Tom Carter Vanguard Watch Review

Tom Carter is a watch company located on the island country of Cyprus that has really jumped on the scene with some very affordable timepieces. According to the Tom Carter website, the brand is a “lifestyle brand with the main aim of providing its clientèle with quality time.” The brand has a strong focus on large steel watches with a high level of quality and accuracy. This review will focus on the Vangaurd model, which is an ultra-affordable timepiece at only $211USD. Of course, many of us that have been collecting watches and watch reviews for a long time will immediately see the resemblance to several other well known brands on the market with the case and crown design we will discuss in this review. For more information on Tom Carter Watches you can visit their website HERE.

The basic specifications of the Vanguard model are as follows:

45mm All Stainless Steel 316L housing

Quartz movement

20 ATM (200m) Water Resistant

Mineral crystal glass

Genuine Leather strap in brown with steel buckle

The packaging for the Vanguard model is quite standard. The packaging consists of an outer black cardboard box and an inner leatherette clamshell style case. The packaging should protect the watch well during shipping, but is an item that will just end up in the closet as it lacks any sort of functionality.

Moving on to the watch case, the Vanguard is constructed of 316L stainless steel. The Vanguard model case is quite a bit more pedestrian in size at 42mm, compared to some of the other models produced by the company. The case consists of both brushed and high polished finishes and has a nice refined overall appearance. When factoring in the canteen style crown, the diameter jumps to a massive almost 54mm. The lug tip to lug tip measurement is also nearing 54mm and the case thickness is also nearing the large side of the spectrum at around 15mm. Combining all of the specifications noted above and the 110 gram weight of the watch and strap, the wearer will most certainly know they are wearing this watch.

Still, while substantial, the Vanguard is not overly cumbersome on the wrist, but I have to admit canteen style crowns tend to dig into my wrist so be very aware of that particular aspect as this model is no different. The huge canteen style crown measures right around 11mm x 9mm and is of course screw down in design. I like the very simple “TC” and star engraving on the crown face. The canteen is obviously easy to grasp and the action is smooth, as one would expect from this design. Beneath the canteen is the typical push/pull style crown found on this style of watch. Of course, the canteen style crown aids the overall water resistance of up to 200 meters for this model. I am not a huge fan of any case engraving and unfortunately “Tom Carter” is present on the non-crown side of the case. Watch companies really need to leave the branding to the dial and crown face.