Mens Watches

The hallmark of this brand has long been value. It is famed for offering excellent quality timepieces for every budget, no matter how extravagant or how thrifty. In business for over 130 years, this brand is just beginning to hit its stride. Its current leadership is committed to continuing the tradition of excellent quality at affordable prices begun in 1878. It has changed hands from one family to another but that has not affected the brand’s desire to create timepieces that are of the best craftsmanship at a reasonable price. Born in New Jersey, this brand is the epitome of the American dream.

What We Love About Croton

Variety is central to this brand. It offers literally hundreds of new designs each year. Casual models and dress, contemporary and traditional, quirky and conservative: all manner of style can be found within this one brand name. Various finishes may adorn a mens watch from this line. A buyer can find model featuring 14 kt gold and diamond accents or a much simpler model of stainless steel. Less expensive model typically use base metals to keep their prices down. Fashion timepieces are available in many different looks encompassing both the rugged and the sophisticated. The brand also uses more than one movement. Many models use the industry standard quartz movement. This is widely acknowledged as the most current, most accurate movement known today. Other models use the more complicated and intricate automatic movements that made the Swiss industry famous. Prices vary as much as the products themselves. There are budget timepieces priced well below the $100 mark which are still treated by the brand with the same respect as their more upscale models. Their high-end items still hold an attainable price tag, though the materials and movements are inherently more valuable. Most of their models are priced beneath $1000, which is a great value for a Swiss made chronograph.

Some Things We Don’t Like About Croton

Offering so many new models that they no longer have names but numbered identifiers detracts from a unified brand image. Croton watches do not have a true brand identity or a cohesive look that is recognizable from one piece to another. Many of its mens watches designs are derived from their previous catalogs or from more upscale models. Few of these designs are truly different from the offerings of other companies. The quartz movements this brand uses in most models are quite accurate and are Swiss made, but they should not be confused with fine mechanical or automatic movements. The latter are much more complicated and expensive to make and maintain.

History of the Brand

This American brand was established in 1878 in New Jersey. Croton was named for an city in Italy that neighbors Switzerland, it was run by the same family for over 100 years. In 1991 the brand was bought by Nationwide Time, another family business who had been looking for just the right addition to their corporation. They found a perfect fit with Croton. Attracted by the brand’s outstanding reputation and exceptional value, President David Mermelstein felt that this was a brand that his company would build upon for generations to come. Under his leadership, the brand adds hundred of models, each made with the same care as their predecessors, to its design portfolio each year.