ArmitronSport Retro Digital Chronograph Bracelet Watch
A**R
Almost Perfect (unless you live in a cave)
If you are here because this is priced as an alternative to those vintage looking Casio models then just buy this one. It's stainless steel (rather than silver painted plastic) and otherwise almost identical in every other respect.I say 'almost' because the Armitron has one glaring, or not so glaring, weakness: The LED backlight is so authentic to the seventies that, like most of the British workforce then, it barely works. In a pitch black room it might illuminate the first hour digit but that's all you are going to get.It's a shame because otherwise this is such a good watch at this price. The bracelet is comfortable, there is none of that weird 3-button asymmetry of the Casios, the display is crisp and shows all you need to know (time, day of week and date of month... I never understand digital watches that permanently need to show you the year).So stretch it a couple of mm (still looks good on small to medium size male wrists) and give it a nice upgrade to an EL backlight and this is the perfect minimalist watch for those of us who don't feel the need to spend hundreds or thousands on a (less reliable) mechanical watch or want to be charging a smartwatch daily to tell us how badly we already know we slept.It arrived in exactly a week from Amazon US, Armitron don't seem well known here but actually have quite a nice brand history over there.
S**S
Great quality
Wanted one for ages to add to my collection of watches. At this low price I couldn’t ignore any longer. Better quality than I expected and being LED is fantastic in the dark.
R**F
NIce watch, some failings
This is a well made watch, solid stainless steel with a bracelet that is substantial and better than I expected at the price. It has quite a bit of weight too, feels better quality than Casio equivalents.Two drawbacks though:- Backlight is useless, it appears to 'illuminate', at best, one digit on the left hand side of the display. This is a known issue with this watch- Some parts of the deeply recessed display are hard to read unless face-on, as the bezel obscures information along the edges.A shame about these two issues, as the watch has a nice retro design and good build quality for the money.
J**E
Armitron, the watch world's best kettle secret!
So, who are these Armitron folk? I once wondered.Well, the company has been making watches, and not just digital ones, for many years in the USA and yet even there, the market leader tends to be better known which is surprising because these are very, very good watches.A retro piece of this sort isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the build quality of both of the examples from my collection and indeed my other Armitrons (Rubik and Rogue lcd types) is second to none, the functionality is perfect, but to get a high quality stainless steel case from Japan's favourite budget digital watch brand, you'd need to spend at least twice as much as these lovely American pieces cost if compared to the market leader's equivalent watches.The blue display on the plain stainless bracelet in the images has been with me for so long now that I can't even remember when I bought it but that watch still lights up like it appears in my photo above and the battery shows no sign of getting tired yet, remarkable when compared to the LED watches of the '70s, when my teenage self would be pressing buttons so often that a battery would last around a week at best!Both battery and display technologies have made much progress in these 45 or so years since I was 13.So now that my latest Armitron has arrived, been sized, warmed up on my wrist and then set to the correct time and date, I'm adding its image to this review to assist the potential buyer to decide between the two colourways that I own.And better still; every one of my Armitron watches has arrived in three days from the USA, well packed and nestling in the Armitron metal storage/display box.I still love my Japanese favourites too, many of those rare limited editions, but the fact that I'm mentioning Armitron in the same sentence says all that most folk need to know.Now buy at least one of the various colourways available in the "Griffy" model, you won't be disappointed.👍👍👍👍👍
M**S
70s LED Cool, At An Affordable Price!
Always wanted a 70s style LED watch but for whatever reason a lot of the name branded options (e.g. by Hamilton & Bulova) seemed overly expensive.This Armitron gives that cool, minimalist 70s look, but at much more affordable and reasonable price. Nitpicks would be that the screen is a bit of a fingerprint magnet, and the time display lighting could be a bit more consistent throughout. But considering the fantastic value (I paid about £27) it's a great purchase.
E**M
Absolutely loved it, until...
I love this watch, great size, great steel case, comfortable bracelet, cool looks, great display. But after 9 months and being worn only 15 times, the reset pusher has fallen out, and the rest of the buttons no longer do anything.
R**S
A bit of retro for very little
For £28 delivered, whats not to like.
I**K
Armitron Digital Watch. Real Steel.
Real stainless steel bodied digital watch. Same size as Casio digital but this is much better quality. The light is not great but on the same level as a similar Casio. If you like retro digital watches, this Armitron is good value and built to last.
Trustpilot
3 weeks ago
1 month ago