[BlueSkyJaunte]

Joe: With all due respect, I've never seen a Rolex that I liked looking at. I prefer something either subdued or mechanically complex and elegant, and Rolexes have always struck me as gaudy (though perhaps it's association with some acquaintences who've placed to much value in them as indicators of status).

Lee: I actually have a kinetic...it outlasted all my quartz watches, but only by a factor of two. So I got about two years out of it before it went on the fritz. I think I emit some sort of EM radiation. Maybe it's my dental fillings, or the lead in my ass.

Frankly I just can't justify the budget for another watch like my gaffer's. And I'd prefer not to wear his on a daily basis, at least until I have it cleaned and adjusted (which he rarely if ever did). But an auto appeals to me due to its (a) mechanical nature and (b) never-have-to-remember -to-wind-it convenience.

Say you had a budget of $1000 tops for an automatic watch. What would you do?