Casio MTP-4500

My first good/nice/grownup/not a cheap watch was a Citizen Navihawk. I loved that watch. I also beat it up and eventually passed it along to a childhood friend. It's the only watch I really miss. I'd replace it if I could justify the cost but I really can't right now. It'd be worth every dime, the Navihawk is seriously cool hardware but it's just out of reach for the family budget. 

Enter the Casio MTP-4500. It's not the size, quality or multifunctional beast the Citizen is but it's got a slide rule bezel and a couple useful complications. It also looks great and as with many Casio watches, looks like watches in much higher price brackets. To be fair, the band isn't terrible. It doesn't squeak or pull the hair out of my arm and it looks ok for an budget aviator. Much like the Casio Duro, it's about the best budget option for a watch of its kind. 

Saying the band isn't terrible is different from saying it's good or nice though, it's ok. If you want a beater that looks like every other beater and will hold up it'll do. When I worked on an ambulance I needed stainless steel because it could be easily sterilized. In my opinion, the MTP looks much better on a NATO. The one pictured is a nicely patinaed vintage strap I had laying around. 

It might also be noted the watch wears small. With a 43mm case, depending on where you measure, and I did, the watch comes across smaller due to the small bezel. There are advantages to that. It's harder to bump and if you have a smaller wrist, it looks great, even if the slide rule is slightly out of spec and not very useful. My 8.5" wrist needs a bigger case. 

I want a better aviator, a Flighthawk, Flightmaster or a Skyhawk maybe, but until my budget allows for one, I'll be happy to keep the MTP on a NATO or leather rally strap and have a pleasant placeholder. A used one under $25 is a steal but at Amazon retail prices you can do better. 

 

Photos Copyright Jason Barnhart 2017. Not for use without permission. 

Casio Duro

The Casio Duro MDV106 is one of my favorite watches. I have one I put on a NATO and did a bezel swap on that looks as good as watches costing many times as much as the $40 total investment I have in the watch.

It's not a bad watch to begin with, forgive it for being quartz and having a less than stellar strap. At $40 full retail, you can find them on sale or used for $20 and Omega Planet Ocean bezel inserts fit so you can build it out in silver, blue orange or green with commonly available inserts from eBay. At 200m water resistance it's a legit diver beating out higher priced entry level Seikos and higher priced Casio Edifice models. For a "beater" it's very hard to top.
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As much as I'd like a more interesting dial, I like the simplicity and the Marlin logo that is reserved for 200m+ rated Casios.
Little known mod, you can swap a Casio MRW200H movement and dial for a great looking retro looking watch on a meager budget and unlike the MRW, the case retains 200m water resistance. You can even pick up different hands from Ofrei and Raffles has some interesting dials.
As watches go, it's been largely ignored by the modding community but clearly deserves its place in the watch box. I have one now but I'd make good use of a couple more and while one could argue I'd be better off spending $150 on one watch of better quality, at this price having three different looks in watches that are easily replaced if they get damaged might be a better deal. I'll argue it's one of the best underrated budget divers on the market.

Images of stock watches are from Amazon and the WRH200 mashup images were found on a google search. The black and orange on the NATO strap is my own.

Bargain vintage, better than cheap new watches?

There are scads, piles and heaps of vintage watches out there. Russian, Japanese, Swiss and US made, simple, elegant mechanical watches that can often be had for a pittance. You can find everything from Timex and Seiko to Oris and lesser known marks like Favre-Leuba. The good, you can get a sharp looking watch from a notable maker, often at $20 or less. The bad, it's next to impossible to tell if it's a fake and refurbishing a vintage watch tends to kill it's value. 

However, if you're shopping for $20 watches should you really be overly concerned with authenticity and collector value? No, you should not and if you think you should you're pursuing the wrong hobby. This is where we get to, "If you like the watch wear it." I genuinely like some of my "junk" watches but I feel better about my purchases of vintage pieces by trusted brands. 

The one pictured above was my grandfathers LeCoultre. He picked it up overseas when he was in the Army during WW2 and he absolutely adored it. A $20 LeCoultre would be hard to find but other Swiss marks like Favre-Leuba and West End Watch Co are obtainable and this type of 17 jewel Swiss movement powers a lot of vintage watches. The only thing I don't care for with vintage watches is that before the era of dive watches an awful lot of watches look an awful lot alike. The cases for everything from Oris to Citizen are hard to distinguish at a glance on the cheaper models but they have a multitude of details to obsess over. 

My LeCoultre is small by contemporary standards but I've gotten used to it on my wrist and it's got me thinking about an extended project hunting up vintage(and non-vintage) watches to build a great collection on a minuscule budget. The big question is would I kick myself for owning a dozen $20 watches instead of one $240 watch. I can hear my grandfather now, "You don't have enough money to be cheap." I also don't have $240 to spend on a watch today but I can probably scrape together $20. 

Three reasons to wear a watch

It's a fair question in our current age, why wear a watch? We have screens and devices all around to tell us the time and if we don't others within ear shot usually do but here are three reasons you should still wear one. 

1. You're an adult. Or you should at least try to act like one. A watch is a very basic tool. You should know what time it is without asking others. ...I know you have a phone. Kindly read on. 

2. If you identify as male, it's one of the best and most universally accepted pieces of jewelry you can wear. While some males get away with all manner of rings, bracelets and necklaces, others, most others, do not. A watch is a great way to express yourself add some decoration to your outfit and project a more professional image that says you are likely to be more punctual and care about time, your own and that of others. A watch can say a lot about who you are or at least who you'd like to be and if it's not too flashy it's as welcome in any setting and with any outfit. A basic field watch can go with suits, jeans, and swim suits or workout clothes. The Timex Weekender can even be had for less than $30 if you look hard enough and aren't picky about the band it comes on. 

3. The big one. By wearing a watch you allow yourself to not need to get your phone out during a conversation, meeting, class or quality time with friends and family. In a world increasingly sensitive to people being distracted its reason enough to cut out one more reason to be on that phone. It's also dangerous and in some states illegal to have your phone in hand while driving. Do yourself and your reputation a favor, put on that watch and keep your phone in your pocket. 

Modding the iconic Vostok Amphibia

The Vostok Amphibian has a deep and enduring cult following. Built for practicality and durability, they’re also inexpensive and plentiful but one of their best traits is how easily they can be modified and repaired. They are also not without their own elegance and charm. 

With examples of 200m WR automatics to be had for under $40 used, it’s hard to go wrong. For those on a budget or not interested in paying for a luxury watch, Vostok offers a vast range of customization to rival almost any company catalog. It’s important to be careful and not spend $200 modding your $30 watch, making it both, no longer a bargain and spending as much as you might for something more sophisticated. 

Even a novice can tear them down pretty far. The screw back case is simple and can be upgraded to an exhibition case to see the inner workings for around $40 with parts from eBay.

Bezels are held in place with a single spring and press fit into place. New stock parts can be had inrxprnsiveky or custom parts can be ordered if you’re willing to wait while they ship from places like Poland, Russian Federation or the Ukraine. 

You can even score an increasing number of things like hands and dials that are normally found on much higher priced watches if you can find them at all. 

Sky’s the limit on these watches. They’re a solid buy right out of the gate but can be turned into highly unusual pieces you won’t see on anyone else if you spend a little time getting to know them. 

While not a dress watch, this one turned into a “go anywhere” piece that gets a lot of wrist time.