TGIF: Defining Watch Affordability

Do you ever get frustrated by watch blogs and magazines that promise affordable timepieces and then direct you to articles on expensive luxury watches? I know I do. I'll read a headline teasing us about an "affordable" watch and then find myself reading about a $4500 watch that I won't be able to afford any time soon. Since I don't want to aggravate you, I figure this might be a good time to throw out some general definitions of watch categories. I'll use some terms that come up regularly on this blog and in my X posts:  cheap, affordable, attainable, and achievable.

An Inexpensive Watch at Walmart

What is a Cheap Watch?

To me, a cheap watch is a watch that costs less than  $50 US. Most of us can purchase a cheap watch without deeply affecting the family budget during a given pay period. At this price point, there are legions of watches available. Reliable brands like Armitron, Caribbean Joe, Casio, George, Timex, and US Polo Assn are solid brand names in this category. However, as my Ten Dollar Tuesday blog posts show, these brands are being pursued by lesser known Chinese brands that are delivering surprising features in this price category.

A Rumours Quartz Watch

What is an Affordable Watch?

I believe an affordable watch is a watch that generally costs less than $300 US. Most of us can purchase an affordable watch with just a little savings or a credit card. An affordable watch shouldn't impact family finances much.  At this price point, brands like Casio and  Timex are joined by brands like Caravelle, Guess, Invicta, Hilfiger, MVMT, Nautica, Perry Ellis, and Wenger. Watches from brands like Bulova, Mathey-Tissot, Momentum, Orient, and Seiko also start to appear on shopping lists.

A Wenger Grenadier Watch

What is an Attainable Watch?

To me, an attainable watch is a watch that generally costs less than $1200 US. It's not always easy or prudent to purchase an attainable watch, but diligent savings, a nice tax refund, a decent work bonus, or some other windfall should sometimes allow an attainable watch to enter the collection from time to time. Attainable watches might come from brands like Bulova, Hamilton, Laco, LIV, Mido, Mondaine, Movado, or Tissot. There are lots of attainable watch brands from France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. I consider these watch brands something special, a real luxury, and they evidence a strong commitment to watch collecting.

A Bulova Watch with Diamond Markers

What is an Achievable Watch?

To me, an achievable watch is a watch that generally costs between  $1200 and $2500 US dollars. You have to be financially successful to have the disposable income to buy these watches.  However, if you work hard, save, invest, and make all the right moves, you should be able to achieve the success necessary to buy one of these watches. I cover these watches from time to time because they are interesting and because they might be something we can get our hands on without using a ski mask and a hammer. But, this blog doesn't dwell on these watches because they are beyond the prudent reach of many readers.

What lies Beyond Achievable?

Once we get beyond $2500, we enter the world of the highly successful. These might be the luxury and ultra-luxury watches of entrepreneurs, lawyers,  doctors, and real estate moguls of our world. This blog ends where many mainstream watch magazines and influencers begin. We might admire these watches from afar. For most of us, watches from brands like Panerai, Tudor, and Rolex are out of prudent financial reach. I spot them from time to time on people who are successful entrepreneurs. God bless them for putting in the hours and taking the risks to fuel our economy. These brands established the icons that serve as aiming points for the rest of the watch industry. I don't generally cover these watch brand on this blog unless I notice one in the wild, find a great deal on a used one, or use one as an inspiration for finding similar looking more affordable watches

Hopefully, these definitions help a bit. Obviously, they can be a little fluid from time to time. But, this should cover the gist of what I cover on this blog.  May all of you attain the prosperity to only visit this blog in search of beater watches for gardening and mowing your lawn.

Watch Spotlight: Momentum Sea Quartz 30 Dive Watch

Here's a watch that perhaps only the Gen X readers of this blog will appreciate, it's the Momentum Sea Quartz 30 Dive watch. It's the watch that Tom Selleck wore as Thomas Magnum for the first three seasons of the iconic television show Magnum PI. For many of us, shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and a Detroit Lions baseball cap were the definition of cool during our childhoods. The original watch was the Chronosport Sea Quartz 30 and was made by a family-owned company named Chronosport. The Momentum Watch company was founded by the co-owner of Chronosport and has full rights to that heritage. That's why they can make an authentic version of this cool watch.

Momentum Sea Quartz 30 Automatic (Amazon photo)

The watch is available as an Automatic via Amazon. It offers 300-meters of water resistance, a Miyota 9015 Automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve, a 42mm diameter stainless steel case, C3 SuperLuminova lume, and a sapphire crystal. You can check it out here via my Amazon affiliate link. However, if you want to save serious money, you might want to check out the quartz version on the Momentum website.

The Momentum Sea Quartz 30 with a quartz movement (www.

As of this writing (July 7, 2026), the quartz version of the Sea Quartz 30 with any of three rubber straps come in at less than $300. That makes this watch a perfect attainable grail watch. Find the watch here at Momentumwatch.com.

Watch Deal Alert: Guess Stainless Steel Dress Watch

If you are looking for a great deal on a sharp looking dress watch, check out this Guess Stainless Steel Dress Watch. It's got a great looking dial with chronograph subdials, Roman numeral markers, a date function, all set against a textured black background for a sophisticated and supremely readable look.

Guess Stainless Steel Chronograph Dress Watch

This is a good looking watch and, just a couple of years ago, I gave a sharp watch shout out to another variant in gunmetal here in this post. Of course, this is a fashion watch, but you won't find watches made by Alpine gnomes since 1793 in the affordable watch end of the market. However, at 36% off, you can get a great deal on this respectable quartz watch which will come in at under $120.  If you are in the market, you can check this one out using my Amazon affiliate link here. 

If you poke around at Guess watch offerings, you'll find plenty of affordable watches that are backed by a known brand with good designers and quality control.

Watch Spotlight: Praesidus A-11 Spec 2 Field Watch

Highlighting a Watch with American Assembly

If you are looking for a watch that is assembled in America, check out the Praesidus A-11 Spec 2 field watch. It's assembled in the United States using an Ameriquartz movement that is also assembled in the United States. Both the watch and the movement use a combination of American and foreign parts. However, the assembled in USA label is a serious step in the right direction when it comes to re-establishing a watch industry here in the United States.

Praesidus A-11 Spec 2 Field Watch (Amazon photo)

This Praesidus A-11 Spec 2 field watch comes in 32mm and 40mm case sizes. It's 10mm thick to fit right in both on the trail and in the business casual office.  You can check it out here using my Amazon affiliate link here.

Some other companies to watch in the "Assembled in USA" space include Vaer, Bertucci, and Shinola. Both companies are making great strides towards domestic watch production. To see the "Assembled in USA" watches that I've found, click here on my Amazon Affiliate Link.

Assembled In USA watches (Amazon Affiliate Store Link)

TGIF: The Affordability Revolution

Revolution is brewing. In a world where global competition for jobs is fierce at all levels and where young people in the west are having a tough time getting a start in life, people are re-prioritizing the role of things and of brands. A person with student loan debt simply isn't going to have disposable income to spend on a luxury watch anytime soon. That doesn't mean that they don't want to be fashionable or have a nice watch. It does mean that any watch they buy has to fit into their budget without pain or drama. While some watchmakers will continue to satisfy the rich, other watchmakers are going to meet consumers where they are and offer affordable options that look good.  One of those watchmakers is Casio.

Casio MTP-1381D-7AVDF (Amazon photo)

When it comes to design, Casio is on a roll. I've been very happy with my Casio Enticer (MTP-VD01D-2EV) reviewed on this blog here. But, when I look around at the growing Casio line of analog watches, I find many more appealing watches.  The Casio MTP-1381D-7AVDF (above) is a great looking watch that currently costs less than $75. You can see it here using my Amazon affiliate link. 

For more affordable analog Casio watches, check out my Amazon affiliate storefront here. This page is a fast growing spot for interesting and affordable watches. 

Affordable Tissot Quartz Watches For Men

After some high prices during the tariff brinksmanship of the past year, it looks like Tissot watch prices are settling down and even becoming somewhat affordable again. Earlier this week, I pointed out a Tissot with a Powermatic 80 movement for less than $400. Now, I've found a couple of great Tissot quartz watches that should be attainable for budget-minded watch collectors.

Tissot Men's Gent XL 3x3 Street Basketball Edition

Perhaps the coolest of the lot is the Tissot Men's Gent XL commemorating the urban sensibilities of  3 on 3 Street Basketball. It just looks tough from every angle. The watch is actually inspired by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3-on-3 basketball program. It's growing quickly around the world and becoming a popular Olympic sport.

The Tissot 3x3 Street Basketball Watch (Amazon Photo)

The 3x3 watch comes with two interchangeable straps. One in black and another black with graffitti inspired graphics.  You should almost use my affiliate link to buy a Wilson FIBA 3x3 basketball to go with the watch.

The Tissot 3x3 Street Basketball Watch with Extra Strap (Amazon Photo)

Amazingly, this watch is available for less than $200 on Amazon. That's a great deal on a Tissot timepiece and this one has a unique sports connection. Check it out here using my Amazon affiliate link.

Tissot Men's PR100

If you came here wanting a deal on a more refined looking timepiece, you might like the Tissot PR100. It's a 42mm diameter watch that is just 8.25mm thick. This is a long-running Tissot model that's been evolving since the 1980s.

Tissot PR100 Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

At under $350, this Tissot is also attainable for most buyers. Check this one out here using my Amazon affiliate link. 

For more affordable Tissot watches, come visit my Amazon affiliated storefront here.

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.