The 10 Min. Watch Refresh Project (w/ a small giveaway too)

Pulsar Alarm Chrono  – Extinct? | Timex T2N228 – $34.61(reg. $49.95)

Assorted Straps:  American Eagle – $6.50

Swapping out an old leather watch strap for a striped fabric one is like painting a room a new color.  The ratio of cost to “hey this looks completely different” is just silly.  A minor investment can produce a major change.  Here’s the proof, and a chance for you to win one of these watches right after.

The Pulsar was a watch I picked up half a decade ago off Amazon for something like $55.  You can find some similar models, but this exact one appears to be extinct.  It’s a favorite, but a year or so ago the leather band was dirty enough to toss, I removed the band, and… promptly forgot about it.

The Timex was a pure just-stumbled-across-it find.  Thought it had potential, and it showed up looking better in person than on-line.  The dial is actually off-white which makes it look more expensive than $35.  It’s a smaller watch, so if you’re a bigger guy it’ll look dwarfed on your wrist.

Pick up an ultra-cheap American Eagle watch strap, watch one of the many videos on the web that shows you how to get the band off, and be prepared to be patient, steady handed, and have a spring bar tool or easily handled razor blade at the ready.  (Razor blade at your own risk please.)

Once you get the old watch band off the case, take the spring bars out of the band and put them back on the watch where you got them from.  Now it’s just a matter of stringing the new NATO band on correctly.

Done.  What was an unusable and forgotten watch is once again a favorite.  And that Timex gets a contemporary upgrade (depending on your tastes).  Not bad for a couple $6.50 watch bands.

Want the Timex?  Send an email to contests@dappered.com and you’ll be entered.  It’s that easy.  We’ll pick up the shipping and send along the original leather band as well.  Deadline for entry is 11:59pm ET on 4/15/11

UPDATE: Congrats to Mike P. who won the random drawing!  Thanks to all who entered.
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