Dan Henry Watches... I'm Still Not Totally Impressed. 

I own two Dan Henry's. For the price, you get good quality and a beautiful watch. I find that is Dan Henry's selling point: vintage looking and aesthetically pleasing at a fair price. I love you man but you sometimes seem to forget that not everyone (always) has a larger budget to buy actual vintage and / or the ability or desire to properly service or care for the watches. Just my two cents.

Vintage aesthetics with a modern, reliable movement at a very affordable price. What’s not to like?

If you live in a country like mine. Norway when the sun never go down in the summer and never rise in the vinter a 24 hour dial is very much aprichiated.

I have 3 Dan Henrys and I do understand the negatives. I wish they had sapphire or acrylic, milled clasps but overall they are great. No worries about maintenance, just good looking easy grab and go watches with really nice vintage vibes that don’t cost a bundle. I see some watch snobs are hating on them but many of us like having inexpensive no hassle options in our collections, for me these fit the bill.

I have a silver dial version. Not only is it super cool looking, especially on the ultra-comfy BOR bracelet, but the Seiko Chrono is the jam! No fuss. No extra steps. Just start/stop/reset with ease and quite accurate. But the STAND OUT feature is DH Customer Service. I wrote asking to buy a new solid end for the bracelet. I bought the watch pre-owned so I was expecting to pay for the items. Dan Henry, himself, replied and sent a set of links ...no charge. He said he wanted everyone who owns one of his watches to have full access of customer service. Jory may not be totally impressed, but I am.

From the owner of DH 1962 perspective I must say that even now - 1,5 year after a purchase I’m glad I did it. I like not only the glass (that catches some flaws while being used), a well balance dial and tiny details that build up the watch. I like the approach to the customer as well - e-mail replied within Shirt period of time, openness to customers’ needs. If I was to buy this watch again I would probably do so.

He's comparing the DH to an Axios and Beaufort, which cost double the DH. This isn't a valid comparison.

If Dan Henry had sent this in for review, it would be.. in fact.. a spec monster

I honestly don’t understand the statements such as “garbage’ when reading the comments on watch reviews. If you don’t like it, say so but please don’t insult the people that love their watch. This watch is not garbage and there are quite a few things to admire. I love chronos, but don’t like the Dan Henry watches particularly as I prefer a watch with heritage. But that is only me ... I own a Hamilton Intra-Matic Auto Chrono, which I adore, but many people dislike, which is fine.... each to his own.

Dan Henry‘s concept could not be more clear: the functionality and looks of vintage design classics without the headache and at entry level prices. You buy them because you want the design. So did I with the DH 1970 (which is a near-exact replica of a 1967 Exactus Supercompressor) and I could not be happier: super-cool, no-nonsense, authentic vintage style, great case finishing, great lume, and most importantly: authentic 40mm size. Do I think that a $300 Seiko (“with only a mineral crystal” - and garbage bracelet) looks better under a loupe? Probably. Is it a viable alternative? Certainly not. I don’t mind you pointing out manifest execution defects, yet your consistently annoyed tone of voice and nitpicking, as if DH was somehow pretentious or dishonest, does indeed come across as snobbish and more of an ego problem than a watch problem - unless you were merely hunting for comments.

As someone who owns this exact watch, I’ll give you that all your points are pretty valid. That being said, this watch was a graduation present from my parents when I got my bachelor’s, so it has a special place in my collection.

Hey, a bit low-key and negative, it’s a cool brand for 260 bucks, and a little different. 🧐🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Given the style, build quality, and affordable price point, I think Dan Henry offers a fantastic value for money. Just great looking watches that serve a purpose with vintage aesthetic.

I've gotten the most compliments for the dan Henry panda watch in my collection.

I own 4 Dan Henry's, and I love them. Sorry it's now you standard.

I own three Dan Henry watches. I love them. I can't live without my Oris watches and I can't live without my Dan Henry watches. DH's design team is top tier!

Dan Henry watches are in a niche by themselves. Are they homages? Yes. But many are homages to watches you will never own or even see in the wild. It would be nice to own a chronograph from the 1930s but what are the odds you find one in decent condition? How much will the service costs be if you damage it? Would it even be fixable?

JORY: isn’t impressed by Dan Henry *Hugo Mountbatten* 🦖(from The Urban Gentry): for reasons best left unexplained... Jory Godman ... is unable to make it, so I Will be taking over... the Chanel (Jory tied up in an abandoned warehouse)

I have several DH's and enjoy them all. We have to remember what we have paid for them so they ain't going to be perfect. They're a niche watch but, on balance, represent good overall value. The 1962 Panda really looks the part to my eyes. A very thorough and honest review as always with the usual high level of entertainment.

Vintage watches need more care and cost more. The Dan Henry's give you the vintage look w/o the vintage costs. I hope he makes one I like soon because I like his aesthetic and would like to get one. Be great for a beater.

I love vintage watches. I just don't want the headache of renovating old watches. I'm glad that there are vintage style new watches. BTW, imagine all the specks and tarnish on an actual vintage watch dial.

Never had the pleasure of reviewing a Dan Henry. I think the thing with a lot of people on vintage watches is that a lot of people want a modernised version. Very much like when people take classic cars and then pack them with modern engines and drives.

I hear you. Here's my take. I love chronographs, in particular vintage manual wind ones. Love the sub 40mm sizes, the look, the proportions, the simplicity. Have owned multiple examples with valjoux, landeron, lemania and seiko movements. But, it's a minefield. I had 3 break within a month of each other (even though they were well looked after), and each would cost me more to fix than I paid for it. That's where to me DH makes sense. I got the 1962 black dial, the universal geneve 'evil Nina'. To get the watch it was based on would cost me min $10k. Way more than I am prepared to spend on any watch - have other priorities. And I would still have the same anxiety about it breaking so probably would end up not wearing it at all. So I now have a watch that has a very similar look but is not a clone, with a reliable movement, made by a guy who is a world renowned watch collector and really appreciates good design. I don't care about looking at my watches through a microscope. My own example is absolutely good enough. I don't regret my purchase at all but I get why it's not for everyone.

The name, Tri-Compax, refers to the three complications: the moon-phase, chronograph, and complete calendar (it's often mistakenly assumed that “tri-compax” refers to a chronograph sub-dial configuration).

When it came out a few years ago, I bought the slate grey version with the date complication and I still appreciate this watch. Simple, with a very nice beads of rice bracelet and with a reliable movement. Pretty good package for the price in my opinion.

Reviewing a Dan Henry 1964 without talking about the beautiful Aston Martin DB5 on the caseback, or without mentioning the story behind the time capsule... Bit disappointed here. Did you do your homework well?

I’ve owned a DH 1962 panda for a few months now and while I don’t wear it everyday, I really like how the white dial and black subdials pop through the domed crystal, especially out in the sunlight. And it works great on the black/brown leather straps or NATO I got for it too. So I can wear it casually or even with a suit. Perhaps ‘twas because I got the white dial but I didn’t notice any imperfections with my naked eye and have been quite pleased by the vintage styling. And given how rare and expensive the Universal Geneve Compax it’s based on is, I was very happy to pay $270 for such an iconic looking piece.

The 1970 Orange is their coolest watch and at $290 for a auto.

I own 2 DH’s, actually wearing the 1962 right now, and am very happy with them. I see the plastic cylinder case as a time capsule.

I got two, the 63 and the 64. 64 pretty much turned into my daily driver. No complaints.

I have a 1962 Panda. I agree it's not a spec monster. But it's a fun and stylish piece. And at the price they come in at there is bound to be some compromises. You are paying for the look, but DH gets that part right.

Despite this review and another (less snobby) I've viewed on Urban Gentry regarding this make/model, I have ordered a Dan Henry 1964 with a white face and 3 black sub dials. I will enjoy it.

I bought this one and i could not be happier. Love the feel ans look of it. Definitely something different in my collection.

If the crystal wasn’t so “domed” or “bulky”, I’d probably bought a DH time ago. Very nice watch in my eyes (and wallet...)👌🏻

A fair point to consider, I think, is the accessibility of vintage watches. For example, I have the Dan Henry pilot chrono (1964?). There is nothing I would rather have more than a vintage bretiling co pilot that it is partially inspired by. However, not only are those watches scarce, they are very expensive. Also as a side note, the crystal cracked on mine and DH replaced it with a new sapphire one for free. Fantastic customer service. I think it is an important consideration when dealing with micro brands, as some can be overseas and be difficult to deal with.

I appreciate your honest review. I appreciate your advice to the manufacturer. I like that the chronograph second sweep the Tach ring.

I wasn't aware that you hadn't reviewed a DH before. I have this watch, though with silver dial & 3 black sub-dials. I find it to be a pretty nice watch. I do think there's something to be said for getting a DH or any vintage-style watch vs. actual vintage watch. The latter can be highly expensive and worrying to wear...the former looks the part and involves less worry. Thanks for this review, T3.

regarding the 24 hour sub dial, I have a couple of watches with this complication. I really don't mind it but, the only function I have gotten from it is when you set the date, it's easy to know if the watch is currently showing AM or PM time.

Yeah cos vintage daytonas are so easy to pick up

Jordy, for the measly sum DH is asking for this Meca Quartz is vey little to criticize. What watch is NOT a homage of an earlier timepiece?

I love vintage look watches, but don't want the hassle of a vintage watch. I think a Seiko movement gives some credibility, TGV says good things about them in his channel, but Jory made some good points about quality. Undecided more than ever.

I have the 1937 in gold. Great looking watch.

The watch looks nice but I’m not sure about the price of it honestly seems a bit expensive for the specs

I love this watch. Very nice looking.

It’s Gran Turismo I think 😊 Had the panda-version. Never struck me as poor finish. The thickness was more on the negative. And the feeling of the buttons isn’t top notch. Other than that ir’s one of the few chronographs with under 45mm lug to lug, not expensive, nice bracelet and a nice strap. Good review, but I don’t think most people will ever see the small imperfections with the watch on wrist 😊

Same actually. I own a Dan Henry panda, was super jazzed about it, and now it’s the one in my collection that I never wear. Just not a huge fan of it.

*This comment is about the DH 1972, NOT the watch being reviewed in this video. My opinion: DON'T BUY the Dan Henry 1972! I own it, and I've seen watch reviewers like tgv and Jody recommend this piece after playing with it. Here's the rub. There's two glaring issues that are common to every watch with the 1972, and one seemingly common minor one. The minor one first seems to be a common problem I've seen on forums where the plastic collar on one of the subdials comes loose and makes the hand useless. I had to send mine back to Dan's official repair shop to get it fixed. The second is that the alarm is practically useless. Mine is off by 9 minutes, and when I contacted Dan about this he said that was within spec and I was out of luck. The thing is, it's CONSISTENTLY 9 minutes ahead, which means they simply don't take the time to get the alarm hand right. They just get it close enough and move on, and refuse to fix it. The last is that the blue chronograph second hand doesn't even come close to lining up with the indices because it has about a quarter second of play. If you change the watch orientation you can see it move back and forth. Again, I contacted Dan about this. He wrote, "for the blue hand It's not an alignment problem, the hand has a little play because of the gear size and there is nothing we can do about it, all these movements are the same..." He later says that Miyota admits the problem but won't make it public... So although the case, bracelet, and finishing are very nice on this watch, Dan Henry is stuck with a quality control problem from the Miyota factory, and won't honor requests for returns of this manufacturer's defect. None of the watch reviewers have caught this. Jory, if you see this, I can provide you with the email chain from Dan for proof, and the watch to review. I don't want anyone else stuck in this position.

Not everyone has 10,000 dollars to spend on a vintage watch. And those watches are very delicate that you cannot even wear them. So DH offers tremendous value for collectors.

New to your channel I just purchased my first watch a 1964 As your reviewing. I’m impressed with both your review and the watch.

I love the vintage styling, but sure as heck don't want the performance of something made from a few decadesbefore I was born. Classic Ferraris have some of the sexiest designs, but put it on the track today and it'll most liklely get smoked by a Civic. So I appreciate those that tries to bring back only the nice part of the past that I appreciate. I think a DH will have to be in my collection some day.

I would really like to see a "Time teller" take on Lorier.

So for the money what else would you recommend?

Which quartz alternative would you recommend?

I think DH , had a fantastic ethic , he has taken great ideas from the fabulous back catalogue of the golden age of watchmaking - reworked restyled then and gave everyone who aspires to wear a timeless piece of art / engineering/ culture that chance

I got the bi-compax in the panda with date. I love it. It grew on me and I play with it a lot. It's not perfect, but it suits me.

spec monster is a funny flex. The function of a watch is to tell time. My all measures, this meca-quartz watch tells time with accuracy an order of magnitude greater than those other's mentioned. So which has better specs? I'd say the watch that tells time most accurately by a factor of 10. JMTC

My experience with DH was disappointing and surprising. I purchased the 1963 Pilot Chronograph ($280 USD) . Within six months the bezel came off, then the ($45 USD) leather band began to separate at the point where it clasps, both problems I fixed with a tube of Dollar Store Super Glue. I contacted DH as my watch was under warranty, and I was told that the warranty doesn't cover the band. Fair enough. But this comment from CS confused me... "and I see you wet your strap and its leather" as the band in the picture was not wet, and the comment is accusing me of tampering with a product for the sake of a return. I want nothing from DH - not a refund, not a return, nothing at all - beyond them standing behind their brand, their product and their workmanship. DH should stand for something. Maybe one day I’ll wear the Chrono again. Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience.

I have this exact watch in my collection. It's not perfect, but still a cool watch that looks much more expensive than 260$. Interesting piece for a collection with little story and good chronograph. However, I somehow scratched it in first 2 months so it has a big scratch on the crystal and it's harder to love and wear this watch as much as other my mechanical watches which are little more expensive. So you should know it before buying.

Underrated watch brand ! Just got the blue 1970s version and I love it. It looks 10x the price.

I have this watch with the silver sunburst, it offers pretty average value for money - definitely nothing to shout about. Sapphire for me would've been great. I swapped out the beads of rice and I thought it felt cheap and went for a nice mesh to keep it vintage. It is one to buy purely for the looks which it pulls off convincingly and I love the silver sunburst/black dial combo...and nice to have a grab 'n go in a box full of mostly automatics. I looked under macro at mine and hand finishing is clean and polished, no burrs and no specs on the dial that I can see but I bought mine recently so maybe it has been improved...however indexes similar to your review sample, could do with a clean and polish.

A bit more affordable than a vintage early 60’s tri-compax chronograph???? I think you need to choose your comparisons a bit more carefully mate

A 24-hr sub-dial is useful for date setting IMO.

Nice inexpensive watch with low grade imperfections.

Vintage spec watch with in house movement. Vostok still using the same design from the 1950-60s.

I'm loyal follower of the channel. Finally bought me a New Oris Big Crown Pro Pilot. LOVED it. Until it popped while winding it!!😫 so sent it back to online seller. Very professional customer service so far. Been waiting for turnaround for about 1 month. I'll keep ya informed. 🤷‍♂️ now I'm gonna be scared to touch it. Any advice?

I turned on the second hand by pressing the top right crown. Why does the second hand stop sweeping after a few hours? Can I get it to sweep continually? Thanks.

Perfect timing! Bought my first Dan Henry 2 days ago, it will arrive this Wednesday. Looking at eBay they hold their value so I’ll only lose about £30-£50 when or if I come to sell it. I eyed the 1964 for about 2 years and always held off pulling the trigger for snobbish reasons, fundamentally I like the design so I thought I’d give in and give it a try.

Me to my 10 year old self: In the future we have watches that tell time, track movement, send messages, monitor your vitals, play games, and nearly anything else you can imagine. Oh, and we hate these watches and refuse to wear them, preferring instead the heritage of that $10 Casio you're wearing. 10 year old self: :|

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I am under the impression that there is no sapphire since it is hard to make these highly doomed crystals in sapphire, which leaves mineral or acrylic. Think acrylic would've been a better choice. As Jory noted, the domed crystal is the reason to buy this along with vintage diameter. I have this in silver, no dirt. Noticed number was low, maybe QC improved. I imagine a vintage Omega Seamaster Chrono that this is a near copy of would be expensive and hard to find. Just looked one up on C24 for $3700, and not great condition. Even the pie pan depression around rim of dial and matched bent second Chrono hand is copied from the Omega.

Did Dan Henry poison your cat ? Crazy nitpicking review on a $280 watch.

It's a budget watch, sir. I thinking to order one.

Besides price… what are the main differences between hamilton chonros and dan henry chronos

I must admit to be somewhat biased in favor of DH’s watches and found your tone at the beginning of the video grating. However, as you went along I saw the things you pointed out and it also seemed that your tone changed. I think it’s a fair review. I think it’s likely a good buy if one knows what it is. I can certainly appreciate DH’s effort to promote the beauty of vintage watches in a reliable and affordable package.

Again I ask, why have you failed to mention the LUG WIDTH?

This is the one I keep coming back to, ever since it came out, tri compax no date reverse panda is the pick of the bunch for me

Looking at this really nice design motivates me to get my circa 1970 LeJour reverse panda bi-register chronometer repaired and serviced asap. That will probably cost twice as much as this Dan Henry.

Always wanted a 1972 porsche design orfina but they’re just too expensive. Bought a dan henry 1972 & for the price,its a very nice & solid watch. Import taxes are currently a little extortionate to the uk,so i hope DH finds a supplier over here soon.

Shocked at the pressed clasp and dirt on the face. Thought they were a bit higher end.

I think it’s reasonable for $260. I have been interested in owning a mecaquartz.

I do suspect the “1964”, is because it’s a kind of homage to the Heuer Carrera. Though that was was launched in 1963, I’ll guess it uses the 64, to prevent confusion with the Seagull one, or maybe because of copyright issues.

I have this same watch but with the date. I like it. It would be nice if it was a full sapphire crystal. I don't mind the thickness of the watch.

What about Nezumi????

I love DH watches and also am a fan of the seiko mecca quartz movement. It allows these micro brands to put out some really beautiful vintage inspired pieces. I will say one thing I don’t like about all seiko mecca quartz watches (dan Henry, undone urban, seiko SSB), the chronograph second hand and subdial hands sometimes come not aligned properly from the factory and there’s no way to adjust it other than taking the watch apart and manually realigning it. Out of Alignment as in the hands don’t reset exactly to 0, they can be slightly off.

How about the case back?

I had the 1937. Beautiful dial, just didn’t love the way it sat on my wrist. Maybe a lack of curvature in the lugs. It was nice, but not a love for me. Sold it.

Question: What do you get for your money ? A great deal. I can't relate to the nitpicking here.

I think would go for a seagull 1963 variant (any watch with the st1901) instead. Most of them has better specs.(saphire crystal ,mechanical. 200 or less.comparable finish)

You say your not a fan of his watches and if you want vintage then you will buy a vintage. Not sure how much youve read or looked into DH. He made these because you cant really find good vintage watches. If you do then they probably need service, they may be beat up, no water resistance. He made vintage looking modern watches that people can afford. Not everyone can find a vintage watch they can afford and have to baby it. People always complain about the 24hr subdial. Thats how seiko makes the movement. There is no quartz modern seiko with an hr subdial. You have limited options with quartz. People act like he makes movements also. I guess seiko saflex was also garbage

..and the holes are not drilled in the center of the hands on the 3 subdials. All are off center. If they were actually continually spinning you would see how out of round the inner circle of each hand was. Yes, a bit nit picky, but how hard is it to drill the holes in the center? If Timex can center theirs why can't Dan Henry's manufacturer? Apart from that, I do like these. Still considering a 1939 in silver. Thx for showing us this TTT.

Totally agree, I bought the 1972 and although it's fine I won't buy another DH

I’m picking up mine Monday just because it’s a nice watch

I can't stand the indices paint execution.

I'm not surprise! As an ex-owner of the 1964, my copy has the same issues - specks & dirts on the dial, uneven lume application and that's why i sold it. However, the 1962 & 1972 that I bought previously do not have these issues, in fact, under the loupe, they are spotless. Not sure the QC issue only occurs on 1964 models tho, but I highly suggest T3 to review other models offered by DH, especially the new 1937, Furlan Marri made a homage out of it! Hah!

I prefer the Geckota C-01. Same movement. No quality control issues. Similar money.

With true Vintage watches you tend to have more problems and issues arise. IMO the DH watches are very good quality overall, have suprisingly incredible Lume. My main gripe is they are a tad too small for my taste at 38mm to 40mm.. I would prefer for me a 42mm for my big wrist, it may not sound like but 2 to 3mm can make huge difference in a watch case. Also some watches will wear smaller or larger for their size. I had this very same watch scored off of Ebay.. waited a long time to find a good priced pre-owned DH but at 38mm it felt like a toy. Still I noticed the quality but If I had kept I would have never worn it, and unlike others I wear the watches I own. So the 1963 is currently the only watch in the DH lineup that you can get in a larger 42.5mm case.

Pilots use the 24 hour register. Astronauts loved them as when you are in space you do not know when day or night is. The 24 hour registerhelps also if you live in an area like Alaska when there is no night or in some places in winter there is no day. But pilots and travelers appreciate the 25 hour register. Gmt watches do.

was looking for a vintage style chrono, went with a Merkur (Pierre Paulin) black panda, at least it has a genuine mechanical movement... ;-)

Excellent review Jordy. It's a nice watch. I'll be honest. I would not be happy with an unclean dial on a watch. I would keep seeing those specs.. Confession. I have a Heimdallr red dial Monster from Ali Express, couldn't find a pristine original Seiko in Europe for less than €1400 and I wouldn't pay that. Anyway, the Heimdallr cost me €95. It has a perfect dial, clean hands, no specs of debris anywhere. If a Chinese homage costing less than €100 can have a clean good quality dial (including all night lume) so should a $260 microbrand.

(Late comment) My big problem with these is the movment, theres lots of Seagull mechanicals that do the same looks now.....

Idk, for the price i don't think they are too bad. 1963 and the 1939 are pretty good looking watches. I love vintage watches myself but im not a fan of the smaller sizes that watches were made back then. 38 to 42mm is where i like them. I like dans designs, would love to see some mechanical versions..