Watches A to Z: Nixon

Every watch company has an origin story. The European ones trace their roots back to ancient workshops and craftsmen tucked away in the nooks and crannies of Swiss Cantons. But, American watch companies sometimes have far different inspirations. Nixon was founded in 1997 by Andy Laats and Chad DiNenna. 

Nixon TimeTeller A05 (Amazon Photo)
Available on Amazon here!

Andy had worked as a snowboard product manager for Burton--the company of snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton. Chad DiNenna had caught the entrepreneurial bug working in surf shops. Together they founded Nixon watches with the goal of designing a premium product that could "standup to gnarly environments" and be sold in surf, skateboard, and snowboard shops. Nixon was named after famed surfer Chad Nixon.

Nixon watches offer 100-meters of water resistance, Japanese or Swiss quartz movements, and styling that lets wearers go from the surf to a seaside restaurant. Nixon is sold by a variety of retailers and online at web merchants including Walmart, Amazon, and direct from the Nixon website.  You can visit the Nixon Amazon watch store on Amazon here. If you are looking for a truly custom experience, the Nixon website has the latest models and offers the ability to custom design your own watch.  You can visit the official Nixon site here:  https://www.nixon.com/. 

Wristwatch Review: Armitron Stainless Steel Watch (Model 20/5481SV)

One of the cooler looking Armitron watches that I picked up there year is the Model 20/5481SV. It's a diver-style watch with a fixed bezel. I picked it up at Burlington for about $20.

Armitron Stainless Steel Watch (20/5481SV)

Watch Features

The all-metal construction of this watch gives it a business-like demeanor which is commendable. It looks more expensive than it actually was.

Watch Construction

Most of my Armitron watches of late feature all stainless steel construction. The case, bracelet, bezel, and caseback of this watch  are all made of stainless steel. It has a flat mineral glass crystal. The watch has 50-meters (165-feet) of water resistance. 

Armitron Model 20/5481SV Caseback

One flaw with this Armitron is that I have to press extra hard on the clasp to make sure that it has snapped securely shut. I suspect that this may be a flaw with my individual timepiece, but it is something to be aware of.

Armitron Model 20/5481SV Bracelet

Watch Design

The design of this watch really lets the steel show. Most of the watch is finished as flat stainless steel. However, the crown, the case sides, and two thin strips are trim that flank the center links of the watch are polished to a nice shine. On the dial, the hour batons appear to be white lume set within shiny metal circles. The date window and numerals at 12, 6 and 9 o'clock are also outlined with shiny metal. The hour and minute hands have inset strips of lume.

Watch Dimensions

This Armitron watch shows well on the wrist with a 43mm case that is 10mm thick. The metal bracelet fits my wrist, but like some other Armitron watches, it is snug. 

Overall Impression

Overall, the Model 20/5481SV from Armitron is a very cool looking watch and an outstanding value for $20. You can check out Armitron Analog Watches for men here on Amazon.

Watch Deal Alert: Bulova Men's Classic Quartz - Two Tone Watch

There's currently a great deal on the Bulova Men's Classic Quartz Two Tone Stainless Steel Watch. The watch has a textured 39mm diameter dial, and an integrated gold and silver toned stainless steel bracelet that is similar to the look of the Tissot PRX.

 Bulova Men's Classic Two Tone Watch

When I first found this watch and posted about it when I asked Are All Watch Companies Being PRX?, it was 48% off, but now it is listed at 53% off for a limited time. While some may scoff at the Bulova as not being a European luxury brand, I think this is an elegant and modern looking watch with a great looking dial. It has much going for it and with the sale price comes in at less than $200. If you love that great tuning fork logo, you can take a closer look at this watch at the link below:

Bulova Men's Classic Quartz Two Tone Stainless Steel Watch

Sharp Watch Shout Out: MASTOP (SKMEI) Diver-Style Nylon Strap Watch

If you are looking for an inexpensive watch and have $20 to blow on Amazon, check out this diver-style quartz watch with a nylon strap from MASTOP. It's just a cheap watch, but the way the strap design carries across the dial is very cool. There are several color combinations of strap and dial and all are really eye-catching. That's why this watch gets a Sharp Watch Shout Out!

MASTOP (SKMEI) Quartz Diver-Style Watch

If you are cool with $20 watches, I don't think you'll have a problem with this one. I won't attempt to navigate the ins and outs of Chinese watch companies. However, it looks like the company sells many watches with the SKMEI dial label on Amazon. I've had pretty good luck with SKMEI watches over the years. You can read about them here on this blog. I had one that was very difficult to get the caseback off for a battery change. But, that's about it. You aren't risking much at the $20 level.

You can check this watch out here on Amazon.com.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: George Quartz Chronometer-Style Watch with Faux Subdials

Today's watch is another inexpensive pickup from Walmart. It cost all of $11.96 or so. It's a silver-on-silver quartz watch sold under the big box retailer's George brand. I was drawn to the bright blue subdials that remind me of several more expensive watches.

George Watch with Faux Subdials

George has many attractively styled watches for really inexpensive price tags.  For example, this post highlights Six Watches Under $70. Next time you are in a Walmart, check out their watch section. Knowing what low priced watches offers lets you be a better judge of what high priced watches offer.

Searching for Watch Authenticity? Try the Timex Easy Reader

Lately, there have been many allegations that some of the world's most prestigious Swiss watch brands are actually selling watches that have largely been made in China. This accusation extends beyond the world of watches into other high fashion items like Italian leather goods. Since the threshold for the Swiss Made label is fairly low, there is lots of wiggle room for manufacturers. It's a whole big thing. It's also quite the rabbit hole. The controversy makes this the perfect time to take a look at a basic watch that is definitely made overseas: the Timex Easy Reader.

Most Timex watches are made in their Cebu manufacturing facility in the Philippines. According to Timex, 80% of their watches are manufactured, assembled, or shipped from the Cebu plant. It's a vertically-integrated factory that can make just about every aspect of a watch. You can see a video of this factory here on the Ablogtowatch youtube channel.

Timex Easy Readers have long been derided as grandpa watches or for people with bad eyesight. They are a great watch for Father's Day. But, over the years, the colors and straps have quietly been evolving. Frankly, this is a pretty good looking watch. The watch has a 38mm case which is on trend for a move towards slightly smaller cases. According to Timex, the 20mm strap fits wrists up to 8-inches in circumference. This is timekeeping without pretension or artifice.

The Easy Reader is also a watch that sells for a very reasonable price. As of this writing (June 2025), you can get it on Amazon for 10% off. Check the Easy Reader out here on Amazon!

Wristwatch Review: Armitron 20/5573 Stainless Steel Tachymeter Watch

Armitron is putting out some fantastic looking watches at affordable prices. This one is Model 20/5573. It's a day-date watch with a black dial and tachymeter markings on a bold blue bezel.

Armitron Model 20/5573 Tachymeter-style Stainless Steel Watch

Watch Features

This watch is straight forward and readable. In this sub-$50 watch category, you don't get any special features beyond the day-date. There is no actual stop watch functionality. 

Armitron 20/5573 Stainless Steel Tachymeter Watch

Watch Construction

I really appreciate that this watch has all stainless steel construction. The case, bracelet, and caseback all have the strength of real steel. It has a flat mineral glass crystal. The watch has 50-meters of water reistance. The hour batons appear to be chrome foil pieces that are applied, not painted on. The date window is also trimmed with chrome. The hour and minute hands have a little strip of fairly weak lume on them.

Armitron 20/5573 Stainless Steel Tachymeter Watch

I really like that the push button deployant watch bracelet is removeable and replaceable. Unfortunately, many less expensive watches have integrated bracelets that are difficult to resize and/or upgrade. If needed, you can also get extra links through the Armitron website. 

Watch Dimensions

This Armitron watch has presence on the wrist with a 45mm case that is 10.5mm thick. The band is 7.5 inches long and very exactly fits my wrist. To be honest, it's just a tad snug. A longer bracelet with the ability to make micro-adjustments would be welcomed. 

Overall Impression

Overall, I like the Model 20/5573 from Armitron. It looks good and I think it is a good value for the money. Armitron watches are not expensive and, yet, they are still real watches. If you'd like to take a closer look at this watch, check it out here on Amazon:

Armitron 20/5573 Tachymeter-Style Watch