TGIF: Opening Up My Structure Instrument Panel Watch

 If at first you don't succeed, get a different tool . . .

My Structure Instrument Panel Watch after being shucked like an oyster

I will always love my humble Structure Instrument Panel Watch for letting me save about $3975 over the price of a Bell & Ross.  Here it is before getting a new NATO strap.  That savings is why I named this brand one of my Top 7 Off-brand / Store Brand Commodity Quartz Watches.

Structure Instrument Panel Watch

P.S. Don't be crazy about that knife.  If your hand slips (and it likely will), you could potentially cut yourself really bad.  Find a better tool.

My Dream Watch: Bell and Ross (BR01-94)

My dream watch is from Bell & Ross.  It has a unique squared off look and a design inspired by aircraft instrument panels.  They retail from $3500 or so and up.

This Bell & Ross watch (model BR01-94) picture came from Wikimedia Commons and was contributed by Rama under the Creative Commons License.

I've been plotting and planning on how to get one.  If you are fortunate enough to be able to afford a real Bell & Ross, go for the gusto. For now, I make due with an instrument panel imitator from Mossimo.  It sells for about $20 at Target.

A Big Boxy Watch from a Big Box Store

A Mossimo Alternative to a Bell & Ross Watch

I know, I know, I'm supposed to want the finest of Swiss Watches.  I do want them.  But, I can't afford them right now.  So, it's much easier to succumb to the allure of the watch shelves in big box stores like Walmart and Target.  Watches in the $10 to $20 range are often interesting and innovatively styled. My favorite watches from the Big Box stores often evoke the style of far pricier watches from high end jewelers.  For example, this big boxy Mossimo watch from Target looks much like a far more expensive Bell & Ross.  

Mossimo Ana-Digital Instrument Watch

Of course, if you have the money for a Bell & Ross Watch, don't let me slow you down.  As of this July 2025 update, here's one of the latest B&R ceramic models on Amazon. 

[As I look back on this watch from the vantage point of 2025, I loved the shape of this watch. But, there are a few things I didn't like about this Mossimo watch. One, it had a strangely integrated bracelet that couldn't be easily swapped out. The other is that anything digital might have a beep or an alarm go off at weird times. It was still fun to own since I never did get a real Bell & Ross watch.]