TGIF: The Prestige You Know

Once upon a time, when exotic sports cars appeared on Magnum PI and Miami Vice, I advised my parents that they should buy a Ferrari. It didn't matter that a Ferrari cost as much as our house and didn't have room for our family of four. I was bought into the hype. My dad ignored my advice.

Sometimes the watch press can get you all excited about watches that you've never seen in real life and that you've never encountered on the wrist of a person you actually know. When you lust for an expensive exotic watches, it can get a little silly. A great watch can exude class and good taste, but still be the craziest thing you could possibly buy. Most of us are Starbucks rich not Ferrari rich.

Sometimes it's good to step back a bit and think sensibly about watches and watch brands that have been held in high esteem by regular middle class people for years. A nice Seiko, Citizen, Bulova or Movado watch is still a big deal.

Movado Bold Evolution 2.0 (Amazon photo)

Our Ten Dollar Tuesday watches show that the essential mission of a wristwatch can be accomplished at a very low price point. That makes a watch like this Movado Bold Evolution watch quite a luxury at 45x the price. (Of course, it is a great looking watch and easily available at my Amazon affiliate link here.) If you are fortunate to get a watch like this one, value it, it is a special luxury.

Timex Under $60 - 38mm Timex Unisex Weekender Watch

If you are looking for affordable Timex watches, the venerable Timex Weekender is almost always a great choice. Almost every version comes in at well under $60 and, usually, you can find a Weekender model on sale. This Timex Unisex 38mm Watch is an excellent buy at 22% off.  Discounted into the $30 to $40 range, it offers a fabric strap, a brass case, indiglo backlighting, 30-meter water resistance, and a simple field watch dial arrangement.

Timex Weekender (Amazon Photo)

I've had a Timex Weekender for over a decade. You can read my original review here on this blog.  My Weekender is a little unusual in that it has tachymeter markings. They don't make those anymore. However, I actually prefer this more minimalist version.  If you'd like to check it out, use my convenient Amazon affiliate link here. The Weekender remains a great starting point for any affordable watch collection!

Watch Deal Alert: Timex Easy Reader Gold Tone Watch

If you're looking for an affordable Timex watch, I think I've found the best deal yet.  The Timex Easy Reader with a gold tone case and cream dial is selling for less than $25! That's an awesome deal for a recognizable brand like Timex with features like a 38mm diameter case, Indiglo backlighting, and 30-meter water resistance. 

Timex Easy Reader (Amazon Photo)

I've written alot about the Timex Easy Reader over the years, you can see all the Easy Reader mentions here. With this low price, the Timex Easy Reader is a steal. If you'd like to order one or examine the listing more closely, use my Amazon Affiliate Program link.  Check it out and see if it fits your sense of style!

TGIF: Solving A Fluted Bezel Conundrum

Say you've been thinking about adding a dress watch with a fluted bezel to your collection, but you have few rules:

1. It can't be a Rolex Datejust.
2. It can't be a Datejust homage.
3. It can't cost more than $1000.
4. It has to be a respectable brand with a history. 

A Nibosi Datejust Homage Watch

It's a bit of a conundrum.  You like that sparkle, but you aren't presidential material. Homage watch can be cool. But, sometimes for work, you might want to avoid an obvious datejust homage watch. You also don't want to spend more than $1000 because you can always get that "no papers" Rolex from the pawnshop for about $3000. What do you do?

A "no papers" Rolex Datejust at the Pawnshop

I think that you look at watches from Bulova and their value-oriented brand Caravelle. Bulova has a fluted watch with a square case called the Super Seville. Since it's square, it's obviously different from a Rolex Datejust. It's not a homage. Plus, it has a bit of Bulova brand prestige and the famed Bulova Precisionist movement. I've given the Bulova Super Seville a sharp watch shout out before here on this blog. To me, the Bulova Super Seville is a very different watch than the Rolex Datejust.

Bulova Super Seville (Amazon photo)

The Super Seville is a little expensive. This best price variant comes in at nearly $500 on Amazon.  You can check it out via my Amazon affiliate link. Bulova's value-oriented brand Caravelle offers another fluted watch that may pique your interest.

Caravelle by Bulova 3-Hand Men's Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

The Caravelle by Bulova 3-Hand Men's Quartz Watch is another alternative.  It's a 41mm diameter watch with a "coin-edged bezel" that comes in at a bit over $100 with a leather strap. Stainless steel bracelet versions are a bit more expensive, but still under $150. While there is a 41mm Rolex Datejust, it has a thicker bezel and thicker hour markers. This Caravelle strikes a far more minimalist tone with thin markers and a smaller date window. You can check this one out here via my Amazon affiliate link. 

I think either of these choices provide a fluted bezel alternative that is different enough from the classic Rolex Datejust to break away from the homage label. That can be a breath of fresh air.

If you do like the looks of the Rolex Datejust, I have found some homage watches that might fit the bill.  You can read about them in this post.

Timex Under $60 - The Timex Men's Classic 39mm Watch

The Timex brand has been heading steadily upmarket with watches aimed at enthusiasts and collectors. It's an exciting time as we some truly cool watches like those of in the Q Reissues, the Waterbury Collection, and the elite Atelier collection. But, it's also a little disappointing to see a great source of affordable timepieces recede from the part of the market I can afford. Fortunately, not all is lost, there are still some pretty solid Timex watches available for under $60.  One such watch is this Timex Men's Classic 39mm Watch. Priced in the $30 range, the Classic is a 39mm quartz watch with no date features, a 20mm leather strap, and 50 meters of water resistance. The watch has a brass case. It's a nice basic watch at an affordable price.

Timex Men's Classic 39mm Watch (Amazon photo)

While it has nearly the exact same dial pattern as the Tudor Ranger, this Timex is minimalist in both  design and price. I bet it could pass for a field watch when swapped over to a NATO strap. If you'd like to check it out, use my convenient Amazon affiliate link here.

Ten Dollar Tuesday: The Kakabi Roman Numeral Watch

Over the past few posts, I've provided some high faluting watches. That's because I wanted us to be able to keep up with the Joneses over at WatchTime. However, if you're living or a fixed income or you have an employer that's trying to fix your income, you always have the option of reverting to a nice looking watch with Roman numerals. In this case, this 40mm diameter Kakabi Men's Classic Quartz Watch with a leather strap looks perfect for a business casual workplace. It hits our $10 mark as well!

Kakabi Roman Numeral Watch

If you'd like to purchase a watch like this one, you can find it here using my Amazon affiliate link. If you want to see some more classy Roman numeral watches, check out these posts on my blog.

To see all the $10 watches that I've highlighted, check out my Amazon affiliate store front here.

The Hundred Dollar Grail: A GMT Watch

Many watch collectors lust for a GMT watch. It's one of the fundamental watches that any collection needs they might say. It would allow you to track the time in multiple timezones since it has a third hand that travels the dial on a 24-hour timescale and can be set to reflect a different timezone.  Many famed Swiss brands offer GMT watches. Perhaps the most famous example would be the Rolex Explorer II.  But, what can we find in the GMT space for $100 or less? There is one watch that immediately comes to mind.  

Timex Waterbury GMT Watch

One GMT watch that comes to mind immediately is already in my collection.  It's the Timex Waterbury GMT. It's a great quartz watch with some nice touches like a fancy second hand. With 100-meter water resistance, this Timex is a solid watch that works well. You can read my full review of it here on this blog.

Timex Waterbury GMT

Most listings for a Timex Waterbury GMT list it for over $100.  But, when you are exploring the Amazon, you need to bring a machete and cut through some of the underbrush. Sometimes, that will mean checking each dial color combination offered and finding the best price. 

Fortunately, I found this Timex Waterbury GMT for less than $100 and you can too right here on Amazon using my affiliate link.

There are other GMT deals to be had. Addiesdive offers many GMT watches that sell consistently under $100. However, some of the reviews point to less than stellar GMT timekeeping. Timex is more reliable but rapidly trying to move upmarket. Finding one for under $100 is a great deal.

A GMT watch was a major part of the $20,000 WatchTime five watch collection I recently responded in my last post here. A respectable  $100 GMT watch option brings down the price of an affordable counter-collection considerably.