Watch Review: Men's Relic "Detroit" Black Silicone Strap Watch

This week I'm reprinting a review of one of my favorite Relic watches.  Right now, it's down for maintenance.  I'm trying to change the battery and can't get the press on caseback back on the watch.

Is This the Baddest Watch in the Whole Down Town?

L. Spain, Yahoo Contributor Network


When I started a new job, I decided to up my game a little in the watch department. Naturally, I turned to Fossil's Relic Brand. Relic has many cool watches in the $50 to $80 price zone. For just over $50 on sale at Kohl's, I found a watch that is called the "Detroit" on the Relic Brand website and Model ZR11924 everywhere else. It's an dark, serious, masculine quartz watch that looks good in the office or after hours.
The city of Detroit is making a comeback--at least in Chrysler commercials with Eminem and Clint Eastwood. Detroit has always been known as a tough, gritty, hard working city. Perhaps it's no wonder that Relic chose to name one tough looking watch after Motown. It can be tough to describe the subtle variations of classic watch style that give this watch the personality of a back alley punch in the nose. But, the tone of the "Detroit" is undeniably set by the flat black silicone band that straps it down to your wrist. While it is very similar to the bright band that adorns my Mossimo Digital Watch. In flat black, the strap remains comfortable, but gives this watch the serious demeanor of a mobster's car.

My Relic Detroit

The all-stainless steel, 43 millimeter diameter, case continues the serious theme with a smoky gunmetal color with a subdued shine. The bezel is non-rotating, but has raised circles at five minute intervals and numerals at the 15, 30, 45, and 60 minute positions. The watch subtly evokes the appearance of a weather diver-style watch. The "Detroit" has a dark, almost black, Navy blue dial with no-nonsense white luminous markings. At five minute intervals two millimeter diameter luminous dots subtly outlined in silver tones give this Relic good visibility. The numerals 12, 6, and 9 are given similar treatment. A square date window takes the 3 o'clock position in lieu of an hour numeral. Just inside the hour markings, smaller white numerals 13 through 24 provide military time. The hour and minute hands feature a triangle of luminous material to make time telling easy in low light conditions. The brand name is written in small block letters about midway between the 12 and the watch hands axle.

Relic Detroit

The result is a classic, functional, and tough looking men's wristwatch. It's a conventional watch that looks like it should be worn by the star of a heist movie. The Relic "Detroit" looks like the watch you'd glance at before pulling down your ski mask, climbing a barbed wire fence, and embarking in an adventure. But, since the case is only 13 millimeters thick, you can wear this watch with a dress shirt to your office job and it will fit right in. Of course, every time you glance down at your wrist, the Relic "Detroit" will remind you that you are the baddest dude in your whole row of cubes.

Here are some similar looking Relic watches for men: