TGIF: The Magic of a Luxury Watch - Tribe and Vibe

I've been doing a lot of pondering about watches lately. When we think about watch purchases, there are the tangible aspects of a watch--like materials, quality, and performance--and there are intangibles. Sometimes, when it comes to a luxury watch like this pre-owned Cartier Santos 100, the intangibles and the associated emotions are what matter most in a luxury watch purchasing decision.  

Cartier Santos 100 Automatic (Amazon Photo)

As I've posted on X, when the traditional Swiss watchmakers face off against upstart Asian manufacturers, they have two things that the new companies don't - vibe and tribe.  A high-end Swiss watch is a talisman of accomplishment. The feeling of satisfaction that comes from the ability to add such a tangible touchstone of success to your watch collection must be immense. Even used, this Rolex Perpetual Sea Dweller on Amazon is something special in the world of watches.

Rolex Perpetual Sea Dweller (Pre-owned) - Amazon Photo

That's a vibe you don't get from an homage. Another part of the luxury watch vibe is class. When you reach watches that only the extremely wealthy have heard of, you have likely entered a different social class. A watch like this Breguet White Gold Marine Chronograph available on Amazon exudes sophistication and old money.

Breguet Marine Chronograph (Amazon photo)

With class, accomplishment, and wealth comes tribe. The watch becomes a part of an unspoken communication between a highly successful, monied, connected class of people. An understated watch like this Ulysse-Nardin Classico is like a membership badge. Only accomplished people with knowledge and money would wear such a watch.

Ulysse Nardin Classico Automatic (Amazon photo)

People will always strive to succeed and have something to show for their efforts. They'll need to show that they are members of that successful tribe. The prestigious watch is just one small token that represents EVERYTHING. You can't buy it for $150 off Aliexpress. This combination of tribe and vibe is the magic of an ultra-luxury watch.

Now Available: The Timex Ironman Triathlon Rugged Digital Watch

Have you noticed that Casio G Shock models are getting fancier and fancier. They are starting to become status symbols. Perhaps that leaves an opening for someone to make a low-cost beater watch that is rugged and useful? This Timex Ironman Triathlon Rugged has appeared as a suggested product for me in a couple of places lately. It may be a reminder that Timex Ironman watches were and are a competitor to the G Shock. This one has a big 44mm diameter case, a 20mm wide strap, and a case that looks like something from an Alien versus Predator movie.

Timex Ironman Triathlon Rugged

I'm not the biggest fan of digital watches, but this one caught my eye. It looks like it can do that job of timing laps and other athletic endeavors. Indeed, it has a 30-lap memory, 24-hour countdown timer, military time model; 3 daily, weekly, or weekend alarms; two time zones, and a calendar. It's almost enough to make me go jogging--or at least get off the couch and take a walk. If I work my way up to triathlons, the watch even has 100-meters of water resistance so I can take on the swimming event. This watch is a strong offering for less than $50.

If you are ready to rumble, this rugged Timex Triathlon is available here on Amazon.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Geoffrey Beene Octagon Watch

Today, I wore a new octagonal watch from Geoffrey Beene. I'll just call it my Octagon watch. That sounds much cooler than some random combination of numbers or just calling it a quartz watch with decorative subdials--which, of course, it is. I've been coming across plenty of Geoffrey Beene watches at Burlington lately.  When they look, I often buy them. I think this one cost all of $22. That's a steal. It's an attractive and comfortable watch.

I'm pretty comfortable with Geoffrey Beene as a budget watch brand. They look good and they are very affordable. While they have some of the drawbacks of cheap watches, this watch fits my wrist perfectly.

So far, I like this watch. I'll probably review it at some point. It seems like I've posted quite a bit on Geoffrey Beene watches lately. For an overview of the brand, check out my post TGIF: Diving in Geoffrey Beene Watches. It is nice to have some sub-$50 watch options.

Modern Watch Monday: Bulova Men's CURV Chronograph Black and Titanium Watch

 It's always interesting when reputable watch companies play with the form of a watch. That's what makes the Bulova Men's CURV Chronograph in black and titanium such an interesting find. The CURV has a case that is literally curved to conform to the wrist. It also has a dark gray exhibition dial that let's you see through to the high frequency (262kHz) quartz movement while being dark enough to provide great contrast to keep the gold-tone watch hands easy to read. 

Bulova Men's CURV Chronograph Black and Titanium Watch (Amazon Photo)

An exhibition caseback shows off the other side of the movement. The rubber strap has a bit of stand off space provided by the case design. The case itself is titanium set off by a black bezel under the crystal and a black strap.

In a world where every watch can seem to be an homage, the Bulova Curv seems to set a different course.  You can get ahead of the Curv here on Amazon.com.

Watch Deal Alert: Bulova Marine Star Series B half off!

Bulova has a really cool watch on sale for 52% off! It's the Bulova Marine Star Series B (Model 96B382). It has an rotating internal bezel and 100-meters of water resistance. Plus, at 43mm in diameter it brings considerable presence to the wrist. I think it's a great looking watch. With this sale price, it comes in well under $250. I love my vintage Marine Star and I'm sure this one will be a great vintage watch someday.

Bulova Marine Star Series B (Model 96B382) - Amazon Photo

Adventure-oriented watches like this Marine Star fill the role of being rugged, readable, respectable, and eminently practical with a sense of purposeful style.

If you'd like to take a closer look at this great Bulova watch, you can see it here on Amazon!

If this one isn't your style, check out this deal on a PRX-like two-tone Bulova.  It's still less than $200.

What's the Cheapest Omega Automatic on Amazon?

Prices on Omega timepieces for men are quite lofty. The Omega Seamaster dive watch series is entwined with every man's James Bond fantasy.  It appears that the dive watches start at just over $4,500 and reach to almost $14,000. That's a lot of money on a civil servant's salary. There's no way around work. Since you are going to be there, Omega does make less expensive dress watches that are perfectly suitable for that office job that serves as your cover. On Amazon, the point of entry is the Omega De Ville for men. It's an attractive automatic watch with what looks like a rather serious demeanor.

Omega De Ville Watch for Men (Amazon photo)

This one is offered by MS Trading of Japan. They have it for just over $2100 on Amazon and available for delivery in 7 days. With any high dollar purchase that isn't direct from Amazon, you should do your due diligence. However, they seem to get good ratings and reviews. You can check out this beautiful watch here on Amazon.

Now Available Bulova Oceanographer Snorkel Watches

Bulova has a new line of watches called Snorkel. They celebrate the ocean and vibrant colors of coral reefs and sea life. The watch brand recently announced the release of Snorkel Oceanographer series watches. These models bring new life and color to the some long-running and popular designs.

Bulova Snorkel Oceanographer Watches

The first of these Snorkel watches is the Blue Whale. It very much has a beach vibe with its light blue pastel colors. It has a 41mm case and a rotating unidirectional bezel. If you live at a beach and this color palette works for you, you can find this watch here on Amazon. Personally, this one is way too pastel for me.

The Bulova Snorkel Blue Whale (Amazon photo)

If you are interested in a darker, more traditionally masculine look, you might go directly to the Bulova site and check out the Bulova Snorkel Tide. It's a limited edition Oceanographer quartz watch with 100 meters of water resistance that I find a bit more appealing. It still comes with a violet NATO strap that is well outside of my color comfort zone. You can find this one here on the Bulova website.

Bulova Snorkel Tide Oceanographer (Bulova photo)

Returning--running really--to a more traditional dive watch format, I like the Bulova Snorkel Oceanographer Automatic in grey. It doesn't have a cool fish name, but frankly, I'm cool with calling it a Devil Diver as it does have 666 feet (200 meters) of water resistance. This watch has excellent luminescent fill for great low light capabilities. If you'd like to get this watch, it is available here on Amazon. As of this posting (July 3, 2025), this watch is on sale for 12% off.

Bulova Snorkel Oceanographer Automatic (Amazon photo)

Finally, I'll close out with the last Bulova Snorkel Oceanographer now on Amazon. This one comes in red, white, and blue. It is a Bulova Snorkel Oceanographer Automatic with a traditional "Pepsi" color scheme. It's a comfortable watch design that lets all of us traditionalists breathe a deep sigh of relief.

Bulova Snorkel Oceanographer Automatic "Pepsi" Colors (Amazon Photo)

If you'd like to check this watch out, it is available here on Amazon. The watch is listed at 53% off of the full retail price that you would find on the Bulova website. While not all of these are the watch for me, it's good to see Bulova experimenting, evolving, and bringing interesting new designs to market.