Whimsical Watches – Color and Variety
Sometimes, the designer watch industry is guilty of taking itself too seriously. Yes, watches can be fine pieces of art as well as something that tests the limits of engineering prowess. Sometimes, however, watches are just meant to be fun fashion accessories. That’s the approach taken by Whimsical watches, which produce a seemingly endless assortment of decorative watches in bright colors.
The hundreds of models in the Whimsical watches product line include timepieces for children, hobbyists, and professionals, each with unique and colorful artwork that coordinates well with the theme of the timepiece. The brand is fun and affordable and a nice change for anyone who just wants a casual watch that displays the time.
Read on for the full Whimsical watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Whimsical Watches Build Quality
As designer watches go, the build quality is fairly modest. To celebrate the Atlanta, Georgia-based company’s 25th anniversary, they’ve made some improvements to the product line. The brand now offers stainless steel cases, mineral crystal and Italian leather straps. Water resistance is modest, as these watches are not really intended to be exposed to water. On the other hand, the price point is also quite modest, so in this case, you get what you pay for.
Despite the relatively low price point, they do use Japanese quartz electronic movements in their timepieces, rather than using the less expensive Chinese movements. All models are quartz, though displays are all analog.
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Innovation, at least in terms of function, is not something you’d expect here and you’re not going to find any. There are no complications; all models are time-only devices. Innovation isn’t what they’re all about; these watches are all about the artwork displayed on the watch face. Technical innovation just isn’t in the cards for the brand and their customers likely aren’t even looking for it.
The styling of Whimsical watches is a bit contradictory. Essentially, all of the watches are the same – a large face with a small inset timekeeping dial. The large face and small dial leave room for the artwork that distinguishes each of the models from one another. Options are limited to colors, large or small cases, and personalized engraving, if desired.
After that, however, there are hundreds of models in the product line that cater to those in various professions, such as doctors, lawyers, bankers, or accountants. Hobby themes include such things as quilting and scrapbooking, or movies. There are watches for people with religious interests, political interests, sports interests and more. They can produce custom timepieces with photos of your choice, effectively making the number of models available limitless. All are quite colorful, and are the sort of timepieces that will likely bring up a lot of conversation. Whimsical watches are the very epitome of the word that inspired the name.
The care and maintenance should be relatively minimal. You need to have the battery replaced every two years or so and keep your watches away from strong magnetic fields, extremes of temperature, or water, as the water resistance is minimal. You should store your Whimsical watches in a cool, dry place. With proper care, you should get a few years of use out of your purchase.
The warranty offered with the purchase is somewhat less than average. The brand is warranted against defects in materials and craftsmanship for one year from the date of purchase. Most companies offer a two year warranty, so we rate this one as below average. In all likelihood, any defects should become apparent relatively quickly.
The pricing makes the brand one of the most affordable in the industry. Suggested list price for most models does not exceed $99 and many models are available for significantly lower prices. These are budget watches, designed for casual daily wear, and at the price point offered, you should be able to buy two or three to wear with different outfits or on various special occasions, such as birthdays or holidays.
You can find the brand for sale at a number of brick and mortar retailers, which are likely to be department stores. You’ll also find them for sale at a number of Internet retailers, and they’ll offer your best chance to buy them at a discount. In fact, we’ve seen them discounted as much as 75% at some online retailers.
Collector interest in the brand is essentially zero, so don’t expect your purchase to appreciate in value anytime soon. They’re fun, colorful timepieces designed for casual daily wear and no one is going to confuse them with a luxury timepiece such as a Rolex. They are what they are, and that’s fine with them and with most of their customers. Given that you can often buy them for less than $30, they’re a great value.
Whimsical Watches Summary
Clearly, this brand is not going to be for everyone’s taste. If you consider yourself to be a serious collector of timepieces, you’re not too likely to be interested in the brand. They lack mechanical movements, they don’t have any complications, and gold and diamonds aren’t to be found anywhere in the product line.
Water resistance is modest, so you don’t want to get them anywhere near water. On the other hand, they’re made with stainless steel cases and offer Italian leather straps. They’re fun, they’re colorful, and they offer a seemingly limitless variety of colors and styles, so there’s likely something in the Whimsical watches product line to suit anyone’s style. The pricing makes them among the most affordable watches on the market, and they fall within just about everyone’s budget.
There’s a lot to like about Whimsical watches and if you like fun, casual timepieces, they’ll likely find a place in your wardrobe.