Mileneal are another watch brand hitting Kickstarter with a simple, appealingly priced timepiece. Targeting the “young and dynamic working class”, Mileneal’s Classic is extremely reasonably priced for pledges at S$95 (Singapore Dollar) / £50; whilst the RRP will be $99 / £75. Let’s take a closer look to see how it fares.
The specs
- Dimensions: 40mm diameter x 9mm height x 45mm lug to lug
- Weight: 41g
- Water resistance rating: 3ATM / 30m
- Movement: Miyota GM10
- Lug width: 20mm
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: Kickstarter from S$95 (Singapore Dollar) / £50; RRP $99 / £75
- Available from: https://mileneal.com/
- Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milenealofficial/mileneal-watches-under-100-for-the-young-working-c?ref=cmtq6r
The case
The case is a straight-forward barrel case with a rose gold, polished finish. The finishing is acceptable but nothing awe-inspiring, but you shouldn’t expect too much for this price really.
I like the shape of the lugs: with an inward slant they have an unusual cross section.
The Mileneal Classic comes loaded with a sapphire coated mineral crystal. It’s tall and boxed, and looks great – just be careful you don’t hit it as it’ll be susceptible to damage.
The steel caseback doesn’t match the rose gold case, which is a shame but understandable at this price. It has the logo in the centre and specifics surrounding it.
The crown is a simple affair, with suitable grip and the logo delicately engraved on the end.
The dial
The dial is multi-layered and fashioned in a way that’s a pleasant surprise for the price. It has a champagne base which works well with the rose gold case and hands.
The printing is also a gold brown colour, which is subtle and elegant.
The date wheel is probably the one thing that lets the dial down a bit – it looks a little bit rough around the edges and the wheel itself is white, which is quite obvious against the dial.
The hands are the same standard pitched pointed batons you see a lot. Still, they work well and look smart, albeit a bit plain.
The strap
The brown leather has a pleasant, authentic weathered look to it. It looks really good, but doesn’t feel the best quality though; it’s a bit stiff and on the thin side when you start checking it out.
The strap comes with a polished rose gold tang buckle with the Mileneal logo neatly engraved on the top bar.
The movement
The movement used is the Miyota GM10. Out of their “Slim” range, it’s 2.71mm tall, and has a 3 year battery life and date function. It’s likely to be a decent, solid performer and never have any issues.
Final comments
For the kickstarter pledge at S$95, it seems like a pretty good deal. A sapphire coated crystal, nice dial and classy looks for £50 is an interesting proposition. I wish it was a little bit more adventurous, but at least they’ve made an effort with the dial – slight alterations to the norm to make it a little bit different. Personally, I wouldn’t go for it at RRP because it’s a little bit too unimaginative for my liking, but it seems like a nice timepiece for the Kickstarter pledge.
