To preface, it’s already December BUT it’s never too late to order something nice for your husband or significant other before Christmas thanks to the all mighty Amazon. All of the watches on this list are available via Amazon to make things simple. Don’t let where you purchase a watch scare you, many brands have taken to the platform and at a discount for the most part, heck even some top tier watch makers are allowing price matching via Amazon these days.
It’s time for a real watch, BUT WHY?
What makes a “real” watch exactly? I think most at this point see a watch as a simple tool for telling time. Insert the Apple Watch in many instances as the go to watch of choice for millennials and young adults. Sure, it has a functionality to it but it also has a limited battery and lifespan of roughly 2-3 years before they are seen as old tech. As a man, you only have so many pieces of apparel and accessories to choose from and a watch, in my mind, is the perfect piece to show off a multitude of levels of personality, expertise, professionalism. There are so many instances a small but affordable watch collection can bring power to a meeting room, a date night, or a big life moment.
fit and finish but more importantly, budget
What’s your budget? What should it be? It really doesn’t matter too much as you can grab an incredible watch at almost any price point from $50 to $5,000+ very easily. So as you can see there can be a lot of options out there so let’s run down the list of prices but first, functionality.
What about function? What am I buying exactly? How do I know what’s good? There are three major types of watches to look out for; automatic, mechanical, and quartz. All these options require a little education so let;s run it down real quick.
Automatic
This is my favorite and my go to for any of my watches. It might be slightly less accurate day to day and you have to set it every couple days, if you don’t wear it daily that is as this option is self winding. I say slightly less accurate but we are talking + or - a few seconds per day. The movement on the inside builds its power strictly on your momentum while you wear it. Yes, this option winds itself and you never have to worry about changing a battery, as it doesn’t have one.Mechanical
This one is very similar to the automatic but you have to self wind the watch typically every 2-3 days to keep it wound and telling time. This is also pretty hands off as you don’t ever have to worry about buying or replacing a battery. Many times when someone buys a watch the battery dies and as complicated as buying a watch battery is and opening the back of a watch this can alleviate much of that and save time.
Quartz
The classic and most widely used movements in watches today are quartz. This is battery operated and you have to change them out every 2-3 years. Yes I said years! The most hands off you can get and actually the most accurate as well. The downside, these are typically also the cheapest of the options because they are usually made from cheap materials or mass produced.
GIVE ME THE OPTIONS
Now for the good stuff, the watches. As I mentioned before I own and gravitate towards the automatic movements. They are typically of a higher build quality and if you stick with the right brands you can have a fantastic time piece for a number of years if not decades. Let’s start low and work out way up though.
This bad boy is the absolute legend that has stood the test of time. It has come back around as a daily wear watch for many people and who doesn’t love a throwback 80’s style digital watch. This beats an Apple Watch any day of the week. That and it’s $27 but if you want to go with the gold variety for a little more flash, a great option.
Casio G-Shock (Quartz)
Ok, another Casio favorite but this time it’s big and in your face but also practically indestructible. This might wear larger but talk about a statement piece. For an easy $87 on Amazon right now this has been another classic for watch collectors as a daily wear on a serious budget.Seiko 5 Sport Field (Automatic)
The cheapest entry into the automatic world at $140 with the perfectly niche field watch of the Seiko 5 Sport. A tough and durable design that has a strong military quality to it. Not to mention, it comes in a variety of colors including black, green, blue, grey, tan, and more.Timex Q (Quartz)
Let’s not discredit Timex, they make some sexy time pieces for unreal prices. The Timex Q is a reissue of a 1979 outing and in this “Pepsi” dial color way it’s a instant classic at $155. If you want to have a variety of different styles just grab this same watch in a few color variations like the Sprite or Coke. Why does the watch industry name their watches after soda brands, I have no idea but it’s fun.Seiko 5 Sport (Automatic)
One of the best ways to grab at a quality automatic movement in a beautiful but tough build watch by Seiko. At a price of right around $200 this is a powerful statement piece for every day wear or a night out.Seiko Recraft (Automatic)
This is one I have had on my radar for quite some time and really flies under the radar as a quality watch by Seiko. Not only is it different in the form factor in a more squared off dial but pair it with the green dial and you have a beauitful vintage vibe for well under $200.Bulova Lunar Pilot (High Perforance Quartz)
Easily one of the best watches on this list for the price and one I have had on my wishlist for a few years now. With a very similar design to the historic Omega Speedmaster that is warn by astronauts on the moon landing you can’d find a better buy for the price. This watch is inspired by the watch worn by Dave Scott in 1971 during the Apollo 15 lunar journey where Scott’s Omega broke and he grabbed his backup Bulova Lunar out of his personal items. This is also a bit of a unique piece in the quartz market as it has a high performance quartz movement which still works on a battery but at a far higher frequency that gives the second hand a smoother sweep than your typical slow tick of another quartz. Starting at $378 it’s an amazing pickup for any watch collector. This is for the nylon strap but it also comes in a metal bracelet as well.Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical (Mechanical)
Easily one of my favorite watch brands is Hamilton, I own a couple automatics myself. This is the very popular option out there now as they hold onto their American heritiage with a classic military field watch styling. At $385 this is an outstanding addition to anyones collection but if you want the automatic version for $450. For a little more complications in adding a date and day window you can grab the same one I have in the Khaki King for $475.Tissot PRX (Quartz)
This has become quite the fan favorite amongst serious collectors for its beautiful design and perfectly case to bracelet form factor. It has a slight vintage quality to it that holds up even in todays new age of watch designs. At a price point of $327 this is a brilliant option. If you find yourself wanting just a bit more quality and a little more prestige you can always grab this same watch in the Tissot PRX Powermatic 80 variety which is an automatic movement.Hamilton Khaki Field aka MURPH (Automatic)
There were a couple watches made famous by the film Interstellar and this is nicknamed Murph after one of the main characters as she wore this watch and it played a massive role in the plot of the film. I have always loved catching various watches in films and how they have built a cult following after and this option is no different. A great all around automatic watch with elegant styling at a price of $735 right now on Amazon.Tudor Black Bay 58
This is where the price and quality takes a massive jump but you can’t go wrong with a beautiful time piece built by the same makers of Rolex for 1/3 the price. The BB58 has become the go to entry level high end watch for some time solely because of it’s build quality and attention to detail second only to Rolex. A sister company to Rolex this brand has niched a spot in history as a brilliant collection of time pieces and this version comes in a variety of designs and colorways. At $3,400 in the blue dial.
We went over quite a few watches and these are just a few go to watches that both look great for a great price but also hold value in the realm of respect from the watch community. Sure I tossed in a big boy at the end but why the hell now?
So, what are you going to get? Which of these options sounds like the best fit for you? Do you wear a watch? Or rather which of these options sounds best? As always shoot me any questions you have, reach out on Instagram and Twitter. Love to chat.