Affordable Alternatives to the Tudor Ranger

The Tudor Ranger line has always embraced it's vintage roots as a tool watch. It's a premium watch from a sister-brand of Rolex. But, while the Ranger is somewhat similar to the Explorer, it has a decidedly vintage vibe. For many watch collectors, the Tudor Ranger is a good alternative choice to the Rolex Explorer. You can see the Tudor Ranger here on Amazon here. The listing isn't very descriptive, but it should have a 39mm diameter case. Unfortunately, at well above $2000, it is priced out of my reach.

Tudor Ranger (Amazon Photo)

A Tactical Frog Ranger Homage

Fortunately, there are affordable alternatives to the Tudor Ranger. The Tactical Frog Thorn T003 PT5000 is an excellent alternative powered by the respected Japanese NH35 automatic movement. It comes with this amazing red dial or a tamer black dial. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how vintage you want to be, it only comes with a 34mm dial.  

Tactical Frog Thorn T003 Automatic

I think this one truly embraces the vintage watch look. You can check out the Tactical Frog Thorn T003 PT5000 here on Amazon. The Tactical Frog is certainly much more affordable.

A Pagani Design Ranger Homage

As always, Pagani Design also offers a watch that seems inspired by the classics. This NH35-powered automatic watch looks much like Tudor Ranger in a 36mm case size. Even less expensive than the Tactical Frog, it offers 200 meters of water resistance.

Pagani Design 36mm Automatic

You can check this Pagani Design watch out here on Amazon. I'm excited to see some of the vintage looks and retro vibes resonating from these homage watches. To see more Rolex alternatives, check out my post on Affordable Rolex Explorer Alternatives. The Explorer and the Ranger are quite similar so you might find a look you like there.

Winter Weather Watch: Luminox Men's ICE-SAR Arctic Swiss Quartz Watch

With the United States gripped by cold, ice, and snow in areas where it is seldom seen, it seems like a good time to think about a watch that could withstand the worst that winter could muster.  One such winter watch is the Luminox Men's Icelandic Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR) Watch. Luminox is a sponsor of Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue, and they designed this watch to meet their needs.

Luminox Men's ICE-SAR Arctic Swiss Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

This Luminox watch has a 44mm diameter case that is 12mm thick.  It has a screw-on caseback and offers 200 meters of water resistance. It's made of a strong, lightweight, material called CARBONOX.  The watch has a fixed bezel, a protected crown, and an innovative, self-powered, illumination system that uses micro-gas tubes that need no external power, require no buttons to be pushed, and can provide lighting for up to 25 years. 

Luminox ICE-SAR Arctic Watch (Amazon Listing)

If you'd like to get the Luminox ICE-SAR Arctic watch, you can find it here on Amazon.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Relic "Moonphase" Quartz Watch

Last year, I revived my Relic "Moonphase" quartz watch (Model ZR15557).  It's not really a moon phase watch, but it has a complication that shows the moon at night and the sun during the day. It's a sophisticated look on a relatively inexpensive watch. I've been wearing it about and find that it still very comfortable, very readable, and quite the good looking watch. Here it is pictured below with a science kit for kids that doesn't sound like a great idea.

Relic Model ZR15557 with Sun Moon Complication

The watch also has additional subdials to tell you the day of the week and the date.  Unfortunately, I find those a little difficult to read without dedicated reading glasses. The watch has held up quite well in over a decade of ownership. I first wrote about it in this post way back "in the day." If I'm not careful, this watch will become vintage.  

Here's a nice close up of the subdials on this Relic watch.  You'll notice the rays of sunlight emanating from the sun.  I also like the chrome trim around the top two subdials and the nice detail of the marker batons.

Relic "Sun & Moon" watch subdials

If you are looking for Relic watches, they are sold at JC Penney and here on Amazon.com. Over the years, I've found that the Relic by Fossil brand provides a really good value for the price.

Sharp Watch Shout Out: LaCoste Tie Breaker Quartz Watch

If you are looking for a sharp, fashion, watch, LaCoste has you covered with the always stylish crocodile logo and high quality affordable watches.  The beautiful green sunray dial and matching green silicone strap of this LaCoste Tie Breaker watch combine to earn this timepiece a sharp watch shout out! 

LaCoste Tiebreaker Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

With a 43mm diameter case, this watch will have presence on your wrist. The color-coordinated silicone strap is 21mm wide  It has a three-hands and a date window. But, true to its fashion origin, it's not a true dive watch. The aluminum bezel is fixed and no depth rating is provided for the 10.5mm thick stainless steel case. Nevertheless, this is a quality quartz timepiece manufactured by the Movado Group. 

LaCoste Tiebreaker (Amazon Photo)

With the worldwide reputation of the LaCoste brand, this watch is about good looks and perfect dimensions. It would certainly be the perfect watch to match with a nice polo shirt for a great preppie or business casual look.  This watch is listed on Amazon at 30% off (as of 1/12/2025).  You can find the LaCoste Tiebreaker Quartz watch right here on Amazon.

LaCoste Tiebreaker watch (Amazon Photo)

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Caribbean Joe Watch with Blue Dial

Today, I'm wearing my Caribbean Joe Watch with blue dial.  It has decorative, non-functional, sub-dials, a quartz movement from Singapore, a stainless steel caseback, and a Chinese synthetic leather strap.  It's powered by an SR626SW battery. If the light blue color, doesn't suit your tastes, there are many similar available Caribbean Joe watches.  Here's a post on a Caribbean Joe watch I wore last year.

A Caribbean Joe Watch with Blue Dial

This watch costs somewhere around $20 and either came from Burlington or Kohls brick and mortar location. It's a comfortable watch: lightweight and easy to read. The white inserts on the hands help with reading the watch in low-light conditions. It has a bit of a vintage feel.  Initially, I was a little put off by the non-functional subdials, but they remove quite a bit of fussiness and actually makes setting and wearing the watch a low hassle experience.  As always, I love the little hut and palm tree. To quote a couple of musical greats, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere."

A Caribbean Joe Logo

Watch Workshop: Fitting a George Watch with a brand new Strap

This is another neat looking cheap watch from Walmart. It's a George brand watch.  It has a black dial, black case, a black fluted bezel, a dark crystal, and red/orange hands and markers.  It does have sub-dials, but they are just for decoration.  The watch came with a black metal bracelet, but it didn't fit me well (too big) and it was a little too shiny for my taste.

A George Watch from Walmart

I opted for an inexpensive strap from a company called Niziruoup. They say it is a nylon elastic parachute-style watch band that is French paratrooper style. That's a lot to put on a $9.99 watch strap.  But, you can see it here on Amazon. I opted for the 22mm width and it fit this inexpensive watch perfectly.  The watch was about $12 or $13 at Walmart so the combo was less than $25.

A George Watch from Walmart at a Niziruoup Nylon Elastic Paratrooper Style Strap

Since the strap has elastic, it's a bit more flexible than the typical ballistic nylon straps I usually use.  It was comfortable for all day wear.

TGIF: A Warning About Watch Batteries

Have you noticed the warning labels on quartz watches? Apparently, the button batteries in quartz watches can really cause serious injury or even death if they are eaten. It's not something most of us think about, but if you have children, grandchildren, or perhaps a curious dog or puppy, you should take precautions when it comes to button batteries.

These Little Batteries Can Be Very Dangerous if Swallowed

According to an article by the University of California - San Francisco's Benioff Children's Hospital, a watch battery can cause serious burns to the esophagus within 2 hours of ingestion.  Over 3500 cases of watch battery ingestion are reported to US Poison Control Centers. The article also warns that batteries stuck in ears can also cause injuries.

Watch Battery Warning Label

One of the key action items from this article is that if you, or a child or a pet ingests a watch battery you must take action immediately. The patient should be taken to the emergency room (or emergency vet for a pet) and if you have information about the type of battery you should provide it to them. You can contact POISON CONTROL as well at 1-800-222-1222.

Take Precautions with Watch Batteries:

• Store extra watch batteries safely.
• Discard old watch batteries.
• Secure batteries in remotes and other small devices.
• Keep watch batteries away from children and pets.