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Love the look of a Suunto or Garmin Fenix but not the price? The SKMEI 1251 gets you a big, rugged sport-watch look for very little money.
Here’s the design, the functions, how to set it, and how it wears.
- Rugged, modern Suunto-style look
- Very light but well built
- Easy-to-read backlight
- Replaceable CR2032 battery
- Inner bezel comes in gold, red or blue
- Too big to fit under a dress-shirt cuff
- Plastic crystal
- All-plastic case and bezel
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
Design: a Suunto-style look for less
The 1251 has a modern, Suunto-style athletic look. The reversed LCD shows the day on top, the time in hours, minutes and seconds, and the date on the bottom, with icons for alarm, chime, calendar and stopwatch.
A raised inner bezel with minute markers sits inside a textured outer bezel with compass-rose points. It’s all hard plastic, very light, and seems very well built, like most SKMEIs I’ve tried.
Strap and comfort
The molded rubber strap hugs the wrist nicely, and the way the lugs hang down makes it super comfortable. It has a stainless steel back, a double-tongue buckle with double holes (which also help it breathe), and a retention loop.
Functions and how to set the time
One button toggles between 24-hour and 12-hour time. The mode button cycles through alarm, stopwatch (with split), dual time and the countdown timer.
To set the time: hold down the lower button until the digits start flashing. Use the buttons to scroll through and set the time, date and year, then press it again to save. Pretty easy.Backlight and battery
The top button turns on the light for a few seconds. It has an Indiglo-style glow that’s very easy to read in the dark.
The battery is replaceable: remove the four screws on the back. It even says the battery type right there, CR2032.
How does it wear?
At about 49 mm it’s a big watch with real presence, too big for a dress-shirt cuff but not odd to wear. I’d pair it with a polo or outdoor wear. It’s the kind of watch you can bang around without worrying.
FAQ
What battery does the SKMEI 1251 use?
A CR2032. Remove the four screws on the back to replace it.
How big is the SKMEI 1251?
About 49 mm.
How do you set the time on the SKMEI 1251?
Hold the lower button until the digits flash, scroll to set the time and date, then press it again to save.
Does it come in other colors?
Yes. The inner minute bezel comes in gold, red and blue, as well as all black.
Does the SKMEI 1251 have a stopwatch?
Yes. The mode button gets you to the stopwatch, and it does split times, plus there’s an alarm, dual time and a countdown timer.
Does the SKMEI 1251 look like a Suunto?
It has a modern, Suunto-style athletic look, so it’s worth a look if you like the style of Suunto or Garmin Fenix watches.
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