Cheap Tricks: Six of the Best Budget-Friendly Watch Deals Around

At MONOCHROME, there’s often debate about various aspects of watches. Size, materials, colours, and so on are all regularly scrutinised by the team. And they should be, as we love to offer you our best perspective on watches possible. One thing that always crops up in these discussions is price. Do we think a watch is fairly priced or too expensive? Or perhaps even, dare I say it, too cheap? Regardless of the outcome, there’s no denying that some watches hit much higher on the value-for-money spectrum than others, sometimes even wondering how they do it. With that said, here are some of our suggestions for those shopping on a seriously tight budget but still want something stylish and fun to wear. And, as a side note, we fully realise this is not a definitive list, as we tend to look at watches we’ve actually spent some time with. There might be others that fit our self-imposed criteria, but these offer boatloads of character at bargain prices.

Tissot Classic Dream Powermatic 80

Hot off the presses from Le Locle, the new Tissot Classic Dream Powermatic 80 could well be the best Swiss Made value proposition in years! The design is nothing shocking, but simply good, and it now comes backed by the Swatch Group’s ubiquitous Powermatic 80 movement. At 40mm across and finished in a polished steel, two-tone or fold-coated case, you can’t go wrong with this one. The collection consists of seven references in total, including four dial colours and the choice of a leather strap or steel bracelet. And best of all, the prices range from an impressively accessible CHF 395 to CHF 465, which is undeniably value for money!

For more information, please visit TissotWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 40mm diameter – stainless steel case, polished (optional two-tone or gold PVD coating) – sapphire crystal – solid caseback – 50m water-resistance – black, blue, champagne or silver sunray-brushed dials – applied markers – dauphine hands – Powermatic 80, automatic – 21,600vph – 80h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds, date – leather strap or stainless steel 5-link bracelet – CHF 395 to CHF 465

Citizen Zenshin 60 super titanium

Citizen is one of those brands that can deliver immense value for money, and the recently introduced Zenshin 60 Super Titanium collection is a prime example. At less than EUR 500, or EUR 499 to be exact, you get a full titanium watch with a strong identity and lovely vertically brushed and gradient blue, copper or green dials. Add to that an in-house automatic movement that, although looking a touch industrial in finishing, delivers a steady 60 hours of power reserve, and we start asking again: “Just, how??” The simple answer is scalability in production, but the best answer in reality is, because they know how, and because they can!

For more information, please visit CitizenWatch.eu or CitizenWatch-Global.com.

Quick Facts – 40.5mm x 11.25mm – Super Titanium case, Duratect treatment – 12-sided bezel – sapphire crystal – see-through caseback – 100m water-resistant – brushed gradient light or dark blue, copper and green dials – applied markers & hands with luminous inserts – calibre 8322, in-house automatic – 21,600vph – 60h power reserve – hours, minutes, seconds – titanium bracelet with folding clasp – permanently available – EUR 499

Blancpain x Swatch scuba fifty fathoms green abyss

The Blancpain x Swatch Scuba ‘FF’ has been with us for a couple of years, and although new releases are few and far between, the most recent edition is arguably one of the very best so far! Called Green Abyss, there’s no surprise to the colour of the Bioceramic case. Details such as the bezel, green dial with moisture indicator and the shape of the hands give off genuine Fifty Fathoms vibes. Inside ticks Swatch’s Sistem51 automatic movement, with a Felimare Picta nudibranch on the rotor. Worn on a striped two-piece nylon strap, this one will set you back just EUR 400. And there’s no denying that’s good value for money!

For more information, please visit Swatch.com.

Quick Facts – 42.3mm x 14.4mm – green bioceramic case & crown – unidirectional rotating bezel with black insert – bio-sourced crystal, see-through crystal caseback – 100m water-resistant – green dial with moisture indicator – luminous hands & markers – Sistem51, automatic – 21,600vph – 90h power reserve – Nudibranc on rotor – striped two-piece textile strap with green bioceramic pin buckle and loops – EUR 400

batavi marina chronograaf

If you thought a bit more complexity was out of the question when shopping for watches on a budget, think again! The Batavi Marina Chronograaf, which is no typo but the Dutch spelling for ‘chronograph’, offers tons of character for only EUR 649. Sure, it might be the priciest entry on the list, but it’s just a very good-looking watch at a very accessible price. At 38mm in width, it is also lovely and compact, and it comes with a full stainless steel bracelet. In our opinion, the best option is the black dial, but there are three more to choose from. The movement, visible from the back, is Seagull’s ST1901, which is a manually wound column-wheel chronograph unit.

For more information, please visit Batavi-Watches.com.

Quick Facts – 38mm x 13.5mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – domed crystal, see-through caseback – 50m water-resistant – white, black, cream or two-tone sandwich dials – syringe-style hands with Super-LumiNova – multi-coloured chronograph subdial & hands – Seagull ST1901, manually wound – 21,600vph – 50h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph – stainless steel bracelet with micro-adjustable folding clasp – EUR 649

orient bambino 75th anniversary

Another option that gives you a bit more than just the time, and possibly a date, is the Orient Bambino Day/Night 75th Anniversary. In honour of the brand’s 75-year celebration, this 5,500-piece limited edition throws in a classically styled day/night indicator and a day-of-the-week display. The asymmetrical display is rather unusual yet captivating, and is set in a 41.5mm by 14.2mm steel case. The automatic movement is made in-house, and the watch comes on a beige nubuck leather strap with a pin buckle. This honest, and often gateway-style watch can be yours for EUR 449,99, which is very fair given what you get in return.

For more information, please visit Orient-Watch.com.

Quick Facts – 41.5mm x 14.2mm – stainless steel case, brushed & polished – mineral crystal, signed see-through caseback – 30m water-resistant – curved white dial – applied pink gold Roman numerals – blued hands – day/night indicator with sun & moon – day of the week subdial – calibre F6B24 – 21,600vph – 40h power reserve – beige nubuck leather strap with pin buckle – limited to 5,500 pieces – EUR 449,99

seiko 5 sports skx

The SKX series by Seiko has always been a huge fan-favourite and a gateway watch for many. The entire vibe of the SKX screams value for money, and the recent generational update is certainly for the better! With four new references entering the collection earlier this year, you have a choice between black, blue, yellow and orange dials in the typical design. Power-wise, Seiko relies on the 4R36 automatic, with a power reserve of 41 hours. Fitted to a black silicone strap or a steel bracelet, and retailing for EUR 400 to EUR 440, you can’t go wrong with this one. It is, simply put, a true watchmaking icon!

For more information, please visit SeikoWatches.com.

Quick Facts – 42.5mm x 13.9mm – stainless steel case, polished – unidirectional rotating bezel – offset screw-down crown – Hardlex crystal, see-through caseback 100m water-resistant – blue (SRPL83), black (SRPL85), yellow (SRPL87) or orange dial (SRPL89) – applied numerals & hands with LumiBrite – day-date indication – calibre 4R36, in-house automatic – 21,600vph – 41h power reserve – black silicone strap or steel bracelet – EUR 400 (Silicone strap) – EUR 440 (steel bracelet)