously younger Captain Ahab, with what looked to be a huntsman team. When handed the picture the Captain scoffed but could no longer able to hold back a grin. He finally revealed his past to him, one of aspiring dreams of becoming a professional hunter, and nearly achieving those dreams. He told stories of his victories over monstrous grimm in his youth, and how he nearly lost his life a few times. However, somewhere along the way the Captain strayed off in his youth and realized he could use his combat skills for criminal means. After years of working as hired muscle for the ever-competing noble families of Atlas, he saw the cutthroat ways they treated the lower classes and others around them. That was when the Captain became the man he was today, an odd Robin Hood-type figure that brought up impoverished youth while undermining the oppressive nobility. He hoped that by training Ishmael and by being a strong influence, he could push the lad into walking into his footsteps to enroll at a combat school then return as his successor. Naturally, Ishmael agreed to the Captain’s notions, hoping that one day he’d get the chance to confront the beast that had caused him so much suffering with a crew of his own. As months went by, Ishmael became ever more suspicious of the captain's stories. The fairy tales of some powers called "semblances" and "aura" seemed a bit ridiculous but as always, he followed the Captain's training. Before long he came to understand aura, and it became more believable as he saw it manifested through his mentor. He pushed even harder to strive for it, knowing that an application to one of these schools would require more than his skill with a sword. After many weeks of attempts and failures he begrudgingly filled out his application for Beacon, feeling a little embarrassed about being unable to produce some extraordinary power. Regardless, his attempts continued and he pushed forward under the guidance of his still confident Captain like he always had. Unknown to most of the crew, Captain Ahab's second in command had become increasingly annoyed with Ishmael's contention to what he saw as his claim to be the next captain. He planned to betray them and get rich off of payments for his cooperation, but he'd have to be fast if he wanted to capture Ishmael before he left. He would soon turn himself in and aid the SDC, as well as the Atlesian military, in locating the crew. The crew’s next small raid would be successful, but the trap had been set with a small taskforce being sent to follow them. The military would have them surrounded and despite Ishmael's opposition, Captain Ahab gave him an order to run while he and the rest of the crew kept them distracted. Ishmael protested, and began to charge ahead before the Captain demanded it as an order. Captain Ahab handed him a boarding pass for a ship to Vale as well as the completed entrance letter to Beacon, the bold fighter confused at why the captain wouldn't let him fight. He hugged his adopted son and told him to leave for the combat school in a few weeks’ time, using the enrollment to better himself in combat and to hopefully make him go down a better path in life. Ishmael could only grit his teeth and hang his head before slipping out of a small escape route under the cover of darkness. He fled to a small bar down the street and decided to lay low there, not noticing that a couple of the guards had followed him. They would barge in through all exits with weapons drawn and instructed him to surrender. Being the wise teenager, he was, he decided that the best course of action was to take a dive out of the second story window as an escape. After a hard landing into a dirty back alley they caught up with him and reiterated their commands to drop his weapons and surrender. The anger of losing what he saw as his family and the jarring fall was too much for him to contain as he worked himself into a rage. He felt something surge through him, with crackling energy suddenly rolling off of his fingertips. The wind began to stir around him and whipped into a torrent, forming a thick wall of air and rain as crackling electricity began to pour from his body. The men opened fire, but their shots simply flew off their course in the maelstrom between them. Ishmael prepared to strike, crouching low and pointing his sword towards his targets, however the Captain’s words rang through his head. “We're not butchers.” He hesitated, looking at the energy suddenly emanating from his body he understood that the people in front of him didn't stand a chance. He used the threatening winds to push back the guardsmen and scatter the alley with debris before fleeing the scene himself. Thanks to his new ability he was able to avoid capture and hung around Atlas for a bit, traveling around with the generous amount of Lien he still had left. Besides food, most of it was spent on normal clothing, toiletries, and a bag to carry his stuff in. He was able to usually lay low by hiding the mask and armor under a cloak which was purchased in one of the many shops around the city. Wanted posters were soon plastered all over the city, headlined with the nickname "Leviathan" due to them only having a police sketch of his mask and the crew's insignia of a Sea Feilong. He had lucked out, as not even he knew his real name and the police lacked any information on his possible location. Not knowing the crew’s location or if they were even still alive Ishmael decided that it would be best for him to leave until things cooled down. He would catch his ship to Vale a few days later, with the acceptance letter to Beacon in his hand. He figured that maybe he could even do some good and make a name for himself outside of Atlas, then hopefully turn his return home. He turned and watched the skyline of Atlas fade away, telling himself that he'd find out what happened to his adoptive father, and hopefully find a way to save him when he would be able to return.*
Personality
Ishmael is quite literally a vagabond in fancy clothing that may or may not be entirely his own. He is a very happy and laid-back person, nearly always having a smile on his face with a merry attitude among friends. He can be found openly singing tunes of old sea shanties or singing along with the music blaring out of his headphones. He can always be found in a pub or bar on the weekends drinking to his heart's content with Lien that also may or may not be his. Regardless, he will never truthfully tell how he received these nice items seemingly at random and lies about how he received them when asked. His laid-back attitude also prevents most rude comments from getting under his skin, he may even laugh if the insult is good enough. However, this merriment and laid-back attitude isn't because he is always a nice person, in fact he is very selfish especially when it comes to valuables and loot. His confidence knows no bounds on the battlefield, where he thinks of himself as quite the master swordsman and conveniently ignores any of his other flaws. The same goes for his lack of seriousness even in combat situations. It can be very difficult to get him to be serious about most matters, and even then, he'll find a way to be nonchalant about dire straits. His typical philosophy is that "what will happen, will happen" causing him to be very loose around things like planning, strategy, or practice. Despite this, he never backs down from a challenge and believes that his skill alone can push him past his obstacles. This causes him to sometimes shun or take offense when help is received from others, as he perceives it as someone pitying him or looking down upon him. This all creates a facade for his true self that is still out searching for a permanent, non-crime related family that he can latch onto. Due to his recent events he tends to spend most of his time around alcohol to drink away his envy and loneliness. He wears his fancy clothes and nice accessories to hide his impoverished background as he fears that others will take pity. This kind of thinking results in him feeling distrustful and confrontational to actual wealthy individuals, even more so of anyone with an Atlesian background that isn't from one of the lower classes. He usually spends his free time taking long strolls and hanging out in town, or drinking in a local bar. If he isn't doing one of these three things it can be assumed that he is out doing something slightly illegal or working out in the gym. larceny at this point has become a bit of his lifestyle as he has depended on it for so long to get by that he just cannot help but take things he is interested in. He usually feels no remorse, as he assumes that if it were important, it wouldn't have been so easy for him to take. When confronted about stolen items, he acts ignorant, citing that his family from overseas in Atlas sent them to him as enrollment presents. This is another byproduct of his selfishness and self-centered nature. His pride also prevents him from practicing any forms of ranged combat. Despite his weapon coming equipped with a ranged form by the Captain's request, Ishmael finds it cowardly to defeat an enemy in ranged combat, resulting in his effectiveness in ranged combat to be quite horrendous and barely being able to hit the broadside of a barn despite having a high-quality marksman rifle. If defeated in a duel by someone using ranged attacks, he loses respect for them instantly and argues the victory's validity. He is typically a very urban person due to his background and isn't much of a fan of travelling into the wilderness, even if he understands how to scavenge for food and shelter. He also likes to frequent parties but is never there to cause trouble. He always calmly plants himself near the action and takes his fill of drinks, usually laughing and teasing the inebriated until he eventually becomes one himself. He typically doesn't enjoy being the center of attention either but doesn't mind being in the spotlight with a group. He is usually upbeat and confident and doesn't let relaxed demeanor show any signs of nervousness or shyness. In all honesty if someone looked at him, they'd call him a bit childish, which he finds to be fair when citing his affinity for junk food, his common selfishness, and his refusal to stay in one spot for too long. He is also very open about his emotions, sometimes openly flirting, teasing, or making quick friends with the people he meets.
Notes
Links to rough sketches of the armoweapon: https://imgur.com/a/5ZYQiVg Compulsion: Whenever Ishmael notices something shiny and metallic, and especially ornate or unique, he covets the item. He also likes to horde these items, hiding them in a stash in his room.He will lie and cheat to get to these items, but he isn't an idiot and will never do attempt to steal in the open or plain sight. However, the longer he doesn't have the item, the more it eats at him and the more it takes hold of his conscious.
Changelog
7/24/2019: Large weapons upgraded from 3 to 4. Iron Stamina added as a Merit for a total of 8 xp. 10/6/2019: Updated Overconfident to Overconfident (Physical) 10/21/2019: Added Striking Looks 2
[Advice] Looking to buy a dressy watch: Orient Sun and Moon or Melbourne Portsea or Frederique Constant Business Timer? (Or please suggest another)
Basically I want a dressy watch that has at least one less common complication like a moon phase for example. Ideally the thinner the better (and under 41mm) and I don't care about quartz vs automatic. I just need something other than another dive watch lol. Budget under $1200 CAD.
[Recommendation] Looking to get my first 'expensive' watch. Considering Hamilton Khaki X-Wind. Help!
I just received a sizable raise for my current position and will likely be getting a significant promotion as well later this year and I'd like to treat myself to a little something. I've fairly recently gotten into watches more than I used to be and I currently own two. My casual, normal work wear watch: https://www.fossil.com/us/en/men/watches/view-all/machine-chronograph-smoke-stainless-steel-watch-sku-fs4662p.html My dress watch: http://www.bulova.com/en-US/collection/classic/details/96A133/ (this band was swapped with a medium brown leather band) As I said, the Fossil is what I wear when I wear a watch to work which has been daily for a couple months now, and I do like the look a lot, as well as several other Fossil watches. However, I want to diversify the brands I own, and would like to get something of quality that will last a lifetime if I choose to keep it. For easy access, this is the Hamilton I'm considering: http://www.jomashop.com/hamilton-mens-khaki-watch-h77616533.html# What I like about it is the overall look. It's got just the right kind of 'business' on the dial without being obnoxious or gaudy. I also like the bit of color with the band the way it is. My budget will be ~$1,000 USD. I would prefer to get new vs vintage, however a mint condition used version of the X-Wind or some other suggestion would not be rejected. For ideas, here are one or two others that I have looked at or am considering as well: http://www.jomashop.com/hamilton-jazzmaster-h32616553.html http://www.christopherward.com/watches/dive/c60-chrono-600/c60-43-chr-sbbsi-b.html (I like the look, but it's out of my price range, and a bit too thick. I'd just barely be able to get used to the 15mm thickness of the X-Wind case.) I already looked through the buying guides and most of the watches there I dislike. I have seen one Seiko that I liked and the rest were immediate "no's" and that is often what comes up as a suggestion on the thread. I do not have a preference between Quartz and Automatic really, though I've never had a mechanical/automatic watch. Also, it does not have to be a chronograph, but for a casual watch I would like a bit more on the dial than the way say my Bulova dress watch looks, just to be more eye catching. Hoping to get lots of great suggestions from everyone here to guide me on this journey!
[WTS] Seiko Solar Dress watch, Seiko Diver SKX013k2
Timestamp Below I have listed a description of everything I could think to add, if there is something that I missed please send me a pm and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Sold through paypal (Friends and Family or add 3%), and add 5.95 for shipping. Solar Dress Watch $80 Album. Some of the images rotated themselves, my bad. Amazon For sale is my Seiko SNE168 solar dress watch. I bought it new without tags a little under a year ago, and it is still in excellent condition. As a student I don't have a chance to wear it very often, and I am selling it to make more room for other, more versatile timepieces. I would like to sell this off to the reddit community, but if I haven't heard anything in a week or so I will head off to eBay. The crystal is absolutely free of scratches, and is in wonderful condition. There are some very light scuffs on the caseback (pic 3), which I think would have been caused by the bracelet. I removed two links from the bracelet to fit a 6.5" wrist, and if I can find them, I will include the removed links when I ship the watch. There are some small scratches/scuffs on the bracelet near the clasp(pic 4), which are absolutely unnoticeable in daily wear, and I only found them while cleaning off the watch for pictures. It is running with accuracy of about +4 seconds per month, which is expected for a quartz powered watch. The solar function works well and the capacitor is fully charged, allowing around 6 months of total darkness without losing any function. The date changing function works through both passage of time, and through rotation of the crown. SKX013k2 $130 SOLD Album Amazon has a ridiculous price, so here is the current (Out of stock) Creation Watches listing After months of waiting, I finally found this SKX013 on eBay, but turns out I don't wear it much at all. Catch and release. Aesthetically it is very similar to the SKX007, with slightly smaller dimensions (38mm vs 42mm). It is in excellent condition, with no scratches on the crystal, some very small scratches/dings on the bezel, and small scuffs on the bracelet. Accuracy is a bit slow, running at ~30 seconds slow per day. Not too bad at all, and the 7s26 could likely be regulated to be +- a few per day. The serial number is 315078, which puts it's birth at approximately January of 2003. Here is a review I found on reddit awhile back which influenced my decision, figured if it was useful for me it might work for you too. PM me or comment if you have any interest
Hi! I'm currently graduating from grad school and moving into a client-facing job where I'll be expected to maintain some level of decorum. I'm looking for a watch to replace my current Bulova Precionist that I've been using for a few years now.
What is your budget? Around $700 - $1000, although I'm pretty flexible up to ~$1500.
Where will you primarily be wearing it? A watch that will only be worn at a desk job will be markedly different than a watch for hiking or scuba diving. I'm looking for an everyday watch that I can use pretty much all the time, but mostly while traveling and at the office. I'm looking for a casual looking watch with a clean face that I can use while wearing a suit and also when going out to the bars.
Which features do you want, prefer, or need? Besides sapphire glass, I don't really need any features. In fact, I tend to prefer cleaner dials. I would also like a watch that can comfortably be worn under a shirt, but it doesn't have to be as thin as a dressy watch.
Do you have a brand or country-of-origin preference? Nope!
Do you care about mechanical vs. quartz? For more information on these and other common watch terms, check out the FAQ. Yes, just looking for automatic watches.
My "grail" watch is the Omega Seamaster AT 38.5, but it's outside of my price range at the moment. I like the looks of the Orient Star Standard-Date, but couldn't find a blue-dialed one. I've seen the Seiko SARB065 Cocktail Time recommended around here and overall, I like I also like the design, but would prefer a darker blue dial. I also like Ball Trainmaster Eternity a lot, but I feel like if I'm spending that much on a watch, I should hold out for the Seamaster AT. Are there any other watches I should be keeping my eye on in this price range? Otherwise, as of right now, I'm definitely leaning towards the Ball. Thanks!
Hello and welcome to the 47th, 48th, 49th and 50th week of the Etho Recap! The 50th week will be CONTINUED HERE as this post was too long. Apologies for the lack of recaps as I have been super inundated with work/life as of late. Hope to get back into the swing of things starting next week. In recent news, Etho confirmed that the ARK PVP Survival Series will not be continuing as the server they were playing on was wiped, among various other problems. Also, Episode 450 of his Etho Plays Minecraft series was a world tour, and included a world download to go along with it, if you are interested in checking out the world for yourselves. So, let's get started in here!
Last week's question was: 'How would you feel about an Etho facecam episode?' Top-Voted Answer: NEVER! The week 47/48/49/50 combined question is, in relation to the question asked in Etho's world tour episode: 'Which of Ethos' series would you most enjoy watching streamed?'
~ LINKS ~
EthosLab Youtube Page: YOUTUBE EthoLP Twitter: TWITTER That's all from me! Glad to dive back into the ethosphere. Cheers!
Quartz Movements vs. Automatic Movements. While a quartz movement gets its power from a battery, an automatic mechanical movement uses energy from the motion of a wearer’s wrist. Every time the watch moves, a rotor within the caliber spins and automatically winds the mainspring. Quartz watches are popular among all types of watch wearers, from children’s novelty watches all the way up to masculine dive timepieces from some highly-esteemed brands. As we have already mentioned, the difference between quartz vs. automatic watches is purely a matter of personal taste… How to Choose a Quartz or an Automatic Watch quartz watches vs automatic watches As we have discussed the origin and the working of the two movements, we shall now proceed toward the contrast between the quartz watch and automatic watch. The key to the right choice is dependent on what you are looking for in a watch. Quartz watches are cheaper than automatic watches. It’s because the movements are less labour-intensive to make. Quartz watches are extremely reliable and accurate when it comes to keeping time; while a good quartz watch may run 20 seconds off per month, a good automatic watch may be off by several minutes in a month. MECHANICAL VS QUARTZ. Now that we have some knowledge on how the internals work, let us sum up the differences. Mechanical watches make a sweeping watch movement, quartz watches make clicking movements. Quartz watches are driven by a battery, while mechanical watches are powered by winding the mainspring. Automatic watch has much lower accuracy compared to quartz watch – there I’ve said it. 10 to 25 seconds gain or loss time per day is the norm for automatic watch. In comparison, quartz watch only gain or lose that much time in a month! While on paper the difference is very big, there’s NOT much issue in terms of practical day-to-day use. BTW, I used to have a quartz dive watch (not a mini-computer but a regular dive watch). On one dive trip, both my dive computer and it ran out of batteries at just about the same time. I had a backup SPG but no backup watch. Luckily a fellow diver lended me his watch. I don't use a quartz dive watch any more. The Seiko Automatic Diver series ... Also keep in mind that an automatic watch will stop if not worn for 3 to 4 days and you will need to keep setting the time which is not healthy for the watch. Therefore, if you are an occasional wearer the quartz watch is the most suitable for you. However, an automatic movement watch has its charm too. Automatic vs. Handwinding Watch Mechanical timepieces will always be either an automatic or hand winding watch and sometimes both. A hand winding watch is powered by turning the crown to tighten the spring, giving it power for a certain amount of time, depending on the watch’s power reserve, aka the amount of time a manual watch can run when manually wound fully.
Watch Movements: Difference between Mechanical , Automatic ...
Let's compare 3 different Seiko chronograph movements: a Seiko automatic chronograph vs a Seiko quartz chronograph vs a Seiko mecha-quartz chronograph. In th... In the 4th episode of Watch and Learn, we go in depth into the operation of an automatic watch, and how it differs from a quartz (battery) watch. We'll cover... Watch Movements: Difference between Mechanical , Automatic and Quartz: What's the difference between quartz, mechanical and automatic watches? Is one type of... Ein kurzer Talk zum Thema automatische/mechanische Uhren im vergleich zu Quarzuhren. Was ist besser? Oder ist einfach beides genial? Quartz Vs automatic watch, which to choose? In this video, I give a beginners guide to show the benefits and drawbacks of quartz watches vs automatic watches; so you can choose which type will be ...