One of the biggest misconceptions about buying a watch is that it needs to be expensive to be nice, when, in fact, many watches under a grand prove just how wrong that notion is. Admittedly, finding them amongst the many other budget timepieces that are cheaply-made or chintzy can be difficult, which is why we went through the trouble to round up the best examples at three different price points: $150, $500 and $1,000.

Under $150

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There’s just something to be said about a cheap watch with a solid build and some character. Admittedly, purchasing a timepiece in this price range can be tricky — it’s littered with junk. On the flip side, plenty of examples out there have garnered cult followings, made up of everymen and horology nerds alike. Some are from respected Japanese brands — Citizen, Seiko — others young innovators. But they all go to show that the affordable watch need not be marked by a plastic case or hands that fall off after a month’s use.

Timex MK1 Aluminum

Though any number of great Timexes could’ve made this list, we’re particualrly enamored with the newly reissued MK1 — a recreation (of sorts) of a short-lived 1980s military-issue watch. While the original was meant to be disposable and had a mechanical movement inside and a plastic case protecting it, this version swaps both with a more reliable quartz engine and a higher-quality case made from anodized aluminum.

Movement: Quartz
Case diameter: 40mm
Water resistance: 30m

Orient 3 Star

Using an automatic movement based on an old caliber originally from Seiko, the Orient 3 Star is a simple, utilitarian automatic akin to the Seiko 5. While there’s not much in the way of fit and finish, it does have a well-proportioned 37mm case, a stainless stell bracelet and a colorful dial. Its as simple of an automatic watch you can get, but therein lies its charm.

Movement: Orient 469 automatic
Case diameter: 37mm
Water resistance: 30m

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

Could this be a more perfect casual watch? It has Citizen’s lauded solar-recharing Eco-Drive movement inside, so battery changes are a thing of the past, and at 37mm it hits a sweet spot in terms of size. The military-style dial is also a nice touch.

Movement: Eco-Drive solar quartz
Case diameter: 37mm
Water resistance: 100m

Citizen NH8350-83L

You’d be forgiven for thinking Citizen’s entire lineup is made up of its quartz Eco-Drive watches, but the brand does, in fact, make some mechanicals. The NH8350, for instance, packs a Miyota 8200 automatic movement into a clean-cut stainless steel case and comes adorned with a shimmering, sunray blue dial. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better mechanical dress watch for less.

Movement: Miyota 8200 automatic
Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Bertucci A-2T Titanium

Cases made from solid titanium — loved for its lightweight, durable and hypoallergenic properties — are not such a common site on sub-$150 watches, which is what makes the young U.S. watch brand Bertucci an enticing option. Similarly enticing is the classic field watch dial design, the Japanese quartz movement inside and a 100-meter depth raiting.

Movement: Quartz
Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 100m

Seiko 5 Sports SNZG13

No list of dirt-cheap watches is complete without the Seiko 5. Originally launched in 1963, the 5 has cultivated a fev following amongst watch fans for its utilitarian mechanical movement and the value it provides. The SNZG13 here is one of the 5’s more rugged modern iterations, featuring a stainless steel bracelet, a 100-meter depth raiting and a dial with big, legible numerals coated in lume.

Movement: Seiko 7S36 automatic
Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 100m

Nokia Steel

If you just wanted to spend $130 on a good-looking quartz watch, you could do a lot worse than the Nokia Steel (formerly the Withings Activité). But this being a “hybrid” smartwatch, you get more than just the time of day. The watch connects to your phone via Bluetooth to give you simple sleep and fitness tracking info that, while not super comprehenisve, is helpful in tracking and motiviating healthy behavior.

Movement: connected quartz
Size: 36mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Braun BN0021

Braun’s minimalist aesthetic is perfect for someone looking for a wardobe accutremont rather than a showpiece. What’s more, graphic elements like the yellow seconds hand and austere font are sure to call to mind the brand’s legacy of Bauhaus-inspired product design.

Movement: quartz
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Swatch Sistim51 Irony

When Swatch launched the Sistim51 — an autonomously assembled automatic movement boasting a 90-day power reserve — it was a revelation, but its plastic case limited its appeal. Now you can get the same movement cased up in stainless steel, making it a more reserved option for everyday wear.

Movement: Swatch Sistim51 automatic
Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 30m

Seiko 5 Sports SNZF17

The Seiko 5 comes in many iterations, and the “Sea Urchin” dive watch is one of our favorites. In addition to using Seiko’s workhorse 7S36 automatic movement, it comes adorned with a unidrectional countdown bezel and steel bracelet.

Movement: Seiko 7S36 Automatic
Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 100m

Under $500

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You can get a pretty damn good watch for less than the cost of a big night out, that’s for sure. But while there are plenty of great dirt-cheap timepieces under $150, if you’re looking for more features, more capability and more impressive designs, you need to bump up the ceiling of your budget. But only a little. For a mere $500 you can enter the world of geeky timepieces, where complications, mechanical movements and daring design elements are plentiful.

Timex Marlin



With few exceptions, Timex long abandoned mechanical movements in favor of digital and quartz movements years ago. That’s exactly why Timex’s latest watch, a reissue of the famed Marlin, is so exciting. It comes with a hand-winding movement underneath, and if that weren’t enough, it comes with a sleek case, dial and strap design that truly look like they were plucked from the 1960s.

Movement: hand-wound
Size: 34mm
Water Resistance: 30m

Braun BN0211



If you want excellent modern design in a watch, you don’t need to pay much, fortunately. Braun’s BN0211 has won both an iF and a Red Dot award for its minimal, stealthy aesthetic. A yellow seconds hand pops against a stealthy black dial and sleek black case, and the watch comes mounted on a comfortable stainless steel mesh bracelet.

Movement: quartz
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 30m

Seagull 1963



Want a new mechanical chronograph under $500? The Seagull 1963 is pretty much your only option. That’s no concession, though. It uses a hand-wound mechanical movement made by Tianjin Seagull Watch Co. (one of China’s best movement manufacturers), housed in a compact and authentically sized 38mm stainless steel case.

Movement: Seagull ST21 hand-winding chronograph
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 30m

Orient Bambino V4



The latest iteration of Orient’s beloved, mid-century-style dress watch. The domed dial now comes in an excellent slate-gray colorway and features rose gold accents. The watch also gets an updated suede strap. Ticking underneath is an automatic movement from Orient featuring hand-winding and hacking seconds.

Movement: Orient F6724 Automatic
Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 30m

Citizen Stilleto



When Citizen launched its mind-blowingly thin (less than 3mm) Eco-Drive One in 2016, it captivated watch enthusiasts, but with a price tag over $2,000, it was steeply priced. At under $500, and with a still crazy-thin case thickness of 4.7mm, the Stilleto is a fantastic compromise, given its sleek proportions and classy guilloche dial. Of course, that solar-powered quartz movement is also a gem, making battery changes a thing of the past.

Movement: Eco-Drive solar quartz
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: splash-resistant only

Tissot Everytime Swissmatic



Yes, an automatic mechanical watch from a Swiss watchmaker for under $400. The Tissot Swissmatic makes use of the revolutionary Sistim51 automatic movement from its sister brand, Swatch, which in turn keeps the cost low. But where Swatch’s Sistim51 watches are boldly designed and difficult to make work for everyday use, the Tissot utilizes a clean design in a slim, almost Bauhaus-like package that could dress both up and down.

Movement: Sistim51 automatic
Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 30m

Merci LMM-01



Parisian “concept store” Merci recently launched its first timepiece, and it’s one hell of a looker, like a crossover between a modern Mondaine watch and a vintage field watch. The dial is adorned with Helvetica numerals and red accents, and for under $400, you can even get it equipped with a Swiss-made, hand-winding mechanical movement from ETA (a quartz version is also available for less).

Movement: ETA 2801-2 hand-winding
Size: 37.5mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Laco Augsburg



German watch brand Laco is perhaps best known for its super simple, super legible flieger pilot watches. This Augsburg doesn’t stray far from that formula: it comes with a stark black dial adorned with numerals given a healthy dose of lume, plus a big 42mm case (a smaller 36mm variant is also available for fans of small watches). Inside ticks an automatic movement from Miyota, and the whole thing comes affixed to a thick brown leather strap.

Movement: Miyota 821A automatic
Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Seiko Alpinist SARB017



Seiko’s JDM favorite Alpinist is one classy field watch. Aside from the deep forest green dial, the watch comes packing an automatic movement and an inner rotating bezel that can be used as a compass when synched with the position of the sun. And with a case diameter of 38mm, it’s a great mid-size watch that should work for just about anyone.

Movement: Seiko 6R15 automatic
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 200m

Seiko Prospex SRP777



Yes, two Seikos. With its big cushion case, knobby bezel and simple dial, the SRP777 is a faithful homage to the original Seiko 6309 “Turtle” from the 1970s and ’80s. But unlike the Turtle, the new watch is water resistant up to 200 meters (the old one was only rated for 150) and has an automatic movement with hand-winding capabilities. It’s a fantastic option for those who want the look of a vintage diver, but the capabilities and reliability of a modern watch.

Movement: Seiko 4R36 automatic
Size: 45mm
Water Resistance: 200m

Under $1,000

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Yes, you can get some truly special timepieces from luxury brands if you decide to spend a couple grand — don’t let us deter you from pulling the trigger on your dream watch. But you can get a surprising amount of watch for less than a single grand, too. Want a monstrous titanium dive watch? You can get that for under $1,000. Or a super-thin, mechanical dress watch? We found two. Want a brass case or an enamel dial? They’re all here, as well, along with a handful of other great-looking, reliable timepieces from watchmakers big and small.

Bulova Moonwatch



When people think “moon watch,” Buzz Aldrin’s Omega Speedmaster Professional comes to mind. It was the first watch worn on the moon, after all, but there are actually quite a few timepieces that have ventured off this rock. When Mission Commander David Scott and his Apollo 15 crew touched down in the Hadley-Appennius, Scott checked his Bulova and logged the landing at 06:16:29 p.m. This Bulova 956B251 is a high-beat quartz powered homage to that very watch.

Movement: Bulova 262kHz quartz chronograph
Size: 45mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Hamilton Intra-Matic



The Hamilton Intra-Matic remains one of our favorite affordable timepieces. Its simple mix of elegance and style harkens back to an era when understated design ruled drawing boards. Featuring a large sunburst dial, decorated minimally with Hamilton’s vintage “H” logo, faceted lugs and a thin leather band, the Intra-Matic could easily pass as an heirloom timepiece, without the fuss of vintage upkeep.

Movement: ETA 2892-2 automatic
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Archimede Pilot 42H Bronze



Bronze has become an exceedingly popular choice of material for watch cases in recent years, championed by big names like Tudor, Zenith and Panerai (to name a few) for its rich, eye-catching hue and its propensity to patinate with age. While the material is most utilized by high-end brands, German microbrand Archimede makes a bronze version of its flieger-style pilot’s watch that slots in well under $1,000 and even features an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement inside.

Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic
Size: 42mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Stowa Antea ‘Back to Bauhaus’



To the uninitiated, the Stowa Antena looks like a replicant of the Nomos Tangente, but its roots actually go all the way back to the 1930s, when both Stowa and A. Lange were creating very similar minimalist timepieces just before WWII. While the basic shape and dial layout remain the same as that early watch, but its most prominent update is its choice of font, Bauhaus STD, an evolution of a typeface created by Bauhaus designer Herbert Bayer in 1927. Customers also get to choose between three different configurations: a 35.5mm watch with a hand-winding Peseux 7001 movement or a 36.5mm or 39mm version with an automatic ETA 2824-2.

Movement: Peseux 7001 hand-winding; ETA 2824-2 automatic
Size: 35.5mm; 36.5mm; 39mm
Water Resistance: 30m; 50mm

Tissot Ballade Powermatic 80



Though the progress of innovation in mechanical watchmaking is slow, in the last decade or so, silicon balance springs have become one of the industry’s greatest innovations, albeit one primarily used in higher-end watches from brands like Omega, Tudor and even Patek Philippe; silicon provides resistance to magnetism and allows for more accurate timekeeping. It’s remarkable, then, that Tissot’s sub-$1,000 Ballade uses one as well; further, it’s a fully certified COSC chronometer, accurate to within -2/+4 seconds per day. It’s like a budget version of the Omega Globemaster.

Movement: Tissot Powermatic 80 automatic
Size: 41mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Autodromo Group B



Autodromo has consistently reached for new design heights as a maker of auto-inspired watches since its first model was introduced in 2011. One of its most recent releases, the Group B, has a 39mm case comprised of a uniquely designed titanium capsule mated to a stainless steel chassis.

Movement: Miyota 9015 automatic
Size: 39mm
Water Resistance: 50m

Junghans Max Bill



Understated, slim and impeccably clean, this Bauhaus-inspired Junghans is perfectly sized to peek out from under a French cuff. Its case measures 38mm and houses a self-winding movement between 10mm of polished stainless steel and Sicralan-coated plexiglass. Super Luminova has been applied to the hour and minute hands as well as markers at both 6 and 12 to help it shine through the night.

Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic (base)
Size: 38mm
Water Resistance: N/A

Christopher Ward Trident C60 Titanium Pro



Christopher Ward has always offered a lot for the price, and that’s absolutely true even on the higher end of the brand’s wares. This iteration of the stalwart Trident dive watch, for example, is made out of lightweight titanium, packs an ETA 2824-2 automatic movement and is submerisble to an incredible 600 meters. The stleathy-looking black and gray color scheme is also a huge plus.

Movement: ETA 2824-2 automatic
Size: 43mm
Water Resistance: 600m

Seiko Prospex SPB051J1



No list of great, affordable watches is complete without a Seiko diver. The SPB051J1 is a reissue of Seiko’s first dive watch, the 6217, which originally debuted in 1965. The new iteration is certainly bigger than the original at 42.6mm in diameter (versus 38mm of the 6217), but it packs Seiko’s in-house R615 automatic movement and is water-resistant to 200 meters.

Movement: Seiko 6R15 automatic
Size: 42.6mm
Water Resistance: 200m

Seiko Presage SARX019



Similarly, Seiko makes some incredible value dress watches under $1,000, too. Most notably, the brand has introduced its Presage line to the U.S., and with it comes a host of reasonably priced watches that bridge the gap between the brand more budget-friendly options and high-end Grand Seikos. Among those watches is the SARX019, which, amazingly, features a handcrafted enamel dial, joining the ranks of brands like Patek and Ulysse Nardin. Seiko’s reliable Seiko 6R15 automatic movement ticks away within, and the watch comes affixed to a leather strap with a deployant clasp.

Movement: Seiko 6R15 automatic
Size: 40mm
Water Resistance: 100m
The Best Dive Watches Under $1,000

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There are a surprising number of great divers avialable under a grand. Let us help you sift through them all. Read the Story

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