Henry Jay Watches Review – One Product, But a Good Value

Henry Jay Watches Review

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henry jay watches automatic aquamasterIf you haven’t heard of Henry Jay watches, you’re likely not alone.  The company has somewhat of a low profile, and even if you visit their Website, you aren’t going to find out a whole lot about the company.  Their About Us page doesn’t tell you where they are located, and even their user manual doesn’t say anything about who they are.

Their site does say that:

Henry Jay is an extraordinary company which has revolutionized watchmaking since its creation. But what really sets Henry Jay apart is the exceptional quality of its Aquamaster dive watches, of which we as a company are immensely proud. Reliable and robust, these objects are a joy to own and wear, and they form part of our everyday lives.

That’s pretty much it, but their Aquamaster series of watches do appear to be highly regarded.  Let’s take a look at them and see what you’ll get for your money.

Read on for the full Henry Jay watches review.

Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary

Henry Jay Watches Build Quality

The build quality is good, though perhaps not exceptional.  Cases are made from stainless steel; some models are gold plated.   The watch face is protected by strong mineral crystal, though some models feature sapphire crystal, which is more scratch resistant.

Water resistance on some models is rated at 100 meters, and on their automatic model, the water resistance is 200 meters.  Their watches feature a screw-down crown as well as a screw-down case back.

Movements

While the Aquamaster is basically the only timepiece you’ll find, there are several different versions.  The less expensive models are powered by quartz movements sourced from Citizen Miyota in Japan.  Miyota is a company that makes watch movements exclusively; they do not manufacture watches.   Miyota movements are generally regarded as being of high quality and offering a good level of quality for the money.

The more expensive version of the Aquamaster has an automatic mechanical movement sourced from Switzerland.  We couldn’t determine who makes those movements, though they’re likely from either Ronda or ETA.

Click here to shop for Henry Jay watches at Amazon.

Innovation

These watches are fairly new and the company essentially makes one product – a diving watch called the Aquamaster.  As such, they really don’t have much of a history of any kind, and it would be a stretch to say that they are innovators.  We’ll give them some time to come up with more models to see what they can come up with.  For now, they make an attractive diving watch with common diving watch features, and that’s it.

Styling and Features

henry jay watches specialty aquamasterThese watches don’t offer much in the way of styling.  They make a diving watch called the Aquamaster that is available in several different versions.  The most common version has a dark blue face and a dark blue bezel.  The less common “specialty” version has a red bezel and a light blue face.  Both versions are available with a date complication.

The only other differences in the models is that the less expensive versions have a Japanese quartz movement and mineral crystal and the more expensive versions of the watch have a Swiss automatic mechanical movement and sapphire crystal.

Care and Maintenance

Care and maintenance should be fairly straightforward.  If you have a quartz model, you will need to replace the battery every 2-3 years.  You should also keep your watch away from strong magnetic fields.  If you have the mechanical version, you should have your watch examined every 3-5 years to ensure that it’s still working properly and that no parts have become worn.

All dive watches should also be examined by a jeweler every few years to ensure that the watertight seals on the crown and case back are intact.

With proper care, your watch should run well for years to come.

Henry Jay Watches Warranty

If there’s a place where Henry Jay watches are definitely not as good as the competition, it’s the warranty.  Their watches are warranted against defects in materials and craftsmanship for one year from the date of purchase.  Most watches we’ve reviewed come with a two year warranty, so in this regard, this warranty is a bit under the average.

We have also heard from at least one customer that the company doesn’t respond to email queries regarding warranty issues.  You may wish to take that into consideration when making a purchase.

Prices

The watches are fairly priced, and you’ll basically find them in three different ranges.  You can buy the basic Aquamaster with the dark blue face and the quartz movement for $100 or so, give or take.  The “Specialty” version costs about twice that.  We haven’t seen a lot of the automatic mechanical versions of the Aquamaster for sale, but the ones we’ve seen were priced in the $600-$700 range.

Reviews are quite good, and people seem to think that these watches are of good quality and that Henry Jay watches compare nicely with similar models from Invicta.  As a rule, most buyers of Henry Jay watches say that they’ve gotten a good value for their money.

Where to Buy

henry jay watches aquamaster quartzMost designer sports watches are available for sale in brick and mortar stores.  We’re not aware of any brick and mortar stores that sell Henry Jay watches; the only places we’ve seen them for sale are at online retailers.  That said, there are a number of places online where you can find them, and prices are pretty competitive regardless of where you buy.

Henry Jay Watches Summary

If you like the look of dive watches, but you are not in a position to buy a Rolex Submariner or you just don’t want to spend that kind of money, this brand offers a good alternative in the form of their Aquamaster.

The watch is well built, offering good water resistance, a screw-down crown and a screw-down case back.  Movements are reliable Japanese quartz or Swiss mechanical.  Cases and bracelets are stainless steel.  And the prices of Henry Jay watches are quite reasonable, and buyers of the brand seem to be quite happy with their purchases.

 

Click here to shop for Henry Jay watches at Amazon.