Marcus Henry, Author at Exquisite Timepieces - Page 3 of 6

Author: Marcus Henry

what is a quartz watch

Back to Basics: What Even Is a Quartz Watch Anyways?

Marcus Henry

June 1, 2025

Like American politics, watchmaking runs on a two-party system. Mechanical and quartz. Those are the only two domains—if you ignore the little third parties like tuning fork watches. Unlike the two-party system, however, it’s easy to appreciate and admire both sides of this wide and wonderful world.

Here at Exquisite Timepieces, we love mechanical watches. They’re hard not to love, actually. Mechanical microengineering coupled with tradition makes for some seriously beautiful works of art. 

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But all too often, us watch nerds overlook the humbler side of things: quartz. Quartz is usually cheaper, and mass-produced. Yet it offers precision on a level that absolutely blows any mechanical watch out of the water, for a ridiculously cheap price. It’s hard to argue with that!

But where does this technology come from? How do quartz watches manage to be so cheap and yet so precise? How did they come to dominate almost all of the watch market globally—a whopping 96%? No matter whether you’re a seasoned watch collector or just taking your first steps into this deep world, read on for the answers to these questions and more!

History of Quartz Watches

Quartz Watch History

If we want to understand what a quartz watch is today, it’s important to talk about where it has come from. Or at least, so my history teachers insisted all throughout my years in school. Regardless, their past is interesting (not just to history teachers, I promise!) and I think it’s well worth a good overview.

Quartz technology has been used in timekeeping for a long time—specifically, just under a century at the time of writing this! It was first used in clocks in 1927, thanks to the brilliant mind of Warren Marrison, who was working at the time at Bell Telephone Labs. 

Now I want to save a real analysis of how it works for the next section, but, for now, it’ll suffice to say that the lab discovered that quartz has some very interesting properties related to electricity, which we’ll cover later. Consider that a little teaser for what’s to come.

At the time, the equipment for quartz timekeeping was large and bulky, but it totally shook things up in the world of horology. All of a sudden, you have something that’s not mechanical at all, which is how things had been made for centuries before, and is suddenly far more accurate than even the finest hand-made mechanical clock. 

That’s pretty game-changing. Even the way people think about time itself is called into question. Suddenly, the way we measure time is so precise that the most accurate quartz clocks are able to tell us almost the exact time at any given moment. No more deviation of a few seconds per day—time is now something we have full control over.

Philosophical meanderings aside, it was the well-known Japanese brand Seiko that really pushed quartz technology further from where Bell Labs left off. The technology in these quartz clocks was large and unwieldy. Shrinking it down to wristwatch size was at the time completely out of the question. 

And yet, around 30 years later, Seiko began working on a quartz movement powered by a smaller 1.5V battery. Previously, their research had already led them to produce their own quartz crystals using a special process with hydrofluoric acid and a photolithography technique. 

Essentially, photolithography involves creating patterns on a surface by using light. A photosensitive material is applied to a certain area, and then, when it is exposed to light in a certain pattern, a chemical reaction takes place in those areas. Notably, it’s used in making integrated circuits and silicon chips in computing today.

This technology and innovation enabled Seiko to make great leaps and bounds forward in shrinking down quartz technology beyond what anyone would have thought possible when it was first introduced. 

In 1963, they created the Crystal Chronometer, a table clock that ran on a quartz movement. No more need for a tall longcase clock for quartz accuracy—now it was available to anyone in a small space in your house or on your desk.

They didn’t stop there. Just three years later, in 1966 and 1967, Seiko brought the first quartz pocket watches onto the market. Now, precision was wearable in your pocket. But wristwatches were the prevailing fashion of the day, so Seiko’s work wasn’t complete.

Then, on Christmas Day, 1969, it happened. The first quartz wristwatch was put up for sale. Precision on your wrist, down to the last second. The Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ came into the world, an elegant watch with a large cushion case, and, most importantly of all, a fully quartz movement. It would completely change the notion of what a wristwatch can be forever.

At this point, the Swiss industry was kinda freaking out. Switzerland was already associated with the finest mechanical watches, and precision was a pretty big deal for them. Many factories also mass-produced more affordable mechanical movements. 

Quartz absolutely demolished the Swiss pursuit of mechanical precision and quickly outcompeted mass-produced mechanical movements, which were far more expensive to make than quartz and, of course, less accurate.

For a while now, the Swiss had been trying to get on board with quartz. In 1962, the Centre Électronique Horloger (or, roughly, “Electronic Watchmaking Center,” abbreviated CEH) was formed by 20 Swiss brands, including Omega and Patek Philippe. 

If you don’t know those two names, the takeaway there is that they weren’t messing around. In 1966, they created their first prototype, the Beta-1, and the Beta-2 quickly followed in 1967.

Ultimately, the first Swiss mass-produced quartz movement would be the Beta-21, released April 10, 1970, by the CEH. 6,000 were initially made, and more followed. Member brands of the CEH put this movement to quick use, and Swiss watches by brands like the aforementioned Patek Philippe featuring a Beta-21 movement remain highly collectible today.

Despite the Swiss efforts, the introduction of quartz had a tremendously destabilizing effect on the industry. Many brands started to go under, unable to compete with the cheaper quartz markets flooding the industry. 

The demand for fine watchmaking plummeted as people snapped up the latest technology, which was more affordable anyway. Because of this, the 1970s were what’s known as the “Quartz Crisis,” a time of tremendous upheaval for the industry that left Switzerland in particular much the worse for wear and companies like Seiko on top of the market.

Nowadays, if you look up the most well-known watch brands, you’ll find that they’re owned by the Swatch Group. (I promise, this is related—stick with me.) Omega, Breguet, Longines, Blancpain: these pillars of mechanical watchmaking are associated with a brand that made colorful quartz watches, Swatch. 

At last, we begin to see the connection. In many ways, it was Swatch that saved the Swiss industry. In the face of Seiko’s dominance of the quartz market, they introduced their first wave of affordable quartz watches in 1983. 

They were colorful, trendy, eye-catching, and reestablished Swiss watchmaking as a force to be reckoned with. Swatch was able to buy many of these other brands that were at risk of collapsing and kept them afloat.

Things stabilized. The crisis slowly faded. And with time, mechanical watchmaking took back an important place in the world of horology. Yet because of these changes, today’s watchmaking world certainly looks very different from what it did just 50 years ago.

How Does a Quartz Watch Work?

Still with me? Great! Here, we’re going to get into that long-awaited analysis of how quartz watches actually function. Remember how I mentioned the significance of quartz’s special electric properties? 

As it turns out, if you squeeze a quartz crystal under a lot of pressure, it actually creates a small electrical current. That’s called piezoelectricity, in case you’re the type of person who collects big fancy words. By the same token, if you run an electrical current through a quartz crystal, something equally interesting happens: it vibrates.

If you know how a mechanical watch works, you probably know that it “beats” several times per second, usually four or five. This is due to the rotation of the balance wheel, which trips the escapement four to five times per second and thereby releases the gear train to advance. 

Typically, the more times the balance wheel beats per second, the more accurate the watch is, as any errors in one beat are much more averaged out. Here’s the kicker. When you run current through a quartz oscillator, it vibrates at a stunning rate of 32,768 beats per second, or 215.

That’s the heart of any quartz watch, and it sure is an accurate one. With that many oscillations per second, it’s little wonder that quartz watches manage to be so accurate. The rest of the circuitry is designed to measure the oscillations and then trigger the movement of a small stepper motor once every 32,768 vibrations, or once a second. 

Since the motor doesn’t provide as much torque as a mechanical movement does, most quartz watches feature thin, lightweight hands that won’t be a drain on the battery. The battery, of course, powers all the circuitry and the current that runs through the quartz crystal. Unlike mechanical watches, which need to be serviced every five years, a quartz movement will need a battery change every few years and, for the most part, requires no other external attention. 

Eventually, it’ll break down and die, while a mechanical movement will last forever if it’s kept well-serviced. But then again, it’s a matter of a few moments and a few dollars to pop another entirely new quartz movement in the watch in the old one’s place.

Quartz Watches Today

Today, quartz watches are everywhere. Take a walk around any mall or major department store, and you’re sure to find a few for sale for less than your extra-special Starbucks order. But they’re not just limited to the lowest tiers of watchmaking. Some of the highest-end brands have made them a specialty, most notably, Grand Seiko and their 9F quartz movement. 

Leave it to Seiko, of course, to continue pioneering in the field of quartz: their 9F features specially grown quartz crystals and even a regulation process and extra torque so you can use large mechanical-style hands. F.P. Journe, one of the most famous independent brands, has made its quartz Élégante a staple of its collections, and it remains one of the most sought-after watches on the market to this day.

Lastly, Seiko’s Astron collection, which started it all, is continuing to pioneer quartz in different ways. Modern Astrons automatically connect to GPS satellites to get the time with extreme precision, no matter where you are in the world, and will automatically correct themselves if you cross timezones.

Conclusion

Like it or not, quartz technology is here to stay, and it’s just going to keep getting better. As such, I humbly suggest that you embrace it wholeheartedly. Yes, even you, the seasoned mechanical watch collector in the back. 

With such staggering precision and affordability, it’s little wonder that quartz watches can be found everywhere you look, from Walmart to claw machines, adorned with every imaginable case and dial from a sturdy G-Shock to your favorite lovable cartoon character. 

But quartz is about more than just being cheap and making for some great character watches. It’s the future of watchmaking, and it’s already here now. It’s not for nothing that the modern Seiko Astron was one of the first watches I fell in love with, even after I discovered mechanical watchmaking. 

Quartz and mechanics are yin and yang, perfect complements that make the world of watchmaking all the more wide and wonderful. What’s not to love about that?

best automatic watches under 500

Automatic watches are, at the same time, hands-off and beautiful. You get all the majestic ticking beauty of a manually-wound timepiece with no need to wind it up every day.

Yet some of the best-known luxury automatic watches command incredibly steep prices, like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. With prices like these, many feel that it’s better to go for a simple quartz watch and call it a day.

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Thankfully, this is not the only way. Many microbrands and even larger ones offer exceptional timepieces with automatic movements at a fraction of the cost of more luxury brand offerings.

They’re wearable, beautiful, and if kept serviced, they can last a lifetime. All this for the price of a decent quartz watch. What’s not to love?

History of Automatic Watches

Automatic watches are a category that has been around for nearly a hundred years and has profoundly shaped the state of mechanical watchmaking in today’s world. They’re useful and versatile, as we all know—but where did they come from?

Most watch nerds are under the impression that the first automatic wristwatch was the Rolex Oyster Perpetual. In actuality, we need to credit this invention to an English watchmaker named John Harwood, who invented it in 1926. From there, the system has slowly evolved. 

In many vintage watches—notably those created by Omega—the spinning rotor would spin and hit against a spring, and this compression would wind the watch.

This “bumper” system was less efficient than what’s used today, the “Perpetual” winding system introduced by Rolex. Automatic winding may be an old invention, but it remains one of the most useful today.

Top 15 Best Automatic Watches Under $500

So, if you’re looking for that automatic versatility and not interested in splurging on a high-luxury watch, where should you go? Right here! Here are 15 of the best automatic watches, all at varying prices under $500.

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD51

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD51

At a retail of $325, the SRPD51 comes right in at a mid-range for our budget, and it sure does so in style. The beating heart of this watch is the caliber 4R36, which is automatic and can run for a full 41 hours on a full wind. 

You can wear this piece once every day, and it’ll always be wound for you, which is pretty fantastic and makes for a super hands-off wearing experience. In terms of the presentation, I’m a big fan of that unassuming blue sunray dial and blue bezel, which shine with just utter oceanic dive-watch charm.

My only gripe is that very unfortunate crown position at 4:00—but thankfully, with the automatic works, you won’t have to make too much use of it.

Tissot Classic Dream Swissmatic ref. T129.407.16.051.00

Tissot Classic Dream Swissmatic ref. T129.407.16.051.00

We just barely squeaked in under budget with this one at $495, thankfully, because excluding this watch would have been tough. Compared to the SRPD51 we just touched on, this Tissot is really a classy dream (sorry). It runs on the Tissot Swissmatic movement, which is an evolution of the Swatch SISTEM51 (more on that later!). 

The Swissmatic movement is pretty fantastic, notably featuring an insane 72 hours of power reserve—for context, the Rolex 3230 only has around 70—and, of course, an automatic winding rotor. Overall, the presentation of the watch is extremely clean and refined, with a large black sunray-finished dial and thin lugs. 

The hands are my favorite type, what we call a dauphine style. There’s something about it that just works so well with a dressy watch. And those polished applied indices, interrupted by the printed minutes track? Perfection.

Swatch x Blancpain Ocean of Storms

In my opinion, the Ocean of Storms is the culmination of Swatch’s bioceramic Fifty Fathoms series. It retails for $400, but you’re only able to pick up one of these bad boys in a Swatch brick-and-mortar store, so here’s hoping there’s one near you. 

The Ocean of Storms features the Swatch SISTEM51, which is made out of a record-breaking low of just 51 components and only one screw. Thankfully, its “simplicity” doesn’t even begin to suggest that it’s a low-quality movement: it still has an insane 90-hour power reserve and is regulated by a laser before it leaves Swatch’s factory for extra precision. 

The case itself is just so darn cool with that completely blacked-out dive watch look. The dial is black as well with a lovely sunray finish to give it that extra shine and you get a healthy dose of lume on the hands and numerals as well to make for one seriously legible dive watch. What more could you ask for?

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPK15

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time SRPK15

Watches take inspiration from all kinds of sources: movies, books, architecture, art—the list goes on for a while. The SRPK15, however, is a totally new theme. The Cocktail Time collection from Seiko is actually inspired by Tokyo’s cocktail lounges, and this specific model by the Blue Moon cocktail. 

With this beauty, you get 41 hours of power reserve and a custom gold automatic rotor (so you can watch it spin around in a little dazzle of light) thanks to the caliber 4R35. The dial features an interesting pattern which is much like traditional sunray finishing but much deeper and more emphasized, which adds some lovely texture. 

This texture is covered by a rich blue fumé effect, a gorgeous smoky gradient from the outside towards the center. The final touch I want to comment on is that pop of shine from the gold seconds hand, which really just hits all the right buttons for me. The SRPK15 retails for $450.

Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic ref. NJ0150-56X

Citizen Tsuyosa Automatic ref. NJ0150-56X

Currently on sale for $360, the Tsuyosa Automatic is one of the best integrated sports watches you can get at its price point. It’s very wearable thanks to its 40mm case size, and the bracelet is absolutely gorgeous with its Rolex Presidential-style bracelet with mirrored inner lugs and brushed outer. 

The dial is such a rich color of green, which you so rarely see in watches today but is really well-executed here. The addition of a cyclops lens over the date window makes the date super easy to reference at a glance. The hands and indices are polished and faceted with little dollops of lume. Almost everything, in fact, is perfectly executed… except the 4:00 crown, which is a choice I lament deeply. 

On a final positive note, the caliber 8210 automatic movement on the inside is absolutely gorgeous thanks to its gilt finishing, and you will definitely find yourself taking constant looks through that sapphire caseback at its mesmerizing workings.

Orient Kamasu ref. RA-AA0003R39B

Orient Kamasu ref. RA-AA0003R39B

The Orient Kamasu is razor-sharp and extremely modern, taking inspiration from the deadly barracuda for its off-white indices and hands, which are meant to look dangerously like teeth. I particularly like the color of the dial, which has a sunburst finish and, depending on the lighting, can appear as a deep burgundy or a rich bright red finish. 

The case is quite unassumingly brushed and my eye is also remarkably drawn to the bezel, whose fluting looks to me rather much like bite marks, perhaps from our dear eponymous Kamasu. 

My only gripe here is the non-color-matched date windows, which, to my eye, stick out like sore thumbs. To be fair, that does make them all the more visible, but I do wish they were a little more camouflaged by that rich red dial. This one will currently run you just $335, a great watch for well within our budget.

Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK033

Seiko 5 Sports GMT SSK033

At $475, the SSK033 is certainly pushing it, but never fear—it’s a great watch for its price. It runs on the caliber 4R34, which clocks in with a solid 41 hours of power reserve and, of course, automatic winding. 

Its presentation is that of an elegant dive watch which clearly takes cues from the Rolex Submariner “Batman” thanks to its black-and-blue bezel but manages to present a watch that feels fresh and new thanks to its crisp white dial. The indices are just ever so slightly off-white, which helps them pop against the dial without clashing. 

I love the way the accent blue on the GMT hand, and text works with the sunray white dial and cream indices. It’s just a killer color combo. Yet, alas, there’s another 4:00 crown here. It’s one brushstroke gone awry in a painting that otherwise creates a wonderfully harmonious whole. Can’t win ’em all, I guess.

Laco Augsburg 42 ref. 861688.2

Laco Augsburg 42 ref. 861688.2

Laco offers some of the best customization options I’ve ever seen for a watch of this price, starting at a base retail of $410. It’s a slick and clean pilot watch style with some amazing heritage because the Laco brand has been around since 1925. 

Upgrade options include swapping out the movement for an even better Laco 31 for an additional $70, adding anti-reflective coating to the crystal for $60, and more. The base movement, I should add, is a Laco 2S, which is a modified workhorse Miyota 82S0. The dial is squeaky clean with that matte black base, white text, and lumed numerals. 

My only gripe is that it feels as if the greenish numerals clash with the white text, a visual image that leaves me just a little unsettled. As a final note, the Augsburg 42 comes on an excellent vintage leather strap, which is already patinated, so it will be unique and have its own color and style variations. 

A watch’s strap is all too often overlooked, and in this case, the special attention Laco has paid it is a seriously nice touch.

Bulova American Clipper ref. 97A154

Bulova American Clipper ref. 97A154

The American Clipper, aptly named by the American-founded brand Bulova, is an ultra-classy dress watch that just slips in under budget at $495. The case is clean polished gold with thin lugs, and the dial matches thanks to its matte black finish and gold indices. 

Everything is executed to perfection for its simple level—in particular, I’m a big fan of the depth created by the sector dial. At 6:00, you get both an open heart (to see the ticking balance wheel) and sub-seconds indicator. 

I do have a few points to touch on here: the staggered position of the open heart and sub-seconds is a little strange but visually interesting; the silver movement through the open heart does clash a touch with the case; and the text on the sub-seconds just feels not quite classy enough to fit with the watch. These, thankfully, are all small details that hardly detract from the elegant and refined whole.

Timex Marlin Automatic 39mm ref. TW2W58800

Timex Marlin Automatic 39mm ref. TW2W58800

For $299, the Marlin is simultaneously one of our most affordable options and one of the coolest. It’s instantly unique and eye-catching with that cushion-case shape, which is very well made and is visually intriguing with its brushed top and then polished bevels which sweep over into the lugs. 

The dial is an unassuming matte black but the silver sub seconds at 9:00 pops out to really make it an interesting layout worth a second glance. It’s also very thin at just 9mm thick and 39mm across, so it’s quite wearable. 

The closed caseback, which conceals its movement, an automatic Miyota, is engraved with a depiction of a Marlin and has an exhibition window where you can see the balance wheel. Overall, you can tell a serious amount of work has gone into the design and layout of this really simple but elegant piece.

Unimatic UC2 Classic

Unimatic UC2 Classic

Perhaps more than any other microbrand, Unimatic has created an instantly recognizable design language at prices that are shockingly affordable. Their UC2 Classic, perhaps the definition of their design, retails for $425. This watch is almost breathtakingly simple at first glance, thanks to its circularly brushed case and bezel. 

The matte black dial almost looks unmarked until you look again and see the text positioned unusually below the hands—this, too, however, is kept clean and modest. It runs on the standard Seiko NH35A, which gets you 41 hours of power reserve with automatic winding. 

It has practically everything you could want from a tool watch and none of the frills in a design package so classy and under-the-radar you could pair it with a suit.

Seiko Prospex King Turtle SRPE03

Seiko Prospex King Turtle SRPE03

All hail the king! Just look at that magnificent cushion case and stamped tapisserie dial—if you could turn a turtle into a watch, it would look a heck of a lot like this. 200 meters of water resistance ensure that the King Turtle can thrive in its natural habitat, and it’s a monster of a legible and visible watch with a 45mm case and its high-contrast white-on-black lumed dial. 

I’ll let you admire the rest of the watch yourself, but I also want to point out its gorgeous gold accent text and seconds hand, which work perfectly with the rest of the dial to provide just the right amount of pop. And the best part is you can find the SRPE03 for $500 on Exquisite Timepieces.

Nodus Sector Sport Glacial

At $475, this next watch is still an incredible piece for its price. The dial is such a lovely shade of blue which comes alive with icy sparkles thanks to its sunray finish. The applied numerals and indices seem to be a little exaggerated in height, which creates a sense of depth and contrast that’s accentuated by the sector dial construction (hence the name!). 

To ensure things aren’t too bright and shiny in the dial for it to be really used, the indices and hands have a matte black trim and are filled with lume, so they’ll have superb legibility. That lovely brushed case flows right into a 3-link integrated bracelet, which even has quick-release spring bars if you’re interested in throwing a leather bracelet on it. All this in a neat wearable 38mm package.

Lorier Neptune Series IV

Lorier Neptune Series IV

I’ve covered the Lorier Neptune before, and I’m always left just in awe of how spectacular this watch is for a microbrand piece at $499. It’s designed like it was made in 1957 along the vintage dive watch icons by Omega, Rolex, and Blancpain that still have a stranglehold on the watch market today. 

Everything here is clean, simple, and vintage-inspired, from the gilt text to the sans-serif font used on the bezel. A final fine point that I really admire before I leave you to enjoy the watch for yourself is that Lorier completely shunned the use of any fauxtina on the dial. 

While I do enjoy a good off-colored lume look, Lorier’s vision of designing this watch as if it is fresh out of the 50s means having clean white lume just like a new watch back then would have had. It’s a brilliant touch.

Baltic HMS 003 Salmon

Baltic HMS 003 Salmon

Our final watch for this article comes in at just under $400, leaving plenty of budget room, and it’s easily one of my favorite watches at that price. It runs on the workhorse Miyota 8315, which gives you a staggering 60 hours of power reserve. 

That dial is just gorgeous, with different finishings, polished applied indices, large curvy hands, and a vintage printed minutes track. As a final note, I want to touch on the leather straps Baltic includes, which are absolutely stunning. 

The watch comes on a quick-release black saffiano leather strap, which is an extremely high-quality calf leather, but you can also swap out for others like different colors of saffiano leather or a sweet vintage-inspired beads-of-rice bracelet, which looks superb. You really can’t go wrong with this one.

Conclusion

Automatic watches don’t have to be a forbidding category with staggering price tags. You can find spectacular watches in every category at affordable prices, and I’ve collected here just a few of the best. Whether you found one that speaks to you or not, go out and check out more from these brands! You might just find your next daily companion.

best sport watches

Sports watches are almost certainly the most popular type of watch on the market today. The genre is typically applied to mechanical timepieces, but as a concept, it’s clear it finds its fulfillment in smartwatches. 

The new cutting edge of watch development, wearable electronics, has led to some absolutely stunning timepieces that do so much more than any mechanical watch ever could. 

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What they lack in tradition, they make up for in providing a daily companion on your wrist that can do anything from interface with your phone to take you off the grid into the depths of the Amazon rainforest. And that’s the beauty of a sports watch: it follows you anywhere, your faithful companion from day to day.

But for such an important companion and support throughout your day, your choice of watch becomes all the more important. Whether you’re looking for a Swiss brand and an elegant style or a beater watch that can accompany you on military expeditions, this list has something for everyone. All it takes is to find the one that speaks to you!

What to Look for in Sports Watches

First, let’s dive into some of the criteria you should be analyzing when you’re trying to determine what the best sports watch pick is for you. The two top criteria are design and functionality—in whichever order speaks to you first. 

If you’re wearing a sports watch, chances are high it’ll be making frequent appearances on your wrist, so it should be a style that you enjoy and appreciate and which works well with your clothes. 

Naturally, almost every sports smartwatch also comes with a different built-in suite of functional applications and sensors, so that, too, should be one of the top factors in selecting a watch tailored to your lifestyle.

Other factors are also worth considering. Depending on your worldview, you might be interested in choosing a carbon-neutral watch made from sustainable material. Or perhaps you’ve had a particular brand personally recommended to you by a friend or relative. Regardless of what’s motivating your decisions, there are many sides to this same coin, and it’s worth exploring all of them.

Top 10 Best Sports Watches

Now that you know what to look for, let’s get right into the breakdowns! This list is extremely diverse, with smart sports watches for all tastes and styles. There’s a variety of price ranges and features. Overall, I know there’s something for everyone here. Let’s get started!

Garmin Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar Edition Carbon Gray DLC Titanium with Black Band

Garmin Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar Edition Carbon Gray DLC Titanium with Black Band

The Fenix 7X Pro is an incredibly versatile watch and one of the best all-around picks on this list. For $1,000, it’s not cheap, but also not as expensive as a smartwatch of this quality could be. The case is incredibly versatile in wearability, thanks to its black profile and three available sizes (42, 47, and 51mm).

In terms of functionality, the Fenix 7X Pro is one of the best. The Sapphire Solar Edition refers to its solar charging ability, which is still rather rare even among advanced smartwatches. This means it can run up to a whopping 37 days in smartwatch mode on one charge if you keep it exposed to sunlight. 

It also has a suite of health and fitness features, such as heart rate and real-time stamina. Overall, it’s a rugged beast, tested to US military standards, that can follow you even off the grid for over a month straight.

Casio G-Shock Move DWH5600MB8A9

Casio G-Shock Move DWH5600MB8A9

It’s a mouthful of a name, and a mouthful of a watch. The DWH5600MB8A9 takes up practically an entire quarter of the line of text on your screen right now and will take up quite a large chunk of your wrist too at its 51.1mm x 44.5mm case size. It’s made of bio-based resin, meaning it wears light, can take a beating, and is eco-friendly.

As expected for its retail of $320, it’s not nearly as functional as the Garmin we just covered above, but it does feature some solid specs, like automatic power saving which makes the screen go blank when your watch is in the dark. 

It connects to your phone for easy time setting and has support for a wide variety of physical activities and health features, such as heart rate, sleep measurement, and blood oxygen. For a third of the price of the Garmin, you really could do a lot worse than this G-Shock.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Apple Watch Ultra 2

It’s not for nothing that the Apple Watch has swept markets worldwide, selling millions in the decade that it’s been out now. Its design is among the most iconic the watch world has ever seen, and the aptly named Ultra 2 is now the most advanced evolution of the Apple Watch

At $799, its price tag reflects that, but the watch lives up to the cost. In terms of design, you’re looking at a relatively large 49mm titanium case in either sandy beige or black: simple but elegant.

Tapping into the functionality side of things, its display is extremely advanced: an OLED screen with a high brightness of 3000 nits. It has all the health features you could hope for, like sleep tracking, ECG, heart rate, respiratory rate, and skin temperature sensing.

Unfortunately, the battery life is a lot more limited than some of its competitors at just 36 hours between charges. It won’t be following you on extended outdoors trips like some of the other sports watches on this list—which is fine for most of you but might not quite meet the needs of others.

COROS Pace Pro

COROS Pace Pro

The Pace Pro is the perfect mixture of stylish and unobtrusive. It’s offered in three color options (black, gray, and blue) and sports a 46mm case, which is a very middle-of-the-road size for smartwatches and should be a good wearable pick for almost anyone. In addition to the small size, it only weighs 37 grams, so you won’t even notice it on your wrist when you’re not using it.

Its battery life is a very considerable 20 days in smartwatch mode, which is stunning when you realize that it doesn’t use solar charging or anything else to stay topped off. You also get personalized workouts and training plans, and interfacing with lots of apps like Strava and Apple Health. All this for just $349!

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra

Step aside, Apple—Samsung’s contender for the smartwatch market is a great pick that certainly will allow some Android users to one-up their iPhone friends in a few ways. The Galaxy Watch Ultra has a slick cushion-case shape made of titanium, which means it can both take a beating and look good doing it. 

Plus, Samsung has introduced a fascinating system for switching out straps quickly, which honestly leaves me wondering why more watch companies don’t use this, it’s that easy.

In terms of functionality, the headline feature here is the addition of Galaxy AI to enhance all of the health readings that the various sensors will provide you and ultimately break them down into useful wellness insights. 

Most other smartwatches will use simpler computer algorithms to do the same, so the addition of AI provides a pretty serious edge over the competition. At a retail of $530, it also manages to edge out its Apple competitor in price. I’m not picking sides, I’m just saying…

Garmin Tactix 7 AMOLED Edition

Whether you’re in active service or just dream of living life like a tactical agent, the Tactix 7 is easily the right pick for you. It’s not a cheap watch, at $1,400, but the functionality of this watch is insane. 

You get up to 31 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, plus multi-band GPS and preloaded maps. Tack on to this all the best Garmin health features like heart rate, pulse oxygen, hydration, and energy level monitoring. Good mix, right? Now throw in an entire suite of purpose-built tactical features. 

We’re talking a kill switch to wipe data, compatibility with night vision goggles, stealth mode, jumpmaster mode, and even an Applied Ballistics software.

Pretty sure Garmin just dropped the mic on this one.

COROS Vertix 2S

COROS Vertix 2S

There are some of us who came to this article looking for something extreme. That, like yourself, pushes boundaries. To you, I humbly present the COROS Vertix 2S. It retails for $699 and comes in three colorways: “Earth” (blue), “Moon” (pale gray), and “Space” (black). It was purpose-built for adventuring: climbers, snow sporters, ultra-marathon runners, and mountaineers, this one’s for you.

COROS proudly declares that they’re the only brand with GPS algorithms designed for long climbs, and the watch easily swaps out to be placed on a carabiner if you’d rather have it off your wrist while scaling your latest summit. You also get a ton of key information for adventuring: nutrition alerts, sun movements, storm alerts, altitude mode, and safety alerts. 

The case is very large (50.3mm), so you get a big 1.4” display and oversized tactical buttons that are easy to press even with gloves on. In my opinion, it just barely gets the edge over its competition with a few of those key useful features, and for that reason it’s definitely worth your consideration.

Suunto Race All Black

Suunto Race All Black

Perhaps you’ve been scrolling through thus far and find yourself saying, “I’m really just looking for something standard.” Not too expensive, not too advanced. Just a nice wearable sports watch. I think the Suunto Race is just the right option for you. Its “All Black” color is a nice bright eye-catching yellow (kidding, it’ll fly very well under the radar). 

It really just gives you all the standard smartwatch features you could want at a retail of $449. Bright AMOLED screen, 26-day battery life (which is really good for its price!), 1.43” touch screen, digital crown for quickly scrolling through options on the screen, waterproof to 100m, 95+ different sports modes, phone pairing, and personalized training feedback.

It gives you all the smartwatch staples and then takes quite a few of them a step further, all at an entry-level price. It sure isn’t the Porsche 911 of the smartwatch world, but it just might be that cool-looking souped-up Honda Civic you keep seeing down the street.

Garmin Enduro 3

Garmin Enduro 3

Just as the Vertix 2S was made for extreme athletes of all kinds, the Enduro 3 is targeted specifically for extreme endurance athletes. To this end, Garmin packed in a whopping 36 days of battery life… not including the solar charging, which cranks it all the way up to a continuous 90 days of functionality in smartwatch mode. 

For all the ultra runners out there, you also get an LED flashlight for your trekking late at night, plus preloaded topographic maps to guide your path. For durability, Garmin crafted the bezel from titanium, and you get a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, too, so your off-the-beaten-path trails won’t end up with a beaten watch. 

At $899, its functionality doesn’t come cheap, but it’s one of the very best out there if you’re an adventurous type or just someone who just really dislikes charging their watch.

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 x Oracle Red Bull Racing Edition

TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 x Oracle Red Bull Racing Edition

What do you get when you cross Swiss watchmaking with a history in sports timing with one of the most renowned Formula One racing teams? This: the special edition TAG Heuer and Oracle Red Bull Racing team collaboration. 

It’s not nearly as functional as the others we’ve covered above, admittedly, but you get just enough built-in tools to make it a solid everyday wear with heart rate sensors and a suite of proprietary TAG Heuer sports applications. 

With this, you get more than enough cool racing design to make it a watch you don’t just strap on in the morning but one you feel racing thrills to wear.

I am, admittedly, a little disappointed after the cutting-edge tech of the above watches to see that this doesn’t have as much to offer, but you do still get enough functionality to make it advantageous to your overall health. But that’s not the point here: the star of the show is the Oracle Red Bull racing team, and practically every element of this watch exudes pride in the team. 

As not much of a racing fan myself, I struggle to connect with the team, but as a watch, it’s still more than cool enough to make it a really good pick, especially if you’re an Oracle Red Bull fan.

At a retail of $1,950, that Swiss brand name and design know-how sure doesn’t come cheap, but it all comes together to make a really solid watch for its price.

Conclusion

The world of sports watches is wide and wonderful, so this list was by no means exhaustive. But whether you’re a high-performing endurance athlete, a racing fan, or just looking for something to interface with your phone, there’s something for you here. I hope you enjoy your next new daily companion!

rolex cookie monster vs smurf

I grew up on Cookie Monster and the Smurfs, among various other fantastic cartoons. Do either of these watches live up to their legacy?

No. Nothing can ever match the pure joy I experienced as a child watching that blue monster gobble down an entire plate of cookies and then often the plate itself. That said… these are some pretty spectacular Rolexes.

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18K white gold, blue bezels, and Rolex’s finest movements beating away in their chests. The “Cookie Monster” and the “Smurf” are among Rolex’s best-ever offerings, enjoying massive popularity among those who can afford the sticker price. 

They represent refined, subdued luxury, and at first glance, they look like they’re made from humbler steel, thanks to the simple appearance of white gold. But to those in the know, they’re exceptional watches that demand appreciation. 

What sets the two models apart, and how could you pick one over the other? Let’s explore these two cartoon legends in-depth and dissect what factors could crown (wink) one over the other.

The Rolex “Smurf”

Rolex Smurf

The Rolex Submariner “Smurf” was first introduced in 2008. Rolex, being the snobby watchmaking house that they are, merely dubbed it “reference 116619LB,” but the fun-loving collector in all of us was quick to recognize the bright blue palette and identify it as rather Smurf-like in character. 

2008, we should note, was Rolex’s 100th anniversary as well as the 55th anniversary of the Submariner collection, so it was a big year for the Crown.

To celebrate, they released a trio of Submariners: the ref. 116618LB with a yellow gold case and blue dial and bezel, the ref. 116618LN in yellow gold with a black dial and bezel, and, of course, the Smurf.

Take a look at that gorgeous blue lacquer dial and bezel, easily the centerpiece of the watch. I absolutely adore the color combination of that bright blue over the more subdued whitish palette of the case—it’s a combo that features predominantly in the Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary, which is my first love in watchmaking. 

So, I’m certainly a little biased, but it just works so well for me. The blue lacquer is rich and smooth, with depth and shine, and the color-matched bezel is spot-on in matching hue.

Note as well the non-color matched date window, which pops against the monochromatic palette of the dial and is especially visible through Rolex’s cyclops lens. 

For an extra touch of luxury, Rolex added platinum plating to the numerals on the bezel instead of the more standard lume, thereby reducing utility for additional class.

The case is Rolex’s Submariner Super Case, constructed in this case entirely out of 18K white gold and featuring a brushed finish and prominent crown guards.

The Oyster bracelet flows seamlessly out of the lugs and features a finish that is so smurfing good with that contrast between mirrored center lugs and brushed edges. 

The hands, likewise, match perfectly with the case and bracelet in their color. Rolex has been making their own gold alloys since 2000, so their white gold is a little different from the industry standard.

It’s both more yellow and more gray, depending on how the light hits it, which enables it to stand out just a bit more from steel as well as introduce some subtle colors into the overall palette of the watch.

Due to its rather unique color, many have started referring to it as “gray gold” instead of white gold, signifying the originality of Rolex’s alloy.

Inside the Smurf is the caliber 3135, a great movement with automatic winding, 48 hours of power reserve, and hacking seconds. The caliber also enjoys Rolex’s “Superlative Chronometer” distinction, which means it is accurate to within +/- 2 seconds per day, a stunning level of precision.

It’s an incredibly durable and precise movement that, when safely ensconced within the Super Case, can weather any storm.

Additionally, there are also a few examples of the Smurf with factory diamond-set dials, where the lumed shape indices are swapped out for matching diamond cuts.

Naturally, in this case, the utility of the watch goes way down, but you add a significant level of elegance and—shall we say—bling that heightens the refined nature of the watch. These are pretty rare, but you can still find a few floating around the secondary market.

Wait—the secondary market? I hear you ask in despair. Yes, indeed, the Rolex Submariner Smurf was discontinued in 2020, to the eternal sorrow of little blue creatures all over the world.

At this time, Rolex upgraded their Submariner case to be 1 millimeter larger (41mm instead of 40mm, the Smurf size) and phased out the Smurf model to replace it with the Cookie Monster. I’ll give you a moment to weep in silence.

The Rolex “Cookie Monster”

Rolex Cookie Monster

The “Cookie Monster,” Rolex’s reference 126619LB, is in so many ways a carbon copy of the Smurf. You get the same case, just 1mm larger, and the same Oyster bracelet with an extending Glidelock clasp.

It’s still 18K white gold, and has the same lovely blue of the bezel with platinum plating on the bezel markings.

So where do the differences kick in? As I’m sure you can see from the pictures, the Cookie Monster has a rich black lacquer dial, creating a sharp contrast with the bezel and case that heightens legibility and, for some, the visual appeal of the watch.

The indices and dial text are identical to the Smurf, but the color definitely makes a serious difference in the overall presentation of the watch.

Additionally, the Cookie Monster features the new Rolex caliber 3235, an evolution of the 3135 in the Smurf. This new movement is objectively better.

It runs for around 70 hours, compared to the 48 of the Smurf, and also features Paraflex shock absorbers and Rolex’s Chronergy escapement. It’s just a better movement all around, a clear evolution of the 3135, and a factor that definitely sets the Cookie Monster a step above.

The Cookie Monster was introduced in 2020 and, unlike the Smurf, is still available from Rolex—although I’m sure you’ll still be faced with a waiting list time that will try your patience to the extreme unless you’re one of your local AD’s best customers. 

It retails for $46,600, setting it immediately at a much higher starting point than the Smurf (more on that later). Whether this is due to inflation, the price of gold, or just whatever the heck Rolex puts in their black lacquer, it’s hard to say, but the price stands as it is.

Battle of the Blue Monsters: How to Choose

So, which one do you pick? Team Smurf or Team Cookie Monster? The discontinued original blue icon or its modern successor? Let’s break down the many factors that should influence your choice.

The first and probably foremost thing you should consider is, of course, the color palette and design of each. Almost every factor in the construction of each watch’s exterior presentation has the same level of quality, so it comes down to whether the monochromatic blue of the Smurf or the contrast of Cookie Monster speaks to you more. 

Personally, I lean towards the Smurf blue-on-blue, which I think has enough contrast from the white gold case—but that said, the Cookie Monster is extra legible thanks to its improved contrast and plain black dial.

Additionally, you’ll want to think about the movements. As I said, the Cookie Monster has the caliber 3235, which is better than the 3135 in the Smurf in terms of power reserve and energy efficiency. This might not be a huge deal to you—thanks to the automatic winding, your watch will stay pretty wound if you wear it regularly. However, if you hate resetting your watch, and aren’t planning on wearing it every day, the Cookie Monster might be a better choice. 

Alternatively, you could put either one on a watch winder and achieve the same effect. Both have the same level of precision and performance, so the difference here does almost entirely come down to power reserve.

You’ll also want to think about the watch’s value and how you’re buying it. If you’re looking for an absolutely brand-new watch, you’d be better off with the Cookie Monster, which you can get directly from Rolex. There are some new-condition Smurfs still floating around out there, but you can never be totally sure of them unless you buy from a very reputable gray market dealer. 

Let’s also talk value quickly. The Smurf had an original retail price of around $39,650, and it’s currently trading hands at $33,167. Admittedly, this is significantly lower, and the watch has lost a lot of value over time, but I wouldn’t be concerned about that dropping further, as it’s held pretty steady over the past year. 

The Cookie Monster goes for $31,789 on the secondary market, which is significantly lower than its elevated retail and even lower than the Smurf, so if you’re looking for a cheaper used model, the Cookie Monster may be the way to go. Price is definitely a factor to consider, and I’d spend some time looking through available models and comparing them against fair retail and market prices, depending on their condition.

The last factor I want to touch on is the rare diamond dial available with the Rolex Smurf. If you’re really looking for something elegant and shiny, that diamond dial option provides a clear edge over the Cookie Monster and can be the deciding factor for you if you want some shine on your dial beyond what the lacquer provides.

In the end, the choice is up to you. (What, did you think I was going to give you an objective answer?) In my opinion, the clearest distinction that should inform your choice is the color palette and design of the watch. 

That’s the biggest and most visible difference between the two watches, and worth the majority of your thought. Second, consider the movement, and your needs from the watch’s power reserve and performance. Finally, consider the price and whether or not the price difference between the two should change your decision.

Conclusion

It’s not easy, dissecting the differences between two similar watches and trying to pick one over the other. And maybe you’re not here to pick at all but just to dive deeper into the world of watches. 

Whatever the reason, are you Team Smurf or Team Cookie Monster? Both are spectacular watches, and there’s a reason Rolex kept so much similar from the Smurf when they retired it and produced the Cookie Monster. You really can’t go wrong.

hublot replica vs original

Hublot Replica vs Real – How to Tell Them Apart!

Marcus Henry

May 2, 2025

Hublot is one of the best-known watch brands, thanks to their style of always pushing the boundaries of watchmaking and creating deeply polarizing pieces that shock and amaze even those who are well-grounded in the world of watchmaking.

Hublot’s first piece was released in 1980, when they paired—brace yourself, classical watch nerds—a gold watch with a rubber strap. This is barely enough to cause modern watchmaking fans to bat an eye, but at the time, it was revolutionary.

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People either hated it or adored it. Hublot continues to inspire the same reactions today, holding firm to their DNA as a brand.

For such a popular, expensive, and avant-garde brand like Hublot, it’s obvious that there are going to be fakes. And lots of them. You can find them plastered all over eBay, not to mention sites like AliExpress and Etsy.

They hook you in with shockingly low prices and present a watch that, on the surface level, looks just like a Hublot. Woe indeed to any fish who snaps at this bait. So how can you avoid the fakes and find a real Hublot that’s worth your money? Read on, and I’ll help you resolve this conundrum. 

The Telltale Signs of a Hublot Replica

Hublot watches

When you buy a Hublot, you’re spending all that money on quality. You could have gone and bought a cheap quartz watch at Walmart, but you went for a Hublot. The watch incarnates design and technical advancement.

When you splurge on a luxury watch, you’re buying quality, and so that’s exactly what you’ll look for when it comes to determining if a Hublot is real or not.

First of all, take a look at the price. There are very, very few sellers out there who are unaware of the real value of the watch they’re selling.

If you see a Hublot on the market for $200-300, you’ll almost certainly want to pass on it. Price reflects quality, and if a Hublot is selling for that cheap, it’s either a total fake or completely broken. The cheapest Hublot right now has a market value of over $3,000, so that sort of deal is too good to be true.

Of course, that’s for a new model—if it’s used, it can be a little cheaper, but you’ll need to use your judgment on what makes sense for a watch of its type.

A quick eBay search through current listings seems to show the very cheapest Hublots going for around $1,000 for vintage quartz models. Any less than that should be setting alarm bells off in your head. The price reflects the type of watch you’ll be getting.

If the price seems reasonable for the watch you’re getting, you’ll want to examine its quality. The price could of course be a total bluff by the seller, and you’ll want to make sure that your money is well-spent for its cost.

As a luxury brand, Hublot knows how to imbue their products with a pronounced sense of quality and class. One of the first marks of quality you can analyze at a glance are their characteristic H-shaped screws on the bezel. These should be very pronounced with deep cutaways for the parts that aren’t in the H.

They should be clean and perfectly executed, not marred or shallow. For example, both of the recessed areas of the H should be exactly equivalent in length, depth, and width. Furthermore, contrary to what you might expect, the screws should not be all aligned—that is to say, rotated to point the same direction.

Hublot does not ever arrange the screws in this way: they are all random, as an intentional design point to create an industrial appearance for the front of the watch, as if it was just screwed together. If they’re all perfectly aligned, the screws are probably fake and nonfunctional, so you’ll definitely want to keep an eye out for that.

Another key part of the quality of the watch to keep an eye on is text of all shapes and sizes. Brands often have a characteristic font that they use—in Hublot’s case, it’s a sans-serif font very similar to a font called Nexa Bold, if not identical.

Text that’s printed on the dial or elsewhere should be clean and with even spacing between letters (the technical term for this is kerning, for all you future typography nerds out there). Another key detail—Hublot often prints their logo on the inside of the crystal. When they do, there’s always a thin stroke outline around the text—often black for colored or white text, or white for black text.

If it’s missing this and is just straight white text, it’s probably a fake. Do note of course that this only applies to when the text is printed on the crystal rather than the dial, such as is often the case with their Big Bang collection.

Be sure to also look at the Hublot name engraving on the rotor and on the clasp—these engravings should be deep, clean, and pronounced, with the text in a font that very clearly matches the rest of the text on the dial and elsewhere.

Speaking of the clasp and rotor, there are a few more distinguishing features you’ll want to take a look at in these areas. Like I said, the clasp should have the engraved Hublot logo, but you’ll also want to note that this engraving should be framed by two more characteristic H screws on either side.

Swinging back (wink) to the rotor and movement, it’s not just the rotor that should bear the evidence of Hublot’s craftsmanship.

The movement should appear aesthetically pleasing and be engraved with the caliber number. You can easily look up this number to verify that the caliber number you see is actually used in that particular model of the watch.

Let’s touch briefly on the strap and crown, two more elements that are often overlooked for being small and so make for prime targets for identifying fake watches. The crown should be engraved with Hublot’s H logo or with the H shape of the screws.

Both of these should be executed perfectly and evenly. The strap is almost always integrated into the watch by two more H-shaped screws at the joint between it and the case. These should be just as clean and perfect as the others, and should be fully screwed into place to hold the strap.

The strap itself is usually rubber or an integrated bracelet, but Hublot does offer some examples with leather straps.

In these cases, take a look at the inside portion of the strap and where it connects to the clasp. This should actually be rubber, not leather, which is a bit of a calling card for Hublot as they are known for their usage of rubber in straps.

Another thing to take a look at is the watch’s serial number. Hublot watches bear a rather long serial number that should be 4 sequences of letters and numbers. You should be able to find this number on the caseback. If the number isn’t present, it’s probably a fake.

Next, look at the elements of the dial to see if they’re all executed in a pleasing manner. For example, take a look at the indices, which (if there are any) are almost always applied, meaning they’re 3D elements that Hublot machines separately and then sets into place.

Cheaper fakes will often print these on, which creates a flat and uninteresting appearance. The hands should be faceted, not totally flat, and are usually filled with lume, although this isn’t always the case.

If you’re in doubt about how your model “should” look, try looking up its reference number or scrolling through Hublot’s website until you find a similar one—you can easily compare your watch with what Hublot has online, and many of their watches even have a 3D viewer on the website so you can really get into how every detail should be.

For Hublot’s Big Bang pieces and their Classic Fusion Chronographs, there are pretty prominent pushers on the side of the case which play a role both in the aesthetic of the watch as well as a functional role. You can verify both of these things by examining the pushers and testing them out if you have the watch on hand.

Often, Hublot textures and engraves the surface of their pushers, which can create a really pleasing appearance.

If they’re totally flat and unengraved, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything (their Classic Fusion Chronographs, for example, aren’t textured), but it is something to look out for.

If you have the watch on-hand, try the pushers out to see if they actually trigger any functions. If they do nothing or do something other than start the chronograph, the watch is a fake.

Finally, if you have the watch in hand, one of the best tests of quality is the watch’s weight and feel. A well-built mechanical watch has hundreds of metal components that have gone into its construction, and you can feel a lovely sense of heft and wrist presence for most steel or precious metal timepieces.

If the watch feels cheap or light in your hand, it’s probably a fake, although it could be made from a lightweight material like titanium. You can feel the quality of a watch. It’s a product shaped from metal and produced with time and care.

If the light doesn’t glint off its surface just so, if it doesn’t feel smooth and cool in your hand, if the weight is off or it doesn’t make you aware of its presence on your wrist, then it’s probably a fake, or at least certainly not a watch worth buying.

Yes, some watches are lighter, and some more simple in finishing and design. But there is a very real and very tangible difference between a several thousand dollar luxury timepiece and a cheap fake or mass-produced watch. It’s a difference anyone can feel if you take the time to test it.

Are Hublot Replica Watches Worth it?

You should never intentionally buy a Hublot replica watch. Yes, I know—Hublot watches can be staggeringly expensive, and it feels like a good way to get that iconic look and brand name for cheap.

But ultimately, these watches are infringing on copyright and directly ripping off the design work of a large team of watchmakers at Hublot. In most cases, I don’t have too much of a problem with homage watches, which emulate the look of higher-end watches while adding their own brand name, not portraying it as the brand’s work.

A great example of a good homage watch is the Gevril Tribeca, which perfectly executed the look of vintage Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytonas. But replica watches are not just ripping off a design, but also selling it as if it was a real Hublot watch.

Putting the Hublot brand name on there is not only illegal, but morally dubious. If you’re determined to have the Hublot look for cheaper, homage watches can provide a legitimate and legal alternative without pretending to be what they’re not.

Replicas are undermining the quality and development of Hublot’s watches, which took an immense amount of thought and artisanal craftsmanship to produce. You should never knowingly buy a replica watch.

How to Avoid Getting a Hublot Replica Watch

Thankfully, there are many ways to avoid a Hublot replica. If you’re buying the watch new, stick to authorized retailers, such as Hublot itself (whether in-store or online), or other stores like the exquisite shop on whose blog you are now reading this article (we have over 260 Hublots available!).

These stores will guarantee that you receive an authentic timepiece, complete with its box and papers, without any fear or any need to use what we’ve just discussed about authenticating watches.

If, however, you’re looking at buying watches on stores like eBay, you’ll need to proceed with caution. Look for sellers who offer eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee, for example—they’ll send the watch after you order it to a third-party authenticator, who will verify that you’re receiving a real watch.

If this isn’t offered on a watch that’s caught your eye, you’ll need to proceed very cautiously. Use what we discussed above about analyzing the price and quality and, if anything feels suspicious, it’s best to play it safe and back off. 

Conclusion

Looking for your own Hublot watch can feel like a daunting and overwhelming task. Thankfully, there are ways of beating the scammers and staying one step ahead of those who are trying to sell you a fake watch. Whether you choose to order through Exquisite Timepieces or Hublot themselves or decide to brave the rough seas of eBay, I hope these guidelines will steer you a safe course.

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