Tuesday 13 September 2011

Skeleton Watch


I purchased this watch a little over a month ago. Having recently graduated from college, I wanted a watch that was more sophisticated than what I had been wearing. Needless to say, when I came upon Stuhrling Original, I was nothing short of impressed. I fell in love with the watch when I saw it online. After researching and reading as many reviews as I could find, I knew I had to see what this watch and this company were all about.



First of all, when you receive the watch, it is packaged exquisitely. It is a joy to open the case and see everything that is contained inside. It is immediately evident the care and precision that goes into the packaging and know that the watch will have been built with even more care. The watch is even more stunning in person than the photos allow you to see. It is a sturdy watch with nice weight to it. I can really feel that I am wearing something of notoriety when I wear this watch. When I first put the watch on, the band was quite stiff but it has become very soft and comfortable over time. Do not be discouraged if when you first put the watch on it is uncomfortable. In a short time, it will feel great.



Overall, I am very pleased with this timepiece. In the future, as I look for more watches, I will undoubtedly look at Stuhrling Original first. Stuhrling Original Men's 150A.33152 Special Reserve 'Symphony Maestro II' Multi-Function Skeleton Watch

I've had this watch for several months now, and when I first wore the watch, I was quite happy with it. The watch itself is gorgeous. In the Amazon.com picture, the hands of the watch face are a brighter blue than in more usual lighting. It's more of a dark navy, nearly black appearance that takes on a brighter blue in brighter light. I really liked that. I also love the skeleton watch look to it, though it's easier to see moving gears through the rear of the watch (which you wouldn't be able to see if you were wearing the watch). The band, though initially firm, softened quickly and fit my wrist easily (I would say I have average to slightly slimmer than average wrists). The watch is heavier than what I'm used to but not too heavy by any means. The crystal on the front has durably resisted nicks and scrapes despite my having banged the watch accidentally against door jams or counter edges.



So, why not a five star rating? Well, the watch is supposed to be self winding, and it does work. However, I have had instances in which the time is off (slow) presumably because I didn't move the watch around enough to keep it wound. I guess if you have an automatic watch winder (which I don't), this wouldn't be an issue. So, I started winding my watch a couple of turns in the morning to avoid inaccurate time. I found that by doing this, the time was off agin, but now it was too far ahead! For the most part, it keeps time just fine, but it's a bit irritating to me that it's so imprecise, and I have to worry if the time is correct. After all, I wear a watch mainly to know the time exactly -- not approximately!



Nevertheless, it's a beautiful watch, the first that I've owned that wasn't a $20 cheapie watch. It does keep time just fine for the most part, but I hate to say it -- the cheapie watches I've had in the past kept better time.

This is an excellent time piece. I love the look and it is also very well crafted. My only gripe and I assume this is the case with all automatic watches is sometimes the time is off. Other than that I love the watch

I have been wearing this watch for just about a year now. I am now facing the second repair I need to make to this piece. It is an attractive piece, but I need a watch that I can actually wear and rely upon. The first problem I had was that the crystal was letting moisture in somehow, and the watch was building up condensation, making the dial indiscernible. In addition, the self-winding mechanism was getting hung up frequently. I sent the watch back, and they did repair it under warranty, although I did have to pay a $20 fee and shipping for the watch. After six weeks, the watch came back. I wore it for three weeks, and the crown came off. This is unacceptable. The only thing they will do is repair the watch and waive the $20. However, I still have to pay the shipping and insurance, as well as having to wait another six weeks before I will know what time it is.

Who needs Swiss assembly?



Not me, not when I can get a hard-to-find skeleton automatic watch with day/date and 24-hour complications at this kind of a price!



This is as impressive a watch as other customers have claimed. The second hand moves smoothly, and the watch is entirely silent (no ticking noise, as on mechanical watches of yesteryear).



Purchasers should note that you must advance the month register manually at the first of the month using the stylus provided. Otherwise the day and date functions are automatic.



The Stuhrling also keeps excellent time for a mechanical watch.



The leather band is a bit stiff when you first wear it, but I am confident that it will soften with time. The leather appears to be of fine quality, and the band is quite wide.



In all, this appears to be a splendid automatic watch with useful complications, and it offers excellent value for the money. Highly recommended.

I recently returned this watch for two reasons:



1. I have small wrists and when clasping the leather band closed, the leather cracked.



2. For a lesser reason (I suppose my ignorance also!) the watch is listed as automatic, which it is, but since I sit at a desk most of the day it does not get "wound' a lot. Therefore sometimes when I would put in on in the morning it would be "dead" and you have to spin it around to get it going again; then you have to reset all the settings.



While I had the watch I did receive several compliments on it and I do think it is attractive, but it wasn't meant for me and my lifestyle.'


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