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Affordable Men's Style

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The Complete Watch Week – 7 under $150

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No one needs a watch for every day of the week.  Plenty argue that with a mobile phone in every pocket, no one really needs a watch at all.  But Father Time is still undefeated.  Even gravity was beaten by NASA.  There are those of us who see wearing a watch as a good (and good looking) reminder that every so often you should step back and acknowledge the fact that your clock is ticking.  And it’s much easier to do that when your cell is left in your pocket, in the car, or even at home connected to the charger.
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Monday: Skagen 958 Sub Dial – $102.50
Slim, simple, easy.

The pics on Amazon don’t do it justice.  Probably #2 all time for Skagen after the blue hands 858.  Just 39 mm with nothing but clean lines on the dial (and their logo of course, which is a collection of clean lines.)  Nice thing about this model is that unlike some other Skagens, there’s a bit of space between the band and the case, which looks a little more classic when compared to a leather band that’s cut to completely envelope the curve.

 

Tuesday:  Seiko SNDC3 Chronograph in Black or Brown & Beige – $130 – $140
40 mm = a welcome, not enormous chronograph.

Maybe the best looking inexpensive chronograph on the market.  Looks and feels like it cost much more than $135.  The black on black is sharp, and the cream/beige dial on the brown strap really sets off the throwback font of the numbers.  It’s a quartz of course, but the watch feels solid, well made, and the chrono actually measures time down to the 1/20 of a second.  That means the hand for that top sub dial is haulin’ when you start it up.  Hugely versatile style.  Suit worthy, but post-work could easily be worn with jeans and a polo.

 

Wednesday: Orient Blue Ray Automatic – $149.00
Hump day diving.

These seem to have been coming and going off Amazon, and as of post time they’re not sold direct or fulfilled by Amazon.  So be warned there.  The black dial version is, but not the blue.  For now.  And $150 is a great price being that Orient is selling them for $161 direct with one of their 30% off codes.  Plenty swear by the Mako, but this one looks a little more substantial.  Don’t be afraid to take that stainless band off and put on a leather one.  A lighter brown with contrasting stitching has potential.  200 m water resistance.

 

Thursday:  Timex Easy Reader in Gunmetal case, or Black Ion case – $65.00
The chameleons. Dresses up or down depending on what you’re wearing.

The almost Friday watch.  Almost Friday means almost casual.  These are casual, but they’re still simple with a clean design.  A bit bigger than you’d think at 42mm.

 

Friday: Bulova 96A102 Canvas Strap – $69.97
20 mm lugs if you want to switch out the canvas for leather.

Casual Friday right?  At 40mm in diameter with a vintage looking dial, it’s dressed down but no Casio digital.  Try matching the texture of the band with suede shoes, jeans, a blazer and a collared shirt (no tie).  If the canvas strap is too dressed down for your workplace, even for a Friday, swap it out for a leather strap.  Brown or black.  The cream color of the numbers will help bridge that black dial to brown band combo.   Photo Credit: Tsarli

 

Saturday: ESQ Movado Filmore – $150.12 w/the $7 off $125 coupon ($195)
For a real nice night out.

Let’s assume you’re going out somewhere real nice on this particular Saturday night.  The Movado’s step down brand ESQ makes easily one of the classiest looking timepieces for under $200.  Available now on Overstock, in limited supply, and priced at post time for $157.12.  Use that coupon simply by clicking on it then adding the watch to your cart, and you’re good.  Also available in a rectangular case for $149.  Want something still sharp, but not as dressed up?  Either of the Kenneth Cole classic chronos should do the trick, and both can be found for less on Amazon, but they’re not being sold or fulfilled by Amazon at the moment.

 

Sunday:  Victorinox Basecamp – $149.96 or Convoy – $153.97 w/ ALAUGUST2
Were $325 and $350
Were $325 and $350

The “ah hell, I forgot to wash the car /do the dishes / wash the dog / shine my shoes” watch.  Rubber strap on each, made in Switzerland by Victorinox, and two sizes depending on how big you like your time pieces.  The Basecamp is going to be downright tiny for some, measuring under 40mm and wearing small.  The Convoy is 42mm and stands out with the big crown and can’t miss yellow dial.  100m water resistance on each.  ALAUGUST2 is good for 20% off no minimum, 25% off $125 – $200, and 30% off $200 and up.  The Basecamp is $199 pre code, so if you need socks or something, you could save more in the long run by barely tipping that last code threshold.

Other watches that didn’t quite make the list:  Skagen Hiromichi Kono – $145, Bulova’s classic simple dial, ESQ Movado’s Beacon, Orient’s Mako, and the Timex Flyback Chrono in black and tan or white.

Comments

  1. I love Victorinox but their proprietary watch bands really piss me off. Even those with standard lugs are not of standard size. Pricey to replace if you break one.

  3. Amazon is having a pretty big sale on all of their Bulova watches right now. Some good looking watches for a hefty discount.

  6. So the colors of the brown strap Seiko at the link looks nothing like the Seiko in the photo. Different watch? Really liking the crisp white face in the Dappered photo.

  7. Ordered the Orient Mako (blue) last week…should arrive today. Decided I like it more than the Ray. Something about the round hour indices and hands looked clunky as compared to the Mako. From what I hear though, they’re both unbelievable watches for the price.

  8. Me being a watch guy . . . Joe has been killing my wallet lately.

    I actually just ordered the blue hands 858 Skagen that he linked to. Looks like it was hard to get a hold of a year ago when Joe made his original post but it’s readily available on Amazon now for $53.

    I was about to order the Timex Easy Reader, but isn’t that the one that people complain about having a really loud and annoying tick?

  10. I was in the same boat but decided for the Ray (which I am wearing today). Orient really impresses me. The Ray is solid, so I think you’ll have a great watch in the Mako

  17. I own it. And Joe’s right, it’s much better looking in person than those pictures will lead you to believe.

  18. Ah, thanks, I did see that in thumbnail and I didn’t realize it was the blue hands version.

    Brain no work good this early.

  19. The 858 Joe mentioned looks great too. If these look better than the pictures I think I might have to take the plunge.

  22. Yeah, you have to enlarge the image to see that the hands are actually blue. Plus Amazons pics don’t make it look as nice as Joes pics.

  24. Have the all black variant of the Skagen 958. If you are looking for something sleek, and sexy… look no further. Might be too light for some, but i guess that’s all personal preference.

    I’m not a fan of bigger watches, Skagen works perfectly for me.

  26. There’s some cream in there for sure, but it’s not as deep as the Amazon link. Tried to make extra sure that you could pick up some of the warmer hue in the photos here, but on some monitors it might not show. It’s not bright white, it’s certainly more cream in person.

  28. Whoa! You found it! Wanted to actually include that one in this post but never could dig it up on Amazon. Great find. Huge fan of that watch. And yeah, the Amazon pics really don’t do it justice.

  29. wow…I searched high and low for that watch but everything I found said it was a Nordstrom exclusive and once it was off their site it was gone for good. Nice find!

  30. I researched and compared a bunch of invictas to find that this was the closest resemblance of the submariner. I’m actually wearing it today and its still my favorite watch. Its $85, automatic, nice movement, and timeless style. Definitely go for it!!

  31. wow thats a great price. I had trouble finding it too and finally found it a few months back on ebay for around $75 shipped. The blue shows a lot in direct sun light

  34. if you get the Orient off the official website…the 30% comes with a free orient quartz watch too!

  35. This is a bit of a random endorsement, but if you’ve got a Costco membership, you should check out their watch selection. Sometimes it’s spotty but sometimes it’s astoundingly good, and they carry brands ranging from Timex and Skagen to Breitling and Omega. They’ve almost always got a good selection of mid-range brands like Seiko, Citizen, Casio, Wenger, Victorinox, etc.

    I recently picked up a beautiful Wenger GST chronograph that is similar to the Seikos featured here – steel case, silver dial, rose gold bezel and indices. $140 and apparently it’s a Costco exclusive model.

    Plus with Costco you get their lifetime warranty – if something goes wrong with the watch, just bring it back whenever for a full refund or (if available) replacement.

  36. Invicta suffers from a poor reputation for quality control, customer service, and purely derivative designs. The 8926OB is one of the few Invicta models that is mostly well-liked among the WIS (Watch Idiot Savant) community. Personally, I wore Sub-like watches for a while and got a little tired of feeling like I was wearing a “fake” watch. I’ve since started wearing watches with more original designs – but that’s a matter of taste. A lot of people have no problem wearing “homage” watches, and others feel they are little better than counterfeits.

  38. I just found out that they have an F rating on the Better Business Bureau site. Yikes. I don’t mind homages and think they are a great way to get a design I love at a price I could afford (college student), but I’m going to turn away from Invicta because I want to buy from a company who will have my back if anything goes wrong with it. My search for a diver continues…

  39. I bought the Skagen 958 on Amazon ($73!) a while back and I LOVE it. The pictures really don’t do it justice. The leather strap is simply buttery.

  40. Woah an F, thats awful, I never would have guessed that. I have an Invicta Cronograph and a Lupah. Have had them both for over 5 years and haven’t had any problems with them. They’ve both been pretty durable. I’d say solid watches that you can get cheap enough where you don’t really have to worry about a scratch here or there.

  41. Any suggestions as to where i can get a nice looking (not too expensive) leather watch band? I’m looking into purchasing myself a new watch, but it only comes in black, and i want to switch back and forth.

  42. When I purchased a watch earlier this summer, I was looking for the cheapest analog watch with a leather band that I could find. I found this Casio (link below), and I bought it. It is a small watch, and that’s great because I have small wrists. The leather band (pig leather, that is) is a little cheesy, but honestly I love the caramel color. The face of the watch is simple and elegant. So if you’re like me, looking for the absolute cheapest wearable option, I recommend this Casio. They have several other analog watches, including a nice black one. If I got a bonus on my paycheck tomorrow, I would buy a Skagen, but I like my Casio for now.

    http://www.amazon.com/Casio-MTP1095E-7B-Leather-Quartz-Silver/dp/B000VH36Z8/ref=sr_1_47?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1341073276&sr=1-47

  43. Non-standard watch lugs are a major turnoff for me. Half the fun of a watch is playing around wih different straps and figuring out what combos work the best.

  46. Also sporting a Ray here (in blue). Love it. I’m not sure it can be beat for the price.

  48. I frequently use holbensfinewatchbands.com and crownandbuckle.com. I would recommend either – their straps are high quality and reasonably priced at $20-40. Great customer service from both.

  49. For really affordable watchbands, I would suggest internationalwatchman.com they are a VERY small mom&pop operation (apparently literally a mom & pop). But you can’t beat the prices and if they don’t have what you’re looking for online, i.e. – certain band with certain color buckle, you can call and work out what you need.

  50. Stuhrling uses Chinese made movements, whereas the ESQ line uses Swiss. So for many there is no comparison.

  52. Got the Mako yesterday. Even knowing the positive reviews, I’m pleasantly surprised at how sturdy and good looking this watch is.

  53. Joe, good choice on the Skagen. I think they can get some fairly unjust criticism from time to time. However, out of any of the watches I own (a couple of which I have purchased per your own recommendations, so thank you for those!) I would say my Skagen is one of my favorite. One of my favorite watches broke and I went weeks without replacing it and decided on a whim I would go into a local jewelry store back in my hometown to check out some watches while I was back visiting family and the Skagen was such a great piece it practically jumped out of the case and bit me. Also, I am certain I get more unsolicited compliments for it than any other watch I currently own or have ever owned.

  54. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I HIGHLY recommend the Bertucci line of field watches as a great casual (AKA Friday for this list) watch. They are unibody titanium, so extremely light, and are made with fixed strap/band bars (vs. spring bars) so they are perfect to mix and match with NATO straps off ebay. For $150, you can easily get a watch with band, and two extra straps.

  56. For anyone wondering, I did get the Skagen blue hands watch in from Amazon today. It does look much nicer in person. The link I provided earlier still works but it looks like Amazon is sold out so now a 3rd party is fulfilling the orders.