Watch Wearing Wednesday: Caravelle Sports Watch with Black Nylon Strap

Tonight, I'm wearing my Caravelle Sports Watch with Black Nylon Strap.  I've covered Caravelle from A to Z.  It's a brand that I like.

You can read my full review of this watch here -

Wristwatch Review: Caravelle Sports Quartz Men's Watch

Are All The Watch Companies being PRX?

Four Watches that look like the Tissot PRX

Have you noticed that many watches are beginning to look like Tissot's popular PRX series of watches? Is it flattery? Is it love? Are they just trying to capitalize on a popular shape? Let's compare a few similar looking watches.  We'll stick with quartz models just to keep prices and products comparable.

Tissot PRX

The Tissot PRX is the popular watch these days. It's the cool kid on the block. This one (below) has a cool gray dial and a 40mm diameter stainless steel case.

Tissot PRX (Amazon Photo)

Click the link to take a closer look at this Tissot PRX quartz watch on Amazon.

Fossil Everett Quartz

This Fossil watch has a similarly angled case and a tapered bracelet much like the Tissot PRX.  It's the Fossil Everett Quartz and it comes in 42mm and 44mm diameter sizes and a wide range of colors.

Fossil Everett (Amazon photo)

I like the textured sunray dial and bold blue color of this watch. If you'd like to check it out, you'll find the Fossil Everett quartz watch here on Amazon.

Timex Q Reissue

Of course, it may be that the PRX has simply tapped into a retro design vein that exists in the DNA of all watch companies. This Timex Q Reissue has a similar angled case and tapering bracelet, but adds some diver style elements with a rotating bezel and a day-date function. It pays homage to Timex quartz watches of the 1970s.

Timex Q Reissue (Amazon photo)

At 38mm diameter, some reviewers didn't note the retro heritage and thought the watch was a bit small. But, watch sizes seem to be trending downward. This Timex watch does warrant a closer look and you can find it here on Amazon. Personally, I like watches that tie into longer histories.

Movado Bold Quest Sport Watch

The Movado Men's Bold Quest Sport Watch does a good job of connecting to heritage with its play on the classic disc of the Movado Museum dial watches. It also has the angular case and tapering bracelet that are similar to the Tissot PRX.

Movado Bold Quest Sport Watch (Amazon Photo)

This watch brings a Swiss pedigree, an homage to a classic, and a sophisticated bracelet to the PRX-ish party. It's a little more expensive than some of the other options, but it is 20% off as of this writing for a price of less than $500. You can find this Movado watch here on Amazon.

Bulova Men's Dress Classic Quartz

Maybe I'm seeing PRX-style watches everywhere, but I even detect a bit of PRX in this Bulova. It's the Bulova Men's Dress Classic Quartz watch in two tones. At least it has the case angles and a slight taper with a pretty cool band. It's a 39mm watch that is only 7.65mm thick!

Bulova Men's Dress Classic Quartz

This Bulova comes in at a very nice price at 48% off for a limited time on Amazon. That makes it a steal and you can find this Bulova Amazon deal right here!

 

Sharp Watch Shout Out: Citizen Men's Eco Drive Weekender Watch

I recently saw this Citizen Men's Eco Drive Weekender watch with a blue dial and a blue polyurethane strap. It's an amazing looking watch. I like the dimpled dial and the sports GT-style strap. While it may be an elastomeric polymer, from a distance, that strap sure looks like the wrap from around an old sports car steering wheel. In such a brilliant blue, this Citizen watch certainly deserves a sharp watch shout out!

Citizen Eco Drive Weekender Sport Watch (Amazon Photo)

The specifications for this watch match the sporty looks, too. It has a stainless steel case and 100-meters of water resistance. Amazon reviewers note that it has a long strap to fit most wearers and that the watch holds up well to sweat and activity. The watch is rather large with a 44mm diameter case. 

This watch has a Caliber J810 movement that is solar powered. Citizen Eco Drive watches never need batteries, but they may need a capacitor replaced every ten years or so.  There are instructions online for how to do this and a jeweler should also be able to handle it.

For a limited time (as of this May 2025 writing), this watch is on sale for 25% off for a price coming in at a little over $200. To take a closer look at this timepiece, check it out here on Amazon!

Watch Wearing Wednesday: A Vintage Seiko Quartz Watch

I recently changed the battery on my late father's old quartz Seiko Day-Date watch (model 7N43-9070). There's something comforting about wearing it. I believe it's a 90s vintage timepiece so it's rather amazing that it keeps on going.

Vintage Seiko Quartz Watch

There's nothing fancy about this watch and it shows some wear and tear.  But, it's a no fuss, no muss, timepiece and the expansion bracelet is very convenient.

Vintage Seiko Quartz Day-Date watch

Today, I don't see many Day-Date quartz watches in the Seiko line, but this Citizen Men's Classic Quartz watch (Model BF0580-57L shown below) in stainless steel is very similar to my dad's vintage Seiko. Time goes on.

Citizen Men's Classic Quartz Day-Date watch (Amazon photo)

Wristwatch Review: Caribbean Joe Square Watch with Synthetic Leather Strap

When it comes to cheap watches, I enjoy the Caribbean Joe brand.  In fact, I've found most of the variants of Caribbean Joe watches that are available. Most of the time, I get them from Kohl's, but I learned that there are square case Caribbean Joe's watches and I had to find them. As 2024 drew to a close, I ordered two watches online from a store in the northern midwestern US called Boscov's. The model numbers were CJ7145GU (Blue Dial/Gunmetal Case) and CJ7145SL (Brown Dial/Silver Case)

Caribbean Joe Square Watch (CJ7145GU)

Watch Style

I like the square case from Caribbean Joe. It seems to be on trend and looks good. The brands trademark hut and text are centered just below 12 o'clock and the dial shimmers with the light like a sun ray design. The subdials are attractive, but non-functional. At a $20 price point, you simply don't get the functionality of a more expensive watch.

Caribbean Joe Square Watch (CJ7145GU)

Watch Construction

This Caribbean Joe watch has a stainless steel caseback and a base metal case. Base metals typically are metals or alloys of metals like copper, brass, zinc, aluminum, or tin. The watch uses a common SR626SW battery and it is kindly noted on the caseback. The movement is made in Singapore and the synthetic leather strap is made in China. While the movement keeps good time, it can be difficult to set with precision because when the crown is depressed, the minute hand may jump by a minute. You can find it a challenging game to try and synchronize the watch with time.gov.  Ultimately, this is one of the common drawbacks to cheap watches and helps us appreciate the precision timepieces in our collections.

Caribbean Joe Square Watch Caseback

Watch Dimensions

The square Caribbean Joe watches are reasonably sized for most wrists. The watch case is 39mm across and 40mm from top to bottom.  You can see the size clearly here with the brown dial(?) version.

Caribbean Joe Square Watch with Brown Strap (CJ7145SL)

The case is a slim 9mm thick which is perfect for wearing with business attire including long-sleeved shirts with cuffs. 

The watch strap length is fairly generous and, with my large wrists, I was able to buckle it on the last hole and tuck the remaining strap under both loops. 

Strap of Caribbean Joe Model CJ7145SL (Brown Strap/Silver Case)

Overall Impression

With working subdials and a more precise movement, this watch could be a contender.  But, it chose to be a bum and hang out on a Caribbean Island. For a cheap watch, it is a handsome looking cuss. I like it and it's fun to wear--just don't forget this is a beach bum brand.

WATCH DEAL ALERT: Bulova Marine Star Series A Automatic is 48% off!

Did you know that Bulova is offering a great Amazon deal on one of their best Marine Star watches?  The Bulova Men's Marine Star "Series A" Automatic watch is being offered for 48% off. This watch has maritime looks, an automatic movement with a front aperture and an exhibition caseback. It even has a small seconds subdial. The dial is a mix of silver and white tones offset with beautiful blue Roman numerals and the vaunted Bulova tuning fork at 12 o'clock. It's a very cool looking watch! I'd give this watch a sharp watch shout out, but I wanted to lead with the great deal!

Bulova Marine Star "Series A" (Amazon Photo)

This Series A has a 21 jewel movement and 200 meters of water resistance.  Inspired by the sea, but not for SCUBA diving in the sea. This is for the yacht captain. At 48% off, the watch costs a little over $300. It's a respectable price for a respectable timepiece, expensive but within the range of many middle class Americans. If you'd like to check this Bulova bargain out, see it here on Amazon.

TGIF: Three Great Looking Armitron Watches For Around $50 Each

I recently came across three great looking Armitron watches on Amazon.  They have consecutive model numbers and look for better than anyone would expect a $50 watch to look.  The model numbers to keep an eye out for are 20/5571, 20/5572, and 20/5573. Honestly, I think each of these classic-inspired  watches looks better than comparable watches costing twice the price. I'd do a sharp-watch shout out for each timepiece, but I really need to let readers know about these right away.

Armitron 20/5571 Diver-Style Silicone Strap Watch (Amazon Photo)

The Armitron 20/5571 (above) is a diver-style, silicone strap, watch with a blue dial. It doesn't have a rotating bezel, but it has a stainless steel case, 50 meters of water resistance, and a mineral glass crystal. I like the wide, angled, minute track and the hour batons.  They give the watch a classic look. The watch has a 44mm diameter case that is a slim 8mm thick. If you like this watch or want to learn more about it, you can find it here on Amazon.

Armitron 20/5572 Diver-style Watch (Amazon Photo)

The Armitron 20/5572 (above) has the same specifications with stainless steel bracelet. This watch comes in three variants: black dial/brown bezel, black dial/black bezel (shown), and blue dial/black bezel. You can find this watch here on Amazon. The diver-style watches might give the Timex Harborside a run for the money.

Armitron 20/5573 Tachymeter-Style Watch

Finally, Armitron 20/5573 (above) is a tachymeter-style, stainless steel bracelet, watch with a blue bezel and a black dial. The first thing to say about this watch is that it is NOT a tachymeter with any special functions. It just has the markings on the bezel. Like the diver-style watches, this one has 50 meters of water resistance, a stainless steel case, and a mineral glass crystal. Unlike the other watches, this one has a day and date feature at 3 o'clock. The case is 45mm in diameter and 10.5mm thick. If you like this timepiece, you can find it here on Amazon.