OLEVS 6701 Silver/Grey Review: flashy skeleton dress watch on a budget

I’ve been wearing this OLEVS 6701 (silver strap, grey skeleton dial) for a bit now, as a daily office watch plus a few evenings out. I’m not a watch collector, just a regular guy who likes something that looks decent with a shirt and doesn’t cost a fortune. I bought it because I wanted a mechanical-looking watch with a visible movement, but I wasn’t ready to drop hundreds on a big Swiss brand or a Seiko with a more serious vibe.

First impression out of the box: it looks more expensive than the price tag. The skeleton dial, the fake diamonds, the polished bracelet – it definitely has that “blingy business watch” look. This is not a minimalist watch, it’s more on the loud side. Friends noticed it straight away, which says a lot for something in this price range. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your taste.

In use, it’s pretty clear this is a budget automatic, not a high-end piece. The movement feels basic, the finishing is decent from a distance but you can see some shortcuts when you look closely. Timekeeping is acceptable for everyday use, but if you’re picky about accuracy, this won’t compete with a proper mid-range automatic. Still, for what I paid, I wasn’t expecting miracles, just something that looks nice and works.

Overall, I’d say it’s aimed at someone who wants a flashy dress watch for work, nights out, or as a first “mechanical style” watch. If you’re already deep into watches, you’ll probably find a lot to criticise. If you’re just after a good-looking wrist piece that doesn’t kill your wallet, it’s fairly solid – with a few caveats I’ll get into below.

On the value side, this OLEVS sits in that awkward but interesting space: cheap enough that you don’t stress too much about it, but not so cheap that you expect it to fall apart in a month. For the price, you’re mainly paying for the look – skeleton dial, fake diamonds, visible movement – and less for horological quality. If that’s what you’re after, it makes sense. Compared to a basic quartz fashion watch at similar price, you’re getting an automatic movement, more visual interest, and a more substantial feel on the wrist.

However, if you compare it to entry-level watches from known brands like Casio, Seiko 5, or Orient (depending on the deals you find), those can offer better movements, more consistent quality control, and often better long-term reliability. They just don’t always have this flashy skeleton style. So it really comes down to your priorities. If you want a watch that watch nerds respect, there are better options. If you want something that looks fancy to non-watch people and works well enough, this does the job.

The extras help the value a bit: the strap adjustment tool, the decent packaging, the warranty mentioned by the brand. The Amazon reviews around 4.2/5 also line up with my feeling: most people are happy because it looks good and feels like they got more than they paid for, but it’s not flawless. I wouldn’t pay a premium for the “tourbillon” marketing though; treat it as a basic automatic with an open-heart style dial.

Overall, value is pretty solid if your expectations are realistic. It’s a good buy for someone who wants a dressy, eye-catching watch on a small budget and doesn’t obsess over accuracy or long-term service. If you care more about movement quality and brand reputation than looks, your money is probably better spent elsewhere.

The design is where this OLEVS really leans in. The 42 mm case with the grey skeleton dial makes it very visible on the wrist. If you like simple, clean dials, this is not for you. You see gears, cut-outs, fake diamonds, Roman numerals – it’s busy. Personally, I kind of like it for nights out and office days with a shirt; it has that “showy” vibe. But I wouldn’t call it tasteful or low-key. It’s more of a “look at my watch” design than something you forget you’re wearing.

The colour combo on this version – silver bracelet and grey dial – is probably one of the more wearable ones. It’s still flashy, but less loud than gold or blue. The skeleton face lets you see parts of the movement turning, which is fun if you’ve never had an automatic watch before. Just keep in mind: you’re seeing a very basic movement, not some high-end tourbillon. The brand calls it a tourbillon, but it’s not a real one, it’s more of an open-heart style. If you know watches, you’ll spot that straight away. If you don’t care and just want visible gears, it still looks cool enough.

On the wrist, the 42 mm diameter and 13.5 mm thickness make it quite present. It doesn’t slide easily under tight shirt cuffs, especially with the metal bracelet. On my medium wrist, it wears big but not ridiculous. I wouldn’t recommend it for very small wrists though; it might look oversized and a bit cartoonish. The mix of polished and brushed surfaces on the case is okay, but up close you can tell it’s not high-end finishing. Edges are a bit sharp in some spots, and the detailing on the dial, like the “diamonds”, is clearly costume-jewellery level when inspected closely.

In short, the design is bold and flashy, not subtle. If you want something discreet for formal business environments, this might be too much. If you’re into eye-catching skeleton dials and don’t mind a bit of bling, it does the job. Just set your expectations: this is fashion-first, not horology-first.

In terms of comfort, the first thing you notice is the weight. It’s not absurd, but it’s definitely not a featherweight. Once I sized the bracelet properly with the included tool, it sat fairly well on the wrist. If you like to feel that you’re wearing a watch, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you’re used to slim quartz watches or smartwatches with silicone straps, this will feel chunky at first. After a few days, I got used to it, and it stopped bothering me.

The bracelet itself is reasonably comfortable. The links articulate well, so it wraps around the wrist without weird gaps. I didn’t get any sharp edges digging into my skin, which can happen with cheaper metal bands. The clasp closes securely, and I didn’t have any pressure points from it, even while typing all day on a laptop. The only thing is, because of the thickness and weight, you’re always aware it’s there. For long sessions at a desk, I sometimes loosened it a notch to let my wrist breathe a bit.

Ventilation is decent for a metal bracelet. Obviously, it’s not going to be as breathable as a perforated rubber strap, but I didn’t end the day with a sweaty wrist, even in a warm office. The links don’t trap too much heat, and the overall design is fairly open. I wore it with a shirt and blazer a couple of times, and it was okay, though the case thickness can catch on tighter cuffs when you bend your wrist.

So comfort is acceptable but not outstanding. If you’re used to heavier dress watches, you’ll be fine. If you’re new to metal bracelets and thicker cases, expect a short adaptation period. I wouldn’t pick this as a sports or all-day-active watch, but for office, casual wear, and evenings, it’s perfectly manageable once sized correctly.

On paper, the materials are reassuring: stainless steel case and bracelet, Hardlex crystal, and a metal bracelet rather than cheap-feeling folded tin. In hand, it mostly matches that description. The case feels solid, and there’s no rattling or obvious play in the lugs or crown. The threaded crown screws down with a decent feel, though it’s not buttery smooth – you can tell the machining is on the cheaper side, but it still works fine after multiple uses.

The bracelet is one of those classic multi-link stainless steel bands with a hidden butterfly-style snap (double locking foldover clasp). The links are not super refined, but they’re not razor sharp either. I wore it all day at the office and didn’t get any skin pinching or hair pulling, which is something I’ve had with cheaper bracelets. The surface is a mix of brushed and polished, and after a couple of weeks, I did see some light scratches on the polished parts, especially near the clasp. That’s pretty normal for this kind of finish though, even on pricier watches.

The Hardlex crystal is decent. It’s not sapphire, so don’t expect strong scratch resistance, but so far I haven’t picked up any obvious marks. I’m not super careful, but I’m also not banging it on concrete walls. Under direct light, reflections can make the skeleton dial a bit hard to read, and there’s no noticeable anti-reflective coating. That’s where the cheaper nature of the watch shows: you get the look, but not the optical quality you’d see on more expensive pieces.

Overall, materials are in line with the price – stainless steel and Hardlex are fine, but the finishing and detailing are clearly budget. If you’re expecting heavy, solid links and mirror-level polish, you’ll be disappointed. If you just want a watch that feels better than plastic and doesn’t feel like a toy, this hits that mark. I’d just be mindful of scratches on the polished areas and avoid rough treatment.

Durability is always tricky to judge early, but after a couple of weeks of regular office and casual use, the watch is holding up reasonably well. The case and bracelet haven’t shown any structural issues – no looseness in the links, no wobble in the crown, and the clasp still snaps shut firmly. I wore it almost every weekday, plus a couple of nights out, so it’s seen its fair share of putting on, taking off, and the usual bumps against desks and door frames.

Cosmetically, the polished areas on the bracelet and case sides started to pick up small scratches pretty quickly. Nothing dramatic, but if you like your watches looking flawless, you’ll need to be careful. This is normal for polished stainless steel, even on more expensive watches, but combined with the flashy style, those marks are more visible. The Hardlex crystal has stayed scratch-free so far, despite a few light knocks. I wouldn’t go around scraping it against walls, but for normal everyday wear it seems okay.

The movement’s long-term reliability is the big question. The brand claims it can run reliably for more than ten years; I’m sceptical but not surprised they say that. For a low-cost automatic, I’d expect it to be fine for several years if you don’t abuse it, but I wouldn’t count on service or parts availability like you’d get with bigger brands. If it starts losing a lot of time or stops, the repair might cost as much as the watch itself, so this is more of a “wear it till it dies” piece in my opinion.

So durability feels decent for the price, but I’d treat it as a fashion watch with a limited lifespan, not an heirloom. It will probably survive normal office and casual wear just fine, but I wouldn’t use it for sports, manual work, or rough travel. If you’re okay with a few scratches and the idea that it might be a 3–5 year watch rather than a lifetime one, it’s acceptable.

Performance-wise, this is where the watch reminds you it’s a budget automatic. It’s self-winding with manual winding possible, which is nice – you can give it a few turns in the morning and you’re good. There’s no battery, so it relies on wrist movement and manual winding. In my use, with around 8–10 hours on the wrist per day, it kept running overnight without stopping. If I left it off for more than a day and a half, it usually stopped and needed to be restarted, which is pretty standard for this kind of movement.

For accuracy, I did a rough check over a week. It was gaining around 20–30 seconds per day, which is not great but not shocking at this price. If you’re used to quartz watches that stay almost perfectly on time, you’ll notice the drift. For me, it just meant I had to correct the time every few days. If you’re picky about precision, this will probably annoy you. The calendar functions (year, month, weekday, date) look nice, but setting everything is a bit of a pain, and some of it is more decorative than truly practical. I mostly used the date and day; the “year” display is kind of useless in daily life.

The luminous function is there, but it’s weak. After being in bright light, you can read the hands for a while in the dark, but it fades pretty quickly. It’s enough to check the time in a dark room right after turning off the light, but don’t expect it to stay bright all night. For a dress watch, that’s not a huge problem, but if you were hoping for strong lume like on a diver’s watch, this is not it.

Water resistance is listed as 30M (3ATM). In practice, that’s fine for washing hands and maybe light splashes, but I wouldn’t swim or shower with it, no matter what the listing claims. I got it wet a few times while washing my hands, and had no issues, but I always dry it quickly. So overall performance is decent but clearly budget-level: okay power reserve, mediocre accuracy, weak lume, and basic water resistance. It works, but it’s not a precision instrument.

Out of the box, the presentation is actually pretty tidy for the price. The watch comes in a small branded box with a cushion, a warranty card, and a little tool to adjust the metal bracelet. Nothing fancy, but it doesn’t scream cheap either. It feels like something you could give as a gift without being embarrassed. The packaging is compact and practical, and everything was well protected. Mine arrived with no scratches or dust under the crystal, which is already a good sign at this price level.

The included bracelet adjustment tool is a nice touch. It’s a simple pin pusher, but it’s enough to size the bracelet at home without going to a jeweller. I used it to remove three links, and while it took a bit of patience, it worked. For someone who’s never resized a metal bracelet before, it might be a bit fiddly, but between the tool and a quick YouTube search, it’s manageable. That’s in line with some of the Amazon reviews that mention easy strap adjustment.

On first wrist try, the watch feels heavier than I expected. The listing says about 450 grams for the package, and on the wrist you can tell there’s some weight, though not to the point of being annoying. It doesn’t feel hollow or toy-like, which is something I’ve noticed on cheaper fashion watches. The clasp locks securely with the double foldover system, and I didn’t have any accidental openings during the day. Again, it’s not luxury-level finishing, but it gets the job done safely.

So in terms of presentation, I’d say it’s pretty solid for the price. You get a proper box, a usable tool, and a watch that arrives looking clean and ready to wear. No wow effect, but it feels like you’re getting decent value and not just a plastic blister pack. If you’re buying it for someone else, the unboxing experience is good enough that it doesn’t feel like a bargain-bin product.