Calgary watches are well-known for appearing in the classic promotions that some newspapers run on weekends, but do they really deserve your attention?
Often, these watches are offered as gifts or for a few euros, but beyond their eye-catching design, it’s unclear if they can offer any value for their low cost.
It’s evident that these are “Made in China” products, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad. However, we can already say that they don’t match up to the best Chinese watch brands available in the market.
In this article, we will try to gather all the available information about Calgary watches, considering the materials they are made of and their performance.
Índice de contenidos
✚ Calgary Watches: History and Origin
Little is known about the origin of Calgary watches, except that they have been given away or sold at a low cost with spanish newspapers like El Mundo, ABC, or Marca.
The brand lacks an official website or even a Facebook page, although there are several distributors still selling them in Spain.
Their origin most likely lies in one of the major watch production centers located in southern China and Hong Kong.
In any case, Calgary has been selling its watches in Spain since at least 2012 when they were promoted by El Mundo newspaper, so they have been in the market for a few years now.
✚ Are Calgary Watches Good?
To determine if Calgary watches offer any value or if they are good considering their price, it is necessary to carefully analyze each of their components separately.
➤ The Case
Most of the brand’s designs are made with an alloy case, usually made of copper and zinc, also known as brass.
This implies lower durability and resistance to wear since brass is not as sturdy as stainless steel.
Generally, they have a thin layer of PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) on the case, which can give them very striking metallic tones, even resembling steel. However, this tends to wear off with use.
➤ The Crystal
Calgary watches typically use mineral crystal for their dials, a hard material with greater scratch resistance than plexiglass but more difficult to polish.
While mineral crystal is an inexpensive and easily replaceable material in case of breakage, considering the price of these watches, it may be more worthwhile to buy a new watch altogether.
➤ The Strap
The brand uses rubber or NATO-style fabric straps in their designs, with the latter being a better option due to its resistance to wear.
Rubber or any other plastic material is not necessarily bad if it is of good quality, but in watches at this price level, it tends to age quickly and break easily.
➤ Mechanism and Operation
The initial models sold in 2012 were powered by Hattori PC21 movements, an economical quartz mechanism used in many watches.
Hattori is a subsidiary of Seiko, which guarantees good operation and reliability, even for a movement that costs a few euros.
So, in this regard, we can affirm that the brand offers value. Although they are low-quality items, at least they will tell the time correctly without stopping, which is essential in a watch.
It’s also worth noting that the PC21 movement is very simple and uncomplicated, despite the fact that the brand has some models that appear to have a chronograph.
This means that either they don’t have a chronograph, and in fact, in most of these designs, the sub-dials are painted on the dial, or they don’t use the mentioned Seiko movement.
Calgary has different watch models, and not all of them necessarily have the same movement, although considering their cost, it’s likely that they still use the PC21.
In conclusion, we are talking about watches with quite low quality, even for Chinese manufacturing. However, they do have a reliable movement.
✚ The Best Calgary Watches
The best Calgary watches are those that have the best selection of components. Taking into account what has been mentioned, the most desirable features are:
- Stainless steel case, although this is quite hard to find in this brand.
- Fabric strap, as it will likely be more durable than a plastic or rubber one.
- Mineral crystal, as it is harder to scratch and provides good dial visibility.
- Hattori movement, because even though it’s an inexpensive caliber, it is designed by Seiko, which adds an extra guarantee.
In any case, here we will show you a selection of the most popular models currently being sold, which can give you an idea of the best ones.
➤ Calgary Men’s Watches
These are primarily sports designs, although the brand also offers some elegant watches similar to Daniel Wellington, although they may not have the same quality.
➤ Calgary Women’s Watches
Women’s designs stand out for their minimalist and highly colorful styles, including the strap, which is often a NATO-style fabric in many models.
✚ Price and Reviews
Not many people are satisfied with this brand, which is understandable considering that these are watches practically given away with newspapers.
Most of the criticisms focus on highlighting a case that loses color with use, as well as fragile and easily breakable straps, especially in models with plastic bracelets.
On the other hand, many people agree that the sub-dials on models that have them are deceptive, as they are merely decorative elements painted on the dial.
In conclusion, it’s not worth spending money on this brand, especially considering the wide range of Chinese watches currently available with much better quality and similar prices.
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Last update of links and images on 2024-04-30.
