Microbrand: Monta

[m j b]

Monta is a brand based in Missouri, USA, part of the company that makes Everest bands for some Rolex watches. They also make watches.

I bought mine used, because, you know, savings. I'm going to add more to this review below, but will do so later when I have more time and am more sober.


Adding pictures now:

[m j b]

More words below, but I also custom-ordered this lovely strap, designed to highlight the red in the face and hands.

[m j b]

OK, it's a new day, I have sobered up and have time to describe the watch a bit more.

All facts stated here are based on my own observations and Internet research, so take it all with a grain of salt.

Monta started making watches a few years ago, and they were generally well received although there were some teething issues. From what I have read, they stood behind their products, fixed the issues that cropped up and then after sales tanked due to their pricing (along the lines of Tudor), they decided to lower their MSRP. Now their watches are around $2300 new, online only. So, natch, some early adopters are going to get a little upset over that, so (from what I can tell) without any action required on the buyer's part, the company refunded the difference. I think that was a particularly awesome move, and shows that they are more concerned with the customer's long-term happiness than a short-term gain. It also, again I presume, shows an acknowledgement of the potential power of social media, as it could have caused a lot of negative chatter and could potentially destroy a company's reputation. Instead, it has reflected positively on them.

So with this background, I felt relatively secure in buying one of these, even used. Now, as I understand it, the warranty does not necessarily transfer to the new buyer unless the original buyer tells Monta that it has been sold. In my case, buying it through an intermediary dealer, I've probably lost that remaining warranty. Hopefully that will not come back to bite me in the buttocks.

I say that because preliminary testing shows that the watch is keeping lousy time. I will update the thread after I've done some more timing on it.

This particular watch is their Skyquest, which is a GMT model. I particularly liked the subtle red highlights in the GMT hand, hour markers for said GMT hand, and some writing on the face. Otherwise, it's just a black watch with a ceramic bezel. The bezel moves nicely with a precise click, and the movement winds and sets very smoothly with the exception of the GMT hand. When you adjust that, the movement feels a little stiff and uneven as the hand jumps to the next hour. That's really my only complaint with any adjustments.

The bracelet is beautifully finished and well made. Unlike cheaper brands, this feels like a top-tier watch bracelet. The links articulate very nicely, providing a very comfortable fit. The clasp too is well done and locks with a satisfying click. The only drawback, and apparently I'm not the only one to notice this, is that the clasp itself, the inner portion, is rather long. This makes it quite easy to take the watch off and put it back on, as you have lots of room. The downside is when it's closed, as it runs a bit long and can be a little uncomfortable. Probably more so for people like myself with smaller wrists, or if you have a very round wrist. After a few days of wearing it, I decided that I had to buy a strap.

The watch also comes with a very nicely made nato strap, but I don't like those.

So I had a custom strap made by Micah Kirksen, out of Napa Valley CA, USA. His web site is here. I believe that most of his target audience is Panerai owners, as his examples and a lot of his blog content revolves around that brand. The strap I designed was made to match and highlight the colors in the watch, with a black leather and red stitching. Micah uses a thicker leather than most strap makers, which does make it a challenge for the strap to fit under some shirts. But it's very nicely made and I'm very happy with how it turned out.

[m j b]

Correction: the watch is $2200 new. Also, their in-house branded movement is, I believe, based on a Sellita movement. The watch is entirely manufactured and assembled in Switzerland.

[m j b]

OK, two corrections: apparently not all of the components are made in Switzerland, although the movement is. The case may be sourced from Asia.

And I have spent two days timing it, and it's about 5 seconds a day slow, which is not bad for a non-certified movement.

[dimag333]

I had an ocean king once, nice guys

steve

[JohnGingerwood]

I just got an oceanking in December. The bracelet is very nice. Bezel action is great. I wish the oceanking was 42 mm. I like a little more presence with dive watches. But overall it’s pretty cool

[m j b]

Originally Posted by m j b

... I've probably lost that remaining warranty. Hopefully that will not come back to bite me in the buttocks.

Heh. My buttocks have been bitten.

I discovered this past weekend, that the times that I thought that the watch was running slow, it was. It actually stops. Bummer.

I contacted the dealer that I bought it from, and he doesn't have the original owner's information any more, so I'm screwed as far as the warranty is concerned. I have sent the watch back to Monta for repair. I'll update the thread on the cost and turnaround. The watch is about 18 months old.

[NatiLad79]

Interesting looking watch. Has some nice features

[Fred48]

I've had both the oceanking (blue dial with a blue rubber strap looks awesome) and the atlas, and found them to be very well made and quite accurate. Beautiful pieces and good company to deal with.

[m j b]

Update: Sent the watch back Feb 3, received it today March 26. That's 7 weeks. They "found more issues with it" which tells me that they have a decent QA to check it out before returning it.

We'll see how it does as I start wearing it again. I am happy to report that despite being technically not under warranty, they repaired it at no charge.

[NikolasGerk]

:c lap:

[m j b]

Originally Posted by m j b

Update: Sent the watch back Feb 3, received it today March 26. That's 7 weeks. They "found more issues with it" which tells me that they have a decent QA to check it out before returning it.

We'll see how it does as I start wearing it again. I am happy to report that despite being technically not under warranty, they repaired it at no charge.

I found this old thread of mine. Last update:

The repaired watch had an issue with the gmt hand, so I sent it back. They replaced the movement, and after weeks of testing, returned it, very embarrassed. It's been a while, so I can't remember the details, but after the third repair I decided to cut my losses, and I sold it.

Although there were issues, the company tried their best to resolve them, and I only paid for shipping it to them the first time. And let's not forget, it was out of warranty and they never charged me.