The Sher Kids Watch is an educational tool for little grown-ups
Buffy Acacia- The inaugural release from British microbrand Sher, this kids watch aims away from bright colours and towards sophistication.
- Its dial remains educational for reading analogue time, with individual numerals for all 60 minutes.
- The 32mm case is made from stainless steel and has 100m of water resistance.
If you’re ever about to spend $100 on something for your kid, you’re going to want to be sure it won’t be broken in a week. If your child wants or needs a watch, then sure, you could go for a $20 Casio. But, if you want them to have a head start in life and ensure they can read analogue clocks, your options for hardy watches dwindle quickly. However, a niche but welcome trend is forming for emerging microbrands which cater specifically to children, or adults who like the watches enough anyway. The debut watch from British microbrand Sher is one such example, and it’s ready to be tortured.
Given that durability is the most important aspect for any children’s product, let’s address the Sher’s construction. Most kids’ watches are made from the cheapest resin possible, which is great for their weight and comfort, but can easily crack from a drop or split open along the seams to expose the movement to air and moisture. The Sher Kids Watch is made from stainless steel like most other modern watches for adults, and the case design isn’t very far away from a typical field watch, too. There’s even a polished bezel for contrast against the brushed case, although that may pick up scratches easily. It’s also important to consider that a child used to a plastic watch may dislike the weight of steel, but they should get used to it if they stick with it.
The crystal is sapphire, so scratch resistance is as good as it can get. There is a small risk of the crystal shattering on a particularly hard impact, but unless your kid’s on the Popeye diet, it should be perfectly fine. A screw-down crown may be too fiddly for especially young kids, but the 100m of water resistance is worth it for protection against swimming days, bathing, or making mud pies. The total thickness is only 9mm, so it shouldn’t stick out so much that it knocks into everything. At 32mm in diameter, it is technically a very small watch, but also very similar to the sizes of wristwatches during WWI. I’m sure that any adult with a small wrist could wear it and enjoy it should they wish to.
Coming on to the dial, and the Sher aims for clarity above all else. The hours are broken up into 12 alternating segments with the numerals close to the beginning of their hour, so it’s easy to see when the hour hand is travelling through its allocated space. Similarly, the minutes track numbers every single minute from 1-60, so that the hand is always pointing at an actual number. The numerals between the 5-minute intervals are very small, but hopefully youthful eyes won’t have any trouble reading them. The whole dial is also fully luminous, and that’s something a kid would want to show off regardless of whether they’re reading the time.
The Sher is powered by a Miyota time-only quartz movement, which will be reliably accurate within 20 seconds per month, and has a battery life of approximately three years. The strap is made of black soft-touch silicone rubber which will conform to any wrist shape, although due to the traditional pin-buckle clasp, you may need to drill an extra hole into it if your child is between sizes for optimum comfort. Kids are prone to losing things, so you don’t want them taking the watch off if the fit isn’t exactly comfortable… But if it does get lost, at just over US$100, it’s not expensive to replace, either. Overall, it’s a fun watch which doesn’t delve too deeply into childhood stereotypes. It can teach how to read analogue time, and isn’t overloaded with distracting colours or images.
Sher Kids Watch price and availability
The Sher Kids Watch is now available for pre-order with delivery expected in June 2025. Price: £95 (~US$120)
| Brand | Sher |
| Model | Kids Watch |
| Case Dimensions | 32mm (D) x 9mm (T) |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Luminous |
| Bracelet and strap | Silicone rubber |
| Movement | Miyota 2035, quartz |
| Battery life | 3 years |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Available now for pre-order with small production numbers |
| Price | £95 (~US$120) |