Review of the Breda 8184B Quartz Watch

Author:

Walter Shillington is an avid collector of mechanical watches. His reviews focus on inexpensive but often intriguing Chinese timepieces.

Breda 8184B Quartz Watch
Walter B Shillington

I subscribe to Watch Gang. Every month they send me a brand new wristwatch to test. My latest timepiece, a Breda 8184B, was produced by an American company called Grand Time. Most of the watches I review are designed in China, and I was looking forward to discovering which styling techniques would be favored by a Texas-based firm.

Description

The Breda 8184B arrived enclosed within a good-quality cardboard box and wrapped around a piece of stiff foam-like material. Accompanying it was a card providing the watch’s serial number and a strict warning to register my new watch.

This timepiece is 12 millimeters thick and 44 millimeters across. Although the Breda 8184B is quite large, it weighs only 68 grams (2.42 ounces). This watch is equipped with a thick brown leather strap.

A simple white dial is broken only by the brand name and marks intended to designate hours and minutes. The main hands are silver and reflective, ensuring their position can be easily detected in low light. The second hand is painted red.

The watch’s case and caseback are composed of stainless steel. Its crystal is made from mineral glass, and Miyota supplied the timepiece’s quartz movement.

Breda 8184B Quartz Watch

Specifications

• Brand: Breda

• Model: 8184B

• Condition: New

• Place of Origin: China but designed in US

• Gender: Male

• Display: Analog

• Movement: Miyota quartz

• Functions: 12-hour time

• Band color: Brown with stainless-steel buckle

• Band width: 20 millimeters

The Manufacturer

Breda was launched by Grand Time Corporation in 2009 as a private label brand. Grand Time, which is based in Dallas Texas, also owns JBW (Just Bling Watches).

Breda timepieces are designed in Dallas and, most probably, manufactured in a factory situated in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Grand Time has a studio, located in the historic Deep Ellum district of Dallas, which functions as their retail store. Breda watches are also sold online.

Visual Appeal

This watch’s simple white dial, surrounded by a stainless-steel bezel, exudes an impression of casual cheerfulness.

Although lacking luminous paint, the hands attached to this quartz watch reflect light, allowing it to be read under low-light conditions.

A thick and very attractive brown leather strap matches well with the overall design of this timepiece.

Breda 8184B Quartz Watch

Durability

A stainless-steel case and crystal composed of scratch-resistant mineral glass provides decent protection against shock and water ingress. Its 5ATM rating is good enough to allow the wearer to go for a dip in the local swimming pool.

Breda provided this timepiece with a Miyota quartz movement, although, sadly, I could not locate its model number. Miyota, a division of Citizen, enjoys a good reputation.

The included strap is quite thick, but, unlike many leather bands of this size, I did not find it awkward to secure around my wrist.

Overall Impression

The Breda 8184B is a cheerful watch with a decent movement and a quality strap. It is intended for casual rather than business use. If you like its style, this timepiece is worthy of consideration.

The watches I review are generally designed for either business or casual use, the biggest determining factor being the thickness and weight of the timepiece. In the following survey, I am attempting to ascertain which type is more desired by my readers. Please take the time to fill in the poll below.