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Armani is an Italian fashion brand that was launched by Giorgio Armani in 1975, the brand has a number of smaller subsidiary companies such as EA7, Armani Jeans and Armani Junion. However, the two only brands which make watches are both Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange.
As well as fashion, the Armani group also invests in hotels, cafes and nightclubs, having bringing in an annual revenue of over $7 billion.
Typically the watches made by Armani tend to be fashion timepieces with no real ambition to break in to the industry of high end watchmaking. This can be seen through the relatively low prices across their entire collection.
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Who Makes Emporio Armani Watches?
Emporio Armani watches are licensed to the watch manufacturer Fossil. This is the same relationship as many other fashion brands who do not wish to make watches by themselves. Fossil make watches for the likes of Diesel, Michael Kors, Skagen and many other fashion houses.
Where Are Emporio Armani Watches Made?
This depends on the model of the watch. However – most Armani watches are assembled in China and use a Japanese quartz movement. Emporio Armani do have a small selection of automatic watches, these are made in the same way but instead use a Miyota mechanical movement.
There are also a few higher end Armani watches which are now made in Switzerland due to Fossil opening a factory within the country. These watches can easily be identified as they state “Swiss made” on the bottom of the dial.
Are Armani Watches Waterproof?
Yes. Almost all good quality fashion watches have at least some level of water resistance. Whilst it isn’t recommended to swim with any Armani watch, they can withstand splashes of water and rain showers.
Is Armani A Luxury Watch Brand?
Emporio Armani is certainly not a luxury watch brand. Whilst they may be considered a manufacturer of luxury sunglasses and jeans, they are not considered to be a luxury watchmaker.
The first reason for this is that Armani do not make their own watches. As mentioned above, the licensing for Armani timepieces is contracted to Fossil. Fossil make fashion watches for many companies, but do not make watches for a single luxury brand.
Secondly, Armani watches use Miyota movements, which is a company owned by Japanese watchmaker Citizen. These movements are cheap, reliable and accurate – they cannot be compared to Swiss quartz or automatic movements in terms of quality or cost.
Lastly, Armani watches do not have the price of a luxury watch. The average price of an Armani watch on a website such as Amazon is between $100-$300. An entry level Tag Heuer watch will cost around 10 times this price, showing a significant difference in value.
Are Emporio Armani Watches Good Quality?
Emporio Armani watches are decent quality and can be compared to any other brand made by Fossil such as Michael Kors or Diesel. They use very similar quality materials and use exactly the same movements within the cases.
Armani watches are very average value for money as there is not too much difference between the price of Armani watches or rival fashion brands models. Simply put, if you are a fan of the Armani brand and design, their watches are certainly not a bad purchase. However, if you like another brand equally, it is probably worth comparing the specifications of each watch.
Overall Armani Watches Brand Review
When compared to other fashion watch brands, there is not much to separate Armani from the competition. All companies use similar materials and movements and mostly just go with whatever is popular in the current market. Armani does not have a particular overall style it likes to stick with – although it can be distinguished from the competition as being a little more understated.
The main area where Armani differs from other watch brands is the two separate lines of watches Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange.
Emporio Armani watches are aimed towards an older and more professional demographic, where as Armani Exchange watches are marketed towards the younger and more fashion conscious buyers. Whilst both brands are made to the same standard of quality, you will find that Armani Exchange products are slightly cheaper.
The Best Armani Watches For Men
Armani Meccanico
One of the few automatic watches made by Armani. This design still uses the classic Emporio Armani logo at the 12 o’clock position alongside the roman numerals surrounding the dial. A style which has been very consistent within the Armani watch brand.
In terms of value for money, the Armani Meccanico is not too bad at all. Costing less than $150 for a Miyota automatic movement is pretty average, although this is a decent fashion watch so you would expect it to cost a little more. The open-heart design at the 7 o’clock position is a nice addition to the overall image of the watch.
Armani Dress Watch
Another classic dial design from Armani, with the seconds hand being placed on a subdial rather than a standard 3 handed movement. This Armani dress watch has a masculine navy blue dial which goes very well with the stainless steel case and bracelet.
At under $100, this is really good value as you will likely not find a fashionable designers watch for this price point other than Invicta – a brand which has a very different style to the sleekness of Armani.
Armani Exchange Chronograph
Whilst you may struggle to find a gold chronograph in the original Emporio Armani range of watches, you will face no such difficulty with Armani Exchange. The Armani Exchange brand is targeted at a much younger consumer base than the classic Emporio Armani style, so you can expect to see louder and more over the top watches from this arm of the company.
The 44mm case size is still fairly oversized, but not as large as other brands such as Nixon or Invicta chronographs which make this look small in comparison.
The Best Armani Watches For Women
Emporio Armani Two-Tone
A classicaly feminine watch, this Emporio Armani two-tone color scheme shows a distinctive but subtle contrast between stainless steel and rose gold. The dial is 30mm across – the perfect size for those that want something classic and not to overbearing.
On the dial itself are diamante crystals which allow the watch the show itself off more when displayed under a light. As the watch makes use of a deployment clasp, this function enables you to take the watch off and on very easily with no hassle.
Armani Exchange Diamante Bezel
Available in both silver and gold, this watch model is loud enough to get noticed, but not something which is going to be the focus of everyones attention. The 36mm case is a nicely feminine size and is not too large like some of the newer 40mm models you will find.
Around the bezel there are two rows of well set diamante crystals. These sparkle very well under any sort of light and are well set so will not come loose. On the dial are also embedded diamante crystals which compliment the bezel very well.
Armani Exchange – Rose Gold Chronograph
One of the few ladies chronograph watches that Armani make, this particular model is fairly modern and less classic than your typical Armani design.
The watch makes use of a chronograph on a 36mm dial, which is ensured to be accurate as the watch uses a Miyota quartz movement. Around the dial are hour indicators decorated by diamante crystals, making this particular model a little more glamorous than your average watch. Lastly, the watch has no bezel which is unusual for a chronograph, but accentuates the dial.
