Review - Tisell Explorer: The Best Explorer Homage under $500?

This is my new Tisell 9015 Explorer. My favorite blatant clomage I’ve ever owned.

Let’s get the juicy bits out of the way. 36mm. On-the-fly adjustable clasp. GLOSS BLACK ENAMEL DIAL. Reliable Miyota 90S5 high beat movement. No ghost date. All for around $300 USD.

I saw three things about this watch and I was sold: gloss black dial, 36mm, on the fly adjustment. And I bought it and I really enjoy it. I’ve been wearing quartz watches for ages, I miss the feel of an automatic. It fits my wrist so well and feels super classy. The case flanks are polished very well and is an absolute joy to stare at.

Tisell is a South Korean company, with all watches designed by Mr. Oh Chengdu. He’s been doing this for over a decade and makes clomages of various watches, notably Rolex and Tudor models with ACTUAL RELIABLE MIYOTA AND SELLITA MOVEMENTS (ahem, I’m looking at you, PT5000).

I have my gripes with it. The female end links are FAKE. The first center link is fixed in place. It does not move. It still wears well, but please be aware of that.

Also, with the bracelet sized down to the SMALLEST possible combination, it JUST sits still on my 6.5 inch wrist. If your wrist is any smaller, either avoid buying this watch or put it on a strap. I barely made it.

Oddly enough, you have two options for buying this watch. You can buy it directly from the Tisellkr.com website, which is the “OEM” site. You can find it for $235. However, when I bought this watch, the site was unsecured (no lock logo next to the URL), so I bought this from the secure and less sketchy looking Tisellwatch.com website. However, that site is an authorized distributor, not the manufacturer itself. It also costs $315 in total to ship to the US. The purchasing process was strange but it worked out in the end.

The watch got from the Czech Republic to upstate NY in literally less than three days. That’s remarkable.

If you’re looking for a modern 36mm Rolex Explorer homage with details that mirror the “real deal” (gloss black dial, on the fly adjustment, high beat movement), I highly recommend it. Please comment or DM me with questions!