Lacoste Watches – Fun and Affordable
If you live in the United States, the name Lacoste might evoke memories of the alligator polo shirts that everyone was wearing in the 1970s and 1980s. The company has been around since the 1930s, however, and they offer a wide variety of clothing and accessories.
Lacoste watches fit nicely into the company’s product line, offering a nice variety of styles at an attractive price point. They’re not going to make you forget about Rolex or U-Boat, but they’ve found a nice niche among those who enjoy watches as a fashion accessory, rather than a must-have luxury item.
If you’re fashion conscious, there’s a place for Lacoste watches in your wardrobe, as their styling is fun and eye catching, with lots of splashes of color.
Read on for the full Lacoste watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Lacoste Watches Build Quality
The build quality is adequate; they use stainless steel cases, steel, leather and silicone bands, and mineral crystal. Water resistance is modest; most of the product line features water resistance in the 30 meter to 50 meter range. These aren’t sports watches, so don’t buy one thinking you’re going to wear it while diving or surfing. They’re more for wearing out for dinner or drinks after you’re done with the sports for the day. On the whole, they are built well enough for their price point.
You’ll find that the movements are entirely quartz. We’re not sure where they’re sourced from; they could be Japanese, Swiss or Chinese. There’s no indication of the source of the movements on the company’s Website.
At the moment, they don’t offer anything with a mechanical movement, but then again, at their price point, that’s not really surprising. On the plus side, there’s little maintenance involved with a quartz movement, aside from replacing the battery, and quartz movements are highly accurate and reliable, so you’re going to get a timepiece that does its job well.
There’s not much technical innovation to be found; they’re primarily a fashion company, and their watches are fashion accessories. As such, they’re using tried-and-true technology and simply putting it into an attractive case. That said, Lacoste watches are part of the Movado Group, so they come from a longtime reputable manufacturer.
You’re not going to find complications, phases of the moon, or certified chronometers in their product line. Of course, you’re not likely to be shopping for this brand if you’re looking for cutting-edge technology, anyway.
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The current product line includes some two dozen models for men and about fifteen models for women. Styling could be described as fun and colorful, with a few traditional-looking models and others that feature bright colors, fake gemstones, and of course, that ubiquitous crocodile.
A couple of models include chronograph features, but most of them lack any complications. While you could wear a few of these models for formal occasions, most of their product line seems best suited for casual and daily business wear.
Displays are all analog, and bands are available in gold and silver-toned stainless steel, silicone rubber, and leather. On the other hand, few companies make watches with bold colors, such as reds, blues and greens, so if you’re looking for something that will attract attention, this could be a good choice for you.
The beauty of timepieces with quartz movements is that they don’t require a lot of maintenance. That’s the good thing; they’re all quartz, so aside from replacing the battery every 2-3 years, you won’t have to deal with any serious maintenance issues.
You’ll want to store your watch in a cool, dry place and keep it away from extremes of temperature and strong magnetic fields. If you find yourself in or around salt water, you should rinse your watch carefully afterwards with tap water and then carefully dry it. That’s about it; after that, it should run well for years to come.
The Lacoste watches warranty is the industry average; the company warrants their products for two years from the date of purchase against defects in materials and craftsmanship. These are tested at the factory prior to shipping, so chances are that you won’t find many defects.
Perhaps the best thing about these models, aside from the fun styling, is the prices. They’re quite affordable, with list prices ranging from about $125 to $295 for both men’s and women’s models.
We’ve seen them discounted quite a bit online; we’ve actually seen a few models at retail for about $75 or so. At that price, you can afford to pick up several of them, and you’ll have a watch that looks good with a number of different outfits in your wardrobe.
There’s little collector interest, so don’t expect your purchase to appreciate in value or become a collector’s item. Just appreciate the fact that you got a nice watch at a good price.
You can find the brand for sale at a number of department stores as well as any store that’s likely to carry the company’s clothing line and other fashion accessories. It’s possible that you’ll find them at jewelry stores, but as they’re more fashion watches than jewelry, you’d be better off looking at department stores.
You can also find these watches at a number of online sites. While the company’s product line isn’t large, models frequently come and go. so it’s possible that you’ll find models online that are no longer currently available.
Lacoste Watches Summary
If you like fun, sassy styling that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you’ll love Lacoste watches. In addition, they offer unbeatable pricing and their wristwatches are so affordable that you’ll be tempted to buy more than one. They offer a variety of models for both men and women and they’ve got some designs that will definitely draw attention.
They’re not exactly the ideal watches to wear in the boardroom, but for everyday wear or a fun date, they’re perfect. The build quality is adequate, the pricing is great and the warranty is good enough to keep you protected. All in all, Lacoste watches make a good buy.