TGIF: The Drawbacks of Cheap Watches

 Most of the time, this watch blog revels in the glories of all kinds of cheap watches.  Ahem...inexpensive watches. Cheap watches fit into any budget. They strip away snobbery and distill the hobby down to "cool watch, bro" vibes that are healthy for everyone. They don't attract muggers or burglars or signal wealth levels that would make you a target. Most of the time, I enjoy the variety of cool looks that come with inexpensive watches. But, I really need to note that cheap watches have their downsides, too! Here are some of the problems that may arise with cheap watches.

1. Lack of Time Setting Precision. Sometimes with a cheap watch you'll go to set it and, when you push in the crown, the minute hand will jump 2 to 3 minutes in some random direction. I used to have that problem with Target, Walmart, and Caribbean Joe watches from time to time. However, eventually, you'll develop a steady hand and guide the crown down without changing the time.

An Inexpensive Caribbean Joe Watch

2. Short Straps. One of the easiest things manufacturers can do to save a little money is to shorten the watch straps by just a little bit. By the time the watch makes it to consumers home, the maker can be enjoying a beach in sunny Mexico. The watches will fit the wrists of most younger purchasers and older purchasers can simply replace the strap. Few people will actually go through the hassle of replacing or returning the watch. It's not usually too hard to replace tight bracelets with a roomier strap, I really liked the look of this Armitron Quartz Date Function Watch, but the bracelet was too tight. Fortunately, it was easy to swap out for a Bisonstrap as covered in my initial watch review.

3. Small Diameter Cases and Dials. Some inexpensive watches have smaller diameter cases and dials. While a 40mm case might look a little better, a 38mm case will be just a little cheaper to manufacture.

4. Non-Replaceable Bracelets. Sometimes cheap watches have strange, non-standard, connections between the watch bracelet and the watch case.  It can make replacing the watch bracelet with a longer replacement, very difficult. Look for unusual strap/case connections before making a purchase.

5. Quality Issues. Finally, cheap watches sometimes have quality control issues.  For example, the watch hands, the dial markings, and the bezel markings (particularly of a diver-style dial) may not align properly. It's frustrating to see that your minute markers don't line up with where the minute hand falls at the top of a minute. It's aggravating to see that you rotating bezel lines up half a degree off from 12 o'clock noon. You may not start out with an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) when you begin your watch collecting journey, but you may end up there.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Caribbean Joe Silver-Tone Blue Dial Watch (CJ7127SL)

Are you tired of my Caribbean Joe watches yet? I'm not. They are like horological potato chips to me.  They are inexpensive. They have great looks and colors.  And, dang it, I can't stop at just one! I recently had a chance to attend a small private gaming convention and it turned out to be the perfect opportunity to get my Horatio Hornblower on with a game called Black Sails. The game used miniatures rules and my Caribbean Joe watch was just perfect for ruling the waves of our table top.

If this watch looks familiar to you, it's probably because I have the same watch with a green dial and gold-toned case. Kohl's called it the Caribbean Joe Men's Degrade Green Sunburst Dial Strap Watch.  That's a mouthful.  Fortunately, Boscov's just calls it the Men's Caribbean Joe Silver-Tone Blue Dial Watch (CJ7127SL). I'm not an affiliate, but you can still find this cool watch on their website here. If you'd like to read a review of this watch, read my original review of the green one here.

If you are still here and just want to learn more about Black Sails, you can find the Master and Commander starter version of the game with all you need here on Amazon.

Watch Deal Alert: Fossil Nate Chronograph Deeply Discounted on Amazon

 Today, I came across a great deal from Fossil on Amazon.  Their impressive 50mm Fossil Nate Chronograph is on sale for 47% off. That brings this watch to a nice price well under $100. It's a very solid-looking stainless steel, quartz watch that with a matte black dial looks very good on the wrist.

Fossil Nate (Amazon photo)

This watch reminds me of my similarly sized Fossil Brox multifunction watch, but Nate brings a larger size and chronometer functions to the party. I have a slightly smaller Fossil Nate from a decade ago packed away from a move, it's a good watch. Amazon has quite an array of Fossil Nate variants for sale. There are different dial textures and colors and different hand colors. Nowadays, these Fossil watches have a full retail in the $160 to $180 range.  That's what makes this deal so special.  If you're interested, take a look at this Fossil Nate on Amazon. It's solid!

Watch Deal Alert: Frederique Constant Persuasion 38mm Automatic

Lately, I've been quietly noticing many Swiss Made watches at price points within the range of our dreams. Brands like Certina, Frederique Constant, Hamilton, Nivada Grenchen, Tissot, and Victorinox; all have watches at prices less than $750 and many less that $500. Many of the models are quartz, but some are mechanical or automatic. Today, I've found Frederique Constant watch for less than $500.  It's a 38mm Persuasion Automatic with classic, old world, styling that is perfect for any classy occasion. It has a sapphire crystal and an exhibition caseback to show off its movement.

To find an automatic watch with a real Swiss Made pedigree for less than $500 is no easy feat! If you'd like to take a look at it, check it out here on Amazon!

Watch Deal Alert: Victorinox Swiss Military Attitude Quartz Watch

If you are looking for a great deal on a Swiss Made watch, you might like this Military Attitude quartz watch from Victorinox. It's a great Swiss quartz tool with a no-nonsense look.  You can find the watch for sale here on Amazon.  On Amazon, the product listing isn't very complete, but according to a recent ebay listing, the watch itself has a 42mm diameter case and a 19mm wide bracelet.

Swiss Military Attitude Watch

This watch design and model has been sold under the Wenger and Swiss Military brands over many years. But, is now being listed by Victorinox. You can read this next section for a bit of history to understand the evolution of all things Swiss Army

A History of Victorinox, Wenger, Swiss Army, and Swiss Military

Victorinox was founded in 1884 in the German-speaking Swiss Canton of Schwyz in the municipality of Ibach-Schwyz. Wenger was founded in 1893 in the French-speaking Swiss Canton Jura in the municipality of Courtételle. Both companies got contracts from the Swiss government to produce knives for the Swiss Army.  The companies had a strong rivalry for many years with Victorinox claiming to the the Original Swiss Army knife and Wenger claiming to be the Genuine Swiss Army knife. All of that rivalry came to an end when Victorinox bought Wenger in 2005. 

While Wenger products continued to be sold for a time, the merged companies have consolidated all their production and marketing under the Victorinox product lines. Victorinox still uses Swiss Army branding on knives, but they seem to have dropped it on watches as they move more upscale. The Swiss Military brand has appeared in a variety of places throughout time including on some watches made by Wenger. You can read my review of a similar watch called the Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier. I think this Attitude timepiece may be a fading holdover from those days.

While most Victorinox watches are now moving upscale, this Swiss Military-branded watch is a holdover from when anything in the Swiss Army arena was expected to be tough, simple, utilitarian, and Made in Switzerland. If you're looking for a watch built with these philosophies, this Swiss Military Attitude Quartz Watch on Amazon may be the watch for you! It's a deal at around $100.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: A Rumours Watch That Persists

Once upon a time, many, many, years ago in a living room far, far, away, my brother-in-law was incessantly bragging about a brand new Tag Heuer watch that he had just bought. Even worse he was obnoxiously sneering at everyone who was wearing a quartz watch that was common among mere mortals.  It got old fast and everyone present was sick of it.  Finally, I had enough.

A close up of the dial on my old Rumours watch

"Hey, what time is it over there on your fancy Tag Heuer watch?"

"1:15."

I glanced at this Rumours watch and replied, "Same here."

The room burst into laughter and my brother-in-law ceased his bragging.  It was an unforgettable moment and a victory for the common watch.

A Rumours Watch with a Silver-on-Silver design

This Rumours watch has been in my collection for 26 or 27 years.  I hope it persists for a very long time.  You can read about my Rumours watch here on this blog.

Sharp Watch Shout Out: BERNY Automatic Diving Watch

Sometimes beauty and value come together in a sharp looking watch.  This BERNY Automatic Diving watch recently caught my eye and looks like the perfect combination. The watch has a Miyota 8215 movement, an internal rotating inner bezel for timing, and 200 meters of water resistance. The bright, modern, and innovative look of this watch earn it a sharp watch shout out! The watch comes in black, blue, or green and has a silicone strap.

BERNY Automatic Diving Watch

The specifications on this watch are worth looking at and you can find this BERNY watch here on Amazon.

BERNY is a Chinese company established in 1995 and is a respected brand in China. The watch gets 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon reviews with some buyers being concerned about durability. The Miyota 8215 movement is sometimes criticized for being noisy when winding at speed. Still, this is a great looking watch and might be worth taking a chance on.