Updated date:

Nov 3, 2019

Skmei S-Shock Review

Author:

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

skmei-s-shock-review — Walter B Shillington

I wanted to purchase a watch similar to Casio’s G-Shock without spending a great deal of money. I chose the Skmei 1029, dual movement S-Shock.

Unfortunately, the timepiece never arrived. I asked Wish.com for my money back and purchased the less expensive 1019 Sport Watch through Amazon. This also failed to reach my post office box, resulting in another refund.

It seemed unlikely that two attempts to purchase an S-Shock would end in failure. I begin to wonder if my reviews had proved unpopular with Chinese watch companies. Was Skmei leading an evil consortium of manufacturers bent on depriving me of an honest livelihood?

The next week, the watch from Amazon arrived. Twenty-one days later, Wish’s S-Shock was delivered. My doctor’s diagnosis of paranoia had proved correct.

Description

Visually, these watches are very similar, the chief difference consisting of the 1029’s bright red set of hands and its large metal crown.

Their cases are composed of plastic. Casebacks are metal and secured by four tiny screws. The dials of both these timepieces are protected by a plastic crystal.

The Skmei 1019 Sports Watch weighs in at 59 grams (2.1 ounces). It spans 49 mm (2 inches) and is 17.5 mm thick.

The Skmei 1029 S-Shock weighs 64 grams (2.3 ounces) and is 18 mm thick. Due to its sizable crown, the diameter of this watch reaches 57mm.

Watch straps are composed of polyurethane resin, a form of synthetic rubber that resists abrasions and will not easily tear. Direct sunlight will shorten its lifespan so, if you consistently work outside all day, you might consider another brand of watch. Bandwidth measures 22 mm.

In normal mode, both watches display a complete calendar, including the day of the week. A round gizmo, positioned at the dial’s top left-hand-side, provides a continuously changing geometric pattern.

The 1029 is fitted with four pushbuttons, which are used to perform adjustments and illuminate the digital display. The 1019 provides a fifth pushbutton, effectively and unnecessarily doubling the wearer’s backlight activation options. The 1029 S-Shock’s crown is used to adjust its analog clock. Both watches feature a stopwatch and an alarm.

The 1019 is powered by a CR2032 battery. The 1029’s digital movement is fitted with a CR2016, and a SR626SW cell powers its analog section.

These Skmei timepieces are rated 5ATM. They can be used for occasional swimming—but not snorkeling. Pushbuttons should not be depressed during this activity.

Skmei 1029 S-Shock

The Manufacturer

Skmei is a brand name of the Guangzhou SKMEI Watch Company which is located in Guangdong, China. Unlike many Chinese watch producers, Skmei actually designs and manufactures their timepieces.

The brand first appeared in 2010, featuring imitations of Casio’s G-Shock model. Since then Skmei has introduced a wide variety of inexpensive digital and quartz-based timepieces.

Visual Appeal

These models have a distinctive military appearance. They are chunky, their cases divided into a number of sharply angled sections. Four oversized, slot-headed screws convey the impression that they are holding the watch together. Black is the primary color, offset by touches of red, white, and silver. These watches are equipped with a profusion of pushbuttons.

The Skmei 1019 Super Sport provides digital information in a conservative, straightforward fashion, the subdial-like gizmo unit adding a touch of flair. Tapping the proper pushbutton will cause both the LCD display and the gismo to glow pleasingly green.

The 1029 S-Shock is similar but also includes an analog movement supported by a large silver crown and a set of nicely designed pointers.

Skmei 1019 Sport Watch

Durability

Chinese watch companies, as a general rule, do not prioritize quality control. They focus on providing multifunctional timepieces which can be purchased inexpensively.

Throughout the past year, I have purchased approximately forty watches. Four of them proved defective, their problems ranging from pointers which had become detached, to an automatic mechanism that failed to operate. This works out to an abysmal failure rate of ten percent.

Skmei, recognizing that every defective watch they sell represents a lost customer, has taken a better approach. Their quality control system—already second to none in the Chinese manufacturing sector—has been further refined. Every watch they sell now includes a QC sticker, which indicates the timepiece has been inspected for functionality before leaving the factory.

Both watches are housed inside plastic cases. I prefer metal, but these do appear reasonably sturdy. Pushbuttons are well designed and will provide good service. Crystals are plastic but should be relatively protected because they are placed well below the upper rim of their cases.

While I would not consider polyurethane resin watchbands to be particularly stylish, the included straps appear robust and should not present a problem.

Batteries are replaceable; however, more effort is required to perform this service than experienced with competing brands.

Although these watches are rated 5ATM, I would take this appraisal with a grain of salt. Casebacks are tightly held by four screws, but gaskets, designed to prevent water ingress, are not present. A large number of pushbuttons also provide a method through which moisture could intrude. I recommend that you play safe, treating these timepieces as splash-proof.

Skmei Polyurethane Resin Watch Strap

Overall Impression

Both of these watches are highly functional and should provide yeoman service for a least a year. If you like their design, the Skmei 1019 Super Sport and its cousin, the 1029 S-Shock, are worthy of serious consideration.

Those that wear watches generally align themselves with one of two camps. Either they prefer digital displays or they won’t settle for anything less than an analog timepiece. The following poll is intended to determine which group has the greater following.

Questions & Answers

Question: Is the Skemi or S-Shock a better watch?

Answer: S-Shock watches are manufactured by Skmei. If you are comparing the S Shock to Casio's G-Shock, I expect Casio's offering to be the better watch. I don't own one but, because the G-Shock line is more expensive, Casio can use better quality parts to construct their timepieces.