I recently changed the battery on my late father's old quartz Seiko Day-Date watch (model 7N43-9070). There's something comforting about wearing it. I believe it's a 90s vintage timepiece so it's rather amazing that it keeps on going.
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| Vintage Seiko Quartz Watch |
There's nothing fancy about this watch and it shows some wear and tear. But, it's a no fuss, no muss, timepiece and the expansion bracelet is very convenient.
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| Vintage Seiko Quartz Day-Date watch |
When it comes to cheap watches, I enjoy the Caribbean Joe brand. In fact, I've found most of the variants of Caribbean Joe watches that are available. Most of the time, I get them from Kohl's, but I learned that there are square case Caribbean Joe's watches and I had to find them. As 2024 drew to a close, I ordered two watches online from a store in the northern midwestern US called Boscov's. The model numbers were CJ7145GU (Blue Dial/Gunmetal Case) and CJ7145SL (Brown Dial/Silver Case)
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| Caribbean Joe Square Watch (CJ7145GU) |
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| Caribbean Joe Square Watch (CJ7145GU) |
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| Caribbean Joe Square Watch Caseback |
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| Caribbean Joe Square Watch with Brown Strap (CJ7145SL) |
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| Strap of Caribbean Joe Model CJ7145SL (Brown Strap/Silver Case) |
Did you know that Bulova is offering a great Amazon deal on one of their best Marine Star watches? The Bulova Men's Marine Star "Series A" Automatic watch is being offered for 48% off. This watch has maritime looks, an automatic movement with a front aperture and an exhibition caseback. It even has a small seconds subdial. The dial is a mix of silver and white tones offset with beautiful blue Roman numerals and the vaunted Bulova tuning fork at 12 o'clock. It's a very cool looking watch! I'd give this watch a sharp watch shout out, but I wanted to lead with the great deal!
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| Bulova Marine Star "Series A" (Amazon Photo) |
This Series A has a 21 jewel movement and 200 meters of water resistance. Inspired by the sea, but not for SCUBA diving in the sea. This is for the yacht captain. At 48% off, the watch costs a little over $300. It's a respectable price for a respectable timepiece, expensive but within the range of many middle class Americans. If you'd like to check this Bulova bargain out, see it here on Amazon.
I recently came across three great looking Armitron watches on Amazon. They have consecutive model numbers and look for better than anyone would expect a $50 watch to look. The model numbers to keep an eye out for are 20/5571, 20/5572, and 20/5573. Honestly, I think each of these classic-inspired watches looks better than comparable watches costing twice the price. I'd do a sharp-watch shout out for each timepiece, but I really need to let readers know about these right away.
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| Armitron 20/5571 Diver-Style Silicone Strap Watch (Amazon Photo) |
The Armitron 20/5571 (above) is a diver-style, silicone strap, watch with a blue dial. It doesn't have a rotating bezel, but it has a stainless steel case, 50 meters of water resistance, and a mineral glass crystal. I like the wide, angled, minute track and the hour batons. They give the watch a classic look. The watch has a 44mm diameter case that is a slim 8mm thick. If you like this watch or want to learn more about it, you can find it here on Amazon.
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| Armitron 20/5572 Diver-style Watch (Amazon Photo) |
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| Armitron 20/5573 Tachymeter-Style Watch |
This US Polo Association quartz sports watch in red and black shows that even the most inexpensive watches can have a dramatic look and keep time accurately. Here's a shot of this US Polo Assn watch and the sun setting over a strip mall.
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| US Polo Assn Quartz Sport Watch |
Of course, when it comes to watch styles, there is nothing more fleeting than an inexpensive quartz watch from a fashion brand like US Polo Assn. You can typically find these watches at department stores like JC Penney and discount stores like Burlington or Ross. Encounters with the brand can be random and sometimes retailers disappear entirely (like Kmart and Sears). Fortunately, you can find a nice selection of inexpensive watches from US Polo Assn here on Amazon.com.
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| US Polo Assn Quartz Watch |
It's that hippity-hop Easter time of year and just last month I caught this candid shot of the Easter Bunny in action. I was able to document the time thanks to my old Grenen watch. It wasn't easy to sneak up on him, but he may have been captivated by the minimalist Scandinavian inspired design.
You can read a review of my Grenen (by Skagen) Stainless Steel Mesh Watch.
The market goes up and down and crashes with every threat of tariffs. You worry about retirement. You find out that bitcoin isn't gold. You want an emergency fund. You need an emergency fund. The chaos is bewildering. Sometimes it's all a bit too much. In the midst of it all that grail watch from Rolex seems to move further and further away. If you were rich and awash in cash, it might be time to scoop one up used and help someone out who is subject to a margin call. Most of us, we just sigh and keep on grinding. But, I have an antidote for watch lust in these troubled times. Check out the Timex Harborside 43mm diver-style watch. It looks like something out of a dream. It looks like something out of all of our watch dreams.
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| Timex Harborside Quartz Diver-style Watch |
I couldn't resist grabbing the Timex Mod 44 that I gushed about in my earlier Sharp Watch Shout Out and it's proving to be everything I had hoped. It has a big 44mm diameter case, a very readable dial, and a genuine leather band that's long enough to be comfortable.
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| Timex Mod 44 Men's Quartz Watch |
So far, I'm thrilled with this Timex watch. Here is a photo of the Mod 44 when I wore it on a nice spring day. It's exciting with a sub-$50 watch works out so well. It looks like this watch is still offered by a couple of sellers through Amazon here.
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| Timex Mod 44 with spring fever |
Over the summer, I picked up this 1970s vintage Orient watch from an Etsy Seller that sold me a refurbished Oris. It looks identical to the Orient Tri-Star but it doesn't have 3 stars on the dial. I've read that it is common for some Tri Star watches from the early 70s to not have three stars on the dial. No matter. I love the cool vintage look of this automatic watch, but it does have a few idiosyncrasies.
First idiosyncrasy: this watch is an automatic--powered by the wearers body movement. You cannot wind the watch with the crown. If you want to power it up for the day, you have to whip it around and pump it up and down about 25 times or so to get it wound up and running. I joke that it's like a vintage fitness watch. If you want it to run overnight, you have to repeat the process when you go to bed. Honestly, it's a good excuse for a watch winder. At this age, this lightly serviced vintage watch simply doesn't have much of a power reserve. The watch does seem to keep good time for a couple of days of wear.
My second idiosyncrasy: this watch has a 36mm diameter dial. While that is a common vintage size, it's a little small for modern wearers in western counties. The original bracelet was also a bit short for my large wrists so I replaced it with an expansion band from Walmart. The end result was excellent.
I really like this watch for its character and its mysterious origin. For about $40, it was a pretty good deal for a used mechanical watch. There are certainly better performing watches from Orient today. This one is a neat collectible novelty.
If you are looking for an unusual watch with an interesting look, check out the Timex Mod 44 44mm Leather Strap Watch. It has a retro-futuristic looking case with a gold tone that looks like bronze. It also has numerals at 12, 6, and 9 that look like something from the 70s. It quite simply looks like a watch out of a science fiction movie. A watch this interesting simply doesn't come along at under $50 very often. That's why this Timex earns a Sharp Watch Shoutout.
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| Timex Mod 44 Leather Strap Watch (Amazon photo) |
The Timex Mod 44 also has an interesting TX logo design on the crown. It's just one of many ways that the watch captures the eye.
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| Timex Mod 44 Profile and Leather Strap |
In our universe, a Pulsar is a neutron star which is the remnant of a massive star that has undergone a supernova explosion. They remain spinning quickly out in the cosmos and appearing to pulse strong beams of electromagnetic radiation as they spin. In the universe of watches, the brand appears to be the same. A dead star that we remember in flashes of brilliance. Seiko quietly discontinued their Pulsar brand a few years ago (2023?) to focus on their global brand Alba.
"Since it's launch in 1972, Pulsar watches have stood for a real value, quality brand of the Seiko Watch Corporation. However, Pulsar watches are no longer manufactured and they have made way for the truly global 'ALBA WATCHES.'
Alba watches offer the same exceptional value, style and quality you would expect from SEIKO Watch Corporation.
We encourage you to click below to discover the Alba range of timepieces."
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| My Pulsar Dive-Style Watch in brilliant blue |
This is probably old news to many watch enthusiasts. I just found it intriguing that I could no long find the brand on Amazon. It's a bit of a bummer since I have a few Pulsar watches in my collection and always found them to be a great value: high quality at an affordable price point. I like the dressy sophistication of my Pulsar Chronograph and the brilliant blue of my Pulsar diver-style watch.
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| Pulsar Chronograph Watch |
If you'd like to read more on the rich history of the Pulsar brand, check out my 2015 post: Pulsar Watches - Past and Present. It can serve as a suitable requiem.
As of this writing, if you search for Pulsar watches, you can still find them listed in online auctions and a few sold via Walmart.com.
I wore this Aeropostale Quartz Watch for men the other day. It's an attractive watch with a beautiful blue dial and fixed non-rotating bezel. It has modern field watch markings that give the watch a strong masculine look. It was a very low cost watch pickup at $25 or less from Burlington. But, it has some drawbacks.
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| Aeropostale Quartz Watch |
My primary issue with this watch is that I don't like the way the watch bracelet attaches to the case with a narrow link. It won't be easy to find a replacement bracelet, remove the current bracelet, or attach a NATO strap. A non-replaceable bracelet is one of the many problems with cheap watches that I've encountered. This watch also fits a little loose and I'll need to carefully remove a link. Perhaps these are minor quibbles, but they do keep me from fully enjoying this timepiece.
If you do like the looks of this watch, you might search for the brand. I've seen many listings for Aeropostale watches on Poshmark, Etsy, and EBay.
I recently bought this Armitron Two-Tone Day Date Dress Watch (Model 20/5403TT) at Burlington. It looked great and was only $19.99 at the discount and closeout chain.
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| Armitron Model 20/5403TT Two-Tone Dress Watch |
This all stainless steel watch has a quartz movement, 50 meter (165 feet) of water resistance, and a fold-over clasp with double button safety closure. As a dress watch, this Armitron makes effective use of gold and silver tones and shiny and matte surfaces. The inner links of the bracelet are a bronze-like gold-tone with a flat finish. The outer links are a shiny silver-tone. The dial is what Armitron calls a gray sun-ray dial with gold tones for odd-hour marker batons and even-hour numerals. The dial is ringed by a sloping gray minute track that slopes up to an inner bezel with a shiny gold-tone. The crown is gold toned in keeping with the two-tone design of the watch while the case is a shiny silver-tone.
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| Armitron Model 20/5403TT Two-Tone Dress Watch |
This Armitron has a 41mm round case that is 10mm thick. The bracelet is 20mm wide and generously sized. It fits my wrist perfectly with no additional room for expansion.
Armitron has created a very nice looking watch for a remarkably low price. Like many low price quartz watches, the minute hand can sometimes jump a little when you push it in to set the watch. However, with a little fiddling, I was able to set mine to within 5 seconds of the atomic clocks of the U.S. Naval Observatory as shown on Time.gov. I like the simplicity and rich looks of this watch. However, it's almost too pretty and might tempt a woman in your life might abscond with it and make it a "boyfriend watch." Overall, this is a great dress watch at a great price. I like it.
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| Armitron Model 20/5403TT Two-Tone Dress Watch |
Fashion watches come and go. This exact watch doesn't seem to be available on Amazon. However, it's currently available here at Walmart for $32.99 (regularly $39.99). You might also be able to luck into this watch at a Burlington store. A similar watch with a different bracelet and Roman numeral markers can be found here on Amazon.
My Walmart Automatic is still going strong since I first posted about it way back in 2011. It was only $50 when I first bought it. At the time, I was new to watch collecting and it was a cool way to get a glimpse at the inner workings of an automatic watch.
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| Walmart Automatic Watch |
Every once in awhile, it's fun to search for iconic watches that you read about in watch articles and see posted about in watch communities. I like to see if they are watches that I can aspire to own or that would be appealing to me. One such watch is the Seiko Prospex "Alpinist." I've seen it mentioned as a more affordable alternative to watches like the Rolex Explorer. While it shares tool watch or field watch mission of great watches like the Explorer, the Seiko Alpinist does it in its own style and with its own heritage. This is the first Alpinist that I found on Amazon. It is the SPB121J1 and it has the green dial, sapphire crystal, date cyclops, and a very cool internal rotating compass bezel that can be used in combination with the hour hand for navigation. You can find this great watch here on Amazon. As of this writing, it comes in around $600. For me, it's certainly a high price, but not unattainable.
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| Seiko Alpinist SBJ121J1 (Amazon Photo) |
There is a second Seiko Alpinist list on Amazon. It comes with a stainless steel band and a deep blue dial. The look is a bit more contemporary that the classic green and gold combo of our first example. The model for this one is SPB117J1. It's a tough choice between the two, but the SPB117J1 is about $100 to $150 more than the leather strap model. This watch also has an exhibition caseback.
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| Seiko SPB117J1 (Amazon photo) |
It's hard to believe that the Seiko Prospex Alpinist has evolved from the 1959 Laurel Alpinist--a watch that was aimed at Japan's own mountain men. Like the Explorer, this watch line has evolved with the times. If you'd like to take a look at this version of the Alpinist, bang it here to visit the Amazon listing.
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| A Mido Commander COSC-certified chronometer (Amazon photo) |
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| Certina DS Podium Quartz COSC-certified Chronometer (Amazon Photo) |
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| Certina DS Lady Diamonds |
Spring is almost sprung here in the Southeastern United States. The cherry trees and dogwoods are beginning to bloom and maple trees are beginning to bud. It might be too early to wear a watch with a bright yellow silicone strap, but I'm going for it.
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| Nautica N/83 Strap Watch with Silicone strap |
Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres(COSC) is one of the main bodies that certifies the accuracy of Swiss watches. For an automatic watch to be certified as a chronometer, it has to be accurate to losing up to 4 seconds or gaining up to 6 seconds per day (-4 to +6 seconds). That's just a 10 second spread for a mechanical device. Watches are individually tested and certified on behalf of the manufacturers. You can find some of these COSC certified watches on Amazon at somewhat attainable price points. Here are some of the COSC certified watches that I found on Amazon at prices between $600 and $1700.
Certina has been making watches since 1888. In 1959, they came up with the DS concept for extreme shock resistance. That tradition continues with the current DS line.
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| The Certina Action DS Chronometer (Amazon photo) |
The Certina Action DS is a diver-style watch with 300 meters of water resistance. However, the manufacturer cautions that while it is suitable for swimming, but not diving or snorkeling. The watch has a 43mm diameter case that is 13.67mm thick. As of this writing, it is regularly priced at just less than $650. You can find it here on Amazon.
If you are looking for a classic vintage watch style with a very price automatic movement, the Tissot Heritage Automatic 1938 COSC might be the choice for you. It has all the style of an old school field watch and comes in several dial colors. This one is pink, but I prefer the black or white dial options.
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| Tissot Heritage Automatic 1938 COSC |
This Tissot has a 39mm case that is 11.1mm thick. This watch retails for less than $850. You can find it here on Amazon.
If you want a real dive watch with 600 meters of water resistance and an 80 hour power reserve, the Mido Ocean Star Diver might be a good choice.
This watch has a 43.5mm diameter case that is 14.55mm thick. As of this writing, it's 30% off bringing it down to below $1300. You can find it here on Amazon.
None of these watches are cheap, but they are all tested to the highest standards of mechanical accuracy. While you do pay a premium for these watches, they are all considerably more affordable than a Rolex. To read more about the certification process, here is the COSC website.
Here's a Geoffrey Beene Quartz watch that I've been wearing lately. We recently found it in some stuff we had packed away. It was just $22 at Burlington. The subdials are non-functional decorations, but it does have a working date and a stainless steel caseback.
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| Geoffrey Beene Quartz Watch |
The thing about a watch like this is that it shows that you don't need to spend a whole bunch of money on a watch for daily wear. There are plenty of bang around watches for $50 or even less.
[This article is based on my X posts exploring affordable Small Seconds watches. I found a new watch and added to the three I posted on X.]
Today, we're all used to a long second hand but, back in the days of yore, watches often had a small subdial with a second hand. The Elgin pocket watches that helped keep the trains running on time are a great example of watches with small seconds.
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| A Mounted Elgin Pocket Watch |
You can still find the small seconds subdial on a variety of fine watches. For example, the Rolex 1908 has a small seconds dial. But, let's take a look at some current small hands seconds watches that we can actually afford.
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| Tactical Frog Miltado D12 (Amazon Photo) |
The Tactical Frog Militado D12 (left) has the vintage military look with a 36mm case diameter. The watch offers 100 meters of water resistance and is powered by a Japanese VD78 quartz movement. Priced at well under $100, it's a great deal.
Some reviewers have said that this watch is for smaller wrists so don't be surprised if you need to get a longer watch strap.
You can find the Tactical Frog Militado D12 watch here on Amazon.
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| Baltany WW2 Field Watch |
If you are looking for a larger case size, the Baltany S2081 WW2 Men's Field watch with small seconds and a date function features a 39mm diameter stainless steel case, an automatic movement, and a cleverly disguised date window at the 6 o'clock position within the small seconds subdial.
Baltany is well known for high quality Rolex Explorer-inspired homage watches that the watch community raves about and this field watch should be of a similarly high standard. For less than $200, it seems like a great deal for an attractive watch. You can find the Baltany WW2 Field Watch here on Amazon.
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| Timex 40mm Standard Sub Second Watch ( Amazon photo) |
For another more contemporary small hands watch look, the Timex 40mm Standard Sub Second watch blends new and old for a bold look. Powered by a quartz movement, this Timex is also surprisingly affordable at less than $100! You can find a limited supply of this Timex here on Amazon.
This watch is quite appealing because it renders old new again. I think the smooth case shapes and silver-toned subdial look both to the past and the future.
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| Orient Bambino, Version 7, Small Hands Watch, (Amazon Photo) |
Finally, for many, this small hands look cries out for an automatic movement and a truly vintage look. The 38.4mm Orient Bambino, Version 7, delivers both in a beautiful watch from a brand with a long heritage. It also comes in at an affordable price.
The watch has an in-house Orient F6222 automatic movement that can hack and be hand-wound. It has a stainless steel case and a domed mineral crystal. The watch comes in a few combinations with the white dial shown being the most affordable and the slightly more expensive black dial being a little more dramatic.
You can find this Orient Bambino, Version 7, Small Hands watch here on Amazon.
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| Venezianico Redentore Bronzo (Venezianico website image) |
It's just an amazing looking 40mm watch with a hand-aged antique bronze finish. It's powered by a Miyota 9039 Automatic movement and it has sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. The front of this watch is enough to earn it an instant sharp watch shout out! But, wait until you see the etched caseback!
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| The Horses of St. Mark captured on a Venezianico Redentore Bronzo Caseback (Venezianico website image) |
For this watch wearing Wednesday, my LaCoste 12:12 Silicone Strap watch is still going strong. That's probably a good thing because basic black LaCoste watches are hard to find on Amazon right now. They've got LaCoste watches in every other shape and color right here on Amazon.
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| LaCoste 12:12 watch |
This watch is a wonderful representative of minimalist watch style from a fashion brand. You can read my full review here on this blog! I continue to like this watch due to its grab and go simplicity and ease of wear.
Most of the time, this watch blog revels in the glories of all kinds of cheap watches. Ahem...inexpensive watches. Cheap watches fit into any budget. They strip away snobbery and distill the hobby down to "cool watch, bro" vibes that are healthy for everyone. They don't attract muggers or burglars or signal wealth levels that would make you a target. Most of the time, I enjoy the variety of cool looks that come with inexpensive watches. But, I really need to note that cheap watches have their downsides, too! Here are some of the problems that may arise with cheap watches.
1. Lack of Time Setting Precision. Sometimes with a cheap watch you'll go to set it and, when you push in the crown, the minute hand will jump 2 to 3 minutes in some random direction. I used to have that problem with Target, Walmart, and Caribbean Joe watches from time to time. However, eventually, you'll develop a steady hand and guide the crown down without changing the time.
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| An Inexpensive Caribbean Joe Watch |
2. Short Straps. One of the easiest things manufacturers can do to save a little money is to shorten the watch straps by just a little bit. By the time the watch makes it to consumers home, the maker can be enjoying a beach in sunny Mexico.
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| A short watch strap on a Caribbean Joe watch |
The watches will fit the wrists of most younger purchasers and older purchasers can simply replace the strap. Few people will actually go through the hassle of replacing or returning the watch. It's not usually too hard to replace tight bracelets with a roomier strap, I really liked the look of this Armitron Quartz Date Function Watch, but the bracelet was too tight. Fortunately, it was easy to swap out for a Bisonstrap as covered in my initial watch review.
3. Small Diameter Cases and Dials. Some inexpensive watches have smaller diameter cases and dials. While a 40mm case might look a little better, a 38mm case will be just a little cheaper to manufacture.
4. Non-Replaceable Bracelets. Sometimes cheap watches have strange, non-standard, connections between the watch bracelet and the watch case. It can make replacing the watch bracelet with a longer replacement, very difficult. Look for unusual strap/case connections before making a purchase.
5. Quality Issues. Finally, cheap watches sometimes have quality control issues. For example, the watch hands, the dial markings, and the bezel markings (particularly of a diver-style dial) may not align properly. It's frustrating to see that your minute markers don't line up with where the minute hand falls at the top of a minute. It's aggravating to see that you rotating bezel lines up half a degree off from 12 o'clock noon. You may not start out with an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) when you begin your watch collecting journey, but you may end up there.