Daniel Wellington watches are gaining popularity among the youths. With it’s minimalist and thin cases, it’s no wonder people love it.
You are probably concerned about whether if Daniel Wellington watches are really as good as they have advertised and if the price you are paying is reasonable. This post will have you covered with all the information you need to know about the brand Daniel Wellington and if their watches are worth your time.
Daniel Wellington watches are simple and reliable. The quartz movement of Daniel Wellington watches is made in Japan, the home of the best watchmakers in the world. However, Daniel Wellington watches are known to have thin cases that are barely waterproof.
So it is best to avoid any water activities while wearing a Daniel Wellington watch. Although the quartz movement of Daniel Wellington watches are made in Japan, the watch is actually assembled in China.
Having owned a Daniel Wellington watch myself, I must say that I am impressed by its design and reliability. What makes the Daniel Wellington watch so likable is its thin case and comfortable leather strap that wraps around my wrist so nicely that often time I don’t even feel like I have a watch on my wrist!
Its lightweight nature is generally perceived to be easily breakable – On contrary to popular belief, the case of the Daniel Wellington watch is quite durable even though the case is thin; I have lost count of the times I have dropped the watch or knock it against a hard surface yet the watch still stays intact. After using it for over 3 years, I have decided to let it go and the resale value is surprisingly stable for a pre-owned fashion watch like Daniel Wellington.
Where is Daniel Wellington made?
Daniel Wellington quartz movement is made in Japan, by a Japanese company called Miyota, the watches are then assembled in China. The headquarters of Daniel Wellington is not from the above 2 countries, but it was established in Central Stockholm in Sweden.
Besides the quartz movement that comes from Japan, you are basically getting everything else of a Daniel Wellington watch that is from China. Which is why the brand is able to sustain sales of the watch at such a relatively affordable price point, which is also a key factor in the brand’s establishment and popularity.
However, you have used a Daniel Wellington watch before, you wouldn’t even notice or feel that the watch is made in China. Because of its high-quality straps and watch case, the watch feels like a premium product just like a Swiss watch you could get from Tissot.
Is Daniel Wellington a luxury brand?
Daniel Wellington watches does not even come close to being a luxury brand. The quartz movement used in a Daniel Wellington watch is a standard Miyota movement which is inexpensive and other components are manufactured and assembled in China.
Daniel Wellington watches are mostly priced from $110 to $250 and because of that, many consider it to be an expensive fashion watch. Which watch enthusiasts like myself would absolutely agree because the cost to manufacture a Daniel Wellington watch is probably less than USD$20.
In fact, Daniel Wellington has never positioned itself as a luxury watch brand because the company understands that their watches are definitely not on par with luxury watch brands like Rolex, Omega and Patek Philippe.
Many, including myself view that the high price point of Daniel Wellington watches are contributed mainly on the company’s marketing rather than its research and development of its watch. Perhaps, for the most part you are forking out really just goes into the brand name instead of the watch.
Is Daniel Wellington worth it?
One of the selling points of Daniel Wellington watches is its colorful and interchangeable straps, and Daniel Wellington probably has some of the best looking and most comfortable straps in the market. People would actually buy multiple straps to swap just for a different look every day.
Daniel Wellington watch is actually a pretty fun watch to have and it will grow into you after some time. Having owned one for over 3 years, I absolutely love how easy it was to read time from its watch face – A simple yet classic design is not easy to achieve especially one that captures the attention of buyers.
As Daniel Wellington watches are mostly priced from USD$110 to USD$250 and as a watch enthusiast, I am sad to say that Daniel Wellington watches are not worth that much for the quality and build you are getting from it.
In my observation, the actual cost to manufacture a Daniel Wellington watch can only come about to USD$20 maximum.
The observation is clearly based on facts as to why the price does not justify the price of a Daniel Wellington watch. Below are some points as to why Daniel Wellington watches are not worth it:
- Cases are too thin – Thin cases are known to be fragile.
- Barely waterproof – The thin cases cannot protect the watch from water activities
- Made in China – Except for its Japanese standard Miyota quartz movement, everything else is manufactured and assembled in China.
- Configuration – With it’s crown so small and fragile, setting the time on a Daniel Wellington watch is not easy.
- Japanese quartz movement – This might be a consolation for most people that Daniel Wellington watches are using the Japanese Miyota quartz movement. Except to know that the Miyota movement in Daniel Wellington watches are one of the lowest end (1L22) which cost USD$10 at most.
The only value which I think customers can get from a Daniel Wellington watch is its fun and interchangeable straps which youngsters like my kids love!
For the price you are paying for a Daniel Wellington watch, you can already buy a more valued watch like Seiko, Citizen, Swatch and even a Timex.
How is Daniel Wellington so popular?
Unlike other watch brands, Daniel Wellington uses a non-traditional method of advertising and that is Social Media Marketing. People all around the world would spend time taking photos with a Daniel Wellington watch and share it online with a hashtag #danielwellington thus turning it into an advertising post.
More interestingly, Daniel Wellington doesn’t even pay these people for such a service.
Nonetheless, Daniel Wellington will still set some budget for professional brand advertising or hire social media influences and celebrities to endorse their watches. But that is often minimum, for the most part, the Daniel Wellington brand is brought popular by ordinary people sharing to the world of the brand name.
While Daniel Wellington brand may be popular on the surface, you might be surprised that the brand does not share such a great popularity among watch enthusiasts who are serious about their #wristgame.
Many of such enthusiasts and critics have warned people to not even consider Daniel Wellington as a real watch brand for its lack of horological history.
Unlike Seiko or Citizen that have a long history of making high-quality timepieces, many view Daniel Wellington as a fashion watch with little value to it.
The quartz movement in a Daniel Wellington is made from a Japanese company call Miyota and the quartz movement cost USD$10 at most. Yet Daniel Wellington is selling its watches for over USD$200 on average.