TGIF: Should We Still Hate Stuhrling Original?

Stuhrling Original is a brand many watch enthusiasts love to hate. It's a New York based brand that claims inspiration from classic Swiss watchmakers. But, they pride themselves in making watches in modern Chinese watch factories. Many of their watches are obvious homages to classic models from brands like Rolex. Like Invicta, they have been infamous for greatly inflating the manufacturer's suggested retail prices of their watches in order to offer "incredible" discounts and sales prices. 

My Stuhrling Original Model 946 03 Winchester Quartz Transparent Dial Watch

My question: should we still hate Stuhrling Original? I'm not so sure that we should. Here are four reasons to consider buying a Stuhrling Original watch:

1. Good Watches. 

Geopolitics aside, China makes pretty decent watches. Stuhrling isn't the only company making watches in that country. Many respected brands are manufacturing in China and many of the elite Swiss brands incorporate some degree of Chinese components. Stuhrling Original has been open about their Chinese manufacturing from early on. Some may consider that more honest than Switzerland's elite brands that have been very liberal about their interpretation of the "Swiss Made" definition that requires 60% of a watches economic value to be created in Switzerland.

2. Many Retailers Discount. 

Stuhrling isn't the only company with high prices and steep discounts. Other watch brands offer big price markdown on Amazon and in other venues. Plus, there are whole department store chains that rely on perceived savings from sales, rewards bucks, and credit card price reductions. The hyperbole that seemed new and deceptive when Stuhrling Original started is commonplace now.  This Stuhrling Original was originally marketed as the Sturhling Original Concorso Raceway watch. Now, it's marked as being 77% off here on Amazon.

Stuhrling Original Chronograph Watch (Amazon photo)

3. The World is Full of Homage Watches.

Some watch enthusiasts rail at perceived lesser brands like Invicta and Stuhrling Original because they make homage watches that look like much more expensive prestige watches. However, some of these old favorite watches were released decades ago and aren't fully protected by active patents. It's not surprising that many brands mimic the icons. You'll find rotating bezels and familiar dive watch markings on watches made by everyone from Armitron to Timex. This Stuhrling Original Depthmaster from Amazon fits right in there and at 76% off so does it's price. It costs exactly what a Chinese-made Rolex homage watch should at well less than $100. 

Stuhrling Original Depthmaster (Amazon Photo)

4. Value for the Money. 

The wealthy can continue to support the elite brands and I hope they always do. But, these elite brands have made it perfectly clear that they are not for the rest of us. We may dream. We may scrimp. We may save. But, for most of us, a prestige watch might not be a good use of scarce resources. In the meantime, Stuhrling Original watches are pretty good watches when you consider their actual sub-$100 prices. You can buy a nice looking watch for less than $100 and you can go on about your day.

Ultimately, we all have to make our own purchasing decisions. But, I'm not sure that we should blindly hate certain brands.