20 Affordable Watches That Look Expensive - The Best of the Bunch
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Money can’t buy taste. Don’t believe me? I present Richard Mille. Believe me now? No? Ok. Hublot. What about now? No? The Rolex Daytona (I said what I said. Fight me.). Anyway, point still stands. Expensive doesn’t always mean good looking. And the exact opposite is true as well. Affordable watches don’t always look cheap. Some can look very, very tasty indeed. So if you're on a budget and want to add some class without breaking the bank, here's 20 suggestions. In no particular order:
1) The Seagull 1963
I do not know how this watch manages to look as good as it does. If I described it to you, you would assume it was an affront to the watchmaking gods: cream, gold, red, blue, and Chinese characters on the dial. You’d assume it was something from the Skegness market. BUT IT JUST WORKS. The gold indices and champagne dial complement each other, the red star adding a pop of color, and the blue (not blued. They’re blue. Come on, you aren’t getting thermally blued for 200 pounds) hands adding a touch of premium-ness. That’s just the look of the watch, though. Pop the bonnet and inside the watch beats the absolute dinosaur that is the Seagull ST19 chronograph movement. That’s right. This baby is mechanical (it has soul) and is the only way a peasant like you or I can get our hands on a mechanical chrono without dropping at least a month’s mortgage payment.
Tempted now?
Okay, how about I sweeten the pot? Not only is this a surprisingly premium-looking mechanical chronograph for around £250, but it's also a genuine military pilot's watch. Let me give you a bit of backstory.
In 1955, Dear Leader in China ordered a watch to be created for the Air Force. So they began designing, and approached Swiss brand Venus. Venus sold the Chinese the patent, design, and machinery to build the 175 movement (said movement had been used since 1942, so it was already a relic by this time). Apparently Venus wanted to free up funds and space for other projects. What that meant now was that this watch was completely in-house (rare even in the 1950s) and gave Chinese pilots a (reasonably) reliable timepiece. These watches were originally produced from ’55 to ’63 (hence the name).
So, let's recap: For less than £300, you can buy an authentic military pilot's mechanical chronograph. It's worth a punt, surely?
2) Baltic HMS 002
Just look at it. COME ON. Sector dial, oozing classic 1940s panache, from a well-respected, already established microbrand, with a plethora of GORGEOUS colourways (my personal favourite is the sunburst blue and gilt). Granted, the movement in the HMS 002 isn't anything to write home about (Miyota 8315). Although it does have everything you'd expect from an automatic movement in 2025- hacking, handwinding and date with 60 hours power reserve, this watch is clocking in at around 360 euros, and something in my lizard brain balks at spending almost 400 big ones on a Miyota 8000 series watch. But that’s just my own bias. There are plenty of excellent watches that use this movement. I think im just a Seiko snob.
But you aren’t paying for the movement here; you’re paying for the design and for having something not many other people know about or own (seriously, I counted, and at the time of writing, there are 3 HMS 002s on Chrono24. That’s it). Being ‘in the know’ comes at a premium.
The finishing is next-level, too. It has a stepped case, a domed hesalite crystal, and a fantastic dial with a mixture of finishing, half brushed and half textured. On most variants, you get blue hands as well. This watch looks like it cost more than the 360 euro price tag.
The Baltic HMS 002 is 38mm long, 13mm thick, and 47mm lug to lug.
3) NG Mecaquartz chronoking
If you're looking for a touch of classic Swiss sportiness, and a taste of £1000+ luxury but don’t want to break the bank, the Nivada Grenchen Mecaquartz Chronoking could be a good option. I feel like this is a bit of a marmite watch. You may look at the picture and think I should have gone to Specsavers, but it's a fantastic bit of kit to me. Super 70s. You couldn’t get more 70s if Tom Selleck burst in the room wearing a Hawaiian shirt, bell bottom jeans and twirling a set of Ford Cortina keys. Or at least the 87040Q01 colourway does (rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it). A black dial chrono with yellow and orange accents, a textured dial and fauxtinad lume, this watch looks like it fell straight off Emerson Fittipaldi’s wrist.
Granted, I appreciate that not everyone is a fan of super 70s style, so this entry is a twofer. The 87033Q17 colourway provides a much more contemporary style, but still with more than a hint of retro charm with the reverse panda dial and the aluminium bezel insert. This one's much more restrained, with a black dial, off-white subdials, and a pop of red on the seconds and subdial hands. You may say boring, but I say classy.
Apparently (according to the brand at least), the Chronoking has the same proportions as the original when it first launched in the 1960s: 38mm across, 46.5mm lug to lug, and 13.7mm depth. Pure class, darling.
The only issue I can find with this watch has to be the movement. A Seiko VK63 Mecaquartz movement, in a watch that prides itself on being Swiss made and clocks in at over £500. Granted, we are all fully aware of the scam that is ‘Swiss Made’, but still. It does put a bit of a funny taste in the mouth having a Swiss made watch with a Seiko movement. However, if that is an issue for you, you could dig a bit deeper into your pocket and splash out a bit more for the Valjoux-powered mechanical at £1100.
Also, while I'm gushing about Nivada Grenchen, I would like to draw attention to how good their website is. The photos are clean, clear, and attractive, and all the information is there (looking at you, Seiko, who, for SOME reason, are allergic to putting lug to lug in a watch's bio on their website). A diagram gives you an excellent idea of the finishing on the case. It is everything a modern watch website should be. Props to you, NG.
4) San Martin SNO144-GX
The Chinese make another appearance on this list. You can't say it's unjustified though when you look at the dial on this one. Stunning. San Martin said they use a ‘low temperature enamel finish’ (whatever that means). Whatever they’ve done it works. You get so much texture here, and it's shiny as well. It's difficult to fully explain it, but take a peek at the photographs and you'll understand. The fact that in 2025 you can get this on your wrist for £250 is mental and shows just how far the watch world has come.
The movement is a pretty good calibre, too. It's a Miyota 9015. It has 24 jewels, hacking and hand winding, a date complication, and runs at -10 to +30 seconds a day. It's not too shabby and definitely a step up from the 8000 series. AND it's 8 beats per second, too, as opposed to the six that is standard for movements in watches around this price point.
The bracelet is an asset to this watch as well. Close to flawless case integration, super fine brushing, screwed links and a milled clasp with glidelock esque microadjust.
It has 100 m of water resistance, a 39mm by 46mm by 10 mm case, reliable movement, eye-catching dial, and solid bracelet. If you enjoy a bit of pop on your daily watch, it's difficult to find a con with this one.
5) San Martin SN0116
We're staying with San Martin on this one. Considering we’ve just started hitting Springtime weather, we should all now be on the lookout for a summer watch, and for my money, it's got to be the SNO 116B. Does it not just scream summer?
My personal favourite is the bright orange. It's fun and bright, and it makes me think of blood orange cider. Granted, the bright orange trend is dead and buried, so if you do look at that and think, ‘Adam needs to go to Specsavers, ’ there is also an ‘avocado’ Colourway, a black with rainbow gradient bezel, and a fun purple and off-white variant.
On to the actual watch though.
This watch clocks in at 39.5mm, has a super wearable lug to lug of 46.5mm, and is a relatively slim 12.1 mm thick, so it should be suitable for even the most T-Rex wristed gentleman. 200m of water resistance as well, so this would do amazingly as a beach watch (the fact that this ‘toy watch’ has a higher water resistance than the original Seiko Willard did when it was released still amazes me). It should suit your super cool beach adventures (swimming up to the poolside bar for your next Martini).
The included beads of rice bracelet is solid, too. Beads of rice usually feel jingly jangly at this price range, but San Martin's did a really good job with the machining (nothing less than what we've come to expect from San Martin at this point).
As always, San Martin's attention to detail really shines through. You get a colour-matched date wheel, bicoloured lume, a signed milled clasp, and an on-the-fly micro adjust.
If this is taking your fancy, you can read the Ben’s Watch Club review here.
6) Tissot PRX (both quartz and auto)
I am very well aware that I gush about this watch every opportunity I get. I'm going to do it again. Do I care? NOPE.
For what it's worth (and hey, you gotta care about my opinion if you’ve read this far), this is the best-looking watch you can get under a grand. The mixture of brushing and polishing is top-notch, and when it catches the sunlight on a wrist roll, this watch looks like a million bucks. This is the only watch I have ever had complimented. My colleague genuinely asked me if it was an AP Royal Oak. He was less than three feet away from me.
First, the angularness. This watch evokes feelings of ultra-classy Genta era timepieces, like the aforementioned Royal Oak, the Patek Nautilus, and the Rolex Oysterquartz. When I look at this, the only Genta watch that doesn’t pop into mind is the original Tissot Seastar that inspired it. The design immediately gives the feel of luxury.
Second, the integrated bracelet. The top and sides of the links are brushed (very finely; it's worth adding), and where each link makes contact with the next is polished. This adds so much to the premium visuals and to the dynamism of a wrist roll. I've said it before (because I've raved about every aspect of this watch about five times), but the way the light shifts from one link to the other is reminiscent of a snake contracting different belly muscles to move.
In fairness, the bracelet is the showstopper in this watch. Dial is very traditional and conservative. Sunburst, high polish stick hands, and stick indices at all numerals except 12, where it's doubled up to aid in orientation. The Powermatic version has the waffle dial, which I prefer, but the simple quartz one doesn’t look out of place. I like the simple dial with lack of fancy hands, as it very much adds to the Genta vibe and would take away attention from the masterclass, which is the bracelet.
This watch is remarkably anatomically friendly too if that makes sense. Most integrated bracelet Genta watches wear very much like metal cuffs (even the fabled Nautilus did the only time I got my grubby little raccoon hands on one to try on). No issue here. Links are slim and very articulate, and even though there is no microadjust, there is a very healthy amount of removable links, meaning this watch is incredibly wearable for any man's wrist size.
Please, please, please try one on in your local AD. If you’re on the fence, that will probably be enough to convince you to buy.
7) Helm Komodo
Another Marmite watch, this, and one that I personally go absolutely crazy for (my friend very kindly lent me his a few weeks ago; honestly, I may or may not be entirely obsessed with it). Maybe you see the vision, perhaps you don’t. And that’s ok. I am a little apprehensive at putting this on the list as it's nigh on impossible to acquire at retail, but there are plenty enough kicking around on eBay and Chrono24 that I'm confident if you fall in love with it you can get your hands on one quickly enough.
This is probably the biggest little watch I would wear—40 mm by 47mm by 15mm. Not the biggest diver out there, but by no means a dainty under the cuff skin diver. But maybe that’s what you want. Something that’s THERE. A tool watch that reminds you of its presence and capability every time you move your wrist.
You can choose between a matte black, matte white, or matte orange dial. Personally, I prefer the black. It's sleek, smooth, sexy, and tactical. The white is too Omega-ey, and the orange just screams SKX007 to me. You also get a PVD-coated stainless steel bezel insert, which just adds a bit of pizzazz to the tooltastic watch.
My favourite bit of this watch has to be the lume though. Big bold indices, filled to the brim with BGW9, add to this piece's tooltastic aesthetic. But that’s not the best bit. This watch is ISO 6425 compliant, and all 12-hour markers must be lumed to have that bragging right. But there is a date complication at 6 o'clock. So how do they do it? They have a lumed ring around the date. Honestly, the lumeshot was enough to sell me on this piece. Has it sold you too?
8) Mondaine classic
This is what a minimalistic watch should be—everything you need to tell time and nothing you don’t. I go crazy for this watch. It has to be one of the most iconic designs in history. Simple, legible, and has been seen by 100s of millions of people since its inception in 1953. There is a good percentage of the world who, if asked to draw a clock, this is the design they'd give you. Hans Hilfiker developed the design, and now Mondaine licenses it from SBB (the Swiss national Railway. Pretty much the Swiss British Rail or Amtrak).
There's plenty of choice as well. You can choose quartz or auto, black dial or white, 30, 32, 36, 40, 41 or 43 mm, oyster-style bracelet, Milanese, leather, or faux leather. There is one for every wrist size.
To be honest, there's not a whole lot I can say to convince you to buy one of these. Either you see the vision, or you don’t. But I certainly do.
9) The Erebus Ascent Blue Helix
Ascent has been widely welcomed by the watch community since it was first introduced mid-last year, and it's not difficult to see why. Whilst it's not the most original design out there, it does very well what it sets out to do, with fine details paid attention to and a solid lineup of colourways, all at a decent price.
My personal favourite is the blue helix, a relatively newer colourway. The fact that you can get this finely detailed dial for less than a grand still amazes me, and it shows just how far the microbrand scene has come in the last ten years.
Clocking in at 39x44mm, this is my sweet spot. 11mm thick as well, in part due to the Miyota 9015 movement, this piece is insanely wearable. And it has 100 m of WR as well. Combine that with the £469 price tag, the double-domed sapphire crystal, and the extensive array of colours, and it's easy to see why this is a regular fixture in everyone's top 10 list. Plus, it looks gorgeous as hell.
10) Peren Regia x
Have you ever seen anything quite like it? Because I haven’t. I know that at Bens Watch Club, we focus on affordable watches, usually at the £500 mark, but I saw this, and there's no way it can't be in the conversation for the most attractive diver under £1,000. Therefore (in my book anyway), it also deserves a spot on the top 20 best-looking watches list. It's my list. Sue me.
Apparently, it's inspired by the Sarmizegetusa Regia solar calendar in Romania (it's okay; I had to google it, too), one of the most precise ancient calendars ever made. To be honest, after looking at a picture of that side by side with the dial, you can sort of see it. It’s difficult to explain how, but everything from the indices used to their thickness and placement really do evoke that feeling of the andesite blocks.
But even ignoring the very impressive link to horology that inspired this, it's difficult to overlook the quality of this piece (I mean, it does come in at a grand, so I'd expect nothing less). Still, this is the finest sand-blasted case I’ve ever seen, and it’s left me wondering just how they did it. It’s that good and adds so much to the aura of this watch.
The bezel is fantastic, too. People rave about the bezel on watches like the CWC SBS and the Marathon MSAR, but this blows both of them out of the water. The clicks are reassuring and smooth, but not spongy at all. Regarding the insert, the only difference between the Regia and the Regia X model is said insert. The Regia has a minimal AM/PM bezel, whereas the Regia X has a (much more usable) dive time/12-hour combination bezel.
My favourite bit, though, is the dimensions: 39mm by 45mm and 12.8mm thick. This is the perfect sweet spot, in my opinion, and this is going to look fantastic on all wrists.
11) Seiko Cocktail time SRPB77
Say what you want about Seiko (I often do). Do they price gouge a little? Yes. Is QC their forte? Not really. Would it kill them to use some Sapphire now and again? It would. But, even with all that in mind, they are still the undisputed kings of dials. From the old school SNK361, to the 4 figure Grand Seikos, it isn’t easy to find a brand that can consistently knock out stunning dials as well as Seiko can.
I could have listed the entire Cocktail Time series on here. If you like the look of the SRPB77, but aren’t feeling the colourway, go check out the rest of them because I can guarantee you'll find one you will absolutely love. I just chose the Martini because im a sucker for simple and classical designs. So, what are you getting for your four hundred Great British Pounds?
Well, first off, it has to be said that the name is a big factor. The name Seiko carries a lot of weight in watch circles and is backed by an impressive history. It has been worn by big names such as Novak Djokovic, Roger Moore, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Steve Jobs at various points throughout its 142-year history (longer than Rolex, I might add).
Second, the reason we’re all here is the dial. The SRPB77 has what I would describe as a fluted dial, which captures and plays with the light extremely nicely. To me, this evokes feelings of walking home on a summer's day after work, with your sleeves rolled up and an ice cream in hand.
The hands are really nice, too, with razor-sharp blue dauphine hands and a really fun diamond counterbalance on the second hand that adds a lot of personality to this otherwise rather standard design.
The crystal is phenomenal, too. Would I have preferred sapphire? Of course. But I fully understand what they were going for with the box-domed crystal, and I feel like they made the right choice with the hardlex crystal. Sometimes, sapphire looks a little flat, and I like the added depth the dome gives to the design.
This is around standard sizing with the Cocktail Time series, at 40mmx47x12mm. Every day, I hope Seiko will release a 38mm version, as I feel like that would sell like hot cakes, but for now, I have no real complaints about the 40mm sizing.
12) Orient Bambino 38
To me, this is the definitive version of a watch that is the definitive affordable dress watch to many people. A modern classic and a staple of the affordable watch space for well over 10 years, Orient had a winner with the Bambino series. But even though they were all beautiful, to me at least they all had something wrong with them. Too big or too small, acrylic crystal, 19 or 21mm lug width, something always prevented me from pulling the trigger. Then, Orient finally released the 38mm model. And it must be love, love, love.
It clocks in at £289 on the Orients website. For your £289 you get a gorgeous off white colourway with dauphine hands, minimal indices, an unbordered date window and the incredibly classy ‘water resistant’ font at the six o'clock, It is a watch that looks much more expensive than what you pay for. I showed one of these to my non-watch enthusiast friend (strange creatures but they do exist unfortunately) and asked him to guess the price. His response? ‘Must be about 4-500 quid mate’
This beaut is ticking over with an in-house F6724, a reliable 22 jewel with 21,600 bph movement with hacking and hand winding.
It's going to slide under a cuff super easily, too, with a 38mm diameter and a 44mm lug-to-lug length, 12.4mm thickness, and 30m of water resistance. Pure class. Unfortunately, it is just mineral crystal, but let's face it: You won’t be doing any extreme sports with this watch. But for £280, I think it deserves a space in everyone's watch box.
13) Islander Northport ISL-195
Islander has to be one of my favourite brands in general. Let alone microbrand. And this is my favourite watch they’ve made to date.
The dude who owns it (Marc) is a watch enthusiast and retailer who originally started selling mod parts until he decided he could build a Seiko better than Seiko could build a Seiko. So he made his own version of an SKX, and it's just grown from there. Today, most of the catalogue is his own designs, although they still do make the odd homage.
They’ve just absolutely nailed it. The dial texture, combined with the blue and white colourway, really evokes the feeling of watching waves roll gently onto a tropical beach, which, if you're like me and live in a grey concrete jungle, adds a bit of refreshment to your day. Combine that with a symmetrical six o'clock date window, INCREDIBLY crisp printing on the indices, a sapphire bezel and ice blue BGW9 lume, and an incredibly crisp, clean and premium looking watch for under £500.
Seriously, it's all in the details with the ISL-195. The bi-coloured bezel perfectly matches the dial.
The proportions aren’t horrible either. Granted, this is the biggest watch on this list, but still. It's 41mm in diameter, 47mm lug to lug, and 12.6 mm deep. I really do love the fact that it's got a Miyota 9015 movement, as the slimness you get from that movement just sets off this piece perfectly.
And yeah. It's just a very, very attractive summer dive watch. What's not to love?
14) Lorier Falcon
99% of 3 6 9 dial watches look nearly identical. I'm sorry, but they do. A company rarely tries something different with such a classic design, so I'm so grateful Lorier exists.
To me the Falcon is a true homage watch. Inspired by the brand that must not be named, yet it's doing its own thing. The honeycomb dial, traditional sizing and the broad arrow hour hand separates the Falcon from other Explorer ‘homages’. And therein lies the reason it deserves a spot on this list. The Explorer design is one of the most iconic looking watches in history, and it's challenging to find a homage that isn’t a direct rip off, especially in the <£600 space. This one not only does that, but it does it WELL.
As I said, sizing is really key here. You could have the exact same watch, with the exact same design, in a 38 or 40mm case size, and it wouldn’t work nearly as well. But Lorier has really committed to the bit. The hesalite, traditional sizing, and old-school explorer vibes make you feel like a modern-day Edmund Hillary.
15) Lorier Neptune
Lorier kills the retro-inspired scene. And if you’re in the market for a watch to make you feel like Sean Connery and look classy as anything while doing it, it’s difficult to beat the Neptune for my money. Like the Falcon I mentioned earlier, this is again what I'd consider a true homage to one of Hans Wildsorf's babies.
The black and gilt work together so well. Before I bought this watch, I avoided gilt like the plague. Even on dress watches, I just couldn’t stand it. But this is something else. It really adds to the classy mid-century feel of this piece, and I don’t think it would have the same pizzazz if it were silver.
Another aspect of this watch I adore is the bezel. The matte aluminium insert and the thinness give it a retro look. The dial is so much bigger, which aids in legibility a lot as well. I don’t think it comes across in press shots, but relatively, how easy it is to read this watch.
The Neptune uses the Miyota 90S5 movement, which is also one of Miyota's more ‘premium’ movements. With stated tolerances of -10 to +30 spd and eight beats per second, the 90S5 quickly becomes one of my favourite movements in this price bracket.
The Neptune is 39mm in diameter, 47mm lug to lug, and 12.7 mm thick, including the domed hesalite crystal. It is incredible wearable and fits into the ‘ripped straight from the 50s’ feel of this watch. Speaking of domed hesalite, that is the only real downside in this piece. However, Lorier does include a tub of poly watch when you buy one, so scratches really shouldn’t be that big of an issue.
16) Zelos Swordfish field 38mm mosaic MOP
Zelos are really gaining a reputation for beautiful dials, aren’t they? And to be honest, it's well deserved. I've now been privileged enough to get my hands on three separate Zelos, and they were all amazing, but this one really blew the others out of the water.
The way this plays with the light is stupidly good. From every angle, the light seems to catch and pick up something new, and for the time that I owned it, this made me a very happy boy. I did end up selling mine to fund another purchase (and instantly regretted it), but hey. It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all, right?
The Swordfish Field 38 clocks in at (surprise surprise) 38mm in diameter, with a very petite 44mm lug to lug and 12mm thick, which considering its powered by the (not slim by any stretch of the imagination) 4R38 movement, aren’t bad measurements at all.
The dial is something else—really, it is. A mother-of-pearl dial (so you get some light play there), plus a very well executed mosaic-style blue detail, means that this watch is never boring to look at.
My favourite feature, though, was the lume. By day, it's a very funky everyday watch. By night, you really see why ‘Field’ is included in this watch's name. It reads 1 to 12 in Arabic in green old radium-style superluminova, with the railroad minute track done in ice blue. It's very reminiscent of a dirty dozen piece.
Plus, the Sapphire crystal and an excellent 200m of wrist wear means this is a watch that you'll never need to take off (not that you'd want to).
17) Hamilton Khaki field quartz
This was one of my favourite watch releases of the last year. I bought the polar dial on the bracelet as soon as I could. As someone who goes absolutely insane for military designs, I cannot explain the simple beauty of this piece, but I'm going to try.
The Khaki field quartz is a direct homage to the British military design. The British military watch tradition is the one to 11 in Arabic, with a triangle at 12 for orientation, and a railroad minute track. In the same vein as American GI watches, which have had the same design since the 50s, the British G10 has had the same design since the 30s. Why? Cuz you can't change perfection. This screams rugged and legible, and is just simply beautiful to me. Maybe I'm the outlier, perhaps it is boring. I don’t care. I'm going to sit in the corner and marvel at the simple beauty of the perfect proportions of the Arabic: minute track ratio.
The case finish is fantastic, too. Bead blasted to perfection in a way that only Hamilton knows how to do, it really adds to this piece's premium ruggedness.
The Khaki clocks in at 33mm in diameter (the smallest on this list by some margin), an absolutely minute 40.5mm lug to lug, and is a wafer thin 7.5 mm thick. Outside of the F91W, this is the most petite and most comfortable watch I own.
18) Boldr Venture Field Medic 2
I was never a Boldr guy. I knew of them for years, but the super-angled case with the hidden lugs always put me off. There was no rhyme or reason; I just didn’t like them. And then my mate showed up to the bar one night with one of these on his wrist. I tried it on and then bought one the very next day.
Why is this such a beauty to me (and worthy of a spot on this list?)? Here's why.
The dial’s design is an absolutely superb balance between symmetry and asymmetry, with a "busy" look that could have so easily gone wrong for Boldr. But it didn’t. The mix of white, black, and red really blends together nicely to give this watch a tactical medical look (and the pulsometer round the edge of the dial helps, too, I guess). The watch also has a layered design, giving the dial more depth in person than the press shots.
Also, the entire dial (excluding subdials, unfortunately) is coated in Superluminova, meaning this watch looks awesome even in low light (such as reading pulse readings in the back of a helicopter… or, in my case, timing to see how quickly my buddy could shotgun his beer).
What's more, the case. Yes, this features Boldrs' trademark tonneau case shape, which usually has the same effect on me as a cross does on Dracula, but it works so fabulously well here. It's also made out of titanium, which impresses me even more because I know full well how difficult it is to work with.
The Venture Field medic is 38mm in diameter, 44mm lug to lug, and 12.5mm thick. The titanium's superlightweightness mixed with those measurements means you'll forget it's even on your wrist.
19) Addiesdive AD2030
This piece came out of nowhere and has ROCKED the affordable watch space. I genuinely don’t know how this comes in at less than £50!
Yep. Let me say that again. The Addiesdive AD2030 clocks in at less than £50. How. How is this watch less than £150? It is truly outrageous. For £50, I wouldn’t even expect stainless steel, and yet not only is this watch 316L stainless steel, but it also has a GORGEOUS desert dune-esque dial that rivals watches at many times the cost. I bought my dad one in the baby blue for his friend's wedding, and he initially refused to wear it, saying he didn’t want to risk damaging ‘such an expensive watch’. He refused to believe I'd spent less than a fifty on it.
This watch is 36mm in diameter, with a 45.7mm lug to lug and a super slim 9mm thick. I think the slimness is down to the quartz movement. I know, I know, I'm a mechanical snob usually too, but a) this is less than a fine steak dinner, we need to manage our expectations here, and b) this is a Seiko VH31 mechaquartz, so you do still get a bit of a smooth sweep.
AND THE BRACELET! Solid links, solid end links, and a milled clasp mate with the case remarkably well. I have absolutely no complaints with it, and I wouldn’t complain if this bracelet was on a watch at 6x the cost of this one. Bravo, Addiesdive. Well done.
I was truly gobsmacked by this watch, and I will continue to advocate that every enthusiast should grab one while they can.
20) Citizen Tsuyosa Small Seconds
Citizen was never really on my radar until the Tsuyosa came out. Don’t get me wrong—I appreciate the brand's history, and some of the old Eagle 7s are TO DIE FOR, but nothing really jumped out at me in their modern catalogue—until this bad boy came out. I bought one on day one, and I've loved it more and more with each passing day.
This dial is super classy. It's reminiscent of classical guilloche dials; you don’t have to sell your left kidney to afford this one. Plus, the sub seconds dial is slightly recessed, providing even more of a classy feel. I went with the light blue model (mainly due to its similarity in looks to a specific Swiss watch), and man, oh man, I feel like a million bucks when putting this on in the morning. The guilloche style dial, paired with the integrated Presidential style bracelet, gives this watch an aura that not many other watches in this price point match. This is also why I chose the small seconds variant on this list. Don’t get me wrong, the standard Tsuyosa looks good, but I feel like the small seconds have much more of their own identity.
Everything is done remarkably well. Even the bracelet, which hasn’t traditionally been Citizens' strong suit, is smooth, refined, well put together, and reassuring. I beg you to try one on in person. If it gets on your wrist, you won't want to take it off.