Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas from The Watch Dude!  I hope that you've had a great Holiday Season!  I've been posting at a frenetic pace throughout the holiday season.  Now, I'll kick back and return to posting at a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  I hope my watch gift ideas have been helpful!

Enjoy your day!  Here are a few of Christmas scenes from the Atlanta area!

 

This year I got a new Pulsar Chronograph Watch (Model PT3399) for Christmas!  It's a cool looking watch so you'll be seeing a review on this blog in a couple of weeks!

A Winning Watch from MyWristWatch.net

I was surprised to learn that I won another watch from one of my favorite watch discussion forums:  MyWristWatch.net 

Invicta Dive Watch

It's a green automatic Invicta Dive Watch.  It has a lot of nice details and an exhibition caseback!

Step Right Up and See the Exhibition!

I've got to add a few provided links back to the bracelet.  But, then I think I'll be wearing this one on a regular basis.  It's a really nice watch!

Now, there's no reason to be green with envy, just make it your New Year's Resolution to sign up with MyWristWatch.net !!!

Swarovski Crystal Watches for Women

If you are shopping for a women's watch this holiday season, you might check out Swarovski Crystal watches Swarovski Crystal watches for women. Brands like Peugeot, Armitron, and Seiko have lots of great choices on Amazon and in traditional Brick-n-Mortar stores.

Here is some of the selection from Amazon.com.



I saw some of the Armitron Swarovski Crystal watches at Sears a few months ago and they look very good.



I almost bought one, but believe it or not my wife really isn't into watches.

Drive By Citizen - Reviewing my New Citizen Eco-Drive Watch

I recently posted about my new Citizen Eco-Drive watch.  Now, the official review has been published.  I've always been fascinated by Citizen's seamless integration of solar technology and a quartz watch movement.  When you look at a Citizen Eco-Drive watch, you really don't see an obvious solar cell.  Instead, you see an accurate watch that never needs batteries.  I was fortunate to receive this Drive by Citizen watch for my fifteenth wedding anniversary.

Citizen Eco Drive Watch

The dial of this watch is cool because it can appear black or silver--like a mirror. 

Drive by Citizen

 If you charge it up for a day, a Citizen Eco-Drive watch should be good for 6 months of continuous operation even in the dark.  But, the manual recommends letting it charge in lamplight or sunlight about once a month.

Drive by Citizen

I really like the technology, the understated masculine style of this watch, and the comfortable leather strap.

You can read a complete review of my new Citizen Eco-Drive Watch here:

Wristwatch Review:  Drive by Citizen Men's Black Ion Plated Eco-Drive Strap Watch

The Timex Weekender

If you are looking for a cool watch for younger people, check out the Timex Weekender.  It's a great watch for preppies.  You can buy extra interchangeable straps in all kinds of colors.  Here is the basic watch for $34.99 at Target.  You can see some of the variety in strap designs as well.

Timex Weekender and Extra Straps

I have also seen the Timex Weekender in gift sets with a couple of extra straps.  The Timex Weekender watch is a good choice for either men or women.  I've reviewed it here:
Wristwatch Review:  Timex Weekender Men's Tachymeter Analog Strap Watch.

The Anatomy of a Good Deal at Kohl's

My wife got me a very nice Pulsar watch for Christmas.  She bought it at Kohl's.  I was there.  I even tried it on.  It will be a great watch to share with you sometime after Christmas.  However, it was interesting to see how a good deal on a watch works at Kohl's.

This Pulsar chronograph dress watch originally retailed for a hefty $175.   But, then there were a few adjustments to be made:

• The watch itself was 25% off on sale.
• Kohls was running a scratch off sale and my wife had a scratch off ticket for 20%.  (The tickets come on the catalog mailer, but they are also available at the register.)
• After the transaction, she got a coupon for $20 Kohl's Cash that she can use after Christmas.  You get $10 in Kohl's cash per $50 spent on a purchase.

 The discounts brought the watch down to an amazing $105 plus tax.  That is a very respectable deal  for a watch that I got see under glass and try on in person.  There is something cool about interacting with helpful sales people and picking out a watch with someone special.  My wife felt like she won the lottery after all the discounts.  I felt like I got the best watch out of the whole watch department.

In the interest of writing this post, I did a little after action research online.  I didn't see any similar Pulsar dress watches on Amazon.com.  However, if you are looking for a slightly sportier flavor of a Pulsar chronograph, the deal below looks nearly impossible to beat.

Of course, as those final Christmas shopping days wind down, you might just want to get yourself to a brick-n-mortar store like Kohl's and get something while the getting is good!

Last Days for Amazon Free Shipping!

According to Amazon.com, Tuesday, December 17th, 2013, is the last day for free shipping to arrive in time for Christmas.  After Tuesday, you'll need to pay some small fee for shipping that will get your package to its destination by Christmas!

I'd like to take a moment and thank everyone who has clicked through one of our affiliate links and bought something. I'd also like to thank everyone who has clicked through an article link and read one of my articles.  While the internet seems like a cold and impersonal place, every purchase made through an affiliate advertisement on this site and each article you read makes a very small contribution to our always tight household budget. It is appreciated!  Thank you!

Shop Amazon - Top Holiday Deals

I also hope that this blog has helped you discover new watches for your own collection, has helped you research potential purchases, has provided some eye candy, has helped you find some good deals, and has generated affordable gift ideas for you this holiday season!

Shop Amazon - The Electronics Holiday Gift Guide - New Releases

The Timex Elevated Classic - Perfect for Winter

If I have a watch that is perfect for a dark and stormy night, it would have to be my Timex Men's T2N696 Elevated Classics Dress Sport Collection Blue Resin Strap Watch. It's a simple, readable, watch with good looks and the amazing Indiglo ability to light up the night.

Timex Elevated Classic

Amazon has these watches with a dark looking blue resin strap.  It brings this watch design to it's full sporting potential!

Character Watches for Kids

There has been a lot of talk in the watch collector community about how watches don't hold much interest to kids and younger collectors.  For them, the cell phone holds their interest and serves as their status symbol.  But, there are lots of cool watches for available for kids.  For example, Target, Kohl's and Walmart have good collections of character watches for kids.

Here are a few that I saw on a recent trip to my local Target.  These watches would make great stocking stuffers this Christmas.

Batman Watch

Betty Boop Watch

Darth Vader Watch

Mickey Mouse Watch

Hello Kitty Watch

Superman Watch

Tweety Bird Watch

Here are affordable Batman and Superman watches from Amazon.com!

Did the Grinch Steal Grenen?

 This Grinch is grinning?  It makes me wonder if he stole all the Grenen watches.  Hmmm...  I haven't seen any on Amazon and I haven't seen any in Kohl's!

The Grinch - By istolethetv from Hong Kong, China (grinchey fellow  Uploaded by Princess Mérida) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I haven't seen any "Grenen by Skagen" watches at all this holiday season.  They've been gone for nearly a year.  Designed by Skagen and sold for a slightly lower cost than the name brand, they were available at Kohl's for the past couple of years.  Fortunately, you can still get a Skagen  if you want a slim, streamlined watch with a Scandinavian design.

A Grenen Watch

You can read my Grenen review here.

Merona and Mossimo Wristwatches: Fail

Target had an exciting sale on watches last week.  They had buy-one-get-one-50%-off.  I popped a Mossimo and a Merona brand watch into our cart.  I thought that they successfully channeled the Panerai case shape in more modern quartz watches.  However, when I got them home, I found out that they just didn't work for me.

The winding stem for the black-on-black Mossimo watch (bottom) came off in my hand while I was setting the time.  The canvas-looking black strap on the Merona watch (top) was a tad too tight and felt a lot like cheap card board.  Even though it was only $30 for the two watches, since they didn't work for me, they'll be going back.  I probably should have stuck to the Casio and Timex selections.  These things happen.

Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier on a Night Mission

On Friday night, I took one of my favorite watches downtown on a night mission to downtown Atlanta.  My mission wasn't as glamorous or as exciting as this picture looks.  I was just getting a couple of extra shelves from Ikea.  I took this shot while waiting at a stoplight.  However, my Wenger Swiss Military Watch looks great against the Atlanta skyline.

Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier on a Night Mission

You can read a complete review of this watch here:

Wristwatch Review:  Wenger Swiss Military Men's Quartz Watch

The AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Watch - A Celebration of Vintage Valor!

On December 7th, we remember one of the most devastating surprise attacks in U.S. history:  the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor.  It is natural that our thoughts turn to the greatest generation and World War II. 

I recently received a watch that commemorates one of the great fighter planes of that war.  It is a Hawker Hurricane watch courtesy of a new watch brand from the United Kingdom--AVI-8.   The Hawker Hurricane was the main fighter plane of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain in World War II.  While the Hurricane is  known as a European fighter, the watch still reminds me of the World War II era.

The AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Watch

I really like the clever use of the RAF insignia as a subdial in the chronograph.  I also like the way the watch captures the colors of the original aircraft.  The green shows very brightly with a camera flash.  In regular daylight, it is very dark.  However, you can certainly see the resemblance in colors in this photograph of a restored Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 shown below.

Hawker Hurricane Mk 1

I think that the AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane watch that captures the spirit of the venerable World War II fighter plane very effectively. 

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Chronograph Watch

You can read my full review of this great quartz watch here:

Wristwatch Review:  AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Chronograph Watch

One cool thing about these AVI-8 watches is that they do not cost an arm and a leg.  In fact, they are reasonably priced on Amazon.com.

A Hawker Hurricane in Action Somewhere in Asia!

I'll bet that the Hawker Hurricane series sells quickly.  Here you can see some of the watches in the Hawker Hurricane line:

Stocking Stuffer Watches for Christmas

If you want to add a little more oomph to your Christmas gift giving, you might look at watches as stocking stuffer gifts.  You can get lots of great watches for less than $50.  For example, you can pick up some pretty nice Timex Expedition watches quite reasonably at Walmart for just a bit over $30.

Reasonably Priced Timex Watches on Display at Walmart

If you want to go even cheaper, you can find watches for under $30 that will make perfect stocking stuffers.  Here are some great ideas for inexpensive watches.

Seven Great Men's Watches for Less than $30

Of course, Christmas is about kids.  I think kids might really like Lego watches and comic character watches this Christmas.  There have been some really cool Batman and Superman watches in the stores lately.  Kohl's, Target, and Walmart seem to have the best selections of comic character watches.  Hopefully Santa knows where to shop!

Christmas Gift Watches for Dads

Fathers are one category of people that can be tough to buy Christmas Gifts for.  But, if you examine your Dad's hobbies, interests, and workplace, you can probably find a watch that will be just perfect.  Here is a guide to getting a great watch for your Dad during this Holiday Season.

How to Choose the Perfect Watch for Dad

Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier Watch

Skagen Watches for Christmas

One of the guys on mywristwatch.net suggested another great watch brand for Christmas shoppers to check out:  Skagen!  Skagen watches are designed in Denmark and reflect Scandinavian minimalist design philosophies.  

Danish Flag (Photograph by  Per Palmkvist Knudsen on Wikimedia Commons CCA2.5 license)

While some brands have thick cases, Skagen watches have thin cases that always fit under a shirt sleeve.  They are powered by reliable Japanese quartz movements.  Skagens are smooth!



Usually, I don't see Skagen watches for less than $100.  However, I found plenty of nice examples on Amazon priced very reasonably.  Just as you can recognize a great song by Van Halen, ZZ Top, or Aerosmith on the radio in the first few bars, you can instantly recognize a Skagen watch by it's streamlined, modern, minimalist look.  If you are shopping for a holiday gift this season, it's a brand that belongs on your list.

Gift Watches for Football Fans

If you are looking for a nice gift for a professional football fan here in the U.S.A. you might look for an Game Time Veteran - NFL watch.  I also saw some nice NFL team watches at my local Walmart store.  Here is an officially licensed NFL men's team watch for the Atlanta Falcons from Walmart:

The officially licensed NFL women's watch for the Atlanta Falcons is a bit more bling-tastic! 

Women's watches get pretty fancy.  On Amazon, you can even get a Ladies NFL Atlanta Falcons Pearl Watch.


Team watches make great gifts because they allow fans to show support even when they are environments where jerseys, caps, and other team gear are inappropriate.  For example, you can nearly always wear a team watch to work.

Here are some NFL team watches from Amazon: