AM138M-L Classic Railroad Watch

This is a great looking knockoff of a famous watch. It feels well made, and the clear display back shows off the movement beautifully. It's an automatic winding watch, so it needs to be worn daily to keep it wound, but it can be wound manually if you wear it only occasionally. Good looking, functional, and good quality for the price.

This watch is a mechanical watch that looks much like the Mondaine Railways watch at a fraction of the price. It costs about one third than a Mondaine quartz watch. It’s full dial glows in the dark. Its metal band is also very pretty but I replaced it with a Titanium mesh band. I like it better for its titanium color, and it’s light weight. This watch is a true “find”. I couldn’t be happier with it. I alway liked the look of the Swiss Railway watch but considered the Mondaine watches very overpriced for its feature.The watch looks very good on the wrist and keeps accurate time. The sweep second hand adds additional beauty to it, far above its price.

While scoring zero for originality, but giving due credit for price, the AM138 is outstanding in terms of execution, finish and its fully luminescent dial is just plain cool. Even the bracelet is of surprisingly decent quality, especially for a watch in this price range. It keeps the case comfortably secured despite its somewhat bulky design, and it helps the case feel smaller on the wrist than it looks, with its 22mm lug width..The accuracy is typical of its Miyota movement. On the unit I bought from China, I get +6 sd on a vertical winder and a bit better in use. The unit I'm reviewing here was intended as a gift and not tested.But here's the rub with this watch, and others using this movement.. This series of Miyota movements drives the second hand indirectly. What this means is that during some portion of its travel, the second hand will jump erratically. For example, it may cover one second on 2 beats, or 1 beat, instead of its smoother 6 beat rythm. It will continue this jumpiness through some portion of its travel; maybe 15 seconds, maybe 45 seconds. Then, it'll settle back down again where it should be unti it again reaches that erratic portion of its sweep on the dial.The second hand will also stop for a brief period if the watch is shaken hard. But it catches up within a second or two. Very strange but ALL Miyota 6 series movements do it to some extent or other. Even certain Citizen models (Pro Diver) have been known to do this, as Citizen owns Miyota.Although disconcerting, this behavior in no way affects the watch's accuracy. Even the timing between the 5 minute indices remains correct. I've extensively tested this myself. On my first AM138, this stuttering only happens when the watch is vertical and only between the 3 and 6 indices. Some units stutter less and some, like the one I'm reviewing here, stutter much much more. But again, the accuracy is unaffected.Before I knew what really caused this stuttering, I contacted the seller. They tried to tell me it was because of the asymmetrically balanced second hand and that they are replacing it with a new version using a longer "tail". They offered to send me a new second hand and an (insufficient) credit to pay for its installation.Alternatively, I could send this one back and wait a few weeks for a replacement to arrive from China, where they supposedly have the new version in stock.Had I wanted to wait weeks, I'd have saved myself 30% and ordered it from there in the first place. Duh.Besides ruining the iconic Swiss RR design of the watch, a new second hand would not have solved the stuttering. It may have obscured it or lessened it a little, but the stuttering is an inherent design trait of this movement. The store's offer was basically an attempt to gaslight me, so 1 star for them.I can live with the stuttering on my first Berny. It's not extreme, kind of quirky and as long as it doesn't affect the accuracy, it might even grow on me.But this second one is going back.

I was genuinely impressed by this watch. I own an original quartz Mondaine (same size), and although the design is sleeker in the original, the quality is vastly superior in the Berny (and being mechanical is another plus). Accuracy wise it's been fantastic. If I wear it daily it's well within COSC standards.

I was about to shell out a $800 dollars for a Mondaine Cushion, but saw this watch and thought I would give a shot. I collect watches and have about 70 or so anywhere from under $100 to over $10K. I buy based on uniqueness or quirkiness of a watch and not just the manufacturer being Swiss or the price. I liked the simplicity of the face and readability of this watch which was like the Mondaine. After receiving this watch, I was impressed with the finish of this watch, the weight of the watch, and the band for this price point. As one reviewer indicated that the sweep second had variability around the watch face, I did not see that. I used a timer on another watch and compared second hands at the 15, 30, 45, and 60 second positions and they were in sync with the visible eye. If there was variability, it was not noticeable to me. A very nice watch for the price.

I just received this watch a few days ago, and I really like it. looks like a Mondaine swiss railroad watch at a much lower price. The watch is heavy due to the quality material it is made of. I really like it, and am glad I purchased it. If you want a quality time piece that you will be proud to own. I highly recommend buying one while they are available.

Watch was sleek, clean look with a classy feel on the wrist. Very comfortable to wear.

From other reviews, I've gathered that this is a homage to a Mondaine. After a cursory Google search, that seems to be true. Maybe you will dismiss it as a cheap knock off, but so far I'm quite happy with the quality, and I like the simplicity of the style. I wanted an automatic watch with a display caseback so I can see the mechanics of the movement. I also didn't want to spend over $100. This checked the boxes.About seven years ago I could purchase a Seiko 5 for under $100. Sadly, that no longer seems to be the case, so I took a gamble on this Chinese brand. It is unlikely to be an heirloom piece, but I've barely started collecting and just wanted some variety. If I get a few years of use out of it I will be happy. My only dislike is that I'm not a huge fan of the glow illumination on the face. I'd be fine if it wasn't present at all.