This series is dedicated to affordable watches. Watches you don’t merely gaze upon in the certain knowledge that they are economically unjustifiable. Here we present watches you could actually own, and that makes them all the more exciting.
One brand which caught my attention a few years ago is British brand Nite Watches. They do the things a man’s watch should do. They are unmistakeably masculine and adventurous, with, as the name suggests, something of the night about them. Former MP and now TV celebrity Ann Widdecombe once said this as if it’s a bad thing. Although she was talking about former Conservative leader Michael Howard at the time, not Nite Watches.
Nite Watches have sexy GTLS (Gaseous Tritium Light Source) the hands and indices of which shine out at you the moment the lights go down. The watches are made from tough 316L stainless steel with a triple coated anti-reflection sapphire lens. Not surprisingly, their MX10 range quickly became a popular choice for the military and the police, and even if you never do anything more adventurous than pick up some milk at a late night supermarket, there’s a hint of danger about them.
The idea behind Nite Watches is to provide watches which can handle extreme conditions and yet still look civilised in the boardroom, if indeed the boardroom is a civilised place to be. And even at the top end of the range you’re still only paying a fraction under £500.
MX10 range
This is the range on which the brand was founded. These tough NATO approved watches run on Swiss Ronda 505 quartz movements so they are dependable and accurate. The watches are just 39mm in diameter so they tuck just as easily under a shirt cuff as a Berghaus fleece. £199.95 – £249.95
Hawk
At 51mm diameter, The Hawk is a bigger watch, but it weighs in at only 64 grams. The Nite Hawk is made of carbon fibre polycarbonate which makes it tough and yet comfortably light. The watch features a rotating bezel, runs on Ronda quartz and features the standard Nite GTLS. The watch is water resistant to 200m. £274.00
Aqua
The Aqua range features sporty divers which buck the trend by being white, which, once you’ve acquired a Mediterranean tan courtesy of your local tanning parlour can look very macho. Again the watch comes with the GTLS system for ease legibility underwater, and with water resistance to 300 metres. The chunky crown and bezel are well protected but also very easy to turn with cold gloved hands. The AQ2 model comes on a pure white polymer strap, with a classic white-dial, orange minute hand, and a gun metal PVD case. £329.95 – £399.95
Chrono
A cool looking 42mm Black Ops style watch. The military style bezel with red hands and black out face, alongside blue and orange GTLS makes the CR7 300TN a popular choice amongst military types. This watch also has interchangeable bezels. £429.95 – £499.95
Vision
This is the closest Nite comes to being tamed. The Vision range is designed first and foremost as a dress watch, but with the ability to withstand use and abuse on tough team building activity days. The 44mm watches are made from brushed stainless steel and are water resistant to 200 metres. £499.95
