WM Watch WM231 Review – MOP Dial Watch With On-the-Fly Clasp

The WM Watch WM231 is an ambitious everyday watch that moves the brand into a higher price bracket. At around $250 before tax, this is not a $60 or $80 budget piece, so the expectations naturally rise. Here, WM gives us a stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, MOP-style dial, NH35 automatic movement, screw-down caseback, and its first on-the-fly adjustment clasp. At this level of the market, sub $500, buyers have no shortage of alternatives competing for attention.

There are also a few decisions that stand out. The crown is push-pull, the bracelet still uses push pins, and some finishing transitions could be sharper. But the dial, clasp, and overall wearable proportions make this an interesting watch to unpack. You can check the current AliExpress pricing for other models on our Best Deals page, with listings filtered for store quality and price

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Design & Case

The WM231 is an elegant everyday watch with a stronger dial presence than a simple round sports watch. The case measures 39mm across, 11.4mm thick, and 45.5mm lug-to-lug, with a standard 20mm lug width. The bracelet tapers down to 18mm at the clasp.

On the wrist, the proportions work well. There is a deep C-shaped arch from lug tip to lug tip, so the case sits close and does not feel awkwardly flat. The inverted end links also help the bracelet pivot downward from the case more naturally.

The case flank is horizontally brushed, and the overall construction is layered. Below the flank, the lip of the screw-down caseback is visible. Above it, a polished 45-degree bevel leads toward the brushed lug hoods, before the case rises again into a relatively tall polished fixed bezel.

There is also a polished inner lug section where the bracelet meets the case, adding more visual complexity. The ingredients are good, though I would have liked slightly crisper transitions to make the case architecture stand out more strongly. There are a number of other MOP dial watches that approach the formula from a slightly different angle, for example the Seestern S456 GMT or the Wishdoit WSD9032.

Movement & Crown

Inside the WM231 is the Seiko NH35 self-winding automatic movement. It is a familiar Japanese caliber with 24 jewels, a 3Hz beat rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour, and around 42 hours of power reserve.

The movement choice is solid and dependable. It is not the most exciting part of the watch, but it is a known automatic option and fits the everyday character of the WM231.

The crown is signed, push-pull, and measures 6.9mm across. It is a fairly substantial crown visually, and it sits on the right-hand side of the case with enough presence to match the watch’s broader profile.

This is one of the more unusual specification choices. At around $250 before tax, and with a screw-down caseback already present, I would have preferred a screw-in crown. A screw-in crown would have made the construction feel more complete and given the watch a stronger practical specification.

As it stands, the crown is functional, signed, and easy enough to use, but it remains one of the decisions that makes the WM231 feel slightly conflicted. Much of the appeal comes from the same design traits seen in other bold everyday watches.

Bezel

The WM231 uses a relatively tall polished fixed bezel around the flat sapphire crystal. Visually, it adds presence to the front of the watch and gives the dial a more defined frame.

That taller bezel also contributes to the deeper front profile. The rehaut sits noticeably below the crystal, so the watch has a layered face rather than a flat dial sitting close to the glass.

The sapphire crystal itself is flat and beveled at the edge. It sits just a step above the bezel rather than perfectly flush with it. That small step is visible from the side and adds to the stacked look of the front assembly.

The polished bezel works with the other polished case elements, including the 45-degree bevel and the inner lug surfaces. Against the brushed flank and brushed lug hoods, it creates a clear finishing contrast.

The overall effect is attractive, though I do wonder whether the bezel needed to be quite this tall. A slightly lower bezel may have made the front profile feel more settled. For additional context around the brand’s direction, it’s worth comparing this against other WM Watch pieces.

Bracelet

The bracelet is one of the more important parts of the WM231, because this is the first WM Watch I have handled with an on-the-fly adjustment clasp. That alone makes it a notable step forward for the brand.

The bracelet tapers from 20mm at the lugs to 18mm at the clasp. Integration with the watch head is clean, and the end links sit almost seamlessly against the case. The brushing direction on the lug hoods continues neatly into the bracelet end links, which helps the transition feel unified.

In hand, there is no rattle, and the bracelet feels solid. Link fluidity is excellent, and articulation is good as well. The brushed outer faces are neatly finished and give the bracelet a restrained everyday look.

The bracelet still uses push pins, which is disappointing at around $250 before tax. The tolerances are okay, but when the bracelet is stretched or flexed, some gaps do appear between the links.

WM has added polished bevels along the side edges of the links, which is a good idea, but the transition between the brushed surfaces and polished bevels could be crisper. The clasp is the strongest part: signed, milled, double-pusher, beveled, fitted with on-the-fly adjustment, and finished with a milled folding wing inside.

Crystal & Dial

The dial is where the WM231 makes its main statement. This blue version uses an MOP-style surface made from irregular rectangular, almost tiled-looking sections. As light moves across it, each piece catches and reflects differently, giving the dial genuine visual depth rather than a flat printed effect.

There are three dial variants available: blue, purple, and a natural MOP-style dial. The blue version gives the watch a brighter and more cheerful everyday character. It feels light, open, and lively on the wrist without relying on excessive dial text.

Around the periphery, printed minute chaptering frames the layout. Inside that, the applied baton hour markers use a double baton at 12 and single batons elsewhere. The marker at 6 is slightly shortened because the date window sits just above it.

The date cutout is neat, fairly large, and easy enough to read at a glance. The hour markers are chrome-edged with white lume plots through the center, helping them stay legible against the reflective blue dial texture.

The hands are simple baton-style hour and minute hands filled with lume, paired with a thin chrome seconds hand. In the dark, the baton indices and hour and minute hands glow bright green. The lume charges quickly, glows brightly, and holds on well. If this kind of versatile everyday watch is on your shortlist, our Comparison Tool helps you place comparable watches side by side and see how their specifications differ before deciding.

Summary

The WM Watch WM231 is a good-looking everyday automatic with a lively MOP-style dial and a genuinely useful clasp upgrade.

The case wears well at 39mm across and 45.5mm lug-to-lug, while the sapphire crystal, NH35 movement, screw-down caseback, and signed on-the-fly clasp give the watch a stronger specification base.

The push-pull crown, push-pin bracelet, and slightly soft finishing transitions keep it from feeling fully resolved at around $250 before tax. Still, the dial, bracelet comfort, clasp functionality, and overall proportions make the WM231 an interesting step forward for WM Watch.

WM Watch WM231 Specifications