Its closest competition costs 5 times more. CIGA Design X Series Skeleton Watch Review

[@Shri_V]

The hour and minute hands really needed to be a contrasting color to everything else. Its extremely difficult to spot them.

[@HonestWatchReviewsHWR]

That seems to be a common problem with most skeletonised watches unfortunately.

[@tantu2395]

That's where the charming of skeleton watches is, no one can read it but you, because you known how to move your wrist to get a good position to read.

[@hackmechanic]

Even knowing they were there, I looked for the hands and had a hard time pulling them out of the face. Nope. Not good. Not acceptable. Had they painted the hands white or red or orange or anydamnedcolour other than black, it wouldn't have taken away from the skeletonization of the watch, and made it useful as a time piece. I'm sure it's a great watch. It needs a revision. Make the damned hands a contrasting colour.

[@Alias_Anybody]

Should have made them orange as well.

[@MrPleers]

It's the wristwatch version of "Where is Waldo ?"

[@tannerlarson276]

Make it 38mm and change the handset. You would broaden your market so much! The case size is comically big.

[@wumingkkk]

Yes, the watch is way too big if not it is really a good looking skeleton watch.

[@ufomichaelcody2037]

I got this watch and gold and black let me tell you something it shocked me. I was lucky enough to get it for $360 now they're selling it for $100 more I Amazon for $460. It's a beautiful watch people ask me all the time and they see it. It's my favorite watch

[@andrei-cosmin.popa85]

Vibrations don't really break a watch, as far as I tested. I mean, I never take the watch off of my wrist when I wax the dolphin and I usually do that at rabbit speeds, and the watch works fine, so... Yeah.

[@arkiepoo]

LOL fully wound

[@CdeMaDaejsAripi]

I see a lot of people complaining about the legibility and whilst that's fair enough it seems like the watch is more of a statement piece than a tool to tell the time to me

[@THEMADWATCHCOLLECTOR]

Skeleton watches scare me! You never see a skeletonized car do ya??? Hmmm! All the best my friend and merry Christmas!

[@jeb-zf4un]

There are loads of skeletonised cars. Maybe not so many working skeletonised engines.

[@arkiepoo]

Ariel Atom begs to differ!

[@TheTownWatch]

😂

[@lamborghinimiki]

Would be the same as showing the engine of the car

[@PaddyMcMe]

Love it. Will be getting one. Thanks for this review. And in general thanks for your work, I'm a budget watch collector too and these videos make a huge difference to my buying habits. Mostly I stuck with Seikos and the occasional disappointment off of Aliexpress but now I've discovered sort of, prestige budget brands from your channel like Boderry, Ciga Design & Zelos. All of which I think deserving of praise. My only very very small complaint about this Ciga X is that they didn't use blue screws for the movement. They add interest and colour and would look perfect with the predominantly Orange, Black & Silver colouring of the watch. I'm not upset that they went with Mineral Glass on the back of the case instead of the Sapphire but I'd be curious to know just how much of a price difference there really is between sourcing a cheap Sapphire against a cheap Mineral Glass. I wouldn't think it's much. But I suppose when you're selling your watches this cheap even if it were a 5% saving on manufacturing by going to Mineral it'd be worth it in the long run. Have you seen the Christopher Ward C60 Sapphire watches? Comes in Blue & Orange, I prefer the blue. It has a 0.6mm semi-transparent sapphire watch face inside of it which lets you see some of the inner workings like the circular calendar date 'roll' as it were. The watch goes for a little under $1k USD which I think is still good value. Very interesting handsome divers watch.

[@ggerhart]

Almost ordered until I say the hands, needs to be a different color.

[@Hellcatvsworld]

They have introduced new one with different colors, go have a look maybe y will like it. I want to order one but still not sure about the quality 😂

[@kewrock]

Tag Heuer uses a similar shock absorber suspension system for their Monaco 24 watch.

[@StopFear]

Looks like the “Flux Capacitor”

[@CyborgSodaCollects]

Should've been called the flux

[@StopFear]

More like Faux Capacitor

[@jeb-zf4un]

They are the masters of Chinese skeletonised watches no doubt at all.

[@mikehoward9912]

My favorite conversation starter watch. Beautiful.

[@JohnnyWestMagic]

Awesome! Not to tell time, but as a ice breaker/conversation piece (wave hand close to her range of sight-almost as good as a Christmas puppie, lol). Merry Christmas & a Happy 2021!

[@terilang8954]

True! I always watch a man's wrist for watch.

[@JohnnyWestMagic]

@@terilang8954 Ah ha! I KNEW it, lol...

[@skybellrock]

@@terilang8954 Wait. Do you actually or is this irony? :D

[@rajuncajun2818]

Join the Facebook fan page. Please received the watch with screws missing and one person watch didn’t have the holes drilled for the straps. Buyers beware

[@fez877]

The movement is actually straight from seagull without any modifications. Ciga just design a "skeleton" plate and slap on top of the movement. It's basically the same moment found in Pagani design skeleton watch. Again, the same strategy the Chinese watch company used, design a skeleton plate and slap it on top and called it "customised"

[@tonypower9315]

They work closely with seagull in China for the movements. Some models use a variant of the 316L , i think it’s called. Very cool watches, they have a good line up with choices as low as 130€ and up to 300€ ish...the uk has a great store to check out.

[@JasonTheWatchGuy]

Love the design and suspension casing...would be nice to be able to tell the time on it though.

[@briancolyer8483]

Interesting design, the suspension thing is fascinating, think Formex (terrible name) do something similar....I would definitely use it on a desk, suspended similar to a pocket watch on a stand....⌚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⌚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@RaphaelRousseau]

I've backed this project and opted for the titanium version (cool effect + blue colored X frame). The project leader asked if the Gorilla's face should be removed, I said yes, and apparently they're going to remove this useless detail that doesn't add anything to the watch. Thanks for this review! I'm just disappointed to read so many haters comments here, really useless...

[@angrybanana6223]

I can't believe I'm typing this but I like it...a lot.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

How are you liking it after owning it?

[@phil2082]

Is it possible to disassemble this ourselves? What does it take to get brightly contrasting hour and minute hands?

[@halfpastblog]

I don't really like skeletonized watches but there is something about this I really like. It's got a real Voltron feel to this 80s kid. 😁👊

[@jpdde7027]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIK9kKqKhthobck

[@arkiepoo]

I ordered this thing last week when it was released. My Ciga Z is one of my favourite pieces and incredible for the money. I'd prefer some orange on the hands and a chapter ring. But thats far from a deal breaker for me.... just look at that thing. Awesome video and fast becoming one of my favourite watch channels.

[@mrkevn7872]

Hello,after a year did you check how accurate is the ciga z series watch? I know that those watches are not so much into the accuracy and they are more into the look thing but I am really curious. Thank you!

[@arkiepoo]

@@mrkevn7872 I cancelled my order for the X after the pictures of the watch looked nothing like the Kickstarter prototypes and people reported screws and stuff falling out. I sold my ciga Z pretty quickly too.. fell out of love. I can't reccomend this brand and there are better alternatives these days.

[@mrkevn7872]

@@arkiepoo Thank you very much! Please may you suggest me another brand which is a better option?

[@noobfl]

Xiaomi (the company behind Ciga Design) have such an interessting history.. it starts all as a custom firmware producer for rooted android devices, then cames smartphones, accessoires for smartphones and today, Xiaomi has become a real ACME.. they even sell designer spoons (im not kidding). This watch looks like the reasanable prised version of a Richard Mille. Thats fidding, after the first watch from Ciga was a take on the Applewatch. Probably the next one will be a take on a A Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon ;)

[@arkiepoo]

Z series looks even more like an RM. This one is actually pretty original with the square case. Maybe some inspiration from the Jacob and co epic X.

[@caktaylor]

The straps need black buckles to match the watch.

[@loganholmberg2295]

How do you read the time on this easily? I feel like Id need to turn the lights off to find the hands by their loom... no thanks. Kinda sad really. I want to like skeleton watches.

[@jacobschultheis9958]

If you watch the video he explains there are notches in the case that help you read it. But reading if easily is not the goal of skeleton watches.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

Put on your glasses

[@HonestWatchReviewsHWR]

That is a really skeletonised watch. It does look good. I juts wish they had made the hands a different colour to stand out. Great review Dave.

[@HarryBunnGRVOTV]

You can get a timegrapher on your phone, i have down a video about it, it works really well but needs complete silence.

[@NathanChisholm041]

I like that it not copying anything else!

[@JVan-ic6ic]

Well they kind of copied formex’s suspension system 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@WaitingforUlcers]

The uniqueness is oddly enticing. However, the macro shots show a lot of poor finishing, which I know happens with watches in this price tier. The Boderry is still my favorite in this tier, especially since you get titanium and a 70+ hour reserve. That said, I’ve got my eye on the Ingersoll Orville. Little higher price, but it looks amazing. Thanks for this review, I’ve seen it all over Facebook!

[@arkiepoo]

I think the ones with Gorillas are their prototype units. Some of the screw heads were a bit marked as well. I'd expect a bit better during final production as they won't have been tinkered with.

[@GodIsInHisHeaven]

I normally don't like Skeleton watches....and I still don't

[@curtisxxu]

If they combined some of the design language of this with the idea of the ciga design z series I think they would have a beautiful watch

[@deasman8173]

Really nice watch, ciga really pushing design forward.

[@WeibenWang]

I'm really looking forward to your review of the Boderry skeleton. From the looks of the unboxing, it strikes me as better as a watch, ie for telling the time, never mind titanium, three day power reserve, better size, cheaper, and not crowd funded. I'm done with crowd funding.

[@arkiepoo]

Ciga aren't really crowd funding any more. It's more of a way to launch their products. A few years ago not so much. These are ready to ship in Jan.

[@amazingshortclips9267]

Everything perfect except the straps kinda not match over such big size... Could have broadened or improve strap to watch joint which would make the whole watch looks more premium.....

[@jeybi675]

I think it's more like an accessory than a watch you use to tell the time. Because you need a willpower to read what exactly the time with that watch.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

Look at your phone like everybody else

[@JVan-ic6ic]

I mean Formex has a suspension system.

[@pjcutesalgado7201]

I'm wearing eyeglass so I need to bring always a magnifying 🔎 glass to check the time.😅 ill go with the gshock the time would be clear as of my days.

[@sreekarpolepalli]

Will you please send me the exact link to buy

[@d.stiefel869]

Dave, can you tell us what you're shooting with? Your shots look awesome and your close ups are really great!!!

[@JusttheWatch]

Thanks! I'm using a Panasonic Lumix g8!

[@yongwoo1020]

Show the back! Damn dude. Hella frustrating

[@artswri]

Definitely unique, really pretty cool

[@J0RR13]

I have the z series DLC and that one is kinda readable but I fear for the readability on this one...

[@Bjarkanskanal]

Did you buy it directly from their website or did you back the indiegogo company?

[@patricj951]

The tiny and finetuned mechanism in a mechanical watch is fascinating. But I would not like to get a skeleton watch because it makes the watch very ugly and also makes it more difficult to read the time. A window on the backside is cool, though! But for sure: a watch like in the video surely makes attention whereever you go and is surely an effective way to get into watch talk with people!

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

You have the right to be wrong

[@AliasEveWatches]

I wished they made the and minute hands orange too. I can only see the seconds hand. :(

[@fr0d0scious]

Dave.. Do you think this watch is better than the Boderry? Different propositions I know but which do you think is best value? More design this one and technical the Boderry? Thank you

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

Gotta love KZbinrs who don't appreciate and reply to their viewers who make them huh?

[@VOIDVIDS]

did ciga custom make the skeletonization?

[@TxRWesker]

Yes, because they did the entire movement.

[@watchalot919]

Don't be a cheapskate, buy yourself a timegrapher, all watch enthusiasts need one

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

What is it

[@corismaster7168]

Beatrate must be incredibly low..seconds hand seems tick very visibly

[@Chris.BootsontheGround]

As waterproof as toilet paper🤷‍♂️, waste of money as its designed as a sports watch.

[@paulshreenan3963]

Like so many skeletonized watches, this watch is basically unreadable. Nice design , but the hands are also skeletonized which is a huge mistake, solid and thick hands are a sine qua non. Got to have it, thick readable hands.

[@MyAlan999]

Case design looks great - love the colours but skeleton dials are not for me :( Merry Christmas to you and your family Dave , thanks for all the great content over 2020

[@Robbe1984]

I wonder what it looks like through the watch when you're sweating during the summers

[@BL-jm9ww]

Hi, for this type of watch, can normal watch repairer service it? or do i need to send it back to ciga?

[@JusttheWatch]

I'm not sure. I kind of think you might have a hard time finding a watch maker to work on it, as it's a customized chinese movement and a custom case.

[@ndb4626]

How do I get this to deliver in india?

[@gediminaskontrimas7992]

Cool. Thanks.

[@ngovannam7329]

Where can I buy it in Viet Nam?

[@stonker77]

Definitely a conversation piece.

[@stevchik]

Is the watch very loud when it moves? I know a complaint of the previous Z series was how loud it is.

[@JusttheWatch]

It's noiser than most Japanese movements, but I didn't find it terribly noticable. But I suppose different people will tolerate it differntly.

[@siamakuk2004]

What's the strap size?

[@StopFear]

Those watch hands are impossible to see.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

I can see them.. so no they're not

[@clivegoldhagen4600]

They are hard to read. But so are most skeleton watches, including Richard Mille. And look how much they sell for. These kind of watches are almost just pieces of jewellery. You want to know the time, look at your smart phone.

[@patricj951]

I agree. Also watches with subdials and a lot of markings makes it difficult to read the time, and therefore I am not a fan of these. And actually the most watches above 100 dollars(except from diving watches) are to be considered as jewelries with a watch function. The budget watch shows the time as good as the multi thousand dollars luxury watch.

[@BCallum]

Thanks for the review. I like the idea of a skeletonized watch...Love the second hand (I can see it) But, I need it to tell the time. It is a great looking "device", but its function as a watch is almost nil...I would pass. Thanks!!

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

Look at your phone like everybody else

[@rashedkhan912]

How much. ???

[@CyborgSodaCollects]

Welp I just spent $200 on a Casio GW-5510-1BJF. Im done with smart watches for now.

[@bartglover22]

When it comes to legibility in a skeleton watch Boderry have it sorted. You can get it with yellow hands, a smart move because the eye will automatically go to the yellow colour.

[@johnleonard3951]

They did not do a good job keeping the inside clean whan they put the watch together

[@Mr.YouTube77]

NICE

[@matthiasvangysel938]

maybe you should check out "astos"

[@ZiggityPow]

You'll need to demagnetize the movement twice a day.

[@nineteenninetyfive]

Why is that?

[@Shri_V]

What's the background music at the start? It feels familiar but I can't place it.

[@JusttheWatch]

It's called Motel Rock, by this guy: kzbin.info/door/Y-Rb2-JgAgiR_qzsMRq3qA

[@Shri_V]

@@JusttheWatch Thanks! Parts of it remind of Me Jane by PJ Harvey.

[@stevemoreno6241]

Looks like it would be hard to see the time. I feel most skeletonized watches have this fault.

[@craig2100]

Interesting watch

[@ZiggityPow]

As a watch this is going to be terrible. As a wrist art novelty this looks interesting.

[@floydmorrison2025]

I think the tonneau case Ciga Design Z-Series skeleton watch ($199 on Amazon) is far superior to this in every way. The hands are color-tipped & there's a variety of different colored silicone strap options. This one is just downright ugly IMO.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

You have every right to me terribly wrong. This looks soooo much better!!!

[@finesse49]

The primary purpose of a watch is to show the time. The hands are almost invisible on this one at a normal viewing distance so it's useless on top of being extremely ugly.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

Wrong

[@weiday3372]

Is this watch self winding?

[@owl23452]

Yes, you can see the rotor in the back. :) You can also wind it manually.

[@scofield3559]

🔴 Is it a water resist ?

[@owl23452]

It's splash-resistant but that's it. You could get away with showering with it when the seals are new.

[@lifeofkevin955]

I seen in a video you posted awhile back and you had the orient ser2moo3w but when I type that in on eBay, Amazon, google etc nothing comes up. Any help would be appreciated to where I could find that watch at online. Thanks

[@lefroy1]

A square case of that size is always going to struggle. It looks almost comedically oversized, and WHY is it so difficult for skeletonised watch makers to choose handsets that are actually legible?

[@johanribaeus]

CIGA Design is a scam! I'm a backer. I and thousands of other backers are not getting their watches. The matter has been escalated and Indiegogo is now reviewing their campaign(s). It's completely crazy. Stay away from CIGA Design!

[@JusttheWatch]

Sorry to hear that. This being their third or 4th campaign I had hoped it would have been a safe bet.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

You got it didn't you

[@emperor.augustus]

Nice US$30 looking watch, that's it. I wouldn't buy it even with a gun to my head. Pretty comfusing to tell the time, it lacks quality (a lot). I can tell you got it for free.

[@gillsaab7391]

Where to buy this watch help Me plz

[@clarksonboy]

Is this watch hackable? Great review as usual...keep up the good work!

[@JusttheWatch]

Yes, it is!

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

What the hell does that mean? Lol is it a smart watch?

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

@@JusttheWatch what does that mean? I'm new

[@JusttheWatch]

@@michaelvoorhees5978 it means when you pull the crown out to set the time the second hand stops moving.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

@@JusttheWatch oh ok cool

[@aldysyaputrowidiyanto3733]

Good 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@JerryDoe]

Only a watch collector knows that this is a piece of overpriced junk. It has a low quality cloned Chinese movement @ 21.000bph and 8 hours reserve power (nothing self developed) you pay $300 without shipping ! Compared to this Chinese skeleton watch which gives you a lot of oompf "Boderry Urban Men's Titanium Watch" sold on AliExpress - costs 145 dollar with shipping - skeleton design - titanium case - a high quality clone movement that ticks at 28,800 bph and 72 hours reserve power !!!! - comes with a leather strap and rubber !

[@zerox615]

Cool watch, but not practical at all.

[@michaelvoorhees5978]

Neither are electric cars..... people buy them

[@Nefville]

I challenge anyone to pause the video on an image of the watch and turn your head and try to tell the time in less than 5 seconds. . . . . . Don't care if I can read it but it's ruined by the size for me.

[@ozziebrito4527]

Always love you reviews. I have to say. Thai watch is not for me. 🤪

[@MadMax76er]

Legibility would have been helped if all the hands were coloured

[@GottiRC]

I canceled mines, overpriced junk. The minute I saw on alibaba this case etc and for cheap I was like nah... its just a gimmick overpriced junk.