Kenneth Cole Reaction

This is my second of three Kenneth Coles, this one being in the Reaction series. This was a pickup at a local TJMaxx store, a definite spur of the moment purchase. I really like the pseudo-retro styling of this one. The crystal has a huge dome which is very thick. You can tell it's a mineral crystal, but it definitely has some heft to it. One negative about the crystal is that the extreme domed curvature makes it very prone to scratching right in the middle. The face is almost black but not quite, almost a dark charcoal.



The leather strap is very comfortable, although the red stitching doesn't "go" with everything. I find I don't really notice it. This watch goes well with a pair of jeans or a dress shirt and slacks. Can't beat the silver and black combo for versatility. This one is still in the rotation, albeit on a limited basis.



The movement is a simple Japanese three hand quartz with a date window. It has a snap in caseback and is technically water resistant. I don't think I've ever tested its limits, though. I think that may be asking for trouble. All in all, a nice versatile watch. It's seen a good portion of wrist time.

NFW Diver

This watch is on Jeff and I's "Must Buy List". I am a dive watch freak, and this watch flips all my switches. NFW is known for their unique designs and almost obsessive attention to detail. Don't believe me? Just send company president, George Fox, an email. Be prepared to be wowed by his genuine warmness and passion for his product. NFW is also known for their amazing customer service. George and his crew take a great deal of pride in their product and their service. Each customer (even potential customer) is treated like family. Truly a rarity in this online business age. And they have good reason to be proud of designs like this. This ain't your dad's dive watch.



This bad boy releases around the November time frame. If you're wondering what to get your watch fanatic for Christmas, you just found it. Here are the specs:

CASE CONSTRUCTION:
The case is constructed in 3 layers, and are connected via the 4 “screw barrels” that protrude muscularly from the sides of the case: 2 on the left side and 2 on the right which are integrated into the crown protectors.

MOVEMENTS:

Automatic: Miyota 821A (the new, nicely decorated version of the very dependable 8215)

Chronograph: Miyota OS60 professional-grade quartz chrono (screw-locked chrono pushers)

- SIZE: 48mm (excluding the crown and screw barrels) x 18.5mm height

- CRYSTAL: 5mm thick sapphire, with anti-reflective coating

- Triple layer SuperLuminova on skeletonized hands, dial markers and bezel.

- W/R: 300 meters/ 1000 ft water-resistance

- Will come with BOTH the screwed-link bracelet (with diver extension clasp) and the fitted rubber strap.

- Will pass ISO 6425 test standards to be considered a “real” dive watch (this will NOT be a "fashion" dive watch!)




This is one of many cool designs from NFW. Hit their website for more info.

NFW Watches

Invicta Men's Dragon Lupah Swiss Quartz Chronograph Lorica Strap Watch

Ah the Lupah. Some say this is what put Invicta into the game. I am not sure about that but i sure do like it. Lupah is Latin for magnify and it sure does manage to do that. For so long I resisted the Lupah and told myself it was ugly. That I did not want a Tonneu shaped case. That it was to small. But then the more I saw it on TV being presented and the more I looked at pictures the more I was drawn to it. When I saw World of Watches having a time bomb special on it for a cost of 79.99 I thought why not.

I ordered and had it in my hands within 5 days. I opened the box and as warmth came over me. What people say about the beauty and magnificence of the Lupah not coming thru in pictures and on TV are true. The crystal just brings your gaze into the face of the watch.

I will try to give a description of it for you but will fail to do it justice. The face of the Lupah has a spirograph-like Guilloche curved pattern, large numbers and a chronograph that resembles a smiling face, kind of like Willie Wonka if he would have designed a watch while smoking meth. It has Invicta's "special" Tritnite luminous hands, and the patented by Invicta padded Italian Lorica strap that's made from a special microfiber blend. The Lupah is also water-resistant to 100 meters. That is 330 feet to us Americans.

The watch wears very nice. I must say of all the watches I have I get the most looks from this one. Guys if you are a conversation piece this is the watch for you. I have had several complete strangers walk up to me and start talking about my watch.

Watch Specs

Bracelet: Magic Lorica

Movement: Swiss ETA 1/60 Split Quartz Chronograph

Crystal: Mineral

Crown: Push/pull w/ function pushers Clasp: Buckle

Bracelet Measurements: 9-3/4" L x mm W

Case Measurements: 46mm

Water Resistance: 10 ATM - 100 meters - 330 feet

**** These Photos were taken by Jeff and not Josh. I apologize for any quality issues with them.

Old Woodie the Wood Fossil

This is a interesting Fossil Watch. From the shape of the case to the extending of the wood onto the bracelet. The biggest problem I have with this watch is it sure like to yank hair off of my wrist. A few of the things I like about this watch are the wood effect being carried over from the face into the watch band. I also like the yellow second hand and the art deco look of the 3 with the 12 and the 6 also being carried over into the band.




Clasp: fold-over-clasp
Case material: stainless-steel
Band material: stainless-steel and wood grain
Dial color: Wood Grain.. maybe a faux cherry
Calendar: No need for one.
Movement: Swiss Quartz
Water resistant depth: 100 Meters

Swiss Army Cavalry

This was my first true Swiss Watch. This watch was a gift from my father. It has gone through a few watch bands and battery's but it is still running great. The 37mm size is a bit smaller then I care for now but I still treasure this watch and it does get some occasional wrist time.




Of course it was Made in Switzerland with precision Swiss analog quartz movement, it has a easy-to-read analog dial with bold markings and a sweep second hand. It has a mineral Crystal with a few scratches on it. But for a watch that I have had for at least 17 years and that was during my years as a destructive teenager. Not to shabby I think.



And now for a little history lesson.

In 1884, in the small village of Ibach near the Swiss Alps, Karl Elsener started his cutlery factory. He became the official supplier of the Swiss army with the famous soldier’s knife. Later, he developed the now universally popular Officer and Sport knives, officially registered in 1897. In 1909, Karl Elsener named his company Victoria in memory of his mother, and when stainless steel (Inox) was invented in 1921, the family company became Victorinox. Today, the company managed by Carl Elsener Sr. and his son, Carl Elsener Jr, employs 1000 people and makes 25 million multi-tools per year, distributed in more than 100 countries. Whether in Museum of Modern Art in New York City or accompanying Everest expeditions or NASA missions, Victorinox multi-tools are everywhere. The name Swiss Army was born from the immense popularity that the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife enjoyed with American GIs returning to the USA in 1945. As this popularity increased, so did the number and diversity of features and products. Today, the Swiss Army brand is recognized by 90% of United States citizens and the Swiss Army watch (introduced in 1989) has become so popular that one out of every 5 Swiss-made timepieces exported to the USA has the famous Cross and Shield emblem, symbol of Victorinox. Victorinox Swiss Army timepieces represent a collection of high performance, attractively designed watches geared to the largest segment of the market.



And here are the specs

Clasp: Brown Leather Band
Case material: stainless-steel
Case diameter: 37mm
Band material: Soft leather strap with stitched edges and stainless steel buckle in polished finish Brown Leather Band, Solid style lugs with removable push pins
Dial color: White faced with Black numbers and Date
Movement: Swiss Quartz
Water-resistant to 10 ATM (100 meters/330 feet)

Fossil Grey Automatic circa 1999

So this was my first Automatic. Wonder if it is a Claro-Semag? One can only guess. Fossil describes it as a groundbreaking Fossil that requires no battery and winds from your own body movement! The cushion-shaped, cutout dial shows rotor movement inside the case for a futuristic, hi-tech look. Stainless steel case and bracelet; shiny silver indexes on the face. The innovative, battery-free design stores power for approximately 40 hours. Silver: Grey, ion-plated stainless steel case.


I would have to agree with Fossil on the 40 hour power reserve. This has been a very sturdy and durable watch. It has also handled a lot of water and I think it feel in a deep fryer once. They don't put that in the manual do they. I got this watch before I really had a understanding of watch movements. I just thought it was very groovy that I never need battery's.




Here are some basic specs for the my magical Fossil Aut-o-matic

Clasp: fold-over-clasp
Case material: Grey, ion-plated stainless steel case
Dial color: Grey
Calendar: Date
Movement: Fossil Aut-o-matic
Water resistant depth: 100 Meters

Big Brown Fossil

I love this Watch. I have had it for about two years. I love it so much in fact when the Crown pulled out and the plating started coming off of the watch, I sent it off to Fossil to be repaired as opposed to tossing it. I have a habit of allowing my Fossils to be disposable watches. This Fossil at the time was largest watch I had ever owned at 52 millimeters. I always said it was my training wheel watch for a Invicta Russian Divers. And I love it still to this day.




It has large brown dial features three sub-dials, combining functionality and modern style. It is a light stainless steel ion-plated case and has a nice contour bracelet that allows for it to fit my wrist very comfortably. About 6 months ago I noticed the the Brown Ionic Plating was rubbing of but I figured I could deal with that. Then the stem of the watch came out and it was back to Fossil. And thanks to the 11 year warranty and 15 dollars I sent, they repaired the watch and put a brand new bracelet on. Not too bad of a deal. Too bad after getting it back the chronograph does not work but, I never used it on this watch anyway. I would have to say all in all, that this is my favorite Fossil.




And here are some specs.

Clasp: fold-over-clasp
Case material: stainless-steel with brown Ion-Plating.
Case diameter: 52 millimeters
Band material: stainless-steel with brown Ion-Plating.
Dial color: Brown/ Rose Gold
Calendar: Date
Movement: 3-hand quartz chronograph movement
Water resistant up to 5 ATM

Special Kenneth Cole

Jeff is still organizing his thoughts on posting, so I thought I would post a quick paragraph. This watch is a Kenneth Cole tank given to me by my wife several years ago. She got me this one for Christmas as a surprise. We didn't really have enough money for such extravagances at the time, but she scrimped and saved and bought it anyway. This one will always mean a lot to me. It has seen lots of wrist time. I'm glad the shadows in the picture hide some the scratches on the bracelet. It is a simple three hand Japanese quartz movement with a date window. The case is obviously a tank shape with a snap in case back. This was my first watch with a push button deployment clasp. Nothing too fancy, but silver went with pretty much everything, so this was my "go to" watch for a while.

Good Day from Jeff

I wanted to introduce myself. As my partner in Watch Novices alluded to there would be another "blogger" here. I hate that word. I am a self professed Watch Geek with aspirations of being a Watch Collector. I do not collect watches because of the possible investments that could be had. That is just a myth anyway. I collect for the pure visceral joy i get by collecting them. I am by no means a watch bigot or elitist. I will not stand before you and say that Swiss Quartz are crap, that a Japanese Automatic is not as good as a Swiss or any of that other petty stuff that is found though out the internet. What I say is just my opinion and that is all.

I started my fascination with watches at a young age. The first watch I can remember is my grandfathers pocket watch. I remember loving to hold it and listen to the whirring noises inside and the clicking noises as he would wind his watch. I was hooked.

Being a child of the 80's my primary watches growing up were Swatch's, Casio Calculator watches, and random digital. Since then I have had Fossils, Invicta's, Swiss Legends and others
join my collection. I hope to share some of them with you, give you my honest opinion, and maybe entertain you a bit.

As Josh said before me we will also be posting links to some of our favorite watch cyberspots. We hope you enjoy our little corner of the internet. And remember; Clothes make the man, but a watch defines who that man is.

Aeronautic 2000

Yeah, I've never heard of Aeronautic 2000 either. Even the all powerful Google turns up nothing. This was a first on several levels. This was the first watch I ever bought off of television and also my first mechanical. This was a bit of an impulse buy, but at the time I was on the lookout for a watch to rival a Seiko Kinetic that a friend of mine had just purchased. I know it doesn't. But it was a start. I remember the host saying this movement was similar to a Seiko Kinetic, which was just starting to take off at the time. I guess since it was a Japanese movement and not quartz, it was "similar".



It is obviously a Rolex copy, and no, those aren't solid 18k gold links. Sorry to disappoint. The bracelet is made up of folded links and has the standard diver clasp. As you can see, I wore this watch A LOT. The gold plating on the center links is starting to fade on most of them.



The face was a very nice blue at one time, but this has since been degraded by the clouded crystal. There are four small "dots" on the crystal. I honestly have no idea what they are or what caused them. The gold on the bezel has remained in fairly good condition. The lume on the hour markers and bezel dot are better than some of the newer watches I have. The screw down crown is a nice touch, even if it is a bit small.



My favorite part of this watch was and is the exhibition caseback. This closed the deal in my mind, since this was a feature also present on the aforementioned Seiko. The movement is a standard, run of the mill Miyota. No frills, just a solid movement. Still runs fine after 10-12 years. I have never needed to have it serviced. A couple of shakes and off it goes. I love how the words "Water Resistant" are printed on the back crystal, although it never specifies how much. Needless to say, I did not take this one swimming. I also suspect the case is not a high grade of stainless steel.

I don't wear this watch anymore really, but it holds a special place in my collection. This was the first watch that introduced me to the wonderful world of a sweeping second hand, even if it stuttered a bit. And this was one of the first watches I really enjoyed showing off.

Posting Monopoly

I promise my partner in crime will have some posts up shortly. Since I am doing the photography, we've got to find a time to meet up so I can shoot a portion of his collection. Hopefully he'll have some up this week.

Fossil Diver

This is another Fossil in the Blue series. My wife bought this one for me while we were dating many moons ago. This is the first watch I remember seeing and really desiring as we looked at in the the small watch kiosk in the mall. I think she gave this one to me as a birthday present. I really liked the look of the saw blade diver bezel.



As you can see, the gunmetal plating on the bezel and band left something to be desired, and there are several scratches on the crystal. This was one of my first watches with a chronograph complication. I probably ran down the battery considerably as much I as played with it. The large second had was constantly running unlike most standard chronograph movements. The sub dials included chronograph seconds, 1/10 seconds, and minutes up to one hour. The divers bezel rotates smoother than any watch I own save the Seiko Monster (review to come later). It takes 72 clicks to make a full rotation. Kind of an odd number. I think the raised numerals are a nice touch. It even has a small lume dot on the bezel, but the lume on the hands and hour markers is relatively lackluster. I don't think I would rely on the lume in the murky fathoms.



The bracelet is solid and has a diver safety clasp. I get a kick out of the "micro" tachymeter on the 6 o'clock subdial. Definitely a design decision that favors the young. This watch was one of my favorites for quite some time, but the ever disappearing plating on the bezel and bracelet definitely hampered its longevity in my rotation. I'm sure there is some lesson about growing older in there somewhere.

My First Fossil

This is my first Fossil. It is from the Blue series which was a diver type that had a larger level of water resistance than other Fossil models if I remember correctly. I bought this watch (actually it was bought for me) in the summer of 1996 from a major department store. It is a simple Japanese 3-hand quartz movement with a mineral crystal and rotating divers bezel. The bezel rotates with a very solid clunk and makes the complete rotation in 90 clicks (or clunks). The gold and silvertone meant it did double duty as a casual and dress watch. I will not pain you with photos of late 90's fashion, but some of it was quite garish. Don't laugh. You know what you wore, and you're not proud of it.



The hour markers are goldtone with small luminous markers on the outside chapter ring. The dial is a very deep green with a wavy texture on the inner portion. The bracelet is made up of silvertone folded links with goldtone accents. It's still not a bad looking watch, although it hasn't had a good battery in it for quite some time. This was the watch that started it all for me. From that point, watches were no longer just a simple tool to tell the time. I found myself gazing through the case glass in countless jewelry stores, always wishing. Always wanting.

Welcome to The Watch Novice

I guess it really should be called "The Watch Novices" since there are two of us. We decided to start a simple little blog to chronicle our small but growing collections. We hope to bring you several posts a week as we go through our collection. Of course, that's blogger-speak. In reality, the several will probably translate into one or two as we try to squeeze them in over family and work obligations. For each post, we'll let you know which one of us is doing the posting (I'm Josh, by the way.) and give you a little review of the watch and when (if we can remember) we bought it and why. We will also be posting links to some of our favorite watch cyberspots. We hope you enjoy our little corner of the internet. Take care!