Wristwatch Review: US Polo Assn Accutime Men's Quartz Watch in Silver and Gold Tones

When it comes to inexpensive watches for men, US Polo Association is a name that comes up regularly. You can find this brand (spelled US Polo Assn) online at Amazon and in brick-n-mortar stores like JC Penney, Burlington, and Ross. In 2025, these watches are typically priced in the $20 to $30 range. They make great bang around watches.  You can find lots of analog US Polo Assn watches for men here on Amazon. Let's take a look at one of my US Polo watches in silver and gold tones.

US Polo Assn Watch in Silver and Gold Tones

Watch Style

This watch is awfully glamorous for an inexpensive timepiece that likely cost less than $25 at a Burlington store. But, the companies who make cheap watches are often on-point when it comes to fashion.  This one has a large silver dial with gold numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9, and gold tones for the hour batons US Polo Assn script and trademark polo pony and rider. The second hand is gold and the hour and minute hands are gold with a white insert. The gold tones continue with the bezel, crown, and alternating columns of a glossy gold and silver-tone bezel. It's quite the shiny watch.

Watch Construction

With gold at $3255 an ounce and silver just over $32 an ounce as of this writing, all gold and silver are definitely just tones at this price point. The watch has a stainless steel caseback and bracelet and a base metal case. The case and watch seems pretty solid and the metal doesn't scream cheap. However, the bracelet links are pretty light weight and clink with a hollow sound. One drawback that I don't like is that the watch bracelet is integrated into the case rather unconventionally.  While there is a pin you could push out to remove the bracelet, it would not be easy to just swap the bracelet for another strap. 

US Polo Assn watch riced bracelet connection to case

None of this is surprising at this watch price point. You could almost buy another US Polo Assn watch for the price of a replacement strap. One good thing about this watch is that it is manufactured by Accutime. They make good store-brand and team logo watches at affordable prices and I've never had any issues with their products.

Watch Dimensions

This watch has a 44mm diameter case that is 10mm thick. Some might find this watch large, but it is perfectly sized for me. I have a 9-inch diameter wrist and the bracelet fits me just fine. I'm on the last adjustment hole of the clasp.  With 20mm of adjustment holes, this watch bracelet can easily be resized to fit most wrists without removing links.  If more adjustment is needed the link pins are visible and should be easy to remove to take out a link.

The bracelet and clasp of my US Polo Assn Silver and Gold Tone Watch

Overall Impression

I like this watch and this brand for cheap bang around watches. The US Polo Assn brand offers attractively-styled watches that go well with most preppy and business casual wardrobes. If you buy a watch like this and invest the money you save over more expensive branch, you'll be a rich man for sure one day. I would definitely recommend this watch. 

Wristwatch Review: Thre3 Mens' Sport Watch in Rose-Gold Tone

Reviewing a Watch That's Classier Than It's $25 Price Tag

[I like to review truly inexpensive watches, too.  Therefore, I'm reprinting this review that I wrote for Yahoo Contributors Network.]

On a recent watch watching expedition, I was appalled by the high prices of many name brand watches from companies like Citizen, Seiko, and Bulova. Most models were in the $200 to $500 price range. That's a lot of money. In my household, the opportunity cost of a wristwatch in that price range is a new laptop computer foregone. Even my perennial favorite brand, Relic, mostly offered watches that hovered around $100. Those kinds of prices drive me back to being a Kmart shopper. Kmart may not have blue light specials any more, but they do have much better prices. They offered a whole slew of men's watches in the $20 to $25 price range. The one I found is a Thre3 brand men's sport watch from U.S. Polo Association in a rich rose gold tone.

Thr3 watch from US Polo Assn

This Thre3 watch looks a little classier than its $24.99 price tag. It has a 12-millimeter thick base metal case with a rose gold tone atop an etched stainless steel caseback. The 48-millimeter diameter case features a black dial with a smooth central disc surrounded by a cross-hatched pattern beneath the time markers. The watch is supremely readable thanks to a large face and bold white and gold edged numerals at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions. Bold gold-edged hashmarks are placed at the remaining hours. The hands are thick and white with a gold edge. Surprising for a watch in this price range, the numbers, hashmarks, and hands have a generous amount of luminous white paint that glows in the dark for a time after being exposed to light. The numbers are done in a font that reminds me of the the numbers on NASCAR racecars. But, this brand is inspired by another kind of horsepower: polo ponies. Thre3 is actually a licensed trademark of the U.S. Polo Association. The brand has a small logo consisting of crossed polo mallets beneath a laurel leaf ringed shield with a polo pony on it. It looks classy and is repeated in a larger form on the etched caseback.

Like all $25 watches, there are compromises. Even though the watch has a rose gold tone to it and gold edged hands, there is no actual gold in the watch. It's not a shocking compromise. This watch is made by Accutime Watch Corporation, a company that provides low cost quartz watches to many retailers. The rubber watch strap is a little stiff when compared to the silicone bands used on many other inexpensive bands. It has a masculine cross-hatched pattern as well. There is no date or day function. This Thre3 watch is strictly about telling time. Finally, as on many cheap watches, you have to be a little careful pushing in the crown after setting the time. If you are careless, the minute hand may drift by a minute or two when you push in the crown. The quartz movement itself is Japanese.

The U.S. Polo Association's Thre3 brand creates another classy looking watch at an affordable Kmart price point.

While this watch won't serve as a secret handshake that will let you rub elbows with the rich and powerful, it does perform well. In a week of wear, this Thre3 men's sport watch has kept accurate time and blends in perfectly at my business casual office. It's a great watch for telling time quickly at a glance. Overall, I recommend this Thre3 brand watch as an attractive and inexpensive alternative to overpriced quartz watches. It looks good and keeps time. You can't ask for much more.

Thre3 Watches for Christmas

If you are on a super tight budget or just want to give an inexpensive watch as a stocking stuffer, you might check out the Thre3 brand watches at Kmart.  Thre3 is a brand of the U.S. Polo Association and they look classier than their low price tag might suggest.

I have two Thre3 brand watches and like both of them.  The first one I bought was this sporty Ana-digital Watch.  I don't even bother with the digital functions.  It's just that the watch itself has an almost perfect racing watch look.

Thre3 Ana-Digital Watch

The second Thre3 brand watch was a straight forward analog affair with very readable markings and a slightly racy look. 

Thre3 Analog Sport Watch

While these watches only cost $20 to $30, they look far better than their low price tag would suggest.  If you are looking for an extra stocking stuffer gift this Christmas or just need a watch to fit within your gift buying budget, Thre3 brand watches might be a good addition to your shopping list.

Thr3 Watch By U.S. Polo Association

This inexpensive watch always makes my list.  It's from the US Polo Association brand called Thr3.  It's a good looking watch for a modest sub-$25 price.  It really hits the mark as far as basic military-style watches go.

Here's a similar watch at Kohl's from US Polo Association.  It's only a few dollars and has a more textured band and forgoes the 24-hour military time.  It's a really sharp looking watch for less than $30.

[While you might not be able to find the Thr3 brand on store shelves in 2024, you can still find plenty of US Polo Assn watches here on Amazon and in stores.]

Ana-digital Watches from US Polo Association

Over the holidays, I spent a little time nosing about in department stores and looking at watches.  Here are a couple of ana-digital watches from U.S. Polo Association.  Ana-digital watches supplement the traditional hands of an analog watch with digital watch features.  It's interesting to see how different watch companies strike a balance between traditional style and futuristic features with analog digital watches.

This first US Polo watch goes in a digital direction with a face that is dominated by digital features.

However, this US Polo watch takes a different tack by emphasizing the analog features of a very readable diver-style watch and adds a little extra digital feature at six o'clock.

I've read a few tweets disparaging U.S. Polo Association as a copy of the popular Ralph Lauren Polo brand.  Ironically, the U.S. Polo Association brand is the official brand of the actual governing body of Polo - the US Polo Association.  I figure that if I buy a US Polo watch from Kohl's or Sears, I'm a classy guy supporting the sport of kings.

By Ficflash (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

You can be a classy guy too.  Check out US Polo Association Watches on Amazon. Ironically, US Polo Association watches offer great looks at very affordable prices.

LaCoste Watches at Macy's

Every once in awhile, a luxury watch brand catches my eye.  I recently passed through a Macy's department store and spotted some interesting looking watches.  For their sheer simplicity, these LaCoste watches caught my eye.

LaCoste Watches from Macy's

They appear to have high quality bands and clean faces.  As a Florida Gator, I also approve of the logo on the dial.

[Blogger's update 2024:  I recently received a LaCoste watch as a gift.  You can read my review here.]

A Thre3 watch with elegance, style, and Kmart Pricing!

If you look through the vintage watch listings on ebay, you'll see where people are clearly willing to pay a little bit for an older watch in great condition.  This Thre3 watch from Kmart offers much of the same style in a convenient quartz package for less than $25.

An Elegant Thre3 watch!

Thre3 is a brand established by the U.S. Polo Association. If you like the Thre3 brand style, check out U.S. Polo Assn watches!

[While you might not be able to find the Thr3 brand on store shelves now and Kmart is long gone, you can still find plenty of US Polo Assn watches here on Amazon and in stores.]

The Coolest Ana-Digital Watch from the US Polo Association brand Thre3

Some watches just look fast.  They have a certain purposeful style that exudes speed and adventure.  I recently got a watch that would look great if I were a motorcycle racer like Toni Elías.

By GOGO visual (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

But, it has looks that would be more in keeping with a Ferrari at speed. . .

Photo by Lothar Spurzem, Bild-CC-by-sa/2.0/de

Fortunately, my watch costs considerably less than a vintage race car.  It's an ana-digital watch from the US Polo Association's Thre3 brand.

A Thr3 by US Polo Association Watch

[While you might not be able to find the Thr3 brand on store shelves in 2024, you can still find plenty of US Polo Assn watches here on Amazon and in stores.]

Thre3 Analog Watches by US Polo Association

If you want a simple, but elegant, analog watch, you might try the Thre3 brand by US Polo Association.  These watches are available in a variety of retail locations.  However, I most recently had good luck at Kmart.  Of the analog watches by Thre3, I liked this one the best:

Thr3 Analog Watch by US Polo Assn

It's a good looking watch for $20 to $25.  Unfortunately, the designs don't actually appear to be luminous.  But, this one is quite readable and has a nice, dare I say, vintage look!  With 24-hour time inboard of each hour, this Thre3 watch also draws on the look of vintage military watch.  However, the US Polo Association logo in the 12 o'clock position brings you back to the Thre3 brands association with the sport of polo.  It's an unusual alliance between the sport of kings and Kmart shoppers.  It should be noted that the US Polo Association is not linked with Polo by Ralph Lauren.  However, it is actually linked to the governing body of the sport of Polo.

[While you might not be able to find the Thr3 brand on store shelves in 2024, you can still find plenty of US Polo Assn watches here on Amazon and in stores.]