Apr 1, 2015
Reading time 9 min.
Watch Insider's Top 10 Affordable Watches for Men
Watch-Insider lists top 10 men's watches that represent an excellent value for price, with models from Baume & Mercier, Rolex, Breitling, Omega and others.
From my blog, Watch-Insider.com, here is my list of the top 10 men's watches that represent the most excellent value for price. There is a lot of discussion about what constitutes "affordable watches" and "affordable luxury" when it comes to top watch brands. For me, it means watches at around $5,000, from the best watch brands and other affordable brands that offer reasonably priced high-quality watches.
The top watch brands represented here are all well-known for their generally excellent affordable watch price-to-value ratio. (One of the most expensive watches on the list, the Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue, is priced at just $4,425.) Please note that I have chosen just one version of each affordable watch; most of the watches described here are, of course, available with different colored dials, bezels and types of bracelets. All of the watches on the list have steel cases. You can find more detailed information about nearly all these affordable watches — as well as many that are, shall we say, less affordable — at my blog. Keep in mind that this list will be updated throughout the year by WatchTime's team. Thus it has already become a top 20+ list, and more top affordable watches will be added by the team soon. So please come back frequently and also share your own choices for best affordable watch brands and top affordable watches in the comments section at the end of this article.
Alpina Sailing Yacht Timer: The Alpina watch company, which stakes its reputation on making inexpensive watches with Swiss mechanical movements, has added an in-house regatta countdown module to an automatic Sellita SW 500. Excellent readability and top quality. The price: $4,129.
Top 10 affordable watches: Alpina Sailing Yacht Timer
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Baume & Mercier Clifton GMT: The next recommendation on our top 10 affordable watches list. This is a fully functional GMT watch for traveling and/or displaying a second zone time; it is an attractive watch and equipped with an ETA 2893-3 caliber. The price: $3,000. (Click here to read more about the Clifton collection.) What is your opinion about Baume & Mercier? Would you include it on a list of the top watch brands that offer affordable watches?
Top 10 affordable watches: Baume & Mercier Clifton GMT
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Frédérique Constant Slimline Manufacture Moonphase: A stunningly good-looking Swiss automatic watch with a classical moon-phase indication, equipped with the automatic in-house caliber FC-705. The price of $3,500 places it solidly in my " top 10 affordable watches" category. More details here. Make sure to check out the full list of this company's watches on WatchTime's database where dozens of other watches are covered.
Top 10 affordable watches: Frederique Constant Slimline Moonphase
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Hamilton Khaki Navy Sub Auto Chrono: This very accessible Hamilton watch is a 300-meter water-resistant sports chronograph equipped with an ETA 7753 caliber. Top quality from a top watch brand in that price range, and a lot of lovely design details to discover. The price: $1,995 on a rubber strap. What is your opinion? Do you own a Hamilton watch? Do you like it and would you agree that this a watch brand that belongs on this list?
Top 10 affordable watches: Hamilton Khaki Navy Sub Auto Chrono
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Longines HydroConquest Chronograph: This 300-meter water-resistant Longines HyrdoConquest chronograph contains the Longines column-wheel chronograph caliber L667. As you might already know, Longines is a top watch brand owned by the Swatch Group. Longines watches are often considered to be affordable options for watch aficionados. This Longines HydroConquest is based on the Valjoux 7750 movement but this specific version was developed by ETA for Longines and exclusively reserved for Longines which is how it found its way into the new Longines HydroConquest Chronograph. The price is $2,325 on a bracelet (pictured) and $1,450 on a rubber strap. To me, the best "value for money" chronograph on this list.
Top 10 affordable watches: Longines HydroConquest Chronograph
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Nomos Ahoi: The only German-made watch from Glashütte, on my top 10 list of affordable watches and top watch brands. The new affordable Saxon divers watch entirely produced in Glashütte is water-resistant to 200 meters and powered by the automatic in-house caliber Epsilon. The price: $3,940. Check out the other affordable Nomos watches. This watch brand only produces manufacture watches made with in-house parts and in-house calibers. A great watch brand with attractive affordable watches that have a large fan base in Europe. Will Nomos soon also be considered a top watch brand in America as well? Do you like their affordable watches? What are their best watches? Let us know in the comments section!
Top 10 affordable watches: Nomos Ahoi
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Oris Aquis Depth Gauge: A well-known top watch brand. This affordable professional-grade and non-gimmicky divers' watch with a cleverly designed depth gauge is very attractive, especially for men. (More details in our recent Watch to Watch article.) Certainly my favorite divers' watch of the year, as well as being one of my top 10 affordable watches overall; Oris is a great watch brand and offers many affordable watches. The price: $3,500.
Top 10 affordable watches: Oris Aquis Depth Gauge
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Swatch Sistem 51: The ultimate proof that you can create an automatic Swiss-made watch for a minimal price. With its 51 components, the new movement is a watchmaking revolution in terms of simplicity - completely built by robots in less then 20 minutes. Together with the Oris, my "best of the best" for 2013. And this one would be considered a very affordable watch by almost any standard: the U.S. price is just around $150. What do you think about this top 10 affordable watch? Does Swatch belong to our selection of best watch brands?
Top 10 affordable watches: Swatch Sistem 51
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Tissot T-Complication Squelette: Tissot is a brand that produces large quantities of affordable watches a reasonable prices. If you ever wanted to buy a technical-looking, skeletonized watch that offers you a horological cinema for the eyes, consider this one, equipped with an ETA 6497 and priced at only $1,950. Tissot is a top watch brand and you should make sure to look at their entire collection to better understand what Tissot watch potentially is the best affordable watch for you.
Top 10 affordable watches: Tissot T-Complication Squelette
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Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue: Tudor recently celebrated a successful comeback to America, with a focus on being a top watch brand for affordable watches. The design of this affordable chronograph is stunningly cool and the quality is beyond reproach. It is equipped with an ETA 2892-A2 onto which Tudor adds a Dubois-Dépraz chronograph module. The price: $4,425. Affordable luxury and one of the one of the best men's sport watches in recent years. Tudor will surely be on top of the best watch brands lists of WatchTime's readers.
Top 10 affordable watches: Tudor Heritage Chrono Blue
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Victorinox is famous for its Swiss army knives, but the company is also big in manufacturing affordable watches. This Victorinox Swiss Army AirBoss Mechanical watch with pilot-style bracelet in stainless steel has a retail price of only $995. You get a 42-mm stainless steel watch with a self-winding movement (ETA 2824) and a bracelet with a double-lock folding clasp.
Victorinox AirBoss Mechanical
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Seiko has an affordable watches collection that runs from battery-operated watches from $50 to the Grand Seiko and Credor top-of-the-bill collections with four- and sometimes even five-digit price tags. This Seiko Scuba 200M Diver’s SBDC001 "Sumo" is not for sale everywhere, but for around $500 you can have a top affordable watch that probably would cost $ 1,000 if the dial said "Swiss Made." It has a nicely finished, big 44-mm case, a solid automatic movement (Caliber 6R15), a bracelet with divers' extension, Seiko’s Hardlex crystal, and big, luminous markers and hands.
Seiko Scuba
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This Certina DS Action Diver is a top-notch affordable divers' chronograph for a minimal cost, waterproof to 200 meters and ISO 6425-certified. (The criteria for dive watches are regulated by the ISO 6425 international standard.) It is difficult to beat that price! The 45.2-mm case houses an ETA 7753 caliber, and the watch is also sold with a rubber strap for a slightly lower price. Price: 1,770 euros.
Certina DS Action Diver offers great value for an affordable price
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The Junghans Meister Telemeter is a very attractive vintage-replica design from Junghans. This affordable chronograph brings back the "good old days" when such watches were equipped with a telemeter scale to calculate the distance from a source of light. The 40.8-mm steel case houses an ETA 2892 with a Dubois Dépraz chronograph module. Price: 1,990 euros.
Junghans Meister Telemeter
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JeanRichard, the sister brand of Girard-Perregaux, also joined the manufacture club recently. The JeanRichard 1681 Ronde Small Seconds is attractive and versatile as well as affordable. This 41-mm watch features the automatic winding caliber JR1050 with small seconds at 6 o'clock and a date display at 3 o’clock. The JeanRichard 1681 Ronde Small Seconds is priced at $5,300.
JeanRichard's 1681 Rondo Small Seconds offers versatile looks and in-house movement.
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The Mido Multifort Calibre 60 features a modified ETA 7753 caliber fitted into either a 44-mm 316L steel case with a silver dial or a 44-mm black PVD-coated steel case with a black dial. The cases are water-resistant to 200 meters and combined either with a rubber strap or steel bracelet. Price: starting at $1,220.
Mido Multifort Caliber 60
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Sinn is a good addition to the best affordable watch brands list. This Sinn 103 Ti UTC TESTAF has 41-mm titanium case which holds an ETA 7750 caliber with a UTC-function, and has been modified by Sinn to withstand the severe TESTAF criteria. What is TESTAF (Technischer Standard Fliegeruhren)? Click here for details. The “103” is a typical Sinn watch, fully packed with technical extras, therefore it’s a quite particular chronograph. Price: $3,184.
Sinn 103 Ti UTC TESTAF
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The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional is synonymous with spaceflight and adventure. At the heart of this chronograph is Omega’s mechanical caliber 1861. The Moonwatch is available on a strap or a bracelet. Each watch is offered with a special presentation box that includes two additional straps - a “NATO” strap and a black Velcro strap. Also included are a tool to change the straps, a Speedmaster loupe, and a book highlighting the adventures of the Speedmaster. The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional is priced from $4,500, making it a very good value among new chronographs for collectors that want an affordable watch that offers great quality and a prestige brand name on the dial.
Omega's Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional offers quite a bit for the price.
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Rolex calls the Rolex Oyster Perpetual the quintessential Oyster. We think this watch provides an excellent entry point into the world of Rolex. An affordable Rolex watch? Yes, here you go. The 36 mm 904L stainless steel case is water resistant to 100 meters, or 330 feet. The center section of the case is milled from a solid block of steel. This model is powered by the Rolex manufacture self-winding caliber 3130. The patented blue Parachrom hairspring offers excellent protection against shocks, magnetic fields and temperature variations. The 36-mm Oyster Perpetual is priced at $5,400. Not the cheapes watch on this top affordable watches list but it is a great Rolex watch at a reasonable price.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual is a great affordable Rolex watch for new collectors
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The Breitling Colt features the visual cues that give Breitling watches their unmistakable look. The broad unidirectional rotating bezel with a satin-brushed finish and engraved hour-markers features the brand’s trademark rider tabs. The 44-mm case is water-resistant to 200 meters and houses the mechanical Breitling Caliber 17, which is a COSC-certified chronometer. The Colt is available with black, blue and silver dials, and a variety of straps and bracelets, it is priced from $3,090.
The Colt Automatic offers the unmistakable Breitling look at an affordable price.
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So what are your own favorite affordable watches that meet this criteria? What are your personal top 10 affordable watches? What are your top watch brands? What is the best affordable watch overall? Let us know in the comments box below!
(This article originally was published on July 2013 and has since been updated)
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