ICE Watches Review | A Brand You Probably Forgot Existed
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We’re going on a journey. Back in time to 2010…ish; when life was simpler and I had much more hair.
Back then, I really wasn’t into wristwatches, but there was one brand that was frankly impossible to ignore. Stuck on the wrist of what felt like half the year group was an ice watch. Until that point, I had never heard of the brand before and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you have never heard of them either, as they’re a pretty small company. The reason I couldn’t ignore them is because they were these brightly-coloured gigantic monstrosities that dominated the wrist of the wearer; especially considering we were skinny teenagers.
Since then, they really fell off the map for me and I heard virtually nothing from them since. I found myself thinking about this brand the other week and I was wondering if they were still around. It turns out they are and they’ve actually gone through some changes. My question is are these any better now?
For some context, Ice Watches is a Belgian brand (the first I’ve covered on this blog), founded in 2006. As with most fashion watches they are designed where the company is based, but are fully constructed in China; utilising Japanese Miyota quartz movements.
WATCH PACKAGING
The packaging really ties into the brand name, with this transparent cube structure housing the watch, which either looks like a mini fridge or an ice cube – I can’t decide. Funnily enough their old packaging apparently got them successfully sued by Lego in 2012, as their stackable shape was apparently too much like a Lego brick.
This new box appears to be stackable too, using a different system, though I can’t test this as I only have one box. You can also use this as a money box once you remove the innards and rubber seal. While I guess it’s theoretically a good thing that the packaging can be repurposed, ultimately, I doubt more than a handful of people would ever keep hold of this as either a money box or watch storage solution. I have to mention, at first it was ridiculously tight to open and I almost smashed the plastic inner just to extract the watch; so, it’s not very practical.
While the packaging is amusing, it’s the watch that I was more interested in. Mainly because this looks so much different to the gharish giant toy-Rolex looking things I remember from a decade ago. If anything, there was more of a resemblance to something like a Swatch and you’ll soon see why.
SPECIFICATIONS
Let’s begin with the sizing and specs of this orange ‘Ice Duo’. Online these are listed as having a 40mm diameter, but to my callipers this comes in at exactly 39mm, with a depth of 9.7mm and a lug to lug of…well who knows?
Yeah, this watch has no lugs, as the strap is fully integrated into the construction. The majority of this watch is made of silicone, which surrounds a metallic centre. I’m going to be honest, I’m no plastic expert so it’s difficult for me to precisely judge the level of quality; though it is clearly better than the straps I’ve tried on some of the lower end Swatches. It also features a metal buckle and tang, which you don’t get on the former.
I can foresee this case getting grubby rather easily, especially the orange lower half of this model; but it will give you some shock resistance and case scratches don’t matter that much.
As is expected for below £100, you have a piece of mineral crystal in place here; though rather surprisingly this one is very mildly domed, which compliments the sporty curvature of the watch. This will give a small amount of scratch protection but is nothing particularly special.
ARE ICE WATCHES WATERPROOF?
What is more impressive is the solid water resistance. One of the reasons I opted for this model is because I spotted this spec on the listing. I think 10 ATM is a really good amount for this style of watch and it’ll allow you to go swimming with no issues.
Nevertheless, it’s also worth pointing out that you can grab resin Casio watches that boast this same water rating for under £20 on Amazon. I’m not sure the construction is quite on the same level, but this Ice watch is closer to £80. Is it really 4 times better? I guess you can decide.
DESIGN
The marketing and design are arguably why these are retailing for such a higher price, so how good looking is the watch?
Well, a bit like the Swatch, it’s too toy-like for my taste, with the bright colours and overly curved shape. This features a minimalist design, with no minute track and subtly recessed hour markers. While I doubt this watch is ever going to be worn for practical purposes, those hour markers may as well not exist, as they are totally illegible to the naked eye.
To counter that, at least the hands are bright, though no part of this dial features any luminescence, so you’ll have to rely on those bright coloured hands in low light. I probably prefer this logo to the larger one used on those old watches, though I have to say, the whole look is still very basic.
WATCH MOVEMENT
The movement is also poorly aligned, though the lack of a meaningful chapter ring somewhat neutralises the ugly appearance of the second hand; which does miss the hour markers. At the right flank is the tiny crown, which is very responsive, as long as you manage to grab hold of it that is.
On-wrist, the watch is certainly very comfortable; which is expected given the materials used here. I think it wears a bit larger than the 39mm size would indicate. Given the way the strap forms around the arm, it feels a lot like a 41mm piece instead, which is still a much better size than the huge watches I had come across before this post. It also feels a touch slimmer too, so it really doesn’t get in the way.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I’m struggling to understand what this watch is trying to be. Is this a sporty fitness watch? Is this a fashion watch? A kid’s watch? I’m not sure.
I’m left thinking that perhaps their target market is more likely to be buying smartwatches these days? As a fashion watch, I think there are many better options available for similar money or much less and outside of the water resistance, I’m not sure what you’re getting for your money. That being said, many of you told me I don’t understand Swatch, so maybe I’m the one at fault for doubting this one?
