You no longer need the fortune to pick up a great timepiece – watchmakers such as Seiko, Tissot and Citizen are here to show it. Watches are the most exciting accessories to shop for, maintaining a space between fashion, art and engineering. In the past, perspective watch-enthusiasts had two choices: spend a small fortune, or purchase something inexpensive and poorly-made.
Now, ideas are evolving. Worthy watches can be had for under $500, enabling almost anyone to manage their wrist to something accurate. A stylish well engineers watch was, is and constantly will be an advanced statement. As evidence of this, contemplate the emergence of the smartwatch.
Many watch collectors apprehended that smartwatches spelt the demise of artful, meticulously made timekeepers. The reverse seems to be accurate.
What to Know Before Buying a Watch
Selecting watches is a full-time hobby for unique enthusiasts, but you don’t require a horologist to attain a great look. However, there are some fundamental features that every watch-owner-to-be should contemplate before making any acquisitions.
- Movement: A watch’s movement leads to the actual functioning of the appearance. The three principal watch movements are automated, mechanical and quartz. Automatic watches actually “charge” themselves with the command of the wearer’s wrist, making it the most charming and reliable movement which big brands like Rolex and Omega use. Mechanical watches need hand-winding customarily every couple of days and have seen a revival recently for their vintage enchantment. Quartz, the most well-known movement today, employs a battery that needs replacing.
- Brand: A watch’s brand is a mark of spirit – or lack thereof. The brand does value when choosing the best watch, particularly when you’re viewing for affordable watches. We’ve collected picks from reliable sources, frequently Swiss and Japanese, to ensure that your new look lasts as long as achievable without any preservation.
- Water-resistance: Even if you don’t intend on showering or swimming with the watch, it’s invariably a good idea to be guarded against water injury. Frequently, if a look has less than 50 meters of water protection, it’s only guaranteed against rain and occasional sprinkles. Over 50 meters of water resistance is protected for swimming, and above 100 meters is diving-ready.
- Crystal: The ‘crystal’ on a watch relates to the dial case. Sapphire is almost scratch-proof and glare-reducing, giving it the most sought-after watch crystal. Less costly watches use a mineral crystal, especially treated glass or an acrylic crystal alike plastic.
- Style: It can be attractive to select a watch simply because it looks lovely on its own, but it should also go with your style. Rest assured to charge your look and examine how great a watch will upgrade the fashion.
People are still getting watches with a harmony that watches are more potent than simple time-tellers. As evidence, brands like Timex released and marketing out throwback watches with mechanical drives and feasible price tags.
Best Watches under $500 in 2022
Orient Sun & Moon
Japanese watchmaker Orient has been comprehended as a serious value proposition. That’s more accurate than ever today, as most of the brand’s watches suggest in-house automatic movements. The Sun & Moon is more impressive offerings in space, and it’s created a cult following over the years. A reasonably complicated dress watch for the cost, the Sun & Moon features day, date, and day/night intricacies arranged in a fun and classy design under a sapphire crystal.
TIMEX M79 Automatic
Timex as a brand holds a lickin’ but keeps on ticking .’ After decades of ups and downs, the American heritage watchmaker is now more desirable than it’s been in years, and it’s all gratitude to their string of well-designed vintage-themed escapes. The M79 is one such watch, as it takes the brand’s blockbuster Q Timex Reissue quartz watch and converts it into a positively attractive automatic, with bi-color bezels available in some truly classic colorways. Like “Batman” and “Coke.”
DAN HENRY 1970
Brazilian watch collector Dan Henry has the world’s most impressive vintage watch collections at over 1,500 pieces. His favorite possessions act as the inspiration for the designs in his vintage-styled namesake microbrand. For 1970, Henry went for the dual-crown super compressor style case and funky colors that came into vogue in the Me Decade. In addition, 1970 boasts accurate diver specs with 200m water resistance and an inner rotating bezel.
Boldr Venture Wayfarer
While BOLDR’s standard Venture is the brand’s idea for a modern-day field watch, the Wayfarer version was completed to tribute to mid-twentieth century explorer’s watches. It adds a 24-hour subdial, a feature selected by spelunkers and miners back in the day so they could better maintain track of the time without having the key to the sun. The Wayfarer also features everything you’d anticipate from a Venture, including the same AR-coated sapphire crystal, 38mm titanium case, and 200m water resistance.
Spinnaker Fleuss
Spinnaker has a pretty strong catalog of watches as larger microbrands. But the Fleuss is fast becoming the young brand’s flagship, as it wonderfully combines vintage and modern dive watch aesthetics to construct something new. The domed and lumed mineral crystal bezel to the sand-textured dial applied Arabic indices to the current 43mm case size. The Fleuss is entirely unlike any other dive watch on the market, making it especially desirable at its low price point.
Baltic HMS 002
Given the status of finishing and attention to detail caught on this dress watch from French microbrand Baltic, it’s hard to accept this piece is priced below $500. The 1940s-inspired HMS 002 features a stepped sector dial with dual contrasting finishing, along with a well-domed hesalite crystal for an authentic vintage look and feel. Ticking away inside is the Miyota 821A, which allows keeping the case suitably thin at just 12mm, including the bubble-like crystal.
LACO AUGSBURG
Laco is a manufacturer who created the original Flieger pilot’s watches during WWII. Since the other four are Wempe, Stowa, IWC, and A. Lange & Söhne, the German brand is in some good company. You can still obtain an authentic Flieger today from Laco for a lot smaller than you’d expect, as the Augsburg characterizes the classic Type A layout and particular handset. The pilot’s watch is in 39mm or 42mm case dimensions with blue or black dials.
TISSOT V8 Swissmatic
It’s nearly unattainable to locate a Swiss-made automatic from a heritage brand for under $500 in 2022, but Tissot has worked to do that here thanks to their modular Swissmatic movement. The movement brags a healthy 72-hour power reserve, and the fact that it’s stuffed inside a good-looking and universal automotive-themed three-hander with a sapphire crystal and 100m water resistance makes the V8 Swissmatic one heck of a deal.
SEIKO Presage Cocktail Time “Black Cat Martini”
The original Seiko Cocktail Time stays a budget classic, but its more contemporary Presage models resume with added complications and fearless style. The Black Cat Martini’s radial-striped sunburst mocha/violet-colored dial includes a deep-set small seconds counter at six o’clock along with a massive power replacement indicator that’s chased by a yellow arrow-tipped hand. It’s a ton of fashion combined with some classy difficulties for not much money.
UNIMATIC U2-F
Italian label Unimatic has the most identifiable design language of any microbrand with minimalist and practical style, and it’s completed wonderfully on this unique and stunning field watch. The U2-F elements a vintage military-style RAF grey dial offset with bright white Super-LumiNova C1 indices and pointers for high readability. The oblong case offers a way to a massively-thick domed sapphire crystal, which allows this robust field watch to achieve a fantastic water resistance of 300m.
SEIKO Prospex Samurai “Great White”
Seiko overpowers at this price level, and this guide could arguably consist of a dozen Seikos, and few would quibble. The Samurai is a traditional, modern Seiko design, with a sharp-edged angular case that stands out among divers at this cost. This iteration of the Samurai features a beautiful blue wave-patterned dial with a covert shark fin at 8 o’clock and a second shark fin as the balance on the second hand; two subtle accolades to the watch’s namesake.
LORIER Falcon
A three-year-old New York-based microbrand Lorier, has wasted no time firmly engraving their design language. They shrunk down the formula that started with their Neptune diver and turned it into a conservative, vintage-styled day-to-day watch that’s reminiscent of the original Rolex Explorer. A waffle dial, 36mm case size, arrow hands, and plexiglass crystal bring vintage style, while blue-glowing BGW-9 Super-LumiNova. It is a fully-articulating exquisitely-brushed flat link bracelet, and the super-thin Miyota 90S5 movement adds a modern luxury touch.
Conclusion : Watches Under $500
Look for investing in a watch that connoisseurs, as well as your wallet, will appreciate. Above timepieces are a few of them to be considered as best watches under $500. Try to buy using the above watch-buying tips, which will help you guide the way.