Watches, from €20 to €5,000
Independent case files on watch brands: who makes them, what is inside, where to pay less.
Your time, to the second10:10:35
Brands
Each brand is handled like a case: we gather the evidence, check it, then rule. You read the conclusion in three lines; the proof follows.
OrientJapan
In-house automatic movements at a low price. Entry models around €150.
TempusAmazon
Verdict deliveredRead the file →
Seiko 5Japan
The best-known entry-level automatic. Entry models around €220.
TempusAmazon
Verdict deliveredRead the file →
CasioJapan
Tough quartz and digital watches, very cheap. Entry models around €20.
TempusAmazon
Verdict deliveredRead the file →
TimexUnited States
The everyday American, simple and affordable. Entry models around €50.
TempusAmazon
Verdict deliveredRead the file →
CitizenJapan
The solar specialist, with Eco-Drive. Entry models around €130.
TempusAmazon
Verdict deliveredRead the file →
LipFrance
The historic French brand, born in Besançon. Entry models around €160.
TempusAmazon
Verdict deliveredRead the file →
Pagani DesignChina
Chinese homages to the icons, at rock-bottom prices. Entry models around €70.
Amazon
Case in progressSoon →
Method
Who owns the brand, where the watches are assembled, since when. A logo is not enough.
The movement is identified by its reference: in-house, Seiko, Miyota, or a calibre with no name.
Diameter, thickness, crystal, water resistance. The maker’s figures, not the advert’s.
The same model at several retailers, with the date of the check.
Who this watch is for, who it is not for, and its real flaw.
Latest verdict
Three lines at the top of every file. Read only those and you already know what to do.
Latest case closed
Questions
Yes. Retailer links are affiliate links: if you buy, the retailer pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. The verdict is written before we know which retailer stocks the watch.
No, and we would rather say so. A file rests on evidence you can check: the maker’s data sheets, the movement reference, published buyer feedback. When a watch has been handled, the file says so.
Any watch sold by a serious retailer, from a €20 Casio to a Longines costing several thousand euros. We started with affordable brands, where people go wrong most often.
Every price shows the date it was checked. If it has changed since, the button takes you to today’s price at the retailer.
Write to us. The most requested files are investigated first.