Smael Watches - Are They Just Junk?
Anything that costs under twenty bucks but calls itself a watch has to be junk right?
Well, since the Chinese entered the watch making industry in force, that is not necessarily the case. They have made brands like Skmei and other low cost brands that compete with some of the best in the world in producing affordable, durable and functional watches.
But, I am not here to review all the watch brands on the market, I am looking to write a Smael watch review to see how they stack up and the kinds of watches they produce.
Are Smael any good? Will their watches last more than a month, or a year even? And do they even work when you take them out of the box? Or, do you need your own watch repair kit to look after them?
Let’s take a closer look…
Any Smael Any Good?
To figure out if these watches are any good, I did a survey of all the Amazon reviews to see in general:
- What complaints people had
- If there were defects (not working when delivered etc)
- If it was easy to use
Because this is a very cheap watch, I would be amazed if there were not any problems. The only question is how many and whether you can live with them.
Looking at the most popular (most reviewed) watch on Amazon with over 430 reviews, the biggest problems were as follows:
- Small amount of defects early in the life of the watch
- Some functions hard to figure out from the instructions
- The watch was very large overall (which might be fine for you – I have small wrists, so not great for me)
However, the overall review was 4.3 out of 5 with most people being very happy and understanding that this is not a Rolex, but a watch costing under 20 bucks.
In general, people seem to say:
- They work as expected
- They last a long time
- They look very cool and sporty
Sure, they are not perfect by any means. But, you are getting what you pay for and way more. If you consider some of the reviewers said they were as good as a Casio G-Shock, which costs significantly more, then it’s a great buy. You can more or less buy one – hate it, then still buy a G-shock and not really notice the money you lost. They are that cheap.
What Do You Get For Your Money?
In general you get a reasonable amount for your money with Smael:
- Chinese made Quartz movement
- Hard scratch resistant mineral glass
- 50 (165ft) meters waterproof – so no diving but should be ok to swim with
- Stainless steel and PU plastic case
- Silicon band
- Nice backlight for night reading
- In most models: Dual Timezone, Calendar Day and Date, Alarm, Water Resistant, LED Display, Back Light, Shock Resistant, Stop Watch.
So, when you think that most models go for between ten and twenty dollars, this is pretty crazy. Sure, some people might expect the sun and the earth for nothing, but you will get a decent, functioning watch that should last you a while.
Here are a few of the models they produce:
Outdoor Waterproof Military Watch
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This shock-proof, waterproof outdoor Smael military watch has all the functions you could possibly want on a basic digital watch. With a stopwatch, alarm, day/date and 24 hour time. It also has the analog display for those that want both. The strong steel and PU plastic case with the rubber strap are also perfect for outdoor use. See which one you like the most on Amazon via the button below.
Men's Dual Time Sports Watch
Another very similar watch to the outdoor watch above is this dual time sports watch.
It has most of the same specs and functions with a 24 hour time available, calendar, day/date and also dual time, so you can keep track of two time zones
The reminders of the time differences on the dial are also helpful if you know the airport and city codes around the world.
Men's Military S-Shock Watch
Following the lead of the G-Shock from Casio this “S-Shock” version of the Smael military watch is a decent buy as well. It has a few more fucntions the sports lover might enjoy like: Daily Alarm, Lap Timer, Second Stopwatch, Auto Calendar, and Pedometer. It of course has a backlight and automatic calendar which is handy if you hate resetting after a 30 day month instead of a 31 day.
All in all these are great watches for the price, but of course, they won’t be winning a watch of the year award. Keep your expectations in check and realise that you are getting decent watch for the money, but it’s a Chinese “no name” kind of watch. Then I am sure you will be more than happy with the results.
