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.

Art Watches: Swatch Bioceramic Watch Blue Art Journey - Chagall's Blue Circus

When it comes to watch designs, it seems like watch blogs cover Divers, Explorers, Tachymeters, Aviators, Field, Dress watches, and then repeat. But, if you want to see something different, check out the art watch collection from Swatch. They may not be for you or me, but they are different and visually intriguing. They might also be fun additions to any watch collection. Best of all, they are attainably priced. The watch below is a Swatch Bioceramic Watch from their Blue Art Journey and it incorporates elements of a painting by Marc Chagall called Blue Circus.

Swatch Bioceramic Watch Blue Art Journey - Chagall's Blue Circus (Amazon Photo)

This watch is 41mm in diameter and is 9.85mm thick. It is made of a bioceramic material which is 2/3 zirconium oxide and 1/3 bio-sourced plastic made from castor oil. It has a durable, scratch resistant finish, and is lightweight for comfortable daily wear. If you are interested in taking a closer look, check out this Swatch Blue Art Journey watch on Amazon here.

If you are interested in the actual print, this Marc Chagall Blue Circus canvas print is also available on Amazon in different sizes. It's interesting to compare the art work to the watch and see what elements were incorporated in the watch. 

Marc Chagall Blue Circus canvas print (Amazon photo)

To get this Chagall canvas art print for your home, check it out here on Amazon.

Watches A to Z: Nixon

Every watch company has an origin story. The European ones trace their roots back to ancient workshops and craftsmen tucked away in the nooks and crannies of Swiss Cantons. But, American watch companies sometimes have far different inspirations. Nixon was founded in 1997 by Andy Laats and Chad DiNenna. 

Nixon TimeTeller A05 (Amazon Photo)
Available on Amazon here!

Andy had worked as a snowboard product manager for Burton--the company of snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton. Chad DiNenna had caught the entrepreneurial bug working in surf shops. Together they founded Nixon watches with the goal of designing a premium product that could "standup to gnarly environments" and be sold in surf, skateboard, and snowboard shops. Nixon was named after famed surfer Chad Nixon.

Nixon watches offer 100-meters of water resistance, Japanese or Swiss quartz movements, and styling that lets wearers go from the surf to a seaside restaurant. Nixon is sold by a variety of retailers and online at web merchants including Walmart, Amazon, and direct from the Nixon website.  You can visit the Nixon Amazon watch store on Amazon here. If you are looking for a truly custom experience, the Nixon website has the latest models and offers the ability to custom design your own watch.  You can visit the official Nixon site here:  https://www.nixon.com/. 

Wristwatch Review: Armitron Stainless Steel Watch (Model 20/5481SV)

One of the cooler looking Armitron watches that I picked up there year is the Model 20/5481SV. It's a diver-style watch with a fixed bezel. I picked it up at Burlington for about $20.

Armitron Stainless Steel Watch (20/5481SV)

Watch Features

The all-metal construction of this watch gives it a business-like demeanor which is commendable. It looks more expensive than it actually was.

Watch Construction

Most of my Armitron watches of late feature all stainless steel construction. The case, bracelet, bezel, and caseback of this watch  are all made of stainless steel. It has a flat mineral glass crystal. The watch has 50-meters (165-feet) of water resistance. 

Armitron Model 20/5481SV Caseback

One flaw with this Armitron is that I have to press extra hard on the clasp to make sure that it has snapped securely shut. I suspect that this may be a flaw with my individual timepiece, but it is something to be aware of.

Armitron Model 20/5481SV Bracelet

Watch Design

The design of this watch really lets the steel show. Most of the watch is finished as flat stainless steel. However, the crown, the case sides, and two thin strips are trim that flank the center links of the watch are polished to a nice shine. On the dial, the hour batons appear to be white lume set within shiny metal circles. The date window and numerals at 12, 6 and 9 o'clock are also outlined with shiny metal. The hour and minute hands have inset strips of lume.

Watch Dimensions

This Armitron watch shows well on the wrist with a 43mm case that is 10mm thick. The metal bracelet fits my wrist, but like some other Armitron watches, it is snug. 

Overall Impression

Overall, the Model 20/5481SV from Armitron is a very cool looking watch and an outstanding value for $20. You can check out Armitron Analog Watches for men here on Amazon.

Watch Deal Alert: Bulova Men's Classic Quartz - Two Tone Watch

There's currently a great deal on the Bulova Men's Classic Quartz Two Tone Stainless Steel Watch. The watch has a textured 39mm diameter dial, and an integrated gold and silver toned stainless steel bracelet that is similar to the look of the Tissot PRX.

 Bulova Men's Classic Two Tone Watch

When I first found this watch and posted about it when I asked Are All Watch Companies Being PRX?, it was 48% off, but now it is listed at 53% off for a limited time. While some may scoff at the Bulova as not being a European luxury brand, I think this is an elegant and modern looking watch with a great looking dial. It has much going for it and with the sale price comes in at less than $200. If you love that great tuning fork logo, you can take a closer look at this watch at the link below:

Bulova Men's Classic Quartz Two Tone Stainless Steel Watch

Sharp Watch Shout Out: MASTOP (SKMEI) Diver-Style Nylon Strap Watch

If you are looking for an inexpensive watch and have $20 to blow on Amazon, check out this diver-style quartz watch with a nylon strap from MASTOP. It's just a cheap watch, but the way the strap design carries across the dial is very cool. There are several color combinations of strap and dial and all are really eye-catching. That's why this watch gets a Sharp Watch Shout Out!

MASTOP (SKMEI) Quartz Diver-Style Watch

If you are cool with $20 watches, I don't think you'll have a problem with this one. I won't attempt to navigate the ins and outs of Chinese watch companies. However, it looks like the company sells many watches with the SKMEI dial label on Amazon. I've had pretty good luck with SKMEI watches over the years. You can read about them here on this blog. I had one that was very difficult to get the caseback off for a battery change. But, that's about it. You aren't risking much at the $20 level.

You can check this watch out here on Amazon.com.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: George Quartz Chronometer-Style Watch with Faux Subdials

Today's watch is another inexpensive pickup from Walmart. It cost all of $11.96 or so. It's a silver-on-silver quartz watch sold under the big box retailer's George brand. I was drawn to the bright blue subdials that remind me of several more expensive watches.

George Watch with Faux Subdials

George has many attractively styled watches for really inexpensive price tags.  For example, this post highlights Six Watches Under $70. Next time you are in a Walmart, check out their watch section. Knowing what low priced watches offers lets you be a better judge of what high priced watches offer.