The return of the plastic sports watch

There is no end in sight for fashion's infatuation with the Reagan era. Fast-fashion chains are stocking Ray-Ban rip-offs, tapered jeans are seeping back into style and neon colors are all the rage, so naturally the cheapie plastic sports watch is once again a bona-fide accessory.

And is it ever a watch for our times. Most can be had for less than $100.

Swatch, the Swiss brand that sparked a worldwide craze for bold, cartoony watches 25 years ago, is still ticking.

Freestyle USA has reissued its Shark watch – the zany, multicolored watches were big with Southern California surfers in the early ‘80s.

Vans has a bubble-gum pink watch that scrolls the time across its screen in red digital numbers, ticker-tape style.

Think of these timepieces as colorful plumage, best revealed in unexpected ways — say, a black sheath dress with a chunky red sports watch,

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