Watch Wearing Wednesday: Precision by Gruen Quartz Watch

If you buy a modern watch with a vintage brand name, it's not vintage. But, if you hold on to it for about 15 years, does it become vintage? This is a Precision by Gruen watch that I bought and reviewed here back in 2015. At some point, it will be a vintage reproduction or something.

Precision by Gruen Quartz Watch with Gold Tone Case

Anyway, I think it is a simple, but rich-looking, watch. My wife thinks it looks somewhat cheap. But, she mentioned that it might look better if I were wearing dress clothes. She's probably right.

Profile of a Precision by Gruen watch

These watches pop up from time to time on ebay and other auction sites. I'd note that this wasn't an expensive watch when I bought it so I wouldn't recommend paying much for a used one online. If you like the look, you might find similar simplicity and readability in this gold-toned 38mm Timex Easy Reader on Amazon.

Wristwatch Review: Geoffrey Beene Black Diamond Sports Watch with Decorative Subdials

If you are looking for a simple grab and go watch that is fine in office or casual settings, this quartz Geoffrey Beene Black Diamond Sports Watch with Decorative Subdials might be a good choice.

Geoffrey Beene Quartz Sports Watch with Decorative Subdials

Watch Construction

This watch has a stainless steel caseback and synthetic leather strap which is very adjustable and generously sized. The quartz movement is powered by a common SR626SW battery. The diamond is a tiny gem diamond that is barely discernable on this watch due to the dark dial color and lack of reflective flashing around it. The case appears to be a good quality base metal and is has a gun metal finish. The synthentic strap is attractive and lengthy enough to fit my fairly large wrists with a bit of room to spare.

Geoffrey Beene Black Diamond Sport Watch

Watch Style

This Geoffrey Beene watch is dark and understated. While the dial is a dark green, the color is only apparent in bright sunlight. The watch has a canted date window between 4 and 5 o'clock on the dial. I can only read the date when I'm wearing reading glasses. The crystal has a gentle dome quality. The ends of the hour and minute hands are generously painted white. This makes the watch much easier to read than some dark, mono-chromatic, watches. With this dark color, there really is no need for fake subdials. They are present, but can barely be seen. 

Geoffrey Beene Black Diamond Sport Watch

This watch has a 41mm diameter case that is 11.5mm thick. It's a nice balanced size that will allow it to fit easily under a dress shirt cuff and have presence on the wrist in short sleeve situations.

Overall Impression 

This Geoffrey Beene watch is a basic comfortable competent watch. It looks good and is comfortable to wear. It's not an overly exciting watch, but it is a good affordable and comfortable watch to wear anywhere and be able to tell the time.

Where can I get this Geoffrey Beene Watch?

This is one of the many watches that I've picked up at Burlington over the past year and it was a steal there at around $20. However, finding one takes a bit of luck. You can still find one of these "Black Diamond" watches in blue online at Amazon. Amazon also has regular Geoffrey Beene Diamond watches.

What's the Cheapest Movado Watch on Amazon?

I found the cheapest Movado watch on Amazon. It's called the Movado Face and, frankly, I don't like it. 

The Movado Face

It comes in a variety of pastel colors that are completely incompatible with my traditional masculinity. The best color combo that I could find is this Brown and Black combination. It's a Swiss Made quartz watch and it plays with Museum dial by blacking it out. The watch costs just under $400.

You can take a look at the rest of the colors below. If you like them, you do you. I think they suck. Of course, it's a big world and people from other cultures are more accepting of different color palettes. You can see this Movado Face watch here on Amazon.

Movado Face Watches (Amazon photo)

But, this exercise of looking for the cheapest watches has taught me a valuable lesson. You may like a luxury watch brand. You may feel the cachet of the brand. You may have even wanted a watch from a brand for a long time. But, if you don't like the watch that the brand offers at your price point, find another brand or save your money for a bit longer. Fortunately, there are other Movado watches that I do like.

The Movado Bold Versa

For example, I like this Movado Bold Versa. With a stainless steel case and blue dial, it's an attractive and masculine watch. As of this writing, this Movado is just under $450 as a 20% off Amazon sale special. 

This Bold Versa has a 42mm diameter case for plenty of presence on the wrist. It offers a more obvious play on the Movado Museum dial disc. I like it. You can also see it here on Amazon. When it comes to Movado, I'd also take a close look at their Classic Museum watch or their newer, but retro, Calendoplan models.

TGIF: The Magic of a Luxury Watch - Tribe and Vibe

I've been doing a lot of pondering about watches lately. When we think about watch purchases, there are the tangible aspects of a watch--like materials, quality, and performance--and there are intangibles. Sometimes, when it comes to a luxury watch like this pre-owned Cartier Santos 100, the intangibles and the associated emotions are what matter most in a luxury watch purchasing decision.  

Cartier Santos 100 Automatic (Amazon Photo)

As I've posted on X, when the traditional Swiss watchmakers face off against upstart Asian manufacturers, they have two things that the new companies don't - vibe and tribe.  A high-end Swiss watch is a talisman of accomplishment. The feeling of satisfaction that comes from the ability to add such a tangible touchstone of success to your watch collection must be immense. Even used, this Rolex Perpetual Sea Dweller on Amazon is something special in the world of watches.

Rolex Perpetual Sea Dweller (Pre-owned) - Amazon Photo

That's a vibe you don't get from an homage. Another part of the luxury watch vibe is class. When you reach watches that only the extremely wealthy have heard of, you have likely entered a different social class. A watch like this Breguet White Gold Marine Chronograph available on Amazon exudes sophistication and old money.

Breguet Marine Chronograph (Amazon photo)

With class, accomplishment, and wealth comes tribe. The watch becomes a part of an unspoken communication between a highly successful, monied, connected class of people. An understated watch like this Ulysse-Nardin Classico is like a membership badge. Only accomplished people with knowledge and money would wear such a watch.

Ulysse Nardin Classico Automatic (Amazon photo)

People will always strive to succeed and have something to show for their efforts. They'll need to show that they are members of that successful tribe. The prestigious watch is just one small token that represents EVERYTHING. You can't buy it for $150 off Aliexpress. This combination of tribe and vibe is the magic of an ultra-luxury watch.

Now Available: The Timex Ironman Triathlon Rugged Digital Watch

Have you noticed that Casio G Shock models are getting fancier and fancier. They are starting to become status symbols. Perhaps that leaves an opening for someone to make a low-cost beater watch that is rugged and useful? This Timex Ironman Triathlon Rugged has appeared as a suggested product for me in a couple of places lately. It may be a reminder that Timex Ironman watches were and are a competitor to the G Shock. This one has a big 44mm diameter case, a 20mm wide strap, and a case that looks like something from an Alien versus Predator movie.

Timex Ironman Triathlon Rugged

I'm not the biggest fan of digital watches, but this one caught my eye. It looks like it can do that job of timing laps and other athletic endeavors. Indeed, it has a 30-lap memory, 24-hour countdown timer, military time model; 3 daily, weekly, or weekend alarms; two time zones, and a calendar. It's almost enough to make me go jogging--or at least get off the couch and take a walk. If I work my way up to triathlons, the watch even has 100-meters of water resistance so I can take on the swimming event. This watch is a strong offering for less than $50.

If you are ready to rumble, this rugged Timex Triathlon is available here on Amazon.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Geoffrey Beene Octagon Watch

Today, I wore a new octagonal watch from Geoffrey Beene. I'll just call it my Octagon watch. That sounds much cooler than some random combination of numbers or just calling it a quartz watch with decorative subdials--which, of course, it is. I've been coming across plenty of Geoffrey Beene watches at Burlington lately.  When they look, I often buy them. I think this one cost all of $22. That's a steal. It's an attractive and comfortable watch.

I'm pretty comfortable with Geoffrey Beene as a budget watch brand. They look good and they are very affordable. While they have some of the drawbacks of cheap watches, this watch fits my wrist perfectly.

So far, I like this watch. I'll probably review it at some point. It seems like I've posted quite a bit on Geoffrey Beene watches lately. For an overview of the brand, check out my post TGIF: Diving in Geoffrey Beene Watches. It is nice to have some sub-$50 watch options.

Modern Watch Monday: Bulova Men's CURV Chronograph Black and Titanium Watch

 It's always interesting when reputable watch companies play with the form of a watch. That's what makes the Bulova Men's CURV Chronograph in black and titanium such an interesting find. The CURV has a case that is literally curved to conform to the wrist. It also has a dark gray exhibition dial that let's you see through to the high frequency (262kHz) quartz movement while being dark enough to provide great contrast to keep the gold-tone watch hands easy to read. 

Bulova Men's CURV Chronograph Black and Titanium Watch (Amazon Photo)

An exhibition caseback shows off the other side of the movement. The rubber strap has a bit of stand off space provided by the case design. The case itself is titanium set off by a black bezel under the crystal and a black strap.

In a world where every watch can seem to be an homage, the Bulova Curv seems to set a different course.  You can get ahead of the Curv here on Amazon.com.

Watch Deal Alert: Bulova Marine Star Series B half off!

Bulova has a really cool watch on sale for 52% off! It's the Bulova Marine Star Series B (Model 96B382). It has an rotating internal bezel and 100-meters of water resistance. Plus, at 43mm in diameter it brings considerable presence to the wrist. I think it's a great looking watch. With this sale price, it comes in well under $250. I love my vintage Marine Star and I'm sure this one will be a great vintage watch someday.

Bulova Marine Star Series B (Model 96B382) - Amazon Photo

Adventure-oriented watches like this Marine Star fill the role of being rugged, readable, respectable, and eminently practical with a sense of purposeful style.

If you'd like to take a closer look at this great Bulova watch, you can see it here on Amazon!

If this one isn't your style, check out this deal on a PRX-like two-tone Bulova.  It's still less than $200.

What's the Cheapest Omega Automatic on Amazon?

Prices on Omega timepieces for men are quite lofty. The Omega Seamaster dive watch series is entwined with every man's James Bond fantasy.  It appears that the dive watches start at just over $4,500 and reach to almost $14,000. That's a lot of money on a civil servant's salary. There's no way around work. Since you are going to be there, Omega does make less expensive dress watches that are perfectly suitable for that office job that serves as your cover. On Amazon, the point of entry is the Omega De Ville for men. It's an attractive automatic watch with what looks like a rather serious demeanor.

Omega De Ville Watch for Men (Amazon photo)

This one is offered by MS Trading of Japan. They have it for just over $2100 on Amazon and available for delivery in 7 days. With any high dollar purchase that isn't direct from Amazon, you should do your due diligence. However, they seem to get good ratings and reviews. You can check out this beautiful watch here on Amazon.

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/.