How to Change the Battery on a Caribbean Joe Watch

I recently changed the battery on one if my inexpensive Caribbean Joe watches and I'm glad to report that it was a super easy task. 

The watch has a quartz movement that takes a standard 377 (SR626SW) battery. I appreciate any watch company that etches the battery required right on the caseback. It saves much time and aggravation. 

The eight steps for an actual battery change are very straightforward:

1. Pry off the caseback. There is a small  indent on the caseback that is just large  enough to stick a screwdriver or knife blade under and pop it open. I use the small dedicated blade that comes with the watch repair kit sold by Walmart.

2. Lift out the movement holder ring. This is the white plastic spacer that keeps the movement from shifting around inside the watch.

3. Gently pop out the old battery. Be mindful of the metal contact that closes the circuit and allows the battery to power the watch. You won't want to bend or deform it.

4. Insert the new battery. You can angle the new battery in so that the edge is under the contact and then press down on the battery so that it sits level.

5. Reinstall the retaining ring. Note that you'll want to place it back as shown in the photo for Step 2 with a channel for the crown and so that the battery is properly covered.

6. Verify that the watch is running. Before closing up the watch, gently take a look at the dial to verify that the timepiece is running.

7. Reinstall the case back. Line up the case back so that the indent for crown straddles the crown.

8. Snap the caseback into place. Press down on the caseback so that it clicks back into place. I sas able to easily click the caseback of this Caribbean Joe watch into place with fairly light pressure. With more stubborn watches, I use a caseback press tool. Be mindful of the glass crystal over the dial. It's fragile on most watches.

That's all there is to replacing the battery on a Caribbean Joe watch.

Semi-Vintage Alternatives to the Rolex Datejust "President"

Once upon a time, the fluted bezel look of the Rolex Datejust was far more popular than it is today. 

Rolex Datejust

Almost every watchmaker from Armitron to Seiko offered their own fluted bezel homage to the Rolex great. Today, you can find many such watches on secondary sites like Etsy and eBay. As I drilled down into them, I found yet another watch category that I'll call semi-vintage. These are watches that revived the venerable brand names of once popular American mechanical watch brands and used them to sell quartz watches. 

Let's look at now vintage quartz datejust watches sold under the Elgin and Gruen brands. Let's start with Elgin.

Elgin Presidential Quartz Watch (Photo by SolWatchExchange on Etsy)

Founded in 1864, Elgin was named after it's headquarters city: Elgin, Illinois.They pioneered the mass production of mechanical watches with interchangeable parts. By 1908, they were the largest watch producer in the United States. The company switched to war production for World War 2 and had trouble navigating the postwar watch market. They shut down production in 1964 and closed up entirely by 1968. They never made a quartz watch.

Elgin Presidential Quartz Watch (Photo by SolWatchExchange on Etsy)

However, the companies that bought the rights to the brand name made some very nice quartz watches. Many of them are old enough to be considered vintage now. This one (above) on Etsy appears to be in great shape and certainly looks nice. You can find the Etsy listing here. The name Elgin is a bonus that carries a bit of residual cache.

Gruen Precision Quartz Presidential (Etsy Photo by Throwmich)

Another great watch brand was Gruen. Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, by German immigrants, the brand employed a hybrid model where movements they designed were manufactured in Switzerland and tested and cased in watches here in the US. Like Elgin, they floundered in the postwar economy and they were gone by 1958. Gruen also never made a quartz watch, but some nice looking quartz models bear their name. You can check out this Precision by Gruen Two-Tone President-Style watch here on Etsy.

These semi-vintage quartz watches on Etsy add more affordable alternatives to the Rolex President Datejust. But, for more options from Amazon, check out my post Five Alternatives to the Rolex Day-Date President.

TGIF: Payday and No Audemars Piguet Money?

Here it is Friday and you still find yourself about $54,000 short of cash you need to buy that Audemars Piguet Royal Oak? Now, you're whining about capitalism and poking around on my blog to find an alternative watch. Well, quit your whining, you had plenty of money for Starbucks and a couple of streaming service subscriptions. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives to an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Here's one from George.

Yes. Yes. George is a Walmart brand. Did I mention that it is sold exclusively at Walmart? Did I mention that it only costs $12.98? That can save you about $54,000 over the price of a real Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch. This would leave you with wealth beyond your wildest dreams. For example, with $54,000, you could afford unlimited donuts.

George watch = More Donuts

Of course, donuts are just a start. When you save $54,000 on the price of a watch, you can afford an endless supply of roller food. You can eat hot dogs, smoked sausages, and taquitos at any time of day or night. However, if you are middle-aged, I don't recommend night.

Pay homage to a Royal Oak, but get unlimited Roller Food

Perhaps $12.98 is an absurdly low price, but there are plenty of watch designs that are inspired by the Royal Oak look. I've compiled some of the best looking ones in this post. The point is simple. You don't have to overpay for a watch.

Watch Deal Alert: Hilfiger Cool Sport Analog

One watch brand that you can count on for a good value is Tommy Hilfiger. Watch quality and comfort is solid and price tags deliver value. Hilfiger is currently offering this Cool Sport watch for 29% off at Amazon. It's  Model 1791348.

At 46mm in diameter and 11mm thick, this Hilfiger is a big bold watch. It has all stainless steel construction--both the case and bracelet. It also has a mineral glass crystal.

At 29% off, the price comes in at less than $80. But, it's a limited time deal and 86% of the watches have been claimed already. If you like to jump in on it, you can use my Amazon affiliate link here.

Close examination reveals that this Hilfiger watch has some interesting subdials that provide 24-hour time, day, and date functionality. I suspect that the pushers help set the day and date more easily.

This is a good deal on a great watch, but it is only available for a limited time. 86% of the discounted watches have already been claimed. To jump in on it, use my Amazon affiliate link here.

Ten Dollar Tuesday: Nbonal Sport Field Watch for Men

Some watches demand immediate attention. One such watch is this Nbonal Sports and Field watch. With a classic, wide, bezel in a murdered out version of black, it looks like a an expensive watch. But, surprisingly, it's only $10.

At 44mm in diameter, the Nbonal Sport watch has much wrist presence. It also has the menacing black looks of popular commando watches that command hundreds or thousands of dollars more. Of course, it is an extremely inexpensive (dare I say cheap) watch and you may discover one or more of the drawbacks of a cheap watch (as I've blogged about here). But, for $10, it may well be worth the risk for a cool looking watch!

If you'd like to check out the Nbonal Sport Field watch, you can use my affiliate link to find it here on Amazon. My Amazon affiliate links generate a tiny bit of income that allows me to buy a cheap watch for myself every so often.

I have a suspicion. I don't have proof. But, deep down, I believe that many of the watches more popular brands sell for $25 to $75 may be built by the same companies that will sell you a cheap watch for $10 directly on Alibaba or Amazon. The quality and design may even be similar to popular watch models. One of problems companies that outsource production to faraway lands may face is that people in faraway lands learn how to make popular product and can cut out the original company as a useless middle man. But, it's not for me to school brands on the invisible hand of the marketplace. It's for me to find affordable and cool watches for our wrists.

Wristwatch Review: Timex Classic 39mm Watch

With all the emphasis on inexpensive watch brands on this blog lately, I thought it might be a good time to check on the less expensive offerings from Timex. Timex has been moving upmarket with great looking watches for collectors and enthusiasts. As awesome as they are, it is still fun to find something cool for under $60. In that spirit, I recently found the Timex Classics 39mm Quartz Watch. It's officially model TW2R866009J.

Watch Features 

Simplicity is at the forefront of this watch design. It has a classic Ranger watch dial with no date, a nice-looking silver-tone case, and a leather strap. In real life, the lack of a date feature is very practical if you rotate through a watch collection. You just don't have to stop and make sure the date is right.

Watch Dimensions

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Timex Classics 39mm watch is 39mm in diameter. The watch is also 9mm thick.

Watch Construction

The Timex Classics 39mm has a stainless steel caseback, a brass case, and mineral glass crystal. For an inexpensive watch, it's built fairly solid and is rated for 50-meter water resistance.The 39mm classic has a leather strap.

Overall Impression

The Timex 39mm Classic is a pretty decent basic dress watch. It looks good. It's affordable. There is no shame in wearing it.

However, a watch like this Timex faces serious competition from store brands like Geneva and some of the inexpensive new brands from China. On the one hand, it's nice to wear an American brand. On the other, there are some serious competitors for $30 or less.

Where to Buy

If you'd like to check this watch out, use my Amazon affiliate link. You can find this watch for a bit over $30 here.

Two Great Men's Watches Under $30

Over the past few months, I've been looking at low-priced watches. In an inflationary world, it's nice to find some small pleasures that are still affordable. Here are a couple of watches that are great choices in the sub-$30 price range.

1. Civo Analog Watch. For $30 or less, Civo offers some great analog watches. I recently discovered the brand in my search for Ten Dollar Tuesday (visit link) candidates. However, for under $30, Civo has options like this Silver-on-Silver classic. This watch gives you all the great looks of a classic men's watch from the late 20th century without any of the headaches that might come from a vintage timepiece

Civo Men's Analog Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

If youa are intrigued, you can find this watch easily here on Amazon using my affiliate link. If nothing else, this watch showcases what Chinese manufacturers can do for a basic watch design. 

2. Casio A168WA Digital Watch with Electro-Luminescence.  For under $30, you can get any number of classic Casio digital watches. In a world of expensive smart watches, these watches are a bit of a vintage geek flex. This watch touts ElectroLuminescence which backlights the dial with a uniform blue light that makes the numerals easier to read.

Casio A168WA Digital Watch (Amazon Photo)

To take a look at this retro futuristic watch check it out here using my Amazon affiliate link.