Some Cheap Watches

One aspect about watches is, that most men believe a watch is one of the few items of jewelry we can get away with wearing. So, for us guys, watches are accessories that we can wear to express our personalities and we can use them as tools.

Yes, there are jewelry exceptions like cuff links. However, I don’t know many men who regularly wear shirts with French cuffs these days. There are bracelets, but beyond a certain age, it’s difficult for an older man to carry off that look. The same goes for necklaces and chokers. Rings are the major exception to the traditional rule. Married men wearing wedding bands are appropriate. Some guys can get away with a signet or pinky ring. Of course, individual results vary.

Although we can use our mobile phones to give us the time, they are more cumbersome than even pocket watches. If you want to discretely check the time, nothing beats a wrist watch. When I see a man donning a watch, I get the impression that he’s a responsible person who values his and other people’s time. I value punctuality very highly.

Although watches are worn as accessories or jewelry, a man doesn’t have to wear a watch that costs more than a car. There are hundreds of watches that are tasteful and a very budget friendly. The cost factor is important to guys like me, who like to change out watches for a different look each day or even time of day. Also, we don’t need to keep them in a bank safety deposit box. We can have a nice collection that doesn’t require us to sacrifice our budgets.

Today is National Watch Day, so why shouldn’t I show off a few of my favorite cheap watches?

First is this automatic mechanical Invicta “Pro Diver”. Invicta is a controversial company among watch geeks because they are most known for their oversize bling watches. The “Pro Diver” line is acceptable to most budget collectors because it has a conventional appearance. Yet, even the “Pro Diver” has its detractors. It is a direct homage to the famous Rolex “Submariner” dive watch. Then again, the Invicta is just another “Submariner” copycat among hundreds of others. New Invicta “Pro Divers” are cheap. My Invicta was even cheaper because I bought it for a song at Goodwill.

Pulsar is a watch brand that was bought by the Japanese company that makes Seiko watches. It’s considered to be a somewhat budget-oriented brand. This quartz-powered watch gets a lot of wrist time because I love the yellow dial. Oddly enough, this watch is an homage to some of Seiko’s dive watches. This watch was found at a pawn shop during a clearance sale.

The black resin-plastic Casio is a seriously cheap watch. This one came from Target for $12. They’re available in several color ways. I changed out the plastic band to an after-market nylon strap. It’s the black and orange model because I wanted a cheap watch to wear on a trip to San Francisco. I planned to take in a baseball game while there. Black and orange are the team colors of the Giants Baseball Club. By the way, this is one of the most accurate cheap watches.

My current favorite “low-tier” watch wasn’t extremely cheap, but still low priced when compared to luxury watches. This Seiko Solar Chronograph is a reward for passing a milestone. It’s a special edition “Jimmie Johnson” NASCAR inspired piece. It reminds me of my late brother who loved NASCAR stock car races. If he was alive today, this would have been gifted to him. The Seiko gets a lot of wrist time.

This is just a small sample of some cheap watches I’ve picked up over the years.

Happy National Watch Day.

Ciao
The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes 19th century English polymath, Charles Babbage. “The half minute which we daily devote to the winding-up of our watches is an exertion of labour almost insensible; yet, by the aid of a few wheels, its effect is spread over the whole twenty-four hours.”