Now, now, don’t worry – the Bogey man isn’t going to come and get you if you buckle today’s watch onto your wrist. It might just give you a compliment on your watch, however!
Ok, I suppose that’s enough with the bad jokes. Today’s watch, the Bogey, is about as different from our earlier Original Penguin review as you can get. The other was a styled chronograph; this three-hander is firmly in the fashion watch camp (but I think that’s a good thing here).
When watches come on a metallic band, we call them bracelets. However, with this rectangular case (38 by 34mm) that is on the thin side, you really do feel like you’re wearing a bracelet that happens to have some time-keeping functionality built in. In other words, a great casual piece.
To give the watch a bit of a retro touch, the dial itself is a woodgrain look, which itself has a sort of “ghost” of the penguin logo on the right-hand side. Subtle, but it’s there if you know to look for it. The branding also appears on the gold second hand, and the gold tone crown, but that’s it. Just three subtle elements, which is a nice change of pace.
As to the actual bracelet on the watch, I found it to be perfectly comfortable, and I appreciate the push-button release on the butterfly clasp. The one oddity, to me, was with the safety clasp. While the bracelet itself has a brushed finish, the clasp is polished. While it may be to tie to the sides of the bracelet (which are polished), it seemed odd to me.
I think this is a good watch for someone who’s concerned that watches seem too small on their wrist, but don’t want to go into the “oversize” territory that are popular today (for one of those, see our earlier review on the Ingersoll Bison). It’s a great casual quartz piece that will work in many situations, and it has just a hint of “retro” if you’re just wanting to try that style out.
You can pick one today for about $175 (same price if you opt for the gold-tone case/bracelet)
