TGIF: Humble Watches with Class

Affordable Classic Watches

One definition of class is that it is an informal way to describe high elegance, tastefulness, or style. Classy extends that notion into notions of conduct, kindness, maturity, and respect. In fashion, these thoughts combine into clothing and accessories of high quality, appropriateness, taste, and restraint. There are a number of affordable watches that embody these values and are in better taste than many watches costing thousands more.

The watches of the Timex Waterbury collection are a good place to start. They start with a strong connection to Timex history and layer on quality features that watch enthusiasts are sure to appreciate. The Timex Waterbury Metropolitan 39mm features all-stainless steel construction, a quartz movement, a small seconds subdial and a design inspired by an iconic 5th Avenue Building. The Metropolitan is also satisfyingly slim at only 8mm thick. 

The Roman numerals, rail track minute markers, and Waterbury seal are nice touches. Quality, classic design, and Affordability are a powerful combination. The Metropolitan is currently 40% off on Amazon. You can find the Timex Waterbury Metropolitan right here via my Amazon Affiliate link.

Another classic brand to reach for Bulova's value brand: Caravelle.

This Caravelle by Bulova 41mm quartz dress comes in at just over $100. It delivers all stainless steel construction, a deep blue dial, a fluted bezel, and a classic dress watch look. If you are looking for provenance and connection, you can find it with this watch. Caravelle has been a brand since 1962 and has a long history of affordable quality. You can find this Caravelle 3-Hand Quartz watch here with my Amazon Associate link.

Watches like this embody class and the classic in terms of refined taste and restraint. Instead of making a show of wealth, they show an appreciation for refined design and timeless classic watch looks.

Twenty Dollar Tuesday: Rnondry Curren Dive-Style Quartz Watch

If you're looking for a cool watch on a $20 budget, there aren't too many options. But, this Rnondry (Curren) Diver-Style watch caught my eye. This Curren-branded watch has traditional vintage dive watch looks in a very affordable $20 package. 

I initially noticed this watch because It looks much like apparently discontinued Armitron 20/5571 and 5572 models that have long been on my wishlist. No matter, all trace their style to a long lost classic dive watch.

This Curren watch isn't actually a dive watch, but it does offer practical 30-meter water resistance. It is nicely proportioned with a 44mm diameter case that is 12mm thick. Like many diver-style watches in this price range, this one has a fixed, non-rotating, bezel. The watch has a stainless steel case and a silicone strap that should fit even the largest wrists.

You can check this great looking Desk Diver here on Amazon via my affiliate link!

Watch Deal Alert: Lacoste Rene 31mm Quartz Bracelet Watch

Sometimes, you'll scratch at the surface of a fashion brand's offerings and find that their catalog is deeper than you thought. Lacoste watches are an example. You'd think that it's simply a matter of putting the iconic crocodile logo on a few watches and calling it a day. But, then you come across a watch like the Lacoste Rene.

This watch design was based on a watch design that Rene Lacoste once wore personally. Before founding the Lacoste brand, Rene was a tennis superstar from the 1920s. He was one of the "Four Musketeers" from France that once dominated the sport.

This Lacoste Rene dress watch features a distinctive octagonal case, stainless steel construction, 50-meter water resistance, and a quartz movement. The watch has a 31mm diameter case and it's a slim 8.2mm thick.

It's a well-constructed and painstakingly designed dress watch that plugs into the rich history of Lacoste as a brand. Amazon currently has the Lacoste Rene on sale for 15% off to bring the watch in comfortably under $150.  You can find the Lacoste Rene octagonal watch here on Amazon.

I never realized that Lacoste had so many great looking dress watches. The Lacoste Rene is just a start. For more Lacoste dress watches, visit my Amazon affiliate storefront here.

Watch Strap Review: Woukup Military-Style Nylon Watch Strap

Replacing watch straps or bracelets is one tried and true way of sprucing up a watch collection. NATO-style military watch straps bring a rugged look and a lightweight feel to most watches. NATO straps are also very affordable. That's why I chose the Woukup nylon watch strap off of Amazon.

Woukup Nylon Military Watch Strap

The Woukup Nylon Strap is constructed of 1.2mm thick ballistic nylon with a ribbed texture running the length of the strap. It's a nice detail that results in a put together look. 

Ribbed text along the length of the strap

The clasp and keepers are made of 316L stainless steel. This is where military grade ruggedness comes in.

The eyelets are laser cut to prevent unraveling. Most importantly, this strap fits wrists from 5 to 8 inches in diameter.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with Woukup NATO-style nylon watch straps. I've actually purchased three of them for various projects. For under $15, they are a great deal.

You can get this one via my affiliate link here on Amazon.

Watches Under $40: A Minimalist Men's Relic

Minimalism has been a trendy look for watches for many years now. There are many models to choose from. However, it doesn't make much sense to pay a maximum price for a minimal watch. Fortunately, Relic has some very sensible choices for minimal prices. For example, this Relic comes in at under $40. It's an amazing quartz watch for the price.

Fossil Men's Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

This 40mm diameter watch offers a practical 30-meters of water resistance, a silver-tone alloy metal case, a genuine leather strap, and a scratch resistant mineral crystal. This watch doesn't have a date window so it's very easy to grab and go with it.

It's a steady seller on Amazon, gets 4.4 stars, and accomplishes the time telling mission.  Relic is a Fossil brand so you get a basic expectation of decent quality. You can check this great looking watch out here on Amazon!

TGIF: Over 4 million visits to The Watch Dude!

I'm truly honored and amazed that, thanks to your visits, this little hobby watch blog has just blown past 4 million hits.

I really appreciate your continued readership and support. Let's keep going!

I'm going to continue to focus on watches we can all afford--with an occasional dream watch thrown in just in case our lottery numbers come up. There are plenty of great looking watches to be excited about and I look forward to bringing them to your attention. There are also many angles to watch collecting just for fun.

Thanks again and happy reading!

Watch Deal Alert: Bulova Series A Automatic

I found a new deal on the Bulova Marine Star Series A Automatic! This one claims 49% off of the full retail price. I suspect that the venerable Seiko subsidiary is playing Invicta games with this one. But, anytime you can find this watch for less than $350, you are doing very well on price. I like this model because it brings alot of watch goodness together in one package. This watch has a 45mm diameter stainless steel case that is 13.45mm thick. As an automatic, the watch has an aperture allowing a view into the movement. It has a bright orange silicone strap and 200-meter water resistance. As a former sailing enthusiast, the bright orange of this watch strap reminded me of the foul weather gear I wore so many years ago.

Bulova Marine Star Series A (Amazon photo)

This striking watch offers the winning combination of a storied brand, rugged build quality, nautical inspiration, Roman numeral sophistication, and a Miyota 825S automatic movement with an approximately 42 hour power reserve.

You can check this Bulova Marine Star Series A Automatic here on Amazon. As the holiday gift giving season approaches, this Bulova watch would be an inspired gift for a boater, sailor, or yachtsman.

What is a flieger watch?

 A flieger watch is a watch inspired by the German Luftwaffe aviation watches of World War II.  The German word "flieger" literally translates into aviator, airman, and flyer. The original flieger watches were designed with very large dials--especially by the standards of the era and emphasized readability and reliability. Dials were around 55mm in diameter and long straps allowed them to be worn over flight gear.  The original makers of flieger watches for the World War 2 Luftwaffe were:  A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Laco, Stowa, and Wempe. These companies still make watches and some flieger models, but the most affordable mechanical ones are from Laco. I've posted about that company and their watches in my post Watches A to Z: Laco.

There were two main styles of flieger watch, Type A and Type B.  The Type A flieger watch was for pilots and had large readable arabic numeral hour markers around the dial.  You can check out a contemporary Laco Type A flieger here via my Amazon affiliate link.

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Laco Type A (Amazon Photo)

The Type B flieger watch was intended for navigators who needed to know the minute precisely for their duties.  It had minute markers with arab numerals around the outer edge of the dial and a small inner circle with hour markers. You can check out the Laco Type B flieger watch here via my Amazon affiliate link.

Laco Type B Flieger (Amazon photo)

Flieger-style watches are practical and popular. Many people collect them and many companies offer variations on the theme. If you are looking for an affordable quartz Flieger Type B, check out the Mil-Tec Vintage Aviator here via my Amazon affiliate link.

Mil-Tec Vintage Aviator (Amazon Photo)

If you look around, you'll start to see Flieger-style watch dials everywhere. It will be fun to see what pops up.

Twenty Dollar Tuesday: US Polo Assn Men's Quartz Analog Bracelet Watch

Now that the Ten Dollar watches are mostly in the rear view mirror, we can cruise at more exclusive levels. At the twenty dollar level, you can join the ranks of the US Polo Assn. Your friends may start to call you Big Money, your barrista may look at you with newfound respect, and the waitress at Waffle House may call you honey, baby, or even sugar. They should because this US Polo Assn Quartz Bracelet Watch with a Blue Dial with gold tone bezel and two tone stainless steel bracelet is a genuinely nice looking watch.

US Polo Assn Men's Quartz Analog Bracelet Watch (Amazon photo)

We laugh, but Amazon sells over 500 of these watches each month and they've earned a 4.4 star rating in over 682 ratings. Customers usually keep this watch due to its appearance and value for the money.

The case has presence at 44.4mm in diameter and 11mm thick. The case is likely based metal, but the ad copy claims the bracelet is stainless steel. The ad copy also claims no water resistance, but the specifications say it has 100-feet of water resistance.  At less than $20, you can leave it in a shoe by the pool. One thing casual wearers will like is the wide range of adjustments on the clasp. Most buyers won't have to remove links themselves.

US Polo Assn Quartz Watch Profile (Amazon Photo)

US Polo Assn watches are made by Accutime. Over the years, I've never had a problem with any of the countless watches the company makes. This one is  a fashion watch for sure, but Accutime brings a level of quality control to watch production and this one looks good. You can use my affiliate link to check it out here on Amazon.

For more on US Polo Assn and their watches, read my post Watches A to Z: US Polo Assn.

For even more US Polo Assn watches at great prices, check out my Amazon affiliate Storefront.

Timex Under $60: Timex Expedition Gallatin!

The Timex Expedition Gallatin is a great watch for armchair commandoes and cat burglars. It simply has the commando look at a very affordable price point under $60.

Timex Expedition Gallatin Watch (Amazon Photo)

This 42mm diameter watch offers 50-meters of water resistance, a black resin case, an acrylic crystal, a non-rotating bezel, a date window, and green silicone band. It also has indiglo back lighting. Most importantly, it has looks that rival watches costing thousands more. You can check this great looking watch out here on Amazon!
For a full review of this watch, check out my Timex Gallatin review post.

How to Change A Battery on an Ed Hardy Watch

With the Halloween holiday upon me, I decided to bring two or my Ed Hardy watches back from the dead. Both have creepy skulls in relief on their dials. It's just the right amount of creepiness for the day.

Step 1: Open the Case

I used the small watch back opening blade from my Walmart watch repair kit. There is a very small notch between case and caseback where it meets the case. That's where you stick the blade and pop the case off.

But, in truth, I could have used any pocket knife with a sturdy blade that can be used as a lever.

Step 2: Determine the battery needed

I removed the white plastic spacer by gently lifting up out of the watch. I could then see that both of these watches use 377/SR626SW watch batteries. You can find them easily on this blog's battery page.

Step 3: Remove the dead batteries

Next I gently pry out the old battery while being careful not to bend, fold, or mutilate the small clips that overlap the edge of the battery. Sometimes you can get the battery on an angle and just pop or push it out.

Step 4:  Insert the new battery.

Inserting a new battery is the reverse procedure. I just work gently and press the battery flat when I'm done. I peak at the dial to make sure the second hand is moving.

Step 5: Press the Plastic Retention Back  Ring In

To hold the works together and keep the dial aligned with the case and movement.

Notice there is a slot in the plastic ring that is open for the crown stem that runs from the crown into the movement.

Step 5: Press the case back on.

You'll see a small indent of the caseback to give space for the watch stem. But, this watch is so thick, it doesn't really come into play. However, I line it up anyway.

Next, I break out my Watch Case Press,  select the nylon die that fits the bezel of the watch and press the case back on. You can purchase an inexpensive watch case press here on Amazon using my affiliate link. It's an easy process.

If you like watches with skull designs, come visit the collection on my Amazon storefront.

TGIF: Check Out the Amazon Storefront

The Watch Dude Amazon Page has really grown into something. It's become a really useful way to aggregate watches and list off alternatives in various categories. It also allows me to post eye catching watch photos and link to cool watches directly. The page is great fun, but as of this Halloween, it's a bit of a ghost town. I'd love to get more interaction.

If you are looking for more great watch ideas about affordable watches and the watches we can dream about and attain, check out my Amazon affiliate storefront here! You'll find watch content including idea lists for thin watches, affordable Swiss watches, ten dollar watches, fluted watches, and more. Photo montages highlight various groups of watches (preppy, racing, Made in USA, and more) so that you can find watches at a glance. It's a cool way to check out watches and get ideas. Visit, bookmark it, and enjoy!

Watch Spotlight: Bulova Men's Marine Star

If you are looking for a solid chronograph watch from a name with history and cultural presence, you might just want to check out the Bulova Marine Star Series B Chronograph. This Bulova Marine Star with a blue dial is a good deal at its regular price point. It slides in under $300 and beats many competitors prices.

This Marine Star features a stainless steel case, mineral crystal, 100 meters of water resistance, and 1/20 of a second chronograph. I've had good luck wearing a similar Marine Star myself. These watches pack a lot of functionality into a manly watch package.

You can check this great looking Bulova watch out here via my Amazon Affiliate Link!

Watch Deal Alert: Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison Blue Dial 3-Hand Date Watch

Deal on! I've been watching the Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison watch on Amazon for awhile and it's deeply discounted again! The blue dial version of this solar-powered field watch is on sale for 45% off! The watch has a 42mm diameter stainless steel case, a date window, traditional field watch markings, a robust leather strap, and 100-meters of water resistance.

Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison (Amazon photo)

With eco-drive, the Citizen Garrison is a thoroughly modern take on the classic field watch. This Citizen is the perfect watch for summer activities: camping, hiking, fishing, and more. You can check it out here on Amazon. At under $200 in the lead up to the holiday season, this watch may be the perfect choice for early holiday gift shoppers.

Twenty Dollar Tuesday: SKMEI Men's Business Quartz Watch

 If you are looking for dress watch elegance on a tight budget, SKMEI is a good brand to start with. This SKMEI Men's Business Quartz Watch is a great choice. I had a silver-tone one in my collection for many, many, years. I finally retired it when an applied Roman numeral marker became detached. You can read my SKMEI dress watch review here. For less than $20, this is one heck of a watch!

In this iteration, SKMEI says the case diameter is 40mm.  The thickness is 10mm. That seems about right. The watch is secured by a leather band. The only difficulty that I've had with SKMEI watches over the years is that sometimes it can be difficult to get the caseback off to make a battery change. You can see all my SKMEI watch posts here on my blog.

For less than $20, this watch is a great addition to an inexpensive watch collection. Simply said, it looks like a million bucks. If you are intrigued, check it out here with my Amazon affiliate link.

Wristwatch Review: Harry Williams Quartz Moon Phase Watch

Most of the elite dress watch makers offer watches with sophisticated moon phase complications. They offer old world charm, an easy way of knowing whether your watch is in the morning or evening and, usually, a whimsical smiling face or two. Earlier this year, I was able to score an outstanding deal on an affordable quartz moon phase watch from the upstart brand - Harry Williams. 

The Harry Williams Moon Phase Quartz Watch

Harry Williams Watch Features

The primary feature of this watch is the moon phase subdial. It shows the sun during the day and the moon at night. The faces are exactly centered at noon and midnight. In the evenings the sun gives way to stars and then the moon.  In the early morning, the moon and stars give way to the sun's rays and then the sun. 

Harry William Watch Construction

Construction is all stainless steel with 3 ATM (30-meter) water resistance. The watch comes with a leather strap and is also offered with a mesh bracelet. According to the Amazon copy, it has a mineral crystal or acrylic crystal.

Harry Williams Watch Style

Harry Williams was inspired by the contrasting personalities of the British Royal brothers:  Harry and William. The watch has a classic  minimalist design. The face is silver, not white as the Amazon copy says. Its contemporary dimensions make it feel like a modern watch while the sub-dial makes it feel old school. The applied batons are blue which matches the strap and makes the watch easy to read. 

However, one thing is a little weird. The sun and moon phases appear upside down in their aperture. Is it intentional humor or poor quality control? It's humor, I think. The brand embraces the convention of classic silhouettes, but gives itself "the freedom to surprise."

Harry Williams Watch Dimensions

By my measurements, this watch is 40mm in diameter and 9 mm thick.  The strap is 18mm wide.

Overall Impression of the Harry Williams Moon Phase Watch

I like this watch.  It's whimsical, weird, modern, and traditional all at one time. It's also comfortable to wear, easy to read, and a little classy.

Where to Buy Harry Williams Watches

You can visit the Harry Williams Watches website (here) to see the full variety of models. You can get 10% off by joining their mailing list. But, for a better watch deal, check out my affiliate link here to check out this Harry Williams Quartz watch. I've also seen a variety of Harry Williams watches appearing on online auction sites.

For alternatives to this moon phase watch, check out my post on moon phase watches under $100 here. For even more savings and ideas, check out affordable moon phase watches on my Amazon affiliate store front here.

Watch Deal Alert: Tommy Hilfiger 3H Quartz Watch - Blue Dial

I've found another great price on a Tommy Hilfiger 3H Quartz watch.  This time the deal is on a watch I already own.

This one is an attractive silver tone stainless steel watch with a blue sunray dial. It's currently 25% off on Amazon. With the Movado Group managing Chinese manufacturing and incorporating reliable Japanese quartz movements,  these watches are a solid value.

Tommy Hilfiger 3H Quartz Watch with Blue Sunray Dial (Amazon Photo)

This watch has a 42mm diameter case and 30-meters of water resistance. With the Amazon sale price, this watch sells for just under $90. However, there are many great deals on stable mates with other color and dial combinations. Most come in under $105. 

I received this watch as a Christmas gift and can vouch for its quality. Amazon beats the department store price, but it's a great watch any way you get it. If you'd like to check this one out, you can get it via my Amazon affiliate link here. Your purchase will help support this blog and you'll get a watch that punches far above its price class.

Watch Spotlight: The Relic Jaden Men's Watch

In this time of inflation and economic insecurity, it's good to find some watch values that allow us to feed the collecting bug while being prudent. I recently found this great looking Relic Watch on Walmart.com. It has a purposeful retro watch look, a 43mm diameter allow case, 30-meters of water resistance, a stainless steel case back, and a quartz movement. It's available for $80 online with the biggest of the big box stores.

Relic Jaden Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

$80 is a decent price for a watch that has a little bit of a Rolex Milgauss thing going on. Over the years, I've found that Relic consistently brings great looking watches to market.  While it's easy to dismiss Relic as a bargain Fossil, these are substantive watches that wear well and last. 

While this model has disappeared from Amazon, you can see a wide variety of Relic watches for men here using this affiliate link to Amazon.

Watch Spotlight: AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Automatic Aviation Watch

If you're looking for an interesting timepiece to add to your collection, you might look at the AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Aviation watch. While the "flieger" design cues of a World War II aviation watch abound, the watch also includes styling cues to pay tribute to the Hawker Hurricane and the Battle of Britain. The tiny airplane silhouette at the rear of the second hand is just for fun.

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Automatic (Amazon photo)

AVI-8 watches are special timepieces that are still affordable. The JXB on the dial represents the Hawker Hurricane flown by Flight Lt. Arthur Victor Clowes--a Hurricane Ace with 11 confirmed victories.

The watch has a Japanese Automatic movement. It's a sizable watch with a 46mm case that is 14mm thick. It has a mineral crystal that is anti-reflective coated  It's also water resistant to 50-meters. (Only bad pilots need more.) The watch is secured via a 22mm diameter leather strap.

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Automatic Case Back (Amazon photo)

As an automatic, the AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane competes well with offerings from a variety of watchmakers. It comes in under $400. That's a great price for a special watch that few others are likely to have. Many pay more for exclusivity. AVI-8 also offers a wide variety of quartz models that are worthy of consideration. (I was given an AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane quartz model back in 2012 in exchange for a fair review.  You can read that review  here on this blog.

If you'd like to check this automatic watch out, use my affiliate link to the AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Automatic here on Amazon before these watches fly away.

Attack of the Preppies: A Pair of Black Watches to Watch

When it comes to aggressive timepieces, everyone focuses on dedicated tactical and famed field watches that strike a paramilitary chord in our collective psyches. But, what if the real threat was the preppies? No one suspects them. But, we've seen the 80s movies. The preppy villains got their come uppance back then. But, they could strike back now. There could be a popped collar legion gathering strength right now.  They've got own stealthy watches. Let's look at a pair of preppy battle watches!

Hilfiger 3-Hand Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

This Hilfiger 3-Hand Quartz watch (above) is a masterpiece of dark design. It's black with a 44mm diameter silicone case, a 24mm wide silicone strap, and a stainless steel case back. The watch is 11.1mm thick and offers 50-meter water resistance  It's also on sale for less than $60. You can check this great looking watch out here on Amazon!

Lacoste 12:12 Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

If you think you can just flee from the preppies, you'd be wrong. The Crocodile is an ambush predator and this murdered out Lacoste 12:12 (above) screams danger, danger, danger! A preppy could emerge from the darkness and land a snide comment at any time. This watch has a black case made from TR90 Composite Material (plastic) with a stainless steel caseback and a silicone strap. Nice styling cues like a "petit pique" pattern in the center of the silicone strap and edges of the dial class this model up. The crocodile design on the caseback is the retro bomb!

Lacoste 12:12 Quartz Watch (Amazon Photo)

The dimensions of the Lacoste 12:12 are perfect at 42mm in diameter and a slimmer 9.8mm thick with a 20mm strap to secure the timepiece to the wrist.  To see this great looking timepiece use my affiliate link to it here on Amazon!

Dream Watch: Hamilton Khaki Aviation Automatic

I recently saw an X post inquiring about this interesting aviation-inspired watch.

A mystery watch on X

The timepiece turned out to be a Hamilton Khaki Aviation Automatic. It's a 45mm diameter watch on a genuine cow leather strap. Powered by the Swiss H-30 Automatic Movement, it has an 80-hour power reserve. It's in the same ETA movement family as the Tissot Powermatic 80. I found this watch on Amazon for just under $1400.  It's what I would classify as an achievable watch according to my scale here - Defining Watch Affordability.

Hamilton Khaki Aviation Automatic (Amazon photo)

 To find this watch yourself, you can use my Amazon affiliate link here to the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Automatic.  

Watch Deal Alert: Casio AE1200WH Series Digital Watch

Hello Mr. Bond. I see you are interested in a villainous timepiece from Casio. I'm not surprised. If you want a watch to track your network of orbital satellite weapons, track incoming drone attacks, and countdown to the moment the world must deliver your million dollars, you might start with the Casio AE1200WH World Time Illuminator Digital watch. 

It can't do any of that, but it sure looks like the kind of watch a supervillain would wear. We'll set off sirens and alarm bells to announce a watch deal alert for 25% off on this watch. Now, it comes in at just under $30 on Amazon.

The real capabilities of the Casio are impressive. For example, the map is to help track world time across 31 timezones and 48 cities. The watch also offers 1/100 second stop watch, 5 alarms, an analog subdisplay, and backlighting. Physically, the watch offers 100-meter water and 10 years of battery life.

You can check out this super villain watch using my affiliate link here on Amazon. But, if you do, Mr. Bond, I expect you to buy.