6 Affordable Automatic Watches That Feel Luxe
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The maxim that you get what you pay for is a beguiling conceit. In one stroke it denigrates inexpensive items as naturally inferior while extolling the belief that expensive goods are inherently of a higher quality.
But we know this is not always the case. Sometimes there is no genuine luxury contender (see smartphones). Sometimes a simpler, less overengineered option can be better (Henry hoover versus a Dyson, or, for that matter, any human-powered vacuum over a robot one). And sometimes scrappy smaller brands compete by offering surprisingly high-caliber products while undercutting respected global players. This, fortunately, has been happening in the watch world for some time now—yes, even with proper automatic movements.
Below is a selection of semi-affordable watches, all fully automatic, and all for less than $1,000 (and one for less than $100). All laudably punch well above their weight. And all should serve you well, from diving to fine dining, for decades to come.
Proper automatic movements, you say? What are those? Good question. An automatic watch, confusingly also known as a "self-winding" watch, is a mechanical watch where the natural motion of the wearer—you—moving their arm about (picking up a coffee, waving hello, or just walking around) provides all the energy needed to wind the mainspring (this is the watch's power source, a spiral torsion spring, but think of it like your phone's battery). This means if you wear the watch regularly you never have to wind. It just keeps going. How long it keeps going after you stop wearing it is called the power reserve (similar to when your phone is left on standby). Hand-wound watches can't do this, you have to remember to wind them at regular intervals. We explain more about types of watches at the end of this article.
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A Lovely Diving Watch
Rotate North CEO Damien Cranney says that the reason he set up this Irish adventure watch brand in 2019 was “to develop a range of elegantly designed tool watches at an affordable price that were fit for purpose.” Having tried the German-engineered Atlantic diver, we can attest to its quality, with a solid screw-down crown (a feature that helps enormously with water resistance), toothed bezel, hardened mineral crystal (more expensive and more scratch-resistant than plastic or acrylic), and glow-in-the-dark Super-LumiNova hands and hour markers. The Seiko shock-proof movement supplies 41 hours of power reserve, and the piece is good for depths down to 300 meters (just shy of 1,000 feet).
Plus, the sustainably sourced vegan rubber straps arrive with half-punched holes, so you simply pick the notch that fits your wrist and leave the rest unbroken. Some brands selling at 10 times the price have not been as inventive. The new Seal Black edition comes with those rubber straps or a stealthy NATO strap. Rotate North also has a more serious 500m diver watch complete with a helium valve. Either variant represents excellent value. The clincher? Right now the brand is offering free express worldwide shipping.
Most Affordable
Seiko has considerable dive watch heritage. This is, after all, the only watch brand that has an association with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, established in 2016. If you are looking for a watch with a little more versatility, Seiko's 5 Sports range, all powered by an automatic movement, come in at preposterously low prices for what they offer.
Seiko has produced its 5 Sports watches in various guises for more than 50 years, but the latest collection has something for everyone—27 iterations, each in one of five styles: Sports, Suits, Specialist, Street, and Sense. You can see them all here.
The collection also has a range of straps and bracelets from steel mesh to silicone-leather hybrids. This classic Sports model has a 41-hour power reserve, silicone strap, and 100-meter water resistance.
A Masterful Modern Watch
Unimatic makes achingly stylish yet modern watches at ludicrously low prices, considering what you get. This is hardly surprising when you consider the Milan-based brand was founded by a pair of industrial designers in 2015. The 400 euro ($463) UC2 has a minimal brushed 316 solid stainless steel case that's waterproof to 300 meters (about 1,000 feet) and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Sapphire is better than plastic or even mineral glass for toughness, so no need to worry about scratches if you bang the UC2 against a wall or ticket barrier.
The black matte dial is finished with glow-in-the-dark, pale-green Super-LumiNova hour markers, while the automatic movement is good for a respectable 41-hour power reserve. The black nylon, two-piece strap finishes the package nicely. In a final flourish, at this price, amazingly, you also get the watch delivered in a Unimatic tough case.
A Military Look
The Hamilton Khaki Field is no stranger to lists of value watches, and rightly so. The military look is very much in style in the horology world (not that it ever really is out of fashion), but now the brand has brought in lightweight titanium options. This 42mm piece with a stealthy coating of black PVD (a process in which a solid material is vaporized in a heated vacuum then bound to a surface) houses the automatic movement, which offers an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The simple, clear dial will never look dated, while the tough canvas strap and 100-meter water resistance make this a watch that can serve for sports and evening occasions.
Looking for something less Bruce Wayne in demeanor? Try Hamilton's new Far Cry 6 collaboration with Ubisoft. Identical to the in-game watch, this piece, also in titanium, has a stylized 6, red second hand, an additional leather strap, a strap-changing tool, and a leather carrying case. But take note: It's a limited edition run. Only 1,983 will be made.
A Stainless Steel Wonder
Farer, a British brand, sells exceptional automatics under $1,000. Its 38.5mm Pembroke field watch with a 200-meter depth rating is made from marine-grade stainless steel (which has higher levels of chromium and molybdenum, so it's tougher and has greater corrosive resistance). Inside is a robust Sellita automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve and built-in shock system.
This timepiece also comes with three quality straps: a marine-blue American Horween leather strap; a green waterproof NATO strap (NATOs are one-piece straps, originally made for the military, that are lightweight, quick-drying, durable, and simple to use); and an integrated “5 row” 316 marine-grade steel bracelet—all with quick-release fitting systems. Many high-end brands would not be so generous.
A Thin Win
We're not sure there is much need for the separation of watches into “men’s” and “women’s” categories. After all, if you like diving, a dive watch is the right choice for you. What makes this 38mm watch stand out is not that the manufacturer calls it a “women's” piece but that it's only 9mm thick yet still manages to be fully automatic. Sapphire crystal? Check. Water resistance? Check (to 100 feet). Leather strap? Check again. Then consider the price. This costs just $200. Then consider the sale price. Right now it's only $99.
Chinese brand Sea-Gull, a public company based in Tianjin, reportedly turns out 5.2 million mechanical movements a year, making it easily the world’s largest manufacturer. It also made the original and much-copied Seagull 1963 pilot’s chronograph, so don't let the low price fool you into thinking it's a brand to ignore.
Smooth and Battery-Free
Quartz Vs. Mechanical Movements
Tech has, much like everywhere else, massively impacted the watch world. The arrival of quartz technology in the 1970s and early 1980s at the time largely replaced mechanical watches.
Mechanical: The items on this list are mechanical and fully automatic, so your wrist movements recharge them (no winding), and they have smooth hand movements. Generally, mechanical watches are designed to last lifetimes, if cared for properly. With an automatic, you're also paying for craftsmanship. This is unfortunately why “proper” watches cost so much. For example, an entry-level Rolex Submariner will set you back more than $8,000.
Quartz Watches: A quartz watch uses a battery to send an electrical current through a small quartz crystal, which electrifies it and makes it vibrate. Those vibrations keep the movement oscillating and power the motor that moves the watch hands. Quartz timepieces are more accurate than mechanical ones and are much cheaper.
But there is a trade-off. Unlike the smooth sweeping motion of a mechanical movement, the second hand of a quartz watch moves in jerking individual ticks. Also, that battery will need changing every year or two. Additionally, quartz watches are mostly mass-manufactured with the cheapest possible parts.
