Wristwatch Review: Nibosi Men's Black Stainless Steel Quartz Watch

I recently came across a Nibosi Men's Stainless Steel Quartz Watch in black for only $11.99 on Amazon. It was an incredible deal. 

Nibosi Black Quartz Watch

This is my third Nibosi watch, but in terms of build quality, it may be my best one.

Nibosi Watch Features

This Nibosi watch is minimalist in terms of features. It's a simple straight forward design with a quartz movement. This watch is impressive in terms of style, fit, finish, and price. 

For a very inexpensive watch, the Nibosi watch was well packaged

The watch has all stainless steel construction and a good quality deployant clasp.

The Deployant Clasp of the Nibosi Black Stainless Steel Watch

Nibosi Watch Style

This watch is visually striking with a black case, bracelet, and dial contrasted by gold tone hands and markers. While Nibosi makes plenty of homage watches, this one seems to be created in a style of their own that is well within mainstream watch expectations. Sometimes, I like the independence of an affordable watch that isn't an homage to a classic.

Nibosi Black Stainless Steel Quartz Watch

The stainless steel bracelet makes great use of glassy black outer links and flat black interior links. This alternating use of color and text provides subtle visual interest. 

The contrast between out and inner link finishes is subtle

In day-to-day wear, I find that the gold-tone hands and markers really catch the light and reflect well in low light or fading light conditions.

Nibosi Watch Construction

This Nibosi watch has a stainless steel caseback, bracelet, and case. It also has a flat mineral glass crystal. The watch has 100 feet (30-meters) of water resistance. It's not for swimming, showering, or immersion, but it should be resistant to incidental splashes and rain.

Nibosi Stainless Steel Caseback

I didn't see any obvious cost cutting in this watch. It seems very competitive with low cost watches found in stores. I'd say that build quality far exceeds similarly priced watches from brands like George. The watch doesn't have any sharp edges or anything that would dig into the wrists. It's comfortable for all day wear.

Nibosi Watch Dimensions

For me, this Nibosi watch is perfectly proportioned. The case is about 42mm in diameter and 9.65mm thick. The bracelet is about 21mm wide and about 220mm long. 

Overall Impressions of the Nibosi Black Quartz Watch

This watch won't impress people with its pedigree, but it is a nicely priced watch with great features and style for the price. It's another watch that pressures Timex and Casio to bring us nicer watches at lower prices. I like this watch quite a bit. As an IT worker, the economy has kicked me around a bit lately. An incredible watch bargain is a nice way to kick back.

Where to Buy the Nibosi Black Watch

You can get a this watch in black with gold accent tones here via my affiliate link to Amazon.

Sharp Watch Shout Out: MVMT Astro Blue Men's Quartz Chronograph Watch

The MVMT brand is a great choice for collectors who want great looks at affordable price points. They've zeroed in on younger watch collectors who can't afford the premium luxury brands that get so much attention in the watch media.  Originally a microbrand, MVMT grew into a company that was bought by the Movado Group. It's a watch company founders' dream. Today, I'm highlighting a sharp looking chronograph that looks like a million bucks, but costs less than $100.  On the MVMT website, this watch is called on Astro Blue. On Amazon, I call it one heck of a deal.

MVMT Astro Blue (Amazon Photo)

At 47mm in diameter, the Astro Blue is a big watch with lots of wrist presence.  But, it also has a sophisticated minimalist style that looks like a watch of substance. I love the dial color, the sophisticated old world crown, and the minimalist dial.  That's why the MVMT Astro Blue gets a sharp watch shout out!

If you'd like to get this watch, it's available at a bargain price here on Amazon via my affiliate link. This watch is proof that beauty, sophisticated style, a compelling brand story, and a bargain price can come together in a masterpiece.

Watch Sighting: Caribbean Joe Analog Quartz Watch

Every once in awhile, I'll encounter a watch from Caribbean Joe Island Supply Company in stores like Ross, T.J. Maxx, or Marshalls.  They are always attractively packaged and evoke an island lifestyle.  On days, when I wish I lived on a little island hut, this brand looks like one that could take me there.

I recently saw this Caribbean Joe watch at a discount retailer in North Georgia.  It must have been a Ross or a Marshalls store.  While the store is a blur, this watch looked nice and almost enticed me to break my rule against non-functional sub-dials.  

When I looked further into Caribbean Joe watches on Amazon, I found that there are a wide variety and that they are very inexpensive.  The Caribbean Joe brand brings a casual island look that evokes the Hemingway era in a wristwatch.  With a low price point around $20, these watches are a real bargain.  It's kind of cool to find an interesting brand with a nice looking quartz watch and an attractive price.

[Editor's Note:  I finally bought a Caribbean Joe watch at a Kohl's store in late August of 2023.  If you'd like to read a Caribbean Joe watch review, bang the link.

Good Deal on Bulova Watches This Week at Sears

Pssst, this week (4/3/2014) there is a good deal on basic stainless steel Bulova watches at Sears.  They start at $109.99 for select models.  I bought one at a similar price a couple of years ago.  It's a great watch for office work and job interviews.  It just looks nice and works well.

A Basic Bulova Stainless Steel Watch from Sears