A fine chronograph but could be better, the Intelligent Quartz Flyback Chrono feels crowded and misses the mark in how its complications are displayed. I wanted to wear an IQ for a while and I’m glad I did, but this is one Timex that won’t remain a member of my collection. How about you- is the IQ a good fit for your collection?
The MDV106-1AV is handsome for a diver, and it’s absolutely as capable as its deep-water aesthetic suggests. I had to do a double-take on it, actually, as I’d have no idea this wasn’t a $200+ watch if I hadn’t bought it myself on Amazon and paid $45 for it. With that in mind, let’s make some waves with the Casio’s most affordable and ubiquitous diver.
A month or so back, CWT sent me four watches from their exclusive brand, Jones New York. JNY is a brand of inexpensive quartz timepieces with a focus on fashion and style. As such, watches themselves are fairly standard quartz timepieces: they are powered by Japanese-sourced quartz movements and are made of standard materials.
I put them behind my lens and started snapping. As you can see, they’re very photogenic and I got some really excellent shots. Check them out below, with Melissa’s opinion on them.
The Around the Clock – newly released in 2017 – takes a similar approach to its appearance the Irony, displaying its quartz movement visible through its open heart dial. Not quite a skeleton, but satisfying nonetheless.
It’s somewhat rare for quartz-powered watches to show off the movement, and that’s a shame: a quartz might have fewer gears to look at, but they’re still interesting in their own right. Clearly, the Around the Clock agrees with my sentiment
It’s true, though: you either love it or you hate it. More than one person that I asked about the AtC found its intensity off-putting, but just as many thought it was awesome. I suspect by now that you already know which camp you’re a part of.
In December, I had the unbelievable luxury of being able to pick any watch I wanted to photograph and review. So, I thought it’d be nice to check out another Frederique Constant and picked the FC-270SW4P5 Business Timer. This upscale quartz is packed with the usual trimmings (sappphire/etc.) and three subdials: day/date, and moonphase.
If your New Year’s resolution involves travel plans, you’re going to want a watch to come along for the ride. Frequent fliers will especially appreciate this Seiko Prospex World Time, both for its functionality (more on that below) and its build quality. Currently listed for just under $300 on Certified Watch Store ($278 actually), the Prospex Solar World Time is price competitive with most Citizens (in fact, it’s priced much better than most Citizen world time’s) and offers its wearer an assortment of functions/complications (including an alarm and chronograph function).
The Easy Reader series from Timex is quite popular. According to SEMRush, the keyword “Timex easy reader” is searched nearly 2,000 times per month in the USA on its own– nevermind all the permutations of it. When considering Canada and the UK, as well as variations of “Timex Easy Reader”, monthly search volume climbs to north of 12,000 searches per month. Suffice to say, it’s a popular piece.
Why it took me so long to order one off of Amazon (this one is a gift for my father in law) I don’t know, but here we are: Timex Easy Reader on the wrist, and with great things to say. Let’s check it out.
The Luno I have here is the first Movado I’ve actually reviewed and worn hands-on. It’s funny how 100+ watches have come across my desk, and yet none from Movado. As one of the few Swiss watchmakers that is known and appreciated by “non watch people”, it’s about time I wore one and checked them out.
This Svarntai hit my desk at a great time- wifey was looking for a larger rose gold piece to wear on the daily. Something that would keep looking good week after week, wear after wear. This ivory and rose gold beauty, equipped with sapphire (of course), fits the bill nicely.
The Shark Tawny is big, loud, and looks like it just came off the set of a cyberpunk movie. Anyone who considers themselves a watch person isn’t going to like the Tawny, but people looking for a stylized fashion watch will find that there’s a lot in its design to like. Found for well under its $89 MSRP, the Tawny is a bold watch from a growing microbrand.
Willis Judd is a microbrand that is just finishing up their already-funded Kickstarter campaign. At 45mm, this carbon fiber beauty is oversized but definitely not overdone. If you’re looking for an affordable new quartz watch and want something different from what else is out there, this Willis Judd may just be the watch you’re looking for.
The Nixon Sentry Leather, powered by what is likely a Miyota quartz movement, is a great looking watch that embraces its fashion status without making structural or mechanical compromises. It’s affordability and overall look make it a great daily wearer, though if you’re looking for something more mechanical, the Sentry isn’t for you. It’s a fashion watch, yes, but a pretty good one.
The Citizen Skyhawk Blue Angels is a full-on tool watch that seems to be able to do anything. It’s atomic-synced time is the standard that I set all my other watches to, and it feels tough enough to withstand a bomb blast. If your watch needs to do everything, the Skyhawk Blue Angels is a great choice. I’m a big fan.
The Seiko Flightmaster is a genuinely useful watch. The chronograph and date display are standard complications, but the integration of a slide-rule is what gives the Flightmaster its utility. It’s made well and looks good (in my opinion). There isn’t anything I dislike: the Flightmaster is a good watch overall.
