Primark Watch Review | What Makes An £8 Watch An £8 Watch?
Ok, so you know when you go into a fashion store and see those cheap watches hanging on the wall. What makes them so cheap? How do they compare to the more expensive watches you’d see online or in a high street jeweller?
To find out, I bought this £8 watch from UK retailer Primark. We’re going to dissect this watch to see what you’re actually paying for. This isn’t an attempt to ‘expose’ this brand or anything, more a showcase of what separates a super cheap watch from a better one.
Watch Packaging
Let’s start with the packaging, because this watch takes a minimalist approach to say the least. Yes, this watch is one you can buy off the shelf, so you don’t have to worry about damage during the delivery process. However, the watch is completely exposed to whatever else may get thrown its way.
It’s literally tied down by a couple of zip ties, to a piece of cardboard; there’s nothing actually covering the watch. As such, there’s nothing to stop this from getting scratched or split on your way home. Especially when it comes to straps, which are susceptible to easy damage, it’s not a good start.
Watch Strap
In fact, let’s crack this open and take a look at the strap. Most of these super cheap watches will have a plastic Polyurethane strap like this one. When you see the term PU leather, that’s what it means, it’s artificial leather.
It may sound similar to normal leather, however, just like cheap shoes, these straps will wear horribly over time and within a few months will be cracked and splitting apart. I’d say you’re honestly better will a full silicone strap, rather than one of these. You’ll also notice these bottom-of-the-barrel straps never have any of the quick release tabs and often cannot be removed from the watch whatsoever, though that isn’t the case with this one.
Design and Construction
Case construction is another area that costs are clearly cut on, to meet that low price point. There’s no information about this one, though it’s definitely some form of low-quality alloy. This is a far cry from the stainless steel used in most watches and will sustain damage and scratches rather easily; it will also tend to corrode when exposed to water.
The overall shape and styling are actually better than I expected for the price. This design is clearly a Daniel Wellington clone, with every aspect of it looking exactly the same. The case-back is snap on, resulting in poor water resistance.
The dial itself is just a bog standard minimalist DW clone. It actually doesn’t look as bad as you’d think though it’s hardly a difficult look to replicate. I did notice the hour markers are applied, albeit very flat indeed.
The hands on this watch are super basic squared off ones. Given the similarly short length and width, you may struggle to identify each at a glance. One funny thing about this watch is the logo. Reminds me of another cheap fashion brand. This watch features no named branding on any part of the watch or packaging.
Protecting the dial is just a piece of transparent plastic, did you really expect more for this price? This will basically provide no protection when compared to even the basic mineral glass. If you catch this on a door-handle, your watch is damaged.
Movement
Powering the watch is just a cheap, generic Chinese quartz movement. This is what you’ll normally find in watches under the £30 mark. These are created en-masse for the lowest possible price. These will still be more accurate than most mechanical watches, though tend to be slightly less accurate than better constructed quartz movements. The main issues with these are the sound and the consistency. Normally, these are really loud and they often miss the second markers; which I guess isn’t a practical issue, more of an annoying one.
These bottom tier watches are made in the far east, due to the low labour costs. It’s difficult to pinpoint the amount of care that goes into these, however, from the retail price, it’s easy to assume these are made by the lowest of skilled workers.
Should I Buy a Cheap Watch?
Personally, unless it was for fancy dress or something, I wouldn’t bother. My outlook with these is the same as with other fast fashion items. Just because something has a low retail price, it doesn’t automatically make it good value for money. You’ve got to consider how often you’d be wearing it. I think with these sub-£10 fashion watches, they feel so bad that you never really want to wear them. This makes them a bit too disposable in my eyes and we really don’t need to be buying junk like this anymore.
Even if you spend just a little bit more, say around £50, you can get a watch with significantly better materials and build quality, from a selection of brands. If you take that step up, you get a piece that will last you a lot longer and will look a lot better; meaning you’ll probably want to wear it more often too.
That’s what makes an £8 watch an £8 watch.
