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.

 

Armitron Watches - Great Gifts for the Holidays

In the world of middle class timepieces, the Armitron watch brand isn't as popular as Timex or as prestigious as Seiko.  It doesn't have the air of exclusivity that surrounds new brands and internet micro brands.  But, Armitron consistently brings two things to the table:  nice watches and excellent prices.  Some Armitron timepieces simply look like a million bucks!  If you are looking for a gift for a man this Christmas, many Armitron watches are worth a close look!

Here are three affordable Armitron timepieces that I spotted at Walmart at clearance prices.  This first one is a great gold tone watch with a sophisticated striped dial design.  It's the kind of watch that would look at home on the wrist of any executive.  It's the kind of watch that people might strain their eyes to figure out what brand it is. 

 

This watch has a 44 millimeter case and a 165-feet of water resistance.  It looks like the bracelet and case have an alternating gold tone and stainless motif. 

This next model is a basic dress watch for the office with an expansion band.  My pictures don't do it justice, but it covers the basics and it's much less expensive than similar watches from competing brands.  For a young man on his way up, this watch would definitely suffice.

While this watch is priced low as a Walmart clearance item, it's not tremendously expensive on Amazon.com.

Finally, we come to the common digital watch from Armitron.  While many consumers are looking for a Casio G-Shock or Timex Ironman watch, this Armitron is a great alternative.  It has large readable numbers for the time and the date front and center.  It also has 330 feet of water resistance.

You can find the watch for a good price at Walmart or online at Amazon.com.  These watches represent a good value.  Plus, they are perfectly priced to be great gifts or stocking stuffers over the holiday.

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!

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.]