CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – For at least three decades, I have been a big fan of mechanical automatic watches, and have made a great effort to stay away from battery operated watches. I probably own a few more than a dozen automatic watches, and for the most part, I have had a good experience with them. Some of them do lose a bit of time at night when they are at rest, while others never skip a beat. No matter how long I have not worn them, with a few shakes and a time reset, all is well and they have all been good to go. I now get the chance to test, review and add the CIGA Design Z-Series Mechanical Titanium Watch to my collection. Let’s see if I am still happy after wearing it for a while.
What is it?
The CIGA Design Z-Series Mechanical Titanium Watch is a transparent, fully automatic, water-resistant timepiece made from Titanium and Sapphire Crystal that is designed for men.
What’s in the box
1 x CIGA Design Z-Series Mechanical Titanium Watch
1 x Leather Watch Band
1 x Silicone Watch Band
I x Presentation box with Printed Instructions
Design and features
Specifications
- Customized SEAGULL AAA-Class movement ST2553JK
- Energy storage of 40 hours
- Movement frequency of 21,600 times/hour
- Movement error range: -15 to +30 seconds/ 24 hours
Features
Before I discuss the watch, I must mention the box that it comes in. The sort of titanium-colored slim box and sleeve make it a simply beautiful package. If the presentation was everything, this watch gets 100%. And with the instructions printed as a page within the box, there is no waste and no extra booklet to lose. Now, on to the watch!!
The body of the watch includes an attractive titanium case, with a completely see-through mechanism. The watch came with 2 bands, one leather and once from a hypoallergenic silicone composition. I chose the latter since I have always found leather bands not to be my thing. The red marking on the hands makes the time readable in both low light and overly bright conditions. The back of the watch has the same see-through reveal and the markings that indicate the material composition of the case and the water-resistant specifications.
The edges of the case are nicely designed and the crown feels solid. Its design makes it is easy to turn with your fingers. On the edge of the case that is opposite the crown, there is the branding.
Performance
The instructions direct you to wind the crown approximately 30 revolutions and then attach the band of choice and you are good to go. Just as instructed, it is simply that easy to get going. The titanium case is beautiful, and the sapphire glass is clear and according to CIGA, it is scratch -proof. It is lightweight and a pleasure to wear. The inclusion of 2 different bands allows for nice user options. The see-through case that showcases the internal design and function is great, and I can say without any doubt that after weeks of wearing it, the time remains accurate.
“The Seagull AAA automatic self-winding mechanics keep your watch charged without the need for batteries. The natural movement of your wrist literally energizes your watch and makes its wheels and gears move. As you move, the spring winds, storing energy for up to 40 hours. No manual winding required!”
Movement from the front view
Movement from the back view
This is a really nice watch that is well made and I expect it to last a long time.
What I like
- The build quality and materials used
- The included watch bands
- The water resistance feature
- The design
- The mechanical automatic movement
- The fit, finish, and style
What I’d change
- I like the design. Nothing to complain about
Final thoughts
I usually wear witches that are round in design and over the years I have not been a fan of cases that deviate from that design. However, I have to say that I really like this watch. It is very attractive and I get regular compliments when wearing it. As a matter of fact, I have received offers from friends to purchase it from me. However, they are out of luck because this watch is now a permanent member of my collection. It maintains time perfectly even overnight, and is very comfortable to wear, being lightweight, I sometimes forget that it is on my wrist. I am giving it a very well done, and two thumbs all the way up!!
Price: Available from $249
Where to buy: Indiegogo
Source: The sample for this review was provided by CIGA
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This is an attractive looking watch. The price is fair considering the mechanical movement and Sapphire Crystal. I would not mark it as water proof as this would not be advised for even showering as it is at the lowest rated depth allowed for water resistance. Otherwise a very attractive and functional time piece.
Hey Julian, it from the pictures, it looks like the time would be slightly difficult to read (specifically, at a glance) because the hands seem to blend in with the mechanics behind them.
Have you found this to be the case, or do the small red markings actually help that?
Hi Brian,
The short answer is yes!!
Once you get used to looking at the red markings, it is very easy to tell the time.
Thanks Julian,
I noticed on the Indiegogo page that in some pics/videos the watch has black hands. I’ve a message into them asking which will be on the model being shipped.
So for anyone interested, CIGA got back to me and confirmed that the shipping product has black hands.
Thanks, Brian!!
As you can tell from the review, mine has red markings on the hands. Hopefully, the black hands are very reflective and maybe glow in the dark!!
White label Richard Mille design, with Chinese movement…. These are those $35-$60 watches you can buy on Alibaba. You just provide them with artwork and they make it for you. 🤦♂️ Any watch collector will call you out… But people who wear G-shock watches might be impressed.
The black hands look exactly like the ones on your watch, including the red markings. If anything, it looks like there may be a tiny bit of lume right under the red (yours looks like it may be there too).
You can see it on the Indiegogo page about a third of the way down (the repeating video under the slide that says “CIGA Design Z-Series Mechanical Titanium Watch”.
Oh Ok!! I thought that you meant that the red markings would be replaced with black markings.
My mistake!!
A Richard Mille watch for those with less than a half million dollars.
Looks nice.
Is this whole just on big scam. Cannot get a lead on where my ciga watch is.
Contribution# 11852
I ordered one of these a few months ago, received it a few days ago and have been wearing for a few days since (I know I like it because it has won the auto-motor driven ‘what watch will I pick up when leaving my bedroom’ challenge for a few days). I will be honest that I am not excited by either strap it came with and fitted an Italian bull leather strap instead, which complements it perfectly. I do however like the look and feel of the watch, and the box/presentation is worth a mention as it is awesome. As per other reviews read before I ordered it, legibility is limited in low light and lume definitely not worth mentioning, but the watch looks fantastic on the wrist!