Once again I delve into the world of really cheap watches with this second model of the Infantry brand I’ve acquired.  The last one was given to me by a friend a year ago (I featured it in August 14) and has proved OK and hasn’t let me down, is accurate and actually looks pretty good.  My pal doesn’t often give gifts, but at $12 he wasn’t killing himself!  LOL . . . .

It will be interesting to see if this one which I’ve found recently is as satisfying – and on first impressions I’d say it looks not too bad. A bit lightweight, with a coated metal case but offered at a price of just £14.24 including FREE delivery to the UK from Hong Kong, it might be a bargain.

The Maker’s description says – IN.044 model Infantry Day/Date Quartz Nite Luminous with nylon strap, images are as shown.  With a round 40 mm x 11 mm matte black colour resin case, good sized crown @3, luminous Arabic numerals, Hour, Minute and centre Seconds plus a 24 hr dial set and a good sized Day/Date window @3, the watch has very much a classic look.
Note the Day & Date feature has a quick set Crown adjustment on the first pull out click point.  The crystal is flat, described as anti-scratch glass, which it might or might not be?  It is however very clear and with barely any reflection. The crown action seems VERY light, so I have to assume the Quartz movement is a very small one sitting, probably looking a bit lost in this case. And so it was, my assumption being correct.

Note the dial markers are on a second level to the numerals and there is a white arrow datum mark within the dial@12.

The screwed back however, isn’t – it looks like it is with the indents for a tool suggesting it’s screwed, but so obviously a simple and rather thin “snap” back, hence the quoted Water Resistance of just 3ATM – and after unsnapping that back – I would doubt even that so I’d stay away from water.

Conversely a nice OK quality 22 mm wide nylon fabric strap is supplied and it has a solid and signed steel pin buckle completes the look, which overall is quite pleasing.
The movement is listed as a precision Japanese Quartz and appears to be a generic Seiko/Epson or lookalike type and as these day they rarely have issues, it seems accurate enough.

So overall I’m OK with this watch, and although cheap made, it works as it should.  In reality it looks far better than it is, but without gimmicks and for value it’s pretty matchless.

Quality wise, OK the back is a bit thin and the “snap” is weak, so water resistance is minimal.  The Luminous quality – which I thought at first was probably not good enough – was in fact quite reasonable – and that did surprise me!
It manages ‘a good few hours’ though does lessen as the night goes on, but maybe my old eyesight has a portion of the blame.

So how I do rate it?

Well it’s VERY cheap, but it looks remarkably good and it works.  It’s Quartz, so is reasonably accurate, the Day and Date operate as they should – and at £14.00 is about as cheap as you can get.  The watch back has never come off inadvertently, so the snap back holds and has never fallen off, so . . my verdict.

I rather like it.