Are Accurist Watches Any Good? - The Brand That Monetized Time
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One theme repeatedly crops up when discussing the heritage of watch brands: horological significance. It's almost like one of the stats on a Top Trumps card; the more revolutionary developments a brand has brought to market, the higher its score. Of course, the big hitters are all too familiar; Seiko, Rolex, Citizen, Omega, etc.
The English brand I'm featuring today has a slightly different take on the concept of 'heritage.' Despite being founded back in 1946, Accurist has never been at the forefront of horological or technical innovation. In fact, the vast majority of their range is made up of simple, quartz fashion pieces with no special functionality built-in.
What's the catch, then? What makes this brand stand out among the sea of generic fashion watch brands?
If you're from the UK, you may already have an inkling. You see, Accurist has implemented various clever strategies over the years to engrain itself into British culture.
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Background
Most famously, in 1986, they became the sponsor of BT's national speaking clock service, a role which it fulfilled for over 20 years. For those unfamiliar, this telephone service reads the correct time to callers using a pre-recorded human voice track.
This unusual facility pre-dates World War 2, proving particularly useful before the advent of accurate quartz watches and the digital revolution that followed. Many other nations have an equivalent amenity under different names. As of 2016, the UK version was reportedly still receiving a staggering 70 million calls annually, so goodness knows how much business this generated for Accurist over the years.
National Timekeeping Service - Photo Credit: Express
Among other things, they also successfully partnered with the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the home of Greenwich Mean Time; later acting as the official sponsor and manufacturer of the Millenium Countdown clock, televised to the entire nation during the extra-special New Year celebrations in 2000.
The Millennium Countdown Clock - Photo Credit The Greenwich Meridian
The Millennium Countdown Clock - Photo Credit The Greenwich Meridian
With these two innovative marketing moves, Accurist effectively bought time itself. Whenever you needed accurate time, the Accurist brand was there to lend a hand.
I guess it's in the name! The word 'Accurist' may not conjure visions of prestige and luxury, but it's easily the smartest wristwatch name I've come across from a marketing perspective. It's easy to pronounce and directly infers that you'll get that 'accurate' time on your 'wrist'.
Outside of this precision, what else do you get on your wrist? Are these watches actually any good? Or is it all marketing fluff and garbage products?
Accurist 7216 Chronograph
Well, Amazon provided one, so we can try and answer some of those questions; thanks to them. This 7216 chronograph was $70 on their site at the time of this review, which is within the general price segment that Accurist tends to target. It's to be noted that this piece is becoming trickier to find, so I may have to affiliate link this product elsewhere if it becomes unavailable.
I wasn't expecting too much for that little money, but honestly, I've been pretty impressed. Here's a rundown.
Manufacturing & Finishing
Unsurprisingly, these watches are produced in the Far East, not the UK, though given the low cost, that feat would have been mission impossible. Nevertheless, this one is entirely constructed of the industry-standard 316L stainless steel; a material often bragged about by rival fashion brands at triple this retail price.
Finishing is…reasonable, with a predominantly brushed finish and a slim polished ring toward the outside of the bezel. While the brushing is basic and doesn't rival much more expensive watches, I think it's the correct choice that matches the theme of the watch and helps conceal scratches; something that budget watches are particularly susceptible to. I also think this style of low-tier brushing looks much better than low-tier polishing, which often cheapens the appearance of affordable watches.
Watch Dimensions
For some reason, the shape of this watch is extremely pleasing. It's a shade under 41mm (40.9mm), with a lug to lug of 47mm and a thickness of 11.3mm, which includes the domed crystal.
Perhaps it's the overall slimness or the perfectly angled lugs; I'm not quite sure. Whatever the cause, it sits beautifully on the wrist and looks much better than I imagined. I'd say it wears more like a 39.5mm watch and that conservative lug-to-lug length places it in the 'Goldilocks zone' that will likely please a wide variety of wrist sizes.
Movement
The heart of this Accurist is the Seiko VD53C quartz movement, a solid ticker that you can buy individually for around £20 a pop, less when purchased in bulk. This means the Accurist isn't necessarily more accurate than any other quartz watch, as the brand name or marketing may imply, though I still think it's adequate for a watch at this retail price.
Hand alignment is decent, albeit variable. The second hand generally hits the markers, though it can miss depending on the angle at which the watch is held.
Fortunately, the majority of the quality control on display is rather good. The internal tachymeter lines up well with the dial below, and the indices are consistently straight too, which I was not expecting.
50m of water resistance is all you can expect, despite the screw-down watch back, though that's better than the 3bar splashproof rating assigned to most similarly priced watches. Alongside that, there's a push-pull crown and a pair of pushers that aren't very responsive but get the job done.
Colour Choice
Something I wasn't quite expecting either was the color. The stock Amazon image showcases a creamy set of subdials and a similarly toned tachymeter, giving a vintage vibe. However, in person, these sections exude a more muted champagne/silver finish that shifts the resultant aesthetic forward a decade or so.
It doesn't detract from the attractiveness. In my opinion, I still think it's one of the best-looking $70 watches I've come across, with a good amount of detail that includes applied indices, recessed subdials, and a lowered chapter ring at the circumference.
Combined with the domed mineral crystal, it all comes together into a smart, coherent, and versatile reverse panda design that looks good with various outfits.
Watch Bracelet
The solid link bracelet is also worth highlighting. Wait, did I just say solid link bracelet? Seiko, are you listening?! No joke, it even houses solid end links, and while it doesn't blend in perfectly with the case, it's still a surprisingly good addition to this budget watch.
It's to be noted that the stock clasp has no micro-adjustment holes, though this is somewhat alleviated by the small size of the links, which do permit limited adjustments. As a whole, I've found it comfortable during usage and haven't felt the need to replace it. Your mileage may vary.
Final Thoughts
As a brand, Accurist has always claimed to provide solid, reliable watches for low prices. With its good build quality and attractive design for well under $100, I think it's fair to say that they have accomplished that objective with this timepiece.
For those after a watch with a cool design that they can wear with a variety of clothes, I think this is an excellent choice for not much money. It's like a nicer Vincero or alternative fashion watch brand but for half the price; a much fairer amount for a fashion watch with entry-level specifications.
