4 Watch Brands I’d Never Buy

I’m a picky watch enthusiast, and as such, I’ve found a few brands that I would not buy. This isn’t going to be the generic “name a bunch of crappy fashion watch brands and toss Hublot in too” list, as these are the real watch brands that I avoid. As a forward, everything that I’m about to say comes from my mind, and are my own opinions. You may consider these to be “hot takes”, but know that I do believe in what I’m saying.

Brands

I’ve picked 4 brands for this article. I’ve got personal experience with all of them, and have owned watches from one of the brands myself. My opinions are formed from my taste, but also my experiences with the brands, and seeing others’ experiences with the brands.

I’ll probably make a lot of you angry with the list. If I did, please direct that into the comment section at the bottom of the page! Note: Any watch photos that I use that were not taken by me come from the websites of the respective manufacturers.

Seiko

Opening up with Seiko (one of the most liked watch brands), might seem like lunacy. However, if you’re in the know, you know that Seiko’s quality, quality control, and value have been slipping over the last decade.

I bought my first Seiko watch last year, and it was a nightmare purchase. I bought an Arnie, which arrived to me in a defective state. The watch is a solar quartz one, but any exposure to sunlight would reset it. I started the warranty process (immediately, mind you), and Seiko charged me to fix it. When I got it back, it was still defective. Another trip back to the repair center, and they ended up just mailing me a different watch.

That experience was with my first Seiko, and it killed the brand for me. Aside from buying something vintage, I don’t think I’ll ever own another Seiko. Factor in the QC issues with the brand (movement issues, poorly finished dials and indices, and fitment of bezels and cases), along with the poor value (gimme some sapphire), I don’t see a reason to buy new Seiko anymore. I’m not a Citizen lover, but they bring the value that Seiko used to have.

Christopher Ward

Christopher Ward is a very hyped-up watch brand. Going from microbrand to an independent small brand is cool, and they’ve got pretty good brand-to-community interactions. Sure, the brand is trying out some new design choices with movements. That deserves some merit. However, many of their designs do nothing for me.

I hate integrated bracelet watches, and that may be their most popular model. I’ve tried many (including CW’s), and they are a style that I have never liked.  The Twelve is something that I’ve also never liked, and never will. On top of that, the Bel Canto is such a gimmick watch. How about nearly 4 grand USD for an ugly watch that has a pathetic chime? Any takers? The C12 Loco is an ugly timepiece too.

The biggest watch sin for me, is when a watch is not very legible. The Bel Canto, C12 Loco, and many models of the standard Twelve have poor legibility. Throw that in with the ugly designs, and I’m fine writing off the brand in my collection.

I don’t dislike the C60 Trident, but for the money, I’d rather have something from Doxa or Zodiac. CW is a brand that I can appreciate in some ways, but not with many of the watch designs themselves.

Cartier

Cartier is a jewelry company that makes watches. I think that most people know this, but a lot don’t too. The Tank may be a cool watch, but the JLC Reverso is that watch, but cooler.

I’ve been unimpressed with the build quality and specs of every Cartier that I’ve handled, and the high prices only reinforce that. I also find the designs of many of their watches to be, frankly, quite ugly. That may be sacrilege, but I’m happy to put the sword to the watch-world’s sacred cows.

I’ve never liked the Santos, think that the Tank was done better by other companies, and find all of the non-rectangular watches to be hideous. Cartier is just a fancy fashion watch brand, and that may hurt you to hear that.

Grand Seiko

I’ve always found Grand Seiko to be a dull brand. People will flock to the intricate dials, high polish, and the spring drive movement, but none of that matters to me if the presentation of the watch is boring. I’ve not seen a GS watch that makes me feel excited. To me, GS looks conservative to a fault, kind of like a boring, Japanese version of Rolex (which is a boring brand unto itself). However, swinging the opposite way, they have some really out-there, ugly watches too.

Yes, the dials on a lot of the GS watches are good looking. However, a lot of them have crap date positions (4-4:30 looks horrible and is not very usable) or a massive power reserve meter on the dial. You ever look at your watch and wish that it had a fuel gauge on it? Not me.

Rounding out the gripes, the middling quality control from GS these days is reason enough for me to avoid the brand. I’ve heard enough horror stories about spring drive movement failures and issues, and how much of a pain that it is to get those watches serviced.

The Verdict

These are the 4 watch brands that I won’t buy. There are a lot more than that, but these were the first 4 that sprang to mind when the idea for this article came up.

If you’d like to check out my other works for The Escapement Room, follow this hyperlink. I can also be found at PrimerPeak, YouTube, and WatchCrunch.