The Helgray Silverstone is a now-discontinued motorsport-inspired timepiece that was funded on the Kickstarter platform. How does it stand up to the test of time?
Helgray Silverstone – Long Term Review
The Helgray Silverstone was my first ever Kickstarter watch, and it almost put me off for life. Beset by delays, when it eventually arrived I’d almost forgotten I’d bought it! However, in hindsight, it is actually a very nice budget watch.
The watch was delivered in a zip-up case along with both leather strap and bracelet and a strap-changing tool. The case is decent quality, although it would have been nice to have one capable of holding multiple watches! The watch itself is about standard for a budget chronograph: Seiko VK64 movement: quartz with a smooth sweeping stopwatch hand, 316L steel case and a bracelet that is the epitome of the term “adequate”. The bracelet will be familiar to collectors of affordable watches, as it has been seen in a number of brands. It’s a solid link offering that is better than most high street watches but you can get better.
The leather strap is also adequate for the price. This kind of watch really benefits from a decent strap so if you buy one, factor in the cost of a quality replacement. The dial is good looking, with this British Racing Green being my pick of the colourways. The date at 6 is nicely balanced, but unfortunately, the thick hands on the subdials make them very difficult to read.
Overall, the Helgray Silverstone is a decent watch, and worth picking up if you see it at a bargain price on eBay. Sadly, I cannot recommend buying a Helgray watch new due to the numerous online reviews about the company’s customer service – do your research and be prepared for possibly patchy aftersales service if you do buy a Helgray watch.
Buy a Helgray Silverstone
The only place now to pick up a Helgray Silverstone will be eBay or the watch forums, so keep your eyes peeled on the classified pages if this is the watch for you.
