Customer Reviews

Golana Swiss Men's AE300-2 Aero Pro 300 Quartz Watch

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I received this watch last week and have worn it a few times since then. I am not usually a fan of big watches, but the Golana Aero Pro looks amazing. The Golana box is one of the nicer boxes I have in my collection. I think it makes a wonderful presentation of the watch. The numbers on the watch face are very easy to read especially the quarter markers as they are in a larger type face. The lume on the hands is bright and lasts for quite a bit. However, the lume on the number markers is quite dull and I took away a star for that. The construction is very solid and the watch has a nice feel to it. All-in-all an excellent watch for the price, and being that Amazon is an authorized dealer the warranty is covered by the manufacturer.

I received this watch yesterday. The Golana box was nice and the watch arrived in pristine condition. This is one of the more handsome and legible watches of its type that I've found. The numbers and hands are read easily at a glance and the date is large enough without dominating the face of the watch. After removing a couple links in the bracelet, I found it very comfortable to wear, with a nice heft to the watch and bracelet. The 42mm size is just right for me -- stands out nicely without looking cartoonish on my wrist.

Lume was good when I took it into a dark room but I haven't tested its longevity yet. This watch has a hacking seconds hand which I love, for setting the time accurately. I love having the dual time zone but this also brings up the only real negative about the watch for me -- the 2nd-time-zone hand is set with the crown out one stop (one direction for date, the other direction for dual time zone), but it also moves with the hour/minute hands when the crown is out two stops for time adjustments, so any time I change the main hands, I will have to re-adjust the 2nd time zone hand as well if I want it to stay constant for a particular location. I'm dropping 1 star for this, which I believe is a common aspect of less expensive GMT watches. Otherwise, I'm very happy with this watch.

I bought this watch about a month ago. So far, I'm very happy with the purchase. It's a very attractive watch, nice size for me with a nice feel/weight to it. The band is attractive also and it has a safety latch which I find very helpful. It is also keeping accurate time. I've measured it against an atomic clock that I have and it has kept pace with that clock to the second. Good value purchase!

Overall, this is a great watch at a great price. I was not familiar with Golana until recently. I was extremely impressed at the quality when it arrived in the mail. High quality stainless steel, heavy stainless braclet, and is very resistant to scratches thus far. I was a bit hesitant with the "sapphire coated" crystal; however, it has held up nicely over the past few weeks in the harsh conditions of Iraq.

A couple of things that could be better in the design: the dial could be a bit bigger - about 45mm would be nice (I normally wear a Suunto, which is a bigger watch); the GMT hand could be longer with a larger arrow to better see the allignment with the bezel numbers; would prefer a bigger, screw-down crown; and the second had should have a red tip for ease of reading. All this being said - my list of improvements are preferences rather than imperfections.

A few of my favorite features on the watch are the raised stainless arabic numerals (at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions) and hour markers in between - give the watch a professional appearance akin to the Omega Planet Ocean Quantum of Solace edition. The illum, though not spectacular, is also quite good; markers and hands equally stand out at night.

As I'm overseas quite often, I love the second time-zone/GMT feature. Unlike some of the other reviewer's comments, I've had no issues setting the GMT hand. I've found that pulling the crown all the way out and setting the local time first, then pushing it halfway in to set the GMT hand, seemed to work out the best. It has been very accurate thus far.

To keep from marring the bracelet up too bad at my current location, I've paired the watch up with a heavy duty Zulu/Nato strap. It is the old regimental black/grey/red edition which seems to match up nicely with the brushed stainless lugs and the red highlights of the GMT hand and the branding on the dial.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this watch, and feel I recieved far more than I expected for only $130. I will definitely buy another Golana in the future.

This watch didn't even last 10 months prior to needing a new movement. I own many watches and only wore this on maybe twice a week to my desk job. I've reached out to Golana 3 times and have not received a response on the warranty.

I like the look and feel of this watch. Given the relatively low price, I didn't expect perfection. But I don't feel that my modest expectations have been met.

The 2nd day I owned it, the fold-over clasp snagged on a door jamb as I was walking through, damaging it. I'm suspicious that a well-designed and well-fabricated clasp should have withstood such a casualty, but can't be sure. Nonetheless, I haven't been able to locate a service center or parts distributor for Golana anywhere in the United States. Subsequently I emailed Golana through their website, and have no reply after two weeks. I don't expect bulletproof contruction at this price point, but do expect a practical means to resolve problems and a modicum of service.

Another reviewer commented on the difficulty he has adjusting the date and the 2nd time zone. I find this to be particularly true regarding the date, which at this point I've stopped trying to get to display accurately. When I get the time I'll read the online manual to see if there are useful tips regarding the trouble I'm having. But obviously what should be a simple task, isn't.

I'm not entirely dissatisfied with the watch itself. But combined with the apparent impossibility of getting service, I'm not happy.

Feb 5, 2012 Update: Golana now has a NY phone number, answered by English-speaking staff. They replaced my damaged clasp for $10 in a nearly painless transaction. Consequently, I've adjusted my rating to three stars, up from two.

I really like the look and feel of this watch. Only reason I did NOT give 5 stars is because the locking mechanism on the band feels cheap and should have a release on it. For the price, I am not displeased with it but it is definitely not a slick deal at $120. Wait for a sale under $100.