Elgin 'Navigator'

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a profusion of wildly cool and colorful tool watches from a multitude of Swiss and Japanese brands. Using bright hues and daring case designs, these plentiful — and often quite affordable — timepieces became a signature of the grooviest decade in history. This neat Elgin watch from the late '60s is a perfect example: Housed in a 39mm stainless steel C-shaped case with brushed finishing, a 4 o'clock crown, an acrylic crystal, and a bidirectional, rotating bezel with a steel 12-hour insert, it features a handsome multi-tone dial with an outer black minute track with white printing, luminous rectangular indices, a day-date display at 3 o'clock, and a luminous 'baton' handset with a bright orange central seconds hand. Powered by a the Swiss-made cal. FHF 909 automatic movement with 17 jewels and a beat rate of 21,600 vph, it comes paired to a 19mm strap and is ready to track a second time zone in style. We'd be hard-pressed to find a cooler tool watch for the money — and we're sure you'll agree!