I'm looking at buying the Stop2Go watch, it has a very unique mechanism but also quite expensive, especially considering that it's a quartz movement. Additionally, it's very thick at 12mm and I have thin wrists (don't want it to look like handcuffs). Has anyone else had experiences with a Mondaine watch? I don't know if it's just a novelty item or if it's a reputable brand that makes good watches.
Are Mondaine Watches Any Good?
Could Be Better on 08/10/2020 - 11:57
Comments
No idea why you were downvoted. It was a valid pun
What about playing with a small swiss clock in your hand
Is it one of those ones where you give it a shake to get it going?
Mondaine is a decent brand, the first watch I purchased for myself was a Mondaine Helvetica No1 Regular with a black dial about 5 years ago. It's really stood the test of time, I have gotten complimented on it a few times. 12mm isn't thick for a watch, it's actually thin-average for a men's watches, probably on the thick side of a woman's watch, but thickness and case diameter are something that depends on your preference/wrist size.
I would say its a reputable brand, it's not as common as other brands. I would definitely buy one over a Daniel Wellington or <enter DW ripoffs>
As a bit of a watch fan, i would honestly say that watch looks far too simple and plain for the money they want for it!
If you want something a bit unusual (not sure if it's good brand, but they're hand-winding mechanisms, and they're cheap + vintage) go on ebay and get a Favre Leuba Geneve or similar (search with worldwide search On). There's a million colours, they're pretty slimline and sleek.
If you can get one cheap, Georg Jensen Koppel is pretty elegant looking and works for slim wrists. Again, i don't think anyone would necessarily call Georg Jensen a high-end timepiece but the design is excellent, they are silversmiths/jewelers after all.
If it doesn't tick the right boxes then perhaps look elsewhere:
- Sizing to your wrist
- Quality of the case
- Styling and brand
- Movement if you care about it
- Pricing/valueSince you're concerned that the sizing is too big for your own wrists and the price for what it is (is the Stop2Go quartz movement a must have function or is it just a little trick you find interesting?) I reckon look elsewhere since it doesn't tick off all the boxes.
Its simple but it's good. If you think the simplicity of its design is for you, then you'll like it. Build quality is decent
The watches are viewed by some as being simplistically stylish.
"The Swiss railway watch has been part of museum exhibits in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and London’s Design Museum in London as an outstanding example of 20th-century design."
Interestingly, Apple agreed that it did copy the SSB’s trademarked watch face. Apple paid SSB $21 million to licence the design.
Not sure if it is still the case, but a lot of museums and art galleries in Europe would allow Mondaine wearers in for free.
Thanks everyone, I do like the simple design but I don't think it would fit in in a very formal setting. Plus, it was quite thick and I couldn't get the combination I wanted - sapphire glass, automatic, date, illumination. There were only options for sapphire/quartz/no date/illumination (Stop2Go) and mineral/automatic/date/no illumination (Classic Automatic). Plus, the price was quite steep for what it was (more than $1000 for Automatic, $650 on eBay for Stop2Go which was a good deal I think).
I ended up going with Tissot Powermatic 80 Silicium - it has a very accurate automatic movement with sapphire glass and date display with good luminescence and power reserve (80 hours). I did have to sacrifice some smoothness of the second hand (Mondaine automatic is very smooth, at least for its price) but I think it is worth it for the extra power reserve. The design also fits in with a more formal setting, which will be important for me (I like it formal enough for some events, but not too formal/casual). I also heard very good things online about this watch as well, plus it was only released late last year (compared to Stop2Go - 2013 and Mondaine Classic Automatic - 2012). The price was not too expensive at $760 (ended up buying from US based retailer, Myer and Tissot Australia prices are quite ridiculous).Thanks again for sharing all your experiences. Really helped a lot in narrowing down my decisions.
Yes. I had to have one after catching a train in Switzerland.
Only if you like the style. I'm not a huge fan of the rail clock aesthetic. I also think these are cheap watches. Say sub $300.
The dealers want you to think they are expensive as they are 'swiss' but every mondaine I looked at has the build quality of a cheap Seiko.
They are a bit mondaine…