OLEVS G6779 Review: flashy skeleton watch look on a budget

I’ve been wearing this OLEVS G6779 – the black silicone strap with rose gold case and black skeleton dial – on and off for about two weeks. I went in with pretty low expectations because OLEVS is clearly a budget brand, and the price usually tells you a lot with watches. Still, I was curious about the tonneau shape and the open-worked dial, so I treated it like a normal daily watch: office, errands, a couple of evenings out, and a few accidental bumps against door frames.

First thing: this is not a subtle watch. The case is big (44x50 mm and thick) and the rose gold plus skeleton design draws attention. People do notice it, especially if they’re into flashy or “luxury inspired” designs. If you want a quiet, classic dress watch, this isn’t it. It sits on the wrist more like a fashion piece than a traditional watch.

From a pure use point of view, it works: it tells time, the automatic movement does its job, and the 30 m water resistance handled hand washing and light rain without any drama. I didn’t baby it, and it held up decently for daily wear in that period. The lume is there, not great, but enough to see the time in a dark room right after being in the light.

Overall, my first impression is that it’s a style-first, function-second kind of watch. If you like the look, you’ll probably be happy enough with it for the price. If you’re already into mid-range or higher-end mechanical watches, you’ll see the compromises right away in finishing, movement refinement, and overall feel. It’s not junk, but it’s clearly budget tier dressed up to look more expensive than it is.

Value-wise, this OLEVS sits in that budget fashion watch space. You’re mostly paying for the visual impact: skeleton dial, rose gold tonneau case, and the fact that it’s an automatic instead of quartz. If you want something that looks flashy and mechanical without spending serious money, it’s a decent deal. The included gift box makes it feel more premium than the price suggests, so as a present for someone who just wants a cool-looking watch, it works.

Where the value is less convincing is if you compare it to other entry-level automatic brands. For a bit more money, you could get something from Seiko, Orient, or Citizen with better movement reliability, tighter quality control, and often better materials (like sapphire on some models). Those will usually be less flashy, though. So it depends on what you prioritize: looks and skeleton design, or long-term reliability and brand reputation.

The fact that it’s automatic, has a claimed 45-hour power reserve, and comes with 30 m water resistance at this price is not bad at all. But you have to accept the trade-offs: average accuracy, basic finishing, and a strap that’s clearly budget. If you already have a couple of decent watches and want a fun, loud piece to rotate in occasionally, the price is easy to justify. If this is going to be your only watch, I’d think twice and decide if you prefer something a bit more understated but better built.

In my opinion, the value is good if you specifically like this design and understand it’s more about style than horological quality. If you don’t care about seeing the movement and just want a reliable daily watch, there are better options around the same money that may not look as flashy but will likely age better and keep better time.

The design is the main selling point here. It’s a tonneau-shaped case in rose gold tone, black dial, and lots of visible mechanical bits. From a distance, it gives off that “tourbillon-style” luxury vibe, even though this is not a real tourbillon; it’s just a skeleton automatic with a decorative balance wheel visible. If you’re into flashy, mechanical-looking watches, it ticks that box. On my average 17 cm wrist, the 44 x 50 mm case looks big and very present. It’s not cartoonish, but it definitely dominates your wrist.

Up close, the skeleton dial is busy. You can see the gear-bridge design, the moving parts, and some cutouts. It’s fun to look at for the first few days; I caught myself staring at the movement during boring calls. The downside is legibility: in certain lighting, the hands blend into the background a bit, especially with the darker dial. You can still read the time, but it’s not as quick and clear as a plain dial with strong contrast. If quick readability is important to you, that’s a trade-off to consider.

The rose gold tone is on the brighter side, not super yellow but definitely shiny. It looks okay for the price, but if you compare it directly to a higher-end watch, you see the difference in tone and finishing. Edges around the case are fairly clean, no sharp bits that catch the skin, but you can tell it’s machine-finished without much hand work. The case shape itself is comfortable and gives it a sport-luxury look that’s trendy right now.

Personally, I’d say the design is more about impact than refinement. It works well if you want something that stands out at a party, a bar, or with casual-smart outfits. With a suit, it can look a bit too loud unless you’re okay with that. If you prefer low-key or minimalist designs, this will feel overdone. But if your goal is to have a watch that looks more expensive than it actually is, purely visually, it does that job reasonably well.

When you look at the size on paper – 44 x 50 mm and 14.5 mm thick – you expect a wrist monster. On my medium wrist, it’s definitely big and present, but the curved tonneau shape helps it sit better than a flat, oversized round watch. The lugs don’t stick out awkwardly, so it doesn’t feel like it’s hanging over the edges of the wrist as much as I feared. If you have a smaller wrist, though, I’d be cautious; it might look oversized fast.

The silicone strap does a lot of the work for comfort. It’s soft, flexible, and doesn’t need a break-in period like stiff leather or metal bracelets. I wore it for full days at the desk and in the car, and it never felt like it was digging in. The 24 mm width matches the chunky style of the watch, but because it’s silicone, it doesn’t add much weight. You kind of forget it’s there after a while, despite the big case. For someone used to metal bracelets, this feels much lighter on the wrist.

One thing to note is breathability. Silicone isn’t the best for airflow, so on a hot day you’ll get a bit of sweat trapped under the strap. It didn’t get grossly sticky, but after a long walk I did notice some moisture and had to wipe it. No skin irritation on my side, though, and I usually react to cheap rubber. The buckle is straightforward and holds fine; I didn’t have any accidental loosening or the watch sliding around.

In daily use, I’d rate the comfort as better than I expected for the size. If you’re used to smaller, thin watches, you’ll feel the bulk at first, but the strap helps a lot. If they ever offered this same case on a well-made leather strap, I think it would actually feel more balanced and maybe slightly more breathable, but for sporty or casual wear, the silicone is practical and easy to live with.

On paper, the materials are pretty standard for this price range: stainless steel case, Hardlex crystal, and a silicone strap. The case feels solid enough in hand. I tapped it against a desk and accidentally brushed it against a door handle a couple of times; it picked up no obvious marks in two weeks. The rose gold plating will be the real test over months or a year. Based on similar budget watches I’ve had, I wouldn’t be shocked if the plating dulls or shows small wear marks over heavy use, but for now it’s holding up.

The Hardlex-style crystal is a step above plain mineral glass but definitely below sapphire. In practice, it means it should handle light scratches better than cheap glass, but it’s not scratch-proof. After two weeks, mine is still clean with no visible scratches. I didn’t do anything crazy with it, just regular office use, driving, and normal daily wear. If you’re rough on your watches and bang them around a lot, I’d still treat this as something you should be a bit careful with.

The silicone strap is where the cost savings are pretty obvious. It’s soft and flexible, so comfort-wise it’s fine, but it doesn’t feel high-end. It has that typical slightly rubbery feel. The good part is it’s light, doesn’t dig into the skin, and handles sweat and water without any issue. I wore it on a warmer day, and it didn’t cause irritation or leave marks. The buckle is basic but functional; the coating matches the case color decently, though you can tell it’s not the same level of finish.

Overall, the materials are what you’d expect at this price: good enough to use daily without babying it, but not something you’ll brag about to watch enthusiasts. If they had thrown in a better quality leather strap or upgraded to sapphire glass, it would jump a category. As it is, it’s honest budget construction dressed up with a flashy design. It’s fine as long as you’re realistic about what you’re buying.

After about two weeks of on-and-off wear, the watch still looks basically new. No major scratches on the case, no marks on the crystal, and the silicone strap hasn’t stretched or cracked. That’s obviously a short test, but at least it didn’t start falling apart immediately. The Hardlex-style crystal seems to handle everyday bumps against desks and door frames without instantly picking up hairline scratches, which is better than the cheapest mineral glass I’ve seen.

The real question is the rose gold plating on the stainless steel case. That’s usually the first thing to go on budget watches. I haven’t seen any fading yet, even on edges and around the crown, but I’d expect over a year or two of daily wear you might see some dulling or minor color change, especially if you’re rough with it or expose it to perfumes and sweat a lot. If you want something that looks perfect for years, you’ll need to baby it a bit or accept that it’ll age visibly.

The silicone strap should hold up fine in the short to mid term. It’s not cracking or drying out, and silicone usually lasts longer than cheap faux leather. The downside is it will collect dust and lint, which I already noticed. A quick wipe cleans it, but it’s something to be aware of. The buckle and pins feel solid enough; I didn’t see any bending or flex even when tightening the strap firmly.

Mechanically, the movement hasn’t shown any weird behavior: no random stopping, no grinding feel when setting the time. The crown action is a bit rough compared to more expensive watches, but nothing alarming. In my opinion, the watch is durable enough for normal casual use, but I wouldn’t use it as a beater for hard physical work. Treat it as a dressy or weekend piece, not a construction-site tool, and it should survive reasonably well for its price range.

This is an automatic mechanical watch, so no battery. It winds from wrist movement and supposedly has about a 45-hour power reserve. In practice, wearing it all day kept it running without any issue, and when I left it off the wrist, it ran a bit under two days before stopping, which lines up with the spec. You don’t get hacking seconds or fancy movement features; this is a basic automatic engine mainly chosen because it looks good through the skeleton dial.

Accuracy-wise, this is where you see the budget side. Over several days, I was getting roughly +20 to +30 seconds per day gain. That’s normal for cheap automatics but obviously not as tight as a decent quartz watch. If you’re picky about exact time, you’ll have to reset it every few days. For casual wear, it’s fine; you glance at your phone if you need exact seconds anyway. The date function works and changes correctly around midnight; I didn’t notice any misalignment or weird behavior there.

The luminous components are there but not strong. After being in bright light, they glow enough to read the time in a dark room for maybe 15–20 minutes, then fade to a very weak level. This is okay for occasional night use but not something you’d rely on for real low-light work. The 30 m water resistance handled daily splashes and rain just fine. I washed my hands with it on, got caught in light rain once, and had no fogging or issues. I didn’t swim or shower with it, and I wouldn’t recommend that given the 30 m rating.

Overall, the performance is acceptable for a fashion-oriented automatic: it runs, it keeps time within a reasonable budget range, and the power reserve is enough that you’re not constantly resetting it if you wear it regularly. If you come from Seiko or Citizen automatics, you’ll probably feel it’s a step down in refinement, but again, for the price bracket and the focus on looks, it gets the basic job done.

The watch comes in a gift box, which already makes it feel a bit more serious than the ultra-cheap watches that arrive in a plastic sleeve. The box is simple but decent: rigid enough, with a cushion that holds the watch in place. It doesn’t scream luxury, but if you’re planning to give it as a present, it looks presentable and not embarrassing. There’s a generic manual inside that covers several OLEVS models, so don’t expect detailed instructions tailored to this exact reference.

When you first pick it up, the weight is noticeable but not crazy. The spec says the watch itself is 106 g, and the whole package is around 370 g. On the wrist, it feels lighter than a full steel bracelet watch but heavier than a small quartz dress watch. That middle ground actually fits the sporty-dressy style they’re going for. The tonneau shape and the rose gold case stand out as soon as you open the box; if you’re into that bold look, it does its job right away.

The protective films on the case and crystal peel off easily, and there were no scratches or defects on mine out of the box. The silicone strap was already attached, so it’s basically ready to wear as soon as you set the time and date. There’s no fancy extras here – no spare strap, no polishing cloth – just the watch, box, and paperwork. For the budget category, that’s fine. I’ve seen more expensive watches come with less.

As a first contact, it gives off “affordable fashion watch” vibes rather than proper horology. That’s not necessarily bad; you just have to be honest about what this is. If you’re buying for someone who cares more about the look than the brand heritage or movement specs, the presentation is good enough that it feels like a proper gift. If you’re a watch nerd, you’ll open it, nod, and immediately start inspecting the finishing to see where they cut corners.