Customer Reviews

Skagen Men's 755XLSLC Leather Automatic Watch

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

 

 

Let me start off by outlining the criteria with which I am reviewing this watch. I went into this intimately familiar with the 1 star review as well as reviews that state that Skagen watch faces shatter very easily. I am evaluating this watch not on its overall quality, but on my experience with it after having read about it.

Three words: I love it (like the 5-star says).

This was a difficult purchase to make. I am just getting into watches, and I really admire automatic watches. I think they are part art, part timepiece. Without you (or a watch winder), the watch will not function. Without the watch you will not know the time. It's a symbiomechanic relationship.

Since the 1-star review seems to be lacking this information, let's first go over what an automatic watch is and isn't. An automatic watch is a self-winding watch that winds with the user's arm movements. There is a tiny weight (called the rotor) that easily spins with even the slightest arm movement. Automatic watches aren't the most accurate watches out there. A VERY well adjusted automatic watch will be off possibly 3-4 seconds per day, slow or fast. Your run of the mill quartz watch will run 1-3 seconds slow or fast per day. This is due to a whole multitude of things: arm movement, shock to the watch, bumping, how its worn on wrist, etc. An automatic watch is NOT to keep time in sync with the atomic clock. If you want a super accurate watch, get a quartz-movement watch.

Onto the Skagen. I received it Saturday, 3 days ago. The box it came in was quite nice, actually, and it was on a small cushion inside, along with some literature and a hang tag (with a price of $245!). Setting it was a breeze: pull all the way out to set the time, push in a tiny click to set the date. With it set I was away!

The movement inside is a 21-jewel Miyota 8215 (I BELIEVE). I tried emailing Skagen about it before I received it, but the CS rep seemed to know nothing about it and sent me information about what an automatic watch was. The 8215 is used in watch brands such as Camel, Citizen, Dugena, Festina, Jacques Lemans, and Invicta (according to Wikipedia) and operates at 21,600 beats per hour. It winds only one direction. It's also a non-hacking movement, which means when you pull the crown out to set the time the second hand keeps moving. It is unadjusted, and as a result has an accuracy of -20 to +40 seconds per day.

The leather strap is just as advertised, with "Skagen Denmark" and "Genuine Leather" stamped on the underside. It has 8 sizes as well. My wrist is very thin, so I was nervous about having to wear it on the smallest size, but even my small wrist comes to the third-to-last hole. It has 2 loops to keep the band down, so if you had larger wrists and wore it on the largest or second to largest sizes, those might get in your way. The wristband is comfortable and fits my wrist well.

The watch face is hardened mineral, and after having accidently banged it into a door frame, I can report it did not shatter! I believe I have a slight scratch, which is my own dumb fault, but like my other Skagen, this one seems that it can take a beating.

Due to the movement being non-hackable, I timed the watch to ~-30 from the atomic clock (as something steady to set it against). The next day it was maybe +15 seconds, and yesterday it was ~+45 seconds, so it seems that mine is running fast. There are 2 remedies for this: roll it back every few days or adjust it. Through the window to see the movement (on the bottom) you can see the adjustment mechanism. There are several write ups on how to adjust a Miyota movement yourself...or you can take it to a watch repair shop and have it done. Companies that make higher end watches time the movement face up, 3 o'clock up, 6 o'clock up, 9 o'clock up, and 12 o'clock up to get an accurate (+2/-3 seconds) movement.

The dial is simple, exactly what I was looking for when I was watch shopping. I don't want Skagen's other dials (24-hour, day) on a watch. I was looking for the following:
1. Simplicity
2. Date
3. Second hand
The Skagen had all of these. The second hand runs at 6 beats per second. The dial has numbers clearly marked at every hour, minutes/seconds clearly marked, and a 24-hour setup within the minute/second circle. The date window is at the 3 o'clock.

I bought a $149 automatic watch, and I got a movement that is used exclusively in Festina Watches ($200-$400) and Jacques Lemans ($200-$600, assuming it's exclusively Miyota), so I can't complain. This isn't an Omega, a Patek Phillipe, or a Tag Huer: it's 1/10th the cost of the lower of these 3, and 1/1000 the cost of a Patek. If you want a super high-quality watch with genuine sapphire face, go for one of those three. If you want to explore the realm of automatic watches (and not sink a ton of cash into it), get this Skagen.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a con: the date. The date sits low in its window, but not low enough to be obscured at all. I have read that good movements will perfectly center the date, and this does not. If I could give it a 4.5-star I would, but when I looked at giving it 4 stars or 5, I asked myself: do I just like it, or do I love it? I love it.

I also would like a hackable watch, where the second hand stops, but beggers can't be choosers. I knew this as I bought it, so I can't count it against the watch.

Overall, this is a fine watch for people that want to explore automatic watches without making a significant investment. It's cheap enough that if you wanted to experiment with adjusting it, you could, with no financial disaster if you broke it. It's a simple, elegant, automatic watch with a high quality wristband. As I've said before: if you want a super-accurate watch, skip this one and get a Timex quartz movement. If you want a watch for more than time, take a look at this. You won't be disappointed.

Let me start by saying I own several Skagen watches and am a big fan of the brand.

Last year I purchased a Skagen 755XLSLC automatic. The watch was nice. The band fit comfortably, it never missed a beat and I loved it. It was my everyday watch. I wore it every where and never had a problem with it.

After about 18 months of ownership, I was in the rest room at the Minneapolis airport. I leaned over to pick up my brief case when I heard broken glass hit the floor near me. I looked all over trying to figure out what the noise was and where it came from. I looked everywhere for a broken light bulb, a broken mirror but found nothing. I thought maybe someone threw something at me. I finally gave up and left to catch my flight. While walking to my gate I checked the time on my watch and found that the crystal had shattered. I did not bump, bang or hit my watch against anything - it just shattered.

I called Skagen later that week, told them my watch crystal had shattered and I needed it repaired. The woman at customer service asked if my watch was a Skagen Automatic 755XLSLC. When I replied "Yes" she said "We don't fix those any longer." She went on to say that the watch was made in Japan and that the "Shattering Crystal" was common. She said that thousands of the crystals had shattered and that they were no longer fixing the watch. She said to send the watch in and I would be given a $295.00 credit for any watch or watches they sell. She also said the all dies and manufacturing tooling had been destoryed and there were no parts available.

I then went online to further research the issue and found numerous other sites with people claiming the same problem. Almost all shared the same story as me - the crystal just shattered. Once again, I didn't bump the watch or hit anything, it just shattered.

I am still a fan of the Skagen product line but this watch appears to be a dud.

Good luck

I bought the Skagen watch thinking it was the same model I saw in the store. Not by a long shot. This watch, claimed to be originally listed at $245 is not close to the quality of other Skagen watches I priced in stores. The quality is sub-standard. More importantly it has stopped running twice and runs slow all the time. In fact it was running when I opened the box. That is unacceptable and will keep me from buying watches or similar products from Amazon.com in the future. I'll be returning this watch as soon as I run down the return label. I'd caution anyone from buying a watch from Amazon.