Sunday, July 31, 2016

Summer Watches

I was fortunate to get two new watches for my birthday and reviews will be coming soon.  Now that I have a substantial collection of watches, it's interesting to see which ones see the most wear.  This summer, I have been wearing my Sperry Topsider watch and my Pulsar Diver-style watch constantly.  They've both been good looking watches that have stood the test of time.

Sperry Topsider Skipper Watch


The Sperry watch has been supremely comfortable and has been great for casual wear.  If you'd like to read a full review on this blog, you can find it here:  Sperry Topsider Skipper Watch Review.


The Sperry Topsider Skipper Watch


Pulsar PS9319 Diver-Style Watch


The Pulsar Diver-style Watch has a beautiful dial.  The other day I noticed the clouds reflected on the crystal with a deep blue back ground.  It was a moment of Zen.

Pulsar PS9319 Diver-style Dress Watch

It's the Pulsar PS9319 and you can read a full review of it here on this blog.  

Sunday, July 17, 2016

More Birthday Gift Watch Ideas for Men

Here's the second batch of potential watches that my wife indicated I might be getting as a birthday gift.  They are all strong contenders.  But, between the watches from last Sunday and this Sunday, there can only be one!  We've got the whole Highlander thing going.
Replica Highlander Claymore - By Douglas Whitaker [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Diesel Men's Machinus Quartz Stainless Steel Watch

This Diesel watch really strikes the right note with me.  It has an interesting dial design with four analogue subdials so that you can keep track of the time all around the world.  It might sound gimmicky, but I'm actually working with a multi-national team that is scattered all around the world from Australia to Scandinavia.  The brown leather band looks fairly substantial.  This watch is model DZ7359 and would make an interesting choice.




Casio G-Shock Mens Black Gulfmaster


I don't actually SCUBA dive, join commando raids, or parachute out of planes.  But, if I did, this Casio G-Shock Gulfmaster would be a great watch to wear.  The prime drawback for me right now is that I'm not sure I would actually be able to read the subdials. 



Diesel Men's Uber Chief Watch

Once upon a time, an amazing Diesel locomotive and luxurious passenger train captured the American imagination.  It was the Santa Fe railroad's Super Chief.  Today, the Diesel watch company is showing the future of analog watches with models like the Uber Chief.



This watch is another take on the multi-dial theme from Diesel.  One interesting twist is that the Time 1 dial in the 3 o'clock position actually features analog digits.  The numbers on two nested spinning cards simply rotate into position to show the correct hours and minutes.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Three Great Birthday Gift Watches for Men

My birthday is coming up and my wife is thinking about buying me a watch!  Woohoo!  That's always exciting news.  She's found about ten really cool candidates so I thought I'd share a few of those over the next couple of posts.  Right now, here are three of the leading candidates for my next birthday watch.

Cake photo by Tomwsulcer (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Michael Kors Mens Dylan Navy Silicone Watch


This Michael Kors watch has a brilliant blue dial with three subdials and a nifty date window at 6 o'clock. I'm pretty sure that this will be a supremely comfortable watch due to the silicone band.  Some folks think silicone bands are cheap, but I think they are great.  They are just super comfortable!  This case is 48 millimeters in diameter.  I've seen the Dylan watch before and it's a very nice looking timepiece.



Diesel Men's 'Heavyweight' Quartz Stainless Steel and Silicone Automatic Watch, Color:Green (Model: DZ4396)


Diesel continues to make innovative watches.  This design brings sophisticated dial design to the table.  It has three sub-dials and a panoramic date window.  It's a rugged looking watch and it should be comfortable due to the silicone band.   Like most Diesel watches, this one is big.  It has a 51 millimeter diameter dial that is 15 millimeters thick.  It's a big watch, but I should be able to wear it well.





Nautica NST chronograph flag watch 

Finally, for this post, this Nautica NSF Flag watch has a very cool nautical look.  I've seen a variant of this watch before and it always looks good.  This one comes with a different colored strap for variety.  In truth, I'd never wear this watch with a red strap, but it's a cool watch.  This one also has silicone straps and has a screw down crown and 100 meters of water resistance.  The case diameter is 44 millimeters and it is 12 millimeters thick.  That's just perfect for casual wear.




Sunday, July 3, 2016

Wristwatch Review - Men's Sperry Top-Sider Skipper Analog Watch

It's time to review the watch I've been wearing the most this year.  It's my Sperry Top-sider Skipper watch.  I like this watch because it has an interesting dial design and a wonderfully comfortable strap.  This men's watch is a great casual accessory for a night out on the town or just down to the local pizza joint.

Sperry Top-Sider Wristwatch

Sperry Skipper Watch Design


This watch made is in accordance with nautical visions of the same folks who make Sperry Top-Sider shoes.  The dial evokes the compass rose and perhaps--looking at the hour batons--the wheel of a tall ship.  The dial is especially interesting because it has a traditional date window--or porthole in this case--at 3 o'clock and a panoramic view of the exposed date card in the 7 to 10 o'clock positions.  You'll also notice the 24-hour time is shown on the inner circle of the dial.  It's a very cool look.  Unfortunately, those of us who are middle aged and above may find it difficult to read the date and other small markings on this somewhat busy dial.


Sperry Top-Sider Skipper Watch



While some of the descriptions on Amazon claim that the strap is calfskin, this watch most definitely has a silicone strap.  However, it is comfortable and well-made.  I really like the white stitching on the outer edges of the strap.  It adds to the watches nautical motif.  There is a small silhouette of a sail boat on the buckle for the strap.  It's a nice detail for a watch at this price point.

The Sperry Top-Sider has a Small Sperry Sail Boat Logo on the Buckle


Sperry Skipper Watch Proportions

The Sperry Skipper is a well-proportioned watch.  The case is 42 millimeters in diameter and a solid 12 millimeters thick.  It's quite simply not too big or too small.  I find that it stays easily centered on my wrist without trying to escape to one side or the other.  The watch strap is 22 millimeters wide and as you can see just fits my wrist.  I measured the strap as being 13/16 of an inch wide.  The strap length including the watch and excluding the buckle was 9 1/4 inches long.


Sperry Skipper Watch Construction

The Sperry Skipper watch is a well built watch.  It has a stainless steel case and caseback which provides 50 meters (165 feet) of water resistance.  The pliable silicone strap is waterproof and comfortable.  The dial is protected by a scratch resistant mineral crystals.  While this watch may not make it 20,000 leagues under the sea, it will certainly be fine for a typical boater.

Sperry Skipper Watch Recommendation

 Overall, I highly recommend the Sperry Topsider Skipper watch.  I wish that the markings and date portal were a tad larger, but the watch has a distinctive design that really sets it apart from many competitors in it's price range.