The 25 Best Watches Under $1,000

A lot of watches on this list have bold designs, daring details, bright colors, and subdials galore. That’s fine, but what if you’re into more classically styled watches, where complications just complicate the matter? The Orient Bambino Version 7 is a no-nonsense automatic with a domed mineral glass over the simple dial, where time is told using two hands pointing to simple bar indices.

Orient offers the Bambino in both 38- and 42-mm case sizes, employs Orient’s F6724 automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve, and, as there’s a choice of dial finishes and straps, ensures that although it has a classic style, you still have the chance to personalize it. From the branding and script used on the dial to the subtle date window, the Orient Bambino Version 7 is the epitome of a dress watch.

Few would have expected the Omega x Swatch Moonswatch to create such a furor both in and out of watch fandom when it was released in 2022, yet in just a few years, it has become one of the most desirable watches today due to its initial scarcity, dual brand recognition, and attractive price. Thankfully, it’s much easier to buy a Moonswatch than when it was first released, including online, and the days of needing to pay scalpers for one through eBay are happily over.

The Moonswatch takes its name and design from the classic Omega Speedmaster, also known as the Moonwatch, due to it being the first watch on the moon. Unlike the Omega Speedmaster, it’s made of bioceramic (which feels a lot like plastic), doesn’t have a sapphire crystal, has a quartz movement, is only water resistant to 30 meters, and most definitely hasn’t been to the moon. None of this matters, though, as there’s so much to like about the Moonswatch, from how it bridges the divide between normal people and watch fans, how it’s practically guaranteed to stir up some kind of emotion, and that there’s almost certainly a color scheme or design feature that will appeal. Just don’t expect it to have the best build quality, or for it to feel anywhere near as expensive as its price suggests.

Some also complain about the Velcro strap, but the branding looks great, and it’s perfect to throw on your wrist when you’re in a hurry. Once it’s on, it’s so light you barely know it’s there. A rubber alternative strap is available if you do hate the Velcro, though. Even if you haven’t heard of any other brands and watches on our list, I bet you have heard of the Omega x Swatch Moonswatch, but don’t pass it off as just clever marketing. It’s a Swatch at heart, and that makes it a fun and affordable gateway into watch ownership.

Yes, it’s the watch worn by the cast in several Men in Black films, and also made famous by Elvis Presley, but to think only about the Ventura as “a movie watch” would be a mistake. The unique, futuristic case shape references the original Ventura launched in the '50s, when it was also the first “electric” watch in the world. Today it’s powered by a quartz movement, but there’s still a nod to its electric beginnings through the zigzag pulse motif.

It’s a statement piece, regardless of whether anyone recognizes it due to its movie and music connections or not, and most people will comment on its striking design. It’s versatile enough to be worn as a dress watch or more casually, and although the 32 x 50-mm case sounds small—there are larger versions available—you’ll find it suits most wrists. Hard to categorize, and certainly not for everyone, the Hamilton Ventura is a design classic and unlike almost any other watch you will choose to wear.

Hamilton’s Khaki field watch couldn’t be more different from the Ventura. Inspired by Hamilton’s military field watches of the 1960s, it's powered by Hamilton’s own H-50 manual movement, providing an 80-hour power reserve, hidden inside a 38-mm stainless steel case. The nylon strap suits the Khaki, as does the white dial for superb legibility, but if that’s not for you, the Khaki range is surprisingly varied. There are alternative dial colors and designs, along with a choice of straps, just as you’d expect, but Hamilton also makes the Khaki with a bronze case, a smaller 33-mm case, and even the option of a quartz movement if a hand-wound movement is just a little too manual for you.

The watches made by London-based Mr Jones are all about the dial, and they make telling the time fun, imaginative, unusual, and rather special. My pick is the wonderful Tadaima (a Japanese word meaning “I’m home”) by Japanese designer Yo Hosoyamada, which blends striking colors and shapes with a cool jump window for the hour, with the movement of a bird around the dial displaying the minutes. Hosoyamada designed it so he’d have a constant reminder of his home city.

This model comes in a 46-mm lug-to-lug case made from stainless steel, complete with a sapphire crystal, water resistance, and a Seagull TY2709 automatic movement. Mr Jones also makes watches in different sizes and with different movements. While this design is our favorite, you may have seen at least one of the others available on social media before, such as the “A Perfectly Useless Afternoon model,” where the dial depicts a pool with a person in a rubber ring and a rubber duck floating on it. We love that each quirky Mr Jones dial design has its own story, and that’s rare to find on a watch at any price.

The R1 Racing is Vaer’s first attempt at a chronograph, and I fully approve of the wonderfully '70s shape, recalling daring case designs of the period from brands like Heuer and Zenith. Vaer has been around since 2016, but didn’t introduce the R1 Racing until 2022. It took the wise decision to make two case sizes—38 and 42 mm—and employs a Seiko VK-63 Meca Quartz movement, giving the watch both versatility and reliability.

In addition to the two case sizes, there are six different strap options to choose from, allowing you to really get the look and fit of the watch just right. The case is made from stainless steel, there’s a domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating over the dial, and 100 meters of water resistance, and the watch is assembled in the US. Prices vary depending on the strap you choose.

Japan-based Kuoe takes its inspiration from 1960s watch designs, and it immediately shows in the wonderful Old Smith 90-001, the watch it first introduced when the company was formed in 2020. The 35-mm stainless steel case houses a quartz Seiko VD78A movement, which powers the hour and minute hands, plus a subdial showing the seconds.

The dial’s ivory finish, contrasting brown leather strap, and simple bar indices complete the perfect vintage vibe, but there’s a welcome hint of playfulness from the blue hour and minute hands. The Old Smith 90-001 isn’t pretending to be anything it’s not, as there’s no suggestion you’ll be diving in it or using it while piloting your plane. It’s a classic watch for those who value style over complication.

If you’re like me and taken by classic cars, watches, and a great origin story, then Autodromo is one of those rare companies that ticks all the boxes. The founder, Bradley Price, says his love of cars influenced the creation of Autodromo, and the Prototipo is a great example of what the brand stands for. It dates back to 2013, and has been inspired by the chronographs adorning the wrists of racing drivers in the 1970s, complete with the unusual barrel case, blue dial, and subdial hands straight out of an old British sports car. The sporty perforated leather strap completes the look.

Inside is a Seiko VK-63 Meca-Quartz movement with a date window to ensure the watch is ready to go when you are. The stainless steel case is 42 mm across and 11.5 mm thick, there’s a sapphire crystal over the dial, and 50 meters of water resistance. What’s refreshing about Autodromo’s range is how the Prototipo is unlike the majority of the other watches in the collection, which are highly unique pieces designed by a team with passion. What I'm saying is, if you like the idea of watches inspired by a love of cars but the Prototipo doesn’t do it for you, you may find something else in Autodromo’s range that does.

Rotate North started out in 2019 with its Atlantic dive watch, but it has expanded its range to include several other models since then, and I love the Tempest aviation watch. Built in Germany and finished in the UK, the Tempest comes in a 40-mm case size with a choice of bright rubber straps, and I love the 12- and 24-hour markers on the dial, the date window, and the 300-meter water resistance rating.

Perhaps best of all, Rotate North gives you the choice of movements. You can choose the Tempest with a Seiko NH35A automatic movement, which the company says it chose due to its “exceptional durability, reliability, and impressive accuracy (-20 to +40 seconds per day) rating.” The movement will turn up more than once on this list for these very reasons. Alternatively, you can choose a Ronda 715LI quartz movement if you want the watch to always be ready to go, and to save a little on the purchase price, too.

While some watchmakers cite a love of cars as their design inspiration, Brew (as the name suggests) takes inspiration from coffee. From the experience of relaxing with a cup of coffee to the industrial design of classic Italian coffee machines, once you know Brew’s muse, it’s easy to spot the nods in its watches. That said, I’ve chosen the Retrograph Technicolor because it reminds me of Tag Heuer’s '70s design classic, the Monaco.

Made from stainless steel, it has a modest 38-mm case width and sapphire glass over the dial, and at just 10 mm thick, it won’t interfere with shirt cuffs. The square subdials give the dial a distinctive look, but it’s the yellow markers on the main dial between 30 and 35 seconds that make it fun and offer the coffee connection, as that’s the recommended brewing time for an espresso shot. If the Retrograph style isn’t for you, Brew’s Metric costs a little more, but the integrated bracelet gives it an on-trend sports look.

Founded in 2015, Milan-based brand Unimatic—a portmanteau made up of “unique” and “matic,” meaning willing in Italian—takes its tool watches very seriously. The Modello Uno UC1, a very clean and focused dive watch, is a great example of what the brand is all about. Legibility is the order of the day, with a matte black dial, extended use of Super LumiNova C3 lume, the minimal dive bezel, and an anti-reflective coating on the domed sapphire.

The clean design is matched to some great dive specs, including 300-meter water resistance, a screw-down crown, and a Seiko NH35A automatic movement inside the 40-mm stainless steel case. The watch comes with a black nylon strap and is a no-nonsense dive watch. Unimatic takes great care in making sure its watches meet expectations, and the casing, water resistance testing, and quality control of each watch happen in-house.

Relative newcomer Héron (launched in 2021) has nailed the classic diver look with the Marinor, and added careful modern style tweaks to make a seriously tempting watch. Those well versed in watches will whisper “Blancpain” when they see the bezel and dial design, but this is far from an homage watch.

Héron’s stainless steel case has an anti-scratch treatment, the sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating, Super LumiNova covers the indices for superior legibility, and it has a Miyota automatic movement inside. Unfortunately, getting a Héron Marinor requires patience, as you’ll likely have to wait for the watch to periodically become available through the company's online store.

What a treat the Baltic MR is. From the unusual subdial showing the seconds, the textured dial, and the Breguet numerals, to the micro-rotor (which also gives the MR its name) Hangzhou movement, shown off behind the display caseback, it’s a class act throughout.

Available in a selection of different finishes, the MR has a 36-mm stainless steel case, which is just 10 mm thick with the domed acrylic crystal, 42 hours of power reserve, and 30 meters of water resistance. I'm taken by the Classic Salmon color, which gives this dress watch a light, summery look.

All the best watches get a nickname, and the G-Shock GA-2100 is no exception. It’s often called the CasiOak, a reference to its octagonal shape being somewhat reminiscent of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, just without the oak-tree-sized price. Even without the slightly cringy nickname, the GA-2100 is a versatile modern beauty. It’s modestly sized for a G-Shock (45 mm across and just under 12 mm thick), and it comes in a wide array of colors and finishes, plus there are all-metal versions and even sized-down versions for smaller wrists.

The choice of funky styles is typical G-Shock, as is the combination of analog and digital dial, but it’s the easy wearability of the 2100 series that has won it so many fans. It fits under your cuff, it doesn’t look like you should be wearing a wetsuit, and in most color schemes, like the black and white version we’ve chosen, the dial is highly legible. It has lost none of its G-Shock toughness, so it’ll withstand incredibly harsh treatment and is water resistant to 200 meters, plus there are various features including a stopwatch, alarms, and a world timer. If the Swatch Moonswatch’s grab-and-go style appeals but you want extra durability, a much lower price, and arguably even more street cred, the GA-2100 is for you.

The G-Shock DW5600 is a bona-fide classic watch, as it’s the modern version of the watch that started it all for Casio’s G-Shock in 1984. The “square” shape is immediately recognizable and still effortlessly cool, but it’s the incredible toughness that separates the DW5600 from other watches at this price. It’s shock-resistant and water-resistant to 200 meters. The battery should last for five years, and the resin band is as comfortable as it is durable. It’s sensibly sized (for a G-Shock) and just under 14 mm thick.

I’ve highlighted the model closest to the color scheme of the first square G-Shock, but there are so many variations to choose from if you want something a bit different. It’s often the basis for G-Shock’s popular collaborations and limited editions, while the all-metal square 5600 G-Shock models look and feel fantastic. Plus, you can go completely mad and get a luxury, $5,000 square G-Shock as a part of its prestigious MR-G series. Whichever you choose, you’ll be wearing a piece of Casio history, and one of the wider watch world’s most influential models.

Launched in 2021 as a playful response to an overly serious watch world, Studio Underd0g has captured the hearts of watch nerds everywhere, and I don’t intend to keep it a secret. You may have seen the company's most recognizable watch, called the Watermel0n, on social media already, but here’s your full introduction. Part of the 01Series collection, the red and green color scheme, complete with pips for hour markers, is as fun as it is eye-catching, while the different-sized complications and odd placement of the branding make the dial really unusual.

If the watermelon-inspired color isn’t for you, there are others available, but the rest doesn’t change. Studio Underd0g worked with Seagull to create a custom version of the ST-1901B manual winding movement. The 38.5-mm case is made from stainless steel, there’s a sapphire crystal over the dial, and the whole package has 50 meters of water resistance. There’s one problem with Studio Underd0g’s watches, which is that you’ll likely have to wait to get one. The watches, assembled in the UK, are released for a short, set period, and if you don’t order one, you’ll have to wait until the next “drop.” But your patience will be rewarded with one of these special watches.

Inspired by Seiko’s first chronograph from the mid-’60s, the Speedtimer is a stunning watch, even if I leave aside the fact that if you get it in black and white, it has a similar look to the famous Rolex Daytona. There’s a lot to love about the Speedtimer, from Seiko hiding the solar cells (which offer a six-month power reserve) inside the subdials, to the anti-reflective, curved sapphire crystal, and the surprisingly compact dimensions of the 39-mm stainless steel case.

The solar-powered V192 movement is reliable and easy to live with, the 100-meter water resistance makes it suitably durable, and the multiple layers of detail on the dial make it interesting to look at. If you don’t like the “panda” look, there are several other models in the Speedtimer range, and most come attached to a metal bracelet. However, the Speedtimer is a great candidate for a nylon strap swap, so do consider it if you find the metal bracelet too restrictive for everyday wear.

Nodus assembles its watches at its headquarters in Los Angeles and has been operating since 2017, building an impressive range of watches along the way, while making some fascinating moves into research and development and collaborative designs. The Contrail GMT is a real stunner in either Impulse (blue dial and blue/white bezel) or Polaris (white dial, black/white bezel), and each uses a contrasting color for the desirable GMT hand, plus some impressive Super LumiNova lume across the dial, hands, and bezel.

There’s so much to like here, from the sensible 40-mm case and box sapphire crystal, to the Miyota 9075 GMT movement with its 42-hour power reserve, but it’s the little things that make me want to wear it so much. The bezel is sapphire, there are hand-finished elements around the movement, despite it being hidden behind the caseback, the knurled screw-down crown, and the brand’s custom NodeX clasp with micro-adjustment on the bracelet for a tailored fit. My original Nodus Sector Dive still looks great and works well when I wear it today, which says a lot about the company's design and build.

Farer, a British watchmaker, has been around since 2015, and it’s hard to choose from its wide product selection, but I recommend a close look at the Bradfield, a highly legible pilot’s watch due to the large 37-mm dial held inside a 39-mm case. If you want seemingly more dial than case, this is the watch for you. However, it’s in the dark that the watch comes alive, with a special process used to apply the Super LumiNova lume so it appears the numbers are backlit, giving the already eye-catching dial even more appeal.

Farer encases the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement inside a Faraday cage to protect against the effects of magnetism. The watch has a 41-hour power reserve, 50 meters of water resistance, and as the watch is only 11.5 mm thick, it’ll be easy and comfortable to wear. There’s a choice of different strap options when you buy the Bradfield, including a metal Milanese bracelet, which gives it a dressier look. However, you may have to be patient as it dips in and out of stock.

Tissot’s decision to recreate one of its '70s design classics in 2020 turned out to be a masterful stroke, as the PRX has become the darling of those who want a 1970s-inspired sports watch with an integrated bracelet, but aren’t interested in splashing out for the big hitters. The slim bezel and subdial-free face match perfectly with the angular, sharp slants and lines of the 40-mm case, which shines in stainless steel. It’s completed by a sapphire crystal, the integrated bracelet, and the display caseback.

The Powermatic 80 automatic movement is only one option, as Tissot also makes the PRX with a quartz movement, along with a host of different case finishes and colors, alternative dial designs, and case sizes, too. However, a 40-mm PRX with a Powermatic 80 and a patterned dial in a shade of blue is one of those rare watches with the appeal to get people into watch collecting, yet still be regularly worn even after your collection grows, because it’s just so cool.

I’ve talked a lot about watches inspired by designs from the 1960s and ’70s, but few from the ’80s. Not any more, because the Timex Q Timex Ana-Digi Reissue is about as ’80s as watches get. The 33-mm case is rectangular and, as the name indicates, has both an analog dial and a digital readout, which gives it features including world time, an alarm, a chronograph, and the day and date. The case is made of stainless steel, is only 9 mm thick, and comes in a choice of silver or gold finishes.

The Q Timex Ana-Digi Reissue’s design isn’t going to be for everyone, but alongside ’80s design classics like the Casio Databank CA-53W calculator watch, there’s genuine appeal in the high-tech look that defined affordable watches of the period. I’ve chosen it because it reminds me of my childhood love of such wristwear, but Timex’s entire range is packed with fun and affordable watches with more conventional looks if it’s not quite to your taste.

A watch steeped in modern history, the classically styled 1963 Panda Pilot is a variation of Seagull’s 1963 watch, which is based on the design of China’s first domestically made chronograph, commissioned (as you’ve probably guessed) in 1963 by the Chinese government. While the 1963 on its own is a great-looking watch, the limited-edition 1963 Panda Pilot takes it a step further with its panda-style dial and cute panda motif on the case back.

The movement is a Seagull ST1901, which is the same manual winding mechanism you’ll find in some Studio Underd0g watches, and it’s inside a 40-mm stainless steel case that’s 14 mm thick, with a synthetic sapphire crystal over the dial. There’s a modest 30 meters of water resistance, and if you choose the Panda Pilot version, it comes with both a leather and a mesh bracelet in the box.

Seagull is a great example of why you shouldn’t ignore watches made in China. It was originally only available locally, then moved to online shopping haven Alibaba, and is now finally available to a clamoring international audience through its own online store. It’s both a fun curiosity and a true modern collectible, and if you want something different from the usual watches you’ll spot on people’s wrists, this is it.

Have the watches I’ve shown so far not had busy enough dials? Not to worry, the Citizen Promaster Skyhawk is exactly what you’re after. Just look at it. There’s so much going on, it’s hard to know where to look first, from the combination of analog dials and digital screens, to the slide rule bezel for calculating aircraft fuel requirements. The stainless steel case is 45 mm wide, too, meaning it’s certain to be noticed on your wrist. It’s quite mad, and I love it.

The watch uses Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology, which harnesses light from almost any source for power, returning a six-month power reserve and the ability to go into a low-power sleep mode when not in use. There are two Skyhawk limited editions available, with the US version wearing Blue Angels aerial stunt team branding, while the UK model is a collaboration with the Red Arrows stunt team. It’s not a watch for the shy and retiring.