Alternatives to the Television Infomercial Watch Brands

Unusual Watch Brands that Make for Unique Collections 

Since some watch brands are constantly being advertised via infomercial, some of the novelty and exclusivity of owning a fine timepiece has been diminished. Here are some unique alternatives to the watch brands constantly seen on TV shopping networks. 

[This article is reprinted from the now defunct Yahoo Contributors Network, but it is still relevant today!]

If you like watches, then you've undoubtedly watched some of the home shopping television shows dedicated to selling watches. Brands like Invicta, Sturhling Original, Android, and Renato have become household names by making it possible for middle class consumers to afford sophisticated timepieces with mechanical movements, European design features, and a combination of Asian and Swiss components. However, since these brands are constantly being advertised via infomercial, some of the novelty and exclusivity of owning a fine timepiece has been diminished.

Just as Rolex owners might be plagued by questions about the authenticity of their watches, the owner of a television brand watch might be questioned about the ubiquitous "easy pay" arrangements of the home shopping channels. Plus, it seems that almost everyone who is into watches has at least one Invicta now. As cool as these TV brand watches are, the human drive to be unique has some collectors looking to find watches that few others own. Since there are literally hundreds of watch brands, words like unique, exclusive, rare, and exotic are not necessarily synonymous with expensive. Here are some alternatives to the television watch brands:

AVI-8 Watches.

When a watch is going to be strapped to your wrist all day, it will catch your eye and capture moments of attention throughout your day. Inspired by the great Hawker aircraft of British aviation history, AVI-8 brand watches will capture your eyes and ignite daydreams. With collections like Hawker Hurricane, Hawker Hunter, Hawker Harrier II, Lancaster Bomber and Flyboy your imagination will soar with every glance at your wrist. Many of these aviation inspired watches have features inspired aircraft features like the bubble turrets of the famed Lancaster bomber. ($270 and up, avi-8.co.uk)

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Chronograph

Diesel watches.

If you want to zig when everyone else is zagging, you can go big with a Diesel watch. Diesel is the king of big watches. The case diameter of a Diesel watch usually ranges from 58 to 65 millimeters. But, Flava-Flav alarm clock dimensions aside, Diesel watches are readable, sharp looking, timepieces with a variety of innovative case designs. These watches will be noticed. ($70 and up, DieselTimeFrames.com)

A Big Diesel Watch

Insignum watches.

German design and quality control meets with Asian sourcing and premium Japanese movements to bring a fine line of innovative premium watches to market at affordable price points. Styles range from traditional dive watches like the Insignum Subwave to bold designs like the Insignum Activa and Campus models. Unfortunately, Insignum watches has withdrawn from North America.  The watches are becoming rare in the United States as the company focuses on Europe. If you snatch one up while supplies last, it's unlikely that your neighbors will find one without traveling to Europe. This guarantees that you'll have a unique timepiece for many years to come.

My Insignum Dive Watch

Modify watches. 

In the eighties, Swatch watches came on the scene with all kinds of cool color combinations and unusual faces. At one point, they became the horological equivalent of beanie babies. Today, Modify watches has a similarly hip and affordable option for casual watch collectors. They make colorful watch bands and interchangeable watch face modules. Collectors can mix and match these fun watches to suit their mood and make a statement. You can even build your watch collection on-line to get the straps and faces that fit your sense of style. (Watch Faces from $20, Watch Straps from $10, modifywatches.com)

My Modify Watch

NFW watches. 

If you are looking for a square watch, but don't want a Bell & Ross imitator, NFW builds very tough, waterproof, watches in their own unique style. Even the round-faced watches from this small, uncompromising, watch company convey strength and quality. ($279 to $479, ZuluTimeZone. com)

Orient watches. 

 In a world full of Asian-sourced watches that intimate quasi-European origins, Orient watches proudly proclaims their Asian heritage. They have built a quality brand that delivers a wide variety of well-designed watches that can go toe-to-toe with long established names in the watch business. Orient also covers the full spectrum of fashion needs from the Diver to Dress watch. ($205 and up, orientwatchusa.com)

These are but a few of the different watch brands that you'll find with a little searching. When it comes to watch collecting, it is still very possible to follow your own road. You can find a unique watch that perfectly expresses your sense of style. When it comes to holiday gift giving, you can also find a watch that is unique, unusual, and shows that you spent a little time and thought in finding the perfect watch for the recipient.

Watch Sighting: Guess Rigor Silicone Sports Watch

I recently saw this beautiful Guess diver-style watch at my local Belk department store.  With it's rose-gold tone case and eye-catching bezel, it looked like a winner.  But, further research has shown me that this watch has some good performance features like 100 meters of water resistance.

Close study of the dial shows that this watch keeps track of the day, date, and 24 hour time.  It also hits all the right modern tones with a carbon-fiber pattern dial and a comfortable silicone strap.  This watch caught my eye while I was Christmas shopping at an actual mall.

[As of July 2025, you can find many Guess Watches for Men at Amazon.]

The Best Way To Protect An Expensive Watch

Once upon a time in a faraway land to the north, one executive stayed at the house of another executive for an extended period of time.  To repay his host, the guest executive decided he would mow the lawn.

Rolex Photo by By hypo.physe (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hypophyse/4482485310) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I saw him.  He was pushing a mower while wearing dress slacks, penny-loafers, and a monogrammed collared shirt.  He was also wearing an office-worthy dress watch.  He looked ridiculous.  There are simply some things you don't do while wearing nice clothes, nice shoes, and a nice watch.

The Casio Forester is a Great Watch for Yard Work

The best way to protect your most valuable watch is by doing your dirty work while wearing your least valuable watch.  It makes sense.  I generally wear dedicated dog walking shoes when I take my hound for a stroll.  When you are going to be swinging a hammer, bumping into things, lifting things, tossing things, and generally doing physical work, it makes sense to wear an inexpensive watch that is made to take punishment.  For a cheap bang around watch, I like the Casio Forester. 

For me, I generally wear a bang around watch when walking the dog, doing chores, or going about day to day tasks.  My nicer watches are reserved for work, dining out, or formal occasions.  My favorite bang around watch is typically a Timex Expedition of some type.  However, I often wear my Casio Tough Solar watch for rugged situations.

I also find myself wearing my Citizen Eco-drive on a regular basis since it is comfortable and never needs batteries.

Watches to Celebrate Super Bowl 50

Now I feel old.  I remember the NFL Super Bowl from when I was first learning Roman numerals!  You know Roman numerals like IX, X, XI, XII, etc.  It seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers almost always won during my formative years.  This year, the NFL shirked it's responsibility for teaching kids the Roman number 50.  It's 'L' and it had little appeal for marketing gurus.

This year, the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers will face off in the Super Bowl.  It promises to be an interesting match up because an old guard quarterback in the twilight of his career will face an up and coming quarterback who will be the face of the future NFL.  It's Peyton Manning versus Cam Newton.

Peyton Manning - Photo by Jeffrey Beall (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Keith Allison (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

No matter which team you root for, there is a wristwatch available to show your support for your team.

Ferrari Racing Watches

According to racer.com, a new Ferrari will be racing in this year's Rolex 24.  The Risi Ferrari team will be introducing their new Ferrari 488 in the IMSA GT Le Mans class.  The Scuderia Corsa team will also be racing a Ferrari 488.  You can see it's sleek lines in private owner garb at an autoshow in Geneva.

Ferrari 488 at a Geneva Autoshow in 2015 - photo by Norbert Aepli, Switzerland [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If you love all things fast, red, wheeled, and Italian, you may want to add a Ferrari watch to your personal collection.

Ferrari watches feature the famed prancing horse and a style inspired by the exotic super cars. It will be interesting to see how the new Ferrari 488 GT cars fare in the grueling Rolex 24.  Hopefully, they will continue to uphold the winning tradition of the prancing stallion.

Dream Watches - The Masterpieces of Breguet

If you are going to dream, dream big. There is perhaps no bigger horological dream than a watch by Breguet. Every watch brand has a unique history.  The history of prestigious watch brand, Breguet, goes back to 1775.  That's when Abraham-Louis Breguet first set up shop on Quai de l'Horloge on Ile de Paris in the famed French capital city.  Just five years later, the company released their first self-winding watches.  The self-winding (or automatic) watch was just the first of many innovations that made A.L. Breguet one of history's greatest watch makers.

A Breguet Timepiece from 1785 - Photo By PHGCOM [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

According to the Breguet website, one of their first great patrons was the last French Queen, Marie-Antoinette.
 

A Young Marie Antoinette - Attributed to Martin van Meytens, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons

She went to the guillotine in 1793, but the company held on to "Number 160" a watch that a French officer had commissioned on her behalf.  The watch was intended to be the ultimate timepiece and was completed 34 years after the French revolution.  The fabled watch (below) went off to have an interesting life in the hands of various collectors and thieves! 

Breguet Number 160 - photo by Michael.vainshtein, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The company is also famous for inventing the tourbillon which is a part of the watch escapement that is intended to counter the effects of gravity on the accuracy of a timepiece.

Today, Breguet is headquartered in Switzerland as the luxury flagship of the Swatch group.  But, it continues to innovate in the world of mechanical watch making.  It is a very special company where art, engineering, and craftsmanship combine to make amazing timepieces. For example, the Breguet Marine Automatic Big Date men's watch (below) features an 18-kt gold case, an alligator strap, and a silver engine turned dial.

Breguet Marine Big Date Automatic with Gold Case

Breguet watches are unique and special watches for people with discerning tastes and far beyond average means.  Most are obviously intended for the super wealthy.  However, when it comes to Breguet watches, the focus really is on art, design, and craftsmanship.  These aren't watches that you flash to impress people.   A Breguet watch is something far more special.

A Breguet watch (circa 1830) with a portrait of Ben Franklin reading by a bust of Isaac Newton (Photo courtesy of Walters Art Museum [Public domain, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons)

Breguet timepieces are very special watches that people buy because they are impressed by a beautiful timepiece and all that goes into it. If you wear one, it is because you appreciate the history, the aesthetics, and the meticulous craftsmanship that precedes your purchase.  The Breguet buyer is more than a purchaser.  He or she is a patron of a rare and vanishing art.

Wristwatch Review: Grenen Men's Stainless Steel Mesh Watch

Danish Design in a Thin, Comfortable, Black Stainless Steel Package 

Are you ready to rebel against all the clunky macho watches for men? Do you need a sleek alternative to wear with a suit or tuxedo? If so, check out this review of the Grenen Men's Stainless Steel Mesh Watch. 

[This watch review is a reprint of a review that I first published on the now defunct Yahoo Contributors Network.  I haven't seen Grenen in stores for awhile.  But, I strongly suspect you could find a similar Skagen watches but with lighter more durable titanium construction!  Some photos updated in 2024.]

Have you noticed that men's wrist watches are getting thicker and thicker? To rebel against the clunky watch trend, you should check out brands like Skagen--the Danish watchmaker. Scandinavian designs feature common articles done in an uncommonly sparse and clean way. Naturally, Skagen makes thin, streamlined, and superbly comfortable watches. When I came across Skagen's Grenen brand at a Kohls department store in Tallahassee, Florida, I was excited. Grenen brings simple, sleek, Scandinavian watch design from Skagen to the poor huddled masses at affordable department store prices.

I chose the Grenen Stainless Steel Mesh Watch (model M - 24XLBBB) which retails at full price for around $85. However, I found mine on sale for far less. My Grenen watch features a slim Japanese quartz movement, an all stainless steel case, and a fine stainless steel mesh band. It's all done with a deep black finish that evokes ninjas, tuxedos, and the night. For another affordable thin dress watch, consider the Hamlin Ultra Thin Stainless Steel Dress Watch.

 
The Grenen Stainless Steel Mesh Watch has a minimalist design centered around a traditional round case measuring one and a half inches in diameter. In contrast to clunky watches from makers like Invicta, the Grenen case is a wafer thin quarter inch thick. The watch features a raised track with silver-tone Arabic numerals for 1 through 12. Inside the track of the numbers, the face is slightly recessed. A small portal reveals the date at just above the six o'clock position. Just below 12 o'clock, there is a small white logo, the Grenen name and Denmark. Just above the date portal, tiny white letters remind the wearer that this thin watch is made of steel. The watch hands have thin inserts of luminous material. The layout is sparse, functional, and effective.

This Grenen watch has a thin, fine, steel mesh band that almost imperceptibly tapers from 7/8 of an inch wide at the case pins down to about half an inch at the clasp. Fine mesh bands are very comfortable because they don't catch and pull arm hairs. The fold-over clasp with safety has smooth surfaces and doesn't cut into your flesh if you rest the weight of your wrist on the clasp while typing, computing, or doing other general office tasks. The fold-over clasp ensures that the watch stays securely fastened to your wrist.

The Mesh Band of the Grenen Stainless Steel Watch shows wear in 2024

I found only a three minor drawbacks with my Grenen. First, the crystal tends to show fingerprints and I find myself wiping it off regularly. Second, the mesh band seems a little delicate when compared to traditional watch bands. Third, the date portal is very small and can be a little difficult to read. Since I rotate several watches during the week and keep the watch cased when it's not in use, I doubt that I'll ever wear out this Grenen watch.

Grenen watches have thin cases that easily fit under a shirt sleeve cuff

Since the thin case fits neatly under any dress shirt cuff and the Grenen is comfortable to wear while using a keyboard, I'd say that this watch is nearly perfect for the office. If a man needs a watch for a formal occasion such as his prom or wedding day, this Grenen is clearly an affordable wristwatch option that looks rich and sophisticated. Its sleek Scandinavian design and black finish give the watch a polished look that would work well with a tuxedo or suit. In a world where less is often less, this Grenen wristwatch clearly offers more.

[To see the wide variety of Skagen watches on Amazon click here.]