What is this derived from?
In one of those watch-collection threads I nominated a Skmei as my nicest digital watch, which even for a cheapskate like me is an embarrassing admission.
So, I made the decision to fix the issue by getting a nicer digital watch, clean design, not too large, preferably not on an integrated bracelet. I was not overly impressed with what I saw in the usual places. Busy dials, huge cases, glued-on straps. A good looking (though expensive) Braun had severe issues with power consumption.
And then I saw the depicted watch whose design I really liked - and it is another effing Skmei! In addition, it seems to have readability issues, so really another no-go.
However, Skmei is not exactly renowned for original design. So I have still hope: has this design perhaps been nicked from another, nicer watch?
UK-based German expat. Likes cheap watches. Not bothered about brands.
The display layout reminds me of some Casio models; W800, W96, or A178, but I am not sure, and the color is the green negative display Skmei seems to favor. I have a Skmei that is almost an exact copy of my Casio W218, except that the back light on the Skmei is this green color.
The one Skmei I do own is firmly based on the Casio W96. I was looking for a much closer original for this Skmei, though backlight colour is not an issue for me in this respect.
I liked on the Skmei the dial design, the outer blue rectangle (other colours are available), and that the watch does not appear joined at the hip to the band. The latter seems to be an issue with most digital watches, whatever the brand. Anyway, it would be shocking if Skmei had come up with that on their own volition.
It looks like a dual-time module in a case trying to look like an Apple Watch.
Looks as if the W-96 and a cheap smartwatch had an ugly baby 😂
You might like the gbd100, gbd200 or gbx100 from g shock. Great screens and lots of features. And of course reliable and tough and were made by people with the magical ability to spell a basic word. It's not gs-uokshc.
Looks as if the W-96 and a cheap smartwatch had an ugly baby 😂
Not mocking your preference for a cleaner dial, after all it's all subjective. But what I mean by "ugly baby" is because those Chinese brands tend to use lots of rendering to make the promotional picture appealing while the true thing looks like a hunk of shiny plastic.
Personally I have seen nice digital watches, as you have mentioned about a cleaner look instead of the 80s filler that we learned to enjoy. One watch I see from time to time here in Brazil are those from the likes of Technos, with the negative display but quite minimal dial:
However I don't know what kinds of suggestion I could give you for a nice looking digital besides this brand that I know. Technos has a market in Brazil, and is relatively cheap, but there could be other ones you could find where you live. Also, as CitizenKale suggested, there are some Gshock versions which are more "dress friendly" and have clean designs as well.
I'm fully aware of the rendering issues on Ali, and I have seen customer photos of that Skmei on Ali too - they do not look good, not because of the plastic issue, but because the display is barely readable when the backlighting is not on. So, I was hoping for an original that fails to have these issues, presumably at a much higher price. It could well be that AFChris is right, and the inspiration came from smartwatches, which would be a bummer.
And regarding the W96, Skmei does make a W96 clone which actually looks good, on my wrist:
I am quite happy with that Skmei, but I was looking for an upgrade.
I'm fully aware of the rendering issues on Ali, and I have seen customer photos of that Skmei on Ali too - they do not look good, not because of the plastic issue, but because the display is barely readable when the backlighting is not on. So, I was hoping for an original that fails to have these issues, presumably at a much higher price. It could well be that AFChris is right, and the inspiration came from smartwatches, which would be a bummer.
And regarding the W96, Skmei does make a W96 clone which actually looks good, on my wrist:
I am quite happy with that Skmei, but I was looking for an upgrade.
These brands do actually a good job in outputting a decent watch, at least for how much they cost. I have one chronograph Nibosi, which I ended up giving to mom, that I bought just to test out a second-hand website platform, and also to see what's up with these chinese brands.
The watch, at least for the low price of almost 10 dollars, is actually decent looking and has a smarter chronograph than my 10x more expensive retail price Casio Edifice 😂 It's not that the watches are bad, they are halfway decent for an ultra-budget perspective, but the problem is that they tend to steal looks from better developed models, like the blatant AE1200 "Royale" clones that pop up everywhere, which don't offer a fraction of functionality from the original yet looks and performs decent for what they are.
Just letting you know there might be better quality - and more reliable - alternatives if your Skmei ends up biting the dust 😉 But if it still works, enjoy it as much as you can, then!
You might like the gbd100, gbd200 or gbx100 from g shock. Great screens and lots of features. And of course reliable and tough and were made by people with the magical ability to spell a basic word. It's not gs-uokshc.
No, no, no. Thanks for being constructive, but this is really the exact opposite of what I want. Let's consider the gbd200 to explain my issues, not just with this watch, but with a whole range of watches in the digital field.
Now, if you compare my list of complaints with the depicted Skmei it comes much closer to what I want in terms of design. I want a better quality of watch than Skmei gives me, but designwise they are very close to what I like.
These brands do actually a good job in outputting a decent watch, at least for how much they cost. I have one chronograph Nibosi, which I ended up giving to mom, that I bought just to test out a second-hand website platform, and also to see what's up with these chinese brands.
The watch, at least for the low price of almost 10 dollars, is actually decent looking and has a smarter chronograph than my 10x more expensive retail price Casio Edifice 😂 It's not that the watches are bad, they are halfway decent for an ultra-budget perspective, but the problem is that they tend to steal looks from better developed models, like the blatant AE1200 "Royale" clones that pop up everywhere, which don't offer a fraction of functionality from the original yet looks and performs decent for what they are.
Just letting you know there might be better quality - and more reliable - alternatives if your Skmei ends up biting the dust 😉 But if it still works, enjoy it as much as you can, then!
Oh my skmei is not going to bite the dust, it is a decent watch. However, that I would nominate this £10 copy of a £20 Casio as my best digital watch I felt was embarassing. I own about 50 watches and I should own a better digital watch, and so I went on a quest to find one.
That turned out to be harder than expected, as I was mostly finding instead watchcrunchers telling me that my wife is a hamster and that I smelled of elderberries.
Oh my skmei is not going to bite the dust, it is a decent watch. However, that I would nominate this £10 copy of a £20 Casio as my best digital watch I felt was embarassing. I own about 50 watches and I should own a better digital watch, and so I went on a quest to find one.
That turned out to be harder than expected, as I was mostly finding instead watchcrunchers telling me that my wife is a hamster and that I smelled of elderberries.
Yeah, durability wise I think digital watches are reaching a common level, since it's hard to go wrong with the true and tested method by Casio, and looks wise, it is still niche regarding the "fashion" aspect, and only few brands seem to explore it, like the dressier G-shocks (out of all brands to explore fashion is the watch brand meant to take a beating🤭) and Technos example I mentioned, but that is a regional thing.
In any case, I hope you have good luck in your search. I am also a digital watch fan and I would love to see the perfect digital watch for the looks 😎
The display immediately reminded me of the large format Timex ironman. The case is different though.
No, no, no. Thanks for being constructive, but this is really the exact opposite of what I want. Let's consider the gbd200 to explain my issues, not just with this watch, but with a whole range of watches in the digital field.
Now, if you compare my list of complaints with the depicted Skmei it comes much closer to what I want in terms of design. I want a better quality of watch than Skmei gives me, but designwise they are very close to what I like.
I agree with you on some of it. Some other stuff I've learned to live with or even learned to enjoy.
The size I understand. There are thinner options like the ga2100.
And options with standard lugs:
Or this is great. I prefer titanium over plastic.
The integrated band is not something I want every day but it's amazing in the very hot summer here because you can wear the watch very loose and it allows for a ton of air flow.
Timex have a few with a digital display.
There's also a huge one but it's even bigger than most g shocks.
Or you might like the Amazfit Neo. I hate the heart rate tracking bump on the bottom but you could try it loose. And it has no countdown timer and the backlight is insanely bright which sucks at night. But it's a great backlight in the evening and goes for 10 seconds which is almost unheard of. And it will even remain lit while you use the various functions beyond 10 seconds. 😮 You need to charge it once a month which is not bad for a fartwatch (if you turn off most of the features). But it's only 40 bucks new and the additional features aren't in the way too much. You can disable all the features except the step tracker so they won't even show up in the menu. The bottom half of the screen always shows the local time and in the top part of the screen you can scroll between various features. It's a pretty functional design actually.
It's an always on display and long battery life which is why I tried it as an alternative to a regular watch. I generally don't like fartwatches.
I think one time it went for like 40 or 50 days without charging.
But the issues I mentioned made it just not suitable for me so I sold it.
Don't laugh but this picture reminded me a lot of my Pebble with one of its custom faces.
Timex have a few with a digital display.
There's also a huge one but it's even bigger than most g shocks.
Or you might like the Amazfit Neo. I hate the heart rate tracking bump on the bottom but you could try it loose. And it has no countdown timer and the backlight is insanely bright which sucks at night. But it's a great backlight in the evening and goes for 10 seconds which is almost unheard of. And it will even remain lit while you use the various functions beyond 10 seconds. 😮 You need to charge it once a month which is not bad for a fartwatch (if you turn off most of the features). But it's only 40 bucks new and the additional features aren't in the way too much. You can disable all the features except the step tracker so they won't even show up in the menu. The bottom half of the screen always shows the local time and in the top part of the screen you can scroll between various features. It's a pretty functional design actually.
Designwise, the first of the two Timexes you showed is fine. However, online reviews indicate that its crystal is very scratch-prone. The second one: the dial is OK, but another integrated bracelet. Timex bracelets (in general) and their replacability seems to be an issue in customer reviews.
In terms of digital watch design, this Nixon Heat is one of the best I have seen [best, as in: relative to my personal criteria]. It's not too big (38mm), the bracelet looks replaceable, the pushers are not in the way,...
Issues: it is a bit under-reviewed, one takes a gamble. Basic price seems about £140, though some colour variants on amazon sell for £300. I find this a bit dear to be the guinea pig, but this is one I'd consider.
Other digital Nixon watches with fairly clean dials are the Regulus and the Siren. The Regulus has some decent reviews, but we are back with integrated bracelets. The Siren is a women's watch, wearable for men, but the pushers stick out, so I prefer the look of the Heat.
Hmmm..... 🤔
Yeah there's no way I'd pay that much for a Nixon.
I'm not a big fan of Bush or Jefferson or Obama watches either.
I'm not really sure what styles you like or not, but some digital casios have aftermarket strap adaptors. Mostly for popular models so you'll find reviews and generally they are some of the most reliable watches in the world so that's less of a worry.
You could browse the adaptor selection of Jays and Kays and see if one of those watches fits you.
Some of the Casios of their vintage are good looking, but they have issues. The A1000 (only full steel model) looks great, but its negative display is shite, and the module does not have a countdown timer, which I would request at that price.
I'll get myself a B640WD (resin case, sadly) and see how well this can be matched up with aftermarket straps, because I am not going to wear it on that bracelet.
I am also going to try that Skmei, it's just a tenner after all.