12 Incredible AliExpress Watch Brands That DON’T Just Copy!
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I think by now, the consensus is clear. If you’re after pure bang for the buck and the highest on-paper specifications for the lowest possible price, Chinese site AliExpress is where you want to head. Here, you can buy watches directly from the factories that make them, often the same factories that already make watches for many Western brands.
Now, there are just two caveats to consider when buying watches from AliExpress. Number one, tariffs. You may be subject to customs charges or import fees, depending on where you live. And number two, designs. You see, browsing AliExpress still feels like visiting one of those Turkish bazaars full of knockoff designer products.
They may not share the same logos as the originals, so they aren’t technically ‘counterfeit,’ but most of their watch offerings still consists of rebranded Rolex Submariner, Tudor Black Bay, and Omega Speedmaster copies, to name just a few.
As I found out when I compared ten of these clones versus a real Rolex, some of these get surprisingly close to the originals in certain areas, which is truly impressive considering the cost discrepancy…but what if you don’t want a luxury watch copy?
Any number of brands can take a popular design, make it cheaper, and rebadge it; those models are comedically easy to find. But fresh, attractive design work? That’s far harder to come across, and what I think separates the men from the boys.
So, today, I figured I’d share with you some of my preferred picks. The best AliExpress brands I’ve tried that aren’t entirely rip-off reliant. While many of these brands are still well-versed in copy and pasting, these companies also make at least a handful of models with some level of originality to them, while maintaining the same strong specs as their other models.
I get that the term ‘original’ can be a bit slippery, too – all watches are influenced by previous watches to some degree. But, for the sake of simplicity, I’m permitting anything that isn’t a blatant 1:1 clone of an existing watch with just a logo or dial color switch. Of course, there may be a couple of those accidentally in here; I can’t know every historical watch! But, I’m pretty confident that most are not lazy copy-and-pastes!
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
12 - Pagani Design
A brand you’d never usually associate with originality is Pagani Design. Pagani was one of the first popular ‘homage watch’ brands to receive widespread coverage on YouTube, with their cheap, highly-specced Rolex lookalikes being their most prominent models at the time.
The fact the brand’s name appeared to even be ripped from a popular European car company spoke volumes about their approach to watchmaking. Every once in a while, though, even Pagani Design does some actual designing!
Indeed, they have a couple of models that weren’t created with keyboard shortcuts, including the surprisingly good PD-2720K chronograph and the striking PD-1654 dress watch. The former is one of the best value chronographs on the market, with a minimalist dial, stainless steel construction, a domed, faceted mineral crystal, and even a Seiko VK67 meca-quartz movement under the hood, all for a bargain bucket price. At 43mm wide, it’s not the most compact, so it tends to fit larger wrists better, but if you can squeeze into it, it’s an entry-level choice that blitzes the opposition.
In a similar fashion, the PD-1654 is like a parallel universe version of a Seiko Presage Cocktail Time, only with a price tag over ten times lower. Again, this one looks nicer than you’d expect for the money and is notably smaller, at just 40mm. While it does have the obvious Presage-inspired design cues, it’s not a direct copy; especially this variant with the added date complication on the right side. The case profile is different, and it’s not even using the same type of movement as the Seiko; this is powered by a hi-beat quartz, ironically made by Seiko subsidiary TMI. What’s also ironic is this actually offers a higher advertised water resistance rating than most Seiko Presage watches, at 10 bar.
Despite being listed as steel, the case does feel like it’s actually made of lower-tier chromed brass, which will impact durability. Still, at around half the cost of most brass watches, I can’t be too harsh on it.
An area where those Pagani watches fall short is the strap. As expected, they’re both fairly plasticky and cheap, but considering the super low cost, I’d say it’s still a fair compromise.
I think this low price bracket is where Pagani Design excels. As you get to the more expensive stuff, they may start to use better materials and movements, but their build quality and execution don’t seem to improve all that much, and other brands become a better choice.
The PD-1731 is a frequently recommended model, which offers a hi-beat quartz movement for a smoother seconds hand, as well as a genuine sapphire crystal for about $50. Sadly, I got stung with this one. Every reviewer told me this watch was stainless steel before I bought it, but it turns out the listing also mentions brass, and my wife and I are sure that’s what it actually is after handling. I will say it’s one of the most convincing ‘steel-looking’ brass watches we’ve seen, but the shininess, texture, and weight all expose its hidden secret. Not terrible for the price, but it wouldn’t be my first pick.
Their PD-1782 chronograph is a much better choice that’s actually stainless steel. The crystal glare sucks, and the design is VERY reminiscent of the Tissot Heritage Chronograph, but it is marginally different and feels a lot more assuring than the brass-cased watches, for about fifty quid.
11 - Cadisen
Another brand in a very similar boat is Cadisen. To be honest, Cadisen completely fell off my radar, as they just seemed completely locked into the ‘homage’ route over the last few years. They occupy a similar niche to Pagani Design, and in terms of quality, I’ve never found much to separate the two. Nevertheless, there is one hidden gem that stands out and single-handedly puts Cadisen on this list: the C8200.
According to Cadisen, they commissioned a German watch designer, name unknown, to create this particular Genta-inspired sports watch. It’s better made than the Pagani watches for similar money, with a proper stainless steel case and a hefty, substantial feel that belies its sub-$100 price tag.
Remarkably, this budget banger is packing a Japanese Seiko NH35A, rather than the generic Chinese automatics you usually encounter at this price, and even a sapphire crystal with a somewhat competent anti-reflective coating. It’s about 40.5mm wide and is on the thicker side, so it’s best reserved for large wrists, especially considering the included bracelet has inflexible end links and no micro-adjustment holes. Still, you can even switch that out if you want, as despite the looks, the bracelet can be substituted for any 20mm alternative.
Design-wise, this looks akin to many higher-end integrated bracelet watches, with a multi-faceted bezel, an angular case, and predominantly brushed surfaces. The dial is surprisingly detailed, too, emulating the popular ‘teak deck’ pattern found on many luxury timepieces, with these grooved, horizontal lines.
So yeah, you can see why this one got my juices flowing. The only reason Cadisen is so far down this list is due to them having so few of these decent original designs, as well as having particularly hit-and-miss quality control. This unit, for example, arrived with a dial kinked slightly clockwise. I would risk it again, though, I have to say.
10 - Thorn
Now, some AliExpress watch brands have figured out a little ‘trick’ that allows them to get away with producing borderline clone watches without scrutiny. That trick is focusing on ‘designation’ military-style watches. You see, throughout the 20th Century, various governments and militaries issued strict watch specifications – like the A-11 or W.W.W. – and contracted multiple brands to build them concurrently to nearly identical standards. In essence, no single watch company originally crafted or owns the design, so modern homages based on those specs and styling are generally seen as fair game. It’s one of the few areas in watch design where copying isn’t really controversial. It’s also why so many field watches, even those from big brands, look virtually the same as one another.
One of the prime contenders in this niche is Thorn. They make a large number of these designation-inspired designs (in addition to clones, of course), and some are much better than you’d expect. Their A-17 style field watch, which they’ve called the ‘G-11’, is a beautiful and compact piece of kit for well under a hundred quid.
While tubby, the 36mm steel case is really hardy, with a matte blasted finish, a screw-down crown, and a secure case back, offering an advertised 100m of water resistance. More importantly, it looks gorgeous, with a high-contrast dial and a level of execution that even holds up at a macro level. Under the hood is the venerable Seiko NH35A, with this model shipping with a period-appropriate acrylic crystal that also looks fantastic. The stock band is also good, and you can choose from any of three colors, including a red, which you don’t see all too often.
Thorn seems to be a tad more experimental than others in this category, and that’s on show with their A-11. Unlike the vast majority of watches with this designation, you can grab this in a distinctive white dial and orange accent combo and, unlike Thorn’s A-17, it also ships with a deceptively clear boxed sapphire crystal for about the same price. For a 36mm, the A-11 doesn’t half come with a humungous strap, though; I mean…are you kidding?!
If you don’t like Chinese branding, these two are particularly tempting picks, as they each have no logos to speak of, in keeping with their utilitarian designs.
Thorn also makes some other reworked military watches with added dial textures and their own quirks.
9 - Proxima
Proxima first came to my attention because YouTube commenters kept telling me they were better than the ‘industry leaders,’ San Martin…more on that brand later. For starters, Proxima is one of the few on AliExpress whose brand name doesn’t immediately scream “hey, I’m a cheap Chinese micro-brand.” In fact, their entire branding looks and sounds very Western, which is pretty refreshing, and their watches are generally quite attractive, too.
Proxima’s approach is a little different from most on this list. They tend to take a popular model and then produce their own interpretation of it, usually with pretty major changes. Sometimes, this yields results clearly inferior to the original, but I’d argue several of these are actually more attractive than the models they’re inspired by, often thanks to reworked dial detailing, case shapes, or color schemes.
They also produce other models inspired by retro designs that were discontinued decades ago, as well as some, like the PX1720, which appear to be even more original in-house creations. Proxima occupies a slightly higher price bracket than the last couple of brands, though you can still get this model for under £200 at the time of writing. For that, you get a watch that’s constructed leagues ahead of most big names at this price point. The case finishing is sharp, the Aventurine mineral dial is stunning, and everything is shockingly clean up close, especially considering it’s from a little-known brand.
The specs on this unsurprisingly trounce the big boys; you’ve got the boxed sapphire with a brilliant anti-reflective coating, insane low light performance, strong water resistance, and even a Seiko NH34 automatic GMT movement, for a price often equivalent to battery-powered mall watches. The key, though, is that this watch actually looks good. Many of the more original AliExpress designs are way too radical and bizarre, at least for my taste, whereas many Proxima watches, like this are pretty sexy and stylish. They don’t try for too much, which I think yields better results. I don’t think the bezel on this model is a perfect match for the dial, but the recently upgraded quick-release bracelet is fantastic, with solid steel links, three mini links, and even an on-the-fly micro-adjustable buckle. Definitely a brand I’ll be keeping an eye out for over the next couple of years, together with its sister brand Orion, though I can’t say that one is quite as catchy!
8 - Parnis
A brand I should have kept a keener eye out for is Parnis. And don’t let the name put you off, we’ll get to that in a minute. Founded in 2005, Parnis is one of the biggest and oldest Chinese brands on this list, and they have made boatloads of timepieces over the last twenty years or so. When I started covering watches, the vast majority of these were just the typical cheap copies of famous luxury watches, so understandably, Parnis didn’t garner a great deal of attention.
Yet, right under our noses, this brand has gradually transitioned to the point where, now, the bulk of their new releases boast a much higher degree of creativity than before, making them well worth a second look.
On average, I wouldn’t say their designs are as good as others on this list. But, the sheer volume of their output means a few are bound to land, and when they do, they’re certified mega bargains.
The first of these that I stumbled upon was the completely absurd PA2123. This Bauhaus-styled minimalist watch, which I first covered back in 2023, remains one of the best bargains on the site to this day. It’s a 41mm stainless steel piece with a domed mineral crystal, a decent Nomos-inspired design, and an automatic Sea-gull movement for Casio-rivalling prices.
What’s more, Parnis watches often come with remarkably good straps, too; these bands are often better than those sold by strap brands for more than their entire watch’s cost.
I was also going to tell you more about the PA6101, which is another great-looking choice with Art Deco styling. Sadly, I found out (after purchasing), that it’s pretty much a clone of the extremely rare JLC Master Control Sector Dial; what a shame!
Nevertheless, I can truly attest to the fact that every last penny goes into the watches themselves with this brand, as they’ve even cut their packaging back to a ludicrous degree, simply to keep their prices as low as possible. Both of my watches arrived unharmed, but don’t expect any sort of fancy display case.
So yeah, Parnis definitely has some hidden gems if you know where to look.
7 - Seagull (+ Red Star)
A Chinese gem that’s not so hidden is the 1963 chronograph from Chinese juggernaut Seagull. For many years, this was widely considered China’s best-value watch, in the watch community, at least, primarily because it’s among the most affordable and storied mechanical chronographs that money can buy. If you’re unfamiliar, Seagull is typically considered the world’s largest watch movement manufacturer; they have not only produced their own watches since 1955, but these days, you’ll also find their mechanical movements powering other brands all around the globe, including some in this very post.
The retro-styled 1963 chronograph has a lineage dating back to a real 1960s Chinese Air Force watch, albeit most of the affordable versions you can buy on AliExpress these days are actually created by third-party subcontractors, using the same core components sourced from Seagull directly. They’re not fakes and are permitted by Seagull, if not expressly supported, but if you want the genuine article, expect to pay several times more from Seagull directly. There are minor differences between the two types: I think the official, expensive version is marginally better looking, thanks to the slightly nicer dial tone and cleaner markers, but the cheaper one clearly offers the better bang for the buck and you can choose between acrylic or sapphire, depending on your preference.
What many watch enthusiasts don’t know is that Seagull actually makes a ton of other original-design watches, aside from the venerable 1963. Over the years, I’ve explored their ever-expanding catalogue, which is chocked full of watches that…let’s just say, aren’t best suited to the Western market, and I’ve have managed to dig out some bangers buried in there.
The most obvious candidates are their Bauhaus-inspired dress watches, such as the 6075 and 6100. These are affordable, well-made automatic options available for around, or just under, $100 USD at the time of publishing. They each have solid build quality, strong specs, and clean looks. For me, the 38.8mm 6100 is the better of the two, with its distinctive colored ring and outer bubble-effect chapter ring, that help it stand out among other minimalist offerings, which can otherwise lack excitement.
What’s more, you then even have other AliExpress brands that use Seagull’s designs and movements, especially the 1963, as a platform to modify and expand upon. The best of these I’ve encountered is from Red Star. They make reworked versions of the Seagull 1963, with fresher dials that ship in a much wider variety of colors. While the stock straps are just as bad as those that ship with the regular 1963, I’d argue the rest of the Red Star watch is more attractive, with reduced text and a higher-end look, partly thanks to the sunburst dial.
6 - Shanghai Watch Factory
Next, we’re venturing to the most extreme end of the AliExpress spectrum. Meet Shanghai Watch Factory. You thought Pagani Design was cheap? Think again! This watch, which I bought back in 2021 is still £23 right now. £23! Even with import taxes and shipping to the UK, it’s under £30 all in! 99.9% of watches at this price are shit, there’s no two ways about it. But Shanghai makes watches at this price that are actually somewhat passable.
I suspect these watches are using designs and machinery that have been on the production line for decades. In combination with low-cost Chinese labor, it’s the only way I can think this is possible.
What you get here are hand-wound mechanical watches for the price of a pizza. These are effectively like freshly built vintage watches, with retro mid-century designs and slightly updated materials. The watch I looked at did claim to be stainless steel. From memory, I think it was potentially steel, but likely a slightly lower grade of steel, such as 304 steel, which isn’t as common as the industry-standard 316L steel. Even with such a compromise, these watches are pretty detailed for the money, with applied markers and raised crystals, each residing within really slender cases.
5 - Baltany
Another brand moving up the ranks is Baltany. They’ve got a proven track record stretching back the best part of a decade and, for the most part, operates like the Thorn brand I mentioned earlier, just with a wider breadth of offerings. Again, they mainly focus on vintage-inspired military designs, including a bunch of designation-styled field watches, together with a few other models more of their own making.
As far as build quality goes, Baltany is among the better options on AliExpress. They placed very highly in my huge AliExpress vs Rolex post, primarily off the back of being so well-rounded. While Baltany isn’t industy-leading in any areas, they also don’t fall short in any of the important categories. The watches are very well constructed, the straps are good enough to not warrant replacing, the designs are pretty well-executed, and the branding is one of the most palatable on AliExpress. These even ship in some of the most practical and reusable packaging on the platform, which is a bonus.
My favorite Baltany models are probably their ‘Dirty Dozen’ inspired designs. While they’ve got a few different versions of these in various movements and sizes, my favorite is the 36mm version, which you can grab in this unusual flecked cream-colored dial that gives the design a whole new lease of life. For under £150, if not less, this one boasts a blasted steel case, a boxed sapphire crystal, big water resistance, and the reasonable Seagull ST1701 automatic movement…what more do you need? One thing to note is if I were buying again, I’d go for a two-piece band instead to reduce the thickness. The one I chose passes underneath and adds a whole bunch of unnecessary bulk.
Baltany has about three or four other highly tempting models that are also on my shortlist. Hopefully, I can check them out too at some point!
4 - Boderry
Now, we move into the real upper echelons of AliExpress. The handful of trailblazers that are reaching new heights for budget Chinese watches. The first of these brands is Boderry. Boderry’s USP is basically providing exotic case materials for rock-bottom prices, and while the brand name sounds like an elfish Lord of the Rings character, their watches are honestly quite impressive.
Now, there are some that were clearly engineered purely to put forward a strong spec sheet. You can get dirt-cheap titanium GMTs, for instance, but they come with some pretty big compromises, especially as far as looks go. Thankfully, they’ve since released a string of other options that are much better balanced.
Their Landmaster and Voyager field watches are close to unbeatable for the money, with very thin titanium cases, and top-tier specs across the board. The Voyager 38, in particular, is one of the more inventive field watch designs I’ve tried, with an unusual triple date wheel and offset subdial that make it both unique and attractive in specific colorways. As with most Boderry watches, you get a screw-down crown and rear, albeit this time with a peculiar exhibition rear slotted in the middle, allowing you to peek at the Swiss quartz movement inside. Not the most sensical inclusion, but eh, it doesn’t hurt, I guess!
The star of the show is swooping case, which looks a lot like those on some Bertucci field watches, but with considerably better quality control. No weird lumpy bits here!
These days, Boderry has also expanded into other categories, such as titanium chronographs, dress watches, and dive watches, as well as other materials like bronze and steel. You can grab these watches on AliExpress or directly via the Boderry website.
3 - Addiesdive
Now, did you know AliExpress brands can be worldwide trendsetters? Me neither until Addiesdive did just that! The funny thing is, this isn’t some storied, legendary brand or anything…in fact, far from it! Addiesdive essentially rose to prominence in recent years simply by undercutting everyone else, offering steel-cased quartz and automatic watches with all the bells and whistles for less than half the cost of most competitors. The key here is that unlike most other cheap watches, whose cut corners are quickly visible up close, Addiesdive’s watches actually get more surprising the closer you get to them.
The most extreme example of this is the irrepressible AD2030. The 3D desert dial watch trend that’s swept through the industry these past few months? Believe it or not, all roads lead back to this ridiculous £50 banger. Somehow, Addiesdive did this first, at least according to my research. This is why you see online commenters mocking luxury brands for releasing their own ‘Addiesdive homages’. Every man and their dog is after a piece of this pie!
Now the AD2030 is great. The dial effect is just as impressive as you might hope. It even has a textured, sand-like finish, which makes it look quite convincing. The watch itself has a hi-beat quartz and even a very thin steel case, so it ticks many boxes. This is a marked step up from most Pagani Design watches, as far as build goes, despite costing a similar amount. What’s even better is that since I last covered it, they’ve now released a sterile version, so you don’t have to look at the hideous Addiesdive logo. Yeah, that’s the only big drawback with this brand. The standard logo is a complete eyesore, and the name is quite bizarre. Luckily, some versions do sidestep these issues, either with cursive text or logo-free variants.
You can grab this one in a bunch of colors, too. Technically, I think it’s supposed to represent the seabed, but the sand-like color, in particular, really sells the whole desert dune effect. There’s also a beefier automatic version that also has a sapphire crystal.
Aside from their infamous dune watches, Addiesdive has a plethora of other decent options up their sleeve. Those that immediately spring to mind are their absurdly cheap meca-quartz chronographs. There’s been a couple of incredible options so far; these two retro-inspired models blitz every alternative under the £100 mark. Outside of their mediocre straps, this pair are probably giving other budget brands nightmares as we speak. Even the case finishing on all these Addiesdive watches is as good as many Western brands at multiple times the price, so these even look great at arm’s length, with a bunch of pretty reflections.
One of the reasons this brand can create watches this cheap is that they often reuse or repurpose components like the case and crystal across multiple models, thereby simplifying the design and production process. It does reduce the individuality of each piece, but at this end of the market, I’d say that’s a worthy tradeoff.
2 - San Martin
If you want virtually zero tradeoffs, you’ll want to look at arguably the most famous AliExpress brand, the notorious San Martin. San Martin burst onto the scene with a string of luxury watch lookalikes and was the first to make me think, “holy shit, these Chinese watches are getting good”. The build was next-level compared to everything else at its price point, which even included the likes of Seiko, Orient, and Citizen at the time. For typically between £120 and £400, these watches are pricier than many AliExpress options, but the fit and finish was, and still is, more comparable to bigger brands in the £500-£1500 range. The crazy part is I’m not exaggerating! I’ve reviewed everything from Christopher Ward to Rolex, and San Martin genuinely gets you 90% of the way there, at least in terms of dials and case finishing, the two parts of the watch you’ll actually be looking at!
San Martin mastered the manufacturing techniques remarkably quickly, and eventually, their design capability started to catch up. In recent times, they’ve engineered some of the whackiest and most impressive original dials on the market, and while some were a bit too overboard, a good number are outstanding for the money.
I’ll get the primary negatives out of the way real quick. While elite-level for the most part, San Martin watches can be prone to occasional bracelet QC issues and fairly hazy flat sapphire crystals. The boxed versions, with the raised edges, are much clearer for some reason. One unit, out of the dozens I’ve tried, also had a stuttering Miyota 8000 series movement, which functioned but was unsettling to look at.
Now, I could spend an entire post listing San Martin’s best pieces, but I’ll give you the shorthand version.
The best-looking San Martin, in my opinion, is the SN0116 GMT. The ‘root beer’ version in particular is very tastefully done, not to mention wafer thin for an automatic GMT. Of course, they’ve got an array of more elaborate dial models on offer too.
One that really turned up the heat was the SN0129, which was another absurd GMT, featuring a selection of high-end dial materials and finishes. The dune-dial one is like a better-executed and better-specced alternative to the Addiesdive I showed you earlier, while other versions like the Jade and especially the Aventurine help the piece look even higher-end. A great feature of most San Martin watches is they utilize concealed micro-adjustable clasps for all their bracelets, with a glidelock-like system, akin to that on Rolex watches. This means you can quickly switch the size on the fly if your wrist expands or contracts throughout the day, which is very handy.
San Martin has also released more affordable non-GMT watches, like the SN0144, with its special Jianzhan pottery-like dial, which was also a massive hit. They then turned that into an even better-looking GMT later down the line.
Each year, San Martin also makes one-of-a-kind limited edition Chinese New Year pieces, typically with added oriental symbols or experimental dial detailing. Some of these have a very niche appeal, while others are much more viable for day-to-day usage.
Together with acceptable branding, especially on their newer models, San Martin has solidified itself as a top contender for the foreseeable future. They recently launched a new sub-brand called Jianghun, which focuses exclusively on original Chinese designs, albeit their offerings are limited at the time of making this post.
1 - Merkur
So, who could possibly top that? Who could be more exciting than the mighty San Martin? Well, there’s only one I’ve come across…Merkur.
To me, it feels like Merkur is doing something different from everyone else on this list. They aren’t trying to be luxury watch killers, they’re not trying to hide their Chinese origins, and they certainly aren’t partaking in this spec-fuelled race to the bottom like everyone else is.
Instead, they seem genuinely proud of their roots. Rather than chasing trends or aping luxury brands, Merkur appears to be developing its own vintage-inspired design language — one that leans into quirky, characterful, and sometimes fascinating creations.
I get the impression that Merkur isn’t aiming for mass-market appeal. They’re making watches tailored to us, the watch nerds and enthusiasts, which is why they’re so compelling.
Even more impressive is how often those offbeat designs actually work. Of course, there’s the occasional copy in there, and a good few are ugly, as is par for the course with AliExpress. Yet a surprising number of their watches are genuinely well-thought-out and unusually tasteful, especially for an international, predominantly Western audience. Many of their pieces feature extreme textures, irregular layouts, and lesser-used color combinations that others seem too scared to try.
Design-aside, Merkur watches usually feature steel cases, heavily domed crystals, competent straps, curved dials, and, I’m not kidding, in-house mechanical movements for quartz-rivalling prices.
Now, these are mostly modified and upgraded versions of the old and fairly generic Tongji or Chinese Standard movement, so they’re nothing special. Though, as far as accuracy, noise, and execution are concerned, they’re probably the best versions I’ve seen to date, far surpassing examples I’ve seen from better-known brands like Sturhling Original. This reduced reliance on off-the-shelf components definitely adds to the uniqueness and weird mystique surrounding this little-known brand.
The vertically integrated production chain also must play a part in how they can offer these watches for so little.
I’ve tried a fair few Merkur watches in recent months, and they boast one of the widest repertoires on the platform. From a technical standpoint, their extreme sunburst dial model is probably their most impressive, with a Seiko Presage-like finish for pennies on the dollar. The one I have is 38mm, but they’re apparently re-releasing it in 36mm in the coming months.
Under the Merkur brand, you’ll also find a few dive watches, most of which are inspired by old Chinese military designs, as well as highly functional World Time and field watches, which each bring something fresh to the table. You’ll find that most of these are pretty thin, too, thanks to the slimness of the movements used across the board.
For even more options, you can also explore Merkur’s sub-brands Seizenn, FOD, and Pierre Paulin, which are also decent.
Merkur’s only notable drawbacks are the luminescence, which tends to suck, and the fabric straps, which can flap about like a mother-in-law’s tongue if they ship with sewn-in keepers. I’m sure some models are using 304 steel instead of the usual 316L — you can sometimes tell by the slightly softer corners and the faint bluish tone. Honestly, though, for the price, either is fine. From my experience, if the listing says 316L, it almost certainly is; if it says only “stainless steel,” it’s probably 304.
My favorite model to date is their Art-Deco style sector dial watch, which comes in a bunch of extremely vibrant colors and looks bewilderingly good for the money. You can learn more about it in my Top Watches of 2024 list.