Watch Workshop: Easy Fixes for A Casio MRW-210H Watch

The Casio MRW-210 is a great casual diver-style watch with a large readable dial and a resin case and strap. I originally reviewed it here in this post. The resin watch strap deteriorated over the last 9 years and eventually became unusable and the watch battery died. However, the case seemed to have plenty of life left and the other two issues are easily fixed. Here is a photo of the watch way back in the day when it was just a smoldering hotspot in my wallet.

Casio MRW-210H Analog Watch

The nearest available Casio model on Amazon is the Casio MRW-200H Analog Watch available here via my Amazon affiliate link.

Replacing the Battery in a Casio MRW-210H Watch

The caseback came off easily with the removal of four small screws. The replacement battery number is 399 (SR927W or SR927SW).  You can find it on our watch battery page.

Casio MRW-210H Watch Movement & Renata watch battery

On a cautionary note, every battery compartment seems to have a few metal bits designed to hold the battery in position and close the circuit so that power flows from the battery to the watch. I try not to bend any of the fiddly bits too much.

Casio MRW-210H Watch Movement

Replacing the Watch Strap on a Casio MRW-210H Watch

Since the old strap was gone, I ordered an inexpensive new one as a replacement.  It's a cobee silicone watch band and it's available on Amazon for a less than $10. It is a silicone strap with plenty of adjustments and quick release spring bars to make installation easy and strap swaps a cinch. I bought the 20mm wide strap and it fit perfectly.

Cobee Silicone Watch Strap (Amazon photo)

If you'd like to take a look at this Cobee watch strap, use my Amazon affiliate link here.

Watch Spotlight: Men's Tissot Luxury Powermatic 80 Automatic

If the horological world has a fishing anology, it's waiting for Swiss watches to become truly affordable. Not $7500 is affordable, but actually affordable for almost everyone. One of the brands that I watch is Tissot. I wait and I wait and when the price of a Tissot Automatic watch drops below $400, I tell all my readers.  Well, I'm glad to announce that the price of a Tissot Luxury watch with a Powermatic 80 movement has dropped to a little under $400.

Tissot Luxury Powermatic 80

This Tissot Powermatic 80 is well proportioned with a 41mm diameter case that is 9.75mm thick. It has an exhibition caseback, a rich gold-tone bezel, and a push button deployant clasp. 

Tissot Luxury Powermatic 80

Overall, this looks like a well constructed Swiss watch.  Usually Tissot watches with the Powermatic 80 command are far more expensive.  That's why you have to get them when the getting is good! Check out this watch using my Amazon Affiliate link below:

The Tissot Luxury Powermatic 80 here on Amazon.

Sharp Watch Shout Out: Timex Harborside Coast 43mm with Herringbone Strap

I just found a very cool Timex Harborside Coast on Amazon.  It has a green, black, and gunmetal color combination that includes a herringbone fabric strap. The Harborside is typically thought of as an homage watch, but with this combination of colors and fonts, Timex goes all the way up the river and wins its own way. I like it. That's why this one gets a sharp watch shout out!

Timex Harborside Coast with herringbone strap

This pricing of this Timex watch is very competitive. It lists for half the price of some more traditional Rolex homage harborside watches.  If you'd like to take a look at this one, please use my Amazon affiliate link here.

Watch Workshop: Changing the battery in a Nautica NST-15 watch

 I recently revived my old Nautica NST-15 watch with a new battery. The watch has a bright yellow strap that is perfect for summer. It also has an innovative retrograde calendar that runs  counterclockwise along a date track on the interior portion of the dial. It's pretty cool, but I have to set it properly.

Nautica NST-15 watch for men

Removing the Nautica NST-15 Caseback

Removing the caseback was easy using a caseback removal tool. I have a tool like the one shown below.  It's available via my Amazon affiliate link here. You just adjust the blue tool to fit the indents on the case and unscrew it in a counterclockwise direction.

Wellfit Watch Back Removal Tool (Amazon photo)

The caseback reveals that the watch is made for Nautica by Timex. It's a minor factoid that I'll remember.

Nautica NST-15 Caseback reveals the manufacturer.

Replacing the Watch Battery

The watch is powered by a Miyota 2353 No Jewel Movement that has an accuracy of +/- 20 seconds per month. It uses a standard 377 (SR626SW) battery that is pretty easy to replace. For replacement batteries, check out my battery selection page.

Miyota 2353 No Jewel Movement in a Nautica NST-15 watch

When changing the battery there are a couple of metal pieces that can ever so slightly be pushed aside to release the battery. I think I was able to slightly move the piece on the right that lies atop the battery. The tiniest bit of movement was sufficient.

The battery secured in the Miyota 2353 Movement

More on this watch

For more on this watch, check out my original Nautica NST-15 review post here. While this model has disappeared from Amazon in the US, you can still find it on various watch sites around the world. I'm glad to have it back in the rotation.

TGIF: How to Enjoy Watches You Can't Afford

Watch collecting is one hobby that regularly confronts you with the limits of your financial means. Quite simply for most of us, it raises our awareness of the existence of nice things that we can't possibly afford. Sometimes, it's almost painful. We can see the Rolex that seems so close, yet so far away, in post after post online, in watch collecting magazines, and in the web advertising that follows us around and haunts our online experiences. It can be demoralizing. But, it doesn't have to be. There are ways to enjoy watches you can't afford.

A Rolex Sea Dweller

First, consider the watches that are obvious status symbols. They are sometimes used as a weapon by flashy people who want to measure social status, rank, and class. People who use material possessions to bludgeon others with less wealth aren't being classy. They are being gauche. However, some of these status-symbol watch brands like Rolex have rich histories and are associated with some of our planet's greatest adventurers. As watch enthusiasts, we can focus on the connection between Rolex and heroines and heroes like Mercedes Gleitze, Jacques Cousteau, Sir  Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, Jacques Piccard, Don Walsh, and James Cameron. I also like to think of the many service personnel around the world who may have them as the result of earning combat and hardship pay in faraway lands. These status brands are actually about more than a flashy trust fund baby can even begin to appreciate.

Sir Edmund Hillary (circa 1953)

Second, think about the horological masterpieces from Breguet, Maximillian Buser and Friends, Constantin Vacheron, and RGM. These are watches that rise to the level of fine art. Fine art. For most of us, it's unrealistic to even contemplate owning fine art like a real Monet or Picasso. We won't be carting the Statue of David home from Florence for use in our garden statuaries anytime soon. Just as we can enjoy the aesthetics of fine art in a museum or in photographs online, we can enjoy the looks and mechanical mastery of high end luxury watches without owning them. We can also seek out art that we can afford and enjoy.

Swatch reminds us that not every fine art watch has to be expensive (Amazon photo)

What do we do with this knowledge? I think we relax. We can focus on watches that we can afford and not worry about the ones that we can't. If you can't afford a Rolex, you can bring elements of the Rolex style into the watches that you can afford. If you want the exact look, you can find it in an homage watch. You'll find five great Rolex Submariner homage watches collected here in my Amazon affiliate storefront.  If you like elements of the look, the iconic watches have inspired generations of independent designs that have dive watch looks. The luxury watch brands can serve as guidance and templates for the watches the rest of us actually wear.

Your watch is about you and your adventures!

Watch Deal Alert: Lacoste Vienna Men's Quartz Watch

If you are looking for a good deal on a nice looking minimalist watch with a strong preppy heritage, check out the Lacoste Vienna Men's Quartz Watch.  It features a stainless steel case, 50-meter water resistance, a 42mm diameter case, and a tapisserie-style blue dial featuring the iconic Lacoste crocodile logo at 3 o'clock. It's quite a package. It's also a great deal at 24% off!

The Lacoste Vienna Men's Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

For less than $100, this watch is a great quality timepiece and an excellent addition to any business casual wardrobe. You can see this Crocodile for awhile here via my Amazon affiliate program link!

For more watches that provide a strong preppy vibe and simply work well in today's contemporary business casual environment, visit my collage "A Preppy Collection" here on my Amazon storefront.

A Preppy Collection (Amazon Affiliate Link)

You'll find that many of these watches fit your everyday wardrobe and everyday budget just perfectly.

 

Ten Dollar Tuesday: Soki Leather Strap Watch

If you don't think sales and marketing professionals add value to a brand, check out this catchy watch name:  "Men Minimalistic Leather Watches Quartz Wristwatch Business Watch Christmas Gifts."  It's mouthful for a $10 watch. This watches strong point is its style. The black dial contrasts well against a chrome style that contains subdials for 24-hour time and chronograph minutes.  The chronograph seconds are underslung at the 6 o'clock position. With military-style field watch fonts and a leather strap, it's kind of a cool look.

The Soki watch has 45mm diameter alloy case that is 10mm thick.  It also has a strap that is 22.5cm long. The dimensions seem generous.  That leaves only two questions:  do the sub-dials work and is this watch reliable? If the answers are yes, this is probably a pretty cool watch.  It's not too farfetched since the subdials on similar inexpensive Chinese watches seem to work.  If you're ready to risk your $10 and see, check it out here via my Amazon affiliate link.