Bought a couple of these for use as donors in the DIY watch project.
Only used one for that duty, but liked the looks well enough that I
started to wear the other one on it's own merit. It came from the factory on
a brown leather strap, but I swapped that for a folded-link SS
bracelet from one of the other donors (a model SLT149, I think). It
fits perfectly:
Watch-It SLT114 on the workbench
And despite it's extrememly modest price, those merits are worth noting.
First is
that low, low price. I mean, this thing can be purchased brand-new at
Wal-Mart for the price of a six pack of beer! No, you'd never mistake
it for a 
, but the finish is decent, considering the price. It's better finished than the average 
,
for instance. And, being quartz, it's reliable and trouble-free. This
one's been tickin' along just fine since November of '04, still on
the original battery as of this writing.
Second, there's the simple, classic good looks:
Love the dial layout, which reminds me of a WW2-era 
.
The cream color further evokes a vintage aura, in a subtle
and tasteful way, and the red seconds hand adds the perfect accent. No
date function to fool with, so you're not bothered resetting it at the
end of those pesky short months. Even the case is decent, cheap
pot-metal affair that it is. The shape also reminds me of a
classic - stretch the lugs a bit, and it is not far removed from the design I settled on for my own 
Mark XI homage.
I like the contrast between the matte and polished portions
(which, alas, can't really be seen in these photos), and the
through-drilled lugs are a nice touch - they make changing straps a
breeze.
So, call me 
, but I frequently pass up my more expensive watches in favor of this one. Viva le bon marché montre-bracelet!
-Ricky
19 February, 2006
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