Are you getting tired of those bulky watches that look like a brick on your arm? Well, I did and the Skagen Slimline sure does seem to offer a stylish solution. After all, watches are used to tell time, but they also are a stylish accessory to compliment your outfit (men and women alike).


DESIGN Overview

The round stainless steel case is not as minimalistic as some other Skagen watches. It holds the two layer black dial and twelve chrome indicators of which only the '6' and '12' are numbered.

The hands are relatively short, or at least when comparing to the 30 mm dial. The minute hand is with 10 mm easy enough to distinguish from the 6 mm hour hand. Both are rather skinny and the same chrome finish as the indicators (and case).

The inner red second hand is offset and does not hold any marker in the 6 mm (diameter) chrome circle that's used to optically separate the second dial from the main dial.

The black leather band flows with the housing's shape and gives this watch an integrated look. The plain but elegant leather sport black top stitch details as the only design features.


What's HOT and what's not

Contemporary Styling: was the main factor for me but sure one of the main selling point for the Skagen Slimline. The Stainless steel case is highly polished and very thin. Minimalistic is this design not, but rather reduced to the minimum of design elements.

The leather band: is naturally not best friends with water, hence the rating for the case is basically an insurance against accidents. Anyway, up to 30 meters (100 feet) of water should not harm the quiet Japanese quartz movement.

Night vision: is required to be able to tell time under dim light or at night. The black dial and skinny hands make it hard to see, and it doesn't help that neither hands nor dial are luminous.

Thin is relative: The typical advertisement and first contact with this watch create the illusion that the slimline indeed must be very thin (approx. 2mm). Thanks to the thin edge design, the illusion is kept alive most of the time, just be aware that the watch itself is about 6 mm thick ... thanks to a protrusion on the backside of the case that holds the movement. Nevertheless, that's still significantly less than the average 9 - 12 mm for most men's watches.

Scratch-resistant mineral crystal: is used for the curved glass. The shape avoids the typical reflection and is therefor not suitable to annoy people by shining reflected sunlight into their eyes. (Most of the time that should be a good thing.)


SUMMARY

The Skagen Slimline is a cost-effective and stylish watch for everybody who doesn't need more than the current time in a package that's easy to the eye. The absence of gimmicks works well within this scope.

The classic design is practically timeless and despite the less known brand a good alternative to the heavy-weight competition from Switzerland and Japan -- if prestige is not the main argument for the time piece on your wrist.

The price of $95.- seems about right for this watch, but there are offers available online where this particular model can be had for $71.- and that makes it a true bargain.

© 2004, theuerkorn

Recommended: Yes