CIGA design Hunter Review: Style That Punches Above Its Price

You’ve seen Richard Mille watches on the wrists of Formula 1 drivers and NBA or Football (European one) stars. You’ve also seen the price tags and quietly closed that browser tab. The CIGA design Hunter wants to fix that problem. It takes the tonneau case, the skeletonized movement, and the futuristic attitude of those six-figure watches and transforms them into a watch that you can actually buy without selling a kidney.

I must be honest, I’m not a fan of skeleton watches, that’s why I didn’t write the piece about Girard Perregaux Minute repeater Flying Bridges. I couldn’t find anything good to say about it, except for the craftsmanship of course and the high price. 

And I admit I was a little reluctant when I got the CIGA design Hunter, I thought that I wouldn’t like it. Well, I spent almost 5 weeks with this watch, and it turned out to be great. It’s not screaming Richard Mille, it screams Hunter and it changed my perception about skeleton watches. 

This is not a luxury watch. It’s an affordable mechanical watch aimed at modern watch enthusiasts who want bold design without the associated financial damage. CIGA design knows exactly what it’s doing here, and it pulls it off better than most in my opinion.

Design and Aesthetics

Case

The Z Series Hunter features a three-layered octagonal tonneau case crafted from 316L stainless steel with a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating. I feared that the coating would scratch easily, but it’s not the case after 5 weeks, so I have the feeling that it will pass the test of time in this department. 

 The case measures 43mm side-to-side, 48mm top-to-bottom, and sits just 12.1mm thick.  That layered structure is not just cosmetic. It creates visual depth, with sharp angles, cutouts, and screws holding the inner and outer case sections together. On the wrist, it looks more complex than most watches at ten times the price.

The micro-sandblasted surfaces and polished chamfered edges create a dynamic contrast of textures and finishes. You get matte where you want matte, and polish where the light needs to shine. Three color ways are available: silver, carbon gray, and all-black. Each pair with the same gold accents on the hands and indices, which is either bold or borderline reckless depending on your taste. It works.

Dial

There is no dial here in the traditional sense. The skeletonized bridge and base plate expand the visible mechanics by 200%, with a 360-degree fully transparent design that gives an unhindered view of every intricate detail.  The balance wheel sits at 6 o’clock. The mainspring barrel anchors the composition at 12. The X-shaped bridges suspend everything in open space. I started to love the floating effect it gives to the watch. 

The hands float over the movement, and white-tipped hands combined with select Lume markers make reading the time on the Hunter genuinely easy. Most skeleton watches sacrifice legibility for looks. This one manages both. Also the hands are gold colored like the screws from the case. 

Strap and Bracelet

The tapering H-link bracelet naturally embraces the wrist, and a hidden double push-button clasp offers a secure fit. Quick-release spring bars make swapping straps easy.  The bracelet comes with a link removal tool so you can size it at home. The bracelet widths are somewhat uncommon at 21mm , which limits your aftermarket strap options. Keep that in mind. Also, it took me a little to understand how to remove the pins in order to size the bracelet. But I managed to do it.

Build Quality and Durability

The case of CIGA design Hunter is crafted from 316L stainless steel with a DLC coating for exceptional scratch resistance and a sleek matte appearance.  DLC is genuinely tough. It holds up to daily wear better than most PVD treatments. The micro-sandblasting gives the watch a luxurious finish, contrasted with top-notch polished surfaces. 

The head of the watch weighs less than 70g. I read an article in which a reviewer questioned whether the spec sheet was wrong, assuming this to be titanium rather than steel.  It’s not titanium. But CIGA has managed to make a steel watch feel almost weightless, which is genuinely impressive for the price.

Water resistance specs aren’t that good, only 3 ATM (30 Meters) , so treat this as a dress and lifestyle watch rather than something you take diving.

Movement and Functionality

The CD-07 is a custom-designed automatic caliber operating at 28,800 vph with a 40-hour power reserve and 24 jewels, accurate to -15 to +25 seconds per day. CIGA, I’m begging you, make the movements with more power reserve. Thank you!

CIGA claims this movement was developed entirely in-house, I’m not sure about that but we have to trust them. The architecture on the other hand is clearly original. The movement is fully skeletonized and symmetrical, with the balance in full view at 6 o’clock and a branded mainspring barrel at 12. The rotor is anchor-shaped and signed on both sides, visible through both the front sapphire crystal and the sapphire display back. Which is a nice touch for the design department

My review sample gained about 30 seconds per day. That’s not terrible but not great, also great by precision standards, but it’s within the stated tolerance. You don’t buy this watch for timing surgical procedures. The movement is something you look at as much as rely on, and it rewards the attention.

The watch displays hours, minutes, and seconds. No date, no chronograph, no complications. Clean and focused.

Comfort and Wearability

The watch wears neatly even on smaller wrists. It will fill your wrist, but it doesn’t look wrong. The tonneau shape distributes the case footprint well, and the slim 12.1mm profile keeps it from snagging on sleeves.

The overall wearing experience with the bracelet is positive, both comfortable and ergonomic.  Extended wear is not a problem. The weight, or lack of it, makes it easy to forget you’re wearing it, which is harder to achieve than it sounds with an octagonal three-layer case. Didn’t feel the need to take it off like in the case of Omega Seamaster which I reviewed. It left my wrist only when I took showers or slept. 

You will get compliments. That’s not a guarantee most watches can make. Funny thing, the most compliments I got were for this watch, Time Cypher and Blue Planet II. I think that it says something about the design CIGA adopts. 

Features and Technology

Luminescence covers the hour, minute, and second hands, as well as the 3, 9, and 12 o’clock markers. It’s not full-dial Lume, but it covers the essentials for low-light readability. I didn’t have any problems in this area. 

The scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the open-worked dial and there’s a matching sapphire case back. The top crystal has a slight curve, which adds to the visual quality of the finished product. 

The quick-release spring bars on the bracelet are a genuinely useful feature. One flick and the bracelet is off, replaced with whatever 21mm strap you have on hand. The bracelet is good and all that, but I feel that this watch will be excellent with a rubber strap. 

Brand and Heritage

CIGA Design is a Chinese brand, and they’re quite up-front about that. They have a solid track record with several Red Dot Design Awards and even a GPHG Award. Their Blue Planet won the Academy’s Challenge Prize in 2021. The GPHG is the closest thing watchmaking has to the Oscars, and CIGA walked the red carpet. That was the moment they got my attention as well. 

Founded with 17 international design awards to its name, CIGA design collaborates with international designers to create watches that lean into bold aesthetics and mechanical creativity. 

Price and Value for Money for CIGA design Hunter

The Hunter began via crowdfunding at $379 USD, with standard retail priced at $499 USD.  At current retail, you get a DLC-coated stainless steel case, an in-house skeletonized automatic movement, a matching bracelet with quick release, sapphire crystals front and back, and enough visual drama to start conversations across a room.

Most watches at this price level don’t have unique movements at all, let alone ones that feel like they should cost a lot more. Value here is not just good. It’s hard to argue against.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Striking design that doesn’t look like a $500 watch
• In-house movement with genuine visual interest
• Lightweight for a steel watch
• Sapphire crystals front and back
• Excellent legibility for a skeleton watch
• Quick-release bracelet system

Cons:

• Accuracy is acceptable but not impressive
• 21mm lug width limits aftermarket strap options
• Not for understated tastes

Box and Packaging

The Hunter ships in branded packaging with a link removal tool included. Every unit undergoes quality inspection before leaving the factory, backed by a 24-month warranty. The unboxing experience feels appropriate for the price point. Nothing extravagant, nothing cheap. Just a box that opens as a book, it looks nice in my Library to be honest, but as always, I compare all the boxes with the one from Omega which for me is the best out there. 

CIGA design Hunter – does it worth the price?

The CIGA design Hunter does something most watch brands at this price point don’t even attempt. It builds something genuinely, with a real movement, real materials, and a real design identity. It looks like it costs more than it does, wears better than it looks and delivers a mechanical experience that most $500 watches cannot touch.

Is it perfect? No. The accuracy leaves room for improvement, and the 21mm bracelet width is an odd choice. But at $499 retail, those are minor complaints against a watch that punches well above its price.

Would I buy it? Yes. I had a good time with the watch, I really like it and it will become a part of my collection. Also, if you want to buy this watch and you don’t want the gold accent, go with the silver one, I think it looks cooler. 

 CIGA design became one of my favorite affordable brands. Can’t wait to see with what they come up next!

More info about the watch can be found on their official website

Disclosure: The watch was sent to us by CIGA design, however, they had zero input on how we review or present the watch. Opinions expressed are our own and have not been influenced by CIGA design in any way, shape, or form.