If I had to pick one, it would be my Tissot PRX. Looks good in a polo and jeans, slips right under a shirt sleeve, not too flashy to bring unwanted attention.

I am looking at a Tudor Black Bay GMT S&G for my 50th birthday, but that will have to wait until then…

Citizen Chronomaster

Believe it or not, a ray raven 2. Not even kidding

Casio G-Shock 5610 all day, 'err day

I think an ideal travel watch is just your favorite watch, the one you'd miss the most if you left it.

My GMT. It’s literally what it’s made for.

My gshock/tudor54 or iwc XX

https://preview.redd.it/m89j07ovd3uf1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a75b42528326838aee0de62cd8603641ea45de29

My travel watch is my “Peter Blake” Omega SMP quartz (2264.50). Durable, handsome, accurate, useful bezel timer, swim-proof, and jumping hour hand for changing time zones.

Pelagos 39 - small, light, not-flashy!

https://preview.redd.it/9wszvf8nw2uf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c420e6b408e7f4dbef31aaeaccc8c1216b84dd3

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It all depends on where you go on vacation. I’ve never been afraid of being robbed of a watch and I’ve walked all over Rome, Paris, New York etc. Of course I also use common sense where and when I walk in cities. I’m also not wealthy enough to worry about losing a €2.5M Richard Mille watch like F1 drivers Norris, Sainz or LeClerc have had done to them from on street muggings. At best I wear a Tissot or Tag when on holidays and any of these brands are waterproof enough for swimming in pools or snorkeling in the ocean in the Caribbean - I’m not Jacques Cousteau so no worries. 🤷‍♂️

Most Seiko 5 Sports. Various citizen Promaster divers.

Casio F91W or a Seiko 5

Seiko diver

Orient kamasu.

Me 2! 😁

https://preview.redd.it/bcvfdxefa6mf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9fb022e559cdf1ac2d25c6671871168137a2d3c0

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Explorer all the way 😂

Cheap and cheap-looking. Strap (no bracelet) for expanding wrist. Tells time accurately.

I want to have a good time when I'm traveling. I'm not going to stress getting robbed or ruining a nice watch. No fancy clothes, no fancy luggage, no fancy watches.

Something versatile and with some decent water resistant rating. I’m not a GMT guy, so those don’t interest me as a travel watch. I think the ideal travel watch is something along the lines of a Rolex Explorer I (or something similar in design). Something that you can wear to the beach or to a fancy dinner out. My current travel watch is actually an omega Seamaster professional quartz model 2264.50. I chose this because it is tough enough for any adventure, the quartz is reliable and accurate, and the jumping hour hand makes it incredibly easy to adjust based on time zone.

Depends where I'm going and what I'm doing. If it's somewhere I'm worried about theft, or plan to be active; my Nodus Contrail. The 12 hour bezel is an OK substitute for a proper GMT complication.

If not; my Grand Seiko SBGN007. It's much more versatile in terms of style.

I’m currently in the same boat — deciding between a GMT under 40mm with a date and decent lume, screw down crown, and something I won’t cry over if I lose it or it gets stolen.

The vaer g7 GMT has recently caught my eye but it is a little homage-y. It’s also still in pre-order which is a minus for me.

Best of luck with your hunt!

G-Shock every time.

Easily? No. Yes, it was possible to work things out (I would know, I was out running and hiking before GPS) but it required planning ahead of time, or to know your actual pace to work out distance. It certainly wasn't easy to work out without plenty of advance planning. Being able to sit in a campsite in a foreign country, chuck a few waypoints on a map on my phone, transfer that to my watch and be out running or hiking unknown trails 5 minutes later is a very good thing. And it doesn't require expensive tech.

GPS watches are incredibly cheap these days. even brand new. There are GPS watches from Garmin etc costing the same as the G-Shock's the OP refers to, so cost is not a barrier here. Much as the budget isn't in the OP.

OP's post is a little contradictory anyway as he's referring to the cost of a G-Shock but asking what's the ideal travel watch (which, as I've explained at length above, is a GPS watch.) Really it's two different questions - "what's the ideal travel watch,"and, "what's the best travel watch for my budget." But I can guarantee I can find a GPS watch that'll fit both.

https://preview.redd.it/vpeojios3jnf1.jpeg?width=3883&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=865e8e6101eb6bb543560f85c2b4df1ddb9967b4

I used to wear a G-Shock. But now in all our hikes I just wear this. I like it better. It is sturdy, 200m WR, not too expensive, and it can tell the time. 👍

Agree with G shock.i have many watches but there's no reason to bring anything else when you are climbing or scaling rocks. Nothing is tougher or more useful.

You can't work out pace without knowing distance; either use a GPS watch for hiking or use your phone. Plus a lot of GPS watches can load GPX files so you can follow a route you've found (or planned), give you info on elevation, way more stuff than a non-GPS watch.

There are Garmin's (or Coros, Polar, Suunto) that are cheaper than the recommendations you'll see down here for normal watches.

A watch for hiking is a tool, it's not a piece of jewellery. Get the right tool for the job. Or like I said above, use your phone and just wear whatever beater you would do normally on your wrist.

I love my (slowly growing) watch collection, but if I'm travelling and I'm in the mountains - I'm taking my Garmin Epix2. I'll easily get a weeks battery life out of it, and it's good for 30 hours GPS use with all the bells and whistles going (HR, following a route.) It's got offline mapping, an OLED screen that is more detailed than the MIPS equivalent, and as much or as little data as I want. Typically I'll have four screens - one with time elapsed, time of day, distance completed, ascent completed, then a second with amount of distance remaining, ascent remaining, estimated time of arrival (if I'm following a route), then a third with the elevation profile graph (which shows where you're at on that) and finally a page with the map and route on it. I tend to leave it on the map, then flick back to the other screens as needed. Physical buttons is a big plus here, some watches use purely touch screen and it's a pig for navigating with a wet screen. So I like having both buttons and a touch screen (which can be disabled.)

I'm not saying the Epix is the right tool for the job, and budget is clearly a factor. For the mid-range, Coros have typically smashed it. But I've read good things about Suunto and Polar. For the high end watches no-one is currently close to catching Garmin (Epix2 and Pro, Fenix 8 etc.) You may have to compromise on features i.e. breadcrumb trail mapping versus full on maps, but I've finished many ultras just using that. And for detailed route finding, I'll be reverting to either a paper map or my phone (bigger screen). But for following the line to my destination on good trails (whcih, admittedly are often lacking in the UK where I normally hike) breadcrumb trails have trickled down to some entry level GPS watches I believe.

Get the right tool for the job, and if you want help working out which one - DC Rainmaker is the man in the know - massive watch geek who seems to have robust ethics on reviewing stuff. He's the guru:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/

I absolutely love it. And wearing it a few times a week keeps it “oiled” so the patina actually self-limits on high-touch areas like the lugs and bezel edges. That first photo was after a weekend at the beach so it was very patina’d from the salt water.

It dresses up a little, too 😎

https://preview.redd.it/kyh16zbrslnf1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad473a2d15f6c62fa6903255d20569bd408fe21f

I have many watches which are explicitly suitable for outdoor purposes but I always pick my 30 year old g shock. It's reliable, comfy, light, durable and I don't care about scratches

I bought a Hamilton Khaki Ti a couple weeks ago for my outdoorsy watch. One trip to the beach and I was shopping for GShocks.

5610u for me! Resets to perfect accuracy every night and has tons of features. If I was more hardcore I may need gps capability for navigation but for the most part, my gshock can do it all.

G-shock GW-A1000.  Got it for over 8 years already 

I travel with 3 - my Helson Sharkdiver, my Lum-Tec on leather for dressier needs (I don’t own a dressy watch lol), and an Apple Watch for exercise.

My Helson gets the shit beat out of it, is very water resistant, and is slim enough to not snag on things when sightseeing.

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Um. One that you actually want to leave on your wrist.

My thoughts exactly and I always travel with that watch when I'm going to a different time zone.

Solar. Multiband. Multiple alarms and timer. Small profile. Tough as nails. Waterproof. Unlikely to be stolen. And not so expensive that it won’t be the end of the world if it gets lost.

No, I can’t do it. The Rangeman makes a strong case but it’s a lot more expensive and has functions that you’ll only need if you’re camping/hiking.

CasiOak, the Solar and Bluetooth version, especially if you're traveling through different time zones. No need to worry about setting your time.

Pound for pound this and the Duro are the best watches on the planet. I’ve found for cycling, walking in the dark, and flying at night I like analog since is more legible without moving your hand much. I’m older snd vision isn’t what it used to be!
I have an MR-G B5000 and that is my bestie. Auto Light on that is awesome

Casio has some great ones. My brother gave me his $16 one from 10 years ago and the silicone wrist strap I put on it cost more. Has held up beautifully across 3 continents and 4 climates.

https://www.amazon.com/Casio-Mens-CA53W-1-Calculator-Watch/dp/B000GB1R7S

The only watch you'll ever need.

Get the cheapest black CASIO from amazon. I got mine for around 10 bucks. It won't attract any attention. It has a small light to see the time in the dark, it has a built in alarm that can be very helpful if you don't have phone battery and it is quite water proof !

A cheap casio, or g-shock like others have mentioned, depending on how much you want to spend.

Classic gshock :)

My Seiko field GMT SSK023

Explorer II polar dial.

CasiOak

Explorer II

Omega Planet Ocean. I’ve had mine for 15 years or so and have worn it all over the world, including hiking through some pretty rugged, remote countryside in parts of the tropics.