Happy Wednesday, reader. Today we're extolling the virtues of the affordable watch. (Turns out we're in something of a golden age.) Plus:

• Retro Jeeps: A firsthand account of finding, buying and owning a vintage Wagoneer.
• Hidden Caribbean gem: Consider this tiny island for your next getaway.

A Handy Guide to Upgrading Your Summer Cookout

It’s true that we’re inching toward summer’s end, but there’s still time for at least one more cookout. Here, we share everything you need to know in order to make it the best one yet.

The Best Watches Under $500

Remember back when we outlined our top watch picks under $1,000? Well, we still stand behind ‘em. But for those of you who’d prefer to spend even less on a watch — or who’d like to gift one to somebody without breaking the bank — we’ve got good news: there are plenty of watches available for under $500 that we also recommend.

Sure, maybe you won’t be getting complex in-house movements, premium materials or 10-year warranties, but the watch world is expanding at breakneck speed, and that means innovation. And when said innovation proliferates sufficiently, the results are watches that bring incredible value at all ends of the price spectrum. While we’re not knocking more premium watches, we’re here to tell you that the world of sub-$500 timepieces is alive and kicking. In fact, it’s a more compelling and more interesting world than ever before.

Yesterday, we asked about the longest flight you've ever taken. Here's what you said:

• For 1.9% of you, your longest flight was under 4 hours.
• For 12.1%, it was 4-8 hours.
• For 28.1%, it was 8-12 hours.
  
• Turns out we have some jet-setters amongst us. 57.9% of you have been on a flight longer than 12 hours.

What I Wish I Knew Before I Bought a 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

When you’re buying a classic car, who can you trust to give you the unvarnished truth? What you need is someone who actually has the car you want, which is why we started What I Wish I Knew, an automotive series in which we interview owners to get the scoop on some of the most popular dream cars. Today’s vehicle: A 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

As our automotive correspondent Benjamin Hunting says of his retro wagon, "With boxy lines and more character than nearly any sport utility vehicle built in the past two decades, I quickly fell in love with the Grand Wagoneer. With prices on these majestic metal beasts on the rise, I also knew I didn’t have much of a window before good quality examples had climbed outside of my pool of disposable income."

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This Tiny Island Is Going to Be the Bora Bora of the Caribbean

If you haven’t heard of Bimini, you’re not alone. This tiny Bahamian island — the closest to the U.S., just 48 miles off the coast of Miami — has long been an under-the-radar spot known mostly to avid fishermen who come for big game like marlin and tuna, or for the bonefishing. One such fisherman is Ernest Hemingway, who called Bimini home between 1935 and 1937 (his time here inspired The Old Man and the Sea). But the island is about to land on the radars and bucket lists of many more travelers. Here's why.