Wristwatch Review: Men's Pulsar Chronograph Dress Watch with Roman Numerals

Examining a Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch from Pulsar

Power, sophistication, and sensibility are the perfect combination for a man's dress watch. Does the Pulsar Chronograph Model PT3399 demonstrate all three? I received one for Christmas 2013 and will look for those qualities.

Pulsar Chronograph Model PT3399

[This is a re-print of a review that I published on the now defunct Yahoo Voices.  As of 2024, this watch is unavailable, but mine still looks like a million bucks.]

 Watch Style. Roman numerals on a dress watch always up your game. Instead of piloting an aircraft or driving a sports car, a dial with Roman numerals suggests that the wearer is likely to pilot a major corporation or drive an important court case. It's a different kind of power and the Pulsar PT3399 demonstrates it. Roman numerals circle a silver dial with XII exerting its authority with a larger font in blue. The hour, minute, and second hands are done in the same blue. The hour and minute hands have a luminous white insert for night visibility.

This Pulsar has chronograph subdials at three, six, and nine o'clock. The subdials are silver with small black arabic numerals on raised rings. The subdial at three o'clock provides the 24-hour time. Seconds are provided at six o'clock and minutes are provided at nine o'clock. The pushers work well to activate, stop, and reset the chronograph subdials. However, I wouldn't really use this watch to time anything athletic.

A date window is canted and sits between four and five o'clock just inboard of the numeral track. The date and all of the other numerals on the watch are readable even with my aging eyes.

The watch itself is all stainless steel with the bracelet and case elegantly alternating high shine and flat satin finishes. The bracelet has a fold over clasp with push button. It fit me well with a little room to spare, but smaller wrists may need to remove a link or two. I think this watch is very sophisticated looking.

Watch Size. The diameter of this watch is officially 43 millimeters but that's about 45 millimeters counting the crown or pusher buttons. It is 10 millimeters thick and has a wide bracelet that measures 21 millimeters at the lugs and 20 millimeters at the clasp.

Watch Construction. Despite the Roman numerals, this Pulsar is built with a respectable water resistance rating. The watch has a hardlex crystal. It also has a screw down caseback. These features help the PT3399 achieve 100 meters of water resistance. Since Pulsar is a Seiko brand, it has a reliable Japanese quartz movement.

Price. The suggested retail price for this watch is $175. However, with smart shopping at Kohl's, my wife was able to get a considerable discount for this watch on sale.

Overall. I like this Pulsar Chronograph very much. It has the classic, powerful, styling that is seen in many far more prestigious mechanical watches. This Pulsar has Roman numerals to up the sophistication game. Plus, it has a reliable, economical, Japanese quartz movement. The Pulsar PT3399 has everything I look for in a dress watch. This watch will be my go to dress watch for important meetings, job interviews, and other important business functions.

Sources:
www.kohls.com
www.pulsarwatchesusa.com

Cheap Wristwatch Review: Merona Men's Tanker-style Dress Watch from Target

Merona watches continue to impress with this tanker-style watch with Roman numerals.  This review is reprinted from Yahoo Contributors Network and covers a dress wristwatch that only looks expensive.


Americans tend to think that anyone with a British accent is intelligent, insightful, and worth listening to carefully. Just as the accent works for some commentators, Roman numerals work for dress watches. In an interview situation, a man wearing a dress watch with Roman numerals may have the advantage. Fortunately, the Merona Men's Tanker-style Dress Watch from Target provides those Roman numerals at a bargain price.

The Merona Tanker-style watch (model FMDM220-135) looks great. This watch has a hefty rectangular case that looks high end. The face of the watch is also rectangular with slight rounding at the top and bottom of the watch crystal. The background is a neutral grayish-green that can mix well with khakis, greens, and grays. The watch hands, five-minute hash marks, and Roman numerals are shiny, chrome-colored, metal raised from the background surface. The metal bracelet band is broad (about an inch wide) and it fits my nearly 8 and 1/2-inch wrist perfectly. The band is Chinese-made stainless steel with flat, brushed, steel on the outside edges of each link and a shiny middle section for each link. It looks like the only way to adjust the size of the band is by removing links. The bracelet itself is one of the most comfortable that I've worn. In contrast to adjustable clasps, non-adjustable clasps seem smoother against the inside of my wrist. This is a watch that you can wear all day.

If this watch was a Swiss-made automatic with slightly fancier Roman numerals, it might be expensive. But, this Merona watch eschews the mechanical engineering wizardry of a fine automatic in favor of a reliable Japanese-made quartz movement . As an offering from Target's house brand, this watch is expected to be stylish and affordable. Merona watches hit their price points and styling objectives well. My only criticism of this watch is that setting the time is not a precise as it should be. If you are careless when pushing in the crown after setting the time, you may find the watch off by a minute or two. It's a minor problem that is solved simply by being careful when setting the time. As a cheap watch, this Merona doesn't have any back light or glow in the dark elements. This is a low-key, daytime, watch for work with a style that is perfectly appropriate.

Overall, I think that a nice Merona watch like this one can be an essential element of a low cost men's wardrobe that looks like a high cost wardrobe. I would not hesitate to wear mine in any formal or professional situation. For $20 or less, Target has a winner in this Merona Men's Analog Watch.

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.

Last Minute Gift Ideas: Legion Watches from Belk

At the height of the Christmas season, it can be great fun to enjoy the extended hours at department stores.  Sometimes, it's like you get to sneak in and enjoy the service, the decor, and the personal attention that the early birds miss out on.  One retailer that we like in our region of the United States is Belk.  They are a southern department store based in Charlotte, North Carolina.  During this holiday, we visited one of their premiere stores in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was a good opportunity to take stock of the every day quartz watches they offer in their Legion store brand.

I took a look at the Legion watches stacked in a store display.  After a busy shopping day, the sales people remained effervescent, but they hadn't had a chance to front the display and make it presentable.  Nevertheless, I had a great chance to take a look at many of their Legion brand watches.
 

Legion Diver-style Watch

 The first watch to catch my eye was the Legion diver-style watch with subdials shown above.  It has all the right markings for a dive watch, but the bezel doesn't rotate and the subdials are purely for decorative purposes.  Still, $40 is a great price for a fashionable quartz watch with a 10-year warranty.
 

Legion Watch with Extra Strap from Belk

Another interesting choice might be this gold-tone Legion watch with extra strap.  It would give you the flexibility of a metal bracelet or a leather strap.  However, this gold tone is a little too much like a women's "boyfriend" style watch for my taste.

Legion Watch with Roman Numerals

Handsome Roman numerals and a leather strap drew my eyes to this Legion watch as well.  It's likely that the sub-dials are non-functional, but it is a nice looking watch.

Legion Watch with Gold & Silver Tones

If bling is your thing, the silver and gold-tone Legion watch (above) offered a masculine take on the matter.  It's a solid looking timepiece for sure.  There were many other watches in the Belk lineup of Legion brand watches.  However, after a few minutes, it was time to move on.  Overall, these watches make a great "bonus" gift or stocking stuffer.

Finally, I saw the silver-on-silver Legion watch shown above.  It a Legion watch that I have previously reviewed here:  Wristwatch Review:  Men's Legion Analog Watch.


I should note that there is a Legion brand of watches that is sweeping the Internet.  I don't believe that these watches are in any way related to the housebrand watches sold at Belk.  But, with a ten year warranty and a plethora of styles to choose from, these Legion watches from Belk are solid last minute holiday gift!

Reviewing My New Pulsar Chronograph Watch

Over Christmas, I got an outstanding new watch.  It's a Pulsar Chronograph Dress Watch with Roman Numerals.  This watch (Model PT3399) has a silver on silver motif with vertical stripes of white on the dial.   It's a very classy and powerful watch.  Plus, Pulsar Chronograph Watches are made by Seiko!

Men's Pulsar Chronograph PT3399

This timepiece has quickly become one of my favorite watches for the office.  If you'd like to read my full review, you can read it here:

Wristwatch Review:  Men's Pulsar Chronograph Dress Watch with Roman Numerals

Pulsar PT3399 Chronograph with Locomotive in Marietta, Georgia

An Italian Outing with my latest US Polo Assn Watch

 A Small Adventure to Review a New Watch

On one recent night, my wife and I decided to break out of our dining rut with an outing to a nearby Italian Restaurant. I wore my US Polo Assn sport watch with a orange dial. 

It isn't an expensive watch and it's not from a prestigious brand so I wondered how it would look at a dining spot that was a tad fancier than a local sports bar. Some men test their watches on Alpine slopes, other men find their watches' limits on jungle hikes, and others take their watches into the depths of the sea. I'm content testing mine at a slightly fancier Italian restaurant.

US Polo Assn Watch Style

The first real test of this watch was when the lights were turned down a bit. In the low lamplight of our restaurant table, would I still be able to read this watch. The answer was a resounding yes. The dauphine hands of this watch had just a little strip of white and a gold tone that was clearly readable. The 43mm case and lack of sub-dials also contributed to the readability of this watch.

A US Polo Assn Quartz Watch with Orange Dial

The next challenge of this outing is weather the watch would have the sophistication needed for a civilized restaurant. The answer again from this US Polo Assn watch is yes! It has Roman numerals, baby! What more do you need? How about applied Roman Numerals not just painted ones. This watch simply hits all the style points.

US Polo Assn Watch Construction

This US Polo Assn watch was constructed by Accutime and has a stainless steel caseback. The quartz  movement is from Singapore. It uses a common SR626SW watch battery and has a press-on caseback. Over time, I've found that Accutime makes good quality watches.

US Polo Assn watch against a Mediterrean backdrop

While I didn't get this watch wet, it seems sufficiently well-constructed for this Italian Riviera scene on a restaurant wall mural. With it's sunny face, the watch actually seems to fit right in. The watch appears to be reliable and has not lost any time in the few days since this restaurant outing.

US Polo Assn Watch Pricing

I found this watch as Burlington for just $19.99. That low price tag frees up plenty of money for a night out on the town that includes a great pasta dish! Typically, US Polo Assn watches cost between $18 and $35. This makes them affordable under almost any circumstance.

Rigatoni with sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, and chicken

Overall Impression

For an inexpensive watch, it looked great on my wrist and I enjoy wearing it. This one didn't have the signature polo ponies in relief on the dial, but I think their absence may have also helped this watch fit into any surroundings. Low price quartz watches like this often do a great job of evoking a classic watch look.  If you like the look of a US Polo Assn watch, don't hesitate the buy it. This one is great looking and an excellent value proposition. I left the restaurant satisfied with my meal and with this US Polo Assn watch!

A nearly quarter to nine, it was time to head home but not on this vintage Vespa

Where to Buy US Polo Assn Watches

You can generally find US Polo Assn watches at retailers including Burlington and JC Penney. Fashion watch styles come and go and the brand seems to have an endless variety.  You can see many US Polo Assn styles out here on Amazon. This brand is a good reminder that you don't have to buy prestige brands to have a nice looking watch.

Ten Dollar Tuesday: The Kakabi Roman Numeral Watch

Over the past few posts, I've provided some high faluting watches. That's because I wanted us to be able to keep up with the Joneses over at WatchTime. However, if you're living or a fixed income or you have an employer that's trying to fix your income, you always have the option of reverting to a nice looking watch with Roman numerals. In this case, this 40mm diameter Kakabi Men's Classic Quartz Watch with a leather strap looks perfect for a business casual workplace. It hits our $10 mark as well!

Kakabi Roman Numeral Watch

If you'd like to purchase a watch like this one, you can find it here using my Amazon affiliate link. If you want to see some more classy Roman numeral watches, check out these posts on my blog.

To see all the $10 watches that I've highlighted, check out my Amazon affiliate store front here.

Watch Review: Cufuo SKMEI Men's Quartz Dress Watch with Brown Leather Strap

One of the watches in my current rotation is a cheap Chinese watch, but you'd never know it from a casual glance.  It's a nice looking dress watch that was sold by Cufuo on Amazon under the brand SKMEI and cost me less than $15.  I have also seen this watch sold under LYMFHCH.  The Amazon advertisement listed the watch with the short and elegant moniker - "Mens Leather Band Quartz Watch, Men's Analog Business Working Roman Numeral Casual Waterproof Watches with Calendar Date Daily Dress Fashion Wristwatch - Brown."  Sheesh!

WATCH DESIGN FEATURES

The watch has some surprising features at this price point.  The dial is marked with Roman numerals on the hour, hashmarks on the minute, a small date window at 3 o'clock, and an elegant, but basic, guilloché pattern on the dial.  The genuine leather strap offers a generous length that I have found very comfortable from the first wearing.  The dial has a bright white face, but it easily takes on the tone of your surroundings.

WATCH DIMENSIONS

This is not a huge watch. The case diameter is 38 millimeters and the watch is 10 mm thick.  The strap is 20 mm wide.

WATCH CONSTRUCTION AND QUALITY

This is one of the best cheap Chinese watches in my collection.  But, it is not perfect.  When I run my finger over the zinc alloy case, there is a little burr on the front that I can feel.  However, I cannot see it with my eyes.  It's the only flaw that I can find.  Otherwise, this watch would be right in there with other commodity quartz watches or even basic Timex or Armitron watches.

Another issue with this watch is that when you click on it directly on Amazon, you see the watch as I have pictured it.  However, when you order it, a brown watch of a completely different model is shown in the picture on the order page.  This makes for a bit of a panic until the watch arrives.  The seller really needs to clean the listing up so that the right picture is shown consistently.

OVERALL

This is a great watch for under $15.  If you are on a budget and want a decent looking dress watch, this might be one to take a chance on.  I like it.

[Update July 2025, you can find the SKMEI 9058 here on Amazon.]

Watch Wearing Wednesday: Brigada Minimalist Watch for Men

Here's an interesting watch!  The Amazon listing for it is quite a mouthful.  Here goes!  It's the  BRIGADA Men's Watches Cool Black Blue Business Casual Waterproof Quartz Analog Wrist Watch for Men.  I just like to call it the Brigada Minimalist Watch for Men.

The Brigada Minimalist Watch has a thin case.

In these evening shots, you can see that the watch has a generously-sized dial with roman numerals in a gold-tone that is perfect for catching the last rays of a slowly setting summer sun.  The strap is of synthetic leather that looks good and gets the job done.  In looks, this quartz watch compares favorably to other minimalist watches from bands like MVMT.

The dial of this BRIGADA is simple and delivers the time.

Sometimes, I find it difficult to justify minimalist designs that cost a lot of money.  This BRIGADA is cheap. I think it compares favorably to watches that cost between $50 and $125.  But, this watch actually costs much, much, less.  Incredibly, as of 2024, this watch was less than $20.  It is much, much, better than the $5 Youyoupifa watch I ordered from China many years ago.

Brigada Men's Quartz Watch

I've posted about the Brigada brand before and recently reviewed one of their watches.  I think this watch fully delivers on the promise of low cost watches.

Five Alternatives to the Rolex Day-Date President Watch

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date "President" watch has long been popular with U.S. Presidents and other leaders around the world. Lyndon Johnson was the US President who popularized the watch. But, other presidents including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump have worn Rolex President watches.

Rolex Day-Date Presidential Watch - Fabian Peiffer, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Since it's introduction in 1956, elements of this popular Rolex watch have worked their way into many other watch designs from a variety of brands around the world. 

Watches Inspired by Rolex

From merely inspired to obvious homage watches, we'll take a look at a few timepieces that clearly draw upon the Rolex Day-Date President for inspiration.

1. Bulova Classic Surveyor Watch

The Bulova Classic Surveyor is a quartz watch that incorporates all the day-date functionality into a rich looking quartz package. By omitting the fluted dial, this Bulova keeps away from being a direct copy, but keeps an upscale look that is very practical. As of this writing (June 2025), this Bulova is 46% off at this link on Amazon.com.

Bulova Classic Survey Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

Moving beyond the Bulova, you can bring in more and different design elements to evoke that classic look. It's interesting to see how different elements of the style come together for customers.

2. Mathey-Tissot Mathey 3 Automatic Watch

Named after one of the founders of Mathey-Tissot, flutes and a date cyclops join together on the styling Mathey-Tissot Mathey 3 Automatic watch for men. This watch brings together the flash of a fluted dial and a Swiss Automatic movement for a classy watch at a relatively low price. You can check out the Mathey-Tissot Mathey 3 in blue here on Amazon.

Mathey-Tissot Mathey III automatic

If you want to nail the Rolex President look, you may have to dive deeper into homage watches. There are several that mimic the President look.

3. NIBOSI Stainless Steel Quartz Day Date Watch

Starting out with the lowest price Rolex President homage brings us to a Chinese watch maker called Nibosi. They've nailed the Rolex President look--from a distance.  Up close, the dial reads "Superlative Chonometery." 

The watch comes in 28 different color and dial combinations including ones with Roman numerals instead of crystals. It's less than $35 and might be worth taking a chance on. You can find it here on Amazon. 

4. Peugeot 14K All Gold Plated Big Face Watch

If you need to nail the look and bring the bling. I think this Peugeot watch (available here on Amazon) really brings the look to every man's wrist at an affordable price. This watch is plated with 14-carat gold and is powered by a Seiko movement.

5. Cadisen Men's Miyota Automatic Day-Date Watch

This Cadisen also nails the look and provides a reliable Miyota Automatic movement with 100-meters of water resistance. It's a fun watch with a nice one-two combination punch of looks and capability. It gets 4.2 stars about of 5 in 72 reviews on Amazon. If gold feels like too much flash for you, Cadisen has several color and dial combinations that allow you to tone it down a bit. This gives you a chance to enjoy the light playing across the flutes and all the functionality of the watch without looking like a complete clone.

If you like the look of this watch, you can check it out here on Amazon. 

None of these watches will ever have the same meaning as a genuine Rolex President. Like it or not, Rolex (and particularly the President) symbolize achievement, authority, and power. It's an ultimate status symbol watch. However, when you step back from the Rolex crown and all the prestige and mystique surrounding a real Rolex, it's clear that the beauty and functionality of the original Rolex design still shines through in these homage timepieces.

[Are you intrigued by other Rolex designs? Are you saddled with the budget of a mere mortal? Don't worry, here are some watches that might be affordable alternatives to a Rolex Explorer.]

[Do you want to see a very inexpensive Tahari watch that draws inspiration from the Rolex Datejust? Check out my review here on the watchdude!]

TGIF: What Do You Consider a Prestigious Timepiece?

What do you consider a prestigious timepiece?  

It's an interesting question.  We often let the very rich define what is prestigious.  To them, watch brands like Blancpain, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, or Zenith might be considered prestigious. While each of these brands produces exclusive watches and masterpieces of watch engineering and mechanical craftsmanship, these watches are far too expensive for most middle class people.  Perhaps, for most of us, a Rolex is destined to always be something we see high upon a far off billboard?

A Rolex on a Jewelers Billboard in Atlanta

Do middle class people get prestigious timepieces?

If we can't have a Rolex, can we have prestigious timepieces? I'd argue that we do.  I'd also argue that we, middle class people, get to come up with our own definition of "prestigious."  For the vast majority of people, a nice Seiko or Bulova timepiece is classy, elegant, and prestigious enough for most special occasions.  We forget that $500 to $1000 is actually quite a bit of money for a watch.

What are my most prestigious watches?

For prestige, I'll just focus on three of my watches: my Seiko University of Florida watch, my Bulova Precisionist, and my Tissot Carson Powermatic 80.

One of my most prestigious timepieces is the Seiko Watch my parents gave me when I graduated from college.  It's from a great watch company and, since it is aimed at a small market, it's probably a relatively rare watch.  It's also meaningful since it was a gift.

I'd also consider my Bulova Precisionist watch to be a prestige watch.  It has an interesting 26kHz quartz movement that allows for a continuously sweeping second hand.  Since a Bulova watch actually went to the moon on Apollo 15 in 1970, the brand has a storied history and a bit of mystique for me.  That actual Bulova worn on the moon fetched over $1.6 million at auction back in 2015.

My Tissot Carson Powermatic 80 brings a bit of European exclusivity and panache to my collection.  It's a true Swiss-made watch with an automatic movement.  It also has old world style in the form of Roman numerals.  You can read my full review of this great watch right here.

All of these watches bring quite enough prestige to my wrist. If I win the lottery or do incredibly well with my investments, I won't turn down a Rolex. But, I've got prestige covered.  Now, it can be about fun and about being interesting.  What are your prestige watches?

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: Versace Men's Stainless Steel Watch

I recently got a glimpse of this handsome Versace watch.  It features Roman numerals, a handsome bezel, and the famed Versace Medusa logo.  The watch has a sensibly size 41 millimeter diameter case.

At the heart of this quartz watch, the venerable Ronda 515 movement provides accurate timekeeping.   A date window at 3 o'clock provides a readable date.

I wasn't sure what the logo at 12 o'clock represented.  Initially, I thought that Versace must have had wild hair.  However, the logo actually represents Medusa.  The beautiful woman who offended Athena and was cursed with the snakes for hair, fangs, and who turned men to stone with her looks.  According to the Versace site, the Medusa logo actually represents Medusa pre-snake when she was at the height of her feminine beauty. It's an interesting bit of trivia about an iconic fashion brand.  Now you can find similar to this and other famed Versace watches on Amazon.

Exclusive Glimpse at Eclipse Brand Watches

Some watch bloggers and journalists spend all their time in Geneva, Switzerland, looking for exclusives and scoops.  They go on press junkets to the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) watch show.  Only this blogger is willing to make the sacrifices needed to find a completely new brand that will sell thousands of watches over the next few years.  While this new brand may never appear in The Robb Report or WatchTimes, according to The Millionaire Next Door, this is precisely the kind of watch that real millionaires wear.  To find it, I had to go where other horology bloggers fear to tread.  I had to get the exclusive spy pictures that no one else has.  I had to go to Walmart.

I slipped into the big box retailer under the guise of picking up a loaf of bread and some dog biscuits.  Since these items were sold on completely opposite ends of the store, I was easily able to detour through the watch section.  When I did so, I quickly discovered a watch brand that I had never heard of before.  It was hidden in plain sight.  It's a brand called Eclipse and it was created by the watch experts at Armitron.  While I had to hustle home for a hungry hound, I did get a chance to take a quick look at these watches and bring you these world exclusive spy photos of Eclipse watches.

The five watches I saw were men's quartz watches that would be suitable for the office, church, and business casual work environments.  The designers of these watches couldn't fall back on hundreds of years of horological history, call whole summers a holiday, and demand big bucks.  Instead, they were likely challenged by the quality benchmarks and low price points demanded by the notoriously tough fashion buyers at the world's most famous big box store.

The resulting watches look nice, are most likely quite reliable, and were priced to move at only $22.84.  The first of these watches mixed silver tones and gold tones quite effectively in a water resistant, quartz-movement, package.  

An Eclipse Watch at Walmart

The second watch was the Eclipse take on the basic field watch with a genuine leather band.  It was quite readable, offered 165 feet of water resistance, and even had a date window.

An Eclipse Watch at Walmart

I love silver on silver watches and the Eclipse by Armitron brand obliged with this basic beauty.  I really do like basic watches of this style and I think this one has a very nice design.

An Eclipse Watch at Walmart

Of course, intelligent discourse and society sophisticates insist that every man have at least one watch with Roman numerals on the dial.  This Eclipse obliges and has a bit of a sunburst on the dial.

An Eclipse Watch at Walmart

This final Eclipse watch had a dark dial, a sunburst, a date, and clear, readable numbers.  To me, it's not the brand's strongest effort because it has too many disparate style elements that detract from the unity of the design.

An Eclipse Watch at Walmart

When I searched for the brand using the google shopping search, I saw that they had plenty of models to choose from at Walmart.  At this price point, you get a decent working watch backed by the recognizable Armitron brand.  They also seem well differentiated from the $10 to $15 watches available on nearby shelves.  While they might not be shown or even worn in Geneva, these timepieces have their niche and fill it well.

A Guide to Ultra Thin Wristwatches for Men

The Quest for the Thinnest Wristwatch

[This article is reprinted in a slightly updated form from my contributions to the now defunct Yahoo Contributors Network.  If you are looking to get or give a sleek thin wristwatch, this Christmas, this guide may still come in handy.]

If you believe the shopping channel watch shows, you'll see that men's wristwatches are growing larger and larger. Some men's watches are up to an inch thick. But, here's a watch making secret: thick watches are easy to make. Thin wristwatches are more challenging to make. I enjoy thin wristwatches like my Grenen Men's Stainless Steel Mesh Watch. It's thin, light, and a joy to wear all day. If you want a watch that is comfortable, practical, and fits under the cuff of your shirt, join me on the quest for the thinnest watch.

Grenen Men's Stainless Steel Mesh Watch

Thin Swiss Mechanical Watches. Our first stop is La Côte-aux-Fées, Switzerland, the birthplace of Piaget. In 1874, Piaget got its start making watch movements. In 1943, they became a full-fledged brand and in 1945 they built a factory that became world renowned for making thin watch movements. In 1957, Piaget introduced the Caliber 9P - a hand-wound mechanical movement that was only 2 millimeters thick. In 1968, Piaget followed up with the Caliber 12P which remains the world's thinnest self-winding watch movement at 2.3 millimeters thick. Since then Piaget has made many sophisticated and very thin movements. Today, Piaget makes premium Swiss watches and fine jewelry. They also make the world's thinnest mechanical wristwatches. For example, the thinnest Piaget is the Piaget Altiplano 43 Automatic watch which has a case that is only 5.25 millimeters thick. Unfortunately, such rare watches have high price tags. The base Piaget Altiplano 43 costs about $19,000. If you want the 43 millimeter Piaget Altiplano in white gold, with the dial surrounded by 88 brilliant-cut diamonds, it will run nearly $30,000.

Thin Quartz Watches. At that price, everyone get back on the jet. Our second stop is the Amazon. No, not the exotic anaconda and piranha-filled Amazon of South America. We're stopping at the watch-filled Amazon: Amazon.com. If we want an ultra thin and affordable watch, the Skagen Men's SKW6068 Havene Quartz 3 Hand Stainless Steel Silver Watch has a case that is 6.5 millimeters thick.  It's thin and has a mesh band. But, it's almost a little too dressy for my taste.

To find a more traditional watch with Roman Numerals, check out the Steinhausen Men's TW493G Dunn Horitzon Thin Swiss Quartz Gold Watch is only 5.5 millimeters thick according to Amazon.com. In a silver finish, the Steinhausen is available for a little less.

Finally, if we pop over to overstock.com, we can find the very traditional Stuhrling Original Men's Black 'Belmont' Ultra Slim Watch for $59.05. It has a 6 millimeter case.

Thin Watches in Local Markets. Of course, I have quite a few watches already. Most of my watches come from affordable sources like Kohl's, Sears, Walmart, and Kmart. So before I buy anything exotic, I'd better grab a ruler and check my own watch collection. I found a great watch called the Hamlin Ultra Thin Dress Watch at Sears and it has a case around 7 millimeters thick. My Grenen watch with a stainless steel mesh band looks great in black, has a stainless steel mesh band, and has a case that is similarly only 7 millimeters thick. It's bigger brother, the Grenen Men's Analog Watch with Subdials has a case that appears to be between 7 and 8 millimeters thick. Since Grenen watches are designed by Skagen and are widely available at Kohl's, I don't need to order a watch today. For less than $100, perfectly comfortable thin watches with cases that are only a quarter inch thick were just around the corner the whole time!

Hamlin Ultra Thin Dress Watch

Sources:

Amazon.com
Overstock.com
Piaget Official Website
"Piaget Altiplano 43 Automatic Wristwatch Hands-On," Ariel Adams. Ablogtoread.com
"Piaget Altiplano Skeleton Ultra-Thin Automatic Watch," Ariel Adams. Ablogtoread.com
WatchTime Buyer's Guide 2012, WatchTime Magazine. Special Edition 2012.

Sponsored Spotlight: The Olev's Men's Stainless Steel Luxury Diamond Chronograph

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For this month's sponsored spotlight, I have another great watch from Olev's.  This time it's a men's stainless steel quartz chronograph with diamond markers. Olev's is an interesting watchmaker as you can see luxury elements coming together in a budget-friendly watch. This one appears to have a faceted crystal that the ad copy refers to as a "rhombic mirror." It further heightens the visual interest of this watch.

Olev's Luxury Chronograph with Diamond Markers (Amazon photo)

To me, this watch has a rather New Orleans style.  It has the old appeals to royalty with a crown and diamonds, Roman numerals and a faceted crystal and bezel. I also like the black coloring with just a hint of gold.  However, this watch is available in ten different dial design, color, and watch bracelet configurations. 

Olev's Luxury Chronograph Dial Designs (Amazon photo)

This watch has contemporary proportions at 43mm in diameter and 10mm thick. The style is luxurious and the brand is striving for their crown to mean something. While this is a budget-friendly watch, it feels like a better grade of watch than the low-end timepieces that you might find at a discount store. For example, this watch has a stainless steel case and a practical 30-meter water resistance.

That said, I have a similar Olev's model that I bought for myself back in 2024 and I've been quite  pleased with it. If you'd like to take a closer look, please use my Amazon affiliate link here. This watch qualifies for a slightly higher commission via the Amazon Creators program and any purchase will help support this blog.

If you're looking for something a little more square, check out last month's sponsored spotlight for a sophisticated-looking square Olevs!

New Watch Brands: Brigada Watches

I recently ran across another interesting watch brand on Amazon.  It's a Chinese brand called Brigada.  While some of the Amazon ad text says Brigada Swiss Brand, my research shows that they come from Shenzen, China.

East Gate in Shenzen, China.

Nevertheless, Brigada watches seem to be solid, no nonsense, minimalist watches with reliable Japanese movements.  The watch brand earns consistent 4 1/2 star reviews on Amazon.  Most importantly they simply look good and they sell for reasonable prices.  This Brigada Men's Quartz Dress watch on Amazon is a real winner for the price.

Brigada Men's Classic Quartz Dress Watch

Another winner from Brigada is what I call my Brigada Minimalist Watch.  It's a simple design with roman numerals and a large watch face.  It's a well-executed, inexpensive, watch that is just perfect for business casual wear.  You can learn more about it in this Watch Wearing Wednesday post.  

A minimalist watch from Brigada

There are some pros and cons with Brigada watches.  I also recently bought the Brigada business casual watch (shown below) and you can read my review here.  There were some nice features and a few that didn't quite fit my sense of style.  

Brigada Men's Business Casual Quartz Wrist Watch

These kinds of commodity quartz watches give the basic models from companies like Timex and Casio a run for the money.  Plus, with an exotic name like Brigada, people will wonder if you are wearing an exotic foreign brand.  In truth you are, but this exotic brand isn't coming from Europe.

[As of 2025, it looks like Brigada may be gone from Amazon. But, the watches may pop up on other sites.]