First-time wearing the Addiesdive AD2513 - a few observations
After watching a fair few positive YouTube reviews, I decided to pick one of these up. The turquoise seems to be the most popular colourway, but I almost always gravitate towards black, grey, or occasionally navy, so I went with this version.
It cost £43 ($57) delivered and, whilst I don't dislike it, I'd say it's pretty much worth exactly what it costs. It's not some hidden bargain or ridiculous value proposition. It's a £43 watch that feels like a £43 watch.
My main issues are:
• The much-heralded dial pattern is just... OK. For my taste it's too busy. It's one of those rare watches that actually looks worse in person than it does in photos. I think I'd like it considerably more if the dial were simply plain black, perhaps with a matte finish.
• The cyclops is dreadful. It serves mainly to obscure the hands whenever they're around the 3 o'clock position. Even with my glasses on, I have to hold the watch at a particular angle and squint slightly to read the date, which rather defeats the point.
• The bracelet is completely sterile and could easily pass for a generic £6 AliExpress offering. I know many will disagree, but I actually like the Addiesdive logo and would have preferred it stamped on the clasp, as it is on a lot of their other models.
• The seconds hand only lines up with around 30% of the markers. This drives me absolutely insane. I've seen reviews of other Addiesdive models mentioning the same thing, so it doesn't seem to be an isolated issue from this brand.
Overall, it feels like a decent enough watch, but not one that leaves me wondering how on earth they can sell it so cheaply. It doesn't punch massively above its price point; it pretty much lands right on it. That said, it is accurate and undeniably eye-catching. I've caught myself glancing at it several times, and not just to check the time, so it must be doing something right.