Stuhrling is known for its good-looking watches. They’re seriously breathtaking, yet are budget-friendly. That’s why we had to write this Stuhrling watches review, to enlighten you on everything you need to know below.
Stuhrling is not new to the watch game. They’ve been at it since 1999, becoming a prominent name in the watch industry. That being said, is 21 years that long? Heritage is important when it comes to watches, which is why many of its competitors have been around since the early 1900s.
The brand is known for its affordable timepieces. They’re budget-friendly yet come with high-quality parts. As you’ll see in our review, Stuhrling enjoys spoiling its customers. Let’s not forget that their pieces are stunning as well. The American watch manufacturer knows what they’re doing.
With that out of the way, why don’t we get to the good stuff?
You could skip this section, but we think giving the below table a read is a good move. After all, it’ll introduce you to Stuhrling’s best timepieces.
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Our Pick
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What do you think about automatic watches? We’re glad to see a Japanese automatic movement in the 3133.1. The timepiece has 22 jewels inside its gears. If you aren’t aware, the more jewels a watch has, the smoother its gear will run. 22 is quite a bit, leaving your 3133.1 moving like butter.
Being an automatic watch, it’s no surprise that Stuhrling went for a skeleton design. Its gears are mesmerizing, which is why the ability to watch them move is a smart move.
You could flip the timepiece on its back and watch its gears move too. It gives a better view if you ask me. There’s a Krysterna exhibition case letting you peek inside.
Okay, but what is Krysterna though? According to Stuhrling, it’s their own creation. They say it’s hard, even harder than Sapphire, but we don’t know about this. We do know that it’s tough, however. Seriously, try getting rough with it, it’ll hold its own.
Now that we know it’s a pretty durable watch, is it a water-resistant one as well? The answer is yes! The 3133.1 can withstand 165 feet (50 meters) underwater. You might not want to get into the pool though. You get a leather strap that’s not waterproof. Unless you’re a fan of having a soggy watch on your wrist, go for it.
Speaking of its strap, you don’t get regular leather. Although not a luxury brand, Stuhrling loves spoiling their customers. You get an alligator skin, making you feel like a million bucks.
Having a skeleton dial is mesmerizing, but is it functional? We found the watch hard to read as there’s so much silver going on, especially since there aren’t any numerals in place.
You’ll notice that there isn’t a seconds’ hand either. Before you get disappointed, look to the bottom of the dial. You’ll see a sub-dial marking the seconds passed.
So, how big is the 3133.1? Big, but not too big. Its case stretches 1.73 inches (44 mm) across.
What makes it special:
The skeleton dial
Our Pilot’s Watch
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On the hunt for a pilot’s watch? The Stuhrling 3916.2 is right up your alley. It’s incredibly easy to read, great when you’re in a dim-lit cockpit. Seriously, take a look at its dial, its watch face is huge. This makes way for some large Arabic numerals that you’ll never struggle with.
With your purchase, you’re getting one of the most luminous watches we’ve ever come across. Bright luminous paint is on its hands and markers, so you’re always good to go.
Not only does it come with a calendar feature, but there are two of them. One reads the day’s date, while the other one reads the day of the week. This makes the 3916.2 extremely functional.
It’s quite water-resistant as well. You never know when a plane has to crash land, right? No need to fear, the 3916.2 can last 330 feet (100 meters) underwater. Does this mean you can dive with it on? No. Stuhrling strongly advises against this.
Even if you do hit the water, you might not want to do so regularly. The timepiece comes with a leather strap like the 3133.1. How do you feel about a wet wrist?
Like its brother, is the watch automatic? You get a Japanese quartz mechanism instead. Being a pilot’s watch, this is important as Quartz is accurate, always keeping you on time. Something that it does share with its brother is size. The watch is also 1.73 inches (44 mm), so if you have smaller wrists, keep this in mind.
Although not functional, you’ll see rivets all over its strap. They’ve been on pilot watches forever, making them a nice touch.
The timepiece’s window is a nice touch as well. You get Krysterna. You already know that it’s more than durable.
What makes it special:
It’s a great pilot’s watch.
Best for Swimming
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I don’t know about you, but I’m a major fan of Pepsi bezels. The red and blue aren’t there just to spice things up. They make diving easier. The red marks the danger zone a diver faces, reminding you to surface before your oxygen supply runs out.
The bezel on 3950A.12 not only does this, but it also rotates, which is the hallmark of a good dive watch. It’ll tick as it turns, counting time down. How cool is that?
So, how far can it last underwater? The 3950A.12 can handle depths up to 330 feet (100 meters) underwater. Even though it calls itself a dive watch and can handle dive watch depths, we have some bad news for you. The 3950A.12 can’t dive. Stuhrling advises you to snorkel with it on, at most.
Being built for the sea, it’s no surprise that it has large markers. They make reading the watch in the pool a breeze. The fact that it comes with enough and more lume helps as well.
You don’t need to take a close look to notice that its markers are thick. This makes for a superb canvas for the paint to shine on.
Being built for the sea, seeing a stainless-steel body is not a surprise either. The material is waterproof, never leaving your wrists wet. Let’s not forget that stainless steel is scratch resistant as well, so have fun trying to dent it up.
With one look at the 3950A.12, you’ll notice that it looks a lot like the SKX009. This is true, but it doesn’t come with an automatic movement like its counterpart. We’re bummed as we’re total fans of automatic watches. The movement in the 3950A.12 is not bad though; you get a Japanese quartz movement. Like its brother in the number 2 spot, its mechanism is a Japanese Miyota, ensuring accuracy.
Speaking of watches it looks like, the 3950A.12 comes in a black bezel variant as well. It makes for a marvelous Rolex Submariner dupe.
What makes it special:
Pepsi bezel
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Once again, we’re met with an automatic watch. You can guess how excited we are! In terms of the mechanism it has, unlike the 3133.1, we know what it rocks. You get the ST-91015 inside of your timepiece. This means you get 22 jewels in its gears along with a 60-hour power reserve. A 60-hour power reserve is more than useful as 40 is the norm.
Like the 3133.1, you also get a skeleton display. Although the 127A2 looks stunning, we think that the watch can be hard to read. Then again, skeleton watches are all about looking good, not being functional.
So far, it’s the largest watch on our list. If you have smaller hands, the 127A2’S 1.811 inches (46 mm) case might eat you up.
Other than this, the watch is quite comfortable. It comes with a genuine alligator leather strap, leaving you feeling like a million bucks. Its lavish display helps with this as well.
Speaking of lavish, did you notice the crystals on its dial? Take note as Stuhrling says they’re genuine diamonds. We’d love to believe them, but the watch isn’t that expensive. We’re apprehensive.
We just have to talk about its sun and moon display. It’s the sub-dial on the left-hand corner of the watch. According to the time of the day, you’ll see the sun or the moon pop up. How cool is that?
If you’re expecting a watch that’s as water-resistant as the previous two, get ready to be disappointed. The Stuhrling timepiece can only last 165 feet (50 meters) underwater. To be honest, we don’t mind this. The watch is pretty. Wanting to swim with it on will probably the last thing on your mind.
Other than this:
You get a special mineral in its display. You’re met with Krysterna, which you know we’re fans of.
What makes it special:
The sun and moon display.
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Finally, we have a women’s watch on our list.
You’ll notice that the timepiece is petite. The watch stretches 1.33 inches (34 mm) across. This isn’t a surprise as women have smaller wrists. However, for a women’s watch, the 579.01 isn’t that small, even though it seems like it.
We can both agree that it looks stunning. It has crystals all over its bezel, which Stuhrling says is Swarovski. We’d love to believe them, but the watch doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
We like its movement though. We love that it’s Swiss quartz. Being a swiss device, a lot of craftsmanship has gone into its production. It’s not shocking that Stuhrling would give the movement to the 579.01, it looks divine.
Don’t let its pristine exterior fool you, it can take quite the beating. The Krysterna window we’ve met time and time again is present. What’s more, the watch’s body is quality stainless steel, so good luck trying to scratch it up.
You wouldn’t expect such a good-looking watch to be water-resistant either. That’s exactly what you get. The timepiece can handle depths of 165 feet (50 meters) underwater.
Having a calendar is useful. Unfortunately, the one on the 579.01 is very small. Unless you’re a fan of squinting, keep this in mind. We also don’t know how readable its dial is. Everything seems to be a similar shade of silver.
You’ll also squint at how bright the watch will be. Could you imagine how shiny it would get when the sun hits its crystals? It’d transform the timepiece into a disco ball.
Having a stainless-steel bracelet, you get a fold-over clasp. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s not as easy as its push-to-release counterparts. This isn’t the end of the world of course.
What makes it special:
Swarovski crystal-embellished bezel
Best Looking
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Jaw-dropping. That’s the best way to describe the 881.03. The watch finds a way to be minimalistic, yet attention-grabbing. Who wouldn’t want that?
It comes in a matte black body. It oozes a futuristic feel that we’re here for. Although different, its dial isn’t that hard to read. Nothing’s too small, or have things in the way. We also liked the inclusion of the seconds’ hand. From a watch like this, you wouldn’t expect such a thing.
You would expect it to come with a leather strap, however. The timepiece doesn’t rock just any leather, but alligator skin like its brothers. This helps the chic illusion, and don’t forget, it is pretty comfortable too.
When you look at the 881.03, you’ll think it doesn’t have a window. Don’t let your eyes deceive you as there’s Krysterna crystal in place. The crystal is even on the back of the device, letting you flip it over and watch its gears move.
There aren’t many gears moving though. The 881.03 isn’t an automatic watch. It’s Swiss quartz. Sorry to disappoint you, but your view’s not going to be anything special.
It’s more than obvious that its dial is absent of lume. That’s why it’s great that the 881 isn’t the most water-resistant. You can still swim with it on, it can handle 165 feet (50 meters) underwater. Like its siblings, Stuhrling advises you to not regularly swim with it on, so keep this in mind.
How big is it? The brand does not like small watches. It isn’t surprising that the timepiece stretches 1.65 inches (42 mm) across.
What is surprising is its case. Did you know that it’s PVD coated? This means scruffs and scratches are things of the past.
What makes it special:
Just look at it!
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The Bauhaus aesthetic is very popular. It’s prevalent in Swiss devices. If you know anything about Swiss watches, you’d know that they are very expensive. Thankfully, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for an amazing Bauhaus watch. You have the Stuhrling 490.33151 by your side.
Being so minimalistic, it’s no wonder you don’t see any numerals. You get thin markers that aren’t blocked by anything, making the watch easy to read. Being so simple, you wouldn’t expect a large calendar feature either. The 490.331’s calendar is tiny.
As you might’ve guessed, we’re not huge fans of small calendars; they’re not the easiest to read. That being said, the font of the one on the 490.331’s calendar is bold, not making us strain our eyes.
Moving on:
Stuhrling loves its Krysterna crystal. We’ve seen it in all of the watches in our review, which is why it isn’t a surprise that it’s on the 490 as well. This shouldn’t be an issue as it’s pretty scratch resistant.
We love a good sunburst effect, and luckily for us, the watch came exactly with what we were looking for. That being said, we weren’t expecting the grainy texture on its dial. It makes the sunburst not too bright, which is appreciated as sunbursts can get blinding.
Like the countless other watches we ran through, it’s not shocking that the timepiece is big too. It’s also 1.65 inches (42 mm.) What do you think?
What do you also think about its water resistance? It’s not a SKX009, but it can last 165 feet (50 meters) underwater. It’s on par with its siblings on our list. It also doesn’t stray away from them in terms of its strap. It rocks genuine alligator leather, making you feel like a million bucks.
You’re probably wondering what type of movement it has. Let me put you out of your misery. The watch comes with Swiss quartz inside of it.
And voila! We’re done with our review.
What makes it special:
Its Bauhaus look.
So, what do you think? Stuhrling knows what they’re doing. You probably found a few watches that tickled your fancy. Why don’t we talk about them in the comments below? But before that, give the below section a read. We answered some hot questions you may have.
We’ve already established that the brand’s American, but if you think their timepieces are produced in the States, they’re not. They’re usually made in Hong Kong. This isn’t anything new as many budget brands make their watches here.
Stuhrling says that they adhere to Swiss watchmaking traditions, which is questionable. What isn’t questionable is the quality of their products. They’re good if you’re on a budget. We didn’t have issues with them, and we think that they performed well. However, when compared to more expensive timepieces, you’ll notice the difference in quality.
Honestly, Stuhrling’s reputation is quite good. Their products are satisfying, and the brand doesn’t try to compete with more expensive names, unlike some budget names on the market. That being said, heritage is very important in the watch industry, and Stuhrling hasn’t been around as long as its competitors have.
The verdict’s in. We think that you should take the leap. We’ve established that Stuhrling is a brand worth your time throughout our review. They don’t disappoint, coming up with timepieces that not only look good but are superb in quality.
That being said, can they compete with more expensive watches? Not really, but the brand has the Tourbillon line, consisting of higher-end timepieces. These watches can go head-to-head with more expensive ones.
