Double Time: The Affordable Two Watch Collection – Under $150

About The Series: Double Time is for guys who like watches, but don’t necessarily want a big collection. What we’re going for here are two watches, at different affordable budgets, which as a team can fill just about any style need in every-day life. A casual watch and a dress watch. Those are basically the parameters. 

 

Timex Weekender – $35ish

The Ford Model T for Timex. And unlike the Model T which you could get “in any color as long as it’s black,” these come in a wide variety of color options. Yet for this particular edition of our series on artificially sparse and mindfully inexpensive horological collecting™, we’ll stick with the black on black. It’s too versatile not to. The 38mm case wears comfortably, the dial is clear and easy to read, and it even comes equipped with Indiglo for reading at night. The biggest complaint is how loud the cheap quartz movement is. It has the infamous Timex “TICK” that drives so many to the brink of madness. Each passing movement of the seconds hand can sound more like a clap of thunder, depending on the circumstances and sensitivity of the owner. It’s especially noticeable in the quiet of the night. So while the Indiglo function might be a purposeful added bonus for usage at night, the “find my watch in the dark!” auditory-location feature is very much unintentional… and annoying. At least to some. Depends on how badly you’ve cooked your eardrums with your airpods, and how annoying *tick* your brain finds *TICK* small repetitive noises *TICK.*

 

Invicta 1953 Automatic (31290) – $129.99

Full review can be found here. The 1953 is the new standard for entry-level automatic sports watches. At 40mm in diameter it’s comfortably wearable for most wrist sizes. The Seiko NH35A automatic movement hacks and hand-winds. With gilt-bordered hands, indices and script on the dial, greenish blobs of lume, and a fully brushed oyster-style bracelet, it’s a classy diver with aesthetics ripped from the wrist-watch history books. It also avoids any garish over-branding. The dial is mercifully uncluttered. There’s no silly engraving on the side of the case like its sub homage brother. There’s also no glaring polished links (inset or otherwise) on the bracelet. It doesn’t even have a date window or crown guards. The one bad bit is the bracelet’s clasp. The oyster-style bracelet is great, but the whole thing connects at a flimsy piece of metal that feels like it was ripped off a can of Quirst. A lid from a standard can of tuna feels more substantial. But it works. And considering the rest of the watch and the price charged to obtain it, the thin metal on the clasp is far from a dealbreaker.

 

Total Cost: $164.99

A note about the total price: Clearly that’s more than $150. But up until recently the Invicta 1953 was going for $109. And as it’s sold on Amazon, its price could fluctuate. Same goes for the Timex Weekender. So yeah, kinda stinks we’re over the $150 limit. But cross your fingers and bide your time, and you might be able to get this particular pair of watches for under $150… which I swear to the style-gods was precisely what happened while preparing for this post. I do not like breaking “the rules,” even though we’ve made the totally artificial, nobody-gets-hurt “rules.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Got a wristwatch duo you’d like to recommend for Double Time? Send those in to joe@dappered.com. 

Want to see the entire series? Head here for the growing archive of our Double Time posts. And yes, for those keeping track at home, this is now our second “round” of double time. First we did the hundreds ($100, $200, $300, etc…) This time we’ll be doing $150 and under, $250, $350, etc.