Watch Sighting: Armitron Multifunction Gold-Tone Bracelet Watch

If you are ever going to get a 65-foot sailboat with endless decks of beautiful teak, you are going to need to visualize yourself as a yachtsman.  Fortunately, Armitron can help with this Men's Multi-Function Dial Gold-Tone Bracelet Watch.  They call it model 20/5144BKGP, but I think you could call it your yachtman's watch.  Here's a quick photo of it that I took at Walmart.

This watch has a stainless steel case, a mineral crystal, and 165-feet of water resistance.  While this isn't a watch for snorkeling or diving, it would be just fine for short periods of recreational swimming.

Despite the rich yachtsman looks of this timepiece, it is actually a very practical watch. I think this Armitron would make a great gift this Christmas for anyone who likes a gold-tone watches. It offers a brilliant gold tone in a dressy but functional watch from a well-known company. At less than $100, this Armitron also comes with an affordable price tag that won't crush your gift giving budget.

Holiday Gift Ideas: Citizen Eco-Drive Watches

When you give a watch as a gift, you like for it to have some special characteristics that make it unique.  But, when you can't fly to some exclusive watch maker in Geneva for a timepiece, you can find yourself in a pickle.  On our more affordable middle class plane of existence, many people turn to respected watchmakers like Citizen.  The Citizen Eco-Drive watch is a special watch.  It's a watch that can liberate its wearer from the tedious chore of changing batteries.  The Citizen Eco-Drive line of watches has one of the most sophisticated solar power plants in the world of horology.  Once charged, a Citizen Eco-Drive watch can run for six months in the dark.

My first Citizen Eco-Drive was called "Drive by Citizen" or some such marketing thing.  I'm wearing it as I type.  I've had it for just over a year now and it is still going strong.  The leather band remains soft and supple and the styling is masculine and appropriate for any situation.  You can read my full review of the Drive by Citizen watch here.


My second Citizen Eco-Drive watch is this classic design that obviously draws inspiration from the vintage Citizen watches of the past.  It's a great watch to wear to the office and looks great with khakis.  There is nothing to indicate that this is a solar watch, but it can run for six months in a dark sock drawer.  You can read my complete review of this stainless steel Citizen Eco-Drive watch here.

Christmas Gift Ideas: Watches with Leather Straps

There is something nice about wearing watch with a soft and supple leather strap.  Leather strap watches are comfortable to wear, look good, and fit well.  They also don't pull all those little hairs off your wrist.  If you are looking to give a watch this Christmas, don't overlook watches with leather straps.

As I look through my own collection, I find that I often choose leather watches for daily wear.  For example, a watch like my Invicta 1461 has a timeless, classic look, that is only enhanced by its riveted leather strap.

Invicta 1461 Vintage Collection Riveted Leather Strap Watch

Leather strap watches are also the perfect fit for a business casual world.  I find that the earth tones of a brown leather strap go quite well with the khaki pants that are found in every business casual wardrobe.

AVI-8 Lancaster Bomber

If you are looking to give a Christmas gift this season, a watch with a leather strap might just be the perfect choice.

Drive by Citizen Eco-Drive Watch

Of course, there are hundreds of watches with leather straps in this world.
Fortunately, Amazon has a wonderful selection of them here:  Leather Strap Watches. All you have to do is look through their vast selection!

Great Gift Watches: Men's Invicta 8932 Pro Diver Quartz Watch and Invicta Pro Diver Coin Edge Automatic

For the duration of this holiday season, I'm going to keep an eye out for great Christmas gift watches and black friday alternatives.  If adventure wears a watch, it surely wears a dive watch.  Of course, the tone for dive watches was set by the original Rolex Submariner.  It's a wonderfully capable and iconic watch.

A Rolex Submariner

However, it is priced well beyond the means of most of us.  Fortunately, there are plenty of watches that are inspired by the classic Rolex design.

One of the most attractive and affordable is the Invicta 8932 Pro Diver.  It's a nice looking dive watch with a quartz movement.  Plus, with 200 meters of water resistance, it's not a bad watch for taking a swim.  The 39 millimeter case will look at home on any wrist.  This watch makes a respectable, but affordable, Christmas gift.

Invicta 8932 Pro Diver Quartz Watch (photo from Amazon)

If you'd like to step up to an automatic movement, the Invicta Pro Diver Coin-Edge Automatic Watch is another excellent choice.

Invicta Pro Diver Coin-Edge Automatic Watch

Both of these Invicta watches provide great dive watch looks and affordable prices.

Last Days for Amazon Free Shipping - 2013!

According to Amazon.com, Tuesday, December 17th, 2013, is the last day for free shipping to arrive in time for Christmas.  After Tuesday, you'll need to pay some small fee for shipping that will get your package to its destination by Christmas!

I'd like to take a moment and thank everyone who has clicked through one of our affiliate links and bought something. I'd also like to thank everyone who has clicked through an article link and read one of my articles.  While the internet seems like a cold and impersonal place, every purchase made through an affiliate advertisement on this site and each article you read makes a very small contribution to our always tight household budget. It is appreciated!  Thank you!

Stocking Stuffer Watches for Christmas

If you want to add a little more oomph to your Christmas gift giving, you might look at watches as stocking stuffer gifts.  You can get lots of great watches for less than $50.  For example, you can pick up some pretty nice Timex Expedition watches quite reasonably at Walmart for just a bit over $30.

Reasonably Priced Timex Watches on Display at Walmart

If you want to go even cheaper, you can find watches for under $30 that will make perfect stocking stuffers.  Here are some great ideas for inexpensive watches.

Seven Great Men's Watches for Less than $30

Of course, Christmas is about kids.  I think kids might really like Lego watches and comic character watches this Christmas.  There have been some really cool Batman and Superman watches in the stores lately.  Kohl's, Target, and Walmart seem to have the best selections of comic character watches.  Hopefully Santa knows where to shop!

A Quick Guide to Military Watches

If you are still stumped for Christmas gift ideas for that macho, macho, man on your gift list.  You might consider getting him a military watch.  Watches with a vintage military look are in style.  Plus, a military watch won't break the budget.  Some of my favorites military-style watches are from Timex. 

Timex Expedition Vintage Metal Field Watch Overcomes Barbed Wire

My favorite military-style watch is my Timex Vintage Metal Expedition Field Watch.  It just has the look!  Here are some photos of it on an actual expedition.  (O.K., O.K., I was just walking the dog.  But, can't a guy daydream?)

Timex Expedition Vintage Metal Field Watch Encounters an Enemy Pillbox

Unfortunately, watch styles come and go. As of July 2025, this particular watch is no longer for sale on Amazon. However, the Timex Expedition series of watch has plenty of rugged looking watches that come close. Here is the complete line of Amazon Timex Expedition watches for men.

Timex Expedition Vintage Metal Field Watch Liberating Paris???

Since I created this post in 2013, military-inspired field watches have only grown more popular. This post on The Baseline Starting Point for Field Watches will give you some idea of where to get started.

Lorus Watches for Christmas

In my collection, L is for Lorus.  If you are looking for something a little different, you might try a Lorus watch.  Lorus is a Seiko brand that it marketed in Canada, Europe, and the Pacific.  You can expect Seiko quality movements in a wide variety of designs.  Lorus watches are also available at reasonable price points.

Watch Gift Ideas for Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving!  Now that everyone is stuffed from Thanksgiving Dinner, it's time to make plans for the biggest shopping day of the year.  Black Friday is when Americans beat down the doors of their local big box retailers and start buying Christmas gifts with gusto.  Naturally, wrist watches make fine gifts!

If you are thinking about shopping online, I invite you to check out some of the advertisements on this blog:  Bulova Box, Casio Corner, Timex Timeout, and the Watch Slides.  I've built these areas with links to good affordable watches from Amazon a respected retailer.  Except for the Bulovas and some of the watches in the slides, I own many of these watches and you may find my reviews in links from this blog.

If you are looking to save money this Christmas, check out this article on watches that fit low budgets:

Seven Great Men's Watches for Less Than $30 

Watches at Walmart - circa 2011

Good luck and Happy Watch Hunting!

[Even returning to this post in 2024, I'm glad to say that Walmart still has plenty of interesting looking cheap watches.  Most of them are still priced below $20.00.  If you pop over to Amazon, this link has a search for men's watches under $30.  You'll find plenty of names like Casio, Armitron, and Timex with watches in that range.  Many Chinese brands offer additional watches for less as well.  The hunt continues.]