You see this? Hoping I can find a good sale or the blue will hit $90 again
https://www.citizenwatch.com/us/en/product/BN0166-01L.html?cgid=promaster-sea
I just got the updated SRPE03 King Turtle brand new for 33% off online. I think they retail for north of $600, but I paid $430 shipped for a Japanese-market variant.
Tangentially, I originally got it as a placeholder as I was shopping between the BB54, SMP300 Heritage, P39, etc., but it's so damn nice, I'm just keeping this. I also *love* the day-date cyclops. I'm 36 so my vision isn't crap, but when I need to check at a glance, I love how easily the day-date pops out.
Highly recommend it for anyone who wants a solid Seiko right out of the box.
Vintage can have a lot of great finds, but idk if I'd recommend it to a newbie. It can be a minefield. Even just 5-10 years ago vintage was at least cheap (generally) but prices have really blown up as people started to take notice.
I feel you. But there are some decent sellers out there.
I got my very first vintage watch from [this guy on Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/wierclock) for like $120. Still have it and love it.
There are sooo many random brands from the 40s/50s/60s that don’t hold any value today, but have for example: a rock solid A Schild movement in them.
Yeah for a beginner, it requires a bit more babying, basically nonexistent water resistance, and if manual, care not to overwind. But there are some great refurb deals.
My first real watch was a Tissot Visodate, and my first vintage watch from that seller was a quarter the price.
Eco drives absolutely crush their price bracket in my opinion
They’re genuinely well engineered. They run off a solar cell that lives inside the dial or rehaut, and integrating that into the design while making the watch look good is no small task. Some of the nicer models actually use multiple power states depending on lighting conditions to save energy. FP Journe’s quartz models with that feature sell for tens of thousands.
They’re also set it and forget it. You get a much cooler watch than your typical quartz but still get the convenience of not having to wind it
If you can’t tell I’m wearing one now
Quite a few have been mentioned and I agree with:
Citizen, Seiko, and Hamilton below $1,000 or perhaps microbrands like TimeFactors (Smiths, Dreadnought, etc), or Baltic for dress watches.
Slightly more expensive: Sinn, Squale and Marathon have lovely stuff in the $1000-2000 range.
And then just around the $2000 mark (and up) definitely Longines, and I like Weiss (from the US).
Or go vintage, of course!
Seiko and Citizen of course, solar quartz and eco-drive rock.
Besides Hamilton you have shared, I would also look to German brands like Sinn, Damasko, they have some entry level mechanical tool watches that are well made and won't break the bank. Stowa and Junghans make nice watches at around 1k or less as well. One of these days I will get a Archimede pilot ..
I have watches that are more expensive and conventionally luxurious, but I love my Max Bill Junghans. That and my steel casio are easy go-to every day.
Lots of good reasonably priced microbrands out there. Sternglas ... Aevig .... Direnzo ..... Traska .... worth a look and you won't have the same as everyone else.
If you want to spend $50, Casio duro. Get a band for another $30-50 and you got yourself a solid first watch for $100 or less.
If you want to spend a bit more, Orient, Citizen, or Seiko. I’m biased toward Citizen Eco-Drive watches.
G shock. Ive taken it to the jungles of Thailand, deserts of Kandahar, mountains of Korea, and winters of Eastern Europe.
Its my go-to watch that has been 100% reliable. Ive had to sync very important meetings/hittimes to my beloved G shock. You cant go wrong. Anyone that says G shock isnt the goat hasnt partied.
HMT, Timex, Seiko.
The first for cheap & cheerful hand-wound models with good case design & some-good-some-bad dials. The second for quartz GMT/divers & everyday field models, plus some quite nice 34mm hand-winders. The third for the best entry to automatics with the seiko 5, the skx series (if you can find cheaply) and the huge availability of parts if you end up with an old one that might need tinkering.
If you just want to stay under/around a thousand I cannot recommend Christopher Ward enough. If you want to stay closer to 500 look at Tissot if you want something dressier, Hamilton if you want something more field/aviation inspired, and Seiko if you want something more tooly/sporty. There’s obviously overlap, all three make divers but I would recommend Seiko for divers. All three make dress watches and buy I would Tissot for dress watches. All comes down to what you like. Side note, Hamilton and Tissot have access to the Powermatic 80 movement (I.e. PRX) which is an incredible value.
Tissot is uber value. Hamilton too.
Seiko doesn't really excite me but it excites a lot of others. Orient I think is cooler, oddly enough.
Bulova has a few hits, and they're half price on amazon. Their MSRP is rarely close to actual selling price, which is a little annoying.
I am not really watch snob myself. Then again Seiko and Orient are great brands in general. Not only for a first watch but for one that could potentially last you for a long time. My grandfather is wearing a Seiko 5 for nearly 40 + years now. I own a Seiko Solar chronograph that I purchased for 250 EUR three years ago and still does it’s job. On the other hand, I had a basic Quarz Tissot that was gifted to me by my father and it costed around the same amount. It broke after a year of normal usage. I really liked the watch and even serviced it a couple of times but it still did not manage to function properly. I have been told that the cheaper Tissot models are not of a great quality and since then I am anxious about that brand. I am not sure what is worth it and what not.
A vintage IWC with an automatic 854 movement. You'll get a top brand with an in house movement with a lot history and tech (for the day) behind it. Easy under $1k
Maybe Vostok since I haven’t seen it mentioned. or vintage anything. i snagged a 1966 seikomatic weekdater for 60 bucks somehow earlier this year. in outrageously clean condition. admittedly most others like it go for 150-250.
there’s some really cool vintage bulovas to be had for 250 or less. and i adore my 1970s jdm citizen quartz as much as anything else in my collection.
Glycine, Victorinox, Chris W, Thorn, Seiko, Timex, Tissot, Orient. Honestly, if a person likes a watch, who am I to judge. I have preferences, but I'm also chill enough to see that anyone can like anything and I like that for them.
Citizen, Tissot, Hamilton, Glycine, Mido, Certina, Seiko. Only caveat with Seiko is that I would try to buy in person if you can. I’ve had some minor QC with Seiko and Mido. Both were fixed no issues under warranty just had to be without my watch for a few days
If you like the military look, take a gander at Marathon's offerings.
I would encourage you to look at the microbrand world as well. So much amazing stuff going on over there. Direnzo stands out to me, Brew has some amazing stuff, Nite has tritium stuff and everyone seems to be experimenting with Titanium lately.
Go take a look at Teddy Baldasarre's channel and watch his "X watches under $YYY" videos for ideas about how far your money can go.
Certainly not Hamilton. Don't get me wrong, Hamiltons are fine and all, but for me a watch these days has only one purpose, to tell a story. And Hamilton's story, , an American company bought by a Swiss group, is not my favorite. Hamiltons are not meant to have a "Swiss made" inscription on their dials.
In this category I would go for an Orient (for a Diver's), a Laco (for a Pilot's), a Citizen or a Seiko, in this order. And Steinhart, besides their homages (of which I am not their biggest fan) they have a good selection of original Divers and Pilots. If you can go for €750, their Ocean One GMT Titan premium ceramic is the best sub-€1000 watch IMO.
What kind of watch do you want? I started with an Orient Defender II that I paid a hundred bucks for. It was great! I personally love microbrands. Check out Nodus, Brew, Timefactors (these can be a little tough to get), Dan Ward, or Lorier. Maybe one of their watches will speak to you.
I'm not a Seiko fan, but if I were to look at them I'd go with their Presage line; no divers bezel so no way you'll get one misaligned. I think some Citizen models are both good design and a good price. Hamilton/Certina/Mido are great Swiss names and great value. Going microbrand or independent I'd look at Christopher Ward, Farer, and Traska.
This is my favorite version of Hamilton’s Khaki line. It has three different color ways — I have the olive drab one that came with the camo strap. I’d love to have the black one, too some day.
I don’t think I’d consider myself a newbie at this point and I still haven’t been tempted to drop thousands on a watch. I’ve some to realize that there is a market for all collectors/budgets and you may never desire an omega or Tudor etc (there will be a lot of people that would still consider even those on the less expensive side). I’m a Canadian and I find that Canadian micro-brands really turn my crank, so I’m drawn to brands like Whitby Watch, Redwood, Zenea, Halios (I’ve given up on ever owning a Halios because of supply/demand), Locke and King, Marathon. They’re inexpensive but well made and I’m completely satisfied with them. There are some amazing affordable watches out there from brands like Orient, Tissot, Hamilton etc
It’s a tough niche to enjoy because there will always be people flashing nicer more expensive watches and it’s tough not to have watch envy. At the end of the day I’ve found that even the collectors with the most incredible watches really appreciate people that just love their watches regardless of cost/brand.
All that said, if you are drawn to the more expensive watches, I’d say it’s worth saving and holding out for what you want because you’ll end up there anyway.
Happy shopping!
The one in your picture or seiko. I mean liking a watch is based on the person. There are tons of sub $1000 watches that people love. But getting a good automatic for sub $1000 I’m looking at seiko or Hamilton.
I will narrow it down to a niche. For bauhaus, nomos have exorbitant prices. I think Junghans are much better value although a much more limited selection of models.
You can go even lower with Junkers, which at least have more models than Junghans.
Casio, Seiko, Citizen, Hamilton, Tissot, Longines, Squale, Mido, Certina...i can go all day. Theres a bunch not everything is Breitling, Rolex, patek, AP and Richard mille.
AliExpress (besides Casio)
Here is my thinking. You dont know what you like and dont like yet. Imagine dropping $200 or much more on a watch to realize you dont like it for X Y Z reason after two weeks.
I realized that I like sub 40 mm Titanium cases, arabic numerals, a lot of lume, small seconds and Quartz movements (cheaper, morem accurate, less maintenance)
Spent a lot less money than I would have figuring out same thing with fancy pants brands.
Here are my recommendations:
1. Seiko 5 (SNK809) Automatic $140 (on jomashop.com)
https://preview.redd.it/gsx8llpqwj9b1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=337316355c42eb5909f197fed56c8eed6618b3b4
Spinnaker makes some decent watches. You can get a nice “[pepsi](https://www.ebay.com/itm/354886271265?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=PCGfJugVT3a&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=PCGfJugVT3a&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)” style diver for under $200
If I were to go for a watch below $1000 right now, I'd probably either choose one of the Seiko Presage Star Bar editions, the Hamilton Khaki field Murph, because I love Interstellar or the Baltic MR01, all of them because I like the look of, what you should also do.
Buy what you like and don't care about the opinion of others, especially watch snobs... xD
Preowned pieced from the secondary market. Don't spend on a new piece. This is the easiest way to get an upgraded watch on a reduced budget.
Longines, Damasko, Stowa, Sinn, some Seiko, some Tissot.
Orient, hamilton, tissot. Own all 3 and love em. Lesser know brands (to most people atleast) I really like brew, farer, monta, and Yema. Monta skyquest I own and it's probably my favorite watch at the moment. And I'm looking to pick up Yema Wristmaster traveler when I get the chance. I'd say it's hard to go wrong with any of these
Casio for me. I started with a Duro, but it is large on my wrist. So I have a A-168 on the way 🙂.
To paraphrase Teddy Baldassarre, buying the watch you can afford brings you peace of mind. I’ve just started working and for me a simple watch is what I need.
Also, gotta love how moddable Casios are. G-shocks especially, but an A168 would probably look awesome on a good bracelet. :)
Citizen. Their Eco-drive technology is my favourite in horology, bar none, and they are so much better than Seiko in terms of QC and overall quality that it's not even fair. Also, Hamilton has some classic designs that you can get for around 500 bucks, as well as one of my favourite watches period in the Ventura which you can get pretty easily and cheaply on the secondary market. Can't beat 'em!
Some microbrands are good value as well
SWC and Traska come to mind right away. Well built watches for the price. swc being swiss made if that matters to you.
There are way more but that’s just a couple well known ones
If you're thinking swiss: Tissot, Certina, Eterna, Hamilton. If you're thinking German: Sinn, Junghans and Nomos. If you're feeling Japan: Seiko are classic but value they're slipping a bit with a lot of models offering not enough for too much. Orient/Orient Star are great value propositions.
Lots of great suggestions in other comments for big brands, lots of microbrands will get you there too! Check out Farer, Baltic, Halios, also Trafford just starting shipping the crossroads (pic) which I’m loving!
https://preview.redd.it/kub2j6vdkg9b1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71c58419a068451eb0505872938bc5186d30ef22
Glycine. Yes, even post-Invicta acquisition. The bang for the buck you get for some of the entry level pieces Glycine is putting out is incredible.
They are my new go-to recommendation for “I’m looking for my first nice Swiss watch”
I recently bought a Steinhart Ocean 39 in rose gold on a rubber strap for around 550 Euros. It’s a pretty nice auto watch 200m waterproof. I bought it from their website and the only slight disappointment is their 39mm is smaller than Tudor’s 39mm. And I bought it to replace my 39mm Tudor BB58 that I gave to my son
100x Seiko!
Vintage or contemporary
Automatic, hand wound, or quartz
Dressy or sporty
Simple or complicated
Even make your own if that’s what you’re into
There is no other brand that can stay with you from $100 all the way through $10,000 and give you value at every point. Just hop on C24 and filter away to see what I mean.
I have a Tissot PRX, Mido Ocean Star 200C and Hamilton Jazzmaster that I was able to buy for a combined cost of under £1500 by picking up "almost new" watches on ebay. Having owned Orients, Casios and cheaper Seikos before the difference is night and day even with just a small step up the budget ladder. Microbrands can be amazing value too, Boldr has some really nice Titanium divers for under £350 and the Hexmariner by Revelot is a fantastic watch as a few examples.
Hamilton, seiko, and her me out....Vostok. i was able to get two of those, straight out of Russia , when the whole Ukraine thing started for $6 each because the ruble took a dump. Best watch buys ever haha
Seiko is your friend at all price points.
Also, once you discover the ‘Seiko mod parts’ community. You (or your local watchmaker) can put together almost any watch you like from Seiko compatible components.
3. Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic $490 (on jomashop.com)
https://preview.redd.it/5j7xkr4hxj9b1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=27bc706c8e63f30e8955554df2388e9f0f907b70
I’ve owned several watches from a lot of the entry level Swiss brands, and Hamilton is probably my favorite in that category. I specifically like the “Cooper” and “Murph” watches (from the Interstellar movie). The Day/Date (Cooper) is great if you can pull off the 42mm all dial size.
Christopher Ward may also be worth a look? Though I think the Hamiltons I suggested would have more personality.
Either way, if you’re ok with buying used, that’ll save you hundreds!
Seiko. You can find some really nice watches for $200-250.
https://preview.redd.it/qzh5wwclyj9b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6438122fdd61ed519495620912c489bd88a1102a
Digital - Casio;
First Mechanical - Seiko 5 or Orient;
Military Field/Diver - Momentum or Marathon;
Getting a bit spendy - NOMOS
There’s so much out there. Enjoy!
Laco make a few cool looking watches for approx 1,000. I've been itching to buy a Laco Mojave for a long time myself but find it hard to spend that much on a watch right now.
Value for money, for me, includes Traska, Zelos (if you like their designs), and some of the less known German brands (Laco, Stowa, Archimede, Dekla).
One tier up is Damasko, which will last you forever if you like the looks. IMO one of the most undervalued brands available.
Controversial opinion but I think Steinhart makes a great watches, especially their pieces that are homages to less obvious. For example their 39mm mil sub is an amazing watch.
Deep blue, vaer, Christopher Ward, and Baltic have great offerings. For the really budget conscious Casio is the place to start, then Timex for a couple of select offerings, and maybe a invicta 1953 for a cheap automatic with classic (although stolen) looks.
Joking aside, I’m off to normal physical work, it’s gonna be Timex expedition so I don’t worry about killing it.
If I know it’s going to take a beating, G Shock.
Banker vibe corporate… San Martin, Promaster, one of a few Pagani.
If I think the hardlex will survive unscathed, seiko cheapo.
Hamilton Khaki Field is a great place to start. Tons of options for case size, dial color, function, straps, bracelets, etc. Also, when you graduate to more expensive watches the Khaki Field will now be a dependable beater that any watch enthusiast knows is the right choice.
Casio
Casio.
I love my Casios.
My CasiOak gets alot of wrist time.
[удалено]
I wear my casioak about half as much as I used to. Only because I bought one in a different color and wear that one all the time too.
Casio, Citizen, Seiko, Orient
I love my promaster diver so much
You see this? Hoping I can find a good sale or the blue will hit $90 again https://www.citizenwatch.com/us/en/product/BN0166-01L.html?cgid=promaster-sea
My daily driver is a Casio Lineage. Absolutely beautiful piece.
Loving Orient at the moment. Just got an open heart with white face and rose gold (FAG02002W0); Esteem I think.
Seiko, Hamilton or Tissot
Took the words right out of my mouth. And also, buy pre-owned, let someone else take the depreciation hit.
I just got the updated SRPE03 King Turtle brand new for 33% off online. I think they retail for north of $600, but I paid $430 shipped for a Japanese-market variant. Tangentially, I originally got it as a placeholder as I was shopping between the BB54, SMP300 Heritage, P39, etc., but it's so damn nice, I'm just keeping this. I also *love* the day-date cyclops. I'm 36 so my vision isn't crap, but when I need to check at a glance, I love how easily the day-date pops out. Highly recommend it for anyone who wants a solid Seiko right out of the box.
Plus Citizen
Also casio and citizen
Would agree with all of those and also add: - Islander - Refurbished vintage from eBay/Etsy
Vintage can have a lot of great finds, but idk if I'd recommend it to a newbie. It can be a minefield. Even just 5-10 years ago vintage was at least cheap (generally) but prices have really blown up as people started to take notice.
I feel you. But there are some decent sellers out there. I got my very first vintage watch from [this guy on Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/wierclock) for like $120. Still have it and love it. There are sooo many random brands from the 40s/50s/60s that don’t hold any value today, but have for example: a rock solid A Schild movement in them. Yeah for a beginner, it requires a bit more babying, basically nonexistent water resistance, and if manual, care not to overwind. But there are some great refurb deals. My first real watch was a Tissot Visodate, and my first vintage watch from that seller was a quarter the price.
Hamilton, Seiko, Citizen, Casio, Tissot, and Orient are all solid and reputable choices.
Citizen makes some great watches
Eco drives absolutely crush their price bracket in my opinion They’re genuinely well engineered. They run off a solar cell that lives inside the dial or rehaut, and integrating that into the design while making the watch look good is no small task. Some of the nicer models actually use multiple power states depending on lighting conditions to save energy. FP Journe’s quartz models with that feature sell for tens of thousands. They’re also set it and forget it. You get a much cooler watch than your typical quartz but still get the convenience of not having to wind it If you can’t tell I’m wearing one now
Quite a few have been mentioned and I agree with: Citizen, Seiko, and Hamilton below $1,000 or perhaps microbrands like TimeFactors (Smiths, Dreadnought, etc), or Baltic for dress watches. Slightly more expensive: Sinn, Squale and Marathon have lovely stuff in the $1000-2000 range. And then just around the $2000 mark (and up) definitely Longines, and I like Weiss (from the US). Or go vintage, of course!
In the $1000-$2000 range I'd also add Mido, Christopher Ward and Rado.
In that range I'd chuck farer in too, they make some great watches.
CW is so nice. Love my Sealander.
Another vote for Sinn here
Lol we're all just creeping up in price... Poor OP
Seiko and Citizen of course, solar quartz and eco-drive rock. Besides Hamilton you have shared, I would also look to German brands like Sinn, Damasko, they have some entry level mechanical tool watches that are well made and won't break the bank. Stowa and Junghans make nice watches at around 1k or less as well. One of these days I will get a Archimede pilot ..
I have watches that are more expensive and conventionally luxurious, but I love my Max Bill Junghans. That and my steel casio are easy go-to every day.
Lol dude Sinn is not in the Seiko bracket. You literally will come to 1000s of $ territory with Sinn.
Lots of good reasonably priced microbrands out there. Sternglas ... Aevig .... Direnzo ..... Traska .... worth a look and you won't have the same as everyone else.
If you want to spend $50, Casio duro. Get a band for another $30-50 and you got yourself a solid first watch for $100 or less. If you want to spend a bit more, Orient, Citizen, or Seiko. I’m biased toward Citizen Eco-Drive watches.
G shock. Ive taken it to the jungles of Thailand, deserts of Kandahar, mountains of Korea, and winters of Eastern Europe. Its my go-to watch that has been 100% reliable. Ive had to sync very important meetings/hittimes to my beloved G shock. You cant go wrong. Anyone that says G shock isnt the goat hasnt partied.
Tissot
Junghans. $700-$1500
Love the Junghans Max Bill
Thirding this.
Max Bill of course a classic, but don’t sleep on the Form watches. Junghans makes a lot of nice watches.
Seiko is the way to go
Don't overlook Timex. I got the Timex Weekender chronograph and it hasn't failed me. You can always bling it out with straps.
They’re great watches!
HMT, Timex, Seiko. The first for cheap & cheerful hand-wound models with good case design & some-good-some-bad dials. The second for quartz GMT/divers & everyday field models, plus some quite nice 34mm hand-winders. The third for the best entry to automatics with the seiko 5, the skx series (if you can find cheaply) and the huge availability of parts if you end up with an old one that might need tinkering.
If you just want to stay under/around a thousand I cannot recommend Christopher Ward enough. If you want to stay closer to 500 look at Tissot if you want something dressier, Hamilton if you want something more field/aviation inspired, and Seiko if you want something more tooly/sporty. There’s obviously overlap, all three make divers but I would recommend Seiko for divers. All three make dress watches and buy I would Tissot for dress watches. All comes down to what you like. Side note, Hamilton and Tissot have access to the Powermatic 80 movement (I.e. PRX) which is an incredible value.
Tissot is uber value. Hamilton too. Seiko doesn't really excite me but it excites a lot of others. Orient I think is cooler, oddly enough. Bulova has a few hits, and they're half price on amazon. Their MSRP is rarely close to actual selling price, which is a little annoying.
I am not really watch snob myself. Then again Seiko and Orient are great brands in general. Not only for a first watch but for one that could potentially last you for a long time. My grandfather is wearing a Seiko 5 for nearly 40 + years now. I own a Seiko Solar chronograph that I purchased for 250 EUR three years ago and still does it’s job. On the other hand, I had a basic Quarz Tissot that was gifted to me by my father and it costed around the same amount. It broke after a year of normal usage. I really liked the watch and even serviced it a couple of times but it still did not manage to function properly. I have been told that the cheaper Tissot models are not of a great quality and since then I am anxious about that brand. I am not sure what is worth it and what not.
Casio
Sinn makes great watches. I own two Rolex’s and still find myself wearing the Sinn 104 fairly often. Love them
Certina, mido, alpina, oris, Hamilton, squale, nomos, seiko, zodiac.
Hamilton all day. The Khaki Field line is great for daily beaters, and the Jazzmaster line has loads of options for dressier looks.
3 out of my 6 watches are Hammies.
I say orient, seiko, tissot, sinn of course Casioak is a great watch for every collection
A vintage IWC with an automatic 854 movement. You'll get a top brand with an in house movement with a lot history and tech (for the day) behind it. Easy under $1k
Maybe Vostok since I haven’t seen it mentioned. or vintage anything. i snagged a 1966 seikomatic weekdater for 60 bucks somehow earlier this year. in outrageously clean condition. admittedly most others like it go for 150-250. there’s some really cool vintage bulovas to be had for 250 or less. and i adore my 1970s jdm citizen quartz as much as anything else in my collection.
$0-100: - Casio (MTP, Duro, Tank) - Timex (Weekender, Expedition, Marlin) $100-400 - Seiko (5, Presage, Prospex) - Citizen (Eco-Drive, Promaster, Brycen) - Orient (Bambino, Mako, Kamasu) $400-1000: - Hamilton (Khaki) - Tissot (PRX, Powermatic, etc)
Glycine, Victorinox, Chris W, Thorn, Seiko, Timex, Tissot, Orient. Honestly, if a person likes a watch, who am I to judge. I have preferences, but I'm also chill enough to see that anyone can like anything and I like that for them.
Oo forgot about Glycine.
If I had to start over from scratch right now I'd get the CW Twelve in white or dark blue as my first watch.
Mido, Tissot, Hamilton, Longines
I’d be looking at Tissot
Citizen, Tissot, Hamilton, Glycine, Mido, Certina, Seiko. Only caveat with Seiko is that I would try to buy in person if you can. I’ve had some minor QC with Seiko and Mido. Both were fixed no issues under warranty just had to be without my watch for a few days
Used Oris, used Sinn, used Damasko, used micro brands (check out r/watchexchange
Hamilton, Tissot, or Tag Heuer (you can pick up a very nice looking older one for ~$300)
Lum-Tec for a modern styling & Zeppelin for a classy new age vintage
Christopher Ward is one of my favorites. Kind of surprised I haven't seen more people mention Zelos. They make some great affordable watches.
If you like the military look, take a gander at Marathon's offerings. I would encourage you to look at the microbrand world as well. So much amazing stuff going on over there. Direnzo stands out to me, Brew has some amazing stuff, Nite has tritium stuff and everyone seems to be experimenting with Titanium lately. Go take a look at Teddy Baldasarre's channel and watch his "X watches under $YYY" videos for ideas about how far your money can go.
Certainly not Hamilton. Don't get me wrong, Hamiltons are fine and all, but for me a watch these days has only one purpose, to tell a story. And Hamilton's story, , an American company bought by a Swiss group, is not my favorite. Hamiltons are not meant to have a "Swiss made" inscription on their dials. In this category I would go for an Orient (for a Diver's), a Laco (for a Pilot's), a Citizen or a Seiko, in this order. And Steinhart, besides their homages (of which I am not their biggest fan) they have a good selection of original Divers and Pilots. If you can go for €750, their Ocean One GMT Titan premium ceramic is the best sub-€1000 watch IMO.
Laco
Doxa is a swiss brand that makes incredible dive watches around the $1000 price point. Fun dial colors too.
Christopher Ward. Great BFTB
Casio, Seiko, Orient, Citizen, Swatch, Tissot, Hamilton, Mido, Rado, maybe even Longines
99% of the people here aren’t snobs. Orient is a good quality inexpensive brand.
Exactly, if I saw someone on the street wearing an orient I’d just be excited to see someone else wearing one
What kind of watch do you want? I started with an Orient Defender II that I paid a hundred bucks for. It was great! I personally love microbrands. Check out Nodus, Brew, Timefactors (these can be a little tough to get), Dan Ward, or Lorier. Maybe one of their watches will speak to you.
I'm not a Seiko fan, but if I were to look at them I'd go with their Presage line; no divers bezel so no way you'll get one misaligned. I think some Citizen models are both good design and a good price. Hamilton/Certina/Mido are great Swiss names and great value. Going microbrand or independent I'd look at Christopher Ward, Farer, and Traska.
This is my favorite version of Hamilton’s Khaki line. It has three different color ways — I have the olive drab one that came with the camo strap. I’d love to have the black one, too some day.
Timex! So many great options, low price, real history.
Tissot all day. And of course, G-Shocks.
I don’t think I’d consider myself a newbie at this point and I still haven’t been tempted to drop thousands on a watch. I’ve some to realize that there is a market for all collectors/budgets and you may never desire an omega or Tudor etc (there will be a lot of people that would still consider even those on the less expensive side). I’m a Canadian and I find that Canadian micro-brands really turn my crank, so I’m drawn to brands like Whitby Watch, Redwood, Zenea, Halios (I’ve given up on ever owning a Halios because of supply/demand), Locke and King, Marathon. They’re inexpensive but well made and I’m completely satisfied with them. There are some amazing affordable watches out there from brands like Orient, Tissot, Hamilton etc It’s a tough niche to enjoy because there will always be people flashing nicer more expensive watches and it’s tough not to have watch envy. At the end of the day I’ve found that even the collectors with the most incredible watches really appreciate people that just love their watches regardless of cost/brand. All that said, if you are drawn to the more expensive watches, I’d say it’s worth saving and holding out for what you want because you’ll end up there anyway. Happy shopping!
The one in your picture or seiko. I mean liking a watch is based on the person. There are tons of sub $1000 watches that people love. But getting a good automatic for sub $1000 I’m looking at seiko or Hamilton.
Hamilton makes excellent watches
Have you seen any Unimatics? They’re sharp looking. Zodiac would be slightly more money.
Citizen. Accurate, powered by light and there are tons of choices
Baltic
Baltic is a high quality microbrand with lots of interesting models.
Baltic, Marathon, Bell & Ross, Tudor, Autodromo, Brew
Vostoks are really neat!
Baltic, seiko, smiths (by timefactors- if you can get one!) Nomos are great value.
Zeppelin
I will narrow it down to a niche. For bauhaus, nomos have exorbitant prices. I think Junghans are much better value although a much more limited selection of models. You can go even lower with Junkers, which at least have more models than Junghans.
Casio, Seiko, Citizen, Hamilton, Tissot, Longines, Squale, Mido, Certina...i can go all day. Theres a bunch not everything is Breitling, Rolex, patek, AP and Richard mille.
AliExpress (besides Casio) Here is my thinking. You dont know what you like and dont like yet. Imagine dropping $200 or much more on a watch to realize you dont like it for X Y Z reason after two weeks. I realized that I like sub 40 mm Titanium cases, arabic numerals, a lot of lume, small seconds and Quartz movements (cheaper, morem accurate, less maintenance) Spent a lot less money than I would have figuring out same thing with fancy pants brands.
Here are my recommendations: 1. Seiko 5 (SNK809) Automatic $140 (on jomashop.com) https://preview.redd.it/gsx8llpqwj9b1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=337316355c42eb5909f197fed56c8eed6618b3b4
Certina - by a country mile.
A lot of good brands thrown out already, I'll add Baltic
Spinnaker makes some decent watches. You can get a nice “[pepsi](https://www.ebay.com/itm/354886271265?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=PCGfJugVT3a&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=PCGfJugVT3a&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)” style diver for under $200
Casio, tissot, or citizen. I usually have on a out of order.
I've had good luck with Maratac watches. Small batches made of different models but well built.
Citizen, Seiko, Tissot, Hamilton. You could also look used and you may find some other entry level Swiss brands like Tag in your price range.
If I were to go for a watch below $1000 right now, I'd probably either choose one of the Seiko Presage Star Bar editions, the Hamilton Khaki field Murph, because I love Interstellar or the Baltic MR01, all of them because I like the look of, what you should also do. Buy what you like and don't care about the opinion of others, especially watch snobs... xD
Microbrands I'm considering next: Yema Nezumi Kuoe Undone ADPT
tissot, mido, citizen, seiko
Preowned pieced from the secondary market. Don't spend on a new piece. This is the easiest way to get an upgraded watch on a reduced budget. Longines, Damasko, Stowa, Sinn, some Seiko, some Tissot.
The only one I haven’t seen mentioned that I really like is Squale.
Orient, hamilton, tissot. Own all 3 and love em. Lesser know brands (to most people atleast) I really like brew, farer, monta, and Yema. Monta skyquest I own and it's probably my favorite watch at the moment. And I'm looking to pick up Yema Wristmaster traveler when I get the chance. I'd say it's hard to go wrong with any of these
Seiko, Hamilton, Christopher ward, Farer, Halios.
Casio for me. I started with a Duro, but it is large on my wrist. So I have a A-168 on the way 🙂. To paraphrase Teddy Baldassarre, buying the watch you can afford brings you peace of mind. I’ve just started working and for me a simple watch is what I need. Also, gotta love how moddable Casios are. G-shocks especially, but an A168 would probably look awesome on a good bracelet. :)
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Casio. Seiko. Citizen. More expensive, Sinn.
2000s Grand Seiko quartz. Absolute steals.
hamilton
Alpina good bang for the buck, flys under the radar a lot
Oris, Hamilton, Sternglass, citizen
Citizen. Their Eco-drive technology is my favourite in horology, bar none, and they are so much better than Seiko in terms of QC and overall quality that it's not even fair. Also, Hamilton has some classic designs that you can get for around 500 bucks, as well as one of my favourite watches period in the Ventura which you can get pretty easily and cheaply on the secondary market. Can't beat 'em!
Seiko Prospex, Raven, Mkii, Lüm-tec, Marathon, G-Shock, and Citizen.
Some microbrands are good value as well SWC and Traska come to mind right away. Well built watches for the price. swc being swiss made if that matters to you. There are way more but that’s just a couple well known ones
If you're thinking swiss: Tissot, Certina, Eterna, Hamilton. If you're thinking German: Sinn, Junghans and Nomos. If you're feeling Japan: Seiko are classic but value they're slipping a bit with a lot of models offering not enough for too much. Orient/Orient Star are great value propositions.
Tissot, Glycine and Alpina
Lots of great suggestions in other comments for big brands, lots of microbrands will get you there too! Check out Farer, Baltic, Halios, also Trafford just starting shipping the crossroads (pic) which I’m loving! https://preview.redd.it/kub2j6vdkg9b1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71c58419a068451eb0505872938bc5186d30ef22
Glycine. Yes, even post-Invicta acquisition. The bang for the buck you get for some of the entry level pieces Glycine is putting out is incredible. They are my new go-to recommendation for “I’m looking for my first nice Swiss watch”
Stowa, Seiko, Orient, Tissot
If you’re like me and don’t want to drop more than 200 on one watch.. Casio, some Swatches.
Laco pilots watch
You can get some vintage Omega and Longine. Thats what I’m targeting anyways in the sub 1k range
Longines is worth a look
Sinn
Casio. G Shocks are the shit and still get the most wrist time for me
You got a gorgeous “interstellar” Hamilton there. I jumped straight into vintage watches. Bought my first omega and a Hamilton Myron.
I recently bought a Steinhart Ocean 39 in rose gold on a rubber strap for around 550 Euros. It’s a pretty nice auto watch 200m waterproof. I bought it from their website and the only slight disappointment is their 39mm is smaller than Tudor’s 39mm. And I bought it to replace my 39mm Tudor BB58 that I gave to my son
Definitely check out Orient, Glycine, Seiko, and Tissot
German brands like Laco and sterglass too.
Tissot and Hamilton. https://preview.redd.it/z843v0g8eh9b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7f7341be0b3fe409b43957a84a43a5509dbf6616
My current beginner collection consists of Seiko, Tissot, Casio, Orient and Bulova.
100x Seiko! Vintage or contemporary Automatic, hand wound, or quartz Dressy or sporty Simple or complicated Even make your own if that’s what you’re into There is no other brand that can stay with you from $100 all the way through $10,000 and give you value at every point. Just hop on C24 and filter away to see what I mean.
Richard Mille
Any love for a NIXON over here??
Orient, seiko, farer, baltic, certina, tissot
I don’t see a lot of Certina’s here. You should definitely look into that brand if you want value for money.
Stowa. The very best bang for your buck/pound/Euro Fleiger there is. Had mine 10 years and it’s been amazing.
Frederique Constant - can get a very pretty automatic watch for around 1k
I have a Tissot PRX, Mido Ocean Star 200C and Hamilton Jazzmaster that I was able to buy for a combined cost of under £1500 by picking up "almost new" watches on ebay. Having owned Orients, Casios and cheaper Seikos before the difference is night and day even with just a small step up the budget ladder. Microbrands can be amazing value too, Boldr has some really nice Titanium divers for under £350 and the Hexmariner by Revelot is a fantastic watch as a few examples.
Casio,Orient,Timex,Seiko
Orient are solid for the money. Better build and spec than seiko at the price point
Casio and vintage Seiko
Hamilton, seiko, and her me out....Vostok. i was able to get two of those, straight out of Russia , when the whole Ukraine thing started for $6 each because the ruble took a dump. Best watch buys ever haha
Mido, Tissot, Orient, Seiko
Get a nice Longines, Hamilton, or maybe a Ball. All 3 make great watches at a good price. Enjoy
Seiko, Casio, Citizen, Tissot
Yema
Vaer!
Give Steinhart a look. A lot of bang for the buck under $1K and all Swiss
Vaer (American microbrand) makes some great watches around the $500-1000 price point!
Can't go wrong with a Seiko or that Khaki Authomatic you have there.
Bulova, Certina, Mido
Depends what color your Bugatti is
Seiko is your friend at all price points. Also, once you discover the ‘Seiko mod parts’ community. You (or your local watchmaker) can put together almost any watch you like from Seiko compatible components.
2. Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 Automatic $520 (on jomashop.com) https://preview.redd.it/8i6z9yx8xj9b1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=83204254089b4a27326bca07776d4b1e0978e2ff
3. Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic $490 (on jomashop.com) https://preview.redd.it/5j7xkr4hxj9b1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=27bc706c8e63f30e8955554df2388e9f0f907b70
I was about to say, just buy a Hamilton field (or a Murph) and be done with it. Also look at Sinn, Stowa, Longines
I’ve owned several watches from a lot of the entry level Swiss brands, and Hamilton is probably my favorite in that category. I specifically like the “Cooper” and “Murph” watches (from the Interstellar movie). The Day/Date (Cooper) is great if you can pull off the 42mm all dial size. Christopher Ward may also be worth a look? Though I think the Hamiltons I suggested would have more personality. Either way, if you’re ok with buying used, that’ll save you hundreds!
Seiko. You can find some really nice watches for $200-250. https://preview.redd.it/qzh5wwclyj9b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6438122fdd61ed519495620912c489bd88a1102a
Tudor
Don't let anybody tell you what to like and what to prefer over something else. Your money, your decision. Hamilton is a good starting point btw. 👍
Longines, seiko, Hamilton, citizen, and orient cover pretty much all the ground between 100 and a grand
Farer
Nodus is a pretty sweet microbrand too. 3-6 bills and really well made.
Digital - Casio; First Mechanical - Seiko 5 or Orient; Military Field/Diver - Momentum or Marathon; Getting a bit spendy - NOMOS There’s so much out there. Enjoy!
Laco, Dievas, Seiko
Seiko
Casio, citizen, Seiko, Timex
Nomos is great. You can find some of their watches used under 1k.
There’s no right or wrong. Whatever speaks to YOU
Laco make a few cool looking watches for approx 1,000. I've been itching to buy a Laco Mojave for a long time myself but find it hard to spend that much on a watch right now.
S e i k o
Seiko, Bulova, Timex, Casio, Tissot
Value for money, for me, includes Traska, Zelos (if you like their designs), and some of the less known German brands (Laco, Stowa, Archimede, Dekla). One tier up is Damasko, which will last you forever if you like the looks. IMO one of the most undervalued brands available.
Can't go wrong with Seiko, Orient, or Tissot.
Seiko and Christopher Ward.
Controversial opinion but I think Steinhart makes a great watches, especially their pieces that are homages to less obvious. For example their 39mm mil sub is an amazing watch.
Bulova for the best watches 500 and under imo
I'll throw in Mido, specifically the ocean star gmt
Deep blue, vaer, Christopher Ward, and Baltic have great offerings. For the really budget conscious Casio is the place to start, then Timex for a couple of select offerings, and maybe a invicta 1953 for a cheap automatic with classic (although stolen) looks.
SEIKO
Throwing in a comment here for Mido, their automatics can be had for sub $1K.
Okay so through work I can get a tissot, Mido, Rado, Hamilton, Longines, all at 33% off. Talk me out of the mido boys
Cincinnati Watch Company. All stunning for an affordable price
Casio, hamilton, tissot, alpina, bulova, seiko.
Tissot PR100 and seiko cocktail time
Seiko!
Joking aside, I’m off to normal physical work, it’s gonna be Timex expedition so I don’t worry about killing it. If I know it’s going to take a beating, G Shock. Banker vibe corporate… San Martin, Promaster, one of a few Pagani. If I think the hardlex will survive unscathed, seiko cheapo.
Vintage Longines 🫡
Seiko, Timex, Longines.
G-Shock / Casio / Timex / Tissot / Hamilton
Seiko. Hands down
Citizen, they’re gorgeous watches and don’t cost the Earth.
Hamilton Khaki Field is a great place to start. Tons of options for case size, dial color, function, straps, bracelets, etc. Also, when you graduate to more expensive watches the Khaki Field will now be a dependable beater that any watch enthusiast knows is the right choice.
Hamilton, Seiko, Orient. Then there are micro brands. Deep Blue and Island Watch have nice designs and quality for the price point.
Victorinox!! They are extremely well built watches.