This is a guest post by James Grasty.
Finding a watch that you just absolutely love can be tough. Finding an affordable one can be even harder; we ain’t all got Rolex money, and an off the shelf Wal-Mart watch is gonna cut it for your tastes. So with that in mind, you may want to check out what we feel are the five best affordable watches on the market these days.
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Best affordable watches 2019
5 – ORIENT 2ND GEN BAMBINO WATCH
This is one cool affordable watch. Why? Because it rocks a minimalist design, an in-house designed and constructed movement, and its classic Seiko roots – all reasons this watch brand keep showing up on these roundups of the best Watch brands out there. And for under $150, it is quite the steal. You’d be remiss to overlook Orient when shopping for your next affordable watch.
4 – WITHINGS HR STEEL AKA NOKIA SMART WATCH
As an avid smart watch user, I can’t help but put one on this list. It can be hard to find a nice-looking smartwatch that looks dope – but doesn’t do the stuff I need it to do. The Withings brand always seeks to bridge the gap between smartwatch features and an awesome-looking watch. I think they’re doing a pretty good job!
You may be confused by the title; that’s because the Withings is a rework of the Nokia smart watch. Perhaps the watches needed to distance themselves somewhat from the maker of the iconic “brick.”
Whichever way you slice it, this is a fantastic affordable smartwatch that should easily satisfy your needs for both function and fashion.
3 – A CASIO CLASSIC WATCH
After spending time in Spain I couldn’t help but notice how many people were sporting the classic Casio digital watch. I was digging it!
This is by far and away one of the most affordable watches on this list, at around $25-30. I like to think it’s always in style – whether you’re headed to a wedding or just cruising around town.
So don’t overlook this timeless beauty – or any of Casio watches – when you are shopping around for an inexpensive watch. Especially if you are looking for something in the uber-affordable category.
2 – MVMT WATCHES CLASSIC MONOCHROME
This brand came out of the blue a few years ago with their awesome, classy and totally- affordable watches at a double-take inducing price point. Their mission statement statement says so itself: “We were founded on the belief that style shouldn’t break the bank. Our goal is to change the way you think about fashion by delivering premium designs at radically fair prices.”
I like a lot of their styles, but for the sake of this post, I’ll choose my personal favorite: the Classic Monochrome. It has an absolutely timeless look, and would look great with a few different watch straps on it (like some of these from BluShark Straps).
1 – SEIKO DIVER WATCH
Normally, I’d say you should opt for the traditional Diver series of watches from Seiko. I feel it is one of their most iconic, with a timeless (pun intended) look and feel. But, since the theme here is “affordable,” I would opt for their Fifty Five Fathoms series.
The Fifty Five Fathoms series is on par with the look, feel, and most importantly, the quality of their classic Divers, but is less costly. They are very “hackable” and a whole industry has evolved around swapping out parts, molding them into whatever you want them to be. This is essentially the “Poor Man’s Rolex,” and a must-have for any Top Watches List.
Honorable Mentions
SKAGEN ANCHER LEATHER
Skagen makes a lot of really cool watches. Most are super affordable. At around $50, the Ancher is ultra affordable. One of its best features is the quick release watchban; with a 20mm strap size, it’s perfect for modding with an awesome 20mm watch strap of your choice that’ll make this bad boy look even more baller than its original price tag implies.
INVICTA PRO DIVER
Another dive watch with a look and feel close to the Seiko, with Japanese-made automatic movement. Quality stuff at under $150, not bad! Like most divers, it’s water-resistant to 200 meters, with a solid 20mm steel band that is great for modding or leaving as is. You’ll be enjoying it for years to come.
