About Stuhrling Original
The brand’s originals date back to the 1800’s, but the Stuhrling Original of today began in 1999. Stuhrling watches have proliferated online watch stores, especially Amazon, with thousands selling every day. The brand’s popularity stems from its flashy designs, skeleton faces, and extensive use of inexpensive automatic movements.
Stuhrling Original is said to have good customer service that honors their warranty.
HOW WE REVIEW WATCHES
Our reviews are based on our first-hand experience with the watch. All photos and media are created by us (unless otherwise credited). Learn more about how we review watches and don’t forget to check here to see real customer reviews, specs and prices on Amazon.
Review Summary
The Legacy Executive is loud. The blue hands brightly contrast with the skeleton face and white dial, and the flash continues down to the highly decorated movement ticking away inside. The movement is fairly accurate, and there’s definite novelty to watching the movement tick away. It’s a showpiece, that’s for sure. It’s posted MSRP of $588 is misleading- you’ll easily find it for less than a third of that.
Stuhrling Original Legacy Executive Technical Specifications
- Model Number: 133.33152
- MSRP: “$588”
- Case Diameter: 44mm
- Alternate Models: Different color and complication combinations available
- Movement: Automatic, ST-90090
- Complications: Small seconds
- Power Reserve: Approximately 38 hours
- Water Resistance: 50m/165ft
- Crystal Material: Krysterna
Setting the Time
Setting the Legacy Executive is simple due to the lack of complications. Note that the movement is non-hacking.
How To set the time:
- Pull crown to the furthest position (position 2). Turn the crown clockwise to set the time.
Stuhrling Original Legacy Executive Aesthetics & Design
This watch screams at you for attention. If the reflective blue hands and hour markers didn’t catch your eye, the highly-decorated exposed movement most certainly will. The movement itself has been prepped for presentation- it’s clean, engraved on almost every flat surface, and is kept entire monochromatic save for a few choice pieces exposed on the face.
A lot of people like how this watch looks, and while I don’t blame them, I also don’t share their sentiments. In my mind, the Legacy Executive is too ostentatious, too flashy, too “look at me, I don’t have batteries”. I like a watch that’s more subtle than sexy, whereas the Legacy Executive shows a little too much leg.
The sex appeal continues when flipped over, too. The exhibition caseback is highly polished and is a stark contrast to the brushed and engraved rotor. Reflective blue screws and bright red jewels complete the look. I don’t care for the design choices made for the display, but I have to admit that they’ve done a good job of the presentation just the same.
On the wrist, the Legacy Executive fits a bit larger than its 44mm size suggests. It’s got presence, certainly, but most of that is because it’s making so much noise that you have to pay attention to it.
Stuhrling Original Legacy Executive Build Quality
I’ve noticed that the hour and minute hands are bent slightly upward. This is especially noticeable when viewed at an angle, and unfortunately it sets a somewhat negative bias for the rest of the watch.
Crystal, Case, and Dial
Aside from the bend in the hands, the watch feels fine. The polished case shows scratches and wear more easily than others I’ve tested, but considering it’s $110 selling price, it’s somewhat acceptable- after all, concessions have to be made somewhere at this price point.
I am happy to see the Krysterna crystal in good shape after ample wrist time. It looks clear, with no visible scratches or impact marks.
Strap and Clasp
Stuhrling did a good job with the leather strap, which is comfortable without crossing over into luxurious. It looks nice and has good texture, and the finish seems to resist scratching and flaking off. Compared to other value-priced watches, the strap is of superior quality.
The glasp is a stainless steel unit, polished, and holds securely.
More About the Stuhrling Original Legacy Executive
Movement
The ST-90090 movement is really a Liaocheng 2650SSZ, which is manufactured in China. However, Stuhrling Original decorates the movement in-house.
During my testing it consistently gained about 13 seconds per day, which is decidedly mediocre but not exactly unacceptable.
This rebrand of the movement is inconsequential, but it does make it a challenge to find good information about the movement, including its power reserve or expected reliability. For this reason you should very much treat this as an unknown, though again, Stuhrling Original offers fair warranties and good service in this read.
Click here to learn more about Liaocheng.
Value for Money
A lot of people consider watches of this type to have little value. Those people are actually the antithesis to the basis of this website; I believe that a watch should be judged on its merits, not on its perceived reputation.
Unfortunately, I can see a few areas where the Legacy Executive lives up to the stereotypes. The upwardly-bent hands, while not immediately impactful on the timekeeping or functioning of the watch, don’t exactly inspire confidence in the longevity of the timepiece. After all, how would such an obvious QC item be missed?
But, considering that the effect is hardly noticable (unless you’re looking for problems, as I am), and that the watch itself works as advertised and looks high-end outside of macro focus, it’s hard for me to let that fault drag the entire piece down.
Value is subjective, and while I personally wouldn’t add this watch to my collection, I can see why a lot of people would. There are no other obvious flaws that I can discern, and for its price, it could be a good buy if its style resonates with you.
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