: Jeff's top 5 got me really wanting a Lemania 5100 chrono beater -
: for kayak fishing, lawn mowing, exercising...something cheap.
: I stumbled across this (ahem) beauty and figured you guys deserved
: to see it. Would look great in fishing pictures :-)
: ... image borrowed from ebay auction
: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alain-Silberstein-Chrono-Lemania-5100-Autom-Edelst-Limitierte-Edition-500-stuck-/300963984926?pt=DE_Kleidung_Schmuck_Accessoires_Uhren_Armbanduhren&hash=item4612d9f61e
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For a beater type watch, the Lemania is a good choice, being quite agricultural and robust. It has had many airings in military / aviation / paramilitary issued watches where a chronograph is specified.

The cheap & best combination is to be found in the Lorenz diver, a relatively modern, waterproof 200m, fully specced 5100 in a case / bezel / hand style riffed from the Submariner - and why not, its chronograph feature make it sufficiently different while it has to be said the Sub offers a nice simple yet smart look. Available in 'panda' or 'all black' subdials.

Next up have a look at the Porsche Designs, Tutimas etc, these are the issued types generally; hold money well, do a great job. The PDs you can get in new or really tatty examples but they all look just as cool, practical to wear and use every day. The Tutimas come in a lot of varieties but broadly ones with all the subdials and ones with just the hour totaliser subdial. Don't forget Omegas 1045 was a plated 5100 with Omega on the rotor, and Omega did a few good ones using it - the venerable Chuck Omega 1045 primer - http://chronomaddox.com/c1045_in_detail.html

Top choice and I would go instantly for the EZM1, you lose features and gain legibility in what has to be the most readable automatic chronograph ever. I've worn mine pretty much every day for over 3 years or so and in some quite arduous climates / rough conditions and it's looking and working great, I use the chronograph function every day and it reads brilliantly. I don't worry about it at all. As far as Omegas go then the 376.0822 as it is the only occasion where a 5100/1045 is used in a moonwatch style case. I like the way the case encloses the pusher posts as well, and again, for the only time in a moonwatch style case. I only wear mine in 'gentile' situations though!