This AliExpress watch review will help you maximize your budget and get great value for your money when shopping for wristwatches on AliExpress.
If you have already decided that you want a watch and it is your first wristwatch, you might want something unique that is also affordable.
It could be a new addition to your growing collection of exquisite watches. You might be looking for an affordable watch or something that will eventually become a family bequest.
Perhaps you simply wish to indulge yourself with a new watch. Buying an affordable top-quality watch on AliExpress is not simple because there is a range of watches available on AliExpress.
If this is your first watch, there are many complicated watch jargons you need to comprehend such as tourbillon, automatic, quartz or mechanical.
So if you are looking for something unique or the most affordable watch for a man or woman, this ultimate guide will be of great help to you in finding the best AliExpress watch brands that suit your lifestyle.
Our best AliExpress watches guide covers everything from watch complexity to watch sizing, so you get the right watch that suits your lifestyle instead of buying something on a whim.
No matter what you are looking for in a watch, you will find all the information you need in getting the best affordable watches on AliExpress here.
Related Posts – BEST CHINESE WATCH BRAND | STEELDIVE WATCH ALIEXPRESS
ALIEXPRESS WATCH -MOVEMENTS
A watch movement is the main part of a watch that makes it work.
It’s also called the calibre. A movement is the “engine” inside a watch that makes the hands move.
On AliExpress watches sale day, there are different kinds of watch movements, which makes things even more complicated for newbies.
There are three types of watch movements on AliExpress:
- automatic,
- quartz
- mechanical, and
AUTOMATIC WATCH MOVEMENTS
Most of luxury timepieces today are equipped with automatic movement, which is also called self-winding watches.
Internally, they are identical to mechanical timepieces. But they use the motion of your wrist to power the movement. This is done with a rotor, which is a small weight that moves when your wrist moves, winding the mainspring. A clutch that slips prevents over winding.
Consequently, you don’t have to wind your automatic watch by hand. But if you don’t wear it often, you’ll need to put it in a watch winder, which is a little device that spins the watch in a circle to keep it wound so that you don’t have to reset things such as the calendar when you wear the watch again.
Generally speaking, automatic movements created by a watch brand are of superior quality and carry more prestige.
The best affordable automatic movements for men’s watches are Chinese-made and designed by Sea-Gull.
Sea-Gull is the largest maker of mechanical watch movements in the world. It makes a quarter of all mechanical watch movements made worldwide.
Japanese and Swiss-made automatic watch movements are made by Patek Philippe and Rolex.
QUARTZ WATCH MOVEMENTS
Quartz watches are among the most affordable and desirable watches on AliExpress. They are powered by batteries and controlled by quartz, which is a small crystal that serves as a conductor between the electric circuit and the battery, replacing all the springs, gears, and wheels of a mechanical movement.
The battery basically sends electricity through the quartz, which makes the crystal vibrate. The vibration is converted into a pulse that moves the watch’s second hand. These impulses provide the tick-tick-tick motion.
Changing the battery is the main way to take care of a quartz watch movement. This is possible nearly everywhere for a nominal fee.
Even though quartz watches are mass-produced with ease, very accurate and affordable, people kept buying automatic and mechanical watches because of how well they worked.
If precision is what you need in a watch, no other watch movements beat a quartz watch on AliExpress.
MECHANICAL WATCH MOVEMENTS
A mechanical watch uses a mainspring which powers the balance wheel and a set of gears. When you twist the crown, the spring is tightened which starts up the coils. The second-hand moves as the spring slowly unwind.
The length of the mainspring determines the watch’s power reserve which is how long you can wear the watch until it must be wound again.
The superiority of mechanical movements is an undisputed fact in the world of watches. To comprehend why people value mechanical movements more than quartz movements, you must realize that wearing a luxury watch is about more than just telling the time.
It involves possessing a piece of excellent engineering that reflects centuries-old tradition, delicate craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology. A quartz movement may tell time more accurately, but a mechanical watch is more stylish.
Additionally, watch snobs also love the way the hands of a mechanical watch keep moving, while the hands of a quartz watch just keep ticking.
WATCH COMPLICATIONS
Aside from displaying the time, many watches on AliExpress have extra features usually called “complications”.
A watch complication is any extra attribute or function that does not tell the time. Depending on the functionality you desire from your watch, you will be more interested in certain complications than others.
Some watch complications are more about showing off than they are about helping.
AliExpress watches frequently include one or more of the following complications:
TOURBILLON
It is a complex watch mechanism made up of a cage that spins the balance wheel on its own axis to cancel out the effects of gravity. It’s not really necessary these days, but it can make a watch worth more.
DATE
This is usually done with a small window next to 3 o’clock or a larger display so you can see the date better. On a sub-dial, the date is sometimes shown.
MOON PHASE
This watch complication illustrates the full, half, quarter, and new moons. It was originally employed by sailors for tide measurement.
GMT
This lets you to tell time in three time zones with a revolving bezel, depending on the time difference between Greenwich Mean Time and the time you want to know.
POWER RESERVE INDICATOR
It shows how much power is left in a mechanical or automatic timepiece. How long until it needs to be wound by judging the tension inside the mainspring.
CHRONOMETER
It is basically a stopwatch, this type of watch usually has three little displays on the main dial. A split-second chronograph lets you time two different things at the same time.
TACHYMETER
It is a scale around the edge of a watch that can be used to figure out speed, distance, or fuel usage, like on a pilot watch.
PERPETUAL CALENDAR
the most intricate calendar complication. Day, date, month, and year are displayed, taking leap years into account.
TIME ZONES
With the main dial and a sub-dial, a dual time complication lets you tell the time in two different time zones.
WATCH MATERIALS
There are many different kinds of materials that can be used to make watch cases. Each one has its own qualities and price.
Here are the various choices:
STAINLESS STEEL
Stainless steel is an exceedingly popular material for watch casings, and it is increasingly used in high-end timepieces. It doesn’t rust and is strong, making it a great choice for dive watches or sports watches.
Also, stainless steel is very light, which makes it easy to wear. It comes in either gold-tone or silver-tone, and it’s also very affordable.
TITANIUM
Titanium has many of the same qualities as stainless steel, but it is even stronger and lighter.
Its thrice as strong as steel, although it is disputed whether a watch requires such strength. Additionally, it has the benefit of being naturally hypoallergenic.
Titanium, on the other hand, can be extremely costly and is not as reflective as stainless steel.
GOLD
Whether you choose rose gold, white gold, or yellow gold, each is opulent, very sought after, and a real fashion statement.
Gold is not the most affordable alternative on the market, but it retains its value, therefore it might be considered an investment.
But gold is easily scratched and loses its shine, thus it is more suited for dress watches than field watches.
CERAMIC
This robust material is distinct from that used to manufacture cookware.
This high-tech substance has the benefits of being hypoallergenic and scratch-resistant, making it a durable option. Also, it is incredibly lightweight.
WATCH STYLES
There are several watch styles available on AliExpress. Once you understand it, You will be able to tell most watches for men and women apart by how they look.
Most of the watches on AliExpress fall into sport, dress and everyday wear. Some sports watches are made to be used for specific activities, like tool watches.
These differences are not clear-cut, and there is some overlap. Some sport watches, for instance, can be worn with both casual and formal clothes.
DRESS WATCHES
A dress watch is the most jewelry-like timepieces, that are typically understated. Dress watches usually comes with Roman numerals, a plain face, and no decorations.
The ideal dress watches are typically attached to leather straps and are very thin so they can be hidden under your cuff until you needs it.
A dress watch, as the name suggests, is made for more formal events. Whether you’re going to a gala, a wedding, or a movie premiere, you need a watch that can be worn under your shirt sleeve without drawing attention to itself.
In addition, as dress watches serve no purpose other than displaying the time, they are most likely to be made of a precious metal.
The best dress watches are great examples of how to keep things simple. They have slim cases, dials that are rarely wider than 42mm, and simple hour markers.
The luxury element of a dress watch is mostly found in the sleek leather straps and fine materials.
DIVE WATCHES
Dive watches are on the other end of the spectrum from dress watches. These watches were not made for the red carpet. Instead, they were crafted for underwater expeditions and were made to survive the extreme conditions of deep-sea diving.
They are made for divers, but most of them never go in the water. Many people choose a dive watch because it is tough, has luminous dials, and has a strong unidirectional bezel, all of which make it a good-looking watch and a lifeline for deep sea treasure hunters.
Obviously, dive watches must be water-resistant to a depth of at least 100 meters. In addition, they are crafted from corrosion-resistant materials like stainless steel.
The majority of diving watches design are based on the 1953 Rolex Submariner, which was the first of its kind to function at depths of 100 meters.
You don’t have to be submerged in water to wear a dive watch these days. They are equally suitable for weekend casual wear, preferably at a beach club or on a yacht.
PILOT WATCHES
When Cartier made a watch for pilot Alberto Santos Dumont in 1911, it opened the door for other watchmakers to produce high-performance watches that aviators could wear on high-altitude missions.
A pilot watch is easy to spot because it has a big dial with luminous hands and a black-and-white color scheme that makes it easy to read.
In addition, they have a long leather strap that can be worn over a flight jacket and an onion-shaped crown that can be held even when wearing thick aviator gloves.
Time zones and chronographs are common types of complications found on pilot watches.
If you want something classic and retro, a pilot watch is a great choice. They make a statement without being too awkward.
TACTICAL WATCHES
Tactical watches are built to last in the worst conditions. They are made for mountain heights, polar expeditions, jungle depths, and desert dunes.
Having a wristwatch that is more of a tool, with capabilities like as a compass, altimeter, or the capacity to provide weather alerts, is not to be sneezed at, regardless of whether you’re likely to use it to help you escape dangerous situations.
Top tactical timepieces include the nearly indestructible Casio G-Shock which is preferred by law enforcement agents and the Luminox Navy Seal, which is licensed by the United States Navy.
FIELD WATCHES
Field watches are all about being tough and rugged, just like the first trench watch from World War I. After all, they had to be able to handle harsh conditions and stay alive in battle with the people who wore them.
Most field watches are small so they don’t get in the way. They usually have a black-and-white dial that is easy to read and a stainless steel or titanium case. Most straps are made of leather, canvas, or nylon, but they could also be a classic NATO strap, which was made by the British Defense Ministry.
Field watches are designed to tell time first and foremost. They don’t have a lot of extra features and can be worn with a lot of different things.
RACING WATCHES
The worlds of racing and watches work together very well. And, like flying and diving, its watches have a stuntman-like appeal that works well with the way they are made.
Wearing one of the world’s finest racing timepieces is a terrific way to experience the excitement of the Grand Prix and look good doing it.
Driving watches on AliExpress usually have a chronograph complication, because the stopwatch function is useful when passing Ferrari 512s.
Racing watches such as the Omega Speedmaster, have a “tachymeter” on the bezel, which is a tool for measuring speed. This is a working relationship that also works when things aren’t going as planned.
Racing watches tend to be very flashy, full of attitude and energy. After all, racing car drivers don’t have a reputation for being humble and quiet.
WATERPROOF vs WATER-RESISTANT
There’s no such thing as a waterproof watch. Waterproof really means that it can’t let water in at all, no matter what, which is impossible to do. At some point, any watch will start to leak.
Your watch’s water-resistance rating tells you how well it will keep water out in ideal conditions, like when the water is still. You can’t make such things happen in real life. So, you can’t really wear your watch to the depths that lab tests say you can.
In the same way, the lab tests don’t take into account sudden changes in temperature, like when you adorn your wrist with a watch swimming in the ocean. Water damage can happen if you take the watch from cold water into warmer air.
In the same way, if you wear your watch in a hot tub, parts of the watch may expand faster than the rubber gaskets, leaving spaces where water can get in.
You should also stay away from any water with a lot of chlorine, hairspray, and perfume, all of which can hurt the gaskets.
The water resistance rating of a wristwatch is measured in meters, bars, or ATM (atmospheric pressure).
Most of the time, the water resistance rating on a watch is a bit misleading because watchmakers often test this resistance in still environments. That means they are not tested on backstroke swimmers.
When you swim or do most other things in the water, you move your arms. This puts pressure on and takes air away from the watch. They don’t use these forces when they test watches.
how does the rating really work in the real world? Read on:
- No Water Resistance: Don’t let it get wet at all
- 30 Meters/3 ATM/3 Bar: Good for accidental splashes, hand washing and rain. Swimming, diving, showering and snorkelling are not allowed.
- 50 Meters/5 ATM/5 Bar: Excellent for splashes, rain, showering and light swimming but not recommended for diving or deep swimming
- 100 Meters/10 ATM/10 Bar: Fine for rain, splashes, swimming, and showering but not good for deep-sea diving.
- 200 Meter/20 ATM/20 Bar: Great for diving, swimming, showering, rain and splashes.
STRAPS AND BRACELETS
A watch’s band is the finishing touch. While all of the technical innovation goes into the movement and the face of the watch, the strap is the perfect match, making the watch look better and giving it more durability or comfort.
Most watches also have straps that can be changed, so you can switch them out depending on the event.
LEATHER STRAPS
This is the most common type of watch band, particularly for formal events. There are many kinds of leather, including crocodile leather if you want something fancy and eye-catching.
Leather is classic, durable, and comfortable. It can acquire an appealing patina as it ages. It’s also a good option for people who have metal allergies.
METAL BRACELETS
A bracelet is a strap made of metal. A traditional metal bracelet is usually made of gold, steel, or titanium, and it is secured with a metal clasp.
Metal bracelets are strong and offer a sleek, polished appearance. There are also Milanese bracelets, which are braided stainless steel bands that resemble a tiny mesh. They are comfortable, stylish, and simple to clean.
RUBBER STRAPS
Rubber is a durable substance that can endure perspiration and saltwater. They are resistant to UVA rays, hypoallergenic, non-toxic, easy to clean, lightweight, flexible, and comfy. Rubber straps are seen on a number of the most affordable timepieces that are of high quality.
NATO STRAPS
The British Military of Defense developed the NATO strap. It connects independently to the lug bars of a watch to provide additional security in the event that one bar breaks.
NATO straps are affordable and durable, match a variety of watch designs, and fit tightly and comfortably on the wrist.
