Memorigin Watches Review
When one thinks of a watch with a tourbillon, one usually thinks of Swiss brands. The device, which was first designed some 200 years ago, was created to help offset the effects of gravity on mechanical timekeeping. Pocket watches that had a tendency to sit in one position for long periods of time tended to keep time less accurately than those that moved about regularly, so watchmakers created the tourbillon to compensate.
Watches with a tourbillon are rare and expensive, but Memorigin watches all feature a tourbillon. Not only that, but the watches are not Swiss in origin. In fact, they are made in China.
We know what you’re thinking – if they’re made in China, they can’t be good. Actually, these watches are quite good; the fact that they’re made in China simply helps ensure that they are affordable.
Company founder William Shum was educated in the United States, and wanted to create a watch brand that showed off the technology that made Swiss watches famous while incorporating Eastern-inspired designs. The results are fascinating, high-quality watches with interesting, if sometimes outrageous, styling.
Read on for the full Memorigin watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Memorigin Watches Build Quality
The build quality is exceptional, as you would expect from a premium brand. Cases are mostly high-quality stainless steel, though they do make a few in gold. Watch faces and case backs are protected by rock-hard sapphire crystal, which is much more resistant to scratches than traditional glass.
Water resistnce is good, but not world-class; most models are rated for 50 meters of water resistance, which means that you could shower or swim while wearing one.
Movements used are Chinese-manufactured mechanical movements. Models are sold with both manually wound and automatic movements, so it’s just a matter of personal taste.
Click here to shop for Memorigin watches at Amazon.
There’s innovation in both the mechanics and the styling. All of their watches feature a tourbillon, which is rather unusual for any watch company. Chinese watch collectors and buyers have long been fascinated by the device, which puts the escapement and the balance wheel of the movement inside a cage that rotates every 60 seconds. By keeping these parts moving, they are though to offset the effects of gravity.
It has never been conclusively demonstrated that a tourbillon makes a watch more accurate, but over time, mechanical watches in general have become more accurate, and the tourbillon is largely regarded as a bit of a status symbol, as it takes a lot of craftsmanship to make one, and watch collectors like them.
Of course, there’s no point in having a tourbillon if you can’t see it, so Memorigin watches all feature a visible tourbillon through a small opening in the face of the watch, usually at the 6 o’clock position.
You’ll also find innovation through their cutting edge styling, which we’ll get to in a moment.
These watches are all about styling, and they tend to run in two groups – traditional styling, and limited edition, licensed themes. Models with more traditional styling may include complications such as a reserve power indicator or a day/date complication, all in a gold case with a leather strap that would look great at the office or a boardroom. These are elegant, attractive timepieces that anyone would be pleased to show off.
At the other extreme are the limited edition models with licensed themes that tend to push the extremes of design. Licensed themes include Star Wars and Marvel Comics characters such as Iron Man. There is also a Transformers series.
The Butterfly Rose series features designs for women, using pastel colors, rose gold cases, and lots of diamonds. One model boasts 607 diamonds totaling 3.5 carats….and a tourbillon, of course.
A licensed series called the Jackson Series includes designs by singer Jermaine Jackson. These designs, as you might expect, are a bit “out there” and would attract attention from anyone. Who, after all, would expect to see a watch with either Iron Man or R2D2 that had a tourbillon?
The care and maintenance of Memorigin watches is a bit more complex than with most watches today, which tend to have quartz movements. These are high quality, highly complicated mechanical movements. As such, you’ll find that your watch needs occasional maintenance. Every 3-5 years, you should have your watch examined by a qualified service representative to ensure that parts are not exhibiting unusual wear and to make sure that the movement is clean and working properly.
As with all watches, you should keep your watch away from strong magnetic fields and away from extremes of temperature, as these can damage the movement. With proper care, your watch should run well and look great for decades to come.
The company offers a better than average warranty, protecting you against defects in materials and craftsmanship for 3 years from the date of purchase. As the industry standard is two years, even for luxury brands such as Rolex, we’d rate the warranty as exceptional. As these watches are well tested at the factory before shipping, we suspect that defects are quite rare.
As Memorigin watches all include a tourbillon, a highly complicated mechanism, they’re going to be somewhat pricey compared to other luxury watch brands. On the other hand, many Swiss models featuring a tourbillon are priced in the six figure range. Compared to those, this brand is reasonably priced.
Prices start at about $4000 and go up to a high of about $40,000, depending on features. A lower end model will be all stainless steel, for example, and higher end models are more likely to include gold cases and diamonds.
When compared with Swiss models with similar build quality and features, you’ll find that they quite reasonably priced.
You can find Memorigin watches for sale both online and offline in brick and mortar stores. Many large online retailers carry them, and you can also buy them at the official Website. As many models in the product line are limited editions, you may find that not all retailers keep all models in stock.
On the other hand, the company is introducing new models all the time, so look out for new releases.
Memorigin Watches Summary
If you like complications in general and tourbillons in particular, you’ll love this brand. They offer a mixture of traditional styling and outrageous, colorful designs, so there’s something for everyone. They feature high-quality mechanical movements, good water resistance, and pricing that’s hard to beat for a watch with a tourbillon.
While Memorigin watches aren’t going to suit everyone’s styling or budget, we think most buyers will find a lot to like with this up-and-coming brand.