Guild Mechanical Steel

I loved it.

This watch speaks clearly and immediately. It has a very crisp appearance that is far sharper in its effect than the photos might suggest. The black and white contrast is stunning, and will make this a timeless (excuse the pun) classic in appearance. It will look both both new and authentic rather than trendy for decades. If you are drawn to it in the pictures you will be even happier with it up close. The dial is actually several concentric layers (I.e. NOT simply printed). The hands are a relatively unique slender design, and the metal pairs perfectly with the case. The long reach of the hands draws the case and concentric contrasts of the dial together nicely. The tactile quality of the wind is satisfying. The neo-art deco aesthetic means you can put a nicer deployment black leather band on this and it will dress like something multiple times its cost. Excellent price point for this piece that makes it an appealing choice when you put it up against the sub $1000 field, and I would have chosen it over any number of major brands at twice the price. The local/heritage appeal is strong for this. I was lucky enough to be able to make a point of pulling off the highway to buy a Cincinnati Watch Company watch in downtown Cincinnati. The maker is indeed local, and the regulation report in the package is hand written. The watch wears comfortably on my very small wrist, with a thickness that draws no attention. In part, this effect is helped by the relatively flat lug curvature that keeps it close. This seems like a perfect example of what can make a micro-brand so appealing. And yes, supporting local quality and style is a great thing to be able to do, especially when it is so affordable and so beautiful at the same time.

Great watch. Appealing design, premium feel, perfect size, and reasonably slim. I saw no deviation in timekeeping over a week of wearing. You'll probably want to replace the band, but if you like how it looks online, you'll like this on your wrist.

I always read up before buying a watch. Admittedly, online reviews are either really good or really bad, with lots of caveats, while at no time giving an accurate picture. I own Farer watches, EPOS watches, Henry Archer, Studio Underg0g, one Longines Spirit, and now this Cincinnati Guild watch.

With those brands of watches you can see my price point - less than than $2.5k. I target the movement, country of origin, and the history of the timepiece, then I find a face of theirs that I like, often leading to no purchase. I like what I like. That's my methodology.

I was quite reticent to purchase an American made watch (because I'm an American) but in this case the movement is a Swiss SW210, and installed into an American case performed by what used to be the Gruen Watch company. There's a wonderful and rich history to explore!

Apart from being a little on the weighty side, I find no flaw in design or execution. The dial style is very old-timey. The dial color way is snow white with a black hour track, no date, numerals like my EPOS Timeless Retro watches, and lume on the hour/minute, nowhere else. The complete thickness is 10.39mm (measured).

The packaging is on the lean side, which doesn't deter me from another purchase. I don't store my watches in the original packaging anyway. It rides a little high, even though the thickness is ~10mm because the bezel is larger in diameter than the caseback but this also fine to me.

Lastly, I suspect I'll need to regulate this as it is already running 8 seconds slow. This also in not a deterrent to an avid watch wearer. O really this was a wonderful and surprising purchase. I'm already planning another hand wound watch from Cincinnati.

Gorgeous