Background
Movado has been manufacturing Swiss watches for over 100 years. Their first big break came in the 1940s in the form of their Museum watch. Since then, they’ve been creating simple, but bold watches.
Nowadays Movado is part of a group which incorporates MVNT and Concord to name two.
Movado makes stunning timepieces that are affordable.
Every Movado timepiece carries the Swiss-made stamp, even though they’re technically an American company now. They’re still very focused on the original Museum watch and have developed it. It’s now bigger with a marginally modified design to keep up with the times.
Their overall design is minimalist, sometimes on the verge of detrimentally so; it’s hard to tell the time accurately. They took some of the Museum’s features and folded them into today’s designs to make beautiful dress watches.
They’re cost-sensitive Swiss watches. Where could you go wrong?
Let’s look at what’s on offer:
Museum Stainless Steel (Black)
$1,095.00
As mentioned, the Museum is the signature model of all Movado watches. You can’t deny the design here, it’s instantly-recognisable. There’s one single huge dot at the 12 position. The Movado logo sits at the 6 position and that’s pretty much all the markings you get!
The design comes from the original 1940s version and they’ve been subtly adding elements of it into a lof of their models.
This one has a black dial with a contrasting stainless steel case and either a stainless steel bracelet or black leather wristband.
The case is 39mm by only 8mm. The dial is protected by sapphire crystal, which is scratch-resistant. As promised, the Swiss-made logo is stamped on the back.
Inside you’ll find Swiss-made quartz, and the whole watch is water-resistance to 30m, so you can have a shower in it, but not much more.
Museum Bold Ladies Gunmetal
$392.99
The Museum collection is vast. They have a cool corner where they use bold metals like gold, rose gold, gunmetal, black and silver. It makes the unique design really pop.
The stainless steel gunmetal ladies version really stands out. The case is 34mm. It’s uber-modern. It’s sleek. It shows off the signature dot at the 12 position. Everything else is wonderfully-minimalist. It offers hour and minute markers.
The matching band comes in the same material and colour. The dial is protected by mineral crystal, which is a shame to not be sapphire.
Inside is Swiss made quartz to keep it accurately telling you the time.
Bold Blue Sunray Dial
$427.01
The style just gets better and better. This Museum model moves away from the simplicity of the other models without markers. This one comes in a single blue which is just delicious. It offers three sub-dials, which differs from the original. They are hours and minutes as well as the day of the week.
There’s a second hand run by a chronograph.
It truly belongs in the Bold collection. It has a stainless steel case which is blue ion-plated. The mesh strap matches. The case itself is large, coming in at 44mm, but a conversely thin 10mm.
Masino Stainless Steel Chronograph
$433.54
If you’re on the market for something more dressy, this choro is perfect. It has a clear black dial and has the classic 12 dot. It offers three sub-dials as well as minute and hour hands around the case.
This watch is surprisingly small, which means it’s the perfect size to slide under a dress shirt. It’s only 40mm by 10mm and a simple stainless steel watch that you can work into any occasion,
It’s water-resistant to 30m so that’s handy.
Movado Dress Watch with Leather Strap
$386
Moving along from the Chrono is another dress watch that has more of a traditional look. It has a simple white dial which shows off triangular hour markings.
It moves away a fair bit from the look you’ve come to recognise within the Museum range. It’s definitely one for someone who likes something subtle but classy.
The case is 40mm by 10mm again, and the dial is protected by sapphire crystal. This time you get a date window at the 3 position.
It has quartz movement on the inside and is water-resistant to 30m.
Movado Heritage Chrono
$795.00
A mix of dress and sport here. The Heritage Chrono is very much like the above. It comes with that classic clean dial, this time in ivory rather than white. There are black sub-dials. There’s a minimal, round silver case, which is a dainty 26mm by 6mm. The detail that stands out the most is the air holes which point out black against the tan leather band. It has chrome pushers around the side.
It has quartz movement on the inside and this one is water-resistant to 100m.
Summary
There is no doubt about whether Movado timepieces have become popular or not. They display the time and their subtle features so elegantly it’s hard to beat.
The price might put some people off, though. It’s a little pricey considering alternatives who also offer the same quality. Raising the price has driven demand away from the mid-range as they creep up toward luxury.
The answer is, “it depends”. It depends on what your requirements are in a timepiece. If you want something sophisticated, then definitely. Everything about the design and build is chosen with care. It’s hard to make something minimal look so beautiful.
If you want something you can read in an instant, then maybe they’re not for you. The signature dot at the 12 position can make it really hard to actually know what the time is.
Perhaps you’d like to see more variety? They’re beautiful, for sure, but the designs don’t stray far from one another.
If you like them, then treat yourself. However, if you’re not sure, keep looking until you can be that you’ve found the watch for you.
If you like the minimal vibe, you have to check out the beauty of simplicity that comes from Skagen (and the prices might suit you better, too). Read our review here.
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Last Updated on June 10, 2020
Jacquelyn Ellis has written content, managed our social media, and edited our blog. Apart from that, she was our bookkeeper and management accountant for many years.