I Bought 5 Highly-Rated Watches On Amazon – Are They Really That Good? — Ben’s Watch Club

Now, the blue undertone I actually quite like. It complements the gold-colored case relatively well, with a rather nice sunburst, but that factor alone can’t disguise its apparent grocery-store watch level of quality, observable even from a moderate distance.

Aside from that, it’s ok stylistically. It’s not hideous, but it does look a bit like an owl wearing eye makeup, don’t you think?

The lume on this watch, by the way, isn’t nearly as bad as I expected, but is still below par for a watch at this price. Again, it gets trounced by alternatives that cost the same or even way less.

Interestingly, many online commenters and even Google’s ‘AI Overview’ claim that these Maserati watches are either made in Italy or made in Switzerland, which certainly makes them sound prestigious. Personally, I think that’s bogus.

When a watch brand is Swiss or Italian-made, you never hear the end of it! They plaster that claim everywhere, including on the watch dial itself.

This Maserati has neither of those claims present, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned over 6 years of watch reviewing, it’s that the phrase ‘Italian Design’ usually means ‘made in China’, or some other Far Eastern country they’d rather not mention.

Now, Maserati’s parent company, the Morellato Group, loves to talk about “in-house production of watches” on their website, and that sounds impressive… until you read their own 2025 company profile, which tells a very different story.

They proudly describe their watchstrap production as “Made in Italy” and their Philip Watch line as “Swiss Made” — but when it comes to everything else, including Maserati, there are no such claims.

Rather, the document openly lists Morellato subsidiaries in world-renowned manufacturing hubs like Hong Kong, Dongguan (China), and Bangkok.

So, their marketing might suggest you’re getting a slice of Italian craftsmanship, but they’re almost certainly made in the Far East, just like every other fashion watch brand out there, all while technically being able to call their production “in-house”.

And just like most fashion watches, this Maserati is a trash-tier timepiece with a fancy brand name and an insane markup. I can’t say I’m surprised.

That’s not to say all Chinese-made watches are bad. In fact, some Chinese-made chronographs obliterate this Maserati in terms of price to performance, such as those from Addiesdive and Casio Edifice.

At this price, it even gets trumped by other highly-rated watches on Amazon, that for some reason weren’t listed as highly as this hunk of junk. That includes the Q Timex Chronograph, which looks far more attractive and expensive, or some of Orient’s solar chronographs, which look higher quality and are higher quality in every manner, while offering solar charging functionality to boot.