wrist watch pro logo white

Heritor Watch Review: Modern, Classic Timepieces With A Twist

December 3, 2021

Heritor are a relatively new fashion watch manufacturer. One of those smaller watch brands from a new generation that has popped up over the past decade. I've looked at the range of Heritor watches available and picked out a few of the interesting models for a closer look in our Heritor review.

After examining the whole range and doing my own research, I found some interesting designs. They specialise in using an interesting analog dial that takes classic watch styles and adds something. They prefer an automatic movement and they are definitely worth your consideration. As long as you don't pay MSRP (more on that later).

I have mixed feelings about the brand. Part of me knows they undoubtedly make some quality watches, and they are proud of their surgical quality stainless steel, but I feel their marketing and business policy let them down.

But there are exceptions. The Heritor Antoine Automatic is a dress watch I like, and it's available at a price I can accept. It is simple and stylish, with just enough personality to be interesting.

Want to read about Heritor and a few of their watches? Time to get down to it!

Here is the list of Heritor Watches I've reviewed:

Preview
Heritor Automatic Men's 'Aura Semi-Skeleton' Jeweled Movement 316L Surgical-Quality Stainless Steel...
Heritor Automatic Edgard Bracelet Diver's Watch w/Date, Mint/Silver, One Size, HERHR9101
HERITOR Antoine Men's Automatic Silver Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch HERHR8503
Case Diameter
44mm
45mm
42mm
Thickness
17mm
15mm
13mm
Case Material
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Crystal
Sapphire-Coated Mineral
Sapphire-Coated Mineral
Sapphire-Coated Mineral
Movement
Chinese Automatic
Seiko NH35 (Japanese Automatic)
Seiko NH39 (Japanese Automatic)
Features
Vitreous enamel dial, skeleton window, 36 hour power reserve, day & date sub-dials
Date window, unidirectional bezel, 41 hour power reserve
Skeleton window, 24hr sub-dial
Water Resistance
50m
200m
50mm
RRP
$1217 Amazon-ca $750
$1217 Amazon-ca $600
$1047 Amazon-ca $349
Preview
Heritor Automatic Men's 'Aura Semi-Skeleton' Jeweled Movement 316L Surgical-Quality Stainless Steel...
Case Diameter
44mm
Thickness
17mm
Case Material
Stainless Steel
Crystal
Sapphire-Coated Mineral
Movement
Chinese Automatic
Features
Vitreous enamel dial, skeleton window, 36 hour power reserve, day & date sub-dials
Water Resistance
50m
RRP
$1217 Amazon-ca $750
More Information
Preview
Heritor Automatic Edgard Bracelet Diver's Watch w/Date, Mint/Silver, One Size, HERHR9101
Case Diameter
45mm
Thickness
15mm
Case Material
Stainless Steel
Crystal
Sapphire-Coated Mineral
Movement
Seiko NH35 (Japanese Automatic)
Features
Date window, unidirectional bezel, 41 hour power reserve
Water Resistance
200m
RRP
$1217 Amazon-ca $600
More Information
Preview
HERITOR Antoine Men's Automatic Silver Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch HERHR8503
Case Diameter
42mm
Thickness
13mm
Case Material
Stainless Steel
Crystal
Sapphire-Coated Mineral
Movement
Seiko NH39 (Japanese Automatic)
Features
Skeleton window, 24hr sub-dial
Water Resistance
50mm
RRP
$1047 Amazon-ca $349
More Information

01. Heritor Automatic Aura Semi-Skeleton

I have chosen the Aura Semi-Skeleton Automatic as the first of the designs for this Heritor watches review because its enamel dial design is both striking and a nod to traditional craftsmanship techniques. It makes this a watch with style.

The Aura has a stainless steel case. At 44mm diameter and 17mm thickness, it is quite a big watch and you'll need to check if it fits on smaller wrists. One of the reasons for the thickness is the hinged caseback. They have enameled the cover like the dial and beneath is a display window for the automatic movement.

The crystal is Heritor's sapphire coated mineral crystal, and this is not the same as actual sapphire crystal. Although it should be more scratch resistant than the plain mineral version.

The movement is a 20-jewels automatic movement from China and rumor has it that it loses at least a few seconds a month. But I've not seen any reports of reliability issues.

This watch's strong point is its look. It might be a love it or hate kind of thing. But you can't deny the dial and bezel attract attention. The enamel mosaic is fun and stylish at the same time. The detailed bezel is striking and finished well. The case and dial go well with the leather strap it comes with. But I've heard it's not comfortable over time so you might want to change the standard leather strap.

The day and date sub-dials are a useful and can be read well enough. The small skeleton dial window at the six position isn't really big enough to get a proper look at the mechanism, but it does add another attention grabbing detail.

My concern comes with the price point (as it does for all of Heritor's watches). It's RRP is a ridiculous $1200 dollars. For that price there are so many better watches, that this would never get a look in. But even the prices I've seen it at (around $650-$750) are steep and I couldn't recommend it.

02. Heritor Automatic Edgard Diver's Watch

The Heritor Edgard Diver's Watch is a good-looking timepiece. It comes in five different color combinations for the bezel and dial. All of which are striking and give the watch character.

It has a stainless steel case and bracelet. The caseback has a display window.

Some of the Heritor automatic watches come with a Chinese automatic movement, but not this one. This has the reliable Seiko NH35 Japanese automatic movement that is accurate and used in several third-party watches, as well as Seiko's presage and Prospex ranges.

It has 200m water resistance, a unidirectional bezel, good lume on the hands and hour markers, and a screw down crown, so it should be good for at least swimming. And Heritor do call it a professional diver on their site.

The stainless steel strap is in keeping with the rest of the watch and comes with a push-button fold over clasp.

But again, at this price (around $600 dollars on Amazon) I just can't help feeling there are better alternatives. When a Citizen Promaster Dive costs less than $250 and a Seiko SKX007 costs less than $500, why would you?

03. Heritor Automatic Antoine

My final selection is the Heritor Antoine Automatic. It is a stylish dress watch at a better price (around the $300 mark on Amazon).

It is another Heritor automatic and its casing is stainless steel. And also like the others, it comes with a variety of analog dial and strap options, including different colors and a leather strap. (My personal favorite is the white watch face, but I also like the umber face and leather band.)

At 42mm diameter and 13mm thick, it is not the smallest dress watch. But it should still slide under most shirts. It is fitted with Seiko's NH39 24-jewel automatic watch movement, so it should be reliable and reasonably accurate.

The 24 hour sub-dial and the 9 position display window add just enough detail to keep the dial interesting without making it busy. And the simple Arabic numbers at 12 and 6 are in keeping with the simplistic dress watch style.

Of all the watches I've mentioned here, this one is the one I feel happiest recommending. At a price of around $300 dollars (Not Heritor's ridiculous $1000+ MSRP) and with a well-known movement, this is much more competitive and it holds well against other mid-priced dress watches. Like all things with dress watches, it will come down to personal taste. But at least this is a valid alternative.

Alternatives

In this range, they are alternatives to the Heritor automatic movement options I've outlined above.

If you're looking for an alternative dive watch, I'll give you a hand. One I like is the Citizen Eco Drive Promaster Diver. It has lots of pros and not many cons. With a robust design and distinctive look, it's a true diver with 200m water resistance, screwdown crown, lumed markers, numerals on the unidirectional bezel and a good resin strap.

A small date window at the four position adds a design detail to the black face, and Citizen's Eco-drive means you'll never have to worry about charging.

Citizen Men's Promaster BN0150-28E

An alternative dress watch that never fails is the Tissot Le Locle. An elegantly simple dial and case matched with silver roman numerals and minute markers on a black patterned dial is a stylish and simple design.

Tissot's Powermatic automatic movement gives an 80 hour reserve and is reliable. The watch is matched with a comfortable leather strap and butterfly clasp.

Tissot Men's Le Locle T0064071605300

A Note on the Heritor Business Model

Heritor. In my experience, if you say that name to watch collectors or read a few posts and reviews on the internet, you get two responses: who? or hmmm. Neither is very reassuring.

Who? is a valid response. Heritor are a relatively new brand in the game, and it takes time to build a brand.

But the skeptical hmmm is because of the business model Heritor use. Like a lot of new watch companies, they use off-the-shelf parts and add their own design twists. And that is fine. As I say, it's standard practice.

Marketing tricks

Where people are less happy is the sales method they apply. They set their watch RRP's to abnormally high levels, but give retailers complete freedom to set their own prices. This means that you will see lots of Heritor's at what appear to be heavily discounted prices. It's a well-known tactic: a marketing opportunity that makes you feel you're getting value — who doesn't like a watch at 50% off.

The issue is, a Heritor watch isn't worth the original retail price. They use Chinese movements in some of their watches (not that this is bad in itself, but they do have a different price point), most of their crystals are what they call sapphire coated mineral crystal, and some of their genuine leather watch straps are actually thin outer layers with a foam core.

So, if you're paying $1000 dollars for a watch, you want Rolex not Timex and you'd be dismayed. BUT, if you were paying $300 dollars for the same watch, it's a different ballgame and you might be happy. (Depending on the alternatives available, of course)

Buyer beware

A Heritor at $150-$300 dollars, is as good a watch as most in that price range. While I don't agree with their business model, I think as long as you know what they are up to, you can make your own decision.

And that's why I reviewed them the way I did—with an estimate of what the watch is worth, not what the RRP say it is. That way, if you find one at a good price, it's still a good buy and you can make an informed decision.

Final Thoughts

That's our Heritor watches review. At the end of the day, you'll have to make your own mind up about Heritor watches. Personally, I think they have made some good designs with style and quality. Their watches match other brands in the lower-mid-range and have some nice touches.

I'm just not sure they can live up to their own motto 'Generation to Generation'. I wouldn't bet on a Heritor lasting a lifetime.

They have let themselves down as a company by their business practices. I think it treats a customer poorly. It's a legacy I don't like. They are part of the Resultco group, a world spanning distribution conglomerate, and they use similar tactics across all their collections.

That said, there are pros as well as cons. A few Heritor watches are available for a reasonable price. Then, you just need to evaluate them against what you 're after. They do offer a two-year warranty on all timepieces in their collection.

For me, I'll keep an eye on Heritor and see how things develop.

Related Posts
Steeldive Watches Review: 5 Watches Loved by Every Watch Collector
Italian Watch Brands - Watches Made & Designed in Italy
The Ultimate Mens Watch Brand List: 128 Timeless Timepieces
OW Ocean Graph Review: Heritage Diving At Its Finest?
Burei Watch Review: Best Watches by Burei
Martenero Edgemere Reserve: Chic & Functional From New York
Best Benyar Watch: 7 Timepieces You Probably Aren’t Aware Of
Circula Heritage Automatic Review: What to Watch Out For
Vintage Inspired and Definitely Inspiring: The EMG Nemo Diver
NTH Watch Review: Taking Watchmaking to the NTH Degree
Dwiss Watches Review: Hot or Not?
DaLuca Watch Straps Review: Is it Time to Give Credit?
The Ultimate Davosa Watches Review: Are They a High Quality Brand?
Skagen Watch Review – A Scandinavian Wonder?
MVMT Watches Review - Are They The Real MVP?
Ingersoll Watch Review – Quality on a Budget?
August Steiner Review - Fashion on A Budget
Mathey Tissot Review – Should You Work With Them?
Rotary Watch Reviews - Affordable Swiss Beauties
Lucien Piccard Watch Review - Who’s the Former Giant?
Junkers Watch Review - The King of The Sky?
Bertucci Watch Review - The King of The Field
Frederique Constant Watch Review - Classy, Elegant, Good-Looking
Victorinox Watch Review - Who’s Tissot’s Biggest Competitor?
Daniel Wellington Watches Review - Are They Just Pretty?
TicWatch E vs S - Are They Really That Different?
Laco Watch Reviews - Did We Just Find the Best Pilot Watches?
Tissot Reviews - Swiss Luxury at Affordable Prices
MEGIR WATCH REVIEWS - AN UNFAMILIAR FACE FROM THE EAST
A NIXON WATCH REVIEW - BEAUTIFUL, DIVERSE & SOMEWHAT COSTLY
TIMEX WEEKENDER REVIEW AMERICA’S BEST FIELD WATCH?
An Akribos Watch Review – Who’s the Brand Behind the Mask?
A Jack Mason Watch Review - Who’s The All American Brand?
The John Wick Watch - What On Earth Did He Wear?
Glycine Combat Sub Review: A Dive Watch For The Connoisseur?
Author
Alastair Crombie
I’ve been collecting watches since I bought a ‘Rowex’ for a fiver from a mate when I was 10. He told me you pronounced it Rolex and that’s how it all started. I used to love that Rowex. These days I still tend to stick to the more affordable end of the market. Both my wallet and my wife are happier that way. My favorite watch changes with the seasons, and that’s what I love about watches. Each one doesn’t just tell the time, much more importantly, they tell a story.
Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. Wrist Watch Pro is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon (.com, .co.uk, .ca etc) and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.