Thinking about a high end watch? Think American! Think Towson Watch Company

One day all your credit cards will be vanquished.  One day your Powerball numbers might get called.  On that day, you might be able to consider a really high end wristwatch.  If you ever find yourself in that market, you might try looking to an unusual source:  America!

Companies like the Towson Watch Company proudly make premium watches in the U.S.A.!  When the "behind the music" years end, I am so there .  .  .

An Elgin Watch Blog

Just because we enjoy and wear cheap . . . er . . . affordable watches, doesn't mean we can't appreciate fine craftsmanship and the vintage watches of yesteryear.  Today, Elgin is a brand of Chinese-made watches sold in stores like Walmart. 

But, once upon a time, Elgin watches were fine American timepieces.  I've been dropping in on a blog about restoring and repairing antique Elgin watches.  It's definitely worth a visit:  Elgin Time Vintage Horological Blog.  [As of 2025, the blog is still going strong.] While vintage Elgin watches can be a little expensive, ebay has many at prices less than $100.

Lorus Watches: A Seiko by another name?

If you are looking for a nice, low cost, wristwatch, you might try Lorus.  Lorus is a Seiko brand that makes cool watches and sells them at affordable prices.  Here's a picture:

This watch is attractively styled and an excellent value!  However, I don't see many retailers in the U.S. carrying Lorus watches lately.  According to the Lorus website, they are sold in Canada, Europe, and other non-U.S. markets.

Seiko established the Lorus brand in 1982 so that they could offer a complementary product line to accompany Seiko on Europe. Lorus provided more affordable price points than Seiko. The relationship between Seiko and Lorus might be akin to the relatonship between Bulova and Caravelle.

As of 2026, if you want to buy a Lorus watch in the U.S., check out my blog post How to Buy A Lorus Watch in the United States.

A Mysterious Watch From Pembrooke

Looking at a Pembrooke Quartz Watch

I've had this watch for many years.  It is labeled as being a "Pembrooke" watch.  I probably bought it the Value City close out store.  It's a very comfortable watch to wear because it has a small clasp that feels just like the rest of the watch band.

A Pembrooke Watch for Men

After a recent battery change, the watch is running well and makes a great no-nonsense watch for work!

[As of 2025, I'm not sure I still have this watch. Pembrooke watches often appear on ebay or etsy. It's important to note that this is a store brand watch that was likely sold at discount department stores like Rose's or Value City. They weren't very expensive and today, it's the kind of watch you can get for $10 to $20 in an online auction.]

Casio Analog Watch with 10 Year Battery

Fortunately for those of us who are battery-change challenged, Casio has a lot of watches with ten year batteries!  That's awesome!  Ten years is a long time to go without the hassle of changing a battery.  One of my first 10-year battery watches is just this basic analog wristwatch.  

Casio Men's Analog Watch with 10 year battery

If you are interested in this watch, it is available in 2024 on Amazon as the Casio MTP-3050D-2AV Classic Men's Stainless Steel Dress watch with 10-year battery.  A decade without changing a battery has a style of its own.

My latest Casio in HD

Casio has an affordable series of watches with a full decade of battery life.  The Casio HD series looks great and is a comfortable bang-around watch.  The coolest thing is the price - it was less than $20 at Walmart!

The Casio HD

You can read my complete review of the Casio HD here!

Is this sign short for Sproing!

A Sign Recommending Professional Battery Replacement for Casio

I saw this sign posted at the watch counter at Walmart.  I really love my CASIO watches.  But, definitely, let this sign be a warning to all ye who might open a CASIO!

A sign about the complexity of Casio Battery Changes

"Due to the technical nature of some of our watches, it is very important that the battery is replaced by a certified CASIO technician.  The CASIO technician will insure that your watch retains its original water-resistance specifications."  The sign adds, "For battery changes on G-Shock models, Databank models, and models with 100M and above water resistance, please ask for a CASIO service mailer."  Due to the complexity of battery changes, I'm glad to see CASIO going to more and more 10 year batteries!