Is Time to Shop for Watches at the Mall Again?

Over the holidays, I had a chance to shop for watches at a shopping mall for the first time in ages. The experience made me wonder about how much malls have declined in favor of online shopping. It also made me wonder if it just might be time to start shopping at the mall once again.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, shopping malls were the place to be.  For teens and young adults, malls offered a great chance to get out, walk around, exercise independence, play video games, eat at the food court, interact, and shop for fashionable merchandise. For families, it was a place to get things they needed for family members of all ages and it co-located a number of merchants that had products families needed.

Fast forward 20 or 30 years. Now, everything we need is available for delivery at the click of a mouse. We can buy almost anything online. But, we can't buy one thing: a place to be. If all the brick-n-mortar stores are gone, where will we go when we leave the house? 

If you are looking for a nice place to hang out and you don't live at a beach or in the mountains, you might be out of luck. It's not like fast growing cities with valuable real estate are keeping up with the demand for public parks and public spaces. If you live in a big city, public spaces and parks seem to be overrun by drug abusers, mentally ill people, and the homeless. The parks that are nice aren't much fun when all 6 million people in a city seem to show up there at one time. Of course, the purpose of this blog isn't to solve all of these political issues.  That's something to debate elsewhere. But, I would suggest that we might just want to keep the option of hanging out at the mall. Amazon doesn't even have a food court.

The Jewelry and Watch Department at a JC Penney store in suburban Atlanta

Watch shoppers can benefit from seeing the merchandise. In visiting three malls in the Atlanta area, I found that there were excellent opportunities to see and potentially handle watches from many different brands. Prices for last minute shoppers were also in the same general range as Amazon prices. When it comes to more expensive watches, a visit to a department store or a jeweler can be invaluable. An in person visit is a good way to see if you really like a watch. Next time you want to buy a watch or get a watch battery replaced, you might want to pop down to the mall.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: George Watch with Black Bezel

Merry Christmas from thewatchdude.com.  I hope that you and yours have the greatest of holidays and the best New Year.  I really appreciate the time you've spent with me visiting this blog. I hope that you have the time to enjoy with your family and friends and watches to wear to the most festive of occasions.

A George watch from Walmart with a cool bezel

For the watch wearing Wednesday portion of this post, I like to share a humble watch that I call my George Blanc Pain.  It's not really a Blanc Pain, but the sleek and smooth bezel on this Walmart George-brand watch reminds me of one. It's just a watch that costs less than $15.  But, it looks nice and tells the time quite well.  A watch like this is a reminder that the important thing is to know what time it is, value the time, and spend it well.

A George watch

Watches for Christmas 2024

Some Fun Watch Photos for Christmas

Are you all set for Christmas? I thought this might be a good time to share some of the Christmas oriented watch photos that I've taken lately. Everyone was recently ogling my Kenneth Cole New York watch with transparent dial. This guy was nuts over it.

A Nutcracker goes crazy for my Kenneth Cole New York Watch

Of course, he wasn't the only Christmas Character to like Kenneth Cole watches. This Kenneth Cole REACTION watch generated quite the reaction from Santa himself! It obviously made his list.

This Santa likes the Kenneth Cole REACTION watch in icy blue.

This Santa looks a little tired.  Perhaps he is just looking forward to the off-season with this US Polo Assn watch.  Reindeer polo anyone?

Another Santa is happy with a US Polo Assn quartz watch

Of course, when you least expect it, the Grinch comes along to threaten everything.  You have to watch out for Grinches, they ruin everything.

This Grinch is lusting after my Invicta DNA Military Heritage Watch

I hope you take the time to have a merry little Christmas yourself free from all the world's Grinches!

Last Minute Watch Shopping at Ross or TJ Maxx

Christmas is right around the corner. If you need a gift quick, you might dash into Ross or TJ Maxx and pickup a watch. They usually have nice ones. At Ross, you are looking at prices from $15 to about $70 for a man's watch. At TJ Maxx, you may be looking at $40 to $150.  However, if your city has an exclusive runway or boutique TJ Maxx, those locations may have watches that go all the way up to $1200 or so. However, you can count on these Brick-n-Mortar stores to have something decent for last minute Christmas shoppers 

A Gucci Watch at TJ Maxx

You'll have to poke around online to find out about where those stores are near you. If you see an $1100 watch in your TJ Maxx, you might actually be in one.

Watch Brands I Trust at Ross

Ross is a closeout store so selections can vary quite a bit. At Ross, lately, you can find brands like Joseph Abboud, American Exchange (A/X), Geoffrey Beene, Ed Hardy, Steve Madden, Reaction by Kenneth Cole, and Van Heusen. 

They also typically have a limited selection of Invicta watches. Sometimes you can find brands like Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger, or BOSS. You'll also might find some branded watches from clothing fashion brands like Timberland, Wrangler, or Lucky brand. Every once in awhile, you might find a Bulova. Of all these brands, I like Hilfiger, Invicta, and Nautica the best.  These brands usually have watches that look good and fall in the $60 to $75 sweet spot. If you are looking for fun, stocking stuffer, watches Ed Hardy, Steve Madden, and Geoffrey Beene watches offer interesting looks for about $20.

Watches at Ross

There can be some shortcomings in buying watches at Ross. In my experience, BOSS and Joseph Abboud sometimes have too short of a watch strap. If a watch is ticking and doesn't have a crown stopper in place, it may have been running for a long time. Don't be surprised if you have to replace the battery a little sooner than normal.

Watch Brands I Trust at TJ Maxx

My local TJ Maxx stores tend to have some more expensive watch brands. But, you can often find Invicta watches for as low at $55. I even saw one that was too small for me priced at $40 in December 2024. Recently I picked up this Invicta Speedway watch for just under $60 at a local TJ Maxx.

An Invicta Speedway Watch from TJ Maxx

Over the years, I've bought cool watches from brands like Bulova, Diesel, and Invicta at TJ Maxx.  Since we have both a runway and a boutique TJ Maxx nearby in the Atlanta area, I've also seen watches by Gucci, Movado and Versace for sale. They are much more than $60. I'm sure all the high end brands are very nice, but I trust watches from Bulova, Diesel, and Invicta to be great choices in my price range.

Movado Watches at TJ Maxx

It's always fun to see some out of the ordinary watches and I'm glad to see some of them show up in Ross and TJ Maxx. I also appreciate some of the high end brands like Gucci allowing some of their watches to make it into upscale closeout store locations. It's nice when everyone can have a chance to see some of their great products and even take a crack at buying them from time to time.

Sharp Watch Shout Out: Venezianico Redentore Avventurina 40

I am seriously in lust with the watches of a relatively new watch brand based in Italy:  Venezianico.  Established in 2017, they have five collections that cover sport, dive, racing, skeleton, and dress watch styles. But, the watch that has really captured my imagination is called the Venezianico Redentore Avventurina. It has a dial made of a fine Venetian glass material called Aventurine. Glass infused with flecks of copper, Aventurine looks like a field of stars against a black sky. My screen capture from their website doesn't do this watch justice.  You'll just need to poke around on their website:  https://us.venezianico.com/. 

A Veneziancio Redentore Avventurina 40

The brand has adopted the medieval crosses typically found in the architecture of Venetian churches and cathedrals as its logo. Prices are competitive with brands like Nivada Grenchen and Movado. I think these watches are amazing looking.

TGIF: Is it time for Invicta again?

A Fresh Look at Invicta Watches

It's been fashionable among many watch collectors to sneer at Invicta watches.  Over the years, they've come under ridicule as a staple of various home shopping television channels and late night infomercials.  However, when I look into my Invicta watch case, I see that it is filled with interesting watches from mild to wild that have a real presence on my wrist and that get noticed.

My case full of Invicta watches

Why Some Collectors Sneer At Invicta

There are plenty of good reasons for all that ridicule. After all, Invicta was an old Swiss brand that was bought by an entrepreneur and lost a bit of connection to its history. They've been known to have suggested sky high retail prices for their watches so that every "sale price" offered seems like the bargain of the century. They've gone over the top with many of their styling choices with huge, thick, dials, metal ropes, and hatches and other accoutrements dedicated to form rather than function. They have enough gold toned watches to make New Jersey blush. Many of them are manufactured in China. But, still, there is something about Invicta watches that captures your attention. There is something about them that makes people stop and say, "Hey, nice watch!" I think it might be time to stop making fun of Invicta watches and just enjoy them with a sense of joy, fun, and glee.

An Invicta DNA Watch in front of the Apollo 16 Command Module

Why Collectors Should Give Invicta A Second Look

If you watch the watch industry and you watch the rise of the Microbrand watches, you'll see that many of them are using the exact same strategies and tactics as Invicta. The upstarts just lack the dockside chats from Miami. Let's look at some of the reasons people cite to sneer at Invicta and why they should stop sneering and have fun collecting.

Chinese Manufacturing. If you look at many of the microbrands and many of the established brands, many are manufacturing watches in Asia. It's been difficult for US companies to achieve "Made in USA" standards to use that label here in the US.  The standards for "Swiss Made" are lower and allow many of the fabled manufacturers to use components sourced from Asia. Many new brands are named to resemble old brands and evoke that old world watchmaker charm.  Some like Boderry are unabashedly Chinese. Invicta offers many "Swiss Made" watches and many more watches with Swiss or Japanese made movements. I've never had a quality issue with one of my Invicta watches even going back to my circa 2012 Invicta 1460 Vintage Collection watch.

My Invicta Men's 1460 Vintage Collection Watch

Watch Brand Revival. As a Swiss company founded in 1837, Invicta went bankrupt in the 1980s. According to Wikipedia, they were revived by a European company called Onix S.A. and that also went bankrupt. The company was bought again out of bankruptcy by American investors and the company was re-established in 1991. While Invicta may have been one of the first, and most radical, of brand revivals, today there are many other revival brands including Nivada-Grenchen, Universal Genève, and Vulcain. Keeping an established brand alive and reviving it through innovation and marketing is just good business.

My Invicta Sub Aqua Noma III commands attention

Deep Price Discounting. Sometimes it seems like the world is literally awash in watches that are 48% off.  On Amazon, I've seen deep discounts on brands like Bulova that have run for quite a long time. New brands like Lilienthal Berlin regularly have deep discounts that bring their watches down to affordable price points. When you see the low prices people pay for Asian-sourced watches on sights like alibaba or aliexpress, it's not surprising.  You can find your own cheap prices on Invicta watches at retailers like TJ Maxx or Ross or online at Amazon, or at invictastores.com

My Invicta Pro Diver (Model 6981)

Tacky styling. Some Invicta designs are definitely out there, but they get noticed. There is a place for staid and serious watch designs. Invicta even has some low key designs and even a low key professional-looking brand or two. But, the interesting watches are the ones that make collecting fun. I won't wear a crazy huge Invicta when I need to project executive presence, attend a church, or attend a funeral.  But, as a long-time work-from-home technology worker, I can wear watches that please me. On a typical day, my watch choices are just for me, my wife, the barista, and the internet. I have the freedom to wear any watch that I find fun. If the barista can afford the same watch, that's even more fun.

My Invicta Specialty Pro Diver swims with the ducks

Ultimately, if Invicta has a design you like, just buy it and enjoy it. Life and watch collecting is much more fun that way. To see Invicta watches and make your own judgments, visit Invicta watches for men on Amazon here.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Fossil Brox Multifunction Watch

As Christmas approaches, I find myself wearing my new Fossil Brox Multifunction watch quite regularly.  It's a comfortable quartz watch with a large 50mm diameter case and very readable dial.

The Fossil Brox Multifunction Watch Close Up

The watch has remarkable presence on the wrist and looks good from every angle.  The bezel has dive markings, but is non-rotating.  The subdial functions provide the day, date, and 24-hour time.  The subdial settings are easily adjustable via the pusher buttons.  I'll dare say this is the easiest watch that I've ever set.

The Fossil Brox with Christmas Decor in the background

I bought my Fossil Brox from Ross at a close-out price of around $60.  These watches are disappearing fast, but there are still some examples with a smoke gray colored case available via sellers on Amazon here. As Christmas approaches, you really can't go wrong with Fossil or Relic brand watches.  They offer style and quality at good prices.