TGIF: The Higher Quality Offerings of Armitron

Uncommon Watches from Armitron

Sometimes when you visit the official website of a watch company, you uncover some treasures that you haven't heard much about.  Armitron is one company that has higher quality watches offered on their website.  Collectors will find them more interesting than the Armitron watches found in discount stores.

Armitron Watch Categories

If you are used to seeing Armitron watches as discount timepieces at retailers like Walmart and Burlington, you'll see a nicer side of the Armitron line-up online at their website.  Armitron has six categories of timepiece listed on there: Timeless, Iconic, Specialty, Conscious, Active, and Smart.  The Conscious category has watches made out of recycled ocean plastics.  

The Armitron Reef is made using sustainable materials like recycled ocean plastics.

In the Timeless category, you'll find watches in classic styles including Tankers, Rolex-stye Datejust, Divers, and regular dress watches.  Amazingly, they have names like Grant, Charles, Ross (Rachel is a corresponding women's watch), Ridgemont, Lloyd, and  Miles. If you are used to model numbers that are random letters and numbers, named watches are quite a good change!

Armitron Rachel and Ross Dress Watches for Men & Women (Armitron website)

In the Iconic category, you'll find some of the most famous Armitron retro digital watches like the Griffy and Rogue.  

The Armitron Rogue Digital Watch

Specialty watches have a nice variety of mechanical skeleton watches. Finally, the Active watches include all sorts of practical digital watches for active sports and fitness. Right now, Armitron doesn't have any Smart watches listed on the site.

I thought I had covered Armitron well in Watches A to Z, but I just scratched the surface.  If you are interested in these watches, all you have to do is visit Armitron.com.

Watches A to Z: Armitron

Armitron History

If you are looking for quality watches at an affordable price point, you really can't go wrong with Armitron.  Armitron is one of the top 10 U.S. watch brands.  The company is a subsidiary of E. Gluck Corporation which was founded in 1956 by holocaust survivor Eugen Gluck. Armitron was established as a subsidiary company in 1975.  They are known for quartz watches, digital watches, and mechanical watches.

Famous Armitron Digital Watches

Armitron was founded just as quartz movements and digital watches were shaking up the world of watches. Casio had just released LCD digital watches in 1974 and Armitron sooned followed with similar digital watches that were arguably even better.

Armitron Retro Watch - Rogue

One of the famous LCD watches was the Rogue which was basically identical to the current retro version pictured here (above).

Another one of their most famous early digital watches was the Armitron Rubik.  Amazingly, the watch or a very similar version of it is still sold as part of Armitron's vintage collection (shown below).

Armitron Retro Watch - Rubrik

If you have a Pong console or an Atari 2600 for the sake of nostalgia, you might want to add one of these watches to your collection. Fortunately, you can easily find both of these watches.  

My Favorite Armitron Watches

Armitron Diamond Watch

Over the years, I've owned a few Armitron analog and digital watches and I've always thought they represented a great value for the money.  I first wrote of Armitron watches as potential Christmas gifts back in 2013.  One of my first was the simple Armitron Diamond analog watch.  Mine had a simple brown dial and had gold and silver tones.  I wonder if I still have it tucked away in a watch case somewhere.  It had the tiniest dot of a "diamond" at the 12 o'clock position.

Armitron Stainless Steel Quartz Watch

Perhaps, the Armitron that I am most enamored with is my Armitron Silver tone on Silver tone stainless steel watch.  You can read a full review of it here.

Are Armitron Watches Any Good?

Yes, Armitron watches are good. Armitron watches offer good, solid, reliable performance at low price points. Armitron watches don't usually have high price tags. Instead, the brand offers attractive products that provide good values at very attainable price points.  I've found that Armitron watches compare favorably to inexpensive watches from Timex and Casio. Brand and history are worth something. To me, Armitron watches stand above random cheap off-brand watches and excel at price points in the $20 to $75 range.

 

Watch Wearing Wednesday - Armitron Stainless Steel Watch

When it comes to watches, I do like the shine of a watch with silver tones.  Even as the sun sets, this watch from Armitron catches the last light of the evening and makes the most of it.

Armitron Stainless Steel Quartz Watch

This watch has been in my collection for over a decade.  If you'd like to see my review, check it out on this blog here. With a new battery, it's keeping time accurately without missing a beat.  Since this watch is almost vintage now, that makes this blog almost vintage, and that makes me almost vintage, too.

Armitron Stainless Steel Quartz Watch

[While I can't find this Armitron for sale in 2024, there are lots of reasonably priced Armitron watches available on Amazon.]

Armitron vs. Mega Moth

If you grew up in the seventies, you probably remember seeing great adventurers like Jacques Cousteau on the back covers of National Geographic Magazines extolling the virtues of Rolex watches.  But, if you wear $60 watches, your adventures tend to be a little less impressive.  Nevertheless, I discovered the largest moth I've ever seen a couple of weeks ago while wearing my favorite Armitron timepiece.  This moth wasn't at the bottom of the sea or on the top of Mt. Everest.  But, it was alarmingly close to our front door.  I dub it the Mega Moth! 

Armitron vs. Megamoth!

For a sense of scale, my Armitron stainless steel watch has a case diameter of 43 millimeters.   You can read my complete review in this post:

http://www.thewatchdude.blogspot.com/2012/12/mens-watch-review-stainless-steel.html

Armitron Watches for Christmas

November marks the start of the Christmas Season.  It's time to shop.  From now until Christmas, I'm going to try an cover potential Christmas gift watches from A to Z.  If my posts and reviews inspire you or give you a great idea, please consider buying via one of the advertisements that support this blog.  Now, onto the watches!  

In my collection, A usually stands for Armitron.  Armitron watches usually offer excellent style and design at affordable price points.  I typically get my Armitron watches from Kohl's.  However, Kmart and Walmart also have nice collections of Armitron watches on sale.

With Armitron, you can go digital or analog and have plenty of attractive options.  In the digital realm, I have two Armitron watches that look really cool.  The first watch is a no nonsense Armitron All-Sport digital watch.   It would be a great Christmas gift for a young person or a nice bonus or stocking stuffer for an adult. 

 The second Armitron digital watch in my collection looks like something from a Star Trek movie.  It is smooth, sleek, and futuristic.  In a nifty ergonomic twist, the face of this Armitron is slightly angled towards the wearer. 
  

 I also have two Armitron analog watches. One is a nice dress watch called the Armitron Diamond.  It's a simple, elegant, watch that is perfectly appropriate to wear to any office.  In looks, I think it rivals more expensive watches from Pulsar, Bulova, and Seiko. 

Finally, I added this really sharp Armitron stainless steel sport watch to my collection about a year ago.  Of all the Armitron's I own, this would make the best Christmas gift.  You can read the full review here on this blog:

 Men's Watch Review:  Stainless Steel Armitron with Leather Band

Recommended: My Favorite Armitron Stainless Steel Watch

Sometimes a watch just looks perfect.  It's the right size.  It's the right shape.  It's the right color.  It has a design that perfectly balances machismo with enough refinement to look nice in an office.  For me, my stainless steel Armitron (Model 20/4859GNSVBN) looks just right.  It has a classic contrasting silver on silver design that is an interesting take in military-inspired watches.  It's a classic!

My Favorite Armitron in the Garden of Good Watches

 The only issue I had with this Armitron was that the original leather band was just a tad short.  So, I replaced it with an inexpensive rubber diver-style band that makes the watch look even better!

Armitron (Model 20/4859GNSVBN)

Here is my stainless steel Armitron watch in original form at Kohl's with the original leather band.  For only $67.49, this watch is a definite steal!

A Striking Armitron in Black

I've been looking at this striking black Armitron for the past couple of years.  It looks like a very practical watch.  I really like the angled numerals on the face. However, the shiny silver numbers look just a little cheap to me.  The watch always catches my eye.  I stop. I check it out.  I hem and I haw and then I pass on it.  Typically, this Armitron sells for $60 at Walmart.  Now, it's marked clearance and it's a great deal.  However, I remained strong ...and poor.  Some day, this watch will find a home with someone else.  It is a very cool watch!

Armitron watch designers have been on a bit of a roll.  This Stainless Steel Black Ion is a fantastic looking watch.

Mens Watch Review: Stainless Steel Armitron with Leather Band

Every once in a while, a watch will strike me as being perfect. So it was with my most recent watch purchase a stainless steel Armitron with a leather band. With the catchy name like Model 20/4859GNSVBN, the watch had to beckon me by looking better than all the other men's watches at Kohl's in the Christmas of 2012. It looked better than any Timex, any Relic, any Citizen, any Seiko, any Caravelle, and almost any Bulova except the vaunted (and 10 times more expensive) Precisionist.

Armitron Stainless Steel Watch

Why was this Armitron so attractive? Besides being a shiny, gleaming, watch under department store glass, this Armitron combined the simple, manly, functional style of a military watch with the panache and flair of a showy high tech sport watch.  It also features an accurate Japanese quartz movement.

Watch Dimensions. This Stainless Steel Armitron has a military-style dial in a stunning silver-on-silver color scheme set into a solid-looking 43-millimeter diameter all stainless steel case. At 15 millimeters thick, the watch is robust without being monstrous or inconvenient at the office. The crown is thick and is circled by a grey rubber accent strip that makes pulling the crown and setting the watch a breeze.

 Armitron Model 20/4859GNSVBN

Watch Dial Style. The Arabic numerals denoting the hours are of a shiny silver-tone color that contrasts with the lighter silver-tone complexion of the dial. The sunray dial itself is subtly divided into four quarters that give the face a faceted look. When combined with the inner black circle with tiny 5-minute markings, the watch evokes the look of a rifle-scope crosshairs. Grey and white accents the perimeter of the dial (technically called the channel ring) of this watch. It's the angled upslope under the crystal from the watch face to the case. This perimeter area is also put to functional use with 24-hour markings for the hours and hash marks for the minutes.

My Stainless Steel Armitron Running Strong in 2024 with a new battery

Watch Pricing. Like all Armitron watches, my new wristwatch was affordable. Kohl's had it for $89.99, but offered considerable Christmas season sale discounts. However, the low price point manifests itself in one obvious drawback to this watch. The 18.5 centimeter brown leather band that came with the watch was a tad short for my wrist. I swapped the band for a diver-style rubber band from Timex. It fits well, has lots of room for expansion, and enhances the rugged look of the watch. I'd love it if watch companies offered a free or low cost watch band swaps with a watch purchase to ensure that any purchase fits well.

Overall, I really enjoy my new Armitron watch. It is a practical, readable, rugged and rich looking timepiece.

[While I can't find this Armitron for sale in 2024, there are lots of reasonably priced Armitron watches available on Amazon.]

An Attractive Armitron at Walmart

I noticed a cool looking Armitron watch in the case at Walmart.  It appears to have a very sophisticated looking rendition of the classic black canvas or nylon strap.  Of course, the strap is in "tactical black" the official color of manly men everywhere.  The label says it is made of steel, that it's ionic plated, and that it's water resistant to 165 feet.  It's a cool looking watch and a good deal at $45, but there's no counter help at Walmart in the wee hours of the morning.

Here's another amazing looking silver-tone Armitron that I found at an affordable price.  [This one ended up joining my collection and as of 2024 remains a favorite watch.]

Armitron Silver-Tone Stainless Steel Quartz Watch

Affordable Style and Class in a Dress Watch from Armitron!

Every guy has to dress up from time to time.  You need a good watch for date night, job interviews, weddings, church, and special events.  I've got many wristwatches to choose from in my watchbox, but one of my most elegant is an inexpensive watch from Armitron.

In this era of televised watches on the shopping channels, this understated Armitron is tasteful and affordable.