Wristwatch Review: CIVO Analog Quartz Watch

Can a Cheap Chinese Watch Replace A Rolex?

I bought a new watch. It is the CIVO Analog Quartz watch for men. It's a low cost watch that looks good and competes well against much higher priced watches.

CIVO Men's Analog Quartz Watch

Will it replace a Rolex Explorer or Rolex Datejust? Well, it tells time just like both of them. It has a Japanese quartz movement that seems very reliable. It even has lume on the hour and minute hands. Of course, it doesn't have lume that's intense enough to glow for hours after you've gone to bed.

CIVO Watch Design

From a design perspective, this watch sits in a practical space somewhere between a dress watch and field watch. As a field watch, it has a readable white dial with a small date window just inside of the 3 o'clock position. As a dress watch, the bezel has a coin-edge fluted design that catches the sun with a datejust-like dazzle. I test the watch in a field on a 90-degree plus day and it survived just fine.

This Civo watch is working just fine in a field

Perhaps a forest test for this watch would be in order?

CIVO Watch Dimensions

In terms of dimensions, the CIVO Analog watch has contemporary dimensions with a 39mm diameter case that is 10mm thick. The hook clasp bracelet fits wrists up to 8.66 inches. The watch dimensions are perfect for the office, formal events, or a walk in the woods.

CIVO Hook Clasp Watch Bracelet

Some reviewers don't like the hook clasp bracelet.  It's kind of an old-fashioned setup. But, I found that it worked well once initial adjustments are made.

To Adjust the Civo Watch bracelet, you have to use a small screwdriver, insert it into the center of the hook landing area, and gently pry it open. Then you can slide the hook landing area to have a longer or shorter bracelet to fit your wrist.

The Hook Clasp Landing Area in the Open Position for Adjusting the Length

Once you have adjusted the bracelet to the desired length, you need to press the landing area down to ensure it is secured to the bracelet.

Hook Clasp Landing Area in the Closed Position Secure  to the Bracelet and Ready for the hook

The hook portion of the other part of the bracelet clamps over the bar on the left (above) and the clasp then folds down over the landing area. In practice, I found that it worked well and, once adjusted, doesn't have to be changed.

CIVO Watch Construction

The CIVO Analog watch features all stainless steel construction:  a stainless steel caseback, stainless steel bracelet, and stainless steel case. The crystal is simply listed as glass.

The watch has 10 atmospheres (30 meters/100 feet) of water resistance. That's a practical specification to protect against rain, sweat, and normal handwashing but not for swimming or diving.

CIVO Analog Watch Impressions

I was quite impressed by this simple watch. It provides the minimalist style and functionality that so many crave in more expensive field and minimalist watches at a price that can't be beat.

The CIVO Analog watch takes alley shortcuts with confidence

In the urban environment, the CIVO Analog seemed urbane enough. I've worn it to the office, on errands, and out walking the dog and the watch has simply worked and worked well. 

CIVO Analog Watch Packaging

Overall, I've been very impressed by the watches I've purchased as a result of my Ten Dollar Tuesday watch quest. You can see the other watches that I've found here on my blog. I think I like this one the best because of its simplicity and stainless steel construction.

CIVO Watch Price

The Civo Silver Quartz watch for men generally sells for under $30.  But, as of thie writing. this white dial variant is on sale for 67% off, that brings it in at a penny under $10. That's an amazing price. If you'd like grab one, check it out here using my Amazon Affiliate Link.

Can A CIVO Watch Replace A Rolex?

If you've been waiting to know whether this humble CIVO analog watch can replace a Rolex--like an Explorer or Datejust--you probably already know the answer.  Of course, a CIVO can replace a Rolex--especially when you can't afford a Rolex!

TGIF: Solving A Fluted Bezel Conundrum

Say you've been thinking about adding a dress watch with a fluted bezel to your collection, but you have few rules:

1. It can't be a Rolex Datejust.
2. It can't be a Datejust homage.
3. It can't cost more than $1000.
4. It has to be a respectable brand with a history. 

A Nibosi Datejust Homage Watch

It's a bit of a conundrum.  You like that sparkle, but you aren't presidential material. Homage watch can be cool. But, sometimes for work, you might want to avoid an obvious datejust homage watch. You also don't want to spend more than $1000 because you can always get that "no papers" Rolex from the pawnshop for about $3000. What do you do?

A "no papers" Rolex Datejust at the Pawnshop

I think that you look at watches from Bulova and their value-oriented brand Caravelle. Bulova has a fluted watch with a square case called the Super Seville. Since it's square, it's obviously different from a Rolex Datejust. It's not a homage. Plus, it has a bit of Bulova brand prestige and the famed Bulova Precisionist movement. I've given the Bulova Super Seville a sharp watch shout out before here on this blog. To me, the Bulova Super Seville is a very different watch than the Rolex Datejust.

Bulova Super Seville (Amazon photo)

The Super Seville is a little expensive. This best price variant comes in at nearly $500 on Amazon.  You can check it out via my Amazon affiliate link. Bulova's value-oriented brand Caravelle offers another fluted watch that may pique your interest.

Caravelle by Bulova 3-Hand Men's Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

The Caravelle by Bulova 3-Hand Men's Quartz Watch is another alternative.  It's a 41mm diameter watch with a "coin-edged bezel" that comes in at a bit over $100 with a leather strap. Stainless steel bracelet versions are a bit more expensive, but still under $150. While there is a 41mm Rolex Datejust, it has a thicker bezel and thicker hour markers. This Caravelle strikes a far more minimalist tone with thin markers and a smaller date window. You can check this one out here via my Amazon affiliate link. 

I think either of these choices provide a fluted bezel alternative that is different enough from the classic Rolex Datejust to break away from the homage label. That can be a breath of fresh air.

If you do like the looks of the Rolex Datejust, I have found some homage watches that might fit the bill.  You can read about them in this post.

TGIF: The Best Watches at ANY Price Point?

Best Men's Watch for $50 and Under

I recently saw a post on X that highlighted a watch expert's opinion on the best watch to buy at any price point.  Of course, the watch prices started at $1,000 with a recommendation to buy a Tissot PRX.  Then, the expert was off to the $10,000 level.  For me, the post missed all the price points that most people can afford.

For me, the point is to have cool watches and the price point doesn't matter.  If you can afford a Ulysse-Nardin, you are living the dream.  But, I'm pretty proud of the $10 watch I found on Amazon recently.  So, I'll start my recommendations there.

$10: "Nibosi Waterproof Luxury Diamond Luminous Dial Business Dress Watch"  Online they call it a chronograph.  It's actually a multifunction watch with day, date, 24-hour time, and moon phase.  It is a little blingy, but it's a very nice watch for the money.

Nibosi Men's Waterproof Luxury Diamond Luminous Dial Business Dress Watch

I bought the black dial version, but supplies are running out.  It's still available for less than $10 with a green or blue dial.  You can get it here via my Amazon affiliate link.

$25: "US Polo Assn Quartz Watch." If you want to put all your extra money into polo ponies, you may want to keep watch expenses down. US Polo Assn offers an attractive variety of quartz watches that are priced between $17 and $25 and can be found in a variety of stores including Burlington and JC Penney. You can see a wide selection via my Amazon affiliate link here.

 

$40: "Burei Men's Dive Watch." For years, the undisputed choices for inexpensive dive watches were the Casio Duro and the Invicta Pro Diver.  But, a newcomer has been entering my search and it's been getting great reviews. Burei offers a men's dive watch with 200-meter water resistance, a screw-down crown, a unidirectional rotating bezel, a date window, and a Japanese quartz movement.

Burei Men's Dive Watch with 200-meter water resistance (Amazon photo)

This watch averages 4.5 stars on 26 ratings and has some great reviews.  You can check it out here on Amazon.

$50: "Casio MTP-VD01D-1BV Men's Enticer."  I recently purchased the blue dial version of this watch (you can read my review here), but now the best deal is on the black dial version at 11% off. This is an attractively styled watch that is great for everyday wear. You can get this beautiful timepiece here on Amazon.

Casio Men's Enticer (Amazon Photo)

The list could go on, and might in a future post, but you should really buy a watch that fits your style and personality.  It's your money.  Have fun. You get to spend it anyway you like.

(If you are looking for more budget-friendly watch ideas, check out my post on an Affordable Three Watch Collection. The challenge: build a three watch collection for $75 a watch or less.)

Wristwatch Review: Casio Enticer (Model MTP-VD01D-2EV)

An Enticingly Affordable Watch from Casio

I've long been intrigued with the Casio Enticer (Model MTP-VD01D-2EV) as an inexpensive, but very attractive, timepiece.

Casio Enticer Watch Style and Features

The Casio Enticer is a casual, fashion, watch.  This all stainless steel watch has a shiny fixed diver-style bezel, 50-meter water resistance, an accurate Japanese movement, and a date window. The designers made good use of alternating shiny and flat stainless steel in the bracelet design. The case and bezel are shiny stainless steel.  In terms of style, this watch is a quantum leap ahead of my first Casio Analog watch from 2011. The Enticer is a sexy watch.

Casio Enticer Watch Dimensions

The watch is perfectly sized for my sensibilities. The case is  45mm in diameter and 10.5mm thick. 

The Casio Enticer has a slim profile that is perfect for office wear.

The bracelet is quite generously sized. I actually had to adjust it downward a little to fit my fairly large 7 and 3/4 inch wrists. 

The Casio Enticer has a generously-sized bracelet

Luckily, I was able to tighten the bracelet by adjusting the clasp to be a little tighter.

The Deployant Clasp of the Casio Enticer

Casio Enticer Watch Construction

Overall, this watch is very solid for the under $50 price category.  50-meter water resistance is reassuring for casual wear. The movement is accurate for +/- 20 seconds per month. 

Casio Watch Overall Impression

This Casio feels like money well spent.  It's a great looking watch.  Prices can vary quite a bit, but I was able to get mine for under $40. The watch comes in a variety of dial and case color combinations and is sold in a price range from about $35 to $55.  To see the broad array of models available and the best prices, use my Amazon affiliate link. It's a great watch at an affordable price point.

 

TGIF: Stepping Up Your Watch Collection

Long, long, ago when real stereos with speakers, tape decks, and turntables and, maybe, CD players, there was a magical place called Circuit City. If you bought stereo speakers there, you could trade them in for full store credit towards better stereo speakers during the next year. Ultimately, you could step right up to a mondo pair of stereo speakers that would rock your whole block. I know a few people who did. Sometimes, I wish we could do that with watches. 

This Van Heusen has the look of more famous chronograph watches

I suspect that some savvy sellers on ebay, Etsy, or Poshmark might be able to do just that and work their way up through the ranks of watches. I could see a progression of stepping up from fashion watches to Timex to Nautica to Bulova to Tissot to Movado to Tudor and beyond. Alas, more pressing economic concerns hold me back from that pursuit for now. That's a whole lot of buying and selling. Plus, there are many accessories that surround a watch like a Rolex. The accessories might include a rental property empire, a successful restaurant or two, or an actual executive position. It's not enough to just afford the watch. It's to build the economic success needed that the watch just comes naturally. In a world of global competition, that can be quite a challenge.

This Timex Waterbury Traditional 41mm Chronograph watch (Amazon photo)

However, you can step up your watch collecting one watch at a time. If you are interested in stepping up from a false subdial watch with a chronograph look to a bona fide chronograph, the step up from the Van Heusen with non-functioning subdials at the top of this article is about $100 to this Timex Waterbury Traditional 41mm chronograph. You can check out this Timex using my Amazon affiliate link here!

Is your watch collection keeping you poor?

Tricks for Saving, Investing, and Still Buying Cool Watches

As we enter 2026, thoughts turn to New Years resolutions and personal finance. I find that it's always tempting to grab the latest, best looking, shiniest, most technologically advance watch you see online in a given month. But, having witnessed the recent meteoric climb in silver and gold prices over the past year, I have to wonder and wish that I'd have invested more in precious metals or mutual funds. When I look around, I have to wonder if my watch collection is keeping me poor.  Perhaps, our watch collections are keeping all of us poor. If so, how can we change that?

One thought I have had is to make a game of watch buying and investing. Here are three things you can do to make sure you are growing your wealth while still enjoying your watch collecting.

1. Match your watch with an investment purchase.  It is easy to do.  If you want to buy a watch that costs $500, invest $500 in a financial asset when you buy your watch. It's a simple concept. You have an incentive to save up $1000 so that you can buy that $500 watch and a matching investment. If you have $500, but saving up $1000 seems far, far, away, you have an option. Find a watch that is roughly equivalent to the $500 watch at $250 and then you invest the $250 into a financial instrument of some kind. This way you have an incentive to save up for a watch purchase and, if you can't be patient, you have an incentive to save money on your watch purchase so that you can invest an equivalent amount appropriately. For example, a Movado Calendoplan watch costs just over $500 on Amazon. You can see it on my affiliate link here.

Movado Calendoplan (Amazon photo)

Now, the challenge becomes finding a suitable substitute for the Movado. For example, would this Bulova Men's Classic fit the bill? It's quartz, but it doesn't have lume. It's normally a bit over $300, but it's 31% off for a price that would meet the $250 savings goal. Now, you have a watch a few ounces of silver bullion or another investment notch towards fully funding the Roth IRA for the year.

Bulova Men's Classic Quartz Dress Watch (Amazon photo)

You can see this Bulova Men's Classic quartz dress watch here via my Amazon affiliate link. There is no lume on this watch, but does it provide the same satisfaction? This isn't to pick on the Movado. It may well be a substitute for a $1000 watch. The point is to play the game well.

2. Substitute and save. An alternative strategy is to substitute a less expensive watch for the one you want to buy and invest the difference.  For example, if you want a field watch like the Rolex Explorer, but find that an MVMT Field II watch (below) can accomplish the same mission for you, buy the MVMT and invest the difference between the Rolex Explorer price and the MVMT. It can be a substantial amount of money.  You can see the price of the MVMT Field watch here at my Amazon affiliate link.

MVMT Field II Quartz Field Watch (Amazon photo)

With these first two strategies, you have a nice watch collection and you've tricked yourself into saving and investing money along the way. If you want more watches, you have to invest more.

3. Buy Investment Grade Watches. Finally, if you already have significant wealth, you could buy investment grade timepieces from reputable brands like Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Ulysse Nardin, and Vacheron Constantin. Classic timepieces from these brands stand firmly at the intersection of technology, art, and social status. They have values that are closely tracked and that can fluctuate with economic conditions. But, these sorts of watches are assets and can retain or build value. For a middle class investor, I suspect that much wealth would be concentrated into just a few watches that might have the risk of being counterfeit, getting damaged, or getting stolen.

Watch Collecting for Beginners by J.S.

I'll have to read up on the watch collecting topic before getting started with any sort of serious timepieces. I suppose one could flip their way to nicer and nicer watches by buying low and selling high. But, it's hard to know where to get started. In the new year, I'll try to start with the book "Watch Collecting for Beginners" by J.S. You can get it here via my Amazon affiliate program link. 

Ultimately, finding cool watches and meeting investment goals is just a matter of time and consistency.

An Affordable Three Watch Collection

The big watch blogs and magazines often recommend three watch collections to their readers. A three watch collection should be able to cover most of a man's watch needs. For example, a typical three watch collection might contain a dress watch, a sport watch, and a dive watch.  Where many of these collections fail is in the affordability arena. Watch enthusiast magazines often define an affordable three watch collection as a collection where each watch costs about $1000. For most of Americans, $1000 for a watch is a major stretch. I define an affordable collection as less than $75 per watch. 

Affordable Means $75 or Less Per Watch

If I were starting out to build an affordable watch collection with a cap of $75 per watch, I would start out defining what my watches should do. To cover the basics, I'd suggest a dress watch, a field watch, and a diver-style watch.

Peugeot Men's 14K Gold-Plated Sun Moon Watch

To start things out, I'd choose a dress watch from Peugeot. Their watches come with a Seiko quartz movement, free lifetime warranty that included free battery replacement, and most importantly classic looks. The 14-carat gold-plated sun moon quartz watch has a vintage look and a contemporarily-sized 40mm case.

Peugeot Sun Moon Phase Analog Watch (Amazon Photo)

While this watch looks expensive, it is surprising affordable at less than $70. You can see for yourself using my Amazon affiliate link here. The small commissions from every purchase help to support this blog.

Timex Expedition 40mm Metal Watch with Luminous Hands

Next, you'll need a rugged watch that can stand up to the rigors of daily life. I'd suggest a Timex Expedition field watch. This 40mm Timex has a silver-toned brass case, a leather strap, and comes in  variety of available dial colors. This one does NOT have indiglo back lighting, but it does have lume on the hands. I think this one looks a little better for business casual wear. For more information, I've reviewed this Timex Expedition here on this blog.

Timex Expedition Metal Brown Leather Strap Watch

This watch typically comes in at just over $50. But, there are always sales. As of this writing, the watch is 11% off on Amazon.  You can see this Timex Metal Expedition here via my affiliate link.

Stuhrling Original Depthmaster Dive Watch

Even though I don't currently swim, snorkel, or dive, I really like the looks of dive watches. In this affordable dive watch space there are many potential choices. But, I'd recommend starting with a Rolex homage watch from Invicta, Stuhrling Original, or Timex. At this writing, Stuhrling Original offers their Depthmaster Dive Watch for 86% off to come in at less than $60. It has a 42mm case diameter and 100-meters of water resistance which is good for showering, swimming, or snorkeling.

Stuhrling Original Depthmaster (Amazon Photo)

Beginning watch buyers should note that Invicta and Stuhrling have long been notorious for having high Manufacturers Suggested Retail Prices and discounting them very aggressively. Ignore all the noise and don't buy an Invicta or Stuhrling Rolex Submariner homage for more than $75. You can see what I mean when you use my affiliate link to check this Stuhrling Original out.

Grand Total for an Affordable Three Watch Collection

As of this writing on December 29, 2025, my total on Amazon for these three watches is $163.19. These prices handily beat the $225 mark suggested by our $75 cap for this exercise. You can even cap the prices at $50 a watch and find plenty of suitable watch choices. It's a fun game to play. You define the price point that is comfortable for you!

Watches A to Z: Fossil

Fossil is a well-recognized fashion watch brand.  It was founded in 1984 by Tom and his brother, Kosta, Kartsotis. It's recognized by most watch wearers in the United States. Fossil was a nickname for Kosta Kartsotis because he really liked retro aesthetics. The brand initially focused on importing inexpensive, but well designed, fashion watches for retailers. Fossil adopted collectible tins as packaging for their watches in 1990 and went public in 1993. The brand has grown in popularity since it was founded. But, with retreats in the watch market, it has dropped its forays into Smartwatches and has expanded more into leather goods and sunglasses.

Fossil owns the Fossil, Relic, Skagen, WSI, and Zodiac watch brands and the women's watch brand, Michele. The company also manufactures and distributes Armani Exchange, BMW, Chaps, Diesel, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, and women's watch brands Kate Spade New York and Tory Burch. 

At lower price points, Fossil is also thought to own or supervise the manufacturing of generic quartz watches stamped with FMD on the caseback. Some believe this stamp stands for Fossil Manufacturing Division. I believe this to be the case because--as of a couple of years ago--the warranty service address for FMD watches at Walmart matched the Fossil Headquarters address for North America. FMD makes many of the watches sold under the George brand at Walmart.

Could these George brand FMD watches be made by Fossil?

The Fossil brand makes excellent watches that sell at affordable prices. On Amazon, men's Fossil watches sell for prices between $80 and $350. The most expensive Fossil watches are skeletonized automatics. You can see them at my Amazon affiliate link here. It's very easy to overlook Fossil or denigrate them as a "fashion watch brand," but they make great looking watches that are satisfying to own and wear. 

If you live near an outlet mall with a Fossil outlet store, you should definitely visit. You an often find great deals there.

TGIF: Watch Brands for Collectors on a Budget

It's fun to collect watches. But, it can be demoralizing to read watch magazines and watch websites that are often focused on watches that lie far beyond comfortable middle class price points. It's no fun to read about watches that we can't afford and where our collection might be limited to just a handful of very high quality timepieces.

A used Nivada watch that is out of my price range

While the dream lingers out there on the edges of our imagination, in reality, the median household income in the United States in 2025 was just under $84,000.  The average income was a little higher at $121,000 annually. This means a Rolex watch could easily be priced at 10% of a year's annual household income. That's a significant financial commitment. When you think about the chronic underfunding of American retirement accounts, the high cost of housing, and the purchasing power than many American's have lost due to inflation, luxury and ultra-luxury watches as defined by the watch industry become an impossible dream.

A Pair of Timex Waterbury Watches

Fortunately, we don't have to give up watch collecting. There are many watchmakers that provide interesting watches at far more affordable price points.  In my years of perusing watch advertisements, Amazon listings, and collecting watches on my own, I've found 11 watch brands that provide affordable watches.  Most choices from these brands are prices at far less than $500. Many regularly offer nice watches for less than $100.  Here are the 11 watch brands that watch collectors on a budget can count on for attractive, affordable, watches:

1. Timex
2. Orient
3. Invicta
4. Mathey-Tissot
5. Peugeot
6. Harry Williams
7. MVMT
8. Skagen
9. Diesel
10. Swatch
11. Vostok

You can find plenty of great watches to build a collection without breaking your bank!

The Diesel I didn't get when I had the chance!

Now that my blog is a Timex affiliate through Commission Junction, we can send you directly to the Timex US Home Page for their most up-to-date offerings. To check out some of the very best Timex watches that I've found as an Amazon affiliate, please visit my Best Timex Watches on Amazon page. For an excellent selection of very collectible Diesel watches, check out my affiliate page Best Diesel Watches on Amazon.