Oregon-based Celeste Watch Company offers premium handcrafted fashion timepieces with a distinctly PNW vibe.
I generally distrust fashion watches. Fossil, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors — if it shares a name with a clothing brand or perfume line, I’m steering clear. Many of these are banking on the name, not the product, to justify their price.
This often leaves consumers stuck with a piece of costume jewelry disguising an ultra-cheap, low-quality quartz movement. So, while the logo embossed on the dial may look nice, you’ll find a stuttering, misaligned second hand spinning above it.
For this reason, I hesitated when someone pointed me toward Celeste, a purveyor of fashion-forward timepieces. But after a look through the brand’s website and catalog, I was intrigued. Sapphire crystal? Natural materials? These aren’t things I expected to see on a typical fashion watch.
So, after perusing the designs, I asked to take a look at the model you see here — a $325 timepiece known as the Sasq-watch.
Celeste Sasq-Watch Review
![Celeste Sasq-Watch Celeste Sasq-Watch](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/10/Celeste-Sasq-Watch.jpg)
Let’s start with the most basic question: What are you getting for your money? Here’s where Celeste breaks the mold — sapphire crystal, a handcrafted dial, a polished 316L stainless steel case, and (best of all) a Swiss-made Ronda quartz movement.
First, the crystal. Sapphire has long been the glass of choice for luxury watches, and it’s finally trickling down into more budget-friendly pieces. And while I wouldn’t exactly say $325 is budget territory, there are plenty of more expensive makers that still haven’t gotten the memo.
Beneath this crystal lies the watch’s namesake — a sasquatch striding through a mountain forest. The description lists the materials as “Cherry wood, Tahitian Black-Lip Abalone, and Mother of Pearl.” Upon close inspection, the different facets come together to form an attractive collage. Each of these dials, sasquatch or otherwise, are assembled at the company’s facility in Springfield, Ore.
Next, the case — 316L stainless is a likewise popular choice for higher-end brands, thanks to its corrosion and magnetic resistance. This particular case measures 38 mm, which is sort of a happy medium between men’s and woman’s timepieces. Bigfoot, yes, but not exactly a big footprint.
Jokes aside, the 316L stainless steel case and crown team up for 50m water resistance. While this is on the low end for anyone planning to swim or shower with the watch, it’s miles ahead of the 30m (or worse, unlisted) ratings seen on the majority of fashion pieces. Rain, splashes, or accidental immersion in a punch bowl shouldn’t hurt the mechanism within.
Lastly, the movement. Ronda is a well-known maker of quartz mechanisms. The brand powers everything from these Celeste pieces to the (practically) bulletproof INOX I reviewed a few years back. And while there is a touch of second-hand stutter to be found on the Sasq-watch, I’ve seen more expensive models from Victorinox with a similar issue.
Additional Features
![Celeste Sasq-Watch - leather strap Celeste Sasq-Watch - leather strap](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/10/Celeste-Sasq-Watch-leather-strap.jpg)
Intangibles and Options
Conclusion: Celeste Watches
![Celeste Sasq-Watch Review - Celeste Sasq-Watch Review -](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2021/10/Celeste-Sasq-Watch-Review-.jpg)