qvc watch review
My mother watches a lot of QVC, and buys a lot of things from it, including gifts for loved ones. One day a few years ago, her shopping therapy supplied both me and my father with watches from the brand Constantin Weisz. I have no idea what she paid for those back then, judging from the price of similar models today, I'd guess this one (the 14B022CW) was around €250, but I fear it might have been more.
For that price (whatever it was) you would have gotten a rather chunky dress watch. The dial diameter is 43.2mm. Its thickness of 11.8mm doesn't sound too bad, but this watch does not taper: the case is a cylinder with those dimensions and wears very large on the wrist. The lack of taper also makes it hard to shove it under the cuff - my Pagani Explorer has a bigger max thickness but does not suffer from this problem.
The dial design is not too bad. The textured background looks cheap and nasty (and probably is), but the hour markers have been done well, and I have seen worse date windows. Hour and minute hands are skeletenized wire-frame hands and look fine, even though my non-existant watch-photography skills seem to have disguised them on the image. Yes, in some angles they can be hard to see, but their non-appearance in the photo is just due to me being a lousy photographer.
The fixed grey bezel is a bit weird. It seemingly has no function than to deteriorate over time and look a bit shabby. Apparently, there were versions of this model where it was used to host gemstones.
The movement is a standard 21,600 beat movement from Miyota, perhaps an 8215. On this watch, this is exceptionally loud. I suspect the heaviness of the case makes the watch move more on your wrist, creating extra movement noise.
The watchband, oh the watchband. Lugwidth is 22mm, and the lugs come with screws, a rather rare feature on watches. I could have saved myself though the expenditure of buying a precision screwdriver for those, because... they are dummies. They don't move, the band is held with ordinary springbars. Why did I want to replace the watchband? Brace yourself! After a few months of wear it looked like this:
This is by a long shot the worst watchband deterioration I have ever seen.
Water resistance is claimed to be 30m, no AR coating, no screw-done crown.
The question whether I'd recommend this watch is moot, because it is no longer available. In fact, the brand's whole strategy is to constantly bring out new models with limited runs. AVOID. THE BRAND.
Interestingly, when I search for it on amazon.co.uk, it was not found, but instead it suggest to me Thomas Earnshaw, a brand JDW recently roasted on youtube.
qvc watch review
Yes
No
- hour markers are ok
- watchband is atrocious
- hockey puck
- heavy case makes movement rattle
- wrong dimensions for a dress watch
- bezel looks shabby over time
UK-based German expat. Likes cheap watches. Not bothered about brands.
That watch band was on a BBQ.
That is way overpriced. For that money, they should have at least color-matched the date wheel. I know what they were going for with the white wheel, but it just looks bad. I hope they accept returns, because it should be returned.
I sometimes watch QVC and similar shows for pure amusement purposes. Constantin Weisz is definitely ... well ...of high entertainment value. (There are countless other brands I simply don't understand.)
Other than that, I'm sure there are leather artifacts in ancient tombs that are better preserved than your wristband. I'm serious, how does that happen? 😮
Will you be honest with your mother, or simply wear the watch when you see her?
Your mom sounds a lot like mine. I think my mom is trying to make up for us being poor when I was growing up. I've told her I didn't even realize I was "going without" as a kid. Life was pretty simple and less consumer driven in the 1960s and 70s than today. But...trying to stop mom and her quest to right past wrongs is a losing battle. Unfortunately, my mom's fashion sense in anything wearable is 180 degrees the opposite of mine. She did hit a home run this past Christmas with tacticool sweatshirt and with a leather bomber jacket (exactly the one I would have picked out myself) when I was in college. Two for 40 years isn't a great batting average, but I guess she could have worse hobbies. To mom's everywhere...we love you, but save your money. Stay off HSN, eBay, Amazon, Goodwill, etc. thrift shop websites and spend your hard earned dollars on stuff you and the cat need as you go through life "never watching the news" and "never even thinking about telling other people how to live their life".
I sometimes watch QVC and similar shows for pure amusement purposes. Constantin Weisz is definitely ... well ...of high entertainment value. (There are countless other brands I simply don't understand.)
Other than that, I'm sure there are leather artifacts in ancient tombs that are better preserved than your wristband. I'm serious, how does that happen? 😮
Will you be honest with your mother, or simply wear the watch when you see her?
That was before I started watch collecting. Last Xmas I had some input into the watch choice and I got a Seiko Tank for €200 - completely different league to that one. No need to wear the Weisz.
Regarding the band, I just wore it as my everyday watch, and that's what it looked like after a few months. I was shocked. (These days that would not have happened because I have so many watches to rotate, but back then...)
That is way overpriced. For that money, they should have at least color-matched the date wheel. I know what they were going for with the white wheel, but it just looks bad. I hope they accept returns, because it should be returned.
As I wrote, I do not really know the original price. There is an ebay listing of the same model that had a £142 asking price, and which was sold as "best offer accepted", i.e. less than that. That was not on a leather band, but a rubber band, and it didn't come in the original box - mine did. I would think that QVC price would have been higher than that asking price on ebay, but by how much is hard to tell.
The brand may suck but the size of the branding is how it should be. Nobody needs to discern that from any distance. I also think I like the case finish as seem on the lugs? It looks dark and glossy. Also the crown is nice and thin.
The movement is a standard 21,600 beat movement from Miyota, perhaps an 8215. On this watch, this is exceptionally loud. I suspect the heaviness of the case makes the watch move more on your wrist, creating extra movement noise
My suspicion is that there is a fair amount of space between movement and case. It wiggles, it echoes. The relative hollowness of larger watches is one of my many objections.
I'm guessing this is the reconstituted leather of "genuine leather" which is like calling plywood wood. It is the meatloaf of leather, and responds to moisture and bending about as well as cardboard.
Watch out an Invicta from QVC is up next … 🎅 🤶🏼 🌲
Originally $4950 now just $99.99 in two easy payments. 😃