Over the past several years, Torgoen is one of the companies to enter the direct-to-consumer watch space. The company refers to its watches as pilot watches because the designers took their inspiration from vintage aviation cockpits. Since 2010, the company has solely focused on that goal and they have built a solid customer base. Their watches come in a variety of styles, colors, and price ranges. Their mission is to offer a highly visible, straightforward design that is the signature for all Torgoen watches. Additionally, they offer accessories like sunglasses, gloves, leather pouches, and leather wallets. If you are a fan of aviation or want a watch that is easy to read, Torgoen may be the watch brand for you.
In this review, we will discuss the quality, styles, features, and the ins and outs that the company has to offer. Of course, their target audiences are pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and anyone that appreciates the quality craftsmanship. Their prices are reasonable for the various products they offer.
How Many Watches does Torgoen Offer?
At this time, Torgoen offers about 35 watches. Unlike other watch companies, the company does not separate men’s watches from women’s watches. Instead, they all seem to be unisex. Currently, they offer 7 collections of their watches. Those include T9, T10, T16, T18, T19, T25, and T42 Auto. From time to time, though, they offer other special limited edition watches that have different numbers. That includes watches like the T81, named in honor of Spencer Suderman who accomplished 81 inverted flat spins in his stunt plane. Of course, the watches come with one of several bands including leather, silicone, and nylon. Size-wise, the watch cases range from 41mm to 45mm. If you are not aware, those are on the larger side.
How Much Do Torgoen Watches Cost?
Again, Torgoen watches are inspired by vintage pilot instruments. The prices of the watches in their normal collection start at $149 USD and go up to $790 USD. Of course, special editions may be more. They offer several watches for the $790 dollar price tag. Whether you prefer the Chronograph, GMT, Automatic, Sapphire Crystal, or Night Pro styles, Torgoen has something for you.
About Torgoen
The founders of Targoen started building their brand in 2010 and founded the company in the US. The team consists of aviation enthusiasts and watchmakers that have a combined experience of several decades in watch manufacturing. After so many years, they decided it was “time” to establish their own brand. Using the tenets of quality, design, and affordability, they have made quite a splash in the watch world.
The New York-based watch company E. Gluck purchased the Torgoen in 2019. Because E. Gluck owns other well-known affordable brands, Targoen’s purchase gives them access to a whole new audience. Having that kind of support is great for a direct-to-consumer company. Despite that factor, the company will remain in the direct-to-consumer community for the foreseeable future. That way, they can offer quality products at a reasonable rate.
What Kind of Movement Does a Torgoen Watch Use?
Unlike some other fashion companies, Targoen’s founders have access to some of the top watch movements in the world. Because of that, they elected to go with what some consider to the gold standard in the watch industry, Swiss quartz movements. Those have long been considered to be the top because of accuracy and quality. When you combine that with the other materials they use and the rigorous quality control tests, you can be assured that you have a highly accurate and well-made timepiece.
Do Torgoen Watches Come with a Warranty?
Yes, a limited one. Whether you buy your watch from Torgoen.com, Amazon.com, the company warrants this watch to be free of material and workmanship defects for a period of three years from the date of the original purchase in the United States. However, there are a number of things the warranty does not cover. Keep in mind, additionally, that you must include a copy of your receipt to provide proof of purchase. Now, let’s look at what the warranty does not cover.
- Damage not caused by a defect of material or workmanship, accidental or otherwise.
- Damage to the finish of the case, crystal, bracelet, strap or other appearance parts caused by wear
- Moisture damage to a non “water-resistant” watch. You will see that stamped on the back or on the dial.
- Damage caused by consumer misuse, tampering, or failure to follow the instructions in the Instruction Manual.
- Damage caused by failure to test and reseal the watch after battery change.
Interestingly, some states do not allow accidental or consequential damage limitations. If you are in one of them, the rules from above may not apply.
Are Torgoen Watches Waterproof?
- 3ATM – This stands for 3 atmospheres of pressure. The website states that with this rating, you should avoid all water because the warranty will not cover moisture damage for non-water resistant watches.
- 5ATM – With this rating, the watch allows brief periods of submersion like hand washing. Past that, you may encounter water damage.
- 10ATM – With this type of rating, you can go swimming on the surface or go snorkeling. The company considers it to be water-resistant.
- 30ATM – If your watch has a 30ATM rating, it is waterproof to 300 meters. You will have no problems going swimming, scuba diving, or anything else.
Are Torgoen Watches Worth the Money?
Despite the rigorous warranty restrictions, the company delivers a high quality product that is easy to read and will last. Of course, as time marches on, watches have gone from a utilitarian timepiece to an elegant accessory. No one really “needs” a watch anymore because of our numerous electronic devices. However, if you are an aviation enthusiast or just someone that appreciates well made time pieces, the company is one you should consider.
Customer Service
One thing we always like to take a look at with the companies we review is their customer service. The company offers several ways to get a hold of them. Those include a feedback form, an email address, a snail mail address, a phone number, and even a chat feature. Representatives by phone are available 8:30-4:45 Monday through Thursday EST and 8:30 – 3:30 Friday EST. They close on all major holidays. However, their email services are available 24 hours a day.
Final Thoughts on Torgoen Watches
Torgoen has a solid track record and the founders have a lot of experience with watch manufacturing. That means they know what they are doing in the community. They use a number of smart marketing techniques to appeal to their target audience; pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Many people love these simple but easy to read watches. It’s also nice to know that the company does not use any conflict minerals. The secretary of state determined several minerals used to finance the conflict in Africa. If you are going to consider getting a Torgoen watch, you will get a good product at a good price.
