CIGA Design is a Chinese watch brand that has carved a niche for itself with innovative, artistic, and award-winning timepieces. Founded in 2016 by Zhang Jianmin, an accomplished industrial designer, CIGA Design set out to revolutionize the watch industry by combining modern aesthetics, high-quality materials, and meticulous craftsmanship. Unlike traditional microbrands, CIGA Design focuses on originality and artistic expression. It stands apart by embracing minimalist, industrial-inspired designs, often featuring skeleton dials that expose the intricate mechanical movements beneath. The brand’s philosophy is rooted in blending functionality with artistic form, making each watch a statement piece rather than just a timekeeping tool.

CIGA Design gained international recognition when its watches won prestigious design awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award, and the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève), often referred to as the “Oscars of the watch world.” These accolades established the brand as a serious contender in the global watch market, challenging Swiss dominance with Chinese ingenuity. One of its most iconic releases was the Blue Planet, a unique watch that reimagined time-telling with a rotating Earth-inspired dial. This groundbreaking design won the Challenge Watch Prize at GPHG 2021, marking a historic moment for Chinese horology.

CIGA Design continues to push boundaries, experimenting with titanium cases, ceramic materials, and innovative movements. With its commitment to affordability, high design standards, and cutting-edge mechanics, CIGA Design represents a new era in watchmaking—one where artistic vision and precision engineering coexist. The brand’s mission remains clear: to redefine modern watchmaking with originality, creativity, and uncompromising quality.

Today, we explore the CIGA Design Magician, a timepiece that, while not the brand’s latest release, remains a fascinating example of innovation in horology. True to its reputation for pushing boundaries, CIGA Design introduces a watch with a remarkable “magic trick”—a modular construction that allows wearers to seamlessly transform it into three distinct case styles: round, square, and tonneau. This groundbreaking design offers the versatility of multiple watches in one, striking a perfect balance between functionality and creativity. With its captivating skeleton dial, industrial-inspired aesthetics, and self-developed movement, the Magician stands as a bold testament to modern mechanical artistry.

The CIGA Design Magician features a modular construction comprising a main inner case, which houses the dial and movement, and an outer case that snaps onto it. The outer case can be easily removed by pressing two buttons on the backside simultaneously, allowing for seamless transitions between different case styles.

All components, including the inner case and three interchangeable outer cases—round, square, and tonneau—are crafted from 316L stainless steel, though a titanium variant is also available. I opted for the stainless steel version. The case dimensions vary depending on the chosen shape, affecting how the watch wears on the wrist.

• Round Case – 46.2mm in diameter, appearing the most compact.
• Tonneau Case – 46mm in diameter; despite being slightly smaller, it wears larger due to its elongated shape. This was my preferred choice during testing.
• Square Case – 44mm in diameter; however, due to its square shape, it wears the largest, feeling similar to a 46mm watch on my 18cm wrist.

Regardless of the case shape, the thickness remains 10.8mm. Each case exhibits a combination of fine satin-brushed and bead-blasted finishes, reinforcing the watch’s industrial aesthetic. The edges, though sharp, are not abrasive against the skin.

Both the front and back feature flat sapphire crystal, with the front benefiting from anti-reflective (AR) coating. The watch has a water resistance of 30m (3 ATM)—sufficient for everyday wear, though not designed for swimming.

At the 3 o’clock position, the watch is equipped with a push-pull crown, distinguished by a deeply engraved screw-like design and signed with the CIGA logo. The crown is well-sized, offering excellent grip for easy time-setting.

The dial—well, there isn’t one, really. The movement itself essentially serves as the dial. One thing that immediately caught my eye was that the entire movement appears slightly misaligned. It isn’t perfectly centered, as the hour markers on the decorative large gear surrounding the movement don’t line up with the bezel markers. This also results in the “CIGA Design” text at 3 o’clock being slightly crooked.

After checking other reviews of this watch, it seems this issue isn’t common. To test CIGA Design’s customer service, I sent them photos highlighting the misalignment, and they responded immediately, offering a replacement if I sent the watch back. This was a reassuring experience, demonstrating their commitment to customer satisfaction. I wouldn’t be too harsh on CIGA Design for this, as even top-tier brands occasionally have defects slip through quality control. In fact, over the past year, I’ve had to send about ten Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks back to authorized service centers due to QC issues.

The hour and minute hands are skeletonized and feature applied Super-LumiNova for visibility in low light. The seconds hand, positioned at the center, takes the shape of a small rotating gear and is also coated with Super-LumiNova. At night, the luminescence creates an interesting glow, making the watch surprisingly legible in dark conditions.

Powering the Magician is CIGA Design’s self-developed CD-02 movement, available in both manual-winding and automatic variants. It offers a 40-hour power reserve and features a distinctive cross-motif on a frosted bronze base plate. The movement adopts a “floating” design, utilizing a transparent inner cover and a three-dimensional structure that creates the illusion of it being suspended in midair.

One of the most striking visual elements is the outer ring of the movement, which resembles a giant gear. Beyond its industrial aesthetic, this design also functions as a 60-minute scale, with each tooth representing a minute marker.

One aspect I would personally change is the empty second crown position, which is typically reserved for a date-setting function. Since this watch does not include a date complication, the empty position feels unnecessary and slightly detracts from the overall refinement. Eliminating it would enhance the perceived quality.

I usually don’t gravitate toward skeletonized watches, but this one immediately caught my attention. Out of curiosity, I also consulted my watchmaker, who noted that at this price point, the finishing is decent—not on par with luxury watch standards, of course, but more than acceptable for what it offers. However, when it comes to long-term reliability and serviceability, it’s still too early to judge.

The movement is manufactured in China, but that doesn’t inherently mean it’s unreliable. Many Chinese movements have proven to be robust and dependable over time. Perhaps in a year or two, I’ll follow up with a long-term ownership review to see how it held up.

The Magician comes equipped with a black silicone strap that feels high quality and well-made. The underside is signed with the CIGA Design logo, adding a subtle branding touch. The strap also features quick-release spring bars, making it easy to swap out for a different option without the need for tools.

It has a slight taper, starting at 22mm at the lugs and narrowing to 20mm at the clasp. The deployant clasp is crafted from stainless steel with a satin-brushed finish and is signed on the top. It feels solid and well-constructed, avoiding the flimsy or cheap feel that some clasps in this price range can have. Additionally, the strap is generously sized and will comfortably accommodate wrists significantly larger than mine, which measures 18cm.

My final thoughts on the CIGA Design Magician are generally positive. While it may not be my absolute favorite watch, the concept of interchangeable cases and the unique floating movement/dial design truly stand out. The overall design is both cool and innovative, offering the versatility of three watches in one. The finishing is top-notch, with sapphire crystal on both the front and back, and the silicone strap is exceptionally comfortable.

At a price of $499 USD, I believe it offers great value for the money. Given the design and functionality, along with the multiple awards CIGA Design has earned for its creativity, I would definitely recommend it. If you like the design, you’re getting a lot of watch for a reasonable price, making CIGA Design a brand worth considering.

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