Wristwatch Review: Casio Enticer (Model MTP-VD01D-2EV)

An Enticingly Affordable Watch from Casio

I've long been intrigued with the Casio Enticer (Model MTP-VD01D-2EV) as an inexpensive, but very attractive, timepiece.

Casio Enticer Watch Style and Features

The Casio Enticer is a casual, fashion, watch.  This all stainless steel watch has a shiny fixed diver-style bezel, 50-meter water resistance, an accurate Japanese movement, and a date window. The designers made good use of alternating shiny and flat stainless steel in the bracelet design. The case and bezel are shiny stainless steel.  In terms of style, this watch is a quantum leap ahead of my first Casio Analog watch from 2011. The Enticer is a sexy watch.

Casio Enticer Watch Dimensions

The watch is perfectly sized for my sensibilities. The case is  45mm in diameter and 10.5mm thick. 

The Casio Enticer has a slim profile that is perfect for office wear.

The bracelet is quite generously sized. I actually had to adjust it downward a little to fit my fairly large 7 and 3/4 inch wrists. 

The Casio Enticer has a generously-sized bracelet

Luckily, I was able to tighten the bracelet by adjusting the clasp to be a little tighter.

The Deployant Clasp of the Casio Enticer

Casio Enticer Watch Construction

Overall, this watch is very solid for the under $50 price category.  50-meter water resistance is reassuring for casual wear. The movement is accurate for +/- 20 seconds per month. 

Casio Watch Overall Impression

This Casio feels like money well spent.  It's a great looking watch.  Prices can vary quite a bit, but I was able to get mine for under $40. The watch comes in a variety of dial and case color combinations and is sold in a price range from about $35 to $55.  To see the broad array of models available and the best prices, use my Amazon affiliate link. It's a great watch at an affordable price point.

 

TGIF: How to Shop for Luxury Watches on Amazon

Have you ever wondered how to find luxury watches on Amazon?  They used to be found through common searches, but the unwashed masses found them and left comically sarcastic reviews. It's still easy to find the high end watches at Amazon. You just have to select "Luxury Stores" on Amazon's category menu before conducting your search.

The Luxury Stores Menu on Amazon

I recently saw a Panerai watch in the wild and wanted to check them out on Amazon. I found two pre-owned models on the site:  a Radiomir and a Luminor. Both were being sold by a luxury goods reseller named Rebag. The models were between $5000 and $6500 on Amazon. As a vendor of pre-owned luxury goods, there was only one of each available. If you are interested in Panerai, you can find them here via my affiliate link.

Pre-Loved Panerai watches on Amazon

The watches may never make my cart, but they might make my dreams. It's always fun to find some of the vaunted luxury watch brands on a site that we all use.

The Hundred Dollar Grail: Affordable Swiss Quartz Watches

Once you get a pretty cool looking watch or two or three, you realize that you've started a collection.  You want to broaden the scope of your watches and stretch a little for unusual watches or to get the standards that seem to be the backbone of many a collection. For me, a Swiss watch was a grail. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.  But, price was a big obstacle then--and now.  In my quest for a Swiss watch, I was fortunate to find the Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier watch (reviewed here) for just under $100 in 2015 money. Today, with inflation chewing away at currency values, finding a Swiss watch for $100 or less remains a daunting task.  However, there are three watchmakers to keep an eye on:  Swatch, Wenger, and Mathey-Tissot.

Swatch New Gent Biosourced Lacquered Quartz Watch

According to the internet, all Swatch watches are Swiss made.  With quartz movements and the Sistema 51 design to limit the number of parts to 51, they are quite affordable with many falling below $100. The Swatch New Gent Biosourced is a basic quartz watch with a 41mm diameter case, 100 feet of water resistance, and free battery exchange at Swatch retail locations.

Swatch New Gent Biosourced Lacquered Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

The strap and glass of this watch are bio-sourced. The dial is a translucent gray that allows the wearer to see the underlying movement. It's an interesting minimalist watch.  If you'd like to take a closer look at it or buy, please use my Amazon Affiliate link to see this Swatch watch here.

Wenger Men's Urban Metro Quartz Watch

There used to be an intense rivalry over all things "Swiss Army" between Wenger and Victorinox.  That ended when Victorinox bought out their rival.  Then, Wenger stopped manufacturing watches under their name and Victorinox started going upmarket with their timepieces.  Just when I thought we were being left behind, the Wenger name is back in the watch market.  They make a few timepieces and they are affordable for most of us.  The most affordable Wenger watch on Amazon meets our $100 Grail Watch threshold.  It's the Wenger Urban Metro Quartz Watch (below).  It has a 42mm diameter stainless steel case, 100-meters of water resistance, a canted date at the 4:30 position, and a leather strap. The numerals and fonts remind me of a Tudor Ranger.

Wenger Men's Urban Metro Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

You can check this Wenger watch out here using my affiliate link. It's a very practical addition to any watch collection.

Mathey-Tissot Atlas Quartz Watch

If you are looking for a manly man watch in this sub-$100 price category  from Switzerland, you might check out the Mathey-Tissot Atlas. It's a big black 43mm Swiss quartz watch with a coin-edge bezel and tachymeter markings.

Mathey Tissot Atlas (Amazon photo)

If you'd like to check out this bold watch, you can use my Amazon affiliate link to the Mathey Tissot-Atlas here.

The hundred dollar price point is a tough target to hit, but some Swiss makers are hitting that mark. If you aren't made of money, these watches provide the chance to add a little Swiss flair to your collection.

Ten Dollar Tuesday: Nibosi Men's Square Quartz Chronograph with Diamonds

 Can you get a square quartz chronograph watch with diamonds and a moonphase subdial? No.  I don't quite think so. But, you can get square quartz multifunction watch with diamonds and a moon phase subdial. Nibosi is offering this Patek Philippe homage for just under $10 on Amazon. Let me explain the watch below:

Nibosi Quartz "Chronograph" Watch (Amazon Photo) 

The Amazon copy says it's a chronograph, but the photo clearly shows a watch with a multi-function dial including the day of the week, the date, the 24-hour time, and a moonphase complication. It also has "diamonds" embedded in the bezel. While it may not be a chronograph, I believe this watch will deliver a nice looking watch with working subdials..  That's why I ordered it.

I have bought a few Nibosi watches and they all seem pretty good.  They aren't perfect, but they are certainly worth a $20 to $40 price tag. Of course, you could pay $244,000 for a similar watch from Patek Philippe. But, the subdials on the one I saw lack the symmetry of the subdial layout on the Nibosi. In addition, quartz movements require less maintenance beyond battery changes. These advantages make the Nibosi the obvious choice.  You can get it here via my Amazon affiliate link.

Watch Deal Alert: Timex Men's E Line 34mm Automatic

Timex isn't just about quartz watches.  They also sell automatics. If you are looking for a sophisticated watch with an elegant design, you might check out the Timex Men's E Line 34mm Automatic.  It's was first issued in 1983, but it remains a contemporary looking timepiece. It has a 34mm diameter square case and a Japanese automatic movement. It also is a great deal on Amazon right now!

Timex E Line 34mm Automatic (Amazon photo)

The Timex E Line 34mm Automatic with a blue dial is currently 27% off on Amazon. That's a great deal and several versions of this watch are available at prices up to $100 more. 

As a cautionary note, this watch is a frequently returned item.  There are two reasons for this:

1. A 34mm watch is small.  That's great for people with smaller wrists, but many people would consider it a women's watch size. Many people are looking for smaller sizes and this one, as a reissue of a vintage watch, may fit their needs.

2. It's an automatic.  Many casual watch shoppers that are drawn to the Timex name may not realize that an automatic is wound by the movement of the wearer's wrist or by the winding the crown.

Overall, the Timex E Line averages 4.3 stars on Amazon in 75 ratings.  If you recognize the diminutive size and the automatic movement implications and are still interested in the Timex E Line, you can get it here via my Amazon affiliate program link. To save even more, check out the "used-like new" offering on Amazon. This looks like an interesting addition to any watch collection.

The Hundred Dollar Grail: Timex Q Reissue 38mm Watch

Is there a grail watch that you can get for $100 or less? I think there is! If you've been reading about the much celebrated Timex Q series reissue, you might want to add one to your collection.  With inflation and Timex moving a little more upmarket lately, you might want to get one soon! I found one for under $100 on Amazon.  It's the Timex Men's Q 38mm watch.

Timex Q 38mm Reissue (Amazon Photo)

It's an attractive watch with a 38mm diameter case, the day and date, a bi-directional rotating bezel, a gently domed acrylic crytal, 50-meters of water resistance, and a silicone strap. It also has an additional feature that intrigues me:  a battery hatch!

Timex Q 38mm Reissue Battery Hatch (Amazon Photo)

You can open the battery hatch with a coin and change the SR626SW/377 battery easily. If you need batteries, check out this blog's battery center. I think quartz batteries should be super-easy to change and I hope that a hatch like this helps.

The Timex Q 38mm watch looks like something a little special and it's available here via my affiliate link on Amazon for less than $100.

The Hundred Dollar Grail: Affordable Moonphase Watches

The moonphase complication is a staple of the most sophisticated European watch makers like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, and Breguet. During the day, the sun shows in an aperture and at night a sun shows. Sometimes, the sun and moon have delightful faces and smiles reminiscent of old fairy tales. I've enjoyed moonphase watches since my first one from Relic (reviewed here on this blog).

Mondia Mistral Moonphase Watch - Photo by Clyde94, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, we can find affordable quartz moonphase watches from a variety of manufacturers. While the mechanical masterpieces from the elite watchmakers may never grace our wrists, the elegant looks can.  If you collect watches, a moonphase watch is an attainable $100 grail.

The Harry Williams Moonphase Quartz Watch

I recently bought a Harry Williams Moonphase watch off of Amazon. I like the clean minimalist design and the contemporary 40mm diameter size of this watch. However, this whimsical brand has one definite quirk that may be upsetting to some. The sun and moon phases appear upside down in their aperture. I think it is just European humor from an unusual brand. These watches have commanded nearly $80 on Amazon, but now they are available for a song.  Check out my affiliate link here for astonishing savings on the Harry Williams Quartz watch.

Peugeot 14K Gold-Plated Moonphase Watch (Amazon Photo)

Another brand that offers a variety of inexpensive quartz moonphase watches is Peugeot.  The have several dial options and many of their watches are plated in 14K gold.  Amazingly, they all cost less than $100. To check out the Peugeot Men's 14K Gold Plated Men's Vintage Leather Dress Watch, check out my Amazon affiliate link here. Peugeot also offers free lifetime battery replacement.

Several other brands also offer inexpensive moonphase watches.  Check out brands like Fanmis and Olev's on Amazon. If you'd like to add a moonphase watch to your collection, it's a very attainable grail!