Yazole is a “brand” that you’ll see on many watches in the cheap Chinese watch universe. I have found their designs to be a mixed bag of like ’em / don’t like ’em. The Yazole 271 falls into the “like ’em” category for me. While the white face and brown leather band fit in well in a casual business environment, the black dial and leather band can successfully accessorize a day at the track. And I got one of each.
My Yazole 271’s in glorious white and black. So cheap, so beautiful I had to get both!
Conclusion & Rating
Cons
I dinged the Yazole 271 a couple of stars because while it was understood that the sub-dials would not function, they could have looked a little less pasted on. They aren’t horrible, but it doesn’t take a particularly thorough inspection to see how obviously “faux” they are. That combined with the overall quality which is a bit “chintzy”. As noted in my review of the Valia 8601-1 the metal used in the manufacture of the case of the Yazole 271 is rather lightweight and the whole watch lacks “heft”. That lack of substance is also reflected in the straps. They start out stiff and … not uncomfortable … but not comfortable either. It’s not that they make the watch a chore to wear, but they are relatively thin and feel cheap. Perhaps they will wear in over time. I had considered new bands for the pair of watches I purchased, but I am not sure that I can justify a $15 leather band on a $3 watch. Not yet anyway.
Pros
That being said, it measures up quite well to my two most important criteria …
- Keep accurate time – The Yazole 271 keeps time as well as you would expect.I don’t check back to an atomic clock every hour or anything but after a couple of weeks I have not had to reset the time on either watch. So that’s accurate enough.
- Look and Feel Great – While the sub-dials won’t fool anyone who stops for a close look, how often does that happen? I have worn it to work several times [Watch of the Day – 06/01/2016] and while I was not actually stopped in the hallway by anyone to admire my timepiece, I would have been happy to show it to anyone if they had. It’s a very attractive watch and while I would not recommend paying more than $5 for one, you don’t have to, as it’s easily attained for $2 – $3.
Recommendation
In my opinion, this is an attractive watch and it is VERY budget friendly. At $3 you get far more than you pay for. I can comfortably recommend it with a couple of caveats …
- Price under $5. Don’t pay more than $5 . There are better made watches in the $5 – $10 price range. Even a few under $5.
- You are willing to maintain it or accept the fact that it will not likely survive much punishment.
Interested in further “deets”? Feel free to continue reading to get additional thoughts and feedback of my experience with the Yazole 271.
Bourghetto Gentry 