Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Singaporean article! On this shiok Saturday – and with Chinese New Year right around the corner – I’ve decided to round up 5 red watches that screams huat on the wrist.
Without further ado, these are affordable red-dial watches that I personally recommend. They are not only auspicious looking, but great watches as well.
1) Montage Prestige Autumn Red
Formally known as MILÉNEAL, Montage is a watch label best known for offering beautiful dress watches at an affordable price point. Their latest offering is the Prestige, a series of automatic dress watches with fume dials that are terrific value for money.
Who they are: Previously named as MILÉNEAL, Montage “…create timepieces that are of flavorful combination between Vintage & Contemporary.” Just like how the word ‘montage’ has the meaning of piecing together separate sections and fragments to create a whole new composite, Montage seeks to put together different quality parts to make a complete timepiece that is meant to complement your style.
My opinion: I think the Montage Prestige is the best dress watch that you can buy under S$300. The fact that you get a Miyota 9015 movement for under S$300 is impressive in its own right, but Montage takes it up a notch by pairing the movement with a gorgeous fume dial. The Montage Prestige possesses both form and function, and it puts its similarly priced fashion watches counterparts to absolute shame. If you’re someone looking for a nice “first watch” but don’t want to spend a lot of money, the Montage Prestige is perfect for you. The red dial is very alluring as well. Even for seasoned watch collectors, I think the Montage Prestige will definitely add something different to your collection – unless you already own a Moser of course!
Review: I reviewed the Montage Prestige here.
Where to buy: Montage’s web-store. Montage is also a partner of Wah So Shiok – readers enjoy 10% off all Montage watches on their web-store! Just quote “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy the discount.
2) UNDONE Urban Chronograph
Best known for their affordable customisable watches, UNDONE has managed to establish themselves in their niche despite the relatively short span of time that they have been around. With a focus on collaborative watches this year, it looks like UNDONE is set to grow from strength to strength.
Who they are: “Established in 2014, UNDONE is the world’s leading custom watch label founded by a team of dedicated watch industry veterans. The core philosophy of the company is enabling everyone from all walks of life to create their unique personalized watch at a great value without sacrificing quality. By combining traditional watchmaking with modern-day technology, UNDONE grants people the power to narrate their perception of time through their tailor-made watches. The production of all UNDONE brand products is made in-house, allowing their team to have full control over every aspect that goes into the making of their unique watches.”
My opinion: If you like customising your watches, you can’t go wrong with UNDONE. The UNDONE customisation tool is a breeze and a joy to use, and one really gets the satisfaction when strapping a custom made (to one’s design impetus!) watch on the wrist. One of my favourite models is the Urban Chronograph Mystique (pictured above), where a striking red dial option is available in the customisation tool. Despite the custom made nature of most of their watches, UNDONE’s prices are fairly reasonable – prices (after promo code below) starts at just $204 USD/ ~$290 SGD for the Urban Chronograph when paired with a perlon strap. Overall, I find UNDONE watches great for not only meaningful gifts but also an outlet for one to express their individuality.
Reviews: I have reviewed the UNDONE Urban Chronograph here.
Where to buy: UNDONE’s web-store. UNDONE is also a partner of Wah So Shiok – readers enjoy 10% off products on their web-store! Just quote “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy the discount.
3) Seiko Presage SRPE41J1
If you prefer a more traditional watch from a “household brand”, then I suggest getting a personalised Seiko watch from local watch retailer, H2 Hub!
Who they are: It’s Seiko – one of the largest watchmakers in the world. You have probably heard of them for making great bang-for-buck watches.
My opinion: In my personal experience, H2 Hub has some of the lowest prices for Seiko timepieces in the market – I got my Seiko Cocktail Time “Irish Coffee” from them. And yes, you can still personalise the caseback of the watch with text or image of your choice. For this Chinese New Year, I would suggest going for the new Seiko Presage SRPE 41J1 “Negroni”, currently available for just S$432 (after promo code below). The blood-red dial is simply spectacular, and it is probably the best Seiko you can get for under $500 currently.
Where to buy: H2 Hub’s web-store. H2 Hub is also a partner of Wah So Shiok – readers enjoy 5% off all products on their web-store! Just quote “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy the discount.
4) Reverie Diver
Reverie made a huge splash in the microbrand community with their debut watch -the Reverie Sea Spirit- due to its unique guilloche dial. Since then, this Singaporean brand has continued to make guilloche a mainstay in their designs, including in their latest offering, the Reverie Diver.
Who they are: “Reverie is an independent watch company based in Singapore which creates limited edition timepieces with ornate guilloché dials. Our name stems from our dream to create beautiful watches which stand the test of time.”
My opinion: The Reverie Diver is a compelling package. Most dive watches at this price range use the Seiko NH35 movement – the Reverie Diver uses the superior Miyota 9039 movement in comparison. It also has a captivating dial, looks to be well-finished, and is astoundingly slim at just 11mm. Honestly, if you like smaller, thinner dive watches, the Reverie Diver is your best bet at this price point. To me, it’s the perfect affordable alternative to the Tudor Black Bay 58. The red dial, paired with the guilloche center, is stunning too. It’s been a long time since Reverie has announced a new watch, but it looks like the wait was worth it.
Review: I did an introductory article on the Reverie Diver here.
Where to buy: Reverie’s web-store. Reverie is also a partner of Wah So Shiok – readers enjoy $40 USD off products on their web-store! Just quote “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy the discount.
5) Advisor Supa
Last but not least is the Advisor Supa – a beast of a watch on the wrist.
Who they are: “Advisor Watch Company is a young independent micro watch brand from Singapore. Our watch concept and inspiration are derived from I (Iconic design) + M (Modern style). Watches we produced every year is in limited pieces to ensure its exclusivity to our customers. We take pride in the quality and uniqueness of watches we produce.”
My opinion: The Advisor Supa is another sharply executed value proposition. For less than $500 USD, one gets sapphire crystal with AR coating, a bronze case with ceramic bezel, a Swiss Sellita SW-200 movement, 300M of WR rating, and incredibly strong Swiss Superluminova. The overall aesthetic package of the Supa is nicely composed as well, with attention to detail evident. The Advisor Supa wears terrifically on the wrist as well. If you’re on the market for a bronze diver, you got to seriously consider the Advisor Supa. While the Supa comes in multiple colourways, my pick is definitely the red “Commando” version – it’s called the Commando as in Singapore, soldiers from the Commando unit don red berets. It ties into Andy’s (founder of Advisor watches) personal story as well, as he used to be a Commando during his NSF days. How cool is that?
Review: I reviewed the Advisor Supa here.
Where to buy: Advisor’s web-store. Advisor is also a partner of Wah So Shiok – readers enjoy 10% off all purchases! Just quote “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy the discount. Until 16 February, Advisor is also offering 30% off the Supa. Simply use the code “WSS-SUPA30” to get the Supa at 30% off!
Conclusion
That wraps up this article! I personally love all the 5 watches listed above and think they look stunning with their red dials. One always joke about wearing red underwear for better luck – why not wear a red watch instead to celebrate this lunar new year?
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wahsoshiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
P.S.S If you haven’t already, do follow my social media channels on Facebook here, and on Instagram here!
P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
