I've owned an A1 and A7 many years ago. You get a lot with your money - on paper, at least. My only objective complaint is the bezel on the A7 was way too tight to the point it was unusable. (To be fair, I bought it used, second-hand. So it is entirely possible it didn't leave Armida that way.)

However, they subjectively just seemed to lack something. They felt kind of plain and generic - like they were lacking something that couldn't be put down on paper on a spec sheet. Like I mentioned, they have everything on paper - awesome lume, sapphire crystals, ceramic bezel inserts, plenty of non-homages, etc. I consider them one of the original microbrands. And another ding against them is the AliEx crowd is gaining on them, fast. I've been around long enough to remember when you weren't getting sapphire crystals below like $300. And ceramic bezel inserts didn't exist. And Seiko was the only brand with insane lume. Armida did shake that up like 8-10 years ago. But the likes of San Martin, etc. have really muddied up Armida's stake of the market. They are hot on the heels of Armida. I have only one watch from AliEx, but I'm pretty impressed.

So, go ahead and jump into Armida. But keep yourself open to other microbrands - from AliEx and otherwise.

 

Well, a Rolex Submariner now costs >$10k, so that will be a determining factor for many of us.
In my experience, ALL the micro brands are lacking something that the Big Boys have, whether it is little finish details, bezel action, bracelet quality...
Once you get up above $500, you can expect that stuff to start going away, and you can't really get it with a Chinese-made watch, IMO. (even if they have a Japanese or Swiss movement)

I almost bought an Armida once, but they were out of stock on what I wanted.

One micro brand watch that hasn't disappointed so far has been my Squale 20 Atmos. The casework is excellent. Fit & finish and crown are truly Rolex caliber. Bezel is a bit harder to grasp than on a real Sub and the clasp & lume aren't as nice either. I'm not disappointed for the money paid, though.

Hamilton Khaki Scuba is one to consider; very good quality, fair price. They only lack AR coatings. Same for Tissot Seastar <-- Those are not really homages, though.

I have high hopes for my Glycine Combat Sub which is to arrive today...

My opinion after all these years is to either get a cheap homage in the $50-150 range like Invicta or skip right up past $500 and get something properly good.

 

I Love Armida! I have owned 4 so far. A2, A7, A9, A10 the quality is above average for the price, and Chris the brand owner is very responsive to emails, and friendly to work with.

Here is my 200m A2 polished case 42mm

here is my A10 Chrono 200m 42mm

Here is my A9 1200M 38mm

Here is my A7 300m.

 

Thanks very much for the replies. To put matters into perspective, I have a 6 1/4 inch wrist and am looking at the 36-mm A6 with ETA drive preferably without date. I am not crazy about that it is a homage to the Rolex Explorer, which I owned until recently, but at least I know that I love the simplicity.

I could buy a sub, but don't like what the Rolex brand has become associated with or how that market works. Plus, it is total pain to find trustworthy local servicing.

@PowerChucker: That is a great looking A7 but alas not in stock.

 

A6 is a solid watch! I want one as well.. also take a look at the Borealis Adraga its in my opinion a nicer watch than the A6.

 

I really like the look of the a1, and love how they come in different sizes. If they weren't so thick, I think I would have seriously pursued getting one.

 

You could open a new thread and ask for 36/38mm, high quality dive watches that aren't a Submariner homage. There are a lot of great, affordable brands that could end up being exactly what you're looking for. Armida is only ONE option.

 

Thank you, but I really like the A6 on the specs. I just wish they has offer a no date dial that wasn't a Rolex copy. Then it would have been a no-brainer. Anyway, I just ordered this:

Arctic Signature Series Saffiano Leather Strap — Tool Watch Co.

︎ H-LINK TITANIUM BRACELET Signature Series. ︎︎︎ Free shipping worldwide. The Arctic Field is a robust, technical...

toolwatchco.com

I don't have a "rotation" and mostly wear only one watch, so I may just leave it at that, but am still tempted to buy an Armida.

Just realized my right wrist is one full inch larger than the left. Too bad it isn't the other way round, as I will never get used to wearing a watch on my right wrist.

 

That Arctic is nice looking!

 

Love Armida. I bought the A1 when it first came out and my favorite is my A7. Quality is fantastic. You can't go wrong. They should seriously bring back the A7

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

can't go wrong with them, I own two of the the chunky A1 and elegant A12. Shipping was super quick (3-4 days from asia to US, but may be a bit slower now), good build quality, and have never really had a problem with them other than wanting to get another one...

 

I love my A12. Great quality for the money. Accuracy could be a little better but you really can't complain too much about the movement and price. Would definitely buy it again if I had to.

 

I bought the A6 with an ETA 2836 movement. Not sure if there is something amiss, as the power reserve seems very short, but it could be that I do not wind it sufficiently. Everything else about the watch seems great. Hands down the best crown mechanism that I have tried and there isn't much about case or bracelet to separate it from the Explorer I used to own. However, that watch just need a shake or two with the wrist and it would run.

 

Not sure if there is something amiss...

There was and it was agreed to send the watch back. It arrived back in Hong Kong almost a week ago after very efficient communication, but since I have heard nothing. I don't want to be impatient, so I will wait longer, but it was my clear impression that I should have received a replacement by now...