Macarlon 1714 Review – An Ultra Budget Steel Watch Held Back by Its NH35 Clone

The Macarlon 1714 is one of those watches that looks far more expensive than it is. For around $60–70, it brings a full stainless steel case and bracelet, sapphire crystal, screw-in crown, screw-down caseback, 200 meters of water resistance, screw-link bracelet, and a surprisingly substantial clasp. This ultra-budget segment of the market continues to offer increasingly strong specifications for the money.

The issue is the movement. The listing may say NH35, but this is not a Seiko NH35. It is a Chinese clone, and that uncertainty around refinement, serviceability, and long-term maintenance is the main reason this watch is harder to judge than the specification alone suggests.

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Design & Case

The Macarlon 1714 makes its strongest first impression through the case. It has a full stainless steel construction, a stainless steel bracelet, a flat sapphire crystal over the dial, and a screw-in crown. For a watch sitting around the $60–70 mark, that already gives it a serious physical baseline.

The case measures 40mm in diameter and 11.8mm thick without the Cyclops. With the Cyclops included, the thickness rises to 13.5mm. The lug-to-lug length is 53.5mm because of the protruding male end links, while the lug width is a standard 20mm.

From the side, the case becomes more interesting. The flank is plump, convex, and polished, throwing a lot of light across the profile. That polished surface gives the watch a dressier tone, but the overall stance remains sporty and assertive.

The transitions into the brushed lug hoods are visually crisp. On very cheap automatic watches, those lines can often look smudged or undefined, but here the geometry is cleaner than expected. Much of the appeal comes from the same design traits seen in other minimalist tool-oriented everyday watches.

Movement & Crown

The movement is the main concern with the Macarlon 1714. The listing refers to an NH35, but this is not a genuine Seiko NH35. It is a Chinese clone of the NH35, and that changes how I look at the watch.

At this price, that distinction matters. A real Seiko NH35 movement has a known track record, broad parts availability, and established serviceability. With this clone, the proportions may seem similar, but the refinement, long-term maintenance, and reliability are much less certain.

That does not automatically ruin the watch as a cheap daily beater, but it does change the buying logic. If you are treating it as a low-cost watch to wear hard without worrying too much about the future, it starts to make more sense. If you are looking for longevity, the movement becomes a real question mark.

The crown is unsigned, screws in, and measures 7mm across. It gives plenty of gripping surface and works with the screw-down caseback to support the stated 200 meters of water resistance.

Bezel

The Macarlon 1714 uses a fixed bezel, and it is one of the details that pushes the watch into dressy sport territory. From the side, the outer edge is polished, keeping the same light-catching language as the convex case flank.

The top surface has a very fine fluted texture, with raised polished ridges catching the light. It feels familiar, but not like a direct copy of one single watch. It takes the fluted bezel idea and uses it to make the whole piece feel more polished and upscale than the price suggests.

Because this is not a rotating timing bezel, the role here is purely visual. It frames the dial, adds texture to the front of the watch, and gives the case a more luxurious impression.

That works well with the overall case profile. The polished flank, brushed lug hoods, and fluted bezel create a clear contrast between sporty structure and dressier shine.

It is a flashy design, but not a messy one. The bezel adds interest without overwhelming the blue dial beneath it.

Bracelet

The bracelet is one of the biggest surprises on the Macarlon 1714. It is a three-link stainless steel bracelet, and at this price, even getting a full steel bracelet is already worth noting. Macarlon goes further by using screw pins.

On a $60–70 watch, screw pins are not something I expected to see. They immediately make the bracelet feel more serious than many budget bracelets held together by push pins.

The integration with the case is also handled well. The end links sit close to the case, and the brushing direction and grain on the lug hoods are very similar to the bracelet end links. Visually, the bracelet flows into the watch head rather than feeling detached from it.

The tolerances are not perfect. When the bracelet is stretched and flexed, visible gaps open between the links. It is not a super tight bracelet by any means, but the structure still feels decent.

Link fluidity is okay, and articulation is quite good, so the bracelet moves naturally around the wrist. The clasp is a major surprise: a proper milled secure clasp with a milled folding wing inside, giving the whole setup a more substantial closing feel.

Crystal & Dial

Up top, the Macarlon 1714 uses a flat sapphire crystal over the dial. The Cyclops over the date window is mineral glass, which is the weaker part of the crystal setup, but it is properly aligned and magnifies the date fairly well.

The date under the Cyclops is clear, easy to read, and the magnifier does what it is meant to do. That is not always guaranteed at this price, so it is worth acknowledging.

Below the main crystal, an inward-sloping brushed rehaut guides the eye down onto the blue sunburst dial. The brushed inner wall frames the dial neatly before the surface opens into its brighter reflective finish.

Around the periphery, printed minute chaptering frames the layout. Inside that, applied baton markers sit around the dial, with a double baton at 12 and the date replacing the 3 o’clock marker.

The batons are chrome-edged with white central lume plots. The hands are baton-style as well, keeping the layout simple and easy to read. Branding sits under 12 with the Macarlon logo and name, while “Automatic” and “Divers 200M” sit above 6.

The lume glows bright green. It is not the longest-lasting lume, but the initial brightness is quite strong and it does have some staying power.

Summary

The Macarlon 1714 is a surprisingly complete watch for around $60–70. The stainless steel case and bracelet, flat sapphire crystal, screw-in crown, screw-down caseback, 200 meters of water resistance, screw-link bracelet, and proper milled clasp all make the specification look unusually strong.

The design also works. The polished convex flank, brushed lug hoods, fine fluted fixed bezel, blue sunburst dial, applied indices, and clean bracelet integration make it look more expensive than it is.

The movement remains the concern. A Chinese NH35 clone is not the same thing as a genuine Seiko NH35, and the uncertainty around refinement and maintenance is hard to ignore.

As a cheap daily beater, the Macarlon 1714 makes a lot of sense. As a long-term automatic, the movement is the one detail that stops it from feeling fully secure. For current AliExpress prices across the budget brands range, check our dedicated Best Best Deals page.

Macarlon 1714 Specifications