Sunday, August 3, 2014

Wristwatch Review: Marc Ecko Rhino Men's Analog Wrist Watch

 A Cool Looking, Affordable, Watch from America's Most Gifted Designers

Marc Ecko is one of America's most gifted designers. He demonstrated a flair for design with a modern hip-hop, skate rat, urban sensibility while he was enrolled in the pharmacy school of Rutgers University. His mentors there suggested he take a year off to pursue his passion. He started with graffiti-inspired art t-shirts and has grown into an amazing success as a fashion designer, artist, and philanthropist. Of course, I didn't know any of this when I found a Rhino by Marc Ecko watch at Kohl's for about $60.

My Marc Ecko Rhino Watch
If you name a watch after one of the world's toughest animals, you are making a bold statement. The Marc Ecko Unltd. brand uses the Rhino as a trademark symbol for its Rhino by Marc Ecko line of watches. The designer was actually inspired by the need to support the Rhinoceros-one of Africa's most endangered species. My Marc Ecko Rhino watch is a rugged looking men's casual watch. While many watches are engineered for extreme conditions, the Rhino is a fashion statement that is really about achieving a rugged look in an affordable package.

Watch Design. The rugged rhino look is achieved through a cross-hatched pattern that is repeated as a styling theme throughout the design. The rubber strap is about 24 millimeters wide and is encircled by three bands of raised cross hatch design. The cross hatching is repeated on the top of the watch case. It's reminiscent of the shiny chrome pattern that you might see on the truck-bed toolbox on a working man's pickup truck. The cross hatch pattern is repeated around the center of the rich blue dial. The center itself is occupied by the shiny chrome silhouette of a rhinoceros. It it outlined by a chrome oval with a cross-hair motif. The overall effect is just plain tough.

Watch Size. You might expect to a Rhino watch to be a behemoth. However, it is reasonably sized with a 38mm diameter dial, overall case width of 44mm, and a thickness of about 10mm. With a fairly thin profile, this Rhino can easily be concealed beneath the cuff of a long-sleeved dress shirt.

Construction. While a young designer may not know a lot about the internals of a wristwatch, Timex does and Timex is the maker of the Marc Ecko watch brand. It's a good union because these watches have a young sensibility and Timex excels at making affordable watches. My Marc Ecko watch has a reliable Japanese quartz movement. The Rhino by Marc Ecko has a stainless steel back and a base metal case. The strap is made of a supple rubber or silicone material. The watch is water resistant to 30 meters.

Overall. The Rhino by Marc Ecko delivers a lot of interesting watch designs at affordable prices. I found my Rhino watch to be a fresh, masculine, designer look in a practical and affordable quartz package.


Sources:
MarcEcko.com
"Marc Ecko," Wikipedia.org
ShopEcko.com

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