A Best watch usually costs a lot more than the clothes you’re wearing. $500 is a lot of money to spend on a look. With that much money, you could buy a new wardrobe, but that watch will only meet the requirements of a good one: it should have a classic look, work well, and have a well-known name on the dial, to name a few.
“At around $500, you can expect a good level of craftsmanship,” says Erica Redgrave, a buyer at Bucherer, a high-end watch store. “These aren’t even close to the best brands yet, but they often look and work the same as many high-end watches, whether made in Switzerland or elsewhere.”
After the task of lowering the budget is finished, the next step is to find a piece worth the money. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the best tickers that cost less than $500. This will save you time and money.
1. BEST WATCH FARER MEAKIN STAINLESS STEEL AND LEATHER
Even though the British-Swiss name Farer is still new in the world of watches, its design skills more than makeup for its lack of experience.
Each piece is named after and inspired by a different brave traveller. However, they all stand out in the 21st century with simple, clean designs that house Swiss-made movements—honestly, a great deal.
2. BEST WATCH JUNGHANS MAX HILL
Germans are very efficient, and not just with their cars and shampoo. It goes all the way down to your wrist, too. Junghans, based in Schramberg, has been making BMW-quality tickers since 1861. Their simple Max Bill line blends function and style.
It’s classy enough to wear with a suit but not too fancy for everyday use.
3. MONDAINE SWISS RAILWAYS ALARM WATCH
Mondaine is a Swiss brand that’s more Swiss than a Toblerone bar that Roger Federer gave you personally. The dial may be simple, but that’s what makes it easy to read—it’s based on train clocks from across the country. This one has a quartz watch that works well and an alarm that is built in.
4. BEST SEIKO PROSPEX KINETIC WATCH
This Japanese watch brand almost ended the high-end Swiss watch industry during the “Quartz Crisis” in the 1970s. It still has a place among the classics today.
The Seiko Prospex Kinetic is an excellent example of the company’s skill. It has an apparent power reserve, the company’s signature blue and red “Pepsi” bezel, and can hold its total weight in water. This real diver’s watch can handle submersion up to 200 meters deep. Please do not mistake it for anything else: that level of speed at this price is very uncommon.
5. UNIFORM WARES C40 DAY DATE WATCH
Rolex is a must-have in the office; Uniform Wares is the go-to brand for creative agency workers. The British brand has combined simple design with Swiss craftsmanship and parts since 2009. This makes a genuinely excellent line.
6. BEST WATCH SHINOLA RUNWELL
These days, American manufacturing has been going through an identity problem. Shinola, on the other hand, is one of the few brands making America great again.
The Detroit-based business hires locals and teaches them how to make traditional watches. The designs are a mix of old-fashioned Americana and modern social conscience. This led to a line of watches that were very manly.
7. BEST WATCH HAMILTON JAZZMASTER
For a long time, Hamilton has advertised watches on the big screen. From Elvis Presley to the Rock, George Clooney to Matt Damon, you can see their eyes on their wrists.
The brand’s Jazzmaster line is often seen on movie sets, and it’s easy to see why: it’s a Swiss-made watch that fits right in with the 90s (and A-Lister pay packets).
8. BEST WATCH CITIZEN CB0153-21A
Citizen makes a lot of watches, and their wide range of products ticks almost every box. Strong dive watches? Yes, check. Are they making a statement? Yes, check. And classic looks that don’t make a statement or cost too much? Check, check, and check.
Regarding technology, the brand is also ahead of the curve; its Eco-Drive pieces run on solar power.
9. CORNICHE MEN’S HERITAGE 40 WATCH
As fancy as Switzerland is, it could be a more beautiful place. Corniche, a watch brand that started in 2013, gets its ideas from the French Riviera. Corniche has done this: they’ve made a quietly excellent watch that looks good in the office or on the boat of an oil baron.
10. BEST CERTINA DS ACTION WATCH
Many Swiss dive watch people must be more brave to wear them underwater. You don’t have to worry about that with Certina, which the Swatch Group owns. Its impressive waterproof, luminescent dials and rotating bezel make the DS Action watch perfect for a deep dive. It looks great on land as well, of course.
11. VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY MAVERICK WATCH
Victorinox is best known for being one of the companies that made the first Swiss Army knives. Their watches are just as valuable. Instead of a bottle opener and a small screwdriver, the Maverick has a 24-hour dial, a date window to keep track of the calendar, and shades of gold and green that look like they belong in the 1970s.
12. TISSOT TRADITION PERPETUAL CALENDAR WATCH
If your watch has a perpetual clock, it will always show the correct date, even if the month is short or there is a leap year. This is usually a sign that you need to sell your car. It’s hard to believe that Tissot can make the same high-quality watches for much less. You can rock a look with parts for which some brands charge five figures.
13. G-SHOCK METAL BRONZE STEEL SOLAR WATCH
Watches that make a big statement don’t have to be made of gold, diamonds, or bright colors. G-Shock is one of the few names that can turn up the volume without getting too fancy. Instead, the label uses many different features, like a world-time function and lights that work at night. This is kept in significant, slippery cases that handle drops, water, and magnets. Strong and smart.
