Armitron Watches Review: Are Armitron Watches Good?

Let’s talk about a great American watch option that you can mostly see in the kiosks and small shops across the United States. We’re talking about Armitron — the fifth-largest brand in terms of sales figures in the US.

Now, why is this brand so popular?

The cut-throat pricing policy is the biggest selling point for this brand. Most of their watches cost about twenty to fifty bucks. So, this watch brand directly competes with the Chinese watches that are super popular in the market right now.

However, Armitron is a much better option compared to those non-branded Chinese watches. After all, this watch brand has a legacy of about seventy years.

Now, the question is — can this kiosk-friendly brand worth your eyes?

Well, we will find the answer to that question in this Armitron watches review. So, shall we begin?

5 Best Armitron Watches Review

Armitron Parliament 39, Model: 204591GYTT

The first Armitron watch on the list is the Armitron Parliament 39. This one is a pretty basic watch will all the common features and functionalities that we see in cheap watches.

It’s a three-hand watch with a day and date display sitting on the 3 o’clock position.

However, some desirable features make the watch stand apart. First of all, the case is made of brass. Brass is technically a better option for watch cases. It offers better resistance against corrosion and has better ductility.

Also, brass has this smooth golden color that makes the watch more appealing.

The two-tone bracelet and the expansion clasp are quite interesting features too. As you can guess by the name, the expansion clasp expands when you’re wearing the watch.

As a result, the Armitron Parliament 39 watch gives a bracelet-like vibe. In short, you can pull off this watch both in a formal and informal meeting. You can even use it as your daily driver due to the surprisingly low price-tag.

However, you don’t get the top-notch craftmanship in this watch. Although, none should expect Swiss watch-like craftsmanship from the Armitron watches.

Overall, Armitron Parliament 39 is a fine watch with immense value considering the price. If you’re looking for a cheap watch as a daily driver, you should definitely consider getting this watch.

Product Specifications – Armitron Parliament 39

• Movement: Japanese Quartz
• Display Type: Analog
• Case Diameter: 39.5mm
• Case Thickness: 9.5mm
• Band Width: 19mm
• Case Material: Brass
• Band Material: Stainless Steel
• Water-Resistance: 5 ATM
• Clasp Type: Expansion Clasp
• Crystal: Mineral Crystal

Armitron Dual 53, Model: 20/5270BLK

When it comes to toughness and durability, G-Shock is the reigning king. Casio G-Shock is the Guinness world record holder for being the toughest watch in the world.

As a result, G-Shock is often the go-to option for many adventure lovers.

Expectedly, many other manufacturers have tried to follow the design aesthetics of the G-Shocks. Armitron Dual 53 is this brand’s reply to the reigning champion of durability.

Armitron Dual 53 uses the same materials and design elements of the Casio G-Shock.

For example, the case and the band are made of resin to ensure shock resistance. It comes with the same set of functionalities too — chronograph with lap time, pacer, 5 alarms, dual time, 12/24-hour time, 100-year calendar, countdown timer, hourly chime and backlight.

Even the watch has a number of design elements borrowed from the Casio.

But here’s the thing — Armitron Dual 53 costs about one-third the price of a similar G-Shock!

This is the biggest appeal of this watch. Now, it’s true that G-Shock is a much more durable and robust watch when you compare head-to-head. But it’s tough to ignore the appeal of the pricing.

So, if you’re in short of the budget to buy a G-Shock, you can definitely get Armitron Dual 53. The pricing and the limited lifetime warranty are too good to miss!

Product Specifications – Armitron Dual 53

• Movement: Quartz
• Display Type: Dual (Analog and Digital)
• Case Diameter: 53mm
• Case Thickness: 19mm
• Band Width: 22mm
• Case Material: Resin
• Band Material: Resin
• Water-Resistance: 10 ATM
• Clasp Type: Tang and Buckle
• Crystal: Acrylic

Armitron Palladian 42, Model: 4952BLSV

Do you like minimalistic watches? The cleaner the better? Well, in that case, you MUST take a closer look at the Armitron Palladian 42. This watch has features one of the cleanest watch-face that we’ve seen in a long time.

The dial has a soothing sunray-style blue background and the bezel contrasts the light blue color with a deeper blue. Also, the crystal has an end-to-end coverage enhancing the color depth.

What about the dial?

The dial has only four markers on 12H, 3H, 6H, and 9H positions. Now, here’s the big reveal — the 12H marker has a genuine diamond!

Yes, this budget watch comes with a genuine diamond!

To complement this elegant dial, Armitron has used a glossy polished link bracelet.

Armitron Palladian 42 is a perfect balance between elegance and minimalism.

However, we think Armitron could have used a better bracelet that truly matches this beautiful dial. Then again, if you look at the price tag, the choice of the bracelet seems justifiable.  

More: Check our guide to Best Chinese Watch Brands here

 Product Specifications – Armitron Palladian 42

• Movement: Quartz
• Display Type: Analog
• Case Diameter: 42mm
• Case Thickness: 9mm
• Band Width: 20mm
• Case Material: Stainless Steel
• Band Material: Stainless Steel
• Water-Resistance: 5 ATM
• Clasp Type: Push Button Foldover Clasp with Safety
• Crystal: Mineral Crystal

Armitron Sports 50, Model: 408159BLK

Let’s talk about another sports watch from this brand — Armitron Sports 50. Unlike the previous sports watch Armitron Dual 53, this one boasts a unique design philosophy.

The design and choice of materials are the two biggest winning points for Armitron Sports 50. It uses a contemporary curved dial with a nylon strap.

While most of the nylon straps follow NATO or Zulu style clasps (tang and buckle), it has a hook-and-loop style clasp with Velcro attachment. Plus, the strap has this bold Armitron branding on strap.

Overall, Armitron Sports 50 gets full points in the design department.

While the watch has a ton of useful features like chronograph features and alarms, it certainly isn’t as feature-rich as the Armitron Dual 53.

For example, it has the day-date display but the fully-functional calendar is missing.

Also, the form factor is a bit too large since it’s not following the footsteps of the G-Shock’s design aesthetics.

Some users have complained against the quality and longevity of the Velcro strap too.

However, we think these budget-oriented watches are bound to have one or two issues like these.

Otherwise, why would people buy watches with thousand-dollar price tags?

More: Check our guide to Swiss Precimax Reviews here

Product Specifications – Armitron Sports 50

• Movement: Quartz
• Display Type: Digital
• Case Diameter: 50mm
• Case Thickness: 15mm
• Band Width: 18mm
• Case Material: Resin
• Band Material: Nylon
• Water-Resistance: 10 ATM
• Clasp Type: Hook and Loop
• Crystal: Acrylic

Armitron Delight 19, Model: 313SVTT

The final watch on our list is the ladies’ one — Armitron Delight 19. The most attractive thing about this watch is the form factor and design principles.

This watch practically looks more like a bracelet than a watch!

The 19mm diameter and the 8mm depth of the case are the key reasons why this watch is more like a jewelry than a watch. It even has a jewelry clasp!

Armitron Delight 19 has a bezel with wedge cuts similar to a diamond. Plus, the complete brass build gives the watch a soothing smooth finish.

Overall, we think Armitron Delight 19 is the best ladies’ watch from Armitron.

Now, let’s talk about some of the negative traits of this watch. First of all, this watch suffers from poor finishing quality.

The back part of the bracelet is rough without any kind of finish! Then, this watch doesn’t have any kind of water resistance! That means, even a splash of water can kill it.

Even some other Armitron watches with lower price have better finishing.

More: Tissot Le Locle Review: The Best Entry-Level Swiss Automatic Watch

 Product Specifications – Armitron Delight 19

• Movement: Japanese Quartz
• Display Type: Analog
• Case Diameter: 19mm
• Case Thickness: 8mm
• Band Width: 4mm
• Case Material: Brass
• Band Material: Brass
• Water-Resistance: No Water Resistance
• Clasp Type: Jewelry Clasp
• Crystal: Mineral Crystal

Is Armitron a Good Brand?

Now that you’ve gone through the best watches from Armitron, it’s time we focus on the overall brand appeal of Armitron watches.

Let’s start with the burning question — are Armitron good watches?

Yes and no!

The answer depends on your perspective. Armitron is not a premium watch brand and it doesn’t want to be. Almost every single Armitron watch suffers from one or two major flaws — the biggest one being poor craftsmanship.

More: Hamilton Khaki King Review: The Best-in-Class Quality Watch

For example, Armitron Delight 19 has terrible finishing with zero water resistance. Why would someone buy a watch with such major flaws when there are better and cheaper options available?

Then again, we have to consider the pricing too.

Armitron watches are cheap — it stands at the lowest end of the watch market considering the price. Even some budget-oriented Japanese watch brands can’t compete with Armitron watches in terms of pricing.

So, from that perspective, Armitron watches are pure gems!

Then, we need to think about its competitors. Armitron directly competes with the Chinese watches, often the non-branded Chinese watches. In that comparison, Armitron wins against almost every other watch brand in this segment.

So, what’s the final verdict? Are Armitron watches good?

It completely depends on how you want to look at its collection of watches.

If you’re looking for value while spending a minimum amount of money, these watches are exceptionally good.

On the other hand, if you are looking for impressive quality watches from a seventy-year-old American brand, you might get a bit disappointed.

More: Charles Hubert Pocket Watch Review: Should You Buy One?

What Did We Like About Armitron?

The biggest thing that Armitron watches offer is the price-to-performance value proposition. You’re getting great looking watches with a number of exciting features in a very competitive price range.

For example, Armitron Dual 53 and Armitron Sports 50 directly compete against G-Shock watches that are sports watches all over the world. Armitron watches even matches the functionalities design principles of the G-Shock watches.

Do you know what the best part is? Armitron watches come at one-third the price of the G-Shock watches.

We can go on and on but the most important thing is — whenever you look at the price of the watches, you’re bound to overlook the minor details.

And, people love Armitron watches for they are. After all, Armitron has the fifth largest share of watch purchasers in the US.

More: Best Value Swiss Watch: The Epitome of Craftsmanship!

What Didn’t We Like About Armitron?

Sadly, Armitron is NOT a premium brand and watches are extremely mediocre in terms of build quality and functionality.

If you compare Armitron with the other US or Japanese brands, it can never win against the big boys.

For example, Citizens, Seiko, Bulova — these brands have way better watches compared to Armitron.

Also, all Armitron watches, in general, have these issues —

• Poor build quality
• Unimpressive choice of material
• Mediocre craftsmanship
• Reliability issues

Unless Armitron launches a new series of watches at a higher price point, these issues might persist.

More: The Best G-Shock Alternative: A Battle of Toughness!

Conclusion

So, that was all about our Armitron watches review. We hope that we’ve already answered all of your questions regarding the brand.

Still, if you have further inquiry, feel free to let us know in the comment section below!

But before we conclude, let’s talk about the best Armitron watches, shall we?

Armitron Parliament 39 is the clear winner in our eyes. Then, Armitron Dual 53, the Casio G-Shock alternative, comes to second place.

Finally, Armitron Palladian 42, the minimalistic watch-of-the-day grabs the third spot.

Do you agree with our picks? Let us know!