The Montredo Upgrade Brigade – Daniel Wellington

At Montredo, we aim to help wherever we can. For example, if someone has acquired a chic Daniel Wellington but is now looking for an alternative, we are happy to send our experts from the In-house Upgrade Brigade into action. Without wanting to bash the successful fashion brand too much, we feel it is our duty to give you a few more reasons why you should part with your Daniel Wellington – or not buy it at all.

The Problem With Daniel Wellington

• No tradition:
  Daniel Wellington’s success is the result of pure – admittedly very good – marketing. The story of the company’s founder Filip Tysander, who met the British gentleman Daniel Wellington at the end of the world and was inspired by his watches, whilst sounding impressive, does not replace any originality or tradition the brand lacks. Young brands can only successfully forge their own path through unique designs and quality, such as Nomos, Hublot and even some microbrands, such as Baltic or Lorier.

• Design:
  The minimalist design of Daniel Wellington watches is not all bad. Nevertheless, one jumps here on the already long existing trend for watches in the Bauhaus style, without bringing anything to the table themselves. Also the proportions can not be considered successful, as the watches have too large a diameter in relation to their low height. The crown (which is too small) rounds off the incongruous picture. One is used to more beautiful designs, especially from Sweden.

• Quality:
  It is no secret that watches are often mass-produced in China. However, the Chinese origin is not a problem, because in the meantime high-quality watches can also be produced there. Unfortunately, the tickers of Daniel Wellington can not be counted amongst them. The materials used and the workmanship leave a lot to be desired, and the quartz movement used can even be purchased for under €5.

• Price-performance ratio:
  For well over €100, the watches are simply hopelessly overpriced. For example, extremely similar watches (and maybe even from the same factory?) are available at AliExpress for under $10.

But the huge success of Daniel Wellington also shows a positive side: Even in times of Smart Watches there still seems to be a need for classic wristwatches amongst young people. So, here are a few nice alternatives to Daniel Wellington.

Five upgrades to the Daniel Wellington

5. Tissot Everytime

Great watchmaking tradition, Swiss-made quartz movement and an absolutely fair price. The Tissot Everytime can be seen as the ideal introduction to the world of traditional quality watches – minimalist design included.

4. Timex Fairfield

The Fairfield from Timex offers a particularly favourable alternative. Many people do not even know that the history of Timex goes back to the year 1854. American watchmaking history for the small-of-wallet. The version with blue dial and mesh band is available here.

3. Hamilton Intra-Matic

Further Swiss quality is available from Hamilton – just like Tissot, a part of the Swatch Group. Those who would like to spend a little more money can get a lot of watch for their money at the traditional brand originally founded in 1892 in Lancaster (Pennsylvania). The Intra-Matic is an excellent high-quality alternative to Daniel Wellington.

2. Junghans Max Bill

When we speak of watches in the Bauhaus style, the Max Bill by Junghans should not be missing. Designed after the famous kitchen clock by product designer and Bauhaus representative Max Bill, it is virtually the original Bauhaus clock aesthetic. You won’t get much more tradition and your own piece of design history elsewhere.

1. Orient Bambino

The Orient Bambino has long been one of the absolute favourites of the watch scene. A mechanical in-house caliber, a large selection of different variants and the traditional brand behind the watch, ensure enthusiasm amongst fans of affordable automatic watches.

With all these suggestions everyone should find his personal alternative to Daniel Wellington.