Ten Dollar Tuesday: Lenqin Quartz Analog Stainless Steel Watch

Ready to go Commando? This Lenqin 39mm Quartz Sport Watch looks the part. It's steel with a murdered out black design that looks really slick. I like it. However, it also does come in a half-dozen color and dial combinations including traditional gold and silver toned models.

Lenqin Quartz Analog Stainless Steel Watch (Amazon photo)

The case is comfortably sized at 40mm in diameter and 10.5mm thick. The Lenqin has a stainless steel case and bracelet. It offers practical 30-meter water resistance and a mineral glass crystal. Amazon copy notes that it's not for bathing, swimming, or diving.

It's a fashion watch for sure, but it has a great look. The dial is obviously inspired by great traditional watches like the Rolex Explorer 1 or Tudor Ranger. To read all the specifications and potentially buy this Lenqin watch, you can use my affiliate link to find it here on Amazon.

Watch Deal Alert: Nautica Tortuga Bay

One of my favorite watch brand's has a new watch on sale. It's the Nautica Tortuga Bay quartz watch.

Nautica N/83 Tortuga Bay Watch

Part of the Nautica N/83 series, the Tortuga Bay simplifies the ocean-inspired Nautica style down to focus on a dial  representing a blue sea and and a black night sky. The watch has a 46mm diameter, subtly octagonal, stainless steel case that is 12mm thick. It's secured to the wrist by a comfortable and environmentally-friendly  wheat polyurethane strap that fits an up to 8-inch wrist. The watch offers 100-meter water resistance to stand up to the rigors of daily and vacation adventures.

The Nautica Tortuga Bay Watch Deal

Right now, this Nautica Tortuga Bay watch is on sale for 17% off! That makes this  watch an amazing bargain at just under $50! You can grab the Nautica N/83 Tortuga Bay watch here using my Amazon Affiliate link!

Watch Spotlight: The Seiko Prospex Diver

If you are looking for an attainable grail watch, you might set your sights on the Seiko Prospex Diver. Introduced as a line in 2014, Seiko chose Prospex as a name to signify "Professional Specifications." We shine the spotlight on the Seiko Prospex dive watch because it represents the best of Japanese quality in an attainable watch.

Seiko Prospex Diver (Amazon Photo)

In creating the Prospex Diver, Seiko drew inspiration from their first dive watch introduced in 1965. The modern aseiko Prospex Diver also draws upon watch design language that Seiko started in the late 1960s with its professional dive watches like the 6215-7000 and 6159.

With a Seiko Prospex Dive watch (model SRPF03), you get a watch that is ISO rated to 200-meters. It has a stainless steel case and bracelet, a unidirectional rotating bezel, Lumibrite luminous hands and markers, a Hardlex crystal, and an automatic 4R35 movement with a 41-hour power reserve. 

Seiko Prospex Diver (Amazon Photo)

Like many dive watches, the Prospex is a substantial watch with a 44mm case that is 13.4mm thick. But, it is built for adventure. 

While this Seiko is expensive, competing Swiss models like the Tissot Sea Star 1000 Powermatic and Mido Ocean Star cost over twice as much. You can find great dive watch looks with the Seiko 5 Series, but not the water resistance or overall performance. At less than $500, the Seiko Prospex delivers a dive watch best value. 

If you are interested in checking out this watch, you can help support this blog by using my Amazon associates link here.

TGIF: Collecting What They Aren't

There are lots of dismissive phrases that are used to describe watch brands that serious collectors don't pursue. 

Not collectible. No resale value. Do not appreciate over time. Budget fashion acessories.

Those phrases create an opportunity for less serious collectors to find fun watches at affordable prices.

What brings this on? Skagen watches.

The Skagen brand has brought  Scandinavian design influence to consumers since it was founded by a Danish immigrant couple in 1989. They were minimalist before every other brand became minimalist. The brand went through the watch entrepreneur's dream from inception to buy out by Fossil in 2012. But, the watch cognescenti dismiss the brand as not collectible.

That's o.k. The collectors can leave us Skagen as an affordable brand to find on Etsy or ebay.  It's great to see a brand offering different choices. There are plenty of other brands that are fun to collect by virtue of not being collectible. Hunting for them is fun, too.

How to Change the Battery on a Caribbean Joe Watch

I recently changed the battery on one if my inexpensive Caribbean Joe watches and I'm glad to report that it was a super easy task. 

The watch has a quartz movement that takes a standard 377 (SR626SW) battery. I appreciate any watch company that etches the battery required right on the caseback. It saves much time and aggravation. If you need a battery, check out my Watch Battery Page.

The eight steps for an actual battery change are very straightforward:

1. Pry off the caseback. There is a small  indent on the caseback that is just large  enough to stick a screwdriver or knife blade under and pop it open. I use the small dedicated blade that comes with the watch repair kit sold by Walmart.

2. Lift out the movement holder ring. This is the white plastic spacer that keeps the movement from shifting around inside the watch.

3. Gently pop out the old battery. Be mindful of the metal contact that closes the circuit and allows the battery to power the watch. You won't want to bend or deform it.

4. Insert the new battery. You can angle the new battery in so that the edge is under the contact and then press down on the battery so that it sits level.

5. Reinstall the retaining ring. Note that you'll want to place it back as shown in the photo for Step 2 with a channel for the crown and so that the battery is properly covered.

6. Verify that the watch is running. Before closing up the watch, gently take a look at the dial to verify that the timepiece is running.

7. Reinstall the case back. Line up the case back so that the indent for crown straddles the crown.

8. Snap the caseback into place. Press down on the caseback so that it clicks back into place. I was able to easily click the caseback of this Caribbean Joe watch into place with fairly light pressure. With more stubborn watches, I use a caseback press tool. Be mindful of the glass crystal over the dial. It's fragile on most watches.

That's all there is to replacing the battery on a Caribbean Joe watch.

You can use my Amazon affiliate link to see all the different Caribbean Joe watches available on Amazon here.

Semi-Vintage Alternatives to the Rolex Datejust "President"

Once upon a time, the fluted bezel look of the Rolex Datejust was far more popular than it is today. 

Rolex Datejust

Almost every watchmaker from Armitron to Seiko offered their own fluted bezel homage to the Rolex great. Today, you can find many such watches on secondary sites like Etsy and eBay. As I drilled down into them, I found yet another watch category that I'll call semi-vintage. These are watches that revived the venerable brand names of once popular American mechanical watch brands and used them to sell quartz watches. 

Let's look at now vintage quartz datejust watches sold under the Elgin and Gruen brands. Let's start with Elgin.

Elgin Presidential Quartz Watch (Photo by SolWatchExchange on Etsy)

Founded in 1864, Elgin was named after it's headquarters city: Elgin, Illinois.They pioneered the mass production of mechanical watches with interchangeable parts. By 1908, they were the largest watch producer in the United States. The company switched to war production for World War 2 and had trouble navigating the postwar watch market. They shut down production in 1964 and closed up entirely by 1968. They never made a quartz watch.

Elgin Presidential Quartz Watch (Photo by SolWatchExchange on Etsy)

However, the companies that bought the rights to the brand name made some very nice quartz watches. Many of them are old enough to be considered vintage now. This one (above) on Etsy appears to be in great shape and certainly looks nice. You can find the Etsy listing here. The name Elgin is a bonus that carries a bit of residual cache.

Gruen Precision Quartz Presidential (Etsy Photo by Throwmich)

Another great watch brand was Gruen. Founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, by German immigrants, the brand employed a hybrid model where movements they designed were manufactured in Switzerland and tested and cased in watches here in the US. Like Elgin, they floundered in the postwar economy and they were gone by 1958. Gruen also never made a quartz watch, but some nice looking quartz models bear their name. You can check out this Precision by Gruen Two-Tone President-Style watch here on Etsy.

These semi-vintage quartz watches on Etsy add more affordable alternatives to the Rolex President Datejust. But, for more options from Amazon, check out my post Five Alternatives to the Rolex Day-Date President.

TGIF: Payday and No Audemars Piguet Money?

Here it is Friday and you still find yourself about $54,000 short of cash you need to buy that Audemars Piguet Royal Oak? Now, you're whining about capitalism and poking around on my blog to find an alternative watch. Well, quit your whining, you had plenty of money for Starbucks and a couple of streaming service subscriptions. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives to an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Here's one from George.

Yes. Yes. George is a Walmart brand. Did I mention that it is sold exclusively at Walmart? Did I mention that it only costs $12.98? That can save you about $54,000 over the price of a real Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch. This would leave you with wealth beyond your wildest dreams. For example, with $54,000, you could afford unlimited donuts.

George watch = More Donuts

Of course, donuts are just a start. When you save $54,000 on the price of a watch, you can afford an endless supply of roller food. You can eat hot dogs, smoked sausages, and taquitos at any time of day or night. However, if you are middle-aged, I don't recommend night.

Pay homage to a Royal Oak, but get unlimited Roller Food

Perhaps $12.98 is an absurdly low price, but there are plenty of watch designs that are inspired by the Royal Oak look. I've compiled some of the best looking ones in this post. The point is simple. You don't have to overpay for a watch.