MVMT Watch Review – Here’s A FULL Watch Breakdown
Last Updated on: 8th August 2024, 12:55 am
Did you know that MVMT watches can be purchased in more than 160 countries around the world?
In this article we are going to give you a comprehensive MVMT Watch Review so that you can better understand what the hype is all about.
In the world of timekeeping and watches, the oldest brands are usually the most reputable and most respected.
It is not uncommon for upstart watch companies to be “mushroom brands” (they seemingly sprout into success overnight but then disappear just as quickly).
However, this is not the case with MVMT, more commonly pronounced as “movement”.
This brand has not only disproved the mushroom brand theory, but even the prestigious magazine Forbes has called it “one of the fastest-growing watch brands”.
When you think about that staggering number of countries in which MVMT watches are available, you wouldn’t be wrong to think that this brand started in the early 1900s or even the late 1800s.
You would be a hundred years wrong.
We’ll get to that later.
MVMT has depended on modern technology, specifically marketing through digital means and the very powerful social media promotions.
It currently has 1.1 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million “likes” on Facebook – although don’t be surprised if this is already an outdated stat by the time you fact-check these numbers.
It started and then eventually grew its online presence by using the catchy hashtag, #JoinTheMVMT.
Other big watch brands like Michael Kors, Fossil, or Nixon can’t compare to the online presence of this prodigy.
Let’s take a quick look at how MVMT challenged the “traditional” way of establishing a brand.
History of MVMT Watches
Jake Kassan and Kramer LaPlante were the pioneers of MVMT watches.
What’s interesting with these two is that they were still teenagers when they started the brand, and what really blows your mind is when you realize they were both college dropouts.
It makes you wonder if formal education is overrated.
Jake Kassan’s father was instrumental in teaching him how to make money even when Jake was still very young.
Jake Kassan, Founder MVMT Watches
His dad was the owner of a credit report business which, unfortunately, collapsed during the disastrous 2008 USA recession.
However, this didn’t stop Jake from looking for ways to make some income.
A famous example is that he sold lollipops brought home by his dad.
Jake was supposed to give them away but instead he “invested” by selling them at a quarter apiece, or if they bought 5 pieces, they get a discount and only need to pay $1.
He was making a killing within the first few weeks.
By age 17, he was selling novelty t-shirts, which then became his first official business. Because he needed some capital to generate the shirts, he used his car as collateral as he was so sure of himself that we would succeed.
During the weekends in summer, he would drive all the way to Santa Monica to market his t-shirts.
Needless to say, his endeavor was very successful financially but this only added to his hunger to grow the business more.
He developed a website, NiteLifeDesigns.com (currently inactive), which only added to the online marketing of his products.
Still not satisfied, he then started producing YouTube videos.
Great idea! Most of his videos blew up to the tune of 500,000 views per video.
By this time, he was earning around $10,000 per week. Not a bad marketing strategy.
If you’ve ever heard or seen the wallet brand called Articulate Wallets on Kickstarter, this is his brainchild of Kramer LaPlante, MVMT Watches second founder.
These wallets were designed with user convenience in mind.
The wallets were also fashionable yet affordable so that a regular person could enjoy it without breaking their budget.
The kick-start business gathered north of $100,000 from 3,000 supporters.
MVMT was then born out of the perfect combination of LaPlante’s fundraising ability and Kassan’s online marketing genius.
Simple Problem
Although they were college roommates at the University of California Santa Barbara, they didn’t begin the MVMT brand there.
Jake quit college first while Kramer tried his best to continue to be a good student which lasted until 2013.
The two men remember that this all started with a simple problem: there was no quality watches available for their demographic – the young adults who are in college or just out of college.
Well, to be more precise, there were no cool watches that were high quality (when it came to movement and design) that they could afford.
Young adults, or millennial’s for that matter, don’t have an extra $500 to $1,000 in their budget to buy a premium watch.
It was as if a light bulb was turned on inside their heads.
This was a chance to combine their business strengths and create a supply for this demand.
They were not watch experts by any means, they were simply going to sell affordable, yet quality watches, to their demographic.
Cut Out the Middlemen
40 Series on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
Sharing an apartment to save time and money while starting up this idea, they did a lot of research and definitely did their due diligence.
They looked at watch suppliers in China through the online store, Alibaba.
They then personally talked to the vendors and studied the quality and pricing of everything – from the watch movements to the crown to the hands to the availability of the parts.
One genius idea they had was to cut out the middlemen completely.
As business people know, the middlemen are the major cause of price differences in products.
So when you take the product straight from the factory and sell them yourselves, you can lower your prices significantly.
This is what the dynamic duo determined and they started selling their watches exclusively online.
To put their brilliance into perspective, while other brands were selling their watches at the $300 price level, MVMT could sell them in the $100-$150 price range.
Fundraising Campaign
In June 2013, just three months after they conceptualized the idea, the duo started a fundraising campaign through Indiegogo.
They used a cheap but capable camera to take images of the sample watches that were custom-designed by them and posted the pictures on the Indiegogo website.
Their initial goal was $15,000, which was a daunting number at that time given the new journey they were trying to embark on.
The response was overwhelming, to say the least.
The total support was a few dollars short of $220,000.
This is when they understood that they were hitting something huge.
Digital Strategy
Voyager on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
Evidently, the e-commerce and social media marketing style is working great for them.
After growing the team to 25 people after only three years, they were able to sell 600,000 watches.
Their lineup now includes watches and sunglasses for men and women.
The products are sold at $150 or below with quality and design that could be compared to other higher priced brands.
Kassan and LaPlante tell it so clearly, “high-quality minimalist products at revolutionary prices”.
For the first five years of the company, the two tried to keep the company as independent as possible to be free from all the politics and complexities of being a part of a larger watch conglomerate.
Unfortunately, independence was about to end.
Movado Group Acquisition
Here is the official statement from Movado Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Efraim Grinberg:
“We are pleased to officially welcome MVMT to Movado Group having closed on this strategic acquisition. MVMT provides many benefits to our Company – we add a strong digital brand to our portfolio; broaden our customer reach to millennials, an important consumer segment; and increase the sales and earnings potential of our Company with an acquisition that we expect will be accretive to fiscal 2019 results.”
For a cool price of $100,000,000, MVMT was acquired by the Movado Group in 2018.
MVMT is now part of a behemoth watch company that includes such luminaries as Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, and Lacoste.
Where Do They Make MVMT Watches?
Classic Collection on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
It is rather ironic that a watch that is called “movement” would not be famous for its watch movements.
In fact, it doesn’t even compare to some of the watches in its medium-class range.
MVMT uses the Japanese Miyota precision quartz movement.
This is nothing unique as other more well-known brands use the same movement – Citizen, Seiko, and Casio.
If it’s not so obvious, Casio, Seiko, and Citizen are all Japanese brands; and therefore, it would only be logical that they would all have the Japanese Miyota quartz movement.
This is where MVMT falls short in the comparison.
MVMT movements are produced in China and Hong Kong, a lower standard than the actual Japanese Miyota.
MVMT Reputation
Through its remarkable digital marketing strategy, MVMT watches succeeded in what they set out to do – provide quality, affordable watches to budget-conscious individuals.
They actually might have created the perfect watch lineup for millennials.
The most likely competition for the same demographic target market would be, among others, Alessi, Mondaine, Kimono, Braun Tsovet, Daniel Wellington, and even Timex.
Some would even put them side by side with one of the more popular Danish watches, Skagen.
Here are some positive points to consider when researching MVMT’s reputation:
Pleasing Design
Boulevard Collection on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
The founders have realized that millennial’s don’t need all the complications and super complications that come with the premium high-end watches.
This generation only wants what’s practical and easiest to buy while maintaining a classy look.
This is where the minimalistic thinking and simplistic concepts come in.
Once they get feedback from the social media outlets (through customer reviews and comments), they adjust to the demographic’s wants.
Price Affordability
Kassan once said, “If you don’t have to raise (prices), you shouldn’t.”
This slogan is definitely a great plus when looking at MVMT options.
Since the beginning of the company, it has been a core value to keep the prices affordable while maintaining the quality high.
This is breaking the traditional thinking that fashion watches should not be cheap.
And that is why MVMT is making a splash in this department.
Diversified Options
Chrono Collection on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
There are dozens of collections to choose from, both for men and women.
Each collection comes with its own unique design and allure. They have their own different characteristics.
Different colors are available for the watches if you’re in an adventurous mood.
Straps are also interchangeable for all MVMT watches.
Free Shipping
For orders that are above $50, MVMT offers free worldwide shipping.
Not too many watch brands offer this benefit, much more a fairly new company.
Once the sale is complete and finalized by MVMT, the product is then processed and shipped within 24 hours.
Are MVMT Watches Worth Their Price?
Voyager on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
If the watch that you are looking for is a day-to-day workhorse that can still pass as a fashion statement, then MVMT is the perfect option for you.
MVMT’s mission has always been to serve the millennial’s and it has successfully done that, and then some.
The mere fact that millennial’s created this brand only shows that MVMT has their best interest in mind – a practical, affordable, stylish watch that can also keep accurate time.
For the more fashion-inclined, the interchangeable straps are a welcome option.
Getting multiple straps might give the owner the flexibility if ever the opportunity presents itself to match the MVMT watch to the occasion – a casual birthday party, gifting it to a friend who just graduated, or maybe even a career-defining work interview.
For the traditionalists and the old-school watch aficionados, MVMT watches are not their cup of tea.
One reason for this is that they think that MVMT’s blazing rise to the upper echelons is not a good sign for the watch world.
A watch should go through the test of time to be given the respect that MVMT has gotten. They think that MVMT hasn’t earned that kind of respect yet.
Another negative criticism is that MVMT’s watches and movements are produced in China, which hasn’t really been known to produce great quality watches.
The watchmaking craftmanship is nowhere near the European or even the American standard.
You might read fancy terms like “Japanese Miyota Precision Quartz Movement”, but this is basically a watch movement that costs $5 and is nothing unique because they are produced by the thousands in China.
Many fashion watches also have the same criticism towards them. Guess, Daniel Wellington, Michael Kors, just to name a few.
These fashion brands don’t really focus on making their watches the best quality possible, they only want to sell many units.
MVMT is considered a fashion watch by many watch groups.
To make matters worse for MVMT, there are many reviews by customers who report that after just a few months, some watches had issues with timekeeping and some even stopped working altogether.
So the reputation is mixed, depending on who you ask.
Millennial’s will say that it is good enough for the daily grind (and some occasional events).
Watch experts would not recommend it, to put it lightly.
If you need a watch that will last a lifetime, then MVMT is probably not for you.
You would be better off looking for a brand that has had a long history and is continually focused on improving the quality of their watches.
A few good options to consider would be Seiko, Citizen, Swatch, or Tissot.
These brands would surely be more expensive than MVMT’s but the quality is also higher.
Where Do You Buy MVMT Watches?
As previously mentioned, this is an online-exclusive product so the most reasonable place to look for it is the MVMT Official Website.
Here is a quick link to the watches: Men | Women
You could also review and, if satisfied, buy MVMT watches from two of the biggest online stores in the world, Amazon, and eBay.
MVMT Watch Warranty Policy
Nova Collection on MVMT | Amazon Reviews
As with most brands, MVMT watches come with a two-year limited warranty. This includes factory defects and movement issues. MVMT will repair the watch for free.
If a replacement is needed, there will no additional cost to the customer, as well.
The warranty does not include damage from normal wear and tear, batteries replacement, water damage, scratches, accidental glass break, damages to the strap, and theft.
A great inclusion to the warranty is their return policy. For items that are $50 and above, the products can then be returned for a store credit or even a full refund within 60 days from delivery.
This includes all products from domestic and international orders. Do note that for items below $50, the customer will pay for the return shipping themselves.
To know more details about the MVMT warranty policy, click here.
Last Words
MVMT is already a global name, albeit with mixed reviews.
It still holds true to its mission of delivering premium designs for radically fair prices.
It continues to grow in popularity and reputation.
Every year, the brand gets more followers and consequently, more sales.
Get ready to #jointheMVMT.
To get you more hyped up about MVMT, watch this video by Sam Kolder – Work Hard, Travel Harder video.
