Smartwatch

CIGA Design X series: test / review

Published on: 24-01-2023 / Modified: 24-01-2023

The connected watch market has flooded our daily lives and I sometimes have the impression that no one wears a mechanical watch anymore, except perhaps in certain age groups. I have tested many connected watches over the past 3 years and with hindsight I realize that even if we always talk about watches, these products are used much more for something other than telling the time. The watch is therefore just a practical vehicle to carry other functionalities, but you don't buy this kind of product to tell the time. I'm not saying it's good or bad, it's just an observation that led me to test a mechanical watch with no other functionality than giving the time...this test could almost be considered a cure detox!

Black Friday Promo

From November 18, 2022 to December 4, 2022 (inclusive), the CIGA Design X series watch will be available for €303 instead of €389.
To enjoy: CIGA Design X series on Amazon

CIGA Design

The watch that I am going to test is produced by the Chinese company CIGA Design, I had never heard of this brand before testing this watch and I imagine that this will also be the case for the majority of you. The vocation of CIGA Design is to offer premium products at a more affordable price, this strategy is very similar to what Xiaomi has been doing for several years and it is no coincidence because the two brands have collaborated for the marketing of CIGA Design watches. .

Some milestones for CIGA Design:
- first Chinese brand to win the "Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève"
- CIGA Design is the Chinese brand with the most international awards for its design (17 awards)
- in 2020, CIGA Design sold more than 10,000 copies of the CIGA Design Z on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform and generated $26 million in sales (a record in this category)

CIGA is therefore no longer a small startup that works in a garage.

Official site: CIGA Design

Unboxing

The watch arrived in a classic cardboard packaging and I found it odd for a product that has a premium vocation, but this cardboard box quickly gave way to the product box which gives a much better image of the watch. The white box is quite sober but elegant with a reminder of the mechanical aspect of the watch. This box opens like a book with a page dedicated to the watch and other pages with some explanations.

The box contains the watch and two sets of bracelets, the watch is protected by a plastic film.

The watch

The CIGA Design X series has a very strong and very particular identity. The watch hints at the mechanisms that keep it alive with all those intricate gears that move automatically and power the watch so it can run without a battery. The case of the watch is quite imposing, it has a very angular and complex shape. The watch is protected by a kind of armor to protect it from shocks.

Reflective elements have been integrated into the main dial in order to be able to read the time in the dark, here is what it looks like in semi-darkness:

At the back we find the same concept of transparency which allows the watch to be seen living every second thanks to its many complex mechanisms. The watch is powered by movements and can keep energy in reserve for 40 hours. This means that if it does not move for 40 hours, the watch will stop.

Two types of bracelets are offered, they are interchangeable and suitable for wrists of all sizes. The flexible structure allows the watch to be quite light compared to watches with a metal strap.

Daily

As I said in the introduction, I got used to connected watches and I rarely use this type of product to tell the time. Using a mechanical watch therefore took me some time to get used to because here there was no question of seeing the number of steps per day, nor of monitoring your heart rate. This information is not vital but it creates habits that are sometimes a little toxic among users. Wearing this watch I often had the reflex to raise my wrist to "play" with the watch as I do with a connected watch, it's amazing what a connected object can cause as conditioning!

I was afraid that the weight and size of the watch would cause me a problem because it is clearly heavier than a connected watch and its dial is also more imposing but here too it is a matter of habit, I have never bothered by the weight or the bulk, the watch does not have an excessive size on the wrist either.

This watch has a very particular aesthetic and I imagine that it will not appeal to everyone because of this very polarizing side but if you are looking for a beautiful watch with a unique design, this is what you need. I looked at what was being done by competing brands like Citizenwatch or Hamiltonwatch and the difference is quite striking, these other brands are ultra conventional in their approach, the CIGA Design is much more modern. As this kind of product is also intended to have a personality and an aura, the CIGA Design fulfills its mission well.

Overall I found this watch to be a very nice product that inspires confidence and exudes quality. On the other hand, it took me a few days to adapt and do without my reflexes related to the use of a connected watch. However, there are 2 things that I liked less but it is related to my situation.

I wear glasses to read because my near sight is not good enough, I need high contrast things to be able to read small print without glasses. With this watch, I am almost unable to read the time without a bezel because I don't have numbers or elements visible enough for my eye to detect anything. With normal eyesight, this should obviously not be a problem.

The second point is linked to a habit where when I wake up at night, I have the reflex to look at the time on my watch. This watch is not illuminated like a smartwatch and since I sleep without glasses I am unable to read the time. The reflective surface is not contrasty enough for me to read the time.

These are obviously very personal things so they don't apply to everyone, but my articles reflect my experience, so I have to talk about those kinds of details as well.

Strengths

unique design
Strong personality
Weight/size
Charging with movements
Waterproof
Shockproof
Customizable wristbands suitable for all sizes

This kind of product will probably end up under the tree or be the subject of a gift for a loved one because unless you have ultra conventional tastes, this watch should appeal to a very wide audience.