Almost On Time

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Out Of Order (OOO) are an Italian watch brand that was launched in 2013. Unlike many other microbrands which are just reproducing the same designs with a different logo. Out Of Order actually bring something unique to the industry, with a variety of different watch models that truly look individual.

The phrase “damaged in Italy” should give you a good indication of how the brand works. Instead of focussing on branding their product with perfect photos and videos, or paying celebrities to wear their pieces. Instead, OOO distresses their watches to make them look old and worn. This is a far cry away from the typical start-up you have seen in recent years such as Vincero or the infamous Filippo Loreti.

Of course, “damaging” or “distressing” watches have been done before. But in fairness to OOO, they have still made many original designs such as the LA GMT (pictured below). Not only this but their watches are made to a good specification and are very affordable when compared with rival brands.

If you hate this kind of watch the moment you look at it, I doubt you are going to be convinced. However, if you think that the distressed style of watchmaking is something that you can get on board with, OOO are the best value brand to try. It should also be mentioned if you are someone who regularly scratches their own watches accidentally, this could be a good option for you since you literally won’t notice the next time you do so.

What Movements Do OOO Watches Use?

Typically the brand uses Ronda quartz movements in its non-mechanical timepieces. Ronda is a respectable Swiss brand that is pretty much the entry-level into movements made in Switzerland. It isn’t the absolute best movement in the world, but is superior to other non-Swiss quartz movements.

Some of the more inexpensive watches will use Japanese quartz watches. However, Swiss movements can easily be distinguished by the words “Swiss movement” on the bottom of each dial.

For automatic watches, OOO tends to use Miyota. This is because the brand is very solid and established, as well as having years of experience making automatic movements on behalf of Citizen. Miyota is quite a lot cheaper than using a Swiss automatic movement such as ETA and can be found in a lot of automatic watches.

Once again, OOO does not just have Japanese automatic models and does produce mechanical watches with Swiss movements. These watches have STP movements and are typically the most expensive watches the brand makes.

Are OOO Watches Good Value For Money?

Yes, OOO watches cost anywhere between 200-370 Euros. This is approximately between $200-$700. Considering you are getting a watch with either a Swiss quartz or an automatic watch, this is really not too bad. However, it should be noted that OOO watches are very different from other fashion watches and have a unique design. Not only this, but each piece is individually “damaged” in its own way. Due to this, it would be reasonable for the brand to charge more than mass-produced watches made in China – but they don’t.

Considering that the Italian brand does not cut corners and uses things like PVD coating alongside sapphire crystal. This shows that they have a commitment to making good quality watches, ironically not something which is damaged easily (they will do that for you).

How Are OOO Watches Damaged?

Of course, when making a watch look damaged, you’re going to have to be quite careful. Anyone can destroy a watch and make it look terrible. But it’s an entirely different skill altogether damaging a watch in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Firstly, the steel cases of the watches are treated in a way that makes them look distressed as soon as the process is finished. According to the OOO website, this process leaves the metal completely hypoallergenic, which is a nice detail to know for those who suffer from allergies.

At this point, every timepiece is “damaged” individually. The result of this means that even if you buy 2 of the same watch model – they will not be identical. This is another cool feature since almost every other brand produces watches that are meant to look the same.

The Best OOO Watches

Casanova

If there ever was an advertisement why you shouldn’t buy a Rolex submariner, this would be it. The Casanova shows what could go wrong if you scratch the bezel on your watch, or perhaps leave it in saltwater too long. In all seriousness, the Italian brand does a great job of putting its own spin on a classic design.

In terms of value for money, the watch is pretty decent. At under $350, you’re getting a unique watch with a Swiss movement. When compared to other brands, you may get this kind of movement quality for the same price. But you certainly won’t find anything that looks like the Casanova within this price bracket.

Check On OOO Website | Check Price On Ebay

GMT

Another great value watch is the Out of Order GMT range. This design has a similar specification to the Casanova series in which a Swiss quartz movement is used. What truly makes these watches unique is the color combinations of the dials and bezels. OOO does not stick to a plain dial like Rolex, or even any of the cheaper GMT copies such as Invicta.

Unusually, OOO has chosen to go with a black date wheel in most of their GMT watches, which is unusual. But for a brand that likes to scratch watches before releasing them to the public, it’s really not that strange. It should also be mentioned that the lume on the dial and the bezel numbers is outstanding. You may not expect colored numbers to light up so well in the dark, but they really do.

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Swiss Automatico

As the most expensive watch that OOO sell, it is still relatively inexpensive given the specifications. Coming in at well below $800, the Automatico is a truly European watch. It is made in Italy and uses a Swiss STP movement. If this is compared to other European brands that make watches of a similar specification, (Tissot, Raymond Weil, Frederique Constant) you can see that it is quite a lot cheaper.

In terms of reliability, STP movements are pretty good. Granted, they are not quite as reliable as ETA, but they are certainly around the same quality as Sellita, so for under $800, this is good value and truly unique.

Check On OOO Website | Check Price On Ebay