TW Steel Watches Review – Rugged, Reliable, and Oversized

TW Steel watches – Rugged and Oversized

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TW Steel watches - men's grandeur diver chronograph blackIt’s quite possible that you’ve never heard of TW Steel watches, as the company isn’t all that old.  Furthermore, unlike most of the big names in designer and luxury timepieces, they aren’t located in either Switzerland or Japan, but rather in the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, in less than a decade TW Steel watches have become quite popular by exploiting a market niche – the demand for oversized wristwatches.  There was a time when a watch such as the Rolex Air King, with a 34 mm case, was regarded as a “big watch.”  Not anymore.  These watches start at 37 mm and work up to a whopping 53 mm.  If you like them big, bold, and obvious, you might want to give this up-and-coming brand a look.

TW Steel watches are unusual in that they’re made by a Dutch company.  That’s odd for the wristwatch industry.

Read on for the full TW Steel watches review.


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

TW Steel Watches Build Quality

You’ll find that the build quality is good.  They use tough stainless steel for their cases, though some are plated with other materials.  Glass is mineral crystal, which is adequate, though not the toughest material out there.  Water resistance varies by model, of course, but they do offer models that are water resistant at up to 200 meters for those who like to spend time in or near the water.  These are well-made timepieces that should last for years with proper care.

Movements

Until recently, all of the company’s watches used highly reliable quartz electronic movements, sourced from either Citizen in Japan or Ronda in Switzerland.  Recently, however, TW Steel watches have been available with automatic movements, made by Miyota, a subsidiary of Citizen in Japan.

These are limited edition models and at the present time, the company only offers about a dozen of them.  The benefits of quartz are accuracy and minimal maintenance, but there’s a certain prestige that accompanies the use of mechanical movements, and if you want to compete with the well-established Swiss watchmakers, such as Rolex or Tissot, you’re going to have to include mechanical movements in your product line.

Innovation

The primary innovation to be found is in design; they have taken the “big watch” idea to a new extreme.  Aside from this, they don’t offer much in the way of technical innovation; on the other hand, the company isn’t that old and that may be yet to come.

Click here to shop for TW Steel watches at Amazon.com

Styling and Features

TW Steel watches - men's CEO black dialWell, primarily, these watches are big.  Really big.  As we said earlier, they make a number of models with cases that are 48-53 mm in diameter.  They’re fond of sports styling, so lots of their models feature chronograph dials and buttons.

They do offer some ladies models that have a bit of color and they have some cases that are rectangular in shape in models for both sexes.  As such, their styling is modern and eye-catching, and not just because their watches are huge.  They’re good designs, and that’s where the brand hopes to stand out in the marketplace.

Care and Maintenance

As most of the company’s watches are electronic and powered by quartz movements, you won’t have to worry too much about maintenance.  Of course you’ll need to have the battery replaced every few years and it wouldn’t hurt to have the case examined every two years or so to ensure that the watertight seals are intact.

Aside from this, you should store your watch in a cool, dry place when not in use and you should keep it away from extremes of temperature or strong magnetic fields.  With good care, these should run for years with little trouble.

TW Steel Watches Warranty

The warranty is the industry-standard two years against defects in craftsmanship and materials from
the date of purchase. These are well-tested timepieces, so defects should be fairly rare.

Prices

TW Steel watches - women's canteen whiteAs designer watches go, these watches are moderately priced.  Retail prices start at about $450 and go up to about $1200 or so, though occasional limited edition models may be higher.

They currently offer more than two hundred different models in a variety of styles, so there is a lot of representation across that price range.   Collectors haven’t yet taken notice, so even models that are out of production are also moderately priced, though we expect that to change over time as the brand becomes better known.

Savvy collectors might be interested in investigating the brand now while their older models are still affordable.

Where to Buy

You can find the brand for sale at a variety of retailers, including high end department stores and jewelry stores.  You’ll also find them for sale through a number of online retailers.  While it’s not hard to find them for sale, it is difficult to find any single retailer who stocks more than a small portion of the product line.

That’s pretty typical of a company that has such a large and diverse collection of products; no one can carry it all.  That being the case, you might want to shop around a bit if you’re looking for something in particular.  Otherwise, there are great bargains to be had on this brand online.

TW Steel Watches Summary

Everyone has different tastes when it comes to buying a watch.  Some like an unassuming timepiece, while others like fashionable jewelry with gold and diamonds.  Others like chronographs and similar models with lots of dials, buttons and the like.  Still others like big, bold designs that can’t be ignored by passers by.

If the last two groups describe you, then you should definitely give TW Steel watches a look.  They’re big, bold, eye-catching and available in a broad and diverse range of styles, sizes and colors.  They’re also quite reasonably priced and certainly priced more affordably than other comparable brands, largely because they’re fairly new and not located in Switzerland.

We expect TW Steel watches to catch on and become more famous and more expensive as time goes on, so if you want something unique at a good price, now’s the time to jump in.

Click here to shop for TW Steel watches at Amazon.com