Watch Sighting: Casio 3D Databank Watch (Model: AEQ100BW-9AV)

When I walk through Walmart to buy anything, I always take a short detour through the watch department looking for cool, inexpensive, watches that might be fun to add to my collection or for readers to check out.  Last weekend, this totally bling-tastic watch leaped out at me.  It's a Casio Databank Watch with 3D dial.

Casio Data Bank Watch Style

If you look closely, you can see that the circles and batons denoting each hour are slightly raised for a '3D' effect.  The watch itself has a 50 millimeter diameter dial and a 15.3 millimeter thick case.  The case itself is resin (black) with a gold dial color.  From a style perspective, this humble Casio pops like a much more expensive watch.  In this photo, it's clear that the watch even has prompts on the watch face to help wearers remember the button functions.  However, I found the dial a tad busy and difficult to read.  This photo seems a little larger than real life and my eyes are getting old.

Casio 3D Dial Databank Watch Performance

From a performance perspective, this $35 watch delivers unexpectedly high performance and very nice features.  First of all, it has a 10 year battery and 100 meters of water resistance.  It has all the standard stopwatch functions like a 1/100 second stop watch, a countdown timer, 3 alarms, and the ability to keep time in 12 or 24 hour formats.  The watch can also keep track of the time in 30 cities around the world.  Finally, the watch can keep track of up to 30 names and phone numbers in its databank feature.  That's a lot of function for an inexpensive watch.  I've had a Casio Telememo 30 World Timer databank watch in my collection before and they are pretty cool.

Affordable Watches for Father's Day

3 Great Watches for Under $50 for Father's Day

When it comes to Father's Day gifts, one thing to remember is that often Father's Day gifts are bought by kids.  Kids have limited funds.  If allowance money is going towards a watch purchase, those funds might be very limited.  So, what kind of watch can a kid actually buy for Father's Day?  When I look for affordable style and lasting value, three companies come to mind:  Armitron, Timex, and Casio.  You can often find a nice watch from any of these companies for less than $50.

A Timex Expedition with wood-grain dial

Armitron.  One company that makes affordable and stylish watches is Armitron.  They make lots of digital watches, but they also make good looking analog watches.  For example, the Armitron 20/1925 is a classically styled watch with a gold tone, readable markings, a day and date window, and a nice leather strap.  Its simple dial evokes the classic military field watches of the past, but remains dressy enough for the business casual office.  It is also available for less than $50.  Armitron watches vary in style from store to store.  But, I've found some very attractive Armitron watches at Walmart over the years.

Timex.  There is nothing wrong with a Timex watch for Father's Day.  The venerable Expedition line has plenty of models that straddle the line between office worker and outdoor adventurer.  They can play many roles just like your dad.  Timex makes great watches for everyday wear.  If you father is an outdoors man, this Timex Expedition Gallatin watch is an excellent choice because it looks perfect for a weekend camping trip.  It can also be found for less than $50.

Casio.  If you are looking for value and a watch with real capability.  Casio makes a dive watch with 200-meters of water resistance, a stainless steel case, and a rotating bezel for less than $50.  It's the Casio Marlin. It's a great value and a rugged watch that would look great in the office or at the beach this summer.  It's one of my three favorite affordable diver-style watches.

If you can't find this watch or your budget is even tighter, don't forget the classic Casio MRW-200H Dive watch for $25 or less.

Where to Buy A Father's Day Watch

Of course, if you read here, you can buy here.  But, it's getting very close to Father's Day.  If you need an affordable watch for Father's Day and you are a last minute shopper, I suggest you try Walmart for a great price on Armitron, Timex, or Casio watches.  They usually have a great supply at awesome prices.  If you are dragging Mom along to make the watch purchase, Kohl's usually has a good selection of watches.  However, you need to watch the sales and learn how to get a good deal at Kohls.  Finally, if you want a watch with a little more snob appeal, TJ Maxx is a great place to search.  If you get lucky, you might be able to find a watch that costs a lot of money for an affordable price. 

If you're allowance is even tighter, here are seven great watches for less than $30. Good luck and happy father's day shopping!

A Father's Day Watch - The Timex Easy Reader

If you are looking for a watch this Father's Day, I spotted this Timex Easy Reader (EZ Reader) on a recent trip to Walmart.  It's a nice watch because it has a stitched leather strap and an eminently readable dial.

Timex EZ Reader with Stitched Leather Strap

Watches for Older Collectors

Depending on the age of your dad, he might not be able to read all the tiny sub-dials that many watches display.  I know that as I get older it becomes more and more difficult to read subdials.  According to the American Optometric Association -

Beginning in the early to mid-40s, many adults may start to have problems seeing clearly at close distances, especially when reading and working on the computer. This is among the most common problems adults develop between ages 41 to 60. This normal change in the eye's focusing ability, called presbyopia, will continue to progress over time.

Initially, you may need to hold reading materials farther away to see them clearly. Or you may need to remove your glasses to see better up close. Print in the newspaper or on a restaurant menu may appear blurred, especially under dim lighting.

It sucks to switch to bifocals or reading glasses just to check the time.  Fortunately, the Timex EZ reader watches help wearers avoid all that by simply having big numbers and broad hands. 

Timex EZ Reader

Timex EZ Reader Features

I like this EZ Reader because it has the brown dial and strap that are so common on military-style field watches.  While I have a smaller Timex EZ Reader, this one has a 43 millimeter diameter case which is a a mere 8 millimeters thick.  This is a nice contemporary watch size.  For night time use, the EZ Reader also has Indiglo back-lighting for the dial.  Finally, the EZ Reader is water resistant to a respectable 50 meters.   The specifications are quite respectable for a watch in this price category.

For this Father's Day, you might want to check out the whole family of Timex EZ Reader watches for men.  As of June 14, 2026, you can see the complete line of Timex Easy Reader Watches here on Amazon via my affiliate link.

Watch Sighting: Raymond Weil Tradition Swiss Quartz Watch

I spotted this Raymond Weil Tradition Swiss Quartz watch at a Costco.  Raymond Weil is one of the last independent Swiss watch makers.  The firm was founded in 1976 by an experienced watch maker that struck out on his own during the height of the Swiss Quartz watch crisis.

Raymond Weil Style

From a design watch, this Raymond Weil is an interesting gold-tone dress watch.  The Roman numerals on the dial look modern and lean forward.  Yet, the watch itself is very traditional.  A small date window at 3 o'clock adds to the functionality.  This Raymond Weil Tradition model has a gold-tone stainless steel case.  With it's genuine Swiss pedigree, a Raymond Weil watch would look great in any business setting.  Even on the weekend, if your idea of casual is khaki slacks and rolled up sleeves on a monogrammed dress shirt, this watch would fit you well.  It has a classy understated look.

A Raymond Weil Tanker-Style Watch

They aren't as unattainable as you might think!

Watch SIghting: Bass Pro Shops Quartz Watches

This weekend my travels brought me to the Bass Pro Shops store located in Duluth, Georgia.  While I was shopping for other things, my journey through the store did take me past a display of inexpensive Bass Pro Shop-branded watches.

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Store - photo by Michael Barera [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), 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

I had to stop and take a few spy photos so that you can see some of the inexpensive watch options available there.  The display square in the store shows five watches that can be found for $19.99 each at Bass Pro Shops.  Unfortunately, only a couple of these watch styles were available when I visited the Duluth, Georgia location.

The first style that caught my eye was the this militaristic camouflage dial watch with tachymeter.

The next watch to catch my eye was this silver-dial quart watch.  It gets middle of the road reviews on the Bass Pro Shop website.  The negative reviews point to the quartz watch simply running out of the juice.

The third watch is a simple watch with a diver-style bezel.  It's a basic watch with a nice solid look and a metal band.  Again a fairly good value for $20.

If you are shopping for someone who is into BassPro shops and the outdoors, a watch like this is not a bad deal.

Watch Sighting: A Timex Elevated Classics Gunmetal Tone Mens Watch at Walmart

I recently spotted this Timex watch at Walmart.  It is an interesting fusion of Diver and Military Field watch design elements.  As a low cost quartz fashion watch, it emphasizes looking good.    Unfortunately, the bezel does not rotate and the watch offers a minimal 50 meters of water resistance.  It's a day-to-day watch.

According to Amazon, this Timex is an Elevated Classic dress watch with a genuine leather strap.  It has a 42 millimeter brass case and a mineral crystal.  For under $50, this Timex is a great looking watch at a great price.  It's perfectly appropriate for any business casual environment.

Choosing a Zombie Apocalypse Watch

With the popularity of Zombie- themed movies and televison shows like The Walking Dead, it's only natural that watch collectors might wonder which watch would be best for surviving a Zombie Apocalypse.

Photo By Direction and cinematography both by George A. Romero (Screenshot from timeinc.net) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Would you choose an automatic, a quartz watch, or a solar watch?  An automatic or even a manually wound watch would free you from the need for batteries.  A solar watch would provide quartz accuracy with the inexhaustible power of the sun.   A traditional quartz watch would ultimately require watch batteries at some point.  Even an automatic is supposed to be serviced every few years.

Vostok Amphibia - photo By Matthew Bellemare (Flickr: Zissou Vostok Amphibia) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

One automatic watch brand stands out to me:  Vostok.  The Vostok Amphibia was the standard time keeper for the Soviet military for many years.  If you are pulling your SKS or AK-47 out of the gun room for the duration of a Zombie Apocalypse, the Vostok Amphibia definitely completes the look.  I'd suggest getting a paratrooper or tank commander version for maximum effect even if brainless Zombies aren't impressed.

The Vostok is a very tough watch.  In fact, the primary consideration in choosing a Zombie Apocalypse watch would have to be ruggedness.  When you look at pictures of the U.S. military in tough environments and combat conditions, the men and women of the military generally seem to be wearing Casio G Shock watches.  These watches provide unparalleled toughness and are affordable to middle class people.  In the U.S. Navy photo below, the trainee in a SEAL candidate class is wearing a G-Shock.

Since this is a high resolution image, we can zoom in and see the trainees watch clearly.  If a Casio G Shock is good for Navy SEAL BUDS training, it's probably good enough for the typical Zombie Apocalypse.

Casio G-Shock in Combat Training Exercise