TGIF: Shop Your Watch Box

One way to save money on watches is to replace the batteries in quartz watches that have died and that haven't been worn for awhile. I pulled out one of my old watch boxes that had been packed away for a bit and found this Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier quartz watch. Since I had stored it in the nice box it came in, the watch really looked like new.

A Wenger Swiss Military Watch

I originally bought this watch for just $99 at a TJ Maxx store. I figure I saved about $95 by replacing a battery and NOT buying a new watch. Of course, that was before I saw this new Wenger.

Wenger Seaforce in Black (Amazon photo)

It's the Wenger Seaforce and it has 200-meters of water resistance. That's not going to change my course. I'll let that beauty stay right where it was on Amazon here at my affiliate link. I'm not buying it. I've got lots of watches that need new batteries.

Affordable Swiss Watches: Three Swiss Watches for $100 or Less

If you are on a tight budget and looking for affordable Swiss Made watches for your collection, it can be a challenge. Many Swiss watchmakers have moved up-market and staked out high price points that aren't always easy to attain for many consumers and especially younger collectors. Fortunately, there are still a few Swiss watch brands that most people can easily afford.  Here are three Swiss Made watches that are available for $100 or less.

Mathey-Tissot Excalibur Series Three Hand Date Watch

Mathey-Tissot is an interesting watch brand with a long and rich heritage.  It was founded in 1886 by Edmond Mathey-Tissot. Originally founded in Les-Ponts-de-Martel, Switzerland, it was moved to Geneva in 1975 when it was acquired by American distributor Jules Elefant. The brand changed ownership again in 2014 when it was acquired by Alberto Frigerio.  It is now managed by Swiss Watch Partners SA. Most of their watch models cost less than between $100 and $2000 within many offerings below $500. 

Mathey-Tissot Excalibur Series Three Hand Date Watch (Amazon Photo)

For this exercise, I focused on cost and selected their least expensive watch. The watch above is the Mathey-Tissot Excalibur Series Swiss Quartz watch. It's an all stainless steel watch with a 45mm diameter case that is 10mm thick. I love that they call the pattern "Medieval." You can check this watch out here via our Amazon affiliate link!

Wenger Urban Metro Swiss Quartz Watch

When Victorinox acquired Wenger in 2005, the Wenger brand started to disappear from the watch marketplace. The brand stopped making Swiss Army knives in the 2013 timeframe. It was a small price to pay to end tedious arguments about which brand was the original and which was the genuine Swiss Army brand. However, as Victorinox has moved more upscale, they must have made the decision to bring back the Wenger brand. According to Grok, the Victorinox subsidiary Wenger is focused on watches, travel gear, and licensed products (other than knives). The Wenger Urban Metro watch is a 42mm diameter Swiss Quartz watch that features minimalist styling and a canted date window at 4 o'clock.

Wenger Urban Metro Swiss Quartz Watch

Initially, this watch reminded me of the utilitarian designs from Mondaine (covered here on this blog). However, a second glance reveals strong field watch influences from timepieces like the Tudor Ranger. You can see the Wenger watch here using our Amazon affiliate link.

Swatch New Generation Bio-Ceramic Swiss Quartz Watch 

Finally, one popular Swiss Brand needs to be mentioned:  Swatch.  The brand makes all kinds of cool watches that are affordable and made in Switzerland. This one hits our $100 mark and brings a bit of style to the conversation. Swatch has watches that run from $60 on up and has recently made waves with collaboration watches with some big names in the watch industry.  The one pictured here today is called "Good to Gorp" and incorporates the latest in Bio-Ceramic case technology. This should increase the watch's longevity.

Swatch "Good to Gorp" Bio-ceramic Watch

You can find this Swatch here via our Amazon affiliate link. There are many other Swatch watches in this price range so this brand could form the basis for an interesting and affordable collection.

In an era when so many watch prices seem completely unaffordable, it's nice to have options! 

Watch Sighting: Wenger Off Road Watch with GMT Dial

Still looking for a great gift idea for a man?  You might check out this Wenger Off-Road GMT watch.  It offers rugged good looks, a Swiss-made quartz movement, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and water resistance down to 100 meters (for swimming or snorkeling).  The 42 millimeter diameter case and 22 millimeter wide strap are perfectly proportioned for most men.

The small red hand on the dial should be set to point at the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  The Greenwich Mean Time is the time at the Prime Meridian (0-degrees longitude).  When you read the GMT, you can mentally make the adjustment to any familiar timezone.  For example, Atlanta, Georgia, is GMT -5:00 hours.  When it's 7:30 a.m. at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich England, it's 2:30 a.m. here in Atlanta.  You can check your time difference here at GreenwichMeanTime.com.  There are a wide variety of ways that aviators and other professionals can use a GMT watch..

The Greenwich Royal Observatory - Photograph by Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent. (www.clemrutter.net). (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Two Ways to Feel Like a Commando

Have you ever wanted to feel like a commando?  Well, there are two ways to feel like a commando.  The hard way and the easy way.  The hard way involves getting in shape, joining the army, getting airborne qualified, earning the Ranger tab, excelling as a Ranger, and joining Delta Force.

By Sgt. Austin Berner (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1249435) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On this path, feeling like a commando entails a life of danger, getting shot at, and tens of thousands of push-ups, pull ups, eating small lizards, and getting mud in all sorts of bodily crevices.

By Sgt. Austin Berner (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1249402) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On the plus side, you do get to blow stuff up and a lots of free ammunition. Most importantly, you will get the respect and admiration of your countrymen.  Every cubicle slave will wish that they were you.  You will be physically and mentally fit.  You will have earned the quiet pride that comes with knowing that you are truly the best of the best.

By Sgt. Austin Berner (https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1249849) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Alternatively, the second way to feel like a commando is to simply buy yourself a Wenger Sea Force watch. Obviously, this is the easy way.  Since the watch is water resistant to 200 meters, it never gets mud into internal crevices.  It is black as night and offers a sleek, business-like, appearance.

Wenger Sea Force Watch

The Perfect Wenger Watch for Winter

Winter has been wicked to the South this year.  It initially caught our leaders unprepared, left commuters trapped in their gridlocked cars for up to twenty hours, and then it kept everyone home from work with freezing rain and snow.  That doesn't usually happen in the Georgia.
 

A Frozen Magnolia Tree

 During the ice storms, it was weird to have a world without cars.  From Tuesday through Thursday, few people dared to venture out on the highways.  Instead, we just holed up in our apartments.

Corvette on Ice

Fortunately, Wenger had just the ticket to help psychologically prepare me.  I strapped on my Wenger Swiss Military Men's Grenadier Watch and was totally ready for all things Alpine!  If you'd like to read more about the Swiss Military Grenadier, check out my review:

Wristwatch Review:  Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier Quartz Watch

Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier Watch

Once I was wearing my watch, I was able to tackle the ice and the snow with grace and aplomb.  Well, at least, I was able to get out and walk the dog.

Swiss alpine skier Olivier Brand during the European Cup Giant Slalom in Hinterstoder, Austria on January 11, 2008.

Wenger Swiss Military Watch

For my birthday, my wife got me a couple of watches.  One of them was this very cool looking Wenger Swiss Military Grenedier watch.  It has a Swiss quartz movement, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and a very readable dial.  You can read my completed review here:

Wristwatch Review:  Wenger Swiss Military Grenadier Quartz Watch 

Wenger Swiss Military

I like the look of this watch and now it's hard to differentiate me from a Swiss Commando like this guy!

Swiss Grenadier carring a Stgw 90 whilst taking part in the Swiss raid commando competition 2007.

Surprisingly many of these Swiss quartz watches are reasonably priced.  I found a number of Wenger Swiss Military watches priced between $75 and $135.  If you'd like to join the Swiss Military (at least in spirit), check out some of these great values:

In the Army now . . . the Swiss Army!

If you are in a martial mood, you might check out a Swiss Army watch.  I received this Wenger Swiss Army watch many years ago as a gift and it's really neat to have a watch that's actually made in Switzerland.  This watch has a quartz movement.  If you like wristwatches from a particular company, but can't afford an expensive automatic watch, you might consider a quartz watch from the same company.   

A Wenger Swiss Army Watch

If you'd like a Wenger Watch of your own wing on over to the Wenger Watch listings via our affiliate link with Amazon. As of 2025, the Wenger brand is back on Amazon in earnest. They have watches and a variety of personal accessories for sale.