Like many of us on this forum I love finding out about watches I have never heard of. I also know that I am in the minority in that I like quartz watches. Some of the watches one hears about are talked about because they are disliked for how the company that makes them markets them....Invicta being the one that seems to bring about them most angst IMO. The other reason many dislike some brands is how some brands are not quite clear about company history or play games with names bought from old companies and put on what some consider poorer quality watches. I simply dont care about any of that, period. All I consider is how good the product is for the price I paid for it. I admit that when I see a brand get trashed for the reasons above but I like the looks and specs of them, I am intrigued. That was the case with the two Invicta Pro Divers and it is the case with the SO that I just received. I am always on the lookout for a great buy in a quartz diver and SO caught my eye. Like many watches today, most of their line is way to big for my tastes since I like 40mm and under. The SO 664 series is 39mm so it was the only SO I am interested in. After looking at them for weeks around the $50-90 price range on eBay and Amazon (Amazon sells a ton of them) I found this one from a seller that was willing to take a Best Offer since, while new, it had no box. I offered $45 and he accepted it (to my surprise actually) and since I had an eBucks coupon, my total cost was $27. I actually did not see in the pictures that the band was of the type that cant be changed (Until after I had bought it) and it is a little skinny at 18mm but I figured for the price I was paying, I would at least let it be delivered and see how it looked.
The specs are 200m WR, Japanese movement, screw down crown, SS case and a crystal material that is supposed to be better than regular mineral.
In other words, decent specs for a quartz diver under $100. I read over 100 reviews on Amazon and the vast majority were positive and that was one of the reasons I wanted to see for myself how good or bad it was. The main complaint was that some people thought it would be bigger (duh, read the specs) and the next was that they did not like the band (more than one said the pins fell out when they took it out of the box). The positive reviews stated the obvious; its a nice looking watch in whatever color it comes in (Black, Blue, Black with orange bezel and Green Bezel and gray face) and has a lot of features for the money. The MSRP at $375 is so far beyond reality that it really is laughable. The watch itself seems to be very nicely finished (no defects in the case or face) and well built but the thing that really keeps it from being a super buy is the band. It seems to be solid link but it is light, but not squeaky. At 18mm it is a bit skinny and cant be changed. I like it and will keep it since it was only $27 but I would have been very disappointed if I had paid $50 for it.......all because of the band. Make it 20mm and changeable and they would have had a real winner for the money. Where my Invicta Pro Divers are solid $100-120 watches, this SO is only worth about $50 MAX IMO because of the band. Its not all that bad really but to someone like me that loves to change bands, it will get less wrist time than my Invictas.
Verdict; I like it, but dont love it because of the band. The quality of the watch seems comparable with Invictas in this price range but Invictas bracelets are far superior in every way. I would buy another SO if I can ever find one about this size BUT with a changeable band. If I cant find one, I would not buy another unless it was for the stupid low price I got this one for.
The specs are 200m WR, Japanese movement, screw down crown, SS case and a crystal material that is supposed to be better than regular mineral.
In other words, decent specs for a quartz diver under $100. I read over 100 reviews on Amazon and the vast majority were positive and that was one of the reasons I wanted to see for myself how good or bad it was. The main complaint was that some people thought it would be bigger (duh, read the specs) and the next was that they did not like the band (more than one said the pins fell out when they took it out of the box). The positive reviews stated the obvious; its a nice looking watch in whatever color it comes in (Black, Blue, Black with orange bezel and Green Bezel and gray face) and has a lot of features for the money. The MSRP at $375 is so far beyond reality that it really is laughable. The watch itself seems to be very nicely finished (no defects in the case or face) and well built but the thing that really keeps it from being a super buy is the band. It seems to be solid link but it is light, but not squeaky. At 18mm it is a bit skinny and cant be changed. I like it and will keep it since it was only $27 but I would have been very disappointed if I had paid $50 for it.......all because of the band. Make it 20mm and changeable and they would have had a real winner for the money. Where my Invicta Pro Divers are solid $100-120 watches, this SO is only worth about $50 MAX IMO because of the band. Its not all that bad really but to someone like me that loves to change bands, it will get less wrist time than my Invictas.
Verdict; I like it, but dont love it because of the band. The quality of the watch seems comparable with Invictas in this price range but Invictas bracelets are far superior in every way. I would buy another SO if I can ever find one about this size BUT with a changeable band. If I cant find one, I would not buy another unless it was for the stupid low price I got this one for.