I took my son on a watch buying adventure. We were in search of a clearance Casio MDV106 Duro for $11 at Walmart. Along the way, I thought to myself, $11 for a Duro, that is a pretty good start to a nice watch collection! I wonder what kind of watch collection we could get for $200. In my mind it would start with three of those $11 Duros, once we find them.
At one of our stops, my son picked out a Armitron 20/5482SV dive inspired dress watch with a nice looking but a nasty hair removing expansion bracelet on clearance for $10. I liked the look of it, but I wanted to say no, because as a child I had an Armitron and it didn't last very long. He said he really liked the green color of the fumé style dial. He loved the gradient from emerald green at the center to black around the edges. He also liked the black bezel even though it was fixed and dive style design even though the water resist is 165 feet and the crown does not screw down. He was really drawn to it and I could tell it would bring him joy. So we bought it, and I immediately knew it was going to need a new strap, both because of his small wrists, and just to get rid of that ridiculous hair puller. Collection started!
A couple stores later and he spotted a black Casio CA53W Databank Calculator for $21.92 and he said he wanted one of those. You don't have to sell me on a Casio digital retro style watch. I quickly said yes, and we added it to our cart.
Next he found a OD green Casio F91WM-3A for $16.88 that he liked. F91W, that is a legendary watch. Add it to the cart!
Next up was a black Casio AE1200-WH1 World Time for $21.92. I am a huge fan of the Casio Royale. I told him about the James Bond background, and he was there for it! Another watch in the cart.
Then he started to think about types of watches. He had just picked 3 digital watches in a row. Now he wanted an analog field style watch. He looked at a few watches and decided he really liked the olive green dialed Timex Expedition T40051 for $41.92 with its brown leather strap. Mostly due to the fact that its 39mm size fits his little wrist perfectly. He likes the date complication. He loves the Indiglo night light, because who doesn't? He also likes the 12 and 24 hour markers. His thought process seemed so well thought out that I agreed. One more watch in the cart. Purchased those and continued on the adventure in search of the elusive discount Duro.
A few stores later and we finally found a black dial with green bezel Casio MDV106B-1A3V Duro for $11 on clearance. The trip was a success! Green is his favorite color and I am starting to see all the pieces come together for an awesome sub $200 collection.
We also found a blue sunburst sector dial analog Casio Enticer MTPVD01D-2BV for just $8 on clearance. Add that to the cart and let's check out before we find something else and blow the entire budget.
At this point, my mind is spinning with all the possibilities. We purchased 7 watches and are still well within the budget. Getting a few clearance pieces really helped with quality and quantity. There are so many options for how we can make this all work together, and work well on his little wrists. When shopping for budget watches, you can pretty much bank on wanting to change the watch strap. This adds a lot freedom, by just focusing on the watch. Just make sure you choose a watch with normal lugs and spring bars and avoid integrated straps.
In looking at the watches and the size of his wrist, I knew going with perlon straps would be a good idea. They are infinitely adjustable within the length and are so very comfortable and lightweight. But to change a strap, you need some tools. My favorite spring bar removal tool is the Travel Spring Bar Removal Tool from Vario for $12. The reason I like it, is because it has threaded caps for the pointy ends. You only have to stab yourself with the pointy end of a spring bar removal tool once to fully appreciate this feature.
I have a pretty good collection of watch straps at home, so we didn't have to go out and buy these. I included the prices so you could see what it cost. First strap to get removed was the nasty hair puller expansion bracelet from Armitron. A green 20mm perlon strap for $11 from Wrist Candy Watch Club makes a great replacement. It completely transformed the look of the watch. The matte green contrasts well against polished sides of the watch and hands. The color highlights the center of the fumé style dial.
I also had a blue 22mm perlon that was also $11 from Wrist Candy Watch Club, and it looked like a fun swap for the $8 Casio Enticer MTPVD01D-2BV. Another whole new look. The matte blue strap allows the high polish bezel shine and highlight blue sunburst dial.
That freed up the oyster style metal bracelet from the Casio Enticer MTPVD01D-2BV for the $11 black dial with green bezel Casio MDV106B-1A3V Duro. It is a cheap folded link bracelet with sharper edges than I would like. We had to pull out all the removable links to get it small enough for my son's wrist.
I also broke a tip on the Travel Spring Bar Removal Tool by using it to pry. No fault of the tool, that was operator error, all the way. I am going to order a couple more of the tools so I can have them at the office, at home, in the car. I am also thinking of getting a Bergeron and trying the tips to see if they fit in the capped Vario tool.
With a 44mm case diameter and a 49mm lug to lug distance, the Casio Duro is far to big for my sons currently little wrists. But he loves it and wants to wear it all the time. His brothers do too. I know eventually he will grow into it. His brothers want the same watch now that they have seen this combination.
After we added it up and realized we were well under the $200 budget limit, my son started thinking of other straps he could get, or a watch roll, or a watch box. He is leaning towards a leather strap, but I told him to take his time and think about it. At this point he well on his way, as both a watch enthusiast and collector. Later when he can afford it, he can always expand his collection.
Let's look at the total for this collection:
Brand | Model | Price |
Casio | MDV106B-1A3V Black and Green Duro Diver | $11.00 |
Casio | MTPVD01D-2BV Blue Analog Sector Dial | $8.00 |
Armitron | 20/5482SV Green and Black Analog Dive Style | $10.00 |
Sub-total for Clearance Watches | | $29.00 |
Casio | CA53W Databank Calculator | $21.92 |
Casio | AE1200-WH1 World Time | $21.92 |
Casio | F91WM-3A The Legendary F-91W in OD Green | $16.88 |
Timex | Expedition T40051 Field Watch | $41.92 |
Sub-total Regular Price Watches | | $102.64 |
Total for Watches | | $131.64 |
Wrist Candy Watch Club | 20mm Green Perlon Watch Strap | $11.00 |
Wrist Candy Watch Club | 22mm Blue Perlon Watch Strap | $11.00 |
Vario | Travel Spring Bar Removal Tool | $12.00 |
Sub-total for Accessories | | $34.00 |
Total Watches and Accessories | | $165.64 |
So there you have it! Money does not need to be an obstacle to building a impressive watch collection. Look for watches that are on sale or on clearance. Make sure they are watches you actually like and don't just buy them because they are a good deal. Take your time and buy a watch only when you can afford it. Strap changes are worth the extra effort and minimal expense. Straps can really add value to an inexpensive watch. Little by little, and pretty soon, you will have an impressive collection too!