Wristwatch Review: Auriol GMT-style Quartz Watch

Hands-On With a LIDL Watch

The German discount grocery chain, LIDL, has an interesting business model that centers around low grocery prices in small footprint neighborhood grocery stores. The chain also offers other goods on an occasional or "special buy" basis. One watch that they offered was from their house-brand Auriol had the look of a GMT-watch. However, it did not have actual GMT functionality. I found one in a Georgia thrift store so we can take a closer look at it.

Auriol GMT-Style Watch from LIDL

LIDL Watch Features

The Auriol GMT style watch has a rotating bezel with 24-hour markings. However, it doesn't have a dedicated fourth hand to provide GMT time keeping. The watch has hour markings similar to those of a classic timepiece and the case protrudes to protect the crown.

Auriol GMT-Style Watch

LIDL Watch Dimensions

This watch isn't too little. The case is about 43mm in diameter and 45mm if you count the crown. The case is 12mm thick. Lug-to-Lug measures about 50mm. 

At 12mm, the Auriol GMT-style watch isn't too tall

The bracelet fits my 7 and 3/4 inch wrists without adjustment or link removal. I has a little rattle when you shake it. But, the bracelet looks pretty solid.

The LIDL Auriol watch metal bracelet

LIDL Watch Construction

The LIDL watch is made in China and appears to have a stainless steel case with a matching bracelet. The case has a shiny finish. The interior links of the bracelet are shiny and the exterior links have a flat metal finish. The brand claims 5 atmospheres of water resistance. For a non-name brand watch, I suspect that a bit. Still, the watch seems pretty solid and well-constructed for an inexpensive timepiece.

The caseback of the Auriol LIDL watch

LIDL Watch Overall Impression

This watch seems pretty solid and in keeping with the quality standards of sub-$50 watches. It's also a comfortable watch to wear. The main drawback seems to be the lack of an actual GMT function. Since I bought it for about $10 at a thrift store, I'm very pleased with it as a find. I think it would be a good deal up to about $35. Overall, this is an interesting addition to my collection.

The Auriol LIDL watch is a nice beater watchc

 

Ten Dollar Tuesday Watch: LN Lenqin Diver-Style Watch

The US economy is really rough these days. Lay offs stretch across the land and young people have trouble landing entry-level jobs due to foreign competition and the rise of AI. When young people are living 4-people to a 2 bedroom apartment, it makes luxury watches seem like a distant dream. However, there are plenty of inexpensive watches that can give you great watch looks on a low budget. One watch company that offers low cost watches in China's LN Lenqin. They currently have a diver-style watch for only $10.  It's normally a $20 watch and, as of February 16, 2025, it is 50% off. It's a nice looking Rolex Submariner homage at a very affordable price.

LN Lenqin Diver-Style Quartz Watch

There is a chance that this watch might be inspired by a classic dive watch. It has the dive watch look. The watch has a quartz movement, a date window, a silicone strap, and a mineral glass crystal. There are some complaints with the metal bracelets for this watch, but reviewers seem satisfied with the silicone strap. Water resistance is highly suspect with much of the Amazon copy cautioning against fully immersing the watch. Nevertheless, this watch is faithful to the classic dive watches of our dreams. It comes in several color and case variations. It is available with a date cyclops bubble to mimic the Rolex Submariner look. Overall, it gets 4.1 stars on Amazon. To check it out, visit it here via my Amazon affiliate link.
 

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Geoffrey Beene Quartz Analog Watch with Tonneau Case and Green Dial

Earlier this summer, I came across an inexpensive watch at a Ross Dress for Less store here in Georgia.  It's a Geoffrey Beene brand watch with the name Diamond at the 6 o'clock position and the tiniest "Diamond" at the 12 o'clock position.  In a $22 watch, I suspect it's either not real or not much of a diamond that's for sure.  But, the thing that drew me in was the brilliant green color of the dial and the somewhat unusual shape of the case.  While the dial is round, the case is almost a tonneau shape and the entire watch is covered by the crystal.  It's certainly an eye-catching timepiece.

Geoffrey Beene Model GBA0005SL

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The watch is model GBA0005SL and it has a 42 mm case and a 22mm wide bracelet.  On various online auction sites, it is also available in blue.  For value priced watches, Geoffrey Beene often has interesting choices.  I've posted about Geoffrey Beene before.

Geoffrey Beene Model GBA0005SL on a restaurant table

At less than $30, this Geoffrey Beene watch is a steal. It has a rich look for a poor person's price.  It's a great watch for any day or any night of the week.  You can find more Geoffrey Beene watches for men on Amazon.

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Izod Quartz Watch with Diver Style Markings and Extra Straps

Here's another men's watch find from Ross.  It's an Izod quartz watch with a diver-style bezel and false chrono dials.  It's an attractive and easy to read timepiece in the $25 or so category.

Izod quartz watch with false chrono subdials

Of course, this Izod watch isn't really an enthusiast timepiece.  But, it does offer a cohesive sense of style, an  affiliation with a well-known brand, and alternative looks through extra watch straps.  The watch comes with a brown strap and is packaged with a dark blue strap and a white strap with a blue line.  The blue and brown straps are made of synthetic leader and the white strap appears to be silicone.  The watch has no spring bars.  Fixed permanent bars are built into the case and the straps merely thread behind the watch back.  It seems strange, but it is actually a good looking watch that is comfortable to wear.

Izod Quartz Watch Set with Extra Watch Straps

Since we found this at a closeout store, the battery was dead when I tried to set it.  Fortunately, I had an SR626SW watch battery handy and I was able to swap out the dead one with no fuss and no muss.

A look at the quartz movement of an Izod Watch

Overall, this watch would look perfectly appropriate in a business casual work or school environment.  If you like the preppy look and preppy labels, you'll also be comfortable wearing the Izod brand.

Wristwatch Review: Geneva Men's Quartz Dress Watch with Date Window

I recently purchased a Geneva brand Men's Quartz Dress Watch with Date Window (Model KH8070SL)  from Kohl's.  It's a nice looking dress watch that seems very well finished for a basic department store watch.

A Geneva Dress Watch from Kohl's (Model KH8070SL)

Geneva Watch Features

This watch features quartz movement and a small date window about the 6 o'clock hour baton.  There is a small amount of lume on the tip of most silver-toned hour markers.  The watch also comes with a generously-sized synthetic leather strap.

Geneva Watch Dimensions

The case is 40mm in diameter and 10mm thick.  The watch strap is 22mm wide at the lugs and tapers to about 20mm.  The case is thin enough to slip easily under a shirt cuff and the strap is long enough to fit a large wrist like mine.  According to the Kohl's website, the overall circumference is 200mm.

The Geneva Men's Quartz Dress Watch doesn't stand too tall on the wrist

Geneva Watch Construction

This Geneva watch offers a stainless steel caseback and a silver-toned alloy case.  It has a glass crystal that is very slightly domed.  For a watch that is listed as $30 to $35 and much less on the Kohl's website, construction seems fairly robust. Quality appears to be on par with most watch makers in the sub-$100 segment of the market.

Geneva brand Watch Origin

The watch was created by Concepts in Time for the Geneva brand sold at Kohl's.  I don't know enough about the progeny of this watch or the Concepts in Time company to definitely figure out who made the watch.  The Concepts in Time company is behind the Geoffrey Beene and Caribbean Joe watch brands for men.  You'll detect a common ancestry behind many quartz watches sold in stores today.

A short video review on X

Here is my short video review from X / Twitter --

Got a new watch. This one is an affordable, but beautiful, classic men's quartz dress watch from the Geneva brand sold at Kohl's. You can read a more detailed review here on my blog -https://t.co/SFWksZJQWS

More proof that you don't have to spend a million bucks to look like… pic.twitter.com/KHOqviAcBP

— TheWatchDude (@the_watch_dude) July 21, 2024

Where to Find this Geneva Watch

If you'd like to get this watch, you can find it at some Kohl's stores or here on the Kohl's website.

Wristwatch Review: Ed Hardy Singles Men's Metal Black and Gold Analog Quartz Watch

This Ed Hardy watch was an interesting find at Burlington.  It came in a fancy cardboard box with some of Ed Hardy's famed tattoo designs.  Now, it's a watch that makes me wonder.  It features a rich, but plain-looking dial is devoid of any of the art that made Ed Hardy famous.  It just has his signature rendered at 6 o'clock.

Watch Features

This watch has a gold tone to it and features three gold trimmed non-functional subdials.  Despite the existence of pusher buttons, the subdials are purely decorative.  However, the gold trimmed subdials and hands give this watch a rich, purposeful, look.  I should note that, despite my references to gold, no actual gold is used in this timepiece.  The Amazon descriptions of this watch refer to "brushed gold."

Watch Dimensions

This is a big manly, man, watch. The dial itself is 38mm and the case is 46mm in diameter. The watch is 12mm thick and the watch bracelet is a manly 24mm wide.  It sits large on the wrist, but not quite a big as a big Diesel watch.

Watch Construction

The construction of this watch is solid.  The only drawback: the wide metal bracelet seems a little lighter than expected and it feels a little  cheap.  I have to remind myself this is a $20 to $30 watch with the construction of a typical quartz watch that is cheaply available in discount stores like Burlington or Ross.

Watch Style

Still, this watch is eye-catching and dramatically designed.  It looks good for an inexpensive watch.  It's demands attention.  Yet, it is understated by the standards of an Ed Hardy collection watch.  It's an unabashedly macho watch.

Overall

I can't really make up my mind about this watch. On the one hand, it's inexpensive and has non-functional subdials. On the other hand, it is bold and shiny!!! For $20-$25, you really can't go wrong. There are a few other Ed Hardy models that I like better.

Watch Review: Sean John Black Diamond Watch

In America, you can still go from a tough beginning to billionaire.  No one exemplifies that more than Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.  The platinum recording artist reportedly had a net worth of $1 billion in 2022.  One of the things that propelled his business success was making the hip-hop into fashion with his brand Sean John.

In 2016, Sean Combs sold 90% of the brand to Global Brands Group.  But, late in 2022, he bought the brand back for around $7.5 million when Global Brands Group went into bankruptcy.  Now, you'll find the brand name on all sorts of men's clothing and cologne.

[4/20/2024 update - I should note that this review was written before P.Diddy's homes were raided and before various were allegations of misconduct were brought to the surface as subjects of a serious Homeland Security Investigation in 2024,  I'm sure this will lead to even more Sean John merchandise in closeout stores.]

For this review, we'll take a look at an inexpensive Sean John watch that I found at a Burlington store here in Georgia.  It's cost between $20 and $30.  You can find it online at Boscov's and a few other retailers.

Watch Style

The watch is a simple quartz watch with a blue dial featuring the Sean John signature on the top of the dial, "Black Diamond" lettered across the bottom, and a small black diamond accent inset into the 6 o'clock position.  The bezel has a screw down look and the bracelet has a nice shine to it.

The watch fits a little loosely on my wrist and the links of bracelet have a very smooth and comfortable feel.  It's actually a very comfortable watch to wear. If there is one drawback, it is that the watch bezel seems a little prone to pick up fingerprints.

This is a watch that says, "Shiny," but not necessarily gaudy.

Watch Construction

This watch has a stainless steel caseback, a base metal case, and a quartz movement from Singapore.

The watch is powered by a common SR626SW battery.

Watch Dimensions

The Sean John watch has a diameter of 40 mm,  The case is not too thick at 10mm.  The band width is 25 mm at the case and  20 mm the rest of the way around.  The bracelet circumference seems pretty generous.  It fit my wrist comfortably with just a little looseness.  If you need to remove links, it should be easy to do so with a common watch repair kit.

Overall Impression

I'm no hip-hop artist, but I like this watch.  It's a nice addition to any inexpensive watch collection.

Watch Sighting; Sutton Watch at Sears

Recently, my wife and I wandered over to our local Sears store to see what was on clearance.  Like so many Sears and Kmart stores around the country, our local Sears is closing and many items were marked down.  Unfortunately, we didn't have much in the budget to make any purchases.  However, I did see an interesting watch brand:  Sutton.  It sounds like an upscale name, but it is actually an affordable watch brand created by Armitron.  They offered this interesting looking diver-style mens watch at a very affordable price point.

A Sutton Brand Diver-Style Watch

I really like the look of this watch because it offers a classic, almost vintage, dive style look. It's unlikely that many people will be familiar with the Sutton brand. They will most likely just think that it is an upscale brand associated with a store or a boutique watch maker.  If the watch really is resistant to 165 feet that would be a nice plus.  At $34.99 (back in 2018), I would definitely suggest taking a look at this watch.

[While Sears is dead, you can still bang the link to get: Sutton by Armitron watches on Amazon. As of 2025, you can get most Sutton watches for around $20.]

Another Rumours Watch

I have another Rumours watch in my watch collection.  It's a simple, diver-style, casual watch with a rotating bezel.  I think the watch is off late 80s or early 90s vintage.  It doesn't look like a million dollars and it doesn't look like something from Tag Heuer or Rolex.  But, this Rumours watch does look like an honest, affordable, and attractively styled time piece.

A Rumours Quartz Diver-Style Watch